The Providence Preservation Society has released its 2024 Most Endangered Places List and the unique Atlantic Mills Complex — the Susan Lucci of endangered buildings — is back after years of being nominated: 2009, 2010, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017. In the past the issue has been deferred maintenance and hazardous conditions, but the PPS has new concerns: “Recently, the future of the complex has become more uncertain as tenants see signs that the current owners seem to be interested in selling the building, potentially putting an end to the diverse and vibrant community that exists in the Mills today.”
For those who have been inside it, the Atlantic Mills Complex is unforgettable and unlike any other place in the city. The eastern section was built in 1863, designed by the local architect Clifton A. Hall for the Atlantic Delaine Company, with a western section built in 1882. This large complex produced worsted cloth, a high-quality lightweight wool fabric, and soon became the largest textile company in Providence by the 1880s, with over 2,100 workers, many of them living in small company-built houses close by.
Unlike many MEP listings that languish vacant and unused except for the raccoons, the Atlantic Mills complex on Manton Avenue in Olneyville attracts hundreds to the Big Top Flea on weekends and is loaded with loyal tenants.
One of those tenants, Anne Holland, has written a compelling testimonial, including this invitation:
The Mills are known for the beauty of their giant curved stairwells, contained in the two landmark towers. If you love woodwork and architecture, walk in and look up: the stairwell entries are open to the public.
(We will have more to say about the list, particularly the new category, “Neighborhoods Under Pressure from Student Housing Gentrification.” The Society’s new executive director, Marisa Angell Brown, is off to a good start.)