Hanks Silk Mill

01

Artifact Overview

As America was taking its first steps towards industrialization, the Hanks family of Mansfield, Connecticut, made early attempts to mechanize the production of silk thread. Rodney Hanks and his nephew Horatio Hanks built this mill in 1810. It was the first silk mill in America, producing some of the first silk with machines that were powered by a waterwheel.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Mill (Building)

Date Made

1810

Creator Notes

Built in 1810 by Rodney Hanks and his nephew Horatio Hanks in the hamlet of Hanks Hill, near Mansfield in Tolland County, Connecticut.

Location

at Greenfield Village in Liberty Craftworks District

Object ID

31.1088.2

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Material

Wood (Plant material)
Glass (Material)

Dimensions

Width: 12 ft
Length: 28 ft

Hanks Silk Mill