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HISTORY

Excerpts from “Warwick’s Villages & Historic Places”
By Don D’Amato

The mill has long been a landmark in Warwick that remids us of the time when the “Fruit of the Loom” textiles were the most famous in the world and when immigrants from England, Sweden, French-Canada and Italy came to Warwick to find work and a new way of life.

In 1852, at about the time that the mills were thriving in Crompton, Centreville and Apponaug, the B.B. & R. Knight Company acquired the mills of John H. Clark. They also decided to change the name of the village from Clarkesville to Pontiac. Oliver Payson Fuller, in his 1875 History of Warwick notes, “No one of the villages on the Pawtuxet River and its tributaries has been designated by so many different names in the course of its history, as the one we have now come to.” He traces the names back to May 10, 1662, when Warwick records show that it was known by the Indian name of Toskeunk.

Other Facts:

1. In 1856, the B.B. & R. Knight Corporation, operating out of Pontiac Mills in Warwick, began producing bolts of cloth under the “Fruit of the Loom” label.
2. President Abe Lincoln dedicated the Mill Tower at historic Pontiac Mills in 1863
3. In 1875, the Pontiac Mills were among the most famous in Warwick.
4. Until recently, the mill complex housed a number of small businesses that found an ideal place to locate.
5. Prior to the coming of the demolition cranes, the Pontiac Mill on Knight Street presented a picture of Warwick's 19th century dominating industry. Even to the casual visitor, the large brick building made it obvious that it was the mill that dominated Pontiac.
6. The mill area closest to Rt. 5 has been demolished to make room for the new $21 million NYLO(New York Style Lofts) Hotel that will be one of Warwick's largest hotels.

Anecdotes

jay  we lived on garden city drive in cranston from 1954-1960. we would go to the mills just because it was huge, on the river and mom told us never to go there!!! great pix.

m simone  pontiac mills has not been demolished. a metal building built in the 1960s was torn down to create room for nylo. if you visit nylohotels.com they mention the plans for the remaining portion of the mill with hopes for it to be an artists village. the mill is at the mercy of the banks who are unwilling to lend money to this type of project due to the poor real estate market. does anyone have any money to save this property? pontiac mills has some of the most stunning architecture of all the rhode island mills, resembling a european street or village. it remains on the historic register but if something is not done soon it will be to late.

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