Some history:
The Nippes family was one of the most well-known rifle manufactures in the early to mid-nineteen century. This particular factory was built in 1808 and was a major supplier of firearms to the U.S. army. In the 1860s it was sold to William Booth and Thomas H. Barker and converted into a wool and cotton producing factory. (Hence the dual name)
Both businesses quite successful; the transition to textiles was an early indication of the trend towards industrialization. The mill remained in operation with the Barker family until 1956. It was then converted to office space (which must have been awesome). It has since become dilapidated.
Barker Mill is locally designated as a Class 1 historic resource.
I first walked around and found what was left of the homes that the workers lived in, just stone remained. Next, I found a more modern abandoned house close to the factory. Finally, I made my way into the factory which was a little sketchy because there were people hiking and fishing nearby.
The factory was big but not much was left. The floor was falling in in many places. Exploring the basement was cool, I found a Pepsi bottle from the 1930s and a Gordon's gin bottle from the 1940s-50s. The second floor was inaccessible, and there was a second building which I didn't get to. There is a connection between the two buildings, but it is on the second floor.
Outside of the factory, houses for the workers
Newish house next to the factory
The factory, I got in the far building in the first photos
Inside, some of the holes in the floor were patched
Some were not
To the sub-floor, not really a basement
There were small archways between different sections of the basement
I crawled through this hole from the other side only to realize that I could have taken the stairs. Fun none the less!
Found a tunnel that goes out to the stream.
Found this in the tunnel, looks like a pressure gauge.
The second floor, you can see in the second photo where the stairs used to be. I'll have to try to get in the other building another time.
Old bottles!