Abandoned Potter Hill Mill | New England History

When exploring abandoned places, a ‘Grail” is a spot that hasn’t been touched by vandals, hasn’t been redeveloped, and still houses historic artifacts in their original places. Fortunately, We found one of those grails - a historic mill collapsing on a secluded river. It was abandoned in 1958 with nearly everything left inside.
Filmed/Edited by Jason Allard
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Drone: DJI Mini 2 Fly More Combo
Editing: Final Cut Pro w/ custom plugins
Additional Footage by:
David Lawlor | rb.gy/s9oxrq
Suthi Seneth | rb.gy/mfs2fq
Music By: WaveyyBeats | rb.gy/pcsrlk
Beats by Con | rb.gy/ndq16d
Dexter Yu | rb.gy/exmuzo
Moneo | rb.gy/dlvn9t
In order to understand why THIS mill is so special, we have to go back to the past, so let’s hop in my time machine here, which yes, is a del’s lemonade cup because, yeah time travel makes me thirsty, and yeah, maybe I want Dels to send me free lemonade.
Welcome to the 1700s which for context is after the 1600s but before the 1800s.
Back then people in England had their entire society built up around mills. It was their way of life and they brought it on the ships to New England - which I like to imagine they did literally…. so forgive me while I ignore “historical accuracy”
What were these mills used for? That’s a good question - the most well known were grist mills, which ground corn and wheat into flour, and saw mills, which cut up wood for construction. Then during the industrial revolution you had the textile industry exploding - there were fulling mills, which made cloth, carding mills, which untangled and cleaned wool fibers, dyeing mills, and coffee milk mills, where early Rhode Islanders would get their favorite beverage.
So through the 1800s businessmen and manufacturers built and they built and oh boy did they build those mills.
They brought jobs to the areas where they were built, and with jobs came economic and societal growth. Which on one hand was a good thing, but on the other hand they generally valued profits over everything. Workers were kept in perpetual poverty, and owners employed children to work in some of the most dangerous conditions in america.
I know, it’s pretty terrible, but don’t worry I wrote them a negative yelp review. so that should do it.
Mill buildings were simple and sturdy, built to withstand the strong vibrations generated by the water wheels… This mill followed the same trend but has one awesome design feature. This beauty was constructed with red granite, which makes for quite the striking view at sunset.
We made it to the mill close at golden hour, picking our way through the woods passing discarded farm and manufacturing equipment.
It’s really sad that this beautiful piece of history was left to just rot here on the river. It’s a reminder of a different era, and while significant places like this have been saved, this likely won’t be one of them. As of August 2022, the town plans to demolish the entire site by Spring 2023.
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[@johnhartley3596]

I worked in a textile mill while in high school (late-1960s). Carding machines were nasty pieces of machinery. They were composed of huge rollers containing rows of steel needles used to pull apart and separate the wool fibers. The old timers had plenty of stories about workers losing appendages in the machinery. Most of the mill was loud, dirty and dangerous. I often considered what it was like for children working in those conditions. Always grateful that life offered me more options. ☮️

[@roadweary5252]

Sadly I fear you’re correct, this place isn’t going to be saved - and it’s a shame too. Great production as always, Jason!

[@frankflanagan3583]

The city should have taken the property in the sixties and sold it to the highest bidder or turned it into senior housing. Private property owners have too much power to destroy the history of the common people. Finally, this video is really well done, but I wish they have brought in a local person for more background.

[@merlinmonson2133]

If you go there and just look and are careful there isn't a problem. People go to a place like that and do something stupid and get hurt, then immediately start looking for someone to sue. If you get hurt just deal with it. No one makes a person go there!!

[@HM2SGT]

It’s always sad and melancholy and makes me introspective seeing things like this. Once so vital and necessary, once it provided jobs that supported families… Now it’s just forgotten. An obstacle to progress.😕🥺🫤

[@nicoledemers8883]

You’ve done a great job with this video! I live on the road directly in front of this mill so I drive by it multiple times a day. I’ve often wondered what work was done there and what happened that it has now ended up in such disrepair. It’s also a damn shame that the company who now own the property just continue to let it rot. Thank you for shedding some light in a seemingly Hopeless situation. ❤

[@danamarcotteseiler7423]

Yes those days were long and hard, but as long as you worked you were guaranteed a job and a living, and if you were frugal you lived good ; unlike these days

[@ldbagge]

Shameful that they cannot save any part of this mill, it'll be flattened and rebuilt as million dollar condos

[@user-fw8de1sv8p]

Del's lemonade, coffee milk. 100% you live within 20 miles of Attleboro and Pawtucket. You know the twin cities of sin. LOL

[@_Dave_S]

I drove by this place every day on the way to and from work for almost 20 years. I haven't seen it since the 90s. It looked bad then, sad to know it's gone now. Thank you for documenting it!

[@a_bich-]

dude your skills are UNMATCHED

[@mancima]

Wonderful job. I just discovered your channel through a Chronicle episode. Of all the urban explorers I follow you do the most research. Many of the explores I see don’t even bother to explain any history on their locations much less do legal research. Good job! It’s a shame we can’t leave places like this alone. In Europe they have ruins. There might be a castle that just molders away for hundreds of years. Here we flatten something within fifty. Such a waste. I look forward to seeing more of your videos.

[@jamesrodell]

Your documentaries are excellent. I have driven by that mill hundreds of times when I lived in Rhode Island. I always wondered about the history of that mill.

[@johnmcnamara1554]

This yet another of your great videos! For over fifteen years I worked for a (formerly) very large computer company at their headquarters in a 1,000,000 square foot complex of hundred-year-old buildings. It was a favorite lunchtime habit to go exploring the many strange spaces including tunnels, three-sided elevators, and strange staircases. Your videos bring back fond memories of those buildings, most of which are unused but still in excellent condition.

[@sw40c]

Great video! Reminds me of the old mills by the mill store in Franklin, MA. The place was literally almost a shell, falling in on itself with almost nothing left, until the facade and property were saved for apartments and condos. They’re beautiful, but it’s been in the newspaper over the years that residents report what they can only describe as hauntings. With all the history, who knows… This place would’ve made a beautiful, history filled place to live.

[@RippysRails]

I was born in Westerly in 1960 so this mill has been falling down for my entire life, it's a shame that nothing is salvageable. It is so easy to get into the mill site, Nice Video!

[@ELMS]

Your videos are wicked good, Jason. Photography, editing, music, narration, fx. A joy.

[@devinbrown2281]

Had a pleasure to explore this before its gone such a crazy spot

[@journeywithjay]

Awesome video!!!! Let the mill live forever through your video

[@mattchagnon5620]

You literally have a video on every spot I've been to. I have been inside every room in building of the potter mill before it all basically fell down. This is just nuts to me because I live 5 miles away from the mill. Which is also very close to the abandoned nuclear power plant. ( I just watched that video )