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The first mill on this site was the North Yarmouth Manufacturing Company, founded in 1847 by Eleazer Burbank. The company produced cotton yarn and cloth, continuing an industrial tradition at the Second Falls of the Royal River, where a wooden mill had existed since 1817. In 1855, Libby and Harrison rebuilt the mill in brick to accommodate their new venture, the Royal River Manufacturing Company, which specialized in cotton grain bags.¹

At its peak in the late 19th century, the Royal River Manufacturing Company employed approximately 60 workers, including many migrants from Prince Edward Island, Canada, who came to Maine seeking industrial employment.² Workers typically worked 12-hour days, six days a week, with relatively low pay—around $1.40–$1.50 per day for a weaver—and often lived in company-provided boarding houses, paying weekly room and board of $2–$3.¹

The mill produced cotton yarn, cloth, and seamless cotton grain bags, using machinery such as spinning frames, looms, and other textile equipment, all initially powered by water turbines harnessed from the Royal River via the Bridge Street Dam. In the 1880s, the complex was expanded to include a prominent square brick tower, giving the mill its characteristic profile and Italianate architectural detailing. Later, the site incorporated electric turbines, which were revitalized in 1986 and continue to function.⁴

Operations under Royal River Manufacturing continued—with a brief interruption during the Great Depression—until 1951. In the early 1950s, the Old Sparhawk Mills Company relocated from South Portland, Maine, focusing on braided rug production. In 1957, Sherman O. Yale took over the facility under the name Yale Cordage, producing braided twine for lobster traps and yachting cord. Yale Cordage operated at the site until moving to a larger facility in 1991, after which the mill was converted into rental space for businesses.¹

Although the Sparhawk Mill and surrounding structures have been identified locally as part of a proposed Royal River Manufacturing Historic District, the mill itself is not individually listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Certain elements, such as the Bridge Street Dam, are considered eligible for listing as part of a historic district, but no formal listing has been completed.³

Footnotes

1. Historical development of the North Yarmouth Manufacturing Company, Royal River Manufacturing Company, and mid-20th-century uses, including Old Sparhawk Mills and Yale Cordage.

2. Employment numbers, wages, working hours, working conditions, and Prince Edward Island migrant workers: Yarmouth History Center, “Royal River and the Mill,” Yarmouth Historical Society, accessed January 2026.

3. National Register status and eligibility for historic district: Town of Yarmouth, Maine, Historic Preservation Committee, Royal River Manufacturing Historic District: Context Statement Update, June 27, 2025 (Yarmouth, ME: Town of Yarmouth, 2025).

4. Machinery and power sources (water turbines and electric turbines revitalized 1986), including structural features such as the 1880s tower: The Maine Monitor, “Yarmouth Moves Closer to Dam Removals on the Royal River,” May 19, 2024.

Bibliography

• Sparhawk Mill. Wikipedia. Last edited 2025.

• Yarmouth History Center. “Royal River and the Mill.” Yarmouth Historical Society. Accessed January 2026.

• Town of Yarmouth, Maine, Historic Preservation Committee. Royal River Manufacturing Historic District: Context Statement Update, June 27, 2025. Yarmouth, ME: Town of Yarmouth, 2025.

• The Maine Monitor. “Yarmouth Moves Closer to Dam Removals on the Royal River.” May 19, 2024.