Located in the heart of Winthrop, Maine, on the banks of Maranacook Stream between Maranacook and Anabessacook Lakes, the historic Winthrop Mills complex includes five buildings, a power canal, and a dam that began operation in 1866. Founded by Boston investors, the Winthrop Mills Company produced cotton and wool goods, becoming the nation's largest manufacturer of woolen blankets until 1954, after which it became the Carleton Woolen Company, specializing in woolens until its closure in 2002, marking the end of one of Maine’s last operating woolen mills.