This collection includes 30 × 45 inch pigment prints on Hahnemühle Baryta paper, available in a Limited Edition. Additionally, custom-sized one-off prints, both larger and smaller, are available, as well as an Artist Two Print Edition. Please inquire for more details.

Prints are released in an edition of 4, plus one A/P master print held by the artist. (AP + Ed. 1/4 )

• • Discount rates are available for Institutional collections when purchasing two or more additional prints.

  • Turnaround time for Photographs listed in this gallery can be shipped within ten (10) business days.

  • I currently fulfil orders from within the Conterminous United States.

  • Available in sets, each featuring a curated selection of four individual photographs handpicked by the artist

  • If you're interested in another photograph from Requiem For America Series or if you would like to request additional prints from another series, please inquire.

Introduction and Location

The Barker Mill, located in Auburn, Maine, is a five‑story brick textile mill built in 1873 on the Little Androscoggin River. The mill was constructed by the Little Androscoggin Water Power Company to utilize river waterpower for textile production. A dam was built in 1872 immediately upstream to provide mechanical energy for the mill, which was named after C. I. Barker, the company’s first directing agent.¹

Investors included local and Boston-based financiers such as Samuel F. Emery and Thomas C. Plummer, while engineering and construction oversight was provided by civil engineer George W. Chandler and contractor Elias D. Hill, who supervised the brickwork and mill erection.² Barker Mill was among the first major textile factories in Auburn and helped foster the growth of the New Auburn neighborhood, spurring residential and commercial development during the 1870s and 1880s. Company-owned housing was provided to many workers near the mill, forming a cohesive mill community.³

The mill produced cotton shirtings, sheetings, and colored fabrics sold both locally and nationally, including in Boston and New York markets. It became known for durable and uniform-quality cotton cloth, which served domestic clothing manufacturers and wholesalers.⁴

Industrial Operations and Machinery

Barker Mill produced woven textiles and by the late 1880s employed approximately 275 workers, producing several million yards of fabric annually.⁵ Power was delivered via the dam and canal system to operate spinning frames, carding machines, and power looms, interconnected by shafts and leather belts.⁶

• Spinning frames twisted cotton fibers into yarn, with larger mills containing thousands of spindles.⁷

• Carding machines cleaned and aligned fibers prior to spinning.⁷

• Power looms wove yarn into finished textiles.⁷

The mill supplied both domestic and regional markets, with products purchased by wholesalers and small clothing manufacturers, and maintained a reputation for consistent fabric quality.⁴

Working Conditions

Workers faced long hours, often 10–12 hours per day, six days a week, in noisy, dusty conditions caused by spinning and weaving machinery and airborne cotton fibers.⁸ The workforce included men, women, and children, with adults operating heavier machinery and children performing tasks such as spinning, weaving, and carding.

Wages were modest; in the late 1880s, adult male weavers earned $10–12 per week, adult female weavers $6–8 per week, and spoolers $4–6 per week. Many employees rented company-owned housing near the mill.³

A notable labor action occurred in August 1888, when a brief strike at Barker Mill led to a wage increase of approximately 10–15% for certain weavers and spoolers, raising male weaver pay to $11–13 per week, female weavers to $7–9 per week, and spoolers to $5–6.50 per week.⁹ This strike represented one of the earliest successful labor negotiations in Auburn’s textile industry and set a precedent for future worker advocacy.

Architecture and Significance

Barker Mill’s brick construction, mansard roof, and tower elements reflect the Second Empire style, unusually decorative for a utilitarian textile facility.² The mill is a rare surviving example of 19th-century Maine industrial architecture with both functional and stylistic features intact.²

Later History and Adaptive Reuse

Textile operations at Barker Mill declined in the early 20th century, mirroring broader New England industry trends. The mill was eventually rehabilitated for residential use and now operates as Barker Mill Arms, maintaining much of its historic character.²

In 1979, Barker Mill was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, recognizing its architectural and industrial significance to Auburn and Maine’s textile heritage.¹

Footnotes

1. National Register of Historic Places, Barker Mill (143 Mill Street, Auburn, Androscoggin County, Maine), Reference No. 79000123, listed May 8, 1979, 1–2.

2. Auburn Housing Authority, Barker Mill Arms: A Historical Profile, Annual Report, 2013, 2–3.

3. Historical accounts of New England textile mill operations and Auburn municipal records, including company housing provisions, 1–3.

4. Industrial and trade records, 1873–1890; see Maine Historical Society archives, cotton products and market distribution, 5–7.

5. Historical accounts of New England textile mill operations, employee numbers, and production volumes, 6–7.

6. General histories of textile machinery and power systems, including dam and canal use, spinning frames, carding machines, and power looms, 8–10.

7. Ibid., 9–10.

8. Studies of New England textile industry labor conditions, 10–12.

9. Maine State Labor Reports, 1888, includes wage data and August 1888 strike details, 33–34

Bibliography

Auburn Housing Authority. Barker Mill Arms: A Historical Profile. Annual Report, 2013, 1–5.

Maine State Legislature. Public Documents Relating to Labor Reports, 1888, 33–34.

National Register of Historic Places – Single Property Listing: Barker Mill, 143 Mill Street, Auburn, Maine, Reference No. 79000123. National Park Service, May 8, 1979, 1–2.

Maine Historical Society Archives. Industrial and Trade Records, 1873–1890, cotton products, market distribution, 5–7.

Historical overviews of 19th-century New England textile machinery and labor conditions, including spinning frames, carding machines, and power looms, 8–12.