Washington Cotton Factory

Washington Cotton Factory
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
The Washington Cotton Factory in 1940
Location	On U.S. 91 (Frontage Rd. West), Washington, Utah
Coordinates	37°7′45″N 113°30′53″W / 37.12917°N 113.51472°WCoordinates: 37°7′45″N 113°30′53″W / 37.12917°N 113.51472°W
Area	7 acres (2.8 ha)
Built	1867
NRHP Reference #	71000864[1]
Added to NRHP	April 16, 1971

The Washington Cotton Factory was built in 1865-67 on Mill Creek near Washington, Utah by Mormon settlers to process locally-grown cotton for use by the settlers. The region of the Virgin River valley became known among Mormons as the "Cotton Mission," a project envisioned by Brigham Young to establish Mormon self-sufficiency.^[2]

The mill encountered difficulties in finding a reliable supply of raw cotton and suffered from an erratic water flow. It operated on and off until 1898, when it was permanently closed. It was subsequently used as a warehouse.^[2]

The sandstone building was initially completed with one story. Two more stories were added by 1870 to meet demand. A reservoir near the mill could provide ten hours of operation from fourteen hours of stored water.^[2]

The Washington Cotton Factory was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 16, 1971.^[1]

References

1. National Park Service (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
2. Smith, Melvin T. (December 2, 1970). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form: Washington Cotton Factory" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved 6 March 2014.

External links

• • Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) No. UT-1, "Washington Cotton Mill, on Mill Creek near State Highway 212, Washington, Washington County, UT", 6 photos, 3 measured drawings, 6 data pages