The Champlain Mill
The Champlain Mill is one of the first buildings that visitors and returning residents see as they enter the City from the Winooski/Burlington bridge. For this reason, we feature the Champlain Mill in the Legacy Campaign logo, celebrating its iconic visual identity that represents our 100-year legacy of welcoming and opportunity. The Champlain Mill is part of the Winooski Falls Mill District, located in the heart of Downtown Winooski on the Winooski River Walk.
“The Champlain Mill in Winooski, Vermont was completed in 1912. In its 100-year history, the Champlain Mill was transformed from a productive woolen mill, to a warehouse, to a vacant and neglected building, to an urban shopping mall, and most recently, to office space. Each incarnation has been a reflection of economic status of the surrounding city of Winooski, Vermont and the mill has been referred to as a "barometer to measure the ebbs and flow of Winooski fortune ... Construction of the mill hallmarked the economic prosperity Winooski was experiencing. Along with the rest of the United States, Vermont's mill town were seeing a boom in industry following the First World War. New technology flourished, and American Woolen Company's new mill was said to be one of the world's best equipped."
The Champlain Mill has transformed many times over the years, echoing the changes we've seen in Winooski. In each era, residents have found new ways to create opportunities, both in difficult and prosperous times.
1950s: IBM, General Electric, others rent space
1970s: Purchased and renovated by Raymond Pecor
1980s: Renovated and reopened for business.
2010s: MyWebGrocer purchases Champlain Mill, using federal and state tax credits to renovate
"For more than five years, I had an office at Fort Ethan Allen. All those years, from 1971 to 1976, I drove past the Champlain Mill. Each Time I would say to myself, 'What a great building, what a great location, someone should do something with this beautiful building.' In fact, my grandparents had worked at the Mill. We wanted to put the Champlain Mill on the Historic Sites list and have this wonderful building get the credit it deserved. Let's try to make it something special! Let's try to make it stand out in our community! Let's try to have the city and its residents proud of this great building!" - Raymond Pecor, "Why I Purchased the Champlain Mill", The Mills at Winooski Falls
To learn more about the Champlain Mill, we recommend a visit! The Champlain Mill is currently home to the Heritage Winooski Mill Museum and the Winooski Historical Society, which are the City's best resources for Winooski's mill history. The Heritage Winooski Mill Museum features many amazing exhibits and events that celebrate Winooski's 100-year legacy of welcoming and opportunity, including the Louis L. McAllister and Lewis Hine Woolen Mill photo series, David Macaulay: Building A Mill Town, Hidden Gems, Slice of Life, and more. Be sure to also visit Waterworks Food + Drink for an amazing dining experience!