The Clinton Mill, located at 93 Clinton Street, was constructed in 1849 by the Clinton Manufacturing Company and stands as an early example of large-scale textile production in northern Rhode Island. Built of locally quarried granite, the five-story structure measured approximately 256 by 50 feet and was notable for its long rows of windows and prominent stair tower. In its early decades, the mill housed more than 21,000 spindles and over 500 looms, producing cotton sheetings and later plush fabrics. By 1876, operations had passed to the B. B. & R. Knight Company—one of the largest textile firms in the country—whose ownership reflected Woonsocket’s growing importance in the regional textile economy. When Robert Knight died in 1912, he was the individual owner of the most cotton mills in the world – owning 22 mills in 17 Massachusetts and Rhode Island villages. His products bore the brand name “Fruit of the Loom’. The Knights retained the property until the early 1920s, after which it continued to serve various manufacturing purposes.
 

As with many New England textile mills, the Clinton Mill saw its fortunes decline by the mid-twentieth century. Textile operations ceased around 1950, and portions of the building were repurposed for commercial use. A devastating deliberately set fire in the 1960s, left the structure badly damaged, and it was ultimately demolished in 1969. Though the building no longer stands, the Clinton Mill remains an important part of Woonsocket’s industrial heritage—an enduring reminder of the city’s role in the development of Rhode Island’s textile industry and the era of water-powered manufacturing that helped shape the Blackstone Valley.