Blackstaff Mill

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A multi-bay four-storey brick flax spinning mill of 1864-66, heightened c.1900, and to which a three-storey brick flax preparing mill was added in the early 1900s.
For the purposes of this description, the site has been sub-divided into those five surviving components which relate to its former operation as a spinning mill: (1) Old Mill, (2) Engine house, (3) New Mill, (4) Yarn drying loft, and (5) Chimney.

1. Old Mill
This building stands four storeys (+ windowless attic) high and is 25 openings wide. It is part-occupied by small business units. It dates from 1864-66.
Replacement profiled metal roof with hipped ends; the valley between its original double pitches has been sheeted over. Moulded brackets along eaves, with cream-brick platband under. The walls are of brick throughout. A slight difference in the brickwork's colour indicates the addition of the attic floor (sometime during the later 1800s). uPVC gutters and down pipes. All openings have segmental brick heads and stone cills.
The principal elevation faces SE. There are miscellaneous doors and windows to GF. Several doorways are probably enlarged original windows, whilst all the windows are infilled with concrete blockwork and have smaller windows inserted. All but two of the windows to the upper floors of this elevation have relatively recent 2x3-pane timber frames. Two opes retain their previous 2x4 fenestration.
The two-bay section at the left (NW) end of this elevation (1a) stands five storeys high and encompasses two phases. At the rear is a small block containing a stairwell and lift serving the Old Mill and yarn drying loft; it was possibly added at the same time as the attic. At the front is a later extension, possibly added to house rope drives when the power plant was upgraded in the first decade of the 1900s.
This two-bay section has a flat concrete roof without any embellishment to the wall heads. Its SW elevation has a concrete-headed door and infilled segmental-headed window to GF and 2x3- and 2x4-paned timber-framed windows to the upper floors. It is partly abutted at NW by the engine house and to NE by the drying loft. Its NE end (the earlier phase) is slightly raised and has pairs of windows to the exposed upper section of its NW elevation.
The NE elevation of the main section of the Old Mill has miscellaneous doorways and windows to GF. The latter have all been infilled to some extent. There are modern 2x3 timber-famed windows to the upper floors and vestiges of one toilet stack (1b). The latter has a reinforced-concrete frame with and brick infill panels and is a replacement of a previous toilet stack, of which there were originally several. The right-hand end of this elevation is partly abutted by the engine house.

Roof: Replacement profiled metal sheeting.
Rainwater goods: Replacement uPVC
Walls: Red brick in Flemish Bond.
Doors: Replacement roller shutters.
Windows: Replacement 2x3-paned timber.

2. Engine house
This single-storey building abuts the GF and part of the FF of the Old Mill's NW gable. It may date from c.1908 when the new boiler house and chimney were erected. It has a pitched corrugated-asbestos roof with raised brick gables and blocking course coped with moulded brick. uPVC rainwater goods.
Its SW gable has a small flat-headed window and segmental-headed door. There are five openings along its NW elevation, four of which have semicircular cream-brick heads. All have been modified to some degree. A moulded cream-brick string course runs across this face at arch spring level.
The rear of the building rises to the mill's SF and originally enclosed a rope drive from the engine to each floor of the mill. It has a profiled metal roof, brick walls and two segmental-headed windows (both now infilled) to its SW face.

Roof: Pitched corrugated asbestos.
Rainwater goods: Replacement plastic.
Walls: Red brick in Flemish Bond.
Doors: Replacement roller shutters.
Windows: Infilled or replacement timber casements.

3. New Mill
This building was added to the SE gable of the Old Mill in the early 1900s (probably 1907-12) and formerly contained hackling and tow preparation machinery. It stands three storeys high and is 15 openings wide (along NE side). It is currently part-occupied by small business units.
Its NW gable is abutted by a five-storey, two-ope wide section (3a) which appears to have been built in two phases. The rear part contains a stairwell and lift serving the Old Mill; it is probably contemporary with the attic floor. The front part, which interconnects with the rear section, also contains stairs serving the New Mill. The exposed front section of the Old Mill's gable is blank but the exposed rear section has a window to each upper floor (one now infilled).
This two-ope wide staircase section has a flat concrete roof and brick walls. It has a blocking parapet to front, but the wall head of its rear elevation is coped with moulded brackets over a cream-brick platband. On its SW elevation is a full-width roller shuttered door to GF and pairs of windows of varying sizes to the upper floors (some of which have been modified or partly infilled). Its rear elevation has a staggered pair of windows to each of its upper floors (2x4 metal frames and 2x3 timber frames). The GF of this elevation is abutted by a single-storey toilet (3b) with flat concrete roof, brick walls and small high-level metal-framed windows (concrete heads and cills).
The main section of the New Mill has a flat concrete roof with brick blocking parapet around with moulded coping uPVC rainwater down pipes and vestiges of earlier rectangular metal pipes. Wall of red brick throughout. All openings have segmental brick heads unless otherwise stated, and all windows have cast-iron cills.
The principal elevation of the New Mill faces SW. At GF left is a passage through to the back of the building. It has a flat metal head and is trimmed with purple brick; there are cast-iron cartwheel protectors to the base of its jambs. Internally, it has a brick jack-arch ceiling and set of trap doors for a goods hoist. Some of the other original external opes to GF have been enlarged to form doorways into small industrial units (with roller shutters), and others have been infilled with concrete brickwork. The FF and SF openings all have 4x5-paned metal-framed windows (with central opening sections; some also have secondary glazing behind).
The right-hand (SE) end of this elevation was formerly abutted by a stairwell and lift shaft which also served another building running SW towards the Springfield Rd. With the removal of the stairwell, this section of wall has been rendered with cement and the connecting doors in the upper floors converted to window opes (2x4-paned to FF, 2x2 to SF, all with timber-frames and recycled stone cills).
The SE gable was originally five openings wide but is now partly abutted by a modern canted brick addition containing a stairwell and lift serving this end of the New Mill (3c). The exposed left-hand section of the gable is blank and that at right is two opes wide. There is a doorway and window to GF, and two windows to each of the upper floors. Some of the window opes have been infilled; some retain their 4x5-paned metal frames.
The NE elevation faces on to the brick boundary wall. It is abutted at left by a single-storey, single-bay brick return with flat concrete roof (3d). There is no wall joint with the main building indicating that it is contemporary. There are two doorways to its SE elevation, both with replacement doors (metal with 2x2 overlight, and timber).
Beside the return are the vestiges of a toilet stack which formerly served all floors. It is of reinforced concrete frame with brick panels (3e); its top section is now missing. It is doubtless a replacement of a previous stack. Adjoining it is a modern single-storey brick extension with profiled metal monopitch roof (3f).
The exposed sections of this elevation retain all their original openings. However, those to GF are mostly infilled. All the windows to the upper floors have 4x5-paned metal frames.

Roof: Flat reinforced-concrete.
Rainwater goods: Replacement uPVC
Walls: Red brick in English Garden Wall Bond.
Doors: Replacement roller shutters.
Windows: 4x5-paned metal.

4. Yarn drying loft
This four-storey building sits on the NW corner of the Old Mill and appears to be contemporary with it (i.e. mid-1860s). It has a hipped profiled metal roof and its walls are of brick with advanced brick eaves.
Its SE elevation has a segmental-headed archway through at GF left. This opening embellished with a dentilated moulded cream-brick cornice. The original relatively narrow segmental-headed openings to all floors have either been infilled or modified to take modern 1x2 uPVC-framed windows (with concrete heads and cills) and new insertions have been made to all floors on the SE, SW and NW elevations.
This building is partly abutted by the engine room, and by a two-storey brick annex (4a) with profiled-metal monopitched roof and 1x2 uPVC windows (concrete heads and cills). The latter is, in turn, abutted by a modern two-storey garage/office block (4b) with hipped artificial slate roof and brick walls.

Roof: Hipped profiled metal.
Rainwater goods: Replacement uPVC
Walls: Red brick in Flemish Bond.
Doors: Replacement roller shutters.
Windows: Replacement 1x2 uPVC.

5. Chimney
This structure is located at the NW end of the site but now stands in isolation, disconnected from the now-demolished boiler house. Of slightly tapered profile, this octagonal brick chimney of c.1908 stands to its full height over a square brick base abutting the inside face of the brick boundary wall around the premises. Its quoins, string course near its top, and corbelled cap are all of purple engineering brick; the main walling is red brick in English Garden Wall Bond. The shaft is reinforced with metal tie rods, to which assorted communication aerials and dishes have been attached.
The SE face of the base is painted and two electrical fans are attached (to cool the equipment in 5a). Modern steel scaffolding around the top of the base supports a timber deck to catch any falling debris.
The base is abutted at SW by a single-storey concrete-roofed building containing modern communications equipment (5a) and at NE by a corrugated-metal roofed shed.

Setting
Weaving sheds formerly stood in front of the mill but this area has been redeveloped as retail outlets and a car park. Along the SE side of the front yard is a modern multi-storey apartment block. A housing estate now occupies the cleared site of the former Milfort weaving factory behind the brick perimeter wall running along the back of the mill.

Historical information

The buildings under review were once part of a much larger mill complex which stretched from Springfield Road to Clonard Street.
The complex was established in 1864 by William, David, George and Frederick Malcomson. The Valuation revision book entry for 1864 describes the property as Milfort flax spinning mill (unfinished) and weaving shed (in progress). The measurements of the spinning mill are initially given as 120ft x 51ft x three storeys high; its length was then revised to 213ft (presumably upon completion). The valuation officer also noted that the mill was "to be raised another storey". This probably happened almost immediately as there is no discernible wall break between the second and third floors of the building. The associated weaving sheds (with 1000 looms), engine house (with two 50hp steam engines), boiler houses, preparing shop and various flax stores are also detailed in the valuations between 1864 and 1866. During this time, the premises' rateable value increases from £550 (1864), to £920 (1865), and then to £2000 (1866), mirroring the progress of its construction. There is a further increase to £2180 in 1868, and to £2210 in 1869, reflecting yet more additions. These may have included another engine house to accommodate two more steam engines delivered in June 1867 (as reported in the Waterford Mail). This newspaper also noted that "this concern will rank among the largest spinning mills in the capital of the north and afford much employment".
A fire on 11 September 1869 caused £1000 worth of damage to a building and the loss of £2000 worth of stock. The newspaper report indicates that the building in question was probably not one of the ones under review.
The name of the premises - Milfort, its address - Waterford Street, and the name of an adjoining road - Malcomson Street - all reflect the fact that the Malcomsons came from Portlaw, Co Waterford where their family ran a massive cotton spinning, weaving and finishing works; it was the largest such enterprise in Ireland at that time.
Part of the factory may have opened in 1864 as the Malcomsons were advertising in the local press at that time for skilled workers such as a tow preparing master and mechanics. Given the relatively low rateable valuation at that time (£550), it was probably a small scale affair initially and is not cited in the street directories. The 1865 directory cites William Malcomson & Co as linen merchants and bleachers, with an office in Linenhall St, Belfast, bleach works in Banbridge, and headquarters in Portlaw, Co Waterford. It is not until 1866, which the completion of the spinning mill and weaving factory, that the enterprise is first cited in the directories, as the Milfort Spinning Company on the Falls Road (subsequently revised to Waterford St).
The premises are first mapped in 1872, being captioned 'Milfort Flax Spinning Mill' on 1:1056 OS map. The spinning mill is shown in the middle of the premises, surrounded by ancillary buildings, including weaving sheds on its Springfield Rd and Clonard St sides.
The Valuation revision book indicates that the Belfast Flax Spinning & Weaving Co acquired the premises in 1884. The sale of the premises was undoubtedly brought about by the dire financial situation that the Malcomson family now found itself in owing to the catastrophic collapse of its cotton and shipping enterprises in the aftermath of the American Civil War. The Malcomsons had, in fact, filed for bankruptcy protection in 1876, but may have continued to operate the mill until a buyer could be found.
During the period 1869 to 1897, the premises' rateable valuation fluctuates as follows: £2210 (1869), £2225 (1884), £2250 (1893), £1790 (1895), and finally £1800 (1897). The very modest increase up to 1893 (compared with the rapid increase in 1864-66) suggests that no new buildings were erected during this period. This supposition is supported by the 1883-84 OS map which is broadly similar to the 1872 edition in terms of the buildings' footprints. The reasons for the decrease in 1895 must await future research.
The Belfast Flax Spinning & Weaving Co went into voluntary liquidation in May 1898 owing to the knock-on effect of the failure of a spinning mill at Cogry, Co Antrim, which they also owned. The Milfort complex was put on the market as a consequence through a public auction on 5 August 1898. The sale prospectus noted the machinery as comprising flax spinning preparing machinery, 22,382 spindles, 795 power looms, assorted finishing machinery, four steam engines and five boilers. The reserve price was £35,000.
Part of the complex was purchased by the Blackstaff Spinning & Weaving Co in September 1898 (it is possible that the Flax Spinners Association bought the entire premises at auction and then sold half of it to Blackstaff).
Messrs Blackstaff had been established by John Boyd and John Hind at the corner of Durham St and Linfield Rd in 1832 and had adopted the Blackstaff name when incorporated as a limited liability company in 1866; it was so-called because it was beside the Blackstaff River. The firm specialised in the production of coarse tow yarn. This was a relatively low-value item made from the short-length fibres left over from flax scutching and for which there was declining demand by the late 1800s. Wet-spun yarn made from fine long-line flax fibre was a much more valuable product, from which high-quality plain and damask linen cloth was produced.
Since 1894, the Blackstaff Mill had been a loss-making enterprise. Its machinery was outmoded, its product unwanted, and closure was imminent. The company took the opportunity to acquire part of the Milfort Mill for £17,500. Not only did they acquire a much larger premises, but they could also engage in both spinning and weaving as their new purchase contained both relatively up-to-date spinning and weaving machinery. They sold their Durham St site in 1899 and it was subsequently integrated into Murrays' Whitehall Tobacco Works in 1900.
This change of ownership is reflected in the Valuation book entry for 1899, when the Blackstaff Spinning & Weaving Co Ltd is recorded as the owner of the "preparing room, spinning mill, weaving factory, stores and offices". However, this entry relates only to the spinning mill and the weaving sheds etc on its Springfield Rd side. The valuation of this portion is £1050 and its address is Springfield Rd. The street directory for 1899 also records the Blackstaff Co on the Springfield Rd for the first time.
The remainder of the property, i.e. the weaving sheds and ancillary buildings to the north of the spinning mill, were purchased by the Flax Spinners Association. They , in turn, sold this portion of the site on to the Milfort Weaving & Finishing Co Ltd in 1899. The Valuation book of this year describes this holding as comprising a "weaving factory, finishing works, store and office", all valued at £880. It was doubtless at this time that the present boundary wall was erected behind the spinning mill to separate the two properties.
The 1900 Valuation revision notebook gives the measurements of all the buildings now under the ownership of Blackstaff. Of particular interest is the fact that the spinning mill's dimensions are now given as 211ft x 52ft x 59ft/ five storeys. Evidently it has been raised from four floors to five since the mid-1860s.
The fifth floor is the present attic floor of the Old Mill, but when exactly it was added is uncertain; its addition possibly also entailed new stairways at both ends of the building. Given the concrete construction of its floor (see Description), it was probably carried out shortly after Blackstaff took over, perhaps in 1899 or 1900. A letter from the company to the Valuation Office sometime after the 1900 revaluation noted that its premises had been rated at £980 in 1899. Some additions had then been erected by Blackstaff which resulted the premises' rating being increased to £1280 (a 31% rise); it was this increase which they were now appealing. Comparison of the 1901 OS map with the 1884 one shows no major changes to the buildings' footprints, so these additions might well have been upwards rather than outwards. This map also captions the Springfield Rd half of the property as 'Blackstaff Flax Spinning & Weaving Mill'.
According to the 1900 Valuation, motive power was supplied from steam engines with a combined output of 500hp, and there was a 140ft high chimney adjacent to a boiler house (containing four boilers and economisers). The OS map shows that the boiler and chimney were both situated at the rear of the premises. The mill contained 12,000 spindles and 176 looms, and employed 400 hands working 56 hours per week.
Despite the declining demand for coarse yarn which had made Blackstaff unprofitable in its old premises, it would appear that it continued to be manufactured. Because of the overcapacity of Irish spinning mills, the company had given an undertaking to the Flax Spinners Association not to exceed 12,000 spindles in their new premises. However, in January 1906, they wrote to the Association asking if they could install more spindles. Because so much coarse yarn was now being imported, they saw a gap in the market to increase home production. Their request was refused.
In 1908, a new boiler house was built at the NW end of the site, in the yard just beyond the spinning mill. The present chimney on the boundary wall at this end dates from this time. An architectural drawing of 4 July 1907 shows it to have been designed by Charles Aickin, an architect and surveyor based in Rosemary St, Belfast. However, these additions are not reported in the Irish Builder until January 1909 (not consulted).
Sometime in the period 1901-1920, a new three-storey mill was added at the east end of the original five-storey mill (henceforth 'New' Mill to differentiate it from the 'Old' Mill). This is clearly shown on the 1920 OS map, and also on the 1931 and 1937 revisions. The date when this happened can probably be narrowed to between 1906 and 1912 as the property's valuation increases from £1170 to £1590 over this period. There is no significant change to the valuation after this date until the 1935 revaluation of all properties in N. Ireland, when it is revalued to £1800. In all probability, the New Mill was built around the same time as the new boiler house was erected, i.e. 1908.
It is tempting to speculate that the new mill was added because of a change of focus in production -from the dry spinning of coarse short fibres (tow) to wet-spun yarn from finer, longer fibre. This would have necessitated the installation of new machinery and it may have been for this reason that the boilers were renewed or their capacity increased.
The actual steam engine house was at the NW end of the Old Mill and there was a rope drive up the gable to line shafts which powered the machinery on the various floors. Its dimensions match one of the buildings recorded in the 1900 Valuation. Its engine(s) was subsequently removed and replaced with one or more electric motors. These were apparently supplied from the public mains rather than generated in-house. When electrification took place is uncertain without further research.
In later years, the mill was definitely engaged in the wet spinning of long-line fibre, as well as tow. The scutched flax was taken up to the top floor of the New Mill (known as no.8 floor), where it was hackled to remove any residual shous (the woody outer skin of the flax stem). The short fibres, known as tow, were then sent down to the two floors below (floors 6 and 7) where they were carded, drawn and twisted into rove which was then sent across to the FF and SF of the Old Mill (floors 2 and 3) for spinning into yarn. In the meanwhile, the long-line fibre (the most valuable part of the flax plant) was send across to the GF and SF of the Old Mill (floors 1 and 4) where it was similarly prepared for spinning. The rove was then send from no.1 to no.2 floor and from no.4 to no.3 floor for wet spinning into yarn. The yarn was then take up to the attic (no.5) floor where it was wound into hanks which were fed down a chute into the drying loft. Once dried, the yarn was bundled, packed and dispatched.
In 1962, the mill was acquired by Viyella International Ltd , though it still traded as Blackstaff. When exactly spinning and weaving operations ceased is uncertain; it may have been as early as 1975, and it was certainly by 1989 when the premises were gutted of machinery and sold to one of Blackstaff's former directors. He then sold the site to the present owner in the same year.
Since then, the premises has been known at the Blackstaff Industrial Estate. The interiors have been progressively sub-divided into small units which are rented out to a variety of small business. The Old Mill has also been reroofed and the former yarn drying loft is in the process of being converted into small enterprise units. The weaving sheds in front of the mill have been demolished and a car park and new shopping centre stand on their site. The Milfort half of the original premises has also been completely obliterated to make way for housing.
Of the mill complex, only five buildings and structures now survive: (1) Old Mill, (2) Engine house at the NW end of the Old Mill, (3) New Mill, (4) Yarn drying loft behind the engine house, and (5) 1908 chimney. This last feature is now a Scheduled Monument.

References - Primary References:
1. PRONI VAL/12/B/43/E/5. Valuation revision book, 1862-81, p.906.
2. Belfast News Letter, 28 March 1864. Advert placed by Milford Spinning Co for a tow preparing master.
3. Belfast & Provincial Street Directory, 1865, p.402.
4. Belfast & Provincial Street Directory, 1866, p.141.
5. Waterford Mail, 3 June 1867. Delivery of two steam engines.
6. Belfast News Letter, 13 Sept 1869. Fire at mill.
7. PRONI VAL/12/E/192/M/35/1. Valuation 1:1056 map, Belfast sheet 35 (1873-99). This is the 1872 OS map which has been annotated by the Valuation Office. The unannotated copy of the map is missing from PRONI (OS/8/30/2/35).
8. Sheffield Daily Telegraph, 17 June 1876. Bankruptcy of William Malcomson & Co.
9. PRONI OS/8/30/3/35. OS 1:1056 map, Belfast sheet 35 (1883-84).
10. PRONI VAL/12/B/43/E/8. Valuation revision book, 1882-96, p.62.
11. PRONI D1326/17/5. Assorted papers relating to sale of Milfort Mill by Belfast Flax Spinning & Weaving Co. Includes sale prospectus and copy of Dublin Gazette noting (p.581) the appointment of a liquidator at its EGM on 5 May 1898.
12. Belfast News Letter, 30 July 1898. Notice of public auction of Milfort Spinning & Weaving Factory.
13. Belfast News Letter, 26 Aug 1898. Notice of sale of weaving factory by Flax Spinners Assn.
14. PRONI D1534/3. Letter dated 9 Sept 1898 from William Boyd, Secretary of Blackstaff Flax Spinning & Weaving Co, informing employees of move to new premises on Springfield Rd.
15. PRONI VAL/12/B/43/E/17. Valuation revision book, 1897-1905, p.384 (Springfield Rd) and p.906 (Waterford St).
16. Belfast & Provincial Street Directory, 1899, p.1166.
17. PRONI VAL/7/B/6/10. Valuation note book dated 1900 for Milfort premises, pp 19-22.
18. PRONI VAL/7/B/6/11. Valuation note book dated 1900 for Blackstaff premises, pp 1-3.
19. PRONI OS/10/1/60/12/1. OS 25-inch map, Co Antrim sheet 60-12 (1901).
20. PRONI D2089/20/16 and /18. Correspondence between Blackstaff Co and Flax Spinners Assn (1906).
21. PRONI VAL/12/B/43/J/3. Valuation revision book, 1906-15, p.310.
22. Drawing of chimney by Charles Aickin (Rosemary St, Belfast) dated 4 July 1907. The drawing is framed in the office of the present owner.
23. Irish Builder, 9 Jan 1909, p.18 (cited in Dictionary of Irish Architects).
24. PRONI VAL/12/B/43/J/6. Valuation revision book, 1915-30, p.328.
25. PRONI OS/10/1/60/12/2. OS 25-inch map, Co Antrim sheet 60-12 (1920).
26. PRONI VAL/12/E/192/F/35/2. Valuation revision map, 1906-29.
27. PRONI OS/10/1/60/12/3. OS 25-inch map, Co Antrim sheet 60-12 (1931).
28. PRONI VAL/3/B/3/10. Re-valuation book, 1935, p.300.
29. PRONI OS/10/1/60/12/4. OS 25-inch map, Co Antrim sheet 60-12 (1937).
30. Belfast & Provincial Street Directory, 1988, p.417.

References - Secondary References:
1. PRONI D1534/2A. Typescript extract dated 19 July 1951 from 'Fibres & Flax Journal' of Aug 1943 detailing history of Blackstaff Co's Durham St mill.
2. PRONI D3300/57/1. D. Trew, 'Operations of Blackstaff Spinning & Weaving Co, 1833-1900'. Thesis for Certificate in Local History Studies, Queen's University, Belfast (June 2004).
3. Irish Architectural Archive Dictionary of Irish Architects, . Details of Charles Aickin.
4. Information from Mr James Gillespie, a former Director of Blackstaff Spinning & Weaving Co.
5. Information from current owner.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
F. Structural System
H-. Alterations detracting from building
I. Quality and survival of Interior
K. Group value

Criteria for listing: historic interest

R. Age
S. Authenticity
T. Historic Importance
Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance
X. Local Interest
Z. Rarity
U. Historic Associations

Evaluation

Although of utilitarian design, this mill complex is of architectural interest because of its scale, massing and embellished brickwork so typical of later 19th century flax spinning mills. The three-dimensional relationship of the floors, both within and between the two main blocks, is also of interest, as is the positioning of the engine house on the gable. The fireproof jack-arch system of the ceilings of the Old and New mills are of structural interest. The timber and metal roof of the Old Mill also contrasts with the reinforced concrete of the New Mill. The heightening of the Old Mill and the New Mill extension can all be read in the buildings' fabric and reflects the enlargement of the premises (and its economic success) over the first 50 years of its life. The survival of the adjoining chimney also gives it a degree of group value.
Historically the complex is also of significance. Its inception reflects the boom in Ireland's linen industry in the mid-1860s as a consequence of the American Civil War and resultant cotton famine. Its association with the Malcomsons, a prominent Irish Quaker family, and one of the foremost industrialists in Ireland at that time, is also of note. Although many of the doors and windows have been reframed, most of the original wall and roof fabric survives. The mill is also of social and economic significance, having given employment to many generations in the locality. An increasingly-rare survival of many such spinning mills which once operated throughout West Belfast, it is also of local interest.

General comments

Chimney IG reg; J32037418