Harmony Mills (Cohoes)
Harmony Mills (historic), Cohoes, New York
Harmony Mills in Cohoes, New York grew from an 1837 mill into one of the largest cotton textile complexes in the world. Its 1,185-foot Mill No. 3, finished in 1872, was described as the world's largest individual cotton factory, turning out about 700,000 yards of cloth a week. The company liquidated in 1932, and the mill district is now a National Historic Landmark.
- Company
- Harmony Mills (historic)
- Status
- Closed
- Opened
- 1837
- Employees
- Not stated
- Industry
- Other manufacturing
- Revised
- November 12, 2026
What is made here
Cotton cloth for printed calicoes and fine muslins, plus jute and seamless cotton bags.
Facts
| Mill No. 3 | The Mastodon Mill, about 1,185 feet long and five stories, was described at completion in 1872 as the largest individual cotton factory in the world, with about 130,000 spindles and 2,700 looms (federal: npgallery.nps.gov) |
|---|---|
| Output | Roughly 2,500 operatives in Mill No. 3 produced about 700,000 yards of cloth per week (federal: npgallery.nps.gov) |
| Workforce | About 3,100 employees in 1869, two-thirds of them women (federal: npgallery.nps.gov) |
| Turbines | Two 800-horsepower Boyden turbines are among the oldest surviving mill turbines in place, an ASME landmark since 1975 (federal: npgallery.nps.gov) |
| End of operations | Stockholders voted for orderly liquidation on May 24, 1932; the industrial district was designated a National Historic Landmark on January 20, 1999 (reference: en.wikipedia.org) |
Figures are as stated by the source named next to each one. Company figures are the company's own claims.
Can you visit?
We haven't found a public tour of this factory. See factory tours in New York.
Sources
- NPS nomination: Harmony Mills Historic District (federal, checked November 12, 2026)
- Wikipedia: Harmony Mills (reference, checked November 12, 2026)
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