Above, Appleton Mills in the mid-1800s (left) when a freight train line ran by in front, and a postcard picture from unknown date in the earlier 20th Century. To see larger historic photos of the building, click on the pictures above.

Patrick Tracy Jackson and Nathan Appleton were among Lowell's early investors. Appleton was the cousin of Francis Cabot Lowell, for whom the city is named. Jackson and Appleton helped finance the construction of the two large textile companies on Jackson Street in 1826 (Appleton Mill, which houses Cotton House Lofts, and Hamilton Mill, across the street). These men were particularly supportive of education for the young and old, providing one of the first buildings for the Lowell High School in the 1830s, and a few years later offering space for the Ministry-at-Large evening school program for adults.

To read more biographical information about Nathan Appleton and the story of the development of the Lowell Mills, click here.