according to some mad googling skills, the biddeford mill was last owned by
west point stevens, which still prevails as a
global textile producer and was known as west point pepperell or WPP. vellux blankets were produced in biddeford from 1966 to 2009. after a considerably rocky progression from hydroelectric power to mechanization, the passage of both world wars, globalization, hence the western [...] lion and the eastern dragon making a modified griffin, and a slight revival of production in 2005, the last mill building closed its doors in 2009.
the french-immigrant hand hewn granite underbelly of the mill still remains, and we got to tour the edge of the lagoon. according to our guide, the precarious wood paths into the tunnels lead under biddeford, and one even emerges in front of a popular dive bar/
restaurant.
once his weekly
ghost tours resume, i'll be there, scampering along in the dark, waiting to be scared.
back topside however,
building 10 is still in shambles, as if the last worker was just waiting to clean up before going home.
fact sources:
biddefordmaine.org,
portland press herald,
pepperell mill campus history,
textilehistory.org,
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