Stories from the road: The Kilburn Textile Mill

Welcome to our first Silver Hippopotamus Blog!  We would love to share our adventures with you and give some background history to the amazing artifacts we find in old textile mills, estate sales and salvage yards. The pictures here are from an abandoned mill in New Bedford, MA.  The sheer size of this space was extraordinary as well as the pieces of history they left behind. When we walked into one of the production rooms, there were hundreds of industrial sewing machines, some with thread still attached just sitting there as if it was time for a lunch break and the workers had left for an hour.  It was an eerie feeling to know that this place was once alive with industry and employing so many people.  Many of the windows were broken, the ceilings leaked and the floors were covered with debris, but you could still feel the energy in the room.  We felt honored to be able to choose pieces to continue their story and breathe new life into tools of the trade.  That day we were able to salvage many textile carts, tables and machine remnants...all of which we have transformed into industrial/modern furniture. We may not be able to renovate an entire mill building, but what we have saved will last for another 100 years.
Enjoy the journey,
​Beth & Kathy