The Newly Restored 1831 Aquidneck Mill Building

IYRS celebrated a milestone in the school's history on May 14, 2009: the official opening of the newly restored 1831 Aquidneck mill building. The building had lain fallow for decades, but the $7.5-million restoration transforms what was once an abandoned shell into a vital cornerstone of the Lower Thames Street neighborhood. The building now houses the school’s administrative offices, a maritime library, and a Visitor Center—along with lease space for ten companies that have brought businesses, jobs, and new economic activity to the Newport waterfront.

Organizations that contributed funding to the Mill include the van Beuren Charitable Foundation, 1772 Foundation, Alletta Morris McBean Charitable Trust, U.S. Small Business Administration, Prince Charitable Trusts, Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission, and The Champlin Foundations.

The Aquidneck mill building was originally built for textile manufacturing and is now the only mill in Newport returned back to its working roots. That working-waterfront heritage has cast a powerful shadow on the property, as Ted Sanderson, executive director of the Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission, pointed out to the crowd. "As Rhode Island struggles to figure out its future, its past provides a very good foundation," said Sanderson.

With Mill tenants that are largely marine companies, the IYRS campus is now a true center of marine education, preservation, and commerce that is unique to the entire region.

Aquidneck Mil Building Tenants

The newly restored building includes lease space for companies that have relocated businesses, jobs, and new economic activity to the Lower Thames Street neighborhood.

Boothbay Harbor Shipyard
Confident Captain/Ocean Pros
Dunning and Associates, LLC
The Gowrie Group
Hilltop Motors, LLC
Jamestown Distributors
Krisujen, LLC
Nautor’s Swan
Newport Yacht Management
The Rhode Island Foundation Newport County Fund
Wild Things, Inc.
Worldways Social Marketing

Background

The Aquidneck mill building is located on a 2.5 acre in-town campus on Newport’s historic waterfront.  The native stone and brick structure was originally built in 1831 and used as a textile mill.  It is adjacent to another historic brick building that was erected in 1903; this 18,000 sq ft building is fully occupied and functions as a school that offers a world-renowned program in yacht restoration and boat building.  The campus includes a large parking area, a small operating marina, and is located near the heart of Newport’s tourism destinations and the State’s marine trades.

The campus is approximately 1 hour 15 minutes from Boston, 35 minutes from Providence, and 3 hours from New York City.  It is a hub of maritime-related activity, including its marina which is a magnet for classic power and sailing yachts.

Specifications

Type of building: office
Building class: A
Year built: 1831; Year restored: 2008

Total space available for lease: 15,000 sq. ft.
Total building space: 28,000 sq. ft.
Total number of floors: 4
Minimum divisible: 500 sq. ft.
Maximum contiguous: 1600 sq ft and 2600 sq. ft.

Space synopsis: 15 over 15 historic replica windows; loft-style space; wood doors; some harbor views; parking; separate zoned HVAC; telco and data to the walls; elevator

Rate: $20 sq. ft., triple net

For more information, contact Terry Nathan at tnathan@iyrs.org, or 401-848-5777, ext. 211.

Read about the mill's history in an article by architectural historian Dr. Catherine Zipf and about the restoration in an article by John Grosvenor of Newport Collaborative Architects.