THE DECLINE OF SHIPBUILDING
Although the Williams Shipyard Complex went bankrupt in the 1840s, shipbuilding in Essex
continued for another 40 years. During this time ships as large as 1,000 tons were built. The
age of sail and wooden ships would decline over the course of the 19th century; competition
from steamboats, improved turnpikes and eventually the railroad provided several
alternatives for commerce and transportation. As an energy source, water power yielded to
steam engines and later combustion engines; the yard’s position on Falls River Cove was no
longer so advantageous. Smaller yards could not compete with larger ones located in coastal
cities with deep-water ports. Despite steam dredges, as vessels grew ever-larger, the sandbar
at the mouth of the Connecticut River would always supply clearance challenges.
In time, the Williams Complex’s many structures diversified into a number of smaller-scale
operations. Still harnessing the Falls River’s waterpower, the firm of Post & Strickland
produced buttons in the late 1840s. Tiley & Pratt produced fancy bone products at Falls River
Cove, eventually moving one mile upriver to another dam. Later firms include a paint and
chemical company, a wood-turning shop and a tool manufacturer. The end of the 19th century
saw the former sawmill producing hardware for coffins.
With each incarnation, the area’s connection to shipbuilding slipped further from collective
memory. Early 20th century postcards romantically depict the site as simply “The Old Grist
Mill.” Some support structures burned; the dam’s wooden bridge was taken down in the
1920s for the public’s safety; Mill Road ceased to exist as a through-way. Modest residential
development marked both sides of Falls River Cove by the late 20th century. Time, tide and
silt erased physical reminders of the Williams Shipyard Complex.
Sash & Blind factory
59