Auburn Mills Cottage

The Auburn Mills Cottage has a strong association with the Auburn Woolen Mills. Built by the company circa 1870, the cottage was home to numerous mill workers well into the mid 20th century. Through its connection to the textile mills, the cottage identifies with a significant historical period in Peterborough, when this area was dominated by industrial complexes from the mid to late 19th century.

The Auburn Mills Cottage is an excellent example of vernacular cottage architecture displaying details of the Gothic Revival style. The numerous wooden elements, such as the original wood siding (currently hidden underneath vinyl siding) and trim, took advantage of Peterborough’s surplus of lumber and new mechanized woodworking techniques. The simplicity of the structure and minimal ornamentation exemplify a typical worker’s cottage, built by the textile mills to provide inexpensive housing for their employees in close proximity to their workplace.