Laconia Mills window detail Biddeford, ME

The Laconia – Pepperell Manufacturing Company was a behemoth on the Saco River. The 1929 insurance map map detail from the MacArthur Public Library provides a sense of scale. Several large buildings remain standing, including the one on Main St, where the detail of the window was taken. The first Laconia Mill building was constructed in 1841. It was not the first industry to use water power on the river, because the Saco River Power company erected the dam in 1829 and built many of the early mill buildings, as well.