Union Mills

Constructed between the late 1800’s to early 1900’s, “The Union Knitting Mill Buildings” consist of seven interconnected buildings along the bank of Carroll Creek in Frederick, Maryland.  The knitting mill factory was closed circa 1959 and the buildings subsequently remained vacant for several years.  Additionally, the roof over the third floor was damaged during a fire and was never reconstructed.

While designing the repair and restoration of the facility, it was imperative to retain most of the original fabric of the century-old historic buildings.  A restoration program was executed where the designated landmark was redeveloped with most of the original materials preserved, strengthened, and integrated—preserving this important structural contribution to Frederick’s industrial heritage.  The repair design efforts emphasized structural restoration, economy, and durability, while considerations were given to code required upgrades such as lateral bracing of the historic unreinforced masonry structure.  Structural systems and materials were carefully selected to efficiently provide an open floor plate, as required by the building program, and to create a long-lasting, low-maintenance preservation.  The resulting transformation is remarkable and preserves the historic site for future generations to come.