Like Joseph Hamblett’s vision in 1753, to run a grist and saw mill, to John Peason’s vision in 1843 to manufacture cotton, to Michael Collins’ (Collinsville) vision in 1851 to enlarge and change all machinery to operate a woolen mill (then later sold to American Woolen Company who operated the mill until after World War II), to Frank Gorman’s vision in 2001 to purchase and renovate the 20-year dilapidated and nearly empty property to beautiful apartments and commercial space – all of these men always remembered and respected all of the hard working men, women and children, at that time, whose sweat (and tears) made all of this happen.

Look around the buildings … notice the original heavy bell used to summon mill employees to work. (Can you imagine their normal work day was 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. with an hour for dinner?) See if you can find the pump house, picker house, soap room, spinning room, or weave room. Walk along the manmade canal that used to generate electricity to operate the mill, cross the road at Lakeview Avenue and observe the beauty of the Beaver Brook Dam or the Beaver Brook itself as it rambles along the far end of the parking lot for 31 miles beginning at the Gulf of Maine and ending at the Merrimack River. Take a look at the two mantles on the restaurant fireplace – those thick pieces of wood were cut from the original beams in the five-story residential building to make way for an elevator. If the mill was constructed in 1851 and there are 180 tree rings in the wood, would you say the wood is at least 336 years old – born not too long after the pilgrims arrived?

We hope to see you again.
HARRY & MARY KAY GORMAN

Oh, so where DID the name of Owen and Ollie’s Restaurant & Pub come from you might ask?  Owen is our son and Olivia (Ollie) is our granddaughter ♥ both, we hope, will carry on the tradition, legacy and rich history of Collinsville.