Walking my dog near the old mill in Concord and saw a piece of pottery in the creek bank

I was out with my dog yesterday, right by the old mill site off Lowell Road. The creek was high from the rain and had cut into the bank, exposing a bunch of dirt and rocks. I saw this curved piece of brown and white pottery sticking out, about the size of my palm. It looked really old, with a simple line pattern pressed into it. I left it there, but it got me thinking about how much stuff is probably buried under our feet that we never see. That whole area was active in the 1700s and 1800s, so it could be from a house or the mill itself. Has anyone else found old bits of things just out in the open like that around here? What did you do?

3 comments

3 Comments

barbaraw161mo ago

Actually the mill site is on Monument Street.

barbarac951mo ago

Check the city's online zoning map, that usually clears it up fast.

graceprice10d ago

Wait, are you sure it's on Monument Street? I thought the old mill was actually down on River Road by the bridge, but maybe I'm mixing it up with the textile plant that burned down in the 90s. I always heard from my dad that the mill site was closer to the water, you know, because they used the river for power back then. I've seen folks arguing both ways on the neighborhood page, but the old maps I've looked at online show it more over by the intersection. Anyway, not trying to be difficult, just want to make sure we're talking about the same spot because it gets confusing with all the old factories around here.