Benjamin Bussey (1757—1842) was a horticulturalist and prosperous merchant farmer. At the age of 49, he retired as one of the richest men in New England and began to breed Merino sheep on a 300-acre farm.
The Peninsular War had brought ruin to a woolen mill, so he purchased it in 1819 for a sum far below cost. Bussey used the wool from his Merino sheep, producing a high caliber product that sold well. He combined spinning and weaving under the same roof, the first integrated textile mill.
The complex of factories, dye houses, dwellings, and other buildings formed a little village. He also owned vast tracts of land in Maine, and had a number of other interests including a private bank.
Comments