The Howland Mill Village Historic District is a residential historic district located in the South End of New Bedford, Massachusetts. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2006.
The district represents an late 19th-century example of a planned industrial community. It was developed primarily between 1888 and 1889 by the Howland Mill Corporation to provide housing for its employees. The development was part of a broader "model" company town movement, intended to provide mill workers with better living conditions than the dense tenement housing common in urban industrial centers during that period.
The district is roughly bounded by Rockdale Avenue, Hemlock Street, Bolton Street, and Swift Street. It consists of approximately 50 original wood-frame dwellings. These structures were built following a limited number of standardized architectural designs, featuring elements of Late Victorian and Queen Anne styles. The houses were typically set back from the street with small yards, reflecting the community planning principles of the era.
The Howland Mill Village Historic District is recognized for its association with the textile industry's expansion in New Bedford and for its preserved architectural character as a specialized form of worker housing.
