The Hathaway site in Waterville, has a rich industrial history that began in 1865 when George Alfred secured water and property rights at Ticonic Falls, enabling dam construction on the Kennebec River. In 1873, Reuben Dunn, a retired railroad executive, acquired the dam and brought in engineer Amos D. Lockwood to design a cotton mill. The first mill opened in 1876 with 33,000 spindles, followed by a second in 1882—now the Hathaway Center—which added 55,000 more. At its peak, the Lockwood Company employed around 1,300 workers, mostly women, and was nationally known for producing high-quality bed linens. The mills closed in 1955, and the equipment was sold.

In 1956, the facility was revived by the F.C.Hathaway Shirt Company, originally founded in 1853 in Waterville. The company gained international recognition for its craftsmanship and its iconic “man with the eye patch” ad campaign created by advertising legend David Ogilvy. The mill served as both a manufacturing site and executive office until closing in 2002 under Warnaco ownership.

The site’s third transformation began in 2006 when developer Paul Boghossian, a Colby College affiliate, purchased and redeveloped the property. The result was the Hathaway Creative Center, a $30 million project that turned the historic mill into a vibrant mixed-use space. Today, the center includes offices, apartments, retail shops, art studios, and healthcare services such as MaineGeneral and HealthReach.