This cluster is one of few remnants of such housing, which was built on a larger scale now diminished by urban renewal.

Early mill owners built boarding houses to attract single young women from area farms, offering concerned parents the security of a supervised living environment for their daughters.

A good example of this type is at 15-17 Chestnut Street, a modest two-story brick building with Greek Revival style.

These types of buildings were built in large numbers in the areas near the mills, but many have been demolished for subsequent development or significantly altered.

[2] Media related to Dwight Manufacturing Company Housing District at Wikimedia Commons