Built of many parts between about 1865 and 1925, it is one of the largest and most architecturally distinctive 19th-century mill complexes in the state, and was a major regional employer for many years.

[1] The Holden–Leonard Mill is located northwest of downtown Bennington, on the eastern bank of the Walloomsac River, bounded by Holden and Leonard Streets to the north and south, and Benmont Avenue to the east.

The building's basement houses a part of the original penstock that was used to regulate the water that powered the mill's machinery.

[2] Textile development began in Bennington on an industrial scale after the railroad arrived in the early 1850s, with the production of knitwear.

The mill closed due to the effects of the Great Depression, and was operated for about 10 years for knit goods manufacturing.