It was built by Alexander Gibson in the mid 1880s as he expanded his industrial operations into textile manufacturing at the company town he had established.

[1] For £7,300, he purchased a property that included a gristmill, a blacksmith shop, a general store, sawmills, a farm, "a number of houses well suited for workmen", and a 7,000-acre (28,000,000 m2) of woodland.

[1] The flow of water on the river was controlled by dams Gibson had built, ensuring he could transport logs along it throughout the year.

[1] He had the site cleared, then built a model village named Marysville to house the workers and their families[1] with the funds from the railway sale.

[4] The building was designed by Lockwood, Greene & Company, an engineering firm based in Providence, Rhode Island, and built by contractor Albert H.

[5] Employees were paid once a month, that with the company housing and requisite family labour would "maximize dependence and discourage sudden resignations".

[7] Marysville Cotton Mill is a large, brick building on the east bank of the Nashwaak River, at the intersection of Bridge Street and Rue McGloin.

[4] In 1985, the Government of New Brunswick undertook a project to restore the building,[8] and when complete its first tenant became the Department of Tourism, Recreation and Heritage.