The Athenia section of Clifton has long been known as one of the industrial hearts of the city. There was once a large steel mill right at the fork of the DL&W's old Boonton Branch. Motorists would better know this as the area where Route 46, Route 19 and the Garden State Parkway all converge today. On the other side of the tracks stood a small textile mill that dates back to the 1920s.
The main building of the Samuel Hird Company's Clifton location was built in 1925. It was a large T shaped structure dwarfed by a tall brick chimney.
Hird had originally set up shop in Garfield, but moved his wool manufacturing operation across the river. Early stories from residents tell of sheep that used to graze the land at the corner of Clifton Ave and Paulison.
A warehouse was added behind the main factory just three years later, and a small strech of rail siding was laid down to accomidate deliveries and shipments for the company.
The only major change to the buildings was that a skybridge was built between the factory and warehouse in 1949 to make it easier to move goods around.
The Black Prince Distillery moved into the old mill in 1982. They stayed put until 2019, when operations moved down to Tennessee. They stripped all of their tanks and equipment out, leaving the structures completely barren. Clifton declared the parcel an area in need of redevelopment declared shortly afterwords, and the distillery started working with a group known as Clifton Station Redevelopment LLC.
The buildings were only vacant a short time before being absolutely thrashed by local kids. This was, of course, due to the property being directly adjascent to the infamous "Gates of Hell". The owners made no effort to ever secure the property or buildings, in a move known as "demolition by neglect". This action ensured the property would become a problem for the city, which would help with redevelopment plans down the line.
Funny enough, it was around the same time that my girlfriend and I moved to DeMott Avenue. We passed the distillery multiple times every day, watching it slowly disintegrate. Naturally we spent a lot of time inside the property as well. There ended up being some decent grafitti inside, including one amazing Mexican flag mural.
It was neat seeing regulars from different groups during our many trips. At one point some local skate rats set up ramps inside the warehouse and had it locked down so they and their friends could enjoy the place without having to worry about anyone showing up to spoil the fun.
Like all good things, the fun had to come to an end eventually. Demolition began on the complex in the fall of 2021. It took several months to level the nearly 100 year old mill, but by the following February the entire property was flat.
At the time this article is being written, the Clifton Station development is well underway. I'm not sure I'll ever get accustomed to coming out from underneath the rail bridge and not seeing the Hird Mill. Even though the structures are gone the memories will surely live on with all of those who found a home in the old vacant buildings while they lasted.
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