Back in socks: Belknap Mill selling premium, New England-made hosiery

The Historic Belknap Mill operates with one foot in its past and one foot taking the next step forward. Those who manage the 150 year-old building have to celebrate the structure's and the region's history while keeping it relevant and viable in contemporary Laconia. There is perhaps no better indication of this situation than the mill's decision to begin selling New England-made socks in its "Meetinghouse Gift Shop" in the building's ground floor.

The mill, built in 1823 on the Winnipesaukee River in downtown, was first a weaving, then a knitting mill, and was making socks until 1969. The building very nearly fell under a wrecking ball, as so many of New England's mills did, had not a group of community activists saved the mill.

During Bike Week 2008, when the mill was hosting a motorcycle-themed art exhibit, the gift shop experimented with retailing biker-friendly socks made by the Darn Tough sock company of Northfield, Vt. The experiment was enough of a success for John Moriarty, executive director of the non-profit organization that manages the facility, to see that socks could be as much of the mill's future as they are its past. Since mid-January, the mill has carried a variety of Darn Tough socks, each one designed for New England activities and conditions.

The Darn Tough brand was not chosen by accident. Not only is it still manufacturing socks in New England, it's run by Ric and Marc Cabot, a father-and-son team that descended from the family that used to own a mill within feet of the Belknap Mill. The Cabot Mill was located between the Belknap Mill and the Winnipesaukee River. "They made socks right here," said Moriarty, gesturing out the window of the Belknap Mill.

Darn Tough, which makes socks for L.L. Bean and Eastern Mountain Sports, among others, doesn't make an attempt to best the competition on price. The socks for sale at the Belknap Mill range in price from $13 to $22 per pair. Instead of being the cheapest socks on the market, they aim to be the best. Merino wool is blended with lycra and spandex to make warm socks that will wick moisture from the feet. And yes, they're tough, and come with a lifetime guarantee should they fail to live up to their name.

The mill is currently running a 25-percent off sale through the end of February, in an effort to get the region back into New England-made hosiery. "We're experimenting," said Moriarty, adding that there aren't any plans to expand the sock retail experiment. They'll just take it where it goes. Whether it's the snowmobiling socks, the downhill or cross-country socks, or the colorful socks that Moriarty calls "capricious," he said there has been a "steady trickle of people coming specifically for the socks." The mill still produces a limited supply of its own socks, which are for sale, and it plans to soon offer its own hats for infants.

"People associate knitted goods with the mill," said Pat Guevin, office manager. Moriarty added that there's "a feeling of familiarity" with the mill and textiles. Many of the region's residents can recall when the mill was actively making socks, and some of them were employed there or had relatives who were.

Sock sales aren't expected to contribute a significant source of revenue, but offering one more service to the community will attract a few more people to the place, people who might decide to check out the current exhibit or return for one of its lectures or performances.

"The mill has always nodded its head to the past," said Moriarty. He said there's a common denominator with the sock experiment and the rest of the mill's pursuits. "It's really about exploring — exploring the past, exploring cultural ideas, exploring the world around you."