West Paris fire destroyed historic mill building

WEST PARIS — A West Paris building that burned down this week once home to the last manufacturer of wooden clothes pins in the U.S.

The Penley Mill was West Paris’ biggest employer from 1923 until it closed down in 2002.

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In this photo provided by Chuck Blaquiere, firefighters are dwarfed by the fire that engulfed the former Penley Mill building on Tuesday. AP

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The building was destroyed in a fire that broke out early Tuesday morning. It took 50 firefighters from a dozen departments to control the flames.

The mill was leased by the owners of a fireworks store just yards away, but officials say there were no fireworks in the building.

Sgt. Joel Davis of the Fire Marshal’s Office says that the building was in compliance with code regarding distance to nearby structures and that helped prevent flames from spreading to a fireworks storage building.

The cause remains under investigation.

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