#307 - Hotel Millwright in Amana, Iowa

Sleeping at the Mill

Don and I spent a night in a textile mill! 

That was a first! It was a chilly October day when we spent the night in the 168-year-old mill. 

​Millwright?

I was intrigued when I searched the internet and found Hotel Millwright.Their website was educational and inviting. I didn't know a Millwright was an occupation. The hard workers in the photo below, could be millwrights. ? But maybe not.

A millwright is more than a factory worker.  "A millwright is a craftsperson or skilled tradesperson who installs, dismantles, maintains, repairs, reassembles, and moves machinery in factories, power plants, and construction sites."
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​Long History 
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Our hotel was within the old Amana Woolen Mill complex. It dates back to 1855, when German "Radical Pietists" fled their homeland and settled in east central Iowa. The mill sits in the middle of the Village of Amana. (There are 7 villages in the Amana Colonies... worth Googling!)

For 80 years, the colonies were mostly self-sufficient. Through crafting and farming, the families lived a communal life, until 1932.  

Hotel Millwright

​In the mid 1800's, the textile mill was the industrial center of Amana. ​Today, it's still a producing wool products... the only remaining textile mill in Iowa.

In recent years, some of the buildings on the property have been renovated into impressive hotel rooms, dining and event spaces. 

Arriving In Amama

It was about 5 on a Thursday, when Don and I arrived in the Village of Amana.

The quaint town looked tidy and decorated and very quiet on a blustery fall evening.

Millwright Lobby

The 8-acre complex, looked equally quiet 

There were so many buildings! I finally spotted the lobby entrance, next to the old smoke stack. 

Lobby

I had to grin when I stepped through the doors. Soaring ceilings, exposed pipes and beams. Brick walls here, concrete there. Scattered sitting areas throughout. What a fabulous renovation!

The staff at the desk seemed delighted to share about the history, The older gentleman showed me around the lobby. The younger woman at the desk pointed out the complimentary popcorn, that had just finished popping! My kind of place!

I crossed the room where I spotted an artistic wall, decorated with colorful spools of wool. I headed for the door and paused at the peculiar fireplace. Yes! Don and I will need to sit there later and eat popcorn!  
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Here and There

I was eager to get settled in our room, but I was dying to get out and explore the grounds, before the rains came. 

The weather was already damp and windy. There were so many fun areas for sitting out! If it had just been warmer.

​The Electric Thread Social Club was in a cute separate building. 

There was a patio with tables and strings of festive lights, but the chilly temps made it less tempting.

Quick Look at the Property

I dashed from one building to the next, taking it all in. 

Brick, stucco...wood..

Fall flowers still lingering...

I read "Warped & Woven" on one building. A shop! Rats, it was closed.

I read "Carding Studio" on another. I clearly needed a tour guide to explain it all!

I loved finding a cluster of gliding Adirondack chairs, near the white building.

If only we'd had some of those cozy Amana wool blankets, we could have braved the wind and glided for a while!
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Inside Halls

We parked near a back entrance and wandered down some interesting hallways, to find our room. The gray walls held classy displays of old pieces of mill equipment.

Intriguing old photos and artwork lined other walls. What were the rolling bins used for?

Room 123

Our room on the first floor was spacious and comfy. We even had some very clever "Do not disturb" door hangers! "Counting Sheep" and "Tied Up!" Love it!!

There was a strange pillar in the room and metal pieces jutting from the freshly painted wall. Those were reminders that we were not staying at a nicely renovated historic hotel. This room probably never had paint on the walls until a few years ago. Who knows what this very space was used for 100 years ago?

The king bed almost looked small, in the large room. The view wasn't the best. Just a wall with trees beyond. But I believe the Mill Race canal was on the other side of the wall. The canal played a big part in the mill.

For over a century, the mill has produced top quality woolens, sold throughout the U.S. Our bed was covered in one of those luxurious wool blankets.

​Wall Decor

I loved the history, decorating the walls in our room.

The men in the photo above our bed, didn't look thrilled as they labored with wool. I hope they slept well at night, under cozy woolen blankets! 

The bathroom and sitting areas were clean and sleek and comfortable. Don always appreciates a good chair. He got his wish.

Steps Away

The whole building was filled with curious stuff! Just outside of our room we had a massive loom from the early 1900s. Once used for making wool carpets.

There were so many mystery items. What were those cylinders? Now, I did of course recognize the toy Amana truck! 

My family owned an Amana deep freeze in the 1960's. It was in 1936 that another mill in the Colonies closed and became a factory, that produced refrigerators! "Amana... a Raytheon Company" are the words on the toy.

Endless Stuff!

Don and I explored inside, as weather got stormy outside. Sometimes old photos helped us understand what the odd pieces of machinery once did.

Other machines needed no explanation.

There wasn't a hall or stairway, that didn't urge us to stop and ponder. 

I loved the clever ways they displayed the wool fabric designs.  

The People

​And the photos! I could have stood and studied faces forever!  

Who were these people who lived in Amana, in separate kitchen-less houses... eating meals in communal dining halls... working for no pay? A Utopia? Not sure about that. But I would so love to speak to someone who remembers living in the Amanas.

​Sitting a Spell

​Don and I wandered and lounged a bit, here and there. The fireplace was made of a curious blend of discarded materials. 

I had a hard time sitting still with all these wild displays that begged me to touch! Don knows more about odd drills and he showed me how the thing worked.  

​Eating and Dining

​Besides the Electric Thread Club, we had lots of dining and drinking options in our building.

All looked cool and warehouse-y! None of the chairs looked comfy.

When we spotted two comfy chairs beneath the old Indigo Blue advertisement, we happily took a seat. 

Don got us drinks from the bar and we toasted to the Amana Colonies! We always have a toast at every hotel.

The Indigo Room

After we finished our drinks we moved into the restaurant area and sat in a cushioned booth, beneath a wall decorated in circles. Some circles were covered in wool fabric. Others circles displayed old photographs. 

For less than $20. Don and I had a simple and delicious feast of Mushroom & Prosciutto Pizza AND Fried Pork Cutlet Sliders! Look at the giant crusty meat on Don's tiny bun! Crazy!

Morning

Don and I slept well in our quiet room. I woke before dawn and did my usual. I threw clothes and coat on, over my pjs and dashed out to see what the world looked like!

It was still windy and drizzly, but I my raincoat and it did the job.

Weaving Building

I saw lights in some lower windows of the old Weaving Building. 

What a treat to be able to peek in the low windows and see the space where wool blankets and throws are still made today. 

There must be a name for the magical design, that is sort of created when the individual yarn strands fan out,  from their spools. 

The hotel's logo made much more sense after I peered in the windows.
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Quick Walk

As the drizzle turned to rain, I headed down the empty street towards town. I hated knowing we had to leave early that morning. ​

I so wish we could have explored the town and a few of the other Amana Villages. It was hard to pull away at 8 on that quiet morning.

What's Notable?

Even though Hotel Millwright's website made the hotel look very inviting, Don and I weren't sure what to expect. It was even more classy and cozy and interesting that we had imagined. For $100.(+tax) we stayed in a lovely, immaculate room, in a hotel that was once a textile mill! 

Even though my photo here looks a little ominous, the grounds are also immaculate and welcoming. I so hope the tourists who flock to the Amama Villages will support this wonderful place. I'm so glad the history has been preserved so that we can all enjoy!
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