Averill Park has always been famous as the place where comedian Jerry Lewis lived and worked as a soda jerk as a kid. But the little community is also famous for something else. During much of the 20th century, it was the home of Faith Mills.

Faith Mills was a major textile factory established in 1897 as the Faith Knitting Company (renamed Faith Mills in 1929). It produced wool and cotton knitted goods such as long underwear, shirts, and other garments. At its peak, the mill employed hundreds of local workers and was a central part of Averill Park’s industrial and social life; it even had a “clubhouse” for employee gatherings and entertainment.

During World War II, Faith Mills manufactured wool blankets and thermal knit garments for the U.S. military services, earning multiple Army-Navy “E” Production awards. After the war and changing textile economics, the mill declined and ultimately closed in 1962.

Today, the complex’s historic buildings are repurposed for other uses, including the art community, “Art, Letters and Numbers,” and Faith Mills remains an important part of Averill Park’s industrial heritage.

On April 20, 1942, Mr. and Mrs. James Yokubait and family, who had run the Faith Mills Boarding House since 1940, moved to Fort Plain. On........

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