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LEWISTON — A piece of history is the first major artifact moved into the new location for the Museum of Innovation Learning and Labor (Maine MILL).

Monday morning, a crew from Cote Crane & Rigging removed a section of a historic Jacquard loom from the second floor of the Bates Mill Complex. It was the first piece of history to make its way to the museum’s future location next to Simard-Payne Memorial Park.

The rest of the loom, which produced textiles in the complex, and other pieces of history will be moved in the spring before the mill moves out of the Bates Mill Complex and into its new $14 million centerpiece for the community’s culture and history .

The project — which transformed the once-mighty 14,000-square-foot Camden Yarns Mill — is slated to open this summer.

Dave Lapointe, left, of Cote Crane & Rigging cranks a lift as the head of a Jacquard loom is hoisted 11 feet into the air and suspended by cables at the new location of the Museum of Innovation Learning and Labor (Maine MILL) next to Simard-Payne Memorial Park in Lewiston.
A large scale once used to weigh cotton was the first piece of history that was moved from the Bates Mill Complex Monday morning. (All photos by Russ Dillingham/Staff Photographer.)
Brian Bosse of Cote Crane & Rigging fastens cables to a support the platform of a Jacquard loom that is suspended 11 feet in the air at the new location of the Maine Museum of Innovation Learning and Labor (Maine MILL) next to Simard-Payne Memorial Park in Lewiston. The rings above will hold samples of textiles that were made by the loom that will drape down above the loom.
Cody Castonguay of Cote Crane & Rigging lowers the head of a Jacquard loom Monday morning from the second story of the Bates Mill Complex in Lewiston, where the Maine MILL has it’s permanent collection. The loom and scale, right, were the first two major pieces moved to the new location of the Museum of Innovation Learning and Labor next to Simard-Payne Memorial Park in Lewiston.
Chris Sullivan, a consultant with Maine MILL and project manager for the new permanent exhibit, looks on as the head of a Jacquard loom is installed in the new location of the museum. The loom can be viewed from the second floor, enclosed in a wall of glass.
Brian Bosse of Cote Crane & Rigging fastens cables to a support the platform of a Jacquard loom that is suspended 11 feet in the air at the new location of the Maine Museum of Innovation Learning and Labor (Maine MILL) next to Simard-Payne Memorial Park in Lewiston. The rest of the loom will be installed in the spring just below the head, where yarn will drop down like it did when producing textiles in the Bates Mill Complex.
Maine MILL Executive Director Rachel Ferrante, right, talks with local developer, philanthropist and major donor to the museum, Tom Platz, as they watch the installation of the Jacquard loom in the museum’s future home. Platz is also the architect for the project as well.

A lifelong resident of Lewiston, Russ stumbled into photography as a college student working toward a career in psychology. His great-grandfather Louis B. Costello was the publisher of the Lewiston Daily...