The renovated Sawtooth Building, once part of the Apponaug Mill and now serving as City Hall Annex offices and a Northeast AAA service office, dates back to the 1800s. That’s pretty much what people know - once a mill and now an office – but the history of a mill in that location dates back to the 1600s according to Warwick Historical Society records. In fact, as society president Felicia Castiglioni Gardella said during a ceremony last Wednesday attended by society members and city officials, a primary reason for locating the mill was the water from Hardig Brook that flows into Apponaug Cove. She acknowledged water power was important but its content of “fuller’s earth” that absorbs organic matter including oils and grease was highly valued. Five mills have occupied the site of the Sawtooth Building: the Micarter Fulling Mill, c. 1696; Oriental Print Works, c. 1809; Apponaug Print Works, c. 1896; the Dunnell Print Works and Bleachery, c. 1903 and the Apponaug Company, c. 1905. The brass plaque commemorating the location’s rich history, which the society provided, is mounted in the building atrium. Gardella is pictured here following the unveiling. (Warwick Beacon photo)