Some of the first sawmills in North America were erected in the Piscataqua region during the early 1600's. 1634 marked the first shipment of New England masts to England. The trees were white pines, 24 inches or greater in diameter, and were used as ship masts for the King's Navy. The pines were branded with the broad arrow to show they were owned by the King. The King forbade colonists from cutting marked pines. Colonists cut the branded pines anyway and made the boards less than 24 inches wide to prevent detection.

Up-and-down sawmills were in use from the 17th to mid 19th century. By 1706, seventy water powered sawmills were operating within a days ride of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. With the invention of the circular saw, those mills with enough water power were able to convert, greatly increasing their production.

Around 1860, some mills converted to steam power, but it was not until the early 1900's that steam powered mills predominated over water powered mills. The lack of dependence on water allowed the mills to operate year-round rather than from April to December. Portable steam mills brought directly to the logging site eliminated the trucking of logs to the mill.

The 20th century brought on the gasoline engine, the diesel engine and the use of electricity. Many mills converted from steam to diesel power only within the last 25 years. Now, most are electrically operated.

The Taylor Up-and-Down Sawmill represents a long history of producing forest products in New England.