The first boardinghouses were constructed of wood. In the mid 1830’s, brick structures were built within walking distance of the mills. The boardinghouse-keeper, usually a widow, was responsible for the moral and physical well being of her girls. Unmarried women were required by the mills to live under the boardinghouse system. The girls were charged $1.25 a week to live there. The money was taken directly out of their paycheck. Twenty-five to thirty girls lived in each house and each room had two to three beds each bed shared by two or three girls. The girls were given three meals a day. There was a strict set of rules incorporated by the Mills that regulated visitors, candles, and curfews. Church attendance was mandatory. Boardinghouses were poorly ventilated, overcrowded, over-run with rats and roaches, and lacked any privacy.