Old Schwamb Mill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Old Schwamb Mill
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The Old Schwamb Mill in 2009
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| Location | 17 Mill Lane and 29 Lowell St Arlington, Massachusetts |
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| Built | 1861 |
| NRHP reference No. | 71000081 |
| Added to NRHP | October 7, 1971 |
The Old Schwamb Mill is a really old mill located at 17 Mill Lane in Arlington, Massachusetts. People say it's built on the oldest mill site in the United States that has been used non-stop. Records show that mills have been working here since about 1684! The building you see today was built in 1861. Now, it's a cool museum where you can see how things were made long ago. This special place was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.
Contents
What the Mill Looks Like
The Schwamb Mill is next to Mill Brook. This stream flows through the western part of Arlington. The main mill building looks a bit like the letter "U". It has three stories on the side that faces south. The land here slopes down steeply towards the stream. The building is covered with wooden siding called clapboard. Most of its roofs are flat.
Across Mill Lane, there are two other buildings. These were once used to dry wood and store things.
A Long History of Mills
Europeans first settled in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in large numbers starting in 1630. The area that is now Arlington was then part of Cambridge. People quickly saw that this area was a good spot for mills. Mills use water power to grind grain or cut wood.
The very first mill in the colony was built on Mill Brook in 1637. It was near where the Arlington Public Safety Building is today. But that mill was stopped in 1645.
The current mill site started being used in 1681. First, a dam was built to control the water. Then, a grist mill was put up. A grist mill grinds grain into flour. In 1704, a sawmill was added. A sawmill cuts wood.
In 1860, a man named Henry Woodbridge bought this mill complex. He changed it to grind spices. But then, a big fire badly damaged the mill. It was rebuilt the very next year, in 1861.
The Schwamb Family Takes Over
In 1864, two brothers, Charles and Frederick Schwamb, bought the mill. They used it to make special round and oval picture frames. The mill stayed in their family for a long time. It kept working almost the same way, using the same machines and methods, until 1969.
During this time, two more parts were added to the mill building. One was added by 1881, and the other between 1881 and 1898. In 1969, a non-profit group bought the mill. They wanted to save this important piece of history.
Today, the mill still has working equipment. It also has four old power systems that are still preserved.
See Also
Images for kids
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The outside of the Old Schwamb Mill.
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Inside the mill.
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An outbuilding at the mill.
