Sixth in our occasional series of Schwamb Shares. Jacob Schwamb (1815-1881) was the oldest of six Schwamb brothers who immigrated from Germany’s Rhineland to the Boston area between 1838 and 1857. Like many of his brothers, Jacob was a woodworker. Two of his brothers, Charles and Frederick Schwamb, cofounded the Schwamb picture frame mill in … Continue reading Jacob Schwamb’s Divine Initiative: Co-founding The First Zion German Evangelical Lutheran Church

Fifth in our occasional series of Schwamb Shares A volunteer does not lead many tour groups through the Old Schwamb Mill before hearing the question: “Where is the water wheel?” Youngsters fresh from reading about the mills of old, Arlingtonians puzzled by the distance between the Mill and the Mill Brook, mill enthusiasts visiting from … Continue reading Where’s the Water Wheel?

Fourth in an occasional series of "Schwamb Shares." In Jacob’s Bitzer’s "History of the Mills along Sucker Brook," read at a meeting of the Arlington Historical Society in 1924, he says that the Schwamb factory’s business gradually shrank through the later nineteenth century. He adds that Clinton and Louis Schwamb, grandsons of the founder Charles … Continue reading The Largest Frame the Schwamb Mill Ever Turned

Third in our occasional series of "Schwamb Shares." One just didn’t expect to see President Warren Gamaliel Harding in the Old Schwamb Mill. But, there he was, all 40 inches by 47 inches of him in a larger-than-life painted image on cloth, rolled up and stuck in one of the wood moulding racks on the … Continue reading The Mill’s Warren Harding Banner

Second in an occasional series of "Schwamb Shares" Weeks from now, when events have run their course and we are free to roam the New England countryside, a day trip to visit the Plimoth Grist Mill in downtown Plymouth, Mass., is a highly recommended, especially for enthusiasts of early American industrial sites. The waterwheel at … Continue reading Big Wheel Keeps on Turning, Grind Stones Keep on Grinding: A Brief History of the Plimoth Grist Mill Site

First in an occasional series of "Schwamb Shares" Hello to all our friends and supporters. Since we are all staying at home for some weeks to come, and the Mill is closed, our directors, consultants and volunteers will be sharing items of interest about the Old Schwamb Mill, mills in general, and upcoming activities, exhibits, … Continue reading The Glue Room’s Influenza Bulletin