What Can You Do as a Volunteer?
Whether you’re looking to gain hands-on experience, build your resume, earn volunteer hours, or simply get involved in your community, there’s a place for you at the Old Schwamb Mill!
Volunteer opportunities include:
- Welcoming visitors during special events
- Assisting with archives and historical collections
- Greeting guests and helping with visitor services
- Supporting educational programs and activities
- Helping with gardening and site upkeep
- Serving on our Board of Directors (for those interested in leadership and nonprofit governance)
No matter your interests or experience, we’d love to help you find the right fit.
Student Volunteer Opportunities at Old Schwamb Mill
Are you an undergraduate or graduate student interested in history, public history, museums, archives, education, communications, or historic preservation? Looking for hands-on experience you can add to your résumé or portfolio? Old Schwamb Mill in Arlington, MA is looking for student volunteers interested in gaining practical experience at a small, historic, working museum. We are happy to work with students to develop opportunities that align with their academic interests and career goals.
Research, Archives & Collections: Our archives contain materials documenting the history of the Schwamb family, the frame-making business, the Mill, and its preservation as a museum. Students interested in historical research may have opportunities to:
Research, Archives & Collections
Our archives contain materials documenting the history of the Schwamb family, the frame-making business, the Mill, and its preservation as a museum. Students interested in historical research may have opportunities to:
- Sort, organize, and catalog archival materials
- Digitize photographs, documents, and other historical materials
- Conduct historical and genealogical research
- Transcribe handwritten documents and historic records
- Assist with collections database work
- Research people, objects, tools, photographs, and other aspects of the Mill’s history
- Develop research projects around areas of particular interest
Tours & Education
- Learn the history of the Old Schwamb Mill and its frame-making tradition
- Assist with guided tours and, with training, eventually lead tours
- Assist with school, family, and public education programs
- Help develop educational and interpretive materials
- Explore ways to make the Mill’s history accessible to different audiences
Social Media & Publicity
- Create social media content
- Develop graphics and promotional materials
- Assist with event publicity and community outreach
- Help develop campaigns to reach new audiences
- Assist with photography, video, and other digital content
The Old Schwamb Mill is a living-history museum and working picture-frame manufactory in Arlington, Ready to get involved? Call us at 781-643-0554 or email info@oldschwambmill.org to learn more about volunteering at the Old Schwamb Mill.
Volunteer Spotlight!
We wouldn’t be where we are today without our volunteers! Here is some of the work they have accomplished:
Sally Richter – Archives
Marjorie Hilton – Archives
When Marjorie Hilton (“Margie”) came to volunteer at the Old Schwamb Mill seven years ago, we learned that she was also writing a book. That book, “I’ll Trade You: Tales of Traded Items in the Ancient Near East, was published in September 2023 and is available for sale at the Mill.
A political science major at Boston University Margie went on to teach at the Frankfurt International School in Oberursel, Germany, and later at the Josiah Haynes Elementary School in Sudbury, Massachusetts. She has volunteered locally at the Waterworks Museum in Chestnut Hill, the Lincoln Library, and the Weston Library. At each place, she developed exhibits or informative panels for visitors.
Ryan Robinson – Visitor Services and Education
For UMass Boston history student Ryan Robinson, volunteering at the Old Schwamb Mill has been an opportunity to do more than just learn about local history. It has given him valuable experience that he hopes to carry into his future career as an educator. Now in his third year of his undergraduate history degree, Ryan plans to pursue a Master of Education and eventually teach high school social studies in the Boston Public Schools. He was drawn to volunteering at the Mill because of his interest in local history and the opportunity to gain experience working in a historic site.
Much of his time at the Mill has been spent learning its history, with guidance from board members Ellen Cohen, Reed Snyder, Dermot Whitaker, and Bob Tanner. He has also helped with day-to-day operations and events, contributed to the construction of the Mill’s new accessibility ramp, and is preparing demonstration pieces for the Mill’s upcoming exhibit on the history of woodworking tools. One of his favorite aspects of volunteering has been learning from the people around him. He has also become particularly interested in the Mill’s changing sources of power and the way its manufacturing process evolved over time.
For Ryan, the experience has reinforced the importance of bringing history outside the traditional classroom. “It is incredibly important for students to learn about their local history,” he explains, noting that historic sites can help preserve lesser-known stories while building a sense of community and connection to the past. He has already gained public speaking and tour experience that he plans to bring into his future classroom. And his advice to other students considering volunteering at the Mill is simple: “Do it!”
Caroline Lerch – Research and Education
Caroline is an emerging museum professional whose many historical interests include working-class history, the Industrial Revolution in New England, and genealogical research. She graduated with a BA in American Studies from Wesleyan University in 2025, where she wrote her undergraduate thesis on the Washburn Family from Livermore, ME. Since then, she has expanded on her research experience as a Frank C. Munson Research Fellow at Mystic Seaport Museum and has begun her museum career as a Museum Educator at Lexington History Museums.
At the Old Schwamb Mill, Caroline is researching mill workers to learn more about their lives, including their professions, families, and descendants. Her research will highlight the stories of working-class people essential to the operation of the Old Schwamb Mill in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Old Schwamb Mill 