Somerville in Middlesex County, Massachusetts — The American Northeast (New England)
The Fabric of the City
Photographed by Marc Posner, July 3, 2024
1. The Fabric of the City Marker
Early 1880s. Imagine Somerville Avenue so crowded with dairies, it was called "Milk Row." Now picture today's Conway Park as the site of Somerville's first major factory, the Middlesex Bleachery and Die Works. The firm dyed cotton and woolen yarn, and bleached and pressed cotton and linen fabrics, becoming by far Somerville's largest industry for half a century. When the bleachery closed in 1936, it was America's oldest textile finishing plant.
( photo captions )
Early Somerville Avenue This photo was taken by Frederic Stone (a resident of Central Street) in 1894 just before the historic elm was taken down. Courtesy of Maynard Batchelder and the Somerville Public Library
Small circles are reproductions of fabrics printed at Middlesex Bleachery and Dye Works, late 1800s. Courtesy of the Somerville Museum.
Mill Row, later Middlesex Dye and Bleachery, Somerville Avenue, 1864 engraving. Courtesy of the Somerville Museum.
Erected by City of Somerville.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1936.
Location. 42° 23.013′ N, 71° 6.503′ W. Marker is in Somerville, Massachusetts, in Middlesex County. It is at the intersection of
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Historic Boston and specifically in Greater Boston. It is also in the American Northeast and in New England. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: A River Runs Through It. No, Really? / One Farm, Ten Hills, 600 Ships (here, next to this marker); Colors of Defiance / From a Powdered Wig to the Powder House (a few steps from this marker); Spinning Wheels (a few steps from this marker); It's All Downhill from Here (a few steps from this marker); A Handful, a Pinch, and a Dash of Perfection / Peanut Butter Gets a New Best Friend (a few steps from this marker); How Do You Say "Gutter Ball" In German / Assembling Cars At Assembly Square (a few steps from this marker); A Lasting Memory, a Growing Park: George Frederik Conway / A Hero to the Nation and the World (a few steps from this marker); Where Did Somerville Get Its Name? (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Somerville.
Photographed by Marc Posner, July 3, 2024
2. The Fabric of the City Marker
Photographed by Marc Posner, July 3, 2024
3. The Fabric of the City Marker
Photographed by Marc Posner, July 15, 2024
4. The Fabric of the City Marker
Photo courtesy Marie Marchi Bonello
Credits. This page was last revised on August 30, 2024. It was originally submitted on August 26, 2024, by Marc Posner of Somerville, Massachusetts. This page has been viewed 414 times since then and 33 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on August 26, 2024, by Marc Posner of Somerville, Massachusetts. • Michael Herrick was the editor who published this page.
