Boott Cotton Mills Museum, Lowell, Massachusetts

The Boott Cotton Mills

Lowell National Historical Park

At the foot of 115 John St.

Lowell, MA

I decided to visit the museum recently because so many things were closed due to COVID-19, and this was open. It isn't every year you get to visit something during a pandemic! Lowell is lucky that we have two visitor centers (the one on Dutton Street has been closed for repairs for quite a long time but is due to open within a month.

When I visited the Boott Cotton Mills Museum in 2016 I wrote a post, https://lifefromtheroots.blogspot.com/2016/10/the-boott-cotton-mills-of-lowell.html but, I didn't mention several exhibits I saw two weeks ago, however, I felt they should be written about. These items are pretty cool, like a real "Mill Girl" dress on display, and a see-through model of four floors of a mill. The model is amazing, I believe you and all children will be surprised. I don't know when it was made, but I'm sure glad I didn't miss it this visit. The next time I go, I'll have to ask a knowledgeable ranger question about the model.

Wear your mask!

Visitor Center and Gift Shop.

View from Visitor's Desk.

Model of mills in Lowell.

One of the signs below states:

"Severe Accident.

About four o'clock, yesterday afternoon,

Lizzie M. Ryan, a girl of twelve years,

working on the Boott corporation, met with

a severe accident, which it is feared may

prove fatal. By some mishap, as she was

sliding down the banisters, a habit which

has foolishly been indulged in by some of

the operatives, she was precipitated down

four flights of stairs and was found at

the bottom in an insensible condition. In

her fall she struck against a railing,

demolishing it. Looking at the distance

she fell, one can hardly conceive how she

escaped with her life. Dr. Plunkett attended

her. Her case is regarded as critical.

Lowell Courier-Citizen, 1869"

(Looking down to the bottom. I took the photo taken years ago. I don't believe you are allowed to climb the stairs now.)

First-floor exhibit. "The museum includes an operating 1920s weave room." "In 1910 the Boot Mills complex contained approximately 3,500 looms. A typical weave room had over 100 looms." Some are actually operating and weaving products for the gift shop. I went back last weekend to ask how many looms were operational and was told between 10-15.

View from a staircase going up to the museum exhibits.

"Mill Girl" Dress.

"Born in nearby Pelham, New Hampshire,

in 1810, Mary Cregg Butler came to Lowell

in the 1820s to work in the mills. She wore

this cotton calico dress which, according to

family tradition, was made from Lowell

mill cloth in the period 1820-1820. While in

Lowell, Butler met and married Aaron

Howard Sherman, the first superintendent

of the Lowell Manufacturing Co. They later

moved to Maine."

(The lights and reflections made it difficult to get a good picture.)

An exhibit of some cloth.

The Mill System. "Each of the mill buildings stood four stories high." "Because the mills produced different kinds of cloth, the layout of machinery in the individual mill buildings differed somewhat. Generally, the cotton moved up the factory, with the initial stages of production performed on the lower floors and weaving above." "During its 120 years of operation, the Boott Mills changed in major ways. New buildings were added. The entire complex was integrated and the buildings physically joined. Water power was used to generate electricity. Machines were improved. The layout of machines and the flow of the cotton through the buildings were redesigned." Unfortunately, I don't know who made this model. The quotes are from the information label.

IMPORTANT MESSAGE

Announcement: Due to construction, the Boott Cotton Mills Museum will be closed from May 17-May 23, 2021.

Interagency Passes and the Eastern National bookstore will still be available at 115 John St, open 12-5 pm Monday-Friday and from 10 am- 5 pm Saturday-Sunday.

The Boott Cotton Mills Museum will re-open on Monday, May 24 (10 am- 5 pm).

What's happening at Lowell National Historical Park today? (May 9, 2021)

The Boott Cotton Mills Museum (115 John Street) is now open from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. See a 1920s-era weave room, historical artifacts, interactive exhibits and video programs. Learn more about the city’s role as a developer of technology and hub of social and economic change in the American Industrial Revolution.

America the Beautiful - National Parks & Federal Recreational Lands passes are available for sale. The Boott Mills Museum is also open Monday-Friday between 12:00 and 5:00 p.m.

For more information about the Boott Cotton Mills Museum visit https://www.nps.gov/.../pla.../boott-cotton-mills-museum.htm