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Hurry! Time is running out!
It's not a movie night - It's a romantic and glamorous evening for enjoying
LIVE MUSIC from the TOM NUTILE BAND -
Complimentary Wine and Beer
Fine Food -
Silent Auction -
Decadent Chocolate Desserts
... and of course, Bubbly Champagne!
Tickets and more information available HERE
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Postcard view of the old Carter's Mill #2 on Rosemary Lake, circa 1910. Lemuel Cobb's former silk mill is the long one-story structure to the left of the main (tower) building. The main building was built in 1866 adjacent to the "old mill," and was used at various times as a bicycle factory, a nail factory, a textile mill (Carter's and others'), and a rubber-goods factory. The mill was demolished in 1971 when the apartments were built.
Smooth as Silk
Silk has always been a luxury product. Because of the laborious way it is produced and the great distance that it has to travel, supply
has always
been
well below demand. Silk is produced only from the cocoon fibers of silkworms, the larvae of the silk moth (
Bombyx mori
). Each cocoon has to be carefully unwound, to yield a single filament between 300 and 900 meters long. It takes 2-3000 cocoons to create one pound of silk. The sole item of a silkworm's diet is the leaves of the mulberry tree. Although mulberry trees have a wide range of habitats, silkworms need a relatively warm and humid climate, especially during the cocoon phase.
Silk was first produced in Asia, and traded westward in the early Middle Ages along the famous Silk Route. By the Renaissance, silk was successfully produced in limited quantities in Mediterranean Europe, and was later established in the mid-Atlantic American colonies. But, although there was raw-silk production in the West, it was not sufficient to meet demand. The trade in silk, as cocoons, yarn or finished cloth, was a major component of 18th and 19th century commerce with Asia.
Silk finishing met with considerably more success in Europe and America. Winding mills took the cocoons and unspooled the long fine fiber to create the silk yarn for weaving, and the silk mills took the yarn and produced finished cloth. Silk fabric production became a significant component of the northeastern textile industry in the 1800s.
By the mid-19th century, Needham had several silk-weaving or winding mills, to turn the raw silk into fabric. In the 1860s, the Farwell & Conant Company had a silk mill on Lower Falls. The old mills near Echo Bridge were silk mills - the former Mills Falls Restaurant and the antiques mall.
Lemuel Cobb of Dedham also owned a silk mill in Needham, just north of Rosemary Lake, about where the apartments are now located. This location was a site of manufacturing since the 1830s, when Lemuel Lyon dammed the Rosemary Brook to create the pond, and built a beaver-hat factory on the site. Cobb acquired the property in the 1840s and converted it to a silk mill.
Cobb, however, wanted to expand the industry. He proposed that silk could be less expensive (and Needham could profit richly) if the raw silk could be produced here instead of Asia, and he encouraged residents to plant mulberry trees and raise silkworms. Many households took him up on the idea. This was especially seen as a way for women to add to the household income (an early work-from-home enterprise).
Unfortunately, the silkworms refused to cooperate. They are incredibly finicky, and raising them requires considerable experience and expertise - after millennia of selective breeding, the silk moths are unable to reproduce without human intervention. So, the silkworms failed to thrive, and soon died out. But the trees did fine. They (or their descendants) can still be seen fairly commonly around town.
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Coming Up On Our Calendar
February 3 at 1:00 pm - "Mr. Baker's Fairyland of the Beautiful and Bizarre."
Gloria Greis, Needham History Center. at the Center at the Heights, 300 Hillside Avenue, Needham. A slideshow presentation about William Emerson Baker's magical estate. Free and open to the public.
February 8, from 7:00 - 11:00 pm - Champagne & Chocolate Celebrates the Movies!
in Powers Hall, Needham Town Hall, 1471 Highland Avenue. NOT a movie night - a fun and glamorous evening of live music, fine food, and of course - chocolate! Tickets and information HERE.
February 18 at 2:30 pm - "Votes for Women: A History of Women's Suffrage in MA and Needham."
Fredie Kay, Founder and President, Suffrage 100 MA; and Gloria Greis, Needham History Center. at the Center at the Heights, 300 Hillside Avenue, Needham. Free and open to the public.
March 1, at 2:00 pm - "Needham in the Lexington Alarm - the March to Menotomy."
Gloria Greis, at the Needham History Center, 1147 Central Avenue. Learn about the original Patriots' Day! And sign up for the Walk to Arlington on April 4th - information HERE.
March 15 at 2:00 pm - "5500 Years of Irish History in 55 Minutes." Kelly Dunn.
at the Needham History Center, 1147 Central Avenue.
The joy and tragedy of Ireland, in honor of St Patrick's Day. All the sinners, all the saints, all the troubles, and all the triumphs - in just under an hour. Can she do it? It'll take a miracle! Free and open to the public.
April 4 at 9:00 am - The Walk to Arlington
.
Starting at Townsend Green, Central Avenue at Nehoiden Street. Retrace the route that the Needham militia walked on their way to Lexington on April 19, 1775. Information and registration HERE.
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Community Events
From time to time, we will post event information from our community partners and friends, that might be of interest.
Sunday, February 9 at 5:30 pm - At My Neighbor's Table: Restorative Justice - What It Is and How It Can Work.
At Temple Beth Shalom, 670 Highland Avenue. A community conversation and potluck dinner. The event is free, but registration is required. For more information and to register, click
HERE.
Wednesday, February 12, 5:30-7:30 pm - Exhibit Opening Reception at the Jackson Homestead.
The Jackson Homestead, 527 Washington Street, Newton. This is the grand opening of their new exhibit,
March 22 at 2:00 pm - League of Women Voters of Needham Civics Bee.
at Broadmeadow School Auditorium, 120 Broadmeadow Road. Gather a team and join this friendly competition, while encouraging civic engagement! Information and registration
HERE.
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We thank our Corporate Sponsors
for their generous and ongoing support!
.
Lead Sponsor - The Needham Bank
Program Sponsor
- North Hill
Exhibits Sponsor
-
BID-Needham
The Dedham Inst. for Savings . The Middlesex Bank
Louise Condon Realty .
Petrini Corporation . The Vita Needle Company
The Needham Women's Club . JC Timmerman, Inc.
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