Elisa's Seven Years Wanderings

It appeared as if the Boott Cotton Millls had been designed to be as monotonous as the labor that transpired within its walls. Brown and burnt red brick engulfed the place on which a cotton mill once operated. The buildings seemed to be positioned to fit the daily lives of those who found work there. Sitting there patiently, the structures were waiting at a moment’s notice for life to be driven back into their hallways, as if their existence and entire purpose had been eternally put on pause. Although the large black clock still ticked, it no longer ticked for the workers that it was supposed to routinely direct. The organization was simple and obvious. The laborers woke up in the boarding houses, went to work in the factory rooms, and went back to bed in the houses. There was no confusion or mystery as to what the point of this landmark was at one time in its history. The buildings stood tall, looking down upon whoever walk across their shadows. As if they were monitoring what was happening at their feet, the brick structures mimicked the roles of the mill supervisors that once ruled over the workers.

Despite the plain and eery appearance of the factory buildings that populated the mill grounds, there was a silent beauty of standing in their presence. The mill stands together as a whole, and an awestruck feeling of standing in front of a elderly local hero is evoked. The quiet atmosphere of the courtyard provided time to absorb the purpose that the mill once had served. The erratic history of the Boott Cotton Mills is marked by the countless, tired faces of laborers and the loud and monstrous machinery. Periods of prosperity, competition, and desertion expand over the existence of this mill, and the influences they had on the surrounding community are still felt by venturing further into the city. Imagining the currently lifeless museum as a center for industry and interaction is a difficult task, but it is fascinating nonetheless to imagine the sound of footsteps and machines, smells of smoke and food, and sights of crowded workers. From a historical standpoint, the significance and beauty of this museum cannot be found anywhere else. 

Today, it serves as an educational and observational trip back in time for students, tourists, and anyone with interest in the once industrial center of New England. It educates observers about the purpose of the mills were, along with the daily lives of the culturally diverse groups of mill workers. Ironically, the museum draws attention to the unreasonable customs of the mill and presents the fact that these inhumane living conditions still exist around the world today. The museum plays a role, although not as major, in bringing attention to the City of Lowell, as did the mill when it was still in operation throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. It brought people and life to the community, and its industry was sparked by competition with other mills in the area. Until its decline early in the 1900s, the mill was key to the success of the Massachusetts city.

Boott’s enduring mill stands as a significant symbol of the culture and lifestyle of Lowell, Massachusetts. The residents of the modern city mirror the hardworking and persistent mill workers of the 1800s. Despite various hardships and times of stagnation, both the mill and the city overcame challenges along its path to becoming recognized as successful and sought-after locations. The various cultures that are spread out through Lowell once scattered the factory rooms of the Boott Cotton Mills. They became intertwined, and as a result funneled out into the community in order to begin lives of their own. The mill signifies the importance of being familiar with the extensive and rich history of the very streets walked on by Lowell residents today. UMASS Lowell can be regarded as a modern day city mill: a center of hard work, education, and socialization for those who occupy it. The stern and enduring buildings of the Boott Cotton Mills remind those who observe it of the beautiful and rich history that characterizes the City of Lowell and its people of this day.