New Bedford Preservation Society Tour of Howland Mill & Village, 2019

On Thursday, August 8th, 2019 skillful tour guide Bruce Barnes conducted a walking tour of historic New Bedford Howland Mill and the Howland Mill Village with over 80 people in attendance. The tour was part of an annual summer walking tour series for the New Bedford Preservation Society. http://nbpreservationsociety.org/ Most people recognize New Bedford as the Whaling City, however, it was also a leading cotton textile capital during the Industrial Revolution. At its peak in about 1920, New Bedford had seventy operating mills with 3,594,138 spindles, 55,679 looms and total employment of over 41,000! The Howland Mill story is one of the most compelling in the history of New Bedford. William D. Howland attempted to establish a utopian community of manufacturing facilities and residential villages that for a brief time was a national model of labor/capitalist harmony. The Howland Mill, which started operation in 1888 was founded by William D. Howland, a descendant of one of the most important and influential New Bedford whaling families. The Mill was extremely innovative and progressive. Most mills provided employees with only tenement-style housing, however, Howland purchased land in an undeveloped area of New Bedford and created a cohesive community where everyone, not only mill managers, could be housed in set back stand-alone houses with yards and services where everyone could live in comfort and dignity. Join Bruce as he guides us through the history of textile manufacturing through the story of Howland Mills and its impact on New Bedford as a microcosm of the nation. To book a private group tour contact the New Bedford Preservation Society at [email protected] or call 508-997-6425.