It only takes four minutes to walk the entire length of Mill Street, yet it feels like an entire town exists within its two blocks.
A church, cafe, hardware store, school, doctors’ offices and rows of townhouses line the street that runs perpendicular to the swift-running Mill Brook that once supported the town’s population.
True to its name, Mill Street is a reminder of the industrial innovations that sustained New England communities like Arlington.
Now, the bustling street – just two-tenths of a mile long – demonstrates how the town relies on local businesses and community involvement long after the collapse of its mill industry.
Arlington was established as a village under the name Menotomy in 1635. Capt. George Cooke, a British Army officer, erected the first mill two years later along Mill Brook, and six more quickly followed.
The town changed its name to Arlington on May 1, 1867, in a celebration marked by a 100-gun salute, bell ringing and patriotic colors. The new name paid homage to the war heroes buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.
While Old Schwamb Mill, the oldest continuously used mill in the United States, is located in Arlington, the town has shifted from a booming mill industry to an active suburb.
Sandwiched between Mass. Ave. and Summer Street, Mill Street’s busyness can largely be attributed to the variety of vehicles that pass through each day. Mail trucks partially obstruct traffic, minivans exit the Arlington High School lot and drivers on the major artery roads fail to slow down as they turn the corner to Mill Street, despite the blinking traffic light between the two blocks.
Traffic signals added
The traffic signals have blinked yellow and red since they were installed last September. The signals at the intersection of Mill Street and Mill Brook Drive went live on Wednesday, Feb. 19, during school vacation week, according to a notice sent out by the town. The lights are intended to alleviate congestion on Mill Street and create a safer intersection for students, pedestrians and drivers.
Motorists have grown so accustomed to the blinking lights that it might take them time to get used to the change when it eventually operates like a regular signal.
“I know when they turn the light fully on, I’m going to be running the red light like crazy,” said Noah Swaim, the student ministry assistant at Mill Street’s Highrock Church.
Morning to afternoon, visitors and residents slip in and out of the buildings that line the street.
Mill Street Cafe
Jess Swaim, manager of The Mill Cafe, a coffee shop and community center, says the street’s walkability encourages people to go from one business to another, and get their errands done at the same time. She says customers will grab a coffee after shopping at Shattuck’s hardware store or leaving a checkup at Arlington Family Practice Group.
“Lots of pregnant women will come here after their doctor’s appointments to get decaf coffees,” said Swaim, who is married to Noah Swaim. “Then when they have their child, I watch them get caffeinated drinks with their kids.”
Brooke Krabill, mother of 4½-year-old Olivia, started going to The Mill Cafe after Sunday services at Highrock. Since the cafe opened in 2023, the Krabills have joined other crayon-wielding kids and their parents one to three times a week.
“Olivia thinks that she runs the place,” Krabill said as her daughter, wearing a paper crown, held out a drawing of her two dogs, cat and neighbor’s cat. “She’s basically the welcoming committee.”
Two buildings down, shoppers stalk the aisles at Shattuck’s, the local Ace hardware store, which has served the town since 1857. Originally called R.W. Shattuck Hardware and located on Mass. Avenue until moving to Mill Street about 40 years ago, the store is the “go-to” place for area residents.
A bundled-up customer winds through the sweeping selection of products until he resigns to asking a worker for assistance. Nodding enthusiastically, the worker beelines to the aisle home to braided utility cords.
“One of the things people say about us is that we have everything,” said Dan Civita, the manager of Ace Hardware. “This is where everyone in Arlington shops, where they buy all their seasonal stuff from leaf blowers to salt melt.”
Leaving with a bag of ice salt slung over one shoulder, an Ace patron crosses the parking lot to Arlington’s historic 10-mile Minuteman Bikeway. With no vehicles allowed, the path serves as a safe means for residents to walk, run and bike.
Thanks to the connecting trail from Bedford to Cambridge, bikers show their gratitude to pausing cars with a wave, shoppers speed through the cold while carrying bags of groceries, and packs of teenagers run after classes let out at the abutting Arlington High School.
This story, published Feb. 18, 2025, is part of a partnership between YourArlington and the Boston University Department of Journalism.