Manchester, VT–Manchester Community Library (MCL), in partnership with Manchester Historical Society (MHS), is proud to announce Threads of History, an interdisciplinary program series exploring the intersectionality of Vermont history through textiles, news, and society. Vermont Humanities is supporting the programs at the Library as part of its Fall Festival Series.

MCL and MHS drew inspiration for the initiative from the Vermont Reads 2026 selection, Charity and Sylvia by Tillie Walden. This groundbreaking graphic novel draws on the lives of its subjects, Charity Bryant and Sylvia Drake, who lived as romantic partners and worked as seamstresses in early 19th-century Vermont. Threads of History uses their story as a springboard to examine how textile production shaped communities, commerce, and culture across southwestern Vermont, and how those threads connect to our nation’s history.

MCL Assistant Director and program organizer Paige Vignola shares her passion for this project:

    “History is not a document. Nor is it static. History is a living, breathing set of experiences unique to individuals who live through a shared time period… While most people think of history as something all-encompassing and strictly relegated to textbooks, in actuality, it is often the smallest experiences, often minimally recorded, that have the largest impact on the greater community. The Threads of History project aims to bring an interactive view of the past into the present. Through hands-on, multisensory experiences, MCL and MHS intend to draw audiences and workshop participants into auditory, visual, and tactile experiences of the 19th century.”

Three Foundational Workshops

The series is anchored by three hands-on workshops that guide participants through the historical process of making paper from heritage textiles:

• Taconic Music with Tunes and Textiles of the Past | Saturday, October 3, 3:00 pm
  Participants will attend a concert of 18th-century chamber music performed by the Taconic String Quartet while sorting through archived natural fiber textile materials supplied by MHS, cutting them into squares for use in papermaking.
• Pulping the Green Mountains: How Manchester Helped Feed the Nation’s Hunger for Paper | Saturday, October 10, 11:00 am
  John Vincent of A Revolutionary Press will process the prepared textile squares and period-appropriate paper materials into a paper beater. While the beater works, MHS Curator Shawn Harrington will present on the history of Vermont’s paper and textile industry, before leading attendees to pour the mixture into molds and set it to dry.
• Broadside Printing with A Revolutionary Press | Saturday, November 14, 11:00 am
  John Vincent will return with a printing press to transform the handmade paper into broadsides designed by MHS, creating history printed on history.

Interwoven with the foundational workshops, complementary programming will feature topics such as the Jane A. Stickle Quilt, the history of our own Manchester Journal, and local figures such as Fred Nicklewhite, a Black tailor and business owner. Programs are designed for adults and teens. No advance registration is required, though participants are encouraged to attend all three papermaking sessions for the fullest experience. All programs will be free and open to the public and will take place in MCL’s fully accessible facility.

For more information and to view the Library’s ongoing additions to the Vermont Reads program offerings, please visit the Library’s website at mclvt.org, call the Library at (802) 362-2607, or stop by the front desk at 138 Cemetery Ave, Manchester Center, VT 05255.

###

Manchester Community Library is open to all as an inspiring gathering place, providing opportunities and resources for personal enrichment and growth at 138 Cemetery Ave, Manchester Center, VT 05255. Visit mclvt.org to learn more and get involved.