Why Cow Skulls?

The cow skulls on the exterior frieze of the library are a reminder of the role of the meat-packing industry in the economic history of Somerville. The local growth of the industry was first made possible in 1855 when the Grand Junction Railroad provided Somerville a rail connection both to points west and to the wharves of East Boston. By 1875, the products of Somerville meat-packing plants had an annual value of $4.4 million-more than all other Somerville industries combined. By 1898, Somerville was reportedly the third largest meat-packing center in the United States, and was known as "the Chicago of New England." As late as the nineteen-twenties, Somerville's leading industry was still animal slaughtering and meat packing. The last meat-packing plant in Somerville is believed to have closed in the mid-eighties.