LENOX, MA – Patricia (Pat) Begrowicz, President and Co-owner of Onyx Specialty Papers, Inc. in South Lee, MA will present the history of papermaking in the Berkshires. A tea will be served after her presentation.

Starting in the early 1800s, papermakers were drawn to the banks of the Housatonic River, where the supply of clean water was plentiful for making paper and generating the power needed to run a paper mill.  Paper manufacturing has had a significant impact on the economy of the Berkshires since Zenas Crane’s first paper mill started operating in Dalton in 1801.  At its peak in the mid-1800s, there were over 60 paper mills operating in Berkshire County.   While there are only three mills currently operating here in 2025, the economic impact of those mills in our community is strong and products produced in those three mills are shipped around the world.  In this talk, we will explore the history of papermaking in the Berskhires, from the early days of making paper from cotton rags for use in the newly born United States, to the paper of today made from natural and synthetic fibers used throughout the world.

In 2009 Pat Begrowicz and her business partner purchased the assets of the former MeadWestvaco Specialty Paper Division and formed Onyx.  Onyx manufactures specialty papers serving a wide range of global markets –including automotive, decorative laminates, medical papers, and artist papers.   Pat has a BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame, and an MS in Pulp and Paper Engineering from the Institute of Paper Science and Technology.  She has worked in the paper industry for over 30 years, with roles in process engineering, research and development, operations, business development, and executive management.   Pat currently serves on the Boards of Directors for the Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM), Power Options, the Berkshire Business Roundtable, and the Boys and Girls Club of the Berkshires.  She also serves on the University of Notre Dame Engineering College Advisory Council.

Tickets are $45. Members receive a discount code for $5 off all ticket prices. Students 22 and under are $22. Ticket pricing includes access to the mansion throughout the day of this event from 10 am to 4 pm. Reservations are strongly encouraged as seats are limited. Walk-ins accommodated as space allows. For reservations visit https://gildedage.org/pages/calendar or call us at (413) 637-3206. Please note that all tickets are nonrefundable and non-exchangeable. The historical mansion is located at 104 Walker St. in Lenox.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated by the Massachusetts Cultural Council as an important partner of the Lenox Cultural District, one of the five such Berkshire County districts, Ventfort Hall Gilded Age Mansion & Museum was built in 1893 for George and Sarah Morgan, the sister of legendary financier J. Pierpont Morgan.

Self-guided tours of the historic mansion are offered daily, as well as Tea & Talks, such exhibitions as the Bellefontaine Collection, concerts, theater, ghost tours and hunts as well as other programs. This elegant Jacobean-Revival Berkshire “cottage” is open to the public year-round and is available for private rental.  Ventfort Hall, also an Official Project of Save America’s Treasures program sponsored by The White House, has undergone substantial restoration, which continues.

Type of Event: Tea & Talk

Date of Event: Tuesday, July 22, 2025

Time: 4:00 pm

Location: Ventfort Hall Gilded Age Mansion & Museum

Admission: $45, members receive a discount code for $5 off, $22 for students 22 and under

Contact Persons: Linda Rocke, [email protected]; Chelsea Gaia, [email protected]