Chester Greenwood

Chester Greenwood (December 4, 1858 – July 5, 1937) was an American engineer and inventor, known for inventing the earmuffs in 1873. He reportedly came up with the idea while ice skating and asked his grandmother to sew tufts of fur between loops of wire. His patent was for improved ear protectors. He manufactured these ear protectors in the Farmington, Maine, area for nearly 60 years.

In addition to being an inventor, Greenwood was the owner of a bicycle business and a heating system business. He also introduced one of the first telephone systems in Farmington. He was an accomplished machinist and a business developer. His wife, Isabel (née Whittier), was a supporter of women's suffrage. They had four children.

Legacy

In 1977, the State of Maine declared December 21 to be Chester Greenwood Day. Farmington, Maine, celebrates Chester Greenwood Day with a parade on the first Saturday of December.

The Isabel and Chester Greenwood House in Farmington is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In 2023, Three Brothers Theatre in Waukegan, Illinois, produced The Meaningful Action Theatre Company Presents A Workshop Reading Of "Muffed: A Recounting Of Farmington, Maine's 43rd Annual Chester Greenwood Day Devised By The Members Of The Meaningful Action Theatre Company" by Zack Peercy. The play follows a fictional theatre ensemble's attempt to devise a play about Farmington's Chester Greenwood Day celebrations. In 2025, it was also put on by The Factory Theater in Chicago and Prologue Theatre in Arlington County, Virginia.