Travel Back To The Industrial Revolution By Visiting Rhode Island's Very Own Slater Mill
By Melissa Mahoney|Published September 07, 2021
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Melissa Mahoney
Author
I'm an east coast girl living in a west coast world. I grew up in New England before moving to SoCal for several years. I then lived in NYC or a year before moving to AZ in 2009. I worked in the entertainment industry for many years of my adult life and have a deep love for photography, writing, and traveling around the U.S. as well as to far-flung locations around the world. Travel is my life and writing about it is a dream!
You may or may not know that the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution is right here in Rhode Island. Within the Blackstone Heritage Corridor stands the Old Slater Mill along the Blackstone River in Pawtucket. This mill played a crucial role in the history of this country, and if you haven’t yet visited, you need to make plans to go.
In the late 1700s, Moses Brown of Providence had a dream of building machines that would spin cotton into fiber using water power. He rented a space along Pawtucket Falls, and hired Samuel Slater to help construct working machines based on the ones he worked with in the textile mills of England.
Over the years, cotton spinning operations expanded, as did the sizes of the buildings on the mill's property. The mill operated as a cotton spinning mill until 1895.
In 1921, the Old Slater Mill Foundation was created to preserve and restore the historic mill. It was then turned into a destination for visitors to learn about its significance to the country's industrial history.
In 1923, the mill was restored to how it looked back in 1835.
In addition to seeing Old Slater Mill, visitors can also see and learn about Wilkinson Mill, which was built in 1810, and the 1758 Sylvanus Brown cottage.
Seeing the model waterwheel is always a highlight of a visit to Slater Mill Historic Site, and gives visitors a better understanding of how water power was used in the mills.
Visitors will also see plenty of exhibits, educational videos, and machinery that was once used here. Ranger-led programs are offered on the days the mill is open, and you are invited to stroll the grounds of this historic site. It's a remarkable place to see!
Have you visited the Old Slater Mill in Pawtucket? Let your fellow readers know about your visit in the comment section. For more information on Old Slater Mill Historic Landmark, including hours of operation, visit the National Park Service website and follow the Facebook page.
If you are interested in exploring other sites within the Blackstone River Valley, read this article.
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