Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park

Background

Samuel Slater built his first textile mill in Pawtucket along the Blackstone River in 1793, using advanced technology from England and an innovative management approach that led to significant success. He later established other factories, including company towns such as Slatersville in North Smithfield, Rhode Island. The textile industry expanded across the Blackstone region, creating numerous mill towns. By the late 1820s, the thriving industry required better transportation, prompting construction of the Blackstone Canal linking Worcester, Massachusetts, to the port of Providence, Rhode Island.

Congress recognized the region's national significance in 1986 by creating the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, a collaborative effort among the National Park Service, state and local governments, and nonprofits. Congress later requested a special resource study, completed in 2011, which recommended establishing a National Historical Park; this was accomplished in 2014.

Park sites

The park includes Blackstone River State Park in Rhode Island, which borders the Blackstone River and Canal and features bike paths, walking trails, river access, and the Wilbur Kelly Museum, which covers regional transportation history. In Massachusetts, the Whitinsville Historic District centers on an 1826 brick mill building, and the Hopedale Village Historic District includes a 19th-century mill complex. The park also covers the Blackstone River itself, its tributaries, and the Blackstone Canal.