Old Slater Mill
National Historic Landmark · Pawtucket, Rhode Island
A yellow clapboard mill on the Blackstone River in Pawtucket, built in 1793, where Samuel Slater reproduced from memory the British spinning machinery he had trained on and Moses Brown put up the money. It was the first water-powered cotton spinning mill in America to use the Arkwright system, and American industry grew from this building outward along this river. It has a second distinction almost nobody quotes: on 13 November 1966 it became the first property ever listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Since December 2014 it has been part of Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park.
67 Roosevelt Avenue, Pawtucket, Rhode Island, 02860, United States
⚠ CONFIRM OPENING BEFORE TRAVELLING, ON THE NPS PAGE OR BY PHONE ON (401) 725-8638. Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park was established on 19 December 2014 and is still consolidating operations at this site; opening days, guided-tour availability and which buildings can be entered have changed more than once since, so a third-party listing or a cached schedule is not reliable. THE GROUNDS, THE RIVERSIDE PATH AND THE EXTERIOR ARE FREE and open in daylight. Interior access and the working machinery demonstrations have historically been seasonal, roughly spring to autumn, with a modest charge in the region of $10-$16 for an adult where they run. Free on-site parking.