Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park
The Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park is a place where you can walk into the beginning of the American Industrial Revolution. Stretching between Worcester, Massachusetts, and Providence, Rhode Island, this valley tells the story of how a young nation transformed itself through innovation, water power and industry.
At the heart of it all is the Blackstone River, whose steady flow powered the mills that would change the way goods were made. It was here that Samuel Slater established the first successful water-powered textile mill in America in 1793. From that moment, the Blackstone Valley became a model for industrial growth, with mill villages, canals, and worker housing spreading along the river.
What makes this park unique is how it came to be. Unlike many national parks that protect vast natural landscapes, this is a heritage corridor and partnership park, preserving a working landscape of towns, mills, waterways and communities. The effort to protect this region began in 1986, when Congress established the Blackstone River Valley Heritage Corridor, the second such corridor in the United States.
This is not a park of one location, but a landscape of history that unfolds mile by mile. This is where industry took root in America and where the rhythm of the river shaped the future of a nation.
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