page_title: Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park
section_title: Park sites
hierarchical_section_title: Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park / Park sites
caption_attribution_description: Picture of the Slater Mill, on the Blackstone River, in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.
context_page_description: Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park is a National Park Service unit in the states of Rhode Island and Massachusetts. The park was created for the purpose of preserving, protecting, and interpreting the industrial heritage of the Blackstone River Valley and the urban, rural, and agricultural landscape of that region. The Blackstone River Valley was the site of some of the earliest successful textile mills in the United States, and these mills contributed significantly to the earliest American Industrial Revolution. The subsequent construction of the Blackstone Canal, a few years after the successful completion of the Erie Canal, helped to sustain the region's industrial strength.
  The park's establishment was included as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015, which was signed into law by President Barack Obama on December 19, 2014.
  It is closely related to the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, which is not a unit of the National Park System, but the National Historical Park contains only a subset of the sites associated with that National Heritage Area.
context_section_description: Based on its establishment legislation, the park encompasses the following sites:
  Blackstone River State Park, Rhode Island: This park borders both the Blackstone River and Canal and contains bike paths, walking trails, and river access. The Wilbur Kelly Museum, built by former merchant ship's captain and mill owner Wilbur Kelly, is also within the park, and the museum tells the story of the region's transportation history.
  Ashton Historic District, Rhode Island: Built in 1867 by the Lonsdale Company, the Ashton Mill village is the second generation textile mill village expanded from Wilbur Kelly's mill that was located directly across the Blackstone River in what is now the Blackstone River State Park.
  Slater Mill National Historic Landmark District, Rhode Island: Originally built in 1793, the Slater Mill is one of the oldest successful textile mills in the United States and a contributor to the industrial development of the region. The mill complex is a National Historic Landmark.
  Slatersville Historic District, Rhode Island: This district includes the Slatersville Mill and the company town established by Samuel Slater after he had achieved success at the original Slater Mill in Pawtucket. The district is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
  Whitinsville Historic District, Massachusetts: This district is centered around an 1826 brick mill building. The district is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
  Hopedale Village Historic District, Massachusetts: This district includes a historic 19th century mill complex. The district is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
  the Blackstone River itself, its tributaries, and the Blackstone Canal
caption: Slater Mill
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