Slater Mill
Encyclopedia
A National Historic Landmark, the Slater Mill is located next to the Blackstone River
in Pawtucket, Rhode Island
. Modeled after cotton spinning mills first established in England, the Slater Mill is the first water-powered cotton spinning mill in North America to utilize the Arkwright system of cotton spinning as developed by Richard Arkwright
.
Samuel Slater
, the mill's founder, apprenticed as a young man in Belper
, England with industrialist Jedediah Strutt
. Shortly after immigrating to the United States, Slater was hired by Moses Brown of Providence, Rhode Island
to produce a working set of machines necessary to spin cotton yarn using water-power. Construction of the machines, as well as a dam, waterway, waterwheel and mill began in 1790 and completed in 1793. Manufacturing was based on Richard Arkwright
's cotton spinning system which included carding, drawing, and spinning machines. Slater initially hired children and families to work in his mill, establishing a pattern that was replicated throughout the Blackstone Valley
and known as the "Rhode Island System". It was later eclipsed by Francis Cabot Lowell's Waltham System.
Slater Mill has the distinction of carrying the first, lowest reference number in the National Register of Historic Places reference number series, although many hundreds of other sites were listed on the NRHP before it. The site was further designated a National Historic Landmark on the same date in 1966.
Blackstone River
The Blackstone River is a river in the U.S. states of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. It flows approximately 48 mi and drains a watershed of approximately 540 sq. mi...
in Pawtucket, Rhode Island
Pawtucket, Rhode Island
Pawtucket is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 71,148 at the 2010 census. It is the fourth largest city in the state.-History:...
. Modeled after cotton spinning mills first established in England, the Slater Mill is the first water-powered cotton spinning mill in North America to utilize the Arkwright system of cotton spinning as developed by Richard Arkwright
Richard Arkwright
Sir Richard Arkwright , was an Englishman who, although the patents were eventually overturned, is often credited for inventing the spinning frame — later renamed the water frame following the transition to water power. He also patented a carding engine that could convert raw cotton into yarn...
.
Samuel Slater
Samuel Slater
Samuel Slater was an early English-American industrialist known as the "Father of the American Industrial Revolution", or the "Father of the American Factory System" because he brought British textile technology to America. He learned textile machinery as an apprentice to a pioneer in the British...
, the mill's founder, apprenticed as a young man in Belper
Belper
Belper is a town and civil parish in the local government district of Amber Valley in Derbyshire, England.-Geography:Belper is situated eight miles north of Derby and is centred in the valley of the River Derwent...
, England with industrialist Jedediah Strutt
Jedediah Strutt
Jedediah Strutt or Jedidiah Strutt – as he spelt it – was a hosier and cotton spinner from Belper, England.Strutt and his brother-in-law William Woollat developed an attachment to the stocking frame that allowed the production of ribbed stockings...
. Shortly after immigrating to the United States, Slater was hired by Moses Brown of Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
to produce a working set of machines necessary to spin cotton yarn using water-power. Construction of the machines, as well as a dam, waterway, waterwheel and mill began in 1790 and completed in 1793. Manufacturing was based on Richard Arkwright
Richard Arkwright
Sir Richard Arkwright , was an Englishman who, although the patents were eventually overturned, is often credited for inventing the spinning frame — later renamed the water frame following the transition to water power. He also patented a carding engine that could convert raw cotton into yarn...
's cotton spinning system which included carding, drawing, and spinning machines. Slater initially hired children and families to work in his mill, establishing a pattern that was replicated throughout the Blackstone Valley
Blackstone Valley
The Blackstone Valley or Blackstone River Valley is a region of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. It was a major contributor to the American Industrial Revolution...
and known as the "Rhode Island System". It was later eclipsed by Francis Cabot Lowell's Waltham System.
Slater Mill has the distinction of carrying the first, lowest reference number in the National Register of Historic Places reference number series, although many hundreds of other sites were listed on the NRHP before it. The site was further designated a National Historic Landmark on the same date in 1966.
Architectural History
The original portion of the Slater Mill built in 1793 was six bays long and two stories tall. During the 19th and early 20th century several additions were made beginning in 1801 and a second in 1835. Between 1869 and 1872 a large addition was made to the north end of the mill. Cotton spinning continued until 1895, after which the mill was used for various industrial uses until 1923. Although the building had suffered numerous fires in the past, two fires occurred in 1912 which precipitated awareness of the building and the need for its preservation.From Mill to Museum
In 1921 a non-profit organization, the Old Slater Mill Association, was founded with the purpose of saving the historic Mill. Efforts to restore the mill began in 1923; modern additions to the structure were removed restoring the mill to its 1835 appearance. In 1955 it opened as a museum. Restoration of the nearby Wilkinson Mill (built 1810-1811) was completed in 1978 as part of the Slater Mill site.Modern times
The Slater Mill site serves as a living history museum, educational center and community center. It includes five acres of land on both sides of the Blackstone River, a dam on the river, two historic mills (the Slater Mill and Wilkinson Mill), and the Sylvanus Brown House (a house built in 1758 but moved to the site in the 1960s). Tours are conducted by costumed guides. The Blackstone Valley Visitor Center, located across the street, houses the Slater Mill's museum store, art gallery and theater.Community Guild Studio
The Slater Mill Community Guild Studio serves as a regional fiber arts and crafts center. Functioning as a guild house, it houses local guilds and groups including quilters, basketmakers, spinners, fullers, dyers, surface designers and weavers. The Center hosts meetings and events of these groups, as well as programs, meetings and workshops for the public.Labor & Ethnic Heritage Festival
Each year the Slater Mill hosts the Labor & Ethnic Heritage Festival. The festival honors Rhode Island’s labor and ethnic traditions as well as Rhode Island's legacy of industry and innovation with a day of folk music and dance, ethnic foods, artisans and fine crafts.See also
- David WilkinsonDavid Wilkinson (machinist)David Wilkinson was a U.S. mechanical engineer who invented a lathe for cutting screw threads, which was an extremely important development in the development of the machine tool industry in the early 19th century....
- Derwent Valley MillsDerwent Valley MillsDerwent Valley Mills is a World Heritage Site along the River Derwent in Derbyshire, England, designated in December 2001. It is administered by the Derwent Valley Mills Partnership. The modern factory, or 'mill', system was born here in the 18th century to accommodate the new technology for...
- National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...