History of Industry
Slater Mill Historic Site
Pawtucket, RI
Slater Mill
Slater Mill, built in 1793, was America’s first water-powered cotton mill. Here Samuel Slater used the waters of the Blackstone River to run machines to process raw cotton into thread.
Today you can tour the Slater Mill, for a fee, along with the 1758 Sylvanus Brown House and the Wilkinson Mill built in 1810. The Wilkinson Mill has a working waterwheel that still powers the machine shop there. Be sure to stop and see the two waterfalls, the Slater Dam and the Pawtucket Falls and witness the power of the Blackstone River!
Wilkinson Mill Machine Shop
Water Power!