The Blackstone Heritage Corridor owes a debt of gratitude to U.S. Senator John H. Chafee for its creation. The former Governor of Rhode Island, Navy Secretary, and U.S. Senator from Rhode Island made environmental matters a priority, and he served as Chair of the Senate Environment Committee.  

Some of his accomplishments include authoring the Superfund program, contributing to the creation of the Clean Air Act of 1990, supporting a bill to strengthen the Safe Drinking Water Act, and authoring the Oil Pollution Act of 1990. He spent many years advocating for wetlands conservation and open space preservation. 

Most importantly, for this region, Senator Chafee sponsored the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor Act of 1985, which became public law on November 10, 1986. The Corridor became the second National Heritage Area in the country and the first bi-state Corridor. Senator Chafee’s support extended beyond initial legislation, including multiple reauthorizations and ongoing advocacy. But that was not all he did for the Corridor. Senator Chafee consistently secured federal funding for the Blackstone River Bikeway in annual budgets.  

“When he sponsored the legislation, people came to see what was here to protect. Because of him, we were able to pull together two states,” noted Bob Billington, president of the Blackstone Valley Tourism Councill and Blackstone Heritage Corridor board member. “Senator Chafee remained a steadfast supporter and stood behind the Corridor year after year. He liked the Blackstone Heritage Corridor, not because it was a cool thing to do, but because he genuinely cared for it.” 

Because of Senator Chafee’s extraordinary service to historic preservation and his advocacy for the Blackstone River Valley, the National Heritage Corridor was renamed in 1999 – The John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor. 

Senator Chafee passed away in 1999, and that same year, the Blackstone Heritage Corridor created the John H. Chafee Leadership Award to honor the late Senator’s legacy. The prestigious award recognizes individuals who have worked on projects that promote cultural heritage, environmental conservation, economic development, and the quality of life in the Blackstone River Valley. Past years’ recipients have celebrated community leaders, preservation heroes, business partners, and environmental advocates whose achievements resulted in the public’s benefit. These heroes have demonstrated the Valley’s long tradition of leadership and inspiration.  

Blackstone Heritage Corridor continues to honor Senator Chafee’s legacy by engaging the community in our Volunteers-In-Parks program, which trains and places community members throughout the Corridor and Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park. These volunteers care for our natural resources, help preserve our important history, and engage with visitors to share our nationally significant story. 

Our vision is to expand the Senator’s dedication to the Corridor by advocating the completion of the bikeway/greenway, growing our Volunteers-In-Parks program, relaunching our community grants program, updating and adding to our signage and exhibits, and so much more. Learn more at BlackstoneHeritageCorridor.org.