Slater Mill Historic Site

Slater Mill is a spinning facility beside the Blackstone River housing original machinery from the Industrial Revolution era. The buildings contain equipment and workspaces that demonstrate how textile production became mechanized.

Samuel Slater established this water-powered cotton spinning operation in 1793, launching industrial-scale manufacturing in America. The mill became the model for rapid textile factory expansion throughout the region.

The mill shows how families worked side by side in textile production and shaped early industrial life in the community. This employment model became the foundation for how manufacturing towns developed in America.

The site is best experienced through guided tours that show how the machinery worked and spaces were used. Wear sturdy shoes because the pathways and historic floors are uneven.

The mill was the first building ever entered into the National Register of Historic Places. This recognition in 1966 made it the starting point for protecting thousands of historic sites across America.

Location: Rhode Island

Inception: 1955

Website: https://nps.gov/places/slater-mill.htm

GPS coordinates: 41.87750,-71.38250

Latest update: December 6, 2025 17:41