Ashton Historic District (Cumberland, Rhode Island) facts for kids
The Ashton Historic District is a special area in Cumberland, Rhode Island. It's like a preserved piece of history! This district includes an old mill and a village built right next to it. The village was home to the people who worked at the mill long ago.
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Ashton Historic District
|
|
 |
|
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
| Location | Cumberland, Rhode Island |
|---|---|
| Area | 61 acres (25 ha) |
| NRHP reference No. | 84000367 |
| Added to NRHP | November 1, 1984 |
Contents
Discovering the Ashton Historic District
The Ashton Historic District is a special place in Cumberland, Rhode Island. It's a "historic district," which means it's an area with important old buildings that tell a story about the past. This district includes an old mill and the village where the mill workers lived. You can find it between Mendon Road, Scott Road, Angell Road, Store Hill Road, Front Street, and Middle Street. This historic area was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 1, 1984.
The Ashton Mill
The main part of this district is the Ashton Mill. In 1867, a company called the Lonsdale Company built this large brick mill. It was first three and a half stories tall with a special sloped roof called a mansard roof. Later, it was made even bigger, becoming four full stories tall with a flat roof.
This mill was very important for making textiles (like cloth and fabric) in the 1800s. It was where a new invention, the high-speed Sawyer spindle, was first tested on a large scale. A spindle is a part of a machine that twists fibers into yarn or thread. This was one of the first high-speed spindles developed in the United States.
The Mill Village Homes
Right next to the mill, a group of brick row houses and other buildings were built. These were homes for the mill workers and their families. There was also a nice office building with a mansard roof. The houses in this village are known for their simple design and how close together they are.
The village is located in a narrow, flat area near the Blackstone River. It's at the bottom of a small hill where Mendon Road (Rhode Island Route 122) runs.
A Moment in History: The 1922 Strike
In 1922, the textile mills in this area, including Ashton, faced a big challenge. There was a large event called the 1922 New England Textile Strike. During this time, many workers stopped working. This happened because there was a disagreement about their pay and how many hours they had to work. The mills were temporarily shut down until the issues were resolved.
