Slater Mill Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Significant dates

Old Slater Mill
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark


Location	Roosevelt Avenue, Pawtucket, Rhode Island
Area	4.23 acres (1.71 ha)
Built	1793
NRHP reference No.	66000001
Added to NRHP	November 13, 1966
Designated NHL	November 13, 1966

The Slater Mill is a very old and important factory building in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. It sits right next to the Blackstone River. This mill was the first in America to use water power to spin cotton yarn. It used a special system invented by Richard Arkwright from England.

The mill's founder was Samuel Slater. He learned a lot about factories when he was young in England. After moving to the United States, Samuel Slater was hired by Moses Brown. Moses Brown wanted him to build machines that could spin cotton yarn using water power.

The machines were finished in 1793. A dam, a waterway, a waterwheel, and the mill building were also built. The factory used Arkwright's system for spinning cotton. This system included machines for carding (cleaning and untangling cotton), drawing (stretching fibers), and spinning (making yarn).

Samuel Slater first hired children and families to work in his mill. This way of hiring became common in the Blackstone Valley. It was called the "Rhode Island System." Later, a different system, the "Waltham System," became more popular. The Slater Mill was also where some of the first worker protests happened. Young women workers led the first factory strike in the United States here in 1824. They were asking for better working conditions.

The Slater Mill became a National Historic Landmark on November 13, 1966. It was actually the very first property to be added to this list! In December 2014, the mill became part of the new Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park.

How the Mill Was Built and Changed
From Factory to Museum
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How the Mill Was Built and Changed

The first part of the Slater Mill was built in 1793. It had six sections and was two stories tall. More parts were added to the mill over the years, starting in 1801 and again in 1835. A big addition was made to the north side of the mill between 1869 and 1872.

The mill continued to spin cotton until 1895. After that, it was used for different factory jobs until 1923. The building had many fires over time. Two fires in 1912 made people realize how important the building was. They decided it needed to be saved.

From Factory to Museum

In 1921, a group called the Old Slater Mill Association was started. Their goal was to save the historic mill. Work to fix up the mill began in 1923. New parts that had been added over the years were removed. This made the mill look like it did in 1835.

In 1955, the Slater Mill opened as a museum. Another nearby building, the Wilkinson Mill, was also restored. It was finished in 1978 and became part of the Slater Mill site. The Wilkinson Mill was built between 1810 and 1811.

Today, the Slater Mill site is a museum and a place for learning. It also hosts music events. It helps people learn about new ideas and the spirit of starting businesses. The site covers five acres of land on both sides of the Blackstone River. It includes a dam, the Slater Mill, the Wilkinson Mill, and the Sylvanus Brown House. The Sylvanus Brown House was built in 1758 but moved to the site in the 1960s.

The National Park Service took over the Slater Mill and other important buildings in the Old Slater Mill Historic District in 2021.