Slater Mill

The original portion of the Slater Mill built in 1793 was six bays long and two stories tall. Several additions were made beginning in 1801, and a second added in 1835. Between 1869 and 1872, a large addition was made to the north end of the mill. Cotton spinning continued until 1895, when such production had largely shifted to the American South. After that the mill was used for various industrial purposes until 1923. The building had suffered numerous fires in the past, and two fires occurred in 1912 which precipitated awareness of the building and the need for its preservation. ==From mill to museum==

In 1921, the non-profit Old Slater Mill Association was founded with the purpose of saving the historic Mill. Efforts to restore the mill began in 1923; modern additions to the structure were removed, restoring the mill to its 1835 appearance. In 1955, it opened as a museum. Restoration of the nearby Wilkinson Mill (built 1810–1811) was completed in 1978 as part of the Slater Mill site. The Slater Mill site serves as a museum, educational center, and music venue, which "celebrates innovation and the entrepreneurial spirit by engaging audiences in relevant cultural, historic, and artistic endeavors". It includes five acres of land on both sides of the Blackstone River, a dam on the river, two historic mills (the Slater Mill and Wilkinson Mill), and the Sylvanus Brown House (built in 1758 but moved to this site in the 1960s). The Slater Mill and other key buildings that are part of the Old Slater Mill Historic District were acquired by the National Park Service in 2021 as part of a new national park. File:Slater Mill, Pawtucket, Rhode Island.jpg|Slater Mill (1793) File:Slater Mill - a Spinning Mule.jpg|A spinning mule in Slater Mill File:Wilkinson Mill, Pawtucket, Rhode Island.jpg|Wilkinson Mill (1810–11) File:Sylv Brown House Pawt.jpg|Sylvanus Brown House File:Slater Mill Historic Site, Pawtucket, Rhode Island.jpg|View of the site File:Slater Mill - Wilkinson Machine Shop.jpg|The Wilkinson Machine Shop ==See also==