Worcester Blackstone Visitor Center Themes
The themes guiding the exhibits and activities at the Worcester Blackstone Visitor Center are based on the information contained in “The Next Ten Years,” an amendment to the Blackstone Heritage Corridor’s long-standing Cultural and Land Management Plan. This Congressionally-approved plan identifies and celebrates thematic areas of the Blackstone River Valley. These regionally specific themes include the following:
- Birth of the American Industrial Revolution: telling the story of Pawtucket, RI, where the seeds of technological innovation and capital wealth first took root with Samuel Slater’s first-ever engineered cotton spinning mill.
- The Early Transformations: highlighting the impact of industry on a primarily agricultural landscape of the Blackstone Valley. Following the development of Slater’s mill in Pawtucket, the physical form of the river valley took on a transformation reflecting how people lived; their settlement patters, changing transportation systems, and cultural influences all reflected the change in focus from an agrarian society to one which relied on modernization, mills, and mechanization.
- From Farm to Factory: exploring the change from an agricultural to an industrial economy. Where “The Early Years” describes the shift to a mechanized society which functioned in terms of timeclocks and production rates, “Farm to Factory” celebrates the continuing role of agriculture in this changing environment. Farmers now provided not only for their own families, but for the mill-workers as well. Additionally, the Blackstone Canal facilitated water-based transportation of raw materials and finished goods.
- The Flowering of Industry: detailing the height of southern New England textile manufacturing. During this period, the power of the Blackstone River supported the region’s productivity in yarns and cloth, as well as finished goods, more so than any other place in the world. The paternalistic company town emerged during this time period, notably the communities of Hopedale and Whitinsville, which still provide exceptional opportunities to learn and appreciate the historical significance of the economic, cultural, social, environmental, architectural and other effects of this time period.
- The Enduring Legacy: celebrating the heritage and history from throughout the Valley: industrial and transportation history, immigration and our cultural legacy, man’s impact on the environment, and innovation and invention. This time period reflects the role of the public-private partnerships in advancing the textile industry through the later 19th Century and into the 20th Century. Part of this partnership was due to community-wide efforts to reclaim smaller manufacturing sites and convert them either to larger functioning mill complexes or to otherwise active and useful spots within the community.
In Worcester, MA, the theme The Enduring Legacy will be integrated into the Visitor Center site, providing visitors with the opportunity to explore and discover the richness of our heritage landscape through exhibits, activities, and interactive programs.
Our vision for the future is to more fully develop at each of the visitor centers throughout the Blackstone River Valley.
