Rebirth and Regeneration in the Blackstone River Valley

A methodology used to enhance a community’s livability and not loose its soul

Guest Post: 

Robert Billington, Ed. D. President
Blackstone Valley Tourism Council Inc
Sustainable Tourism Planning and Development Laboratory

Efforts to bring back the Blackstone River Valley are apparent across its landscape. The Valley that explored and perfected renewable energy and understood the principles of sustainability eventually lost its environmental focus while it brought America to world leader status. 

With the success of industrialization in the Blackstone River Valley in textiles, machinery, jewelry and other forms of manufacturing, the Valley turned away from its "green" form of energy and allowed the Blackstone River to become a sewer and “catch all” for chemicals, dyes, metals, sewerage and eventually household goods, automobiles, really anything that was not wanted went into or on its banks.  This type of abuse continued for decades.  The Blackstone Valley's reputation of hosting the first polluted river and the first river to die in this hemisphere was earned by design, not chance. 

Today, the Blackstone River tells a story of rebirth.  A new way of looking at this scarred-up landscape has been underway since 1972 when Project ZAP brought 10,000 residents to the river to “take it back”.

The Blackstone Valley is now being recognized internationally for its work in sustainable tourism development.  In fact the Blackstone Valley is a contender with the World Travel and Tourism Council’s Tourism for Tomorrow award in sustainable tourism practices. 

A program of thoughtful whole place tourism development, which began in the early 1980’s, is taking hold in every Blackstone Valley Community.  Some overarching achievements for the Valley are a cleaner, fishable Blackstone River, physical access to the river in Lincoln, Cumberland, Central Falls, Pawtucket, Woonsocket and North Smithfield.  An 18-mile Blackstone River State Park, hosting the Blackstone River Bikeway and the Blackstone Canal from Pawtucket to North Smithfield, is nearing completion.  We now have the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor with National Park Service Rangers providing interpretation of the Valley's place in American history.  The Blackstone Valley Tourism Council is nearing its 25th year of sustainable, place-making Geotourism programs in the Blackstone Valley.     

In 1982, efforts to organize some of the Blackstone Valley's remaining factories to offer their products direct to the customer from the factory floor, began.  Fourteen factories, between Pawtucket and Woonsocket, gathered together to fight a deepening recession and seek a new market for their products.  The market they were seeking was the tourist seeking bargains purchasing direct from the factory.

Visitors came to the Blackstone Valley to purchase sweaters, gifts, curtains, cloth and even duck decoys all at factory prices.  The factory’s work to bring the traveling public to the Blackstone Valley worked so well that by April of 1985, the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council was formed to broaden their promotional program to include all Valley activities and attractions.  There were only a few activities open for the visiting public at that time. 

Once the Blackstone Valley communities were given the opportunity to welcome visitors they also considered how tourism could help sustain and develop what was important to their community.  So the beat began and it continues today.  So many historic, cultural, artistic and recreational amenities are available now to the residents to enjoy and are now open to the public to “tell their stories” to visitors.

Let's look at what is happening in each community in the Blackstone Valley. 

In Pawtucket, along with the Slater Mill Historic Site, there is the Blackstone Valley Visitor Center that now serves as the centerpiece of the downtown revitalization effort.  Over 150 artist studios and galleries have opened, Slater Park has been revitalized and the Ten Mile River Bike path is complete.  The Pawtucket Arts Festival, Rhode Island Chinese Dragon Boat Races and Taiwan Day Festival, Hope Artiste Village, Rivers Day, the Columbian Independence Day Celebration, the Gamm Theater, a restored Looff Carousel, an expanded Pawtucket Red Sox Stadium, Christmas at the Park and Winter Wonderland at Slater Memorial Park, Mixed Magic Theater and the Pawtucket Arts Exchange are all new additions. 

In Central Falls, the Blackstone River Landing, the Samuel Slater, British Canal Boat and the 49-passenger Blackstone Valley Explorer as well the Central Falls Antique Car Show, and Pierce Park and River Island Park along the Blackstone River are well utilized by residents and the touring public.  Now Broad Street is the focus of a terrific regeneration effort to enhance its future and health of this main thoroughfare though Cumberland, Central Falls and Pawtucket.

In Cumberland, the Valley Falls Heritage Park, Diamond Hill Vineyard, the Blackstone River Theater, the William Blackstone Park, the New Dawn Earth Center, the Celtic Festival, Blackstone Valley Outfitters, the Polar Express and the Blackstone Valley Scenic Railway Excursions through the Blackstone Valley and Cumberlandfest draw thousands to the Valley.

     

In Lincoln, the Hearthside Mansion, the Hannaway Blacksmith Shop, the 500-acre Chase Farm where Civil War Re-enactments take place, the Moffett Mill, the Kelly House Museum, the Valentine Whitman House, the Eleazer Arnold House, the Lonsdale Marsh Restoration, the Blackstone River State Park Bikeway and Visitor Center, and the Covered Bridge at Lincoln Woods State Park add to the livability of the community.

In Glocester, the Heritage Park with hundreds of acres of open space, the Ruben Mason House/Dorr Rebellion Museum, Glocester Heritage Days, the Chepachet River Park, the Job Armstrong Store and a Main Street Plan for Chepachet are enjoyable resources for Rhode Island. 

In Burrillville, the Bridgeton School is open by the Burrillville Historical Society, the historic Spring Lake Arcade has been rebuilt and expanded.  Grace Note Farm offers a real farm-living experiences and the now visitors walk the Pascoag Riverwalk.

In North Smithfield, the Great Pumpkin Festival, Homestead Gardens, the restored 19th century John Slater Mill, the historic Forestdale schoolhouse and Grange Hall offering the stories of North Smithfield.

In Smithfield, the 18^th century Smith-Appleby House, the Rhode Island Audubon Society headquarters and maintains the Powder Mill Refuges Wildlife area with many hiking trails.  Bryant University is home to the Chinese New Year celebration in Rhode Island.

In Woonsocket, the Museum of Work and Culture, the elegant Stadium Theater, the French Farmers Market, the Woonsocket River Landing, St. Ann's Arts and Cultural Center, the American French Genealogical Society, the Pillsbury House Bed and Breakfast and the home of the Blackstone Valley National Heritage Corridor Commission as well as the annual Autumnfest celebration provide a context for telling the Blackstone’s story.

The Blackstone Valley Tourism Council has created the Sustainable Tourism Planning and Development Laboratory to bring this work to a world stage.  The lessons learned of how a community can come from the first polluted river in the hemisphere to one of planting the seeds for a sustainable community using tourism based on the cultural, environmental and historical resources are taught, shared and explored in Rhode Island's Blackstone River Valley.

So much completed so much more to do.