March 4, 2011 - Op Ed
Smack Down on the Blackstone
Revolutions don’t happen accidently. There must be
a catalyst: someone or something has to be so unique and so paradigm
changing that it sets the normal world ajar. One of America’s
greatest revolutions took place here in the Blackstone River Valley.
In fact, the revolution that gave America its economic independence
began on the banks of the Blackstone River in Pawtucket.
This revolution changed the way Americans worked
and lived, and it began our nation’s rise to super-power status. In
December of 1790 an 18 year-old ex-patriot from England, Samuel
Slater, was able to reproduce on the Blackstone River what he had
learned as an apprentice on the Derwent River in Belper, England. It
was this system of mills that garnered the attention of our founding
fathers and launched America’s industrial revolution, transforming
our nation’s economy.
It’s not every day that a community gets a chance
to tell the story of a revolution on a national scale. We have that
opportunity now.
In 1986, the US Congress established the Blackstone
River Valley National Heritage Corridor to tell this fascinating
American story. A small group of Rhode Island and Massachusetts
citizens were appointed to make up the Blackstone River Valley
National Heritage Corridor Commission. Their charge was to work with
state and local governments to preserve the Valley’s history,
culture and environmental features, create plans and partnerships,
and ensure the best possible return on federal investments in the
Blackstone River Valley. Congress directed the National Park Service
to support this effort. To date, over $25 million has been spent on
preserving historic buildings, creating museums, constructing
visitor centers and building permanent exhibits to tell the story to
the thousands that visit the Blackstone Valley each year. At the
same time, the Commission and its many partners worked to clean up
the river, create public access, promote restoration and reuse of
historic structures, protect the character of historic villages and
downtowns, and get construction underway of the Blackstone River
Bikeway, which will connect Providence to Worcester. The work of
this Commission could not be more important to the past and future
viability of the Blackstone Valley.
A specialized team made up of 6 U.S. history
scholars and National Park Service planning staff spent the last
three years preparing a Special Resource Study to help Congress
decide if this story of industrialization in America should be told
with a permanent national park in the Blackstone Valley. After
substantial research, meetings with residents, community historians
and public officials, it was clear that the Blackstone Valley is a
place that holds unique significance as the birthplace of the
American Industrial Revolution and that it should be transformed
into a permanent unit of the National Park System.
For the past 25 years, the Blackstone Valley
National Heritage Corridor Commission has collaborated with a
diverse range of community partners to protect the important
industrial landscapes, enhance cultural resources and create a
destination to tell this American story. It is impossible to think
that a region, which saw 200 years of industrialization and economic
decline, could be regenerated in just 25 years. The restorative work
in the Valley has not been completed. However, under current federal
legislation, the work of the Corridor Commission could come to an
end in October of this year, when its congressional authority
expires. Although our designation as a National Heritage Corridor
will last in perpetuity, the federal funding and Park Service staff
would no longer be available. Based on the Special Resource Study,
however, new legislation is expected to be introduced this year to
create a permanent national park. We believe that this is an
important next step in preserving the Valley’s history and strongly
urge Congress to approve a national park in the Blackstone Valley.
The national park would include certain sites and
districts in both Rhode Island and Massachusetts that the Study has
identified as being of particular, national significance. These
include Slater Mill, a National Historic Landmark in Pawtucket, as
well as the mill villages of Ashton and Slatersville, both listed in
the National Register of Historic Places. In addition, the Study
recommends, and the legislation is likely to require, that the Park
Service not only manage this Park but also forms a partnership with
a Corridor-wide organization to make sure the regional efforts to
protect the resources of the Valley can continue.
The National Park Service has been an important
supporter of the communities between Providence and Worcester that
make up the Blackstone Valley National Heritage Corridor. As we
enter this period of transition, it is clear that the work of the
National Park Service is not finished. Fortunately, we have the
opportunity to make sure we can continue telling our story, and
doing it better than ever. We should not let this opportunity slip
away. To use a wrestling term: It’s Smack Down time. Our
congressional delegation is already very much involved and
supportive. They need to hear from you. For further information
about what you can do, or to download a copy of the Special Resource
Study when it is published for public comment, visit
www.blackstonevalleycorridor.org, where you can also sign up to
express your support.
Robert D. Billington, President
Blackstone Valley Tourism Council
Former-Chair, Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor
Commission
BVRI@aol.com 401 724 2200