Blackstone Valley Corridor becomes national historical park

The U.S. Congress recently approved an upgrade of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, which runs from Worcester south to Providence, R.I., to a “national historical park.”

The change should provide more stable funding for the area, which has been recognized by Congress as the “birthplace of America’s Industrial Revolution” and features “extraordinary historic sites, preserved landscapes,” and a recreational greenway, according to Donna Williams, chair of the Blackstone River Valley Corridor Commission.

While Congress has been funding the national heritage corridor since the 1980s, Williams said, “Previously, we had to go to Washington every year to ask for the money. This gives us a line item in the budget. We’ll have a stronger National Park presence.”

The national historical park designation is also expected to lead to a sharper focus on water quality in the region, according to Williams. She said the Corridor Commission hopes to create a watershed plan that can serve both Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

“The resources of the Blackstone Valley are of national significance,” Williams said. “Being a national historical park, you ramp up the wattage of the site.”

Peter Coffin, coordinator of the nonprofit Blackstone River Coalition and a member of the Mendon Conservation Commission, described the national historical park designation as “a great morale booster” for the Blackstone Valley. Coffin emphasized the potential to improve the health of the river’s watershed.

“It’s a great example of a public-private partnership with governments at all levels,” Coffin said.

The park highlights communities including Hopedale and the Whitinsville section of Northbridge, which, in the early 19th century, became a noted company town. Hopedale was the site of the former Draper Mill that once employed more than 3,000 people, drawing on waves of Irish, French Canadians and other immigrants.

Hopedale in the 1840s also was the site of a utopian community, inspired by principles that included gender equality.