It’s easy to drive past an old brick mill in Rhode Island without giving it a second thought. They’re everywhere. But two of those buildings, one in Providence and another in Cumberland, just received one of the country’s highest historic honors, reminding us that some of the state’s biggest stories have been hiding in plain sight all along.
Eagle Steam Mill and Grant’s Mill have officially been added to the National Register of Historic Places, the nation’s official list of sites recognized for their historical and architectural significance. While they couldn’t be more different, together they capture the moment Rhode Island transformed from a landscape powered by rivers into one driven by steam, innovation, and industry.
In Olneyville, Eagle Steam Mill tells the story of a city that was constantly reinventing itself. When Rhode Island native John Waterman built the mill in the early 1830s, he took a gamble on stationary steam engines instead of relying on water power. It was a forward-thinking move that helped turn the surrounding neighborhood into one of Providence’s busiest textile districts…