Pawtucket Falls

Pawtucket Falls circa 1886

Quick Facts

Significance:

Historic Waterfall

Amenities

3 listed

Parking - Auto, Picnic Table, Scenic View/Photo Spot

Pawtucket is an Algonquin word for “place of the falls.” The Pawtucket Falls is the last waterfall on the Blackstone River. At this site, Moses Brown and William Olney used the natural falling water to power their prototype cotton spinning mill. It wasn't until Samuel Slater joined the team in 1790 that the mill successfully spun thread. Three years later, using the machinery finalized at the Pawtucket Falls site, Slater Mill was opened, and the rest is history.