What's So Scary About Slater Mill?

Park Event · Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park · Oct 30, 2026 · 6:30 PM–8:00 PM

The early decades of the industrial revolution gave rise to new and occasionally frightening forms of technology—this was evident in factories, but there were also changes in fiction. The Gothic novel, after all, was "invented" in the same year as the spinning jenny. These innovations set the stage for the development of harrowing tales about mills.

During this program, visitors will learn about the history of Slater Mill through readings of historical poems, snippets from Samuel Slater's autobiography, and other primary sources. As visitors sit in the historic Slater Mill, voices of the past will be portrayed by John McNiff, Elizabeth Denton, Joshua Mason, and park staff.

Source: National Park Service (public domain).