What Is the Old Ashton Historic District?
These are the remains of the first mill village in Lincoln, Rhode Island!
What Makes It Historical?
With textile manufacturing spreading up the Blackstone River, Simon Whipple donated thirteen acres to a group of investors here in Lincoln to create a small mill estate! These investors called themselves the Smithfield Cotton and Woolen Manufactory, and they really hit the mark, creating cloth all the way through the British blockades of the War of 1812! As the industry grew and grew, a canal began in 1820 to connect Worcester, Massachusetts and Pawtucket, Rhode Island, making it quicker and cheaper to get textiles to port!
Speaking of shipping, circa 1823, the captain of John Brown’s Hope came ashore for the last time and bought this mill complex, the land around it, and water rights. His name was Wilbur Kelly, and he donated a large portion of land for the ongoing construction of the Blackstone Canal, which was finished in 1828. Even though the canal bisected the mill village, the village of Ashton continued as normal for the next three years until Mr. Kelly turning over his ownership of the mill to the Lonsdale Company, a subsidiary of his former employers, Brown & Ives. Staying on as head agent for Lonsdale, Mr. Kelly made his mission buying up more land along the Blackstone River for development!
The Lonsdale Company expanded across the river in 1867 with a four-story, mansard-roofed brick mill that became the first testing place of the high-speed Sawyer spindle! No longer dependent on the Blackstone Canal, this mill made the most of the Providence and Worcester Railroad for transporting the muslin cloth it made until 1935, then the tire cord, drapery, and beta cloth used in the space suits of the Apollo missions when the company was operated by Owens-Corning. Closed in 1983, the mill at Ashton is now an apartment complex!
How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?
- Volunteer with the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor!
- Donate to the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor!
- Be a responsible visitor! Remember the old adages: Pack out what you pack in! Take nothing but pictures and leave nothing but footprints!
How Do I Get There?
1075 Lower River Rd
Lincoln, RI 02865
(Take Me There!)
When Should I Visit the Park?
Between spring and fall, the Kelly House Museum of Transportation is open daily from 9:00 AM until 5:00 PM!
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