Blackstone Historical Commission

Blackstone Historical Commission The mission of the Historical Commission is to preserve Blackstone's past and to benefit it's future. Blackstone was originally part of the Town of Mendon.

The commission operates the museum and organizes related community events. The town of Blackstone serves as the Blackstone Valley’s crossroads between Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and shows how the spirit of the valley extends across political boundaries. Blackstone’s ties to its sister towns in Massachusetts have existed for over three centuries. The first colonial settlers did not arrive here

until after 1700, but by 1766 the population increase led to the creation of the new South Parish of Mendon, which included modern Blackstone and Millville. The South Parish was a farming community at that time, but a number of small grist and saw mills and an iron forge operated along the Mill River. Textile production began here in 1809, when the Blackstone Manufacturing Company (B.M.C.) opened a cotton spinning mill and built the village of Blackstone. The same year the first in a series of small mills opened in East Blackstone along the Mill River. A third manufacturing district was established at Waterford by Welcome Farnum in 1825. The growth of these mill villages led to the incorporation of the South Parish into the Town of Blackstone in 1845. Blackstone’s first important tie to Rhode Island came from the Providence investors who owned the B.M.C., but new transportation systems led to further links. In 1828, the Blackstone Canal connected Blackstone with the rest of the valley, and made the town an important transportation center. In 1847, the Providence & Worcester (P&W) became the first railway in town, replacing the canal. Two years later, Welcome Farnum campaigned to have the Norfolk County Railroad, which led to Boston, connect to the P&W in Blackstone instead of Woonsocket. Eventually, three railroads and a system of streetcar lines served Blackstone. Today, the mills and the rail station are gone, but Blackstone continues to act as a junction between Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Many residents of Blackstone work in Woonsocket, as has been the case for over a century. The most recent example of bi-state cooperation was the creation of Blackstone Gorge State Park in 1991. The park is jointly maintained by Rhode Island and Massachusetts, and is one of the best examples of the cooperation which has been integral to the success of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor.

05/21/2026
This recent donation from Emile Legendre is a great addition to our goal of getting names of all BHS grads from first c...
05/21/2026

This recent donation from Emile Legendre is a great addition to our goal of getting names of all BHS grads from first class to last.

05/04/2026

Davis Bates brought a celebration of songs and stories from Ireland, Scotland and Wales on Saturday to the Blackstone Historical Museum.

1 May 1858 Newspapers throughout the state proclaimed that the largest tree in Massachusetts, an Elm tree, was on the pr...
05/01/2026

1 May 1858 Newspapers throughout the state proclaimed that the largest tree in Massachusetts, an Elm tree, was on the property Nicholas Thayer of 208 Blackstone Street. The tree 22 feet around at the ground and 20 feet around at 10 feet off the ground had 7 large branches that covered a shade area of 125 diameter.

30 April 1870 This one I can't figure why . The town leaders appoint a commission to oppose the county commissions order...
05/01/2026

30 April 1870 This one I can't figure why . The town leaders appoint a commission to oppose the county commissions order to build a road from Milk St to the Mendon line. They continued to avoid the order for several years.

29 April 1799. Seth Kelly was buried on an acre of land given as a gift from Samuel Smith to the Quaker people . Located...
05/01/2026

29 April 1799. Seth Kelly was buried on an acre of land given as a gift from Samuel Smith to the Quaker people . Located on Elm St still stands today and is on the national register of historic buildings .

This Saturday at museum bring the kids . Mr. Bates master story teller and entertainer for all ages 6 and older with sto...
04/30/2026

This Saturday at museum bring the kids . Mr. Bates master story teller and entertainer for all ages 6 and older with stories and songs from the old country.

24 April 1869, The East Blackstone Methodist Society was formed and they built this church on Elm Street for 3,500 dolla...
04/24/2026

24 April 1869, The East Blackstone Methodist Society was formed and they built this church on Elm Street for 3,500 dollars.

Address

23 Main Street
Blackstone, MA
01504

Opening Hours

Thursday 12pm - 3pm
Saturday 12pm - 3pm

Website

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