November 2020 Newsletter

Dear Friends, Welcome to the re-instated – and now quarterly – Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park newsletter. We knew we could do better than my crude monthly email reports, and I think you will agree this is a more pleasant and informative format for communicating our programs, initiatives and successes and those of our many wonderful partners. My thanks to Visual Information Specialist Cara Pearson for applying her considerable talents and herding the cats to help us create our quarterly newsletter format and graphics.

In this inaugural quarterly edition, we reflect on the 2020 successes of our outstanding team of Interpretation and Education (I&E) Park Rangers in a very challenging year and highlight new members of the team that are helping plan for I&E programming and cultural resource stewardship at the Old Slater Mill National Historic Landmark District. We also celebrate the hard work our talented Facilities and Maintenance staff has been doing in cooperation with the Old Slater Mill Association to physically prepare the Old Slater Mill for becoming a manageable unit of the National Park Service. Finally, we tell you how key partnerships are enabling our park and Roger Williams National Memorial to sustain the environment by making it easier for pollinators to play their critical role within the ecosystem of the Blackstone River Valley and downtown Providence.

In closing, I wish to sincerely thank you for your past, present and continued support of Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park. As I continue to climb the steep learning curve of my new position this fall and winter, I look forward to getting to better know you and your organizations and to exploring more ways for collaboration, celebration and enhancement of the Valley’s rich history, culture, natural resources and recreational opportunities. Our staff and I wish you a wonderful holiday season, and we join you in hoping for much better days ahead in 2021.

Eric Breitkreutz
Superintendent

 

End of the Season

It is fair to say that no one envisioned 2020 turning out like this. But considering the obstacles that were placed in our way, I think it is safe to conclude our season was a success!

Park staff at Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park and Roger Williams National Memorial, conceived, created, and presented three different outdoor visitor experiences. Guests from around the Valley and from across the country were able to watch five unique videos, see a working model of a waterwheel, read engaging, educational panels questioning Roger William’s importance today, and interact with rangers. Each interaction was done in a safe manner for both our visitors and staff.

Although it was far from what we planned, we were glad to meet as many visitors as we did. We still are not sure what 2021 will bring, but we are spending the winter creating new digital presentations and coming up with ways that we can invite you all to enjoy your parks safely.

 

New Pollinator Garden at Kelly House

Butterflies, Bees, and Hummingbirds, OH MY!

The National Park Service completed two brand new pollinator gardens this past summer. At the Captain Wilbur Kelly House (top left image), the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, the Rhode Island Wild Plant Society, and the National Historical Park worked in partnership to transform a former kitchen garden into a pollinator garden. Ranger Tyler Shepard designed and constructed elements of the garden, while volunteers and park staff spread new soil and planted native plants.

 

Staff and volunteers planting native plants at Roger Williams National Memorial

At Roger Williams National Memorial (middle left image), the Rhode Island Wild Plant Society also helped us to plant 120 native flowers revitalizing some of our old gardens.

 

Garden at Old Slater Mill National Historic Landmark

Finally, at the Old Slater Mill (bottom left image), the Master Gardeners from the University of Rhode Island continue to care for the gardens adjacent to the Sylvanus Brown house. We look forward to seeing these gardens spring to life again next year. Come and visit these lovely gardens and find out why pollinators are an important part of our ecosystem.

 

Maintenance Worker Aaron Erzinger plants flower.

Special Thanks!

Our top-notch maintenance staff was hard at work at Old Slater Mill this summer. They finished several much needed projects. They completely replaced the roof on the boiler shed, repaired and painted the siding on the boiler shed, painted the benches in the park, winterized the raceway bridge, cleaned and painted the metal fence rails around the raceway, and cleaned up the debris and liter which had accumulated over the winter and spring. This was all in addition to their on-going efforts to keep the Roger Williams National Memorial a gem of downtown Providence, and working in partnership with Rhode Island DEM maintaining the Kelly House.

Their hard work has paid off. The site looks fantastic, and it is thanks in no small part to Paul, Aaron, Randy, Mike, Nate, and Jay!

 

AmeriCorps Vista Allison Meyette stands in front of spinning frame at Old Slater Mill.

Welcome back, Allisons!

The Interpretation and Education Team has two members who are returning for a second tour of duty with the Park. Allison Meyette enjoyed her first year of an AmeriCorps VISTA internship with the Park so much that she decided to stay on for another! She has been using her experience in museum collections and archives to begin an inventory of the Old Slater Mill Association’s archives, as well as conduct research about various topics. Allison previously worked as an interpreter for Slater Mill, so she also helped us run the Outdoor Visitor Center there this summer. Over the next few months, she will continue her efforts to organize the Slater Mill archives and work with the park staff to find new ways to bring the exciting history of the Park to the people of the Valley.

 

Allison Horrocks, Park Ranger

The second person returning to the park is Allison Horrocks.She also began her NPS career as an AmeriCorps VISTA at Blackstone and is now working as a Park Ranger at Lowell National Historical Park. Allison Horrocks has joined the staff on a temporary detail that runs through mid-February. Her main task will be developing new tours of the Slater Mill museum and grounds for visitors to enjoy in the future. According to Ranger Allison, “I am delighted to be working in the Blackstone River Valley again. The history of Slater Mill still has much to teach us about work, community, and how innovations in technology can change lives. I began my career with the National Park Service along the Blackstone, so it's a pleasure to be back and learning more about this rich resource.

 

Check out the Park's YouTube Channel!

Did you hear the news? The park has its official custom url for YouTube! You can check out some of the parks latest videos at youtube.com/BlackstoneNPS

 

Updated History and Culture Page

Since we are not able to offer public programs right now, we are adding a lot of new content to the Park's website. Come take a look at the new pages we have created about the People and Places of the Blackstone Valley, and be sure to check back every few weeks to see what other stories we have shared.

Click here to visit our new History and Culture section!