Commercial Blocks

Commercial Blocks. . , The Mercantile Center , The two brick and stone buildings in front of you played an important role in the planned mill village of Slatersville. Known as the Commercial Blocks they were built by the Slater Company for the use of their workers. Over the years, these rubble-stone buildings housed a series of stores, a post office, bank, barber shop, and other elements of daily life in a mill village. The upper floors were used as social halls, and were the location for wedding receptions, concerts, dances, lectures, meetings, and even movies. , Mills, churches and community structures like the Commercial Blocks dominated life in historic Slatersville. Here, as at villages throughout the Blackstone Valley, the mill owners provided all of the goods and services that the workers and their families needed in order to keep them working at Slatersville. The Commercial Blocks remained at the heart of the village as recreational, social, and retail centers until well into the 20th century. Today, they house modern businesses that continue the tradition of serving the local community. , ( photo captions ) , , Though virtually identical, the Commercial Blocks were built twenty years apart. The first block (on the right) was built in 1850. Note the staircase that does not lead to a door. It went to the night deposit vault of the bank that was located here. Image courtesy of the Rhode Island Historical Society , , English-born John Slater, the guiding force behind Slatersville for over 35 years, was a key technological innovator and business entrepreneur during the American Industrial Revolution. He and his brother Samuel used the knowledge that they gained from working in mills in England to spark the textile industry in America. Image courtesy of the Rhode Island Historical Society , , The Commercial Blocks were a key element in the village design of Slatersville, and remain highly visible civic landmarks today. The remains of the Western Mill, built in 1821 and almost completely destroyed at the turn of the century, are located across from the Commercial Blocks. One of the two stone buildings that remain now serves as the Town's library.