Cobble Rock

Cobble Rock Two Hundred tons in the balance Cobble Rock is what is know as a glacial erratic and was one of many balancing rocks located in New England. The term glacial erratic means that it was transported from its place of origin by a glacier but doesn’t fit with its surroundings.  As the glaciers […]

Highland Corporate Park

Highland Corporate Park Corporate Hub The Highland Corporate Park in Woonsocket was developed to revitalize the city’s economy after the decline of its historic textile industry, which peaked in the late 19th and early 20th centuries The park was created through phases, beginning with a community effort in the mid-1960s and with the initial 117-acre […]

Civil War Monument

Civil War Monument A Granite Tribute Woonsocket was the first town in Rhode Island to erect a soldier’s monument to honor the soldiers of the Civil War. Woonsocket residents were active participants in the Civil War. Thirty-nine residents died in the conflict. In 1870 a $5,000 monument, made of Westerly granite and Cumberland stone was […]

The Blackstone River

The Blackstone River Woonsocket’s Mighty Current The Blackstone River forms sweeping curves as it flows into Woonsocket. The river was crucial for Woonsocket’s mills because its powerful water flow and steep drop, particularly at Woonsocket Falls, provided the necessary energy to power machinery before steam power became widespread. This natural power source led to the […]

Woonsocket Train Depot

Woonsocket Train Depot All Aboard, Woonsocket! The Woonsocket Train Depot, located in the heart of downtown stands as a testament to the city’s industrial and transportation heritage. The original station was constructed in 1847 by the Providence & Worcester Railroad, providing a critical link between Woonsocket’s thriving textile mills and the broader New England region. […]

St. Ann’s Church

St. Ann’s Church The Sistine Chapel of America St. Ann’s parish was founded in 1890. In 1900, Woonsocket was 60 percent French-Canadian, mostly Quebecois farmers who came to work in the Woonsocket textile mills and factories. They resisted assimilation into America and kept their French identity by recreating the social, religious and commercial institutions of […]