Current Projects

Blackstone Canal Preservation Study The John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, in partnership with the Worcester Historical Museum, recently completed the Blackstone Canal Preservation Study.  Focused on the approximately 28 miles of Canal in Massachusetts, the Study identifies and maps Canal-related resources in eight communities.

In addition, the Study includes recommendations for the protection, stabilization, rehabilitation and interpretation of particularly significant and intact segments of the Canal.  For a copy of the Study, contact Joanna Doherty, Community Planner at (401) 762-0250 or joanna_doherty@nps.gov.

To download the Executive Summary, click here. 

To see an overview of the Study’s recommendations regarding five key segments of the Canal, click here.

Moffet Mill Interpretive Plan The Moffet Mill is a c. 1810 machine shop located along the Great Road in Lincoln, RI.  In 2000-2001, the RI Department of Transportation restored and stabilized the building using Federal Highway funds.  The Heritage Corridor Commission is working with the Town of Lincoln to re-install the original machinery and other artifacts into the Moffet Mill and develop an interpretive program so that the public can see what this mill looked like in its heyday.

Click here to see the Interpretive Plan, which highlights some of the Moffet Mill’s rich story, along with some plans for the mill’s future.

For more information contact: Kevin_Klyberg@nps.gov

Hassanamesitt Woods The Town of Grafton, with assistance from the Trust for Public Land, the Grafton Land Trust, the Nipmuc Nation Tribal Council, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation and others, purchased Hassanamesitt Woods, a 200-acre wooded landscape long associated with a 17th-century praying Indian village, in 2004.

An archaeological survey, funded in part by Corridor Commission grants, has since been completed by the University of Massachusetts Boston.

Corridor Commission funds will support the preparation of a Preservation Master Plan in 2006.  The Plan will inventory the landscape’s natural and cultural resources, and include recommendations regarding landscape management, interpretation and site improvements.

For more information, contact Joanna Doherty, Community Planner at joanna_doherty@nps.gov or Chuck Arning, Ranger at chuck_arning@nps.gov, or call the Corridor Commission offices at (401) 762-0250.

Design Review Manual
A Guide for the Blackstone River Valley

Many communities in the Blackstone Valley are growing at rapid rates and face the challenge of ensuring that new development is compatible with the established character of their historic villages and neighborhoods. Several types of regulations can play a role in shaping the appearance of new structures, uses, and signs, including designation of local historic districts, review of site plans, and implementation of design review. The newly developed “Design Review Manual – A Guide for the Blackstone River Valley” provides Valley communities with general information on how design review works, and how to begin a local design review process. Design guidelines developed through a consensus-building public process and with professional expertise can be an effective tool for shaping community character.

To download a copy of the Design Review Manual click here.

The Future of the Red Shop in Hopedale, MA

[ image by Jim McElholm-Single Source Inc. ]

At the request of the Hopedale Historical Commission, Corridor Commission staff conducted a workshop in December of 2002 at the Draper Place to discuss the future of the Red Shop in Hopedale, MA. Built in 1843, the Shop is the oldest building associated with the Draper plant operations in the community of Hopedale.

The workshop was designed to consider future uses for the shop and to begin to identify goals for the operation and long term sustainability of the facility. Participants included local residents, town officials, and local historical groups. This report provides an outline of recommended next steps for the realization of a vision for the Red Shop.

For more information contact:

Chuck_Arning@nps.gov

Hopedale Summary
(PDF: 880KB / 19 pages)

Trail / Greenway Vision Report

The John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor recently completed the “Blackstone Valley Trail & Greenway Vision Report”. The report outlines a vision for trail and greenway development for years to come. This report should help municipalities and state agencies prioritize their planning, development and land acquisition strategies in an efficient and cost effective manner.

This report, completed in cooperation with the states of Rhode Island and Massachusetts, along with the twenty four municipalities within the Blackstone Valley, is now available in pdf format.

Complete Report
(PDF: 5,380KB / 54 pages)

Executive Summary
(PDF: 89KB / 2 pages)

Vision Maps

Map 1
(Leicester, Worcester, Millbury)
(PDF: 404KB / 1 page)

Map 2
(Grafton, Upton, Hopedale)
(PDF: 309KB / 1 page)

Map 3
(Sutton, Northbridge, Douglas, Uxbridge)
(PDF: 404KB / 1 page)

Map 4
(Uxbridge, Hopedale, Millville, Blackstone, Mendon)
(PDF: 313KB / 1 page)

Map 5
(Burrillville, Glocester, Smithfield, North Smithfield)
(PDF: 560KB / 1 page)

Map 6
(Woonsocket, Cumberland, Lincoln, Central Falls, Pawtucket)
(PDF: 5073KB / 1 page)

For more information contact:

Mark C. Jewell, Outdoor Recreation Planner
John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor
(401) 762-0250
mark_jewell@nps.gov

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