Rhode Island’s Industrial Past Packs a Punch
Published on Monday, July 27, 2026
Two Historic Mills Listed in the National Register of Historic Places
(Providence) Two new listings in the National Register of Historic Places celebrate Rhode Island’s contributions to industrial history and architecture. Eagle Steam Mill (also known as Harrison Steam Mill and the Providence Combing Company Plant) in Providence and Grant’s Mill in Cumberland are two premier examples of the state’s past manufacturing strength.The National Register is the official list of places of significance in American history, architecture, and culture.
Eagle Steam Mill was built between 1829 and 1948 in a densely developed industrial area of the Olneyville neighborhood of Providence. It is significant for its connection to the rise and decline of Providence’s textile industry from early, steam-powered cotton cloth and yarn manufacture to conversion to wool combing, and the end of textile manufacturing in 1954. The mill complex’s architecture is also significant as the physical expression of industrial adaptation over 125 years.
Rhode Island-born John Waterman established the Eagle Steam Mill in 1829-31, contributing to the broader development of the Olneyville neighborhood in Providence as a textile manufacturing district and population center. Waterman was early to embrace stationary, steam-powered engines, which meant he did not need to secure direct water access to power his textile mill. His gamble on a new technology allowed Eagle Steam Mill to grow and flourish.
From 1846 to 1898, a subdivided portion of the mill operated under the name Harrison Steam Mill Company. Later converted from cotton to worsted production, the plant underwent significant physical changes during its ownership by the Providence Combing Company between 1908 and its closure in 1954. Like many Rhode Island textile businesses that closed after World War II, Providence Combing could no longer compete with the South and its cheap labor, new machinery, and lower costs of doing business.
In recent years, Eagle Steam Mill has been subdivided into two separately owned parcels and converted to workspace for artists and creative entrepreneurs. Portions of the building have been rehabilitated by Harrison Steam LLC, a joint venture between Armory Revival Company and Ocean State Land, using the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Credit.
Mark Van Noppen, a principal on the project, offered, “A special thank you to consultant Ned Conners, whose deep knowledge and great enthusiasm for the history of industrial architecture ignited in a much larger team what essentially became an above ground archaeological project. Many thanks to everyone who worked hard to inform and protect the unique embodied history and energy of this fabulous building.”
The nomination for Grant’s Mill was prepared using a Certified Local Government grant awarded to the Town of Cumberland by the Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission in 2024. The property has long been recognized as significant, holding particular interest for scholars of industrial technology. Grant’s Mill is a rare surviving example of early 19th-century water-powered manufacturing , and its ca. 1818 sawmill is the only extant sash-type sawmill remaining in its original location in Rhode Island. This once common type of sawmill was almost entirely replaced by steam-powered production like that used at Eagle Steam Mill. Grant’s Mill is unusual in that it also includes an attached grist mill.
Water-powered country sawmills like Grant’s Mill were vital to the early economy of Rhode Island and the region. In 1840, there were approximately 5,500 small-scale sawmills in New England. They primarily served the local community, although some that were located near larger rivers exported their products to be sold in Boston and Providence. Joseph Grant established Grant’s Mill following the loss of his family’s earlier sawmill in the Great Gale of 1815, and The Rhode Island State Business Directory lists Grant’s Mill as commercially active until 1909, after which it was sold to private owners by trustees of Grant’s heirs.
Because of the rarity and engineering significance of the site, in 1975, a field team from the Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) traveled to Cumberland to document the sawmill and its surviving mechanisms. The summarized results of this work were compiled and published in 1978 as Rhode Island: An Inventory of Historic Engineering and Industrial Sites and field notes and photographs of Grant’s Mill were archived at the Library of Congress.
“I’m very happy to have Grant’s Mill accepted into the National Register,” remarked property owner Jeffrey Cook, “My next step is to apply for grants to restore the mill to working order.”
The Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission submitted the National Register nominations for Eagle Steam Mill and Grant’s Mill. The Eagle Steam Mill nomination was drafted by consultants Edward Connors and Kim Smith Barnett. The Town of Cumberland hired Brent Runyan to draft the nomination for Grant’s Mill.
“Together, these sites help tell the story of Rhode Island’s multifaceted industrial heritage, and HPHC is very pleased that their significance has been recognized by the National Register of Historic Places,” said Joanna Doherty, HPHC Deputy Director. “Eagle Steam Mill operated in a dense industrial area of Providence, adapting and expanding as the textile industry evolved. Grant’s Mill produced lumber in a rural corner of the state and preserved an early 19th-century technology.”
In addition to honoring a property for its contribution to local, state, or national history, listing on the National Register of Historic Places provides additional benefits. It results in special consideration during the planning of federally assisted projects and may make properties eligible for Federal and State financial incentives for historic rehabilitation projects.