Rhode Island Mills and Mill Villages Photograph Collection

This collection is comprised of negatives, glossy photographic prints, and oversized photographic prints of mills and mill villages within Rhode Island. All of the photographs were taken by Joseph McCarthy as a Federal Works Agency project, a part of the WPA, in 1940 and given to the Providence Public Library as part of the Nickerson Architectural Collection that same year. A written reference work listing the prints and including an essay of the various architectural styles seen in the photographs was written by Samuel Green to accompany the collection and is held within the Rhode Island Collection.
This collection is part of Providence Public Library Digital Collections, hosted by Providence Public Library.

Items in this collection

Valley Falls. Valley Falls Co. (rear) 1850s

Image shows the Valley Falls Company mill built in the 1850s in the mill village of Valley Falls in Cumberland, Rhode Island. A truck is parked in front of the building.

Slatersville. Wooden Church 1836

Slatersville. Wooden Church 1836

Providence Public Library

Image shows Slatersville Congregational Church built in 1836 in mill village of Slatersville in North Smithfield, Rhode Island.

Slatersville. Stores 1850

Slatersville. Stores 1850

Providence Public Library

Image shows storefronts in a building built in 1850 in mill village of Slatersville in North Smithfield, Rhode Island. Signs read "First National Bank of Smithfield", "The Clover Farm Store Co.", and "Slatersville Post Office". There are advertisements displayed for Salada Tea, Moxie, Guest Cracked Wheat Bread, Banana Flip, and Canada Dry. There are two floors above the storefronts.

Slatersville. Stores - Detail 1850

Slatersville. Stores - Detail 1850

Providence Public Library

Image shows a storefront in a building built in 1850 in mill village of Slatersville in North Smithfield, Rhode Island. Sign over door reads "W.D. Miller Meat Market". Advertisements are displayed for Salada Tea and Bond Fresh Bread.

Slatersville. Mill Village. Store and Dwellings 1850

Image shows housing in the background and storefront, all built in 1850 in mill village of Slatersville in North Smithfield, Rhode Island. Sign over door reads "W.D. Miller Meat Market". Advertisements are displayed for Salada Tea and Bond Fresh Bread.

Slatersville. Mill Houses c.1820

Slatersville. Mill Houses c.1820

Providence Public Library

Image shows a row of houses built circa 1820 in the mill village of Slatersville in North Smithfield, Rhode Island. A stone wall extends the length of the street depicted.

Slatersville. Mill Houses c. 1855 Box 2 Box 2

Image shows a houses built circa 1855 in the mill village of Slatersville in North Smithfield, Rhode Island. There's a truck parked on the side of the house in the foreground.

Slatersville. Mill House Doorway c. 1845

Image shows the exterior front door of a house built circa 1845 in the mill village of Slatersville in North Smithfield, Rhode Island. Characters "C 21 D" are stenciled over the door. There is a boot-scraper to the left of the door on the top stair.

Slatersville. Mill House Doorway c. 1845

Image shows the exterior front door of a house built circa 1845 in the mill village of Slatersville in North Smithfield, Rhode Island. Characters "A 19 B" are stenciled over the door.

Slatersville. Mill House Door. c.1810

Slatersville. Mill House Door. c.1810

Providence Public Library

Image shows the exterior front door of a house built circa 1810 in the mill village of Slatersville in North Smithfield, Rhode Island.

Slatersville. Mill House c. 1810-15

Slatersville. Mill House c. 1810-15

Providence Public Library

Image shows a house built circa 1810-15 in the mill village of Slatersville in North Smithfield, Rhode Island. The numerals 25 are above the door. A stone retaining wall is built beside the house. An outhouse is seen behind the house.

Shannock. Mill 1849

Shannock. Mill 1849

Providence Public Library

Image shows stone mill built 1849 in the mill village of Shannock in Charlestown and Richmond, Rhode Island.

Rocky Brook. Mill Cottage c. 1810-15

Rocky Brook. Mill Cottage c. 1810-15

Providence Public Library

Image shows the facade of a cottage built circa 1810-1815 in the mill village of Rocky Brook in South Kingstown, Rhode Island. There's a stone wall in front of the cottage and the numerals 156 are above the cottage's door.

Rocky Brook. Mill c. 1850

Rocky Brook. Mill c. 1850

Providence Public Library

Image shows stone mill built circa 1850 in Rocky Brook in South Kingstown, Rhode Island.

Rockville. Store 1835

Rockville. Store 1835

Providence Public Library

Image shows store building built 1835 in mill village of Rockville in Hopkinton, Rhode Island. There is a "Mobilgas" gas pump beside the front stairs and a sign on the porch roof reads "Post Office Rockville R.I."

Rockville. Part of Mill Village 1849

Rockville. Part of Mill Village 1849

Providence Public Library

Image shows Rockville, a mill village built in 1849, in Hopkinton, Rhode Island. Six buildings of varying size are seen. The post office and a gasoline pump are at far left.

Rockville. Mill Village 1848

Rockville. Mill Village 1848

Providence Public Library

Image shows housing built in 1848 in the mill village of Rockville in Hopkinton, Rhode Island. A car is parked outside one house.

Rockville. Mill House Detail 1849

Rockville. Mill House Detail 1849

Providence Public Library

Image shows an exterior door and a window on house built in 1849 in the mill village of Rockville in Hopkinton, Rhode Island.

Rockville. Mill House 1849

Rockville. Mill House 1849

Providence Public Library

Image shows a house built in 1849 in the mill village of Rockville in Hopkinton, Rhode Island.

Rockville. Mill 1849

Rockville. Mill 1849

Providence Public Library

Image shows mill built in 1849 in the mill village of Rockville in Hopkinton, Rhode Island.

Riverpoint. Superintendent's House. c. 1810-15 (probably 1812)

Image shows the superintendent's house built circa 1810-15 (probably 1812) in the mill village of River Point in West Warwick, Rhode Island. There's a small sign on a post in front of the house that reads "Portuguese American Citizen's Club."

Riverpoint. Mill Village 1840-50

Riverpoint. Mill Village 1840-50

Providence Public Library

Image shows the housing built circa 1840-50 in the mill village of River Point in West Warwick, Rhode Island. There are two young men or older boys standing on the sidewalk.

Riverpoint. Mill Houses c. 1865

Riverpoint. Mill Houses c. 1865

Providence Public Library

Image shows housing built circa 1865 in the mill village of River Point in West Warwick, Rhode Island. Two children sit together on a wall.

Riverpoint. Mill Houses c. 1845

Riverpoint. Mill Houses c. 1845

Providence Public Library

Image shows detail of housing built circa 1845 in the mill village of River Point in West Warwick, Rhode Island. The view is of a walkway with a house on either side of it.

Riverpoint. Mill House c. 1860

Riverpoint. Mill House c. 1860

Providence Public Library

Image shows housing built circa 1860 in the mill village of River Point in West Warwick, Rhode Island.

Riverpoint. Bradford Soap Works 1889

Riverpoint. Bradford Soap Works 1889

Providence Public Library

Image shows Bradford Soap Works built in 1889 in the mill village of River Point in West Warwick, Rhode Island. There is a large sign on the roof made up of individual letters that spell out "Original Bradford Soap Works". Four cars are parked in front of the building.