BURRILLVILLE – As construction continues on a massive project at the center of Harrisville, the discovery of artifacts believed to be more than 150 years old has added a new element to the work, with contractors now on track to build a structure preserving town history.
While working on the Mill Pond Dam, Pare Corporation excavated the original turbine and wood cradle from what historians think was once known as Mill Number 2, built by William Tinkham in the 1850s.
“It sat right on the left hand side of the dam and (Austin T.) Levy didn’t like it,” explained Betty Mencucci, president of the Burrillville Historic & Preservation Society of the long gone Burrillville woolen factory. “He thought it was ugly, so he had it torn down.”
Now, Pare has agreed to build a plaza showcasing the discovery.
It is the latest addition to a $3 million plus dam improvement project that began in June. Built in 1857 at a cost of $6,000, the 140-foot-long, 18-foot-high granite and cement structure is currently under repair, with reinforcements to prevent future sinkholes, and installation of outlet pipes abandoned 100 years ago.
Town Councilor David Houle lives in the village and knew the contractor planned to drain Mill Pond for the first time in more than a century as part of the project.
“I thought there would be much trash and debris, and it would probably be a good idea to clean it up,” Houle said.
The councilor put a call out for volunteers on social media and soon had an army willing to help. But the effort would ultimately prove difficult – and somewhat unnecessary.
“There was a little bit of trash – nothing serious – and individuals were gathering it on their own,” Houle said.
Further complicating the matter was deep, slippery mud with potential to swallow up a well-meaning trash collector, which would not dry out even after three straight weeks of summer heat.
“I began to believe it would not be safe for people to be going into all that mud,” said Houle. “The good news was there wasn’t that much trash or debris.”
His interest in the project led to documentation of the massive, once-in-a-lifetime construction effort.
“I was taking pictures every few days of what was going on,” he said, noting that his posts on public forums routinely led to hundreds of interactions. “I just continued, as a little hobby, documenting it.
Visiting the site regularly, Houle says he’s been impressed by the level of interest, with families stopping by to show kids the construction equipment, seniors watching from afar and drones overhead taking pictures and video.
When Pare dug up the artifacts, it was Public Works Director Jeffrey McCormick who brought the idea for preservation to Town Manager Michael Wood. Wood asked Pare to come up with potential designs for a small plaza showcasing the history on the grounds of the abutting Assembly Theatre and the business came up with four options.
At the Town Council meeting scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 8, McCormick will present his recommendation, and the board may vote to move forward. If approved, the plaza will provide both locals and visitors information on a rich village history.
Austin T. Levy would purchase Mill Number 2 from Tinkham in 1912 and use it as a machine shop before ultimately tearing it down in 1933 to enhance the beauty of the waterfall. Mencucci notes that the artifacts could likely be from that building, but also may have come from other long gone structures in the area.
“If the Town Council votes for this plaza, it’s going to be quite different and a focal point for Harrisville,” Houle said of the village.
If weather cooperates, construction of the dam rehabilitation project will be largely complete by November, with final work and landscaping scheduled for spring. More photos of the ongoing work on the dam can be found on the town website here.
