Quick History Stops: Blackstone, MA, Part 3

In June 2026, after I gave a violin concert at the Blackstone Public Library, I took a walk to explore quick history stops in Blackstone, MA. This will be a three-part miniseries. The first part described the library, a memorial, churches, bridges, and the fire/police station. In the second part, I focused on Saranac Dam Overlook, the Blackstone River Greenway in Blackstone River & Canal Heritage State Park, Blackstone Block, the Civil War memorial, the post office, and Veteran’s Memorial Corner. In the third part, I will see churches, a former school, a former railroad-related commercial building station, and an anti-pollution plaque.

The Blackstone Manufacturing Company (BMC) was a textile mill that opened in 1809 along the Blackstone River. The company built a meeting house for its workers in 1836. Its original occupants were Mendon Freewill Baptist Church of Christ, which moved into the building during 1837, soon after it opened. Four years later, in 1841, the Blackstone Congregational Church also moved into the building. Since the congregations were sharing a space, they finally became the Blackstone Federated Church in 1919, although it was not formally incorporated until 1946, almost a century after the original move. By 1999, the church rebranded itself as Christ Community Church of Blackstone. Outside of the multiple denominational changes, the church underwent a major restoration after significant damage done by frequent blog guest, the Hurricane of 1938. The church building has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1995 as part of the Blackstone Manufacturing Company Historic District and is currently in a state of disrepair.

Next door to the church, and currently undergoing restoration, is a former school building. The three-story mid-19th century building was constructed in 1867 as the town’s original high school but became the “grammar school” by 1920. Since then, it has been turned into an apartment building. Nearby is Blackstone Market, housed in what appears to be a former railroad-related commercial building most likely constructed during the early 20th century. The most distinguishing feature of the building is its simple hip roof with broad eaves, meaning the roof slopes steeply on all four sides and comes to a ridge at the top, while the bottom of the roof hangs over the walls. A much larger railroad building known as Waterford Depot was originally located nearby and had been constructed around 1850 but was torn down during the 1960s.

Next door to the Blackstone Market is the Arcade, now Solid Rock Bible Baptist Church. In 1843, BMC constructed this three-story granite and rubble stone building to be the company store and a gathering place. On the sidewalk across the street, right next to a storm drain, was a round plaque reading, “Don’t Pollute Flows to Waterways”, a reminder that the Blackstone River is still an important part of every day life in the town.