BLACKSTONE VALLEY

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BLACKSTONE VALLEY FOOTSTEPS IN HISTORY 2008 FINAL
REPORT
Prepared by Lorraine R. Provencher Coordinator
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Tables of Contents

• Overview
• Partners
• Goals of the Program
• Targeted Markets
• Media Targets Marketing
• Strategies
• Kick-Off Event
• The Blackstone River Valley
• Experience
• Outcome
• Comment/Suggestions

INSERT AERIAL OF BLACKSTONE VALLEY
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OVERVIEW
The only Valley-wide preservation event offering
a weekend whereby sites are promoted open to
the public at the same time.

• The largest mobilization of
• culture, heritage and the arts
• in the Blackstone River Valley
• 5 centuries of history in 3 days
• 100s of experiences
• 120 events
• 90 Sites
• 24 communities
• 2 states

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MANAGING PARTNER
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Local Partners
John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National
Heritage Corridor Commission
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National Partner
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Tourism Collaborative

Jan Reitsma, Executive Director JHC Blackstone
River Valley National Heritage Corridor Robert
Billington, President Blackstone Valley Tourism
Council, RI Jeannie Hebert, Executive
Director Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce, MA
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Program Goals

• Encourage new visitation
• from new markets
• Highlight the attributes of the Blackstone River
  Valley
• support their preservation
• Promote the historic and
• cultural venues in the Valley.
• More than 50 are sporadically
• open to the public
• Increase local participation to preserve the
  Valleys historic, cultural and natural assets

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• Support sites to enhance the
• experience for visitor and
• community
• Increase awareness and
• build enthusiasm of Preserve
• America destinations
• Further develop the Valleys
• Heritage Tourism product
• Showcase improvements
• to the Blackstone River
• Create Sustainable Tourism
• in the Valley

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Kick Off Reception River Falls
Restaurant October 9, 2008 Speakers Jan
Reitsma, Executive Director JHC Blackstone
River Valley NHC Robert Billington,
President Blackstone Valley Tourism
Council Jeanne Hebert, President Blackstone
Valley Chamber of Commerce Lorraine Provencher,
Coordinator Footsteps in History Program
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River Falls Restaurant Buildings
History  Built in 1846 by the Metcalf Machine
Shop with river stone (also known as bedrock)
consisting of a wooden roof and wooden
interior.   In 1867, the Woonsocket Rubber
Company purchased the building and later became
the U.S. Rubber Company. In 1889, the U.S.
Rubber Company moved to Fairmount Street.   In
the early 1900s, the Falls Yarn Mill occupied
the space for wool manufacturing. To accommodate
the bales of wool, the company raised the first
floor and removed the second floor. In the
early 1960s, along with many other manufacturing
companies, the mill moved south.   The building
was then used for storage and miscellaneous uses
for many years and then abandoned for 15 years
until it was purchased by Gary Fernandes in 1998
and entirely renovated. After 4 years of
renovations including moving the first floor back
to street level and re-installing the second
floor, the building was ready for occupants.   In
2002, Walsh Burlingame Florist moved into the
first floor and remains a florist to this day
the owner has also had a basement apartment since
that date.   In 2006, additional renovations were
made to the building for a night club and
restaurant that has since evolved into a
beautiful upscale restaurant with entertainment
and sits on a very scenic curve of the Blackstone
River.
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River Falls Restaurant 74 South Main
Street Woonsocket, RI
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• Targeted Markets
• Blackstone River Valley
• Southeastern Massachusetts
• Central Massachusetts
• Northern Rhode Island
• Southern Rhode Island
• Eastern Connecticut
• Families, children,
• Schools, seniors

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News Insert in Woonsocket Call, Worcester
Telegram Gazette Stories in Woonsocket Call,
Pawtucket Times, Worcester Telegram Gazette and
Valley Breeze and web site newspapers such as
Blackstone Daily, At the Bend in the River,
Corridor News, BVIN News Television Stations
WJAR Channel 10 NBC Providence/New Bedford
(covered in several broadcasts and on web)
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Lawn Signs for each site
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• Marketing through
• Lawn Signs
• Newspaper Inserts
• Publicity via print
• Kiosk Distribution
• E-Mails
• Web Sites

Use of lawn Sign at 1-Room School No. Smithfield
Sign at Daniels Farmstead Blackstone
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Program Guide

• Newspapers Pull out section in
• Woonsocket Call Pawtucket Times
  Worcester Telegram
• Visitor centers
• Sites
• Kiosks
• Government buildings
• Retail establishments
• Libraries
• throughout the Blackstone Valley
  surrounding areas

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Contest Winner (Raffle consisted of site staff
that participated in the survey either by
constant contact, e-mail, or telephone)
NPS Basket
Chosen by Michelle Houle w/Lorraine Provencher,
Coordinator
Winner Cheryl Holley Nipmuc Nation Volunteer
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Blackstone Valley Experiences

• 5 Visitor Centers
• Small Large Sites
• Historic Homes
• Churches
• Locally owned businesses
• Farms
• Recreational activities

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2 MA Visitor Centers
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3 RI Visitors Centers
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Examples of Historic Homes
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Examples of Smaller Sites
Bridgeton School Burrillville, RI
Ironstone School Uxbridge, MA
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Examples of Larger Sites
Worcester Historical Museum, MA
Pawtuckets Slater Mill, RI
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Churches
Mendon, MA Glocester, RI
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Country Stores
Glocester, RI Douglas, MA
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Cemeteries
Blackstone,MA Millville, RI
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Farms RI MA
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Recreational Activities
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• Narrative of Tasks Accomplished
• Promoted Valleys sites and destinations
• Met with groups to promote Footsteps in History
• Coordinated the opening of 120 sites/100 were
  staffed
• Created 2 web site Event Calendars
• Obtained feedback information from sites
• Received 36,287 worth of media in-kind
• Received 506.50 volunteer site staffing hours X
  19.51
• (federal rate) valued at 988,181.50
• Expended hours to contact coordinate various
  sites
• Distribution of events via inserts in the
  Woonsocket Call,
• Pawtucket, Times, and Worcester Telegram
  Gazette

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Outcomes

• Attracted over 30,000 visitors to the Valley
• Showcased the Valley to Visitors and Residents
• Continued the National Model program for
• Preserve America
• Created an Annual Event
• Consideration of Budget Recommendations for 2009
• Information obtained from sites/destinations

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SURVEY RESULTS
Of the 120 Sites included, 100 were staffed and
of those, 57 answered a survey regarding
attendance either through Constant
Contact, E-Mail or by personal contact.
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Comments Suggestions

• 1..month long program, connect through site
  themes (Constant Contact Survey)
• ..it seems to be that the Footsteps event
  should continue through the month of October with
  various locals promoted for each week or weekend.
  Or, perhaps, split the valley into North and
  South. The South end for a certain period of
  time and the North, the other time. (Justine
  Brewer, Southwicks Zoo)
• 3.I do feel that changes must be made in order
  for Footsteps to survive. (Harriet Sharp, East
  Blackstone Quaker Meeting House)
• 4. Its never a big weekend for us in
  Worcester..no shopping, nothing else in
  downtown. (William Wallace, Worcester
  Historical Museum)

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• Next Step
• Receive recommendations for possible 2009
  budget funding sources

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Thank you for making Footsteps in History a
great success!!