Efforts to give the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor status as a national historic park are getting a boost.

A National Park Service report issued Monday supports making the Old Slater Mill and nearby mill towns in Rhode Island and Massachusetts a national historic park.

U.S. Sen. Jack Reed says the report’s findings are an important step in preserving an important chapter in U.S. history and would bolster local tourism. The Slater Mill was America’s first successful textile mill and helped usher in America’s industrial revolution.

Photo licensed under Creative Commons, courtesy of flickr user dougtone