Paragon Mills

The Paragon Dam is located off of Valley Street in the Olneyville section of the City of Providence, Rhode Island, approximately 0.25 miles upstream from the Rising Sun Mills Dam. The Paragon Dam is the second dam upstream on the Woonasquatucket River.

Olneyville is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Providence and is a designated Federal Enterprise Community neighborhood. Restoration of the river and its habitat is an important element for the Greenway Project. This project is consistent with the locally-driven Woonasquatucket River Watershed Action Plan, wherein stakeholders identified, as a priority, the development of strategies to “protect and restore natural habitats including riparian buffers, wetlands, and anadromous fish runs throughout the watershed.”

The Paragon Mills complex was built prior to 1843 and originally functioned as a grist mill. The Paragon Dam was historically used to provide water and steam power. The mill ceased industrial manufacturing in 1952 when the Providence Dyeing, Bleaching, and Calendering Company sold the mill complex to Jali Realty.

The Paragon Dam began functioning poorly following the closure of the Providence Dyeing, Bleaching, and Calendering Company. Headpond elevations substantially decreased, indicating that the structure was no longer adequately retaining water upstream of the spillway. The project proponent, 166 Valley Street, LLC (Struever Brothers), with funding support from NRCS, is proposing a partial breach to allow for unimpeded fish passage upstream of the Paragon Dam.

Project Pictures

Easterly view of the Paragon Dam

Southeasterly view of Paragon Dam and headpond

Northerly view of Paragon Dam headpond