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Royal Mills

Royal MillsRoyal Mills, Pawtuxet River—West Warwick, Rhode Island

Originally built in 1890, Royal Mills in West Warwick, Rhode Island operated as one of the world’s busiest hydro-powered cotton mills for over 30 years but was eventually abandoned.   As part of a restoration and conversion of the mill building into residential condominiums, The Turner Group designed a renovation of all of the hydropower components in order to reactivate them.

Although the hydropower components were in poor condition the dam was in acceptable condition so our team designed the rehabilitation and installation facets that included the installation of a 350 kilowatt Ossberger Cross Flow turbine, a new 6 ft. diameter steel penstock, canal rehabilitation, and new intake and headgates.

The project is a model for the conversion of abandoned New England mill buildings that can be repurposed and repowered.