In 1812 Samuel Slater, the Father of the American Industrial Revolution, founded the East Village Textile Mill on this site. In 1936 the Rockefeller family bought the property and for 75 years operated Cranston Print Works, which employed generations of local workers in times of war and peace. At its peak, CPW operated three shifts and employed as many as 800 people dedicated to the bleaching, printing, and finishing of quality fabric. CPW established itself as a world leader in its field. In January 2012, Mr. Fred Rockefeller, Jr., president of CPW, signed the deed over to East Village Square, LLC, which is committed to the history of the site, present, and future.