A $200,000 Environmental Protection Agency grant will continue the revitalization of the historic Knowles Mill site in Richmond and pay for the cleanup of several soil contaminants – most notably lead and coal residue.

The town received the funds by way of a meeting of officials and residents at the mill site on Friday, June 27. Council President B. Joseph Reddish III and councilor Kevin Gosper accepted the grant from EPA Brownfields Project Officer Joseph A. Ferrari and state Department of Environmental Management Director W. Michael Sullivan.

Reddish thanked the EPA and DEM while Ferrari acknowledged the town for putting forth the effort to receive the grant. “The town was able to become a winner through its great proposal,” he said.

The EPA Brownfields program is designed to promote redevelopment of abandoned and contaminated waste sites across the country. Richmond received one of nine grants spread across five recipients in Rhode Island. The EPA began the initiative in 1994. But it was not until 2002 that a law was created to expand federal assistance for revitalization work.

“This project transcends years,” Sullivan said of the Knowles Mill site. He explained that conversations to fix up the land began in 1998, followed by actual funding for the work two years later.

“It takes time. So today, at this somewhat humble site, we have seen remarkable improvements … and we are here to celebrate that,” Sullivan added. He continued to say that the building is a “quaint, little mill with a dirty, dark history” that they are working to improve.

The property, located on the Charlestown border in Shannock Village, was once a textile mill complex. Originally built in 1835, the mill burned down in 1850. A second building was constructed in 1885 and mill operations continued. By the 1970s, however, the site was abandoned and slowly deteriorating.

The mill was almost completely demolished in May 2006. The remains of the site are the free standing chimney, which will be preserved, and bricks that outline the mill’s foundation.

The land adjacent to the mill is also of historic significance. It was the location of a 1636 battle between the Narragansett and Pequot Indians for fishing rights.

Before any future work can be done to modify the land, the soil must be cleaned to rid the area of any contaminants. The money from the EPA will assist in a process outlined by Geoffrey Marchant, executive director of the Community Development Consortium. He said one foot of soil, which contains lead and coal, will be replaced with clean soil.

“We’re basically capping the site,” Marchant said. At the same time, he is hoping to begin construction of the park that is planned for the property. He said the footings of any new structures must be put in with the new soil.

The park that is planned for the site will have walking trails and chairs to admire the view of the Pawcatuck River and the Lower Falls Dam. Also, a launching area will be constructed for kayak and canoe enthusiasts. To assist in paying for those upgrades, Marchant said he has applied for a $100,000 grant from the DEM’s Passive and Historic Park Development/Recreation Grant program.

Resident Melanie White was glad to know that people outside of her village are recognizing the area’s beauty. “It really went from ugly to beautiful and the whole neighborhood is really coming up,” she said. She added that there are plans to create a bandstand at the Old Memorial Hall.

There will be a required public hearing on July 23 to discuss the cleanup process before the work begins.

The location of the meeting has not been determined.