WEBSTER, Mass. - Webster will soon be home to a museum to one of the most important figures in New England and American history.
The old National Guard Armory on Ray Street is being transformed into the Samuel Slater Experience -- a museum telling the story of the impact that Slater, the Father of the American Industrial Revolution, had on the town of Webster and the nation as a whole.
The $4 million project will tell Slater's story through interactive exhibits and original artifacts.
Founder Chris Robert says the museum has been in the works for years and it’s his goal is to use state of the art technology to tell the story of arguably Webster's most famous resident.
"I wanted to find a way to teach children, especially the younger ones in the let's say the ninth grade, to teach them all about the history in some way they remember it. So what we did is we decided to use technology that Walt Disney uses in his parks to leave a memory in their mind of exactly how the Industrial Revolution was formed,” Robert said in an interview on Friday. “I would like to be able to demonstrate to the community that a new approach to education will allow the children to have a better memory of history than just reading a book."
Shortages of supplies of materials have caused some delays in the museum's construction. The Samuel Slater Experience in Webster is scheduled to open to the public in September.