Zachariah Allen - Manufacturer and Inventor

Manufacturer and Inventor

In 1821, Allen devised a system to heat several rooms of a house from a single stove or furnace with a system of heat-conducting pipes. With the advent of the use of anthracite coal for heating in the 1820s, Allen's system of heating was soon adapted elsewhere.

In 1822, he organized and constructed a woolen mill in North Providence on the banks of the Woonasquatucket River and constructed a series of dams to provide power to the machinery. The Allendale Mill was one of the earliest textile mills in the nation to incorporate so-called "slow-burning" construction, which consisted of a system of cast iron columns supporting large beams covered by heavy wooden planking for the floors and roof and shingles set in mortar, in contrast to the traditional system of lighter joists and thinner flooring.

The mill also contained innovative fire-safety features including first use of heavy fire doors, a sprinkler system, rotary fire pump, and copper-riveted hose to be used on a textile mill in North America.

In 1825, he went to Europe to observe woolen manufactures and later wrote The Practical Tourist about his travels there.

Allen patented an "extension roller" for "raising fobrous naps by teasels" to produce a smooth, glossy finish to woolen cloth. This system would be used in textile mills for many years.

He invented the first practical automatic cut-off valve for steam engines, which was patented in 1833. Allen's invention was later proclaimed "one of the greatest inventions ever made in the steam engines" by Stephen Roper in his 1884 Engineer's Handybook.

In 1852, Allen purchased the 1813 Georgiaville Mill in nearby Smithfield, Rhode Island. He rebuilt the existing mill there and increased the sites water power by raising the dam height of the millpond. He later added steam power and enlarged the mill further. He also built additional dwellings, a church, and a school for the increased work force.

Although Allen went bankrupt in Panic of 1857, he continued to manage the Georgiaville Mills which his brother had bought.