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ATTLEBORO - The power of water fueled the industrial revolution in New England and now the owner of the Dodgeville Mill wants the region's past to become its future.

Gary Demers, owner of the almost 200-year-old building off South Main Street, has been awarded a $38,000 grant to study the feasibility of bringing hydroelectric power to the former cotton mill.

"It think its part of our past with the Yankee ingenuity," he said. "They utilized everything here as a resource."

Demers said he believes mules were originally used to power the mill when it was first built in 1809.

But the owners later built a dam on the Ten Mile River to create Dodgeville Pond. Water from the pond was directed under the building through a tube with the power of the flow turning turbines that moved the cotton spindles, he said.

The spindles are long gone, but some of the turbine equipment still exists under the building.

Demers said if the study finds hydro to be efficient for the mill, he would like to install modern equipment that would provide some of the building's power needs.

He said his uncle looked into the possibility about 20 years ago and found the project would be too expensive to make it cost-effective.

Now, with more modern equipment and with the cost of power skyrocketing, hydro could make a return to the mill, he said.

Demers is looking into several ways of making the mill more efficient so he can continue to renovate it and use more of it.

The sprawling structure - which was added to over the years - houses about 10 companies now, including Demers Brothers Trucking.

Demers, however, would like to build a museum and library to bring the story of Dodgeville's past alive for school children and residents.

He is doing research to try to get the mill designated a historic site.

Demers has gotten a $38,000 grant from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, which funds renewal energy projects with funds from a surcharge on electric bills. The grant will be used to employ GZA Geoenvironmental to do a feasibility study.

Demers said he also wants to look into the possibility of using solar panels and wind turbines to generate power.