Burdickville, Rhode Island facts for kids
Burdickville is a small village located in the town of Hopkinton, in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It's found in the southeastern part of Hopkinton, right near the border with Charlestown. The village sits along the Pawcatuck River, and Burdickville Road runs through it. This quiet area was once a busy "mill town," a place where factories used water power to make goods.
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What is Burdickville?
Burdickville is a historic village in Rhode Island. It is part of the larger town of Hopkinton. The village is known for its location along the Pawcatuck River. This river was very important for the mills that once operated here.
Burdickville's Location
The village is in the southeastern part of Hopkinton. It is close to the border of another town called Charlestown. The main road that goes through the village is called Burdickville Road.
Burdickville Today
Today, Burdickville is a peaceful spot. It's a popular place for people who enjoy being on the water. You can launch small, hand-carried boats into the Pawcatuck River from here. There used to be a station that measured the river's water flow, but it is not active anymore.
A Look at Burdickville's Past
Burdickville has a rich history, especially as a center for mills. A "mill town" is a community that grew up around factories, or mills, that used the power of a river to run their machines.
Early Mills and Names
The area was first known as Brown's Ridge. In the late 1700s, the very first mill was built here. This was a "gristmill," which is a type of mill that grinds grain into flour.
The Burdick Family and Cotton Mills
Around 1848, a new type of factory was built. This was a "cotton mill," which made cotton fabric. Stephen and William Burdick built this mill on the west bank of the river. The village was later named Burdickville after their family.
The Decline of the Mills
Over time, the mills in Burdickville stopped operating. By 1929, government reports said that the mill buildings were old and broken down. They were beyond repair. A few years later, in 1931, a newspaper article from The Providence Journal described the village. It said that only one person lived there all year round. This person was a grandson of one of the original Burdick mill owners. The old Burdickville Dam, which helped power the mills, is now in ruins.
