Fairbanks, Rhode Island facts for kids

Fairbanks (also known as Fairbanks Corner) is a small village located in the town of Coventry, Rhode Island. You can find it on Route 14, also called Plainfield Pike, right after the village of Rice City and very close to the border with Connecticut.

History of Fairbanks

Fairbanks has an interesting past that dates back many years. It was named after an important person who helped the area grow.

Early Beginnings

In 1783, a man named Colonel John McGregor, who was a veteran from the American Revolutionary War, opened a tavern along the Plainfield Pike. A tavern was like a guesthouse or inn where travelers could stop for a meal and a place to rest. Later, around 1831, this tavern became a place associated with a movement that encouraged people to live healthy lifestyles. Unfortunately, the tavern burned down in the late 1800s.

Fairbank's Mills

The village got its name from George Fairbank, who came from Sudbury, Massachusetts. In 1826, he bought some mills located on the Moosup River. These mills included a grist mill (which ground grain into flour), a card mill (which prepared wool fibers), and a fulling mill (which cleaned and thickened cloth).

George Fairbank then built a new woolen mill on the same spot. This mill used wool from local sheep farms and provided jobs for local seamstresses, who were skilled at sewing. Because of his important work and the mills he built, the village eventually became known as Fairbanks.

What You Can Still See Today

Even today, you can still find parts of Fairbanks' history. George Fairbank's original house is still standing in the village. If you look along the banks of the Moosup River, you can also see the foundations of where the McGregor Tavern once stood and the foundations of Fairbank's Mill. These old structures help us remember the village's past.