Fields Point facts for kids
Fields Point is a historic area in Providence, Rhode Island. It's a piece of land that sticks out into Narragansett Bay. You can find it near the Providence River and Route 95. Today, it's a park and a place with important facilities.
Contents
History of Fields Point
Fields Point got its name from William Field. He was a British colonist who settled in Providence a long time ago. He owned land and a house in the area.
Early Days and Recreation
In the 1800s, Fields Point Farm was a big park. It covered about 37 acres (150,000 square meters). This park was the main fun spot in Providence for many years. People loved to visit places like Colonel Atwell's Clam House and Edgewood Beach. They also enjoyed the Washington Park Yacht Club and Kerwin's Beach. This was before Roger Williams Park was built in 1871.
World War II Shipyard
When World War II started, things changed at Fields Point. After the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, the United States needed many ships. So, Fields Point was chosen to build a shipyard. This was part of a big plan to build ships quickly. Much of the old park area was used for the shipyard. The Walsh-Kaiser Company eventually took over the yard.
After the war, one of the shipyard's piers was used by the US Naval Reserve. This was a training center for the Navy. From 1960 to about 1970, a submarine called the USS Lionfish was docked there. It was used to train sailors. Today, the USS Lionfish is at Battleship Cove in Fall River, Massachusetts. The area at Fields Point is now an Armed Forces Reserve Center. It is used by the Army, Navy, and Marines.
Changes and New Uses
In the 1950s, Providence began using Fields Point as a landfill. This means it was a place where trash was buried. Over time, the landfill connected Fields Point to a nearby place called Starvegoat Island.
In the 1960s, a businessman named Melvin Berry opened many fun places at Fields Point. He had a bar, a marina, a swim club, and even an amusement park. There was also a bowling alley, a drive-in movie theater, and an indoor ice skating rink. He even had a Hawaiian dance show every night!
Around the mid-1960s, Fields Point was also used for train testing. The very fast Turbo Train was tested there. It ran between Westerly and Boston. After 1976, the trains were stored there, becoming a "train graveyard."
In 1973, Johnson & Wales University opened a facility at Fields Point. But by 2001, the university leased land to Save The Bay. Save The Bay is an organization that protects Narragansett Bay. They built an educational center there.
More recently, in late 2012, something new was added. A wind farm with three large turbines was built at Fields Point. These turbines create clean energy. They help power the local waste water treatment plant.
