Knightsville, Rhode Island facts for kids
Knightsville is a lively neighborhood located in the city of Cranston, Rhode Island. It's a place with a rich history and strong community spirit.
The Story of Knightsville
Knightsville gets its name from Nehemiah Knight (1746–1808), who was a local innkeeper and a U.S. Congressman. A Congressman is a person elected to represent their area in the United States government. The Knight family were among the first English settlers in this area.
In the 1700s, important town meetings were held in local taverns, like Nehemiah Knight's, and also in the old Knightsville Meetinghouse. Later, in the 1800s, a businessman named Amasa Sprague, who worked with textiles (like fabrics), was involved in a sad event near what is now St. Ann Cemetery.
By the early 1900s, Knightsville was a busy place with many successful businesses. This attracted many new families from Europe. Today, a lot of residents are Italian-American. Many of these families can trace their roots back to Itri, a small village in Italy located between Rome and Naples.
Fun Things to Do and See
Knightsville is known for its special community events. One of the biggest is the Feast of Saint Mary, also called Maria Santissima della Civita. This is a week-long celebration held every July. It's a huge event with a carnival, amazing fireworks, and a religious procession. Thousands of people visit Knightsville for this feast! The actual feast day is July 21st, and the celebration usually happens on the closest weekend to that date.
The neighborhood is also home to several churches, including St. Mary's, St. Ann's, and Knightsville-Franklin Congregational Church. If you love to read, you can visit The Knightsville Branch, which is the local public library.
Knightsville also honors its heroes. PFC Anthony J. Sivo was a brave soldier who was killed in action during the Vietnam War in 1968. To remember him, Anthony J. Sivo Park was built in his honor and opened on November 11, 1991. It's a place for everyone to enjoy.
