Manton, Providence, Rhode Island facts for kids
Manton is a neighborhood located in Providence, Rhode Island. It's also partly in Johnston, Rhode Island. You can find Manton in the far western part of Providence. It shares borders with North Providence to the north and Johnston to the west. Inside Providence, it's next to the neighborhoods of Hartford, Olneyville, and Mount Pleasant. The Woonasquatucket River forms its western border with Johnston.
Contents
Manton's History
For a long time, in the 1600s and 1700s, Manton was mostly a quiet, rural area with farms. A person named Edward Manton was one of the first landowners here. His family eventually owned a lot of land, and the neighborhood was named after them.
As the 1700s turned into the 1800s, the Woonasquatucket River became important. Its water power helped start a few tanneries (places that make leather) in Manton and nearby Olneyville. Because Manton was a peaceful, rural spot, people also built vacation homes there. An old stagecoach inn was one of the first places for summer getaways. In 1835, this inn became a school. Later, in 1862, the school was taken down to make room for what is now Rhode Island College.
From Farms to Factories
The Woonasquatucket River's water power was perfect for factories. The first two mills were built in Manton in 1827 and 1830. Soon, railroad lines were built, connecting Manton through Olneyville to Downtown Providence. These railroads helped the area grow quickly. By the end of the 1800s, Manton was a busy industrial area with many factories.
Changes Over Time
Later, the textile mills closed, and heavy industries (like big factories) started to decline. This caused many working-class families to move away to the suburbs. In 1953, a public housing project called Manton Heights was built. During the 1970s, Manton's population dropped by about 15 percent.
By the 1980s, Manton Heights, like many public housing areas, needed repairs. Around this time, the Manton-Fruit Hill Neighborhood Association was started. This group helps bring neighbors together and works to improve the community.
People and Housing in Manton
The number of people living in Manton almost doubled from 1,406 in 1980 to 2,584 in 1990. In 1990, most residents (90 percent) were white. About two-thirds of adults over 25 had finished high school.
The main jobs in Manton were in professional services (like doctors or lawyers), manufacturing (factory work), and retail (stores). The unemployment rate in Manton was a bit higher than the rest of Providence at that time.
Housing in Manton
The number of homes in Manton also more than doubled from 1980 to 1990. Many of these new homes were for rent. This meant that fewer people owned their homes in Manton during that period.
Many of the houses in Manton are quite new. More than one in three homes were built in the decade before 1990. Almost half of all homes were built within 20 years of that time.
