North Providence, Rhode Island facts for kids

Quick facts for kids North Providence, Rhode Island
Town
Fatima Hospital
Location in Providence County and the state of Rhode Island.
Country	United States
State	Rhode Island
County	Providence
Government
• Type	Mayor-council
Area
• Total	5.9 sq mi (15.1 km2)
• Land	5.8 sq mi (14.6 km2)
• Water	0.2 sq mi (0.2 km2)
Elevation	184 ft (56 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	34,114
• Density	6,052/sq mi (2,336.6/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP codes	02904, 02908, 02911
Area code(s)	401
FIPS code	44-51760
GNIS feature ID	1219763

Geneva Mills in North Providence

North Providence is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 34,114 at the 2020 census.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 5.8 square miles (15 km²), of which, 5.7 square miles (15 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km²) of it (2.07%) is water.

Within the town, there are several villages and neighborhoods, such as Allendale, Centredale, Fruit Hill, Greystone, Louisquisset, Lymansville, Marieville, Woodville, and Geneva.

North Providence is bordered by Providence to the south, Johnston to the west, Smithfield and Lincoln to the north, and Pawtucket to the east. Has a total of 7 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and a highschool.

History

Founding History

Settled shortly after Roger Williams arrived in 1636, North Providence was incorporated as a town in 1765. It originally included parts of what are today the cities of Providence and Pawtucket. Early colonial settlers built stone-ender houses such as the Joseph Smith House (1705), which is now listed the National Register of Historic Places.

Politics in North Providence

North Providence frequently appears on the political newsfront. The towns first mayor, former town council president, Salvatore Mancini, made headlines on multiple occasions. Perhaps his most notable appearance in the news was during the 1991 credit union crisis, where he was accused of having prior knowledge of the funds which were stolen from Rhode Island credit unions throughout the 1980s.

North Providence elected its first mayor in 1974; it is governed by a mayor and seven-member town council.

The town has had four elected mayors and one elected by the town council when the incumbent became Secretary of State:

From 1974 - 1994: Salvatore Mancini

From 1994 - 1996: G. Richard Fossa

From 1996 - 2007: A. Ralph Mollis

From 2007 - 2007: John Sisto

From 2007– Present: Charles Lombardi

Tax Collector: Claudette Mooney

The Centredale Manor Restoration Project Superfund Site

From at least 1921-1971, the Centredale Manor area of North Providence was contaminated by textile, chemical, and drum recycling industries that discarded toxic liquids and wastes into the surrounding soil and river (EPA 1999). In 2000, the United States Environmental Protection Agency declared a 9-acre (36,000 m²) area including parts of Centredale Manor and Brook Village, both affordable housing units for senior citizens, a superfund site. The agency documented high levels of toxic chemicals like dioxin, VOCs, and PCBs in fish as well as soil from the area. Because of this the area has been fenced off from the community with warning signs against eating contaminated fish, and is undergoing evaluation for clean-up.[1][2]

Town Council Arrests

On May 4, 2010, three members of the North Providence Town Council were arrested by the FBI and charged in Federal Court with taking a $25,000 bribe so that a developer could build a supermarket in their town.

Recreation

Parks

The town has two major parks, Governor John A. Notte Memorial Park and Capt. Stephen Olney Memorial Park, both have various sports fields, playgrounds; Gov. Notte Park has a freshwater beach and campground.

In 2015, Camp Meehan opened at Gov. Notte Park. Mayor Lombardi championed the sale of the land to the town of North Providence after it was to be built over by condominium housing. The Mayor allowed the land to be beautified using grant funds which were awarded to the town. Camp Meehan includes a newly renovated, modern building overlooking the Wenscott Reservoir which can house 250 guests for weddings and other such events. The Camp Meehan Hall held its first event in 2016.

Events

North Providence has always been filled with lively events. Currently there are a few major annual events:

• Mayor Lombardi's Fishing Derby is held each year at Governor Notte Park and receives wide turnouts from towns over.
• The Memorial Day Parade Celebration is a large event which includes town wide events, a large parade route leads to Gov. Notte Park where a festival is held.
• Independence Day celebrations are usually held at Gov. Notte Park as well, a fireworks display is a crowning part of this celebration.
• Pumpkins in the Park is also held at Halloween time, and like most events uses Notte Park as it's setting. Residents are encouraged to see pumpkins put on display by the towns Youth Commission.
• The town also lights a Christmas tree on the front lawn of the town hall each year. It is a joyous occasion which includes refreshments, games, and music by Stephen Morrison and the North Providence High School Band, which provides entertainment for many of the towns events.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 32,523 people, 14,209 households, and 8,368 families residing in the town. The population density was 5,720.2 people per square mile (2,207.0/km²). There were 14,867 housing units at an average density of 2,623.9 per square mile (1,012.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 91.98% White, 2.65% African American, 0.17% Native American, 1.85% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.58% from other races, and 1.76% from two or more races. 3.85% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 14,351 households, out of which 22.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.5% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.5% were non-families. 34.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.91.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 18.3% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 19.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $37,897, and the median income for a family was $52,795. Males had a median income of $34,352 versus $27,553 for females. The per capita income for the town was $22,284. About 5.6% of families and 8.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.8% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

• John Cafferty, leader of John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band
• Ernie DiGregorio, former NBA player
• Jim Gilchrist, founder of the controversial Minuteman Project
• Danielle Lacourse, Miss Rhode Island USA 2007; first runner-up at Miss USA 2007
• Joseph Olney, American privateer during American Revolution
• Chris Sparling, screenwriter and director
• Zellio Toppazzini, NHL – AHL hockey player; Rhode Island Reds Player of the Century; Providence College head coach
• Cody Wild, former AHL hockey player

See also

In Spanish: North Providence para niños