North Smithfield, Rhode Island facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
North Smithfield, Rhode Island
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Forestdale school house from the nineteenth century
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Location in Providence County and the state of Rhode Island.
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| Country | United States | ||
| State | Rhode Island | ||
| County | Providence | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 24.7 sq mi (64.1 km2) | ||
| • Land | 24.0 sq mi (62.3 km2) | ||
| • Water | 0.7 sq mi (1.8 km2) | ||
| Elevation | 387 ft (118 m) | ||
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 12,558 | ||
| • Density | 522/sq mi (201.6/km2) | ||
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) | ||
| ZIP codes |
02824, 02896
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| Area code(s) | 401 | ||
| FIPS code | 44-52480 | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 1219815 | ||
North Smithfield is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. It started as a farming community in 1666. The town became what it is today in 1871.
North Smithfield includes several historic villages. Some of these are Forestdale, Primrose, Waterford, Branch Village, Union Village, Park Square, and Slatersville. In 2020, about 12,588 people lived in North Smithfield.
Contents
Geography and Landscape
North Smithfield covers about 24.7 square miles (64.1 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water. The town is in a hilly area of New England. The Branch River and Blackstone River were very important. They provided power for the early mills in the town.
The town has many temperate forests. The land has small changes in height. Woonsocket Hill is in North Smithfield. It is one of the highest points in Rhode Island, at 586 feet (179 meters). Summers in North Smithfield are usually mild, and winters can be harsh.
History of North Smithfield
In the 1600s, British colonists settled in this area. They created a farming community. They named it after Smithfield, London, in England. The town was part of Smithfield, Rhode Island until 1871. That's when it became its own town, North Smithfield.
The first settlers arrived after a Native American named William Minnian sold about 2,000 acres of land. This happened in 1666 and again in 1669. During King Philip's War in 1676, a battle took place here. It was called the Second Battle of Nipsachuck.
In the early 1700s, a Quaker community grew in the area. This community spread into what is now south Uxbridge, Massachusetts.
Industrial Growth and Mill Villages
Today, North Smithfield is part of the John H. Chaffee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor. The Blackstone Valley is known as the oldest industrialized region in the United States. This means it was one of the first places to have many factories and mills.
A local company today, Berroco Yarns, continues a long tradition. It's connected to a woolen company started by Daniel Day in 1809.
The village of Slatersville was built mostly by Samuel Slater and his brother John Slater. They started building it in 1803. Slatersville is a well-preserved example of an early New England mill village. It has homes for workers, shops, and a church around a village green. It was America's first planned industrial mill village. The Slater family owned the mill and the village until the early 1900s.
Union Village became important as a stop for stagecoaches. It was on the Great Road. Union Village also had a hat shop, places to eat, an academy, and the Union Bank. The bank is how the village got its name.
The North Smithfield Public Library started in 1931. Its first branch was in the Union Village school. In 1965, Fogarty Hospital was built in the town.
In the past, North Smithfield had several trolley and railroad lines. Now, only one freight-only line remains. It serves a steel supplier in Slatersville.
Population and Community
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1870 | 3,052 | — | |
| 1880 | 3,088 | 1.2% | |
| 1890 | 3,173 | 2.8% | |
| 1900 | 2,422 | −23.7% | |
| 1910 | 2,699 | 11.4% | |
| 1920 | 3,200 | 18.6% | |
| 1930 | 3,945 | 23.3% | |
| 1940 | 4,196 | 6.4% | |
| 1950 | 5,726 | 36.5% | |
| 1960 | 7,632 | 33.3% | |
| 1970 | 9,349 | 22.5% | |
| 1980 | 9,972 | 6.7% | |
| 1990 | 10,497 | 5.3% | |
| 2000 | 10,618 | 1.2% | |
| 2010 | 11,967 | 12.7% | |
| 2020 | 12,588 | 5.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2000, there were 10,618 people living in North Smithfield. There were 3,954 households and 2,957 families. The population density was about 441.7 people per square mile. Most of the people were White (98.32%). A small percentage were African American, Native American, or Asian. About 0.47% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
Many residents reported having French or French Canadian (41%), Irish (12%), Italian (12%), or English (8%) ancestry.
About 31% of households had children under 18 living with them. The average household had 2.61 people. The average family had 3.05 people.
The median age in town was 42 years old. About 22.4% of the population was under 18. About 18% was 65 years or older.
The median income for a household was $58,602. For a family, it was $67,331.
Historic Places to Visit
North Smithfield has many interesting historic sites. These places tell the story of the town's past.
- Second Battle of Nipsachuck Battlefield: This is where a battle took place in 1676 during King Philip's War.
- Slatersville: This was America's first industrial mill village. It was started by John Slater and Samuel Slater in 1807.
- Smithfield Friends Meeting House, Parsonage & Cemetery: This site shows an 18th-19th-century Quaker community.
- Peleg Arnold Tavern: Built around 1690, this historic tavern was home to Peleg Arnold.
- Blackstone Valley National Heritage Corridor: A large area that preserves the history of the industrial revolution.
- Forestdale Mill Village Historic District
- Tyler Mowry House (1825)
- William Mowry House (1804)
- Smithfield Road Historic District
- Three Dog Site, RI-151
- Todd Farm (1740)
- Union Village Historic District
Notable People from North Smithfield
Many interesting people have lived in or had connections to North Smithfield.
- Peleg Arnold: He was a delegate to the Continental Congress. He also served as Chief Justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court.
- Ella Maria Ballou: An essayist and stenographer.
- Emeline S. Burlingame: An evangelist and supporter of women's right to vote.
- Joe Connolly: An outfielder for the Boston Braves baseball team.
- Henry Hobbs: A football player and coach.
- Jeff Jillson: An international hockey player.
- Tim McNamara: A pitcher for the Boston Braves and New York Giants baseball teams.
- Joseph O'Donnell Jr.: A Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island.
- David Rawlings: A musician and guitarist.
- John Slater: An industrialist and founder of Slatersville.
- John Fox Slater: A businessman, philanthropist, and supporter of freed slaves.
- R. E. Streeter: A Christian writer who founded the Pastoral Bible Institute.
Education in North Smithfield
The North Smithfield School District has three active schools:
- North Smithfield High School: This is the only public high school in town. In 2016, it was ranked 5th out of 51 public high schools in Rhode Island.
- North Smithfield Elementary School: This school was built in 1989. It is now used for preschool through fourth grade.
- North Smithfield Middle School: This school was built for the 2008–2009 school year. It now teaches grades 5 through 8.
The Dr. Harry L. Halliwell School was built in 1958. It was used for grades 3-5 but closed in 2019. Before it was a school, it was a sheep farm. The Kendall Dean School was built in 1936. It is no longer a school but is used for town offices.
Places of Worship
North Smithfield has several places where people can worship:
- Lighthouse Christian Church
- Masjid Al-Islam mosque
- Slatersville Congregational Church
- St. John the Evangelist Church
Images for kids
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Mowry House c. 1690, on Providence Pike in North Smithfield
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Albert Mowry farmhouse in North Smithfield in the 19th century
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Rustic Drive In Movie Theater (1951) in North Smithfield, the last drive-in surviving in the state
See also
In Spanish: North Smithfield para niños
