Pawtucket, Rhode Island facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pawtucket
City
City of Pawtucket
Pawtucket City Hall, the Pawtucket Post Office, Jenckes Spinning Company, and Slater Mill
Flag Seal Logo
Motto(s):  Join The Evolution
Location within Providence County and the state of Rhode Island
Pawtucket Location in Rhode Island Show map of Rhode Island Pawtucket Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Rhode Island
County	Providence
Founded (town)	1671
Incorporated (city)	1886
Government
• Type	Mayor-council
Area
• Total	8.96 sq mi (23.22 km2)
• Land	8.67 sq mi (22.45 km2)
• Water	0.30 sq mi (0.77 km2)
Elevation	39 ft (12 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	75,604
• Density	8,723.20/sq mi (3,367.98/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (Eastern)
ZIP Codes	02860–02861
Area code(s)	401
FIPS code	44-54640
GNIS feature ID	1218926

Pawtucket (ⁱ/pəˈtʌkɪt/ puh-TUK-it) is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. In 2020, about 75,604 people lived there. This makes Pawtucket the fourth-largest city in Rhode Island.

Pawtucket shares borders with several other cities and towns. To the south, it is next to Providence and East Providence. To the north, it borders Central Falls and Lincoln. To the west, it is next to North Providence. The city also borders two towns in Massachusetts: Seekonk and Attleboro.

Pawtucket was an important place for making textiles (fabric and cloth) very early on. It is home to Slater Mill, a historic factory. This mill is famous for helping to start the Industrial Revolution in the United States, a time when new machines changed how goods were made.

Discovering Pawtucket's Past

The name "Pawtucket" comes from an Algonquian word. It means "river fall," which describes the waterfalls found there.

A panoramic map of Pawtucket and Central Falls from 1877.

Pawtucket in 1886, seen from the steeple of the Pawtucket Congregational Church.

Before European settlers arrived, the Pawtucket area was one of the most populated places in New England. Native Americans would gather at the falls to catch salmon and other fish. The first European settler was Joseph Jenckes Jr.. He came from Lynn, Massachusetts, and bought about 60 acres near Pawtucket Falls in 1671. He then built a sawmill and a forge (a place to work with metal). Sadly, the entire town was destroyed during King Philip's War.

More settlers came after Joseph Jenks. By 1775, the area was known for making muskets (guns), linseed oil, potash, and ships. Around this time, Oziel Wilkinson and his family started an iron forge. They made anchors, nails, screws, farm tools, and cannons.

By the 1920s, Pawtucket was a busy and successful mill town. It had many movie theaters, hotels, and beautiful buildings. One of the most impressive public buildings was the Leroy Theatre. It was a fancy movie palace called "Pawtucket's Million Dollar Theater." Many rich mill owners, like Darius Goff, built their large homes in the area.

In 1922, the city was affected by the 1922 New England Textile Strike. This strike caused the mills to close because workers protested against lower wages and longer hours.

During the Great Depression, the textile business in New England faced tough times. Many factories closed or moved to the South, where it was cheaper to operate. Later in the 20th century, Pawtucket lost some of its historic buildings, including the Leroy Theatre, which were torn down.

However, Pawtucket kept much of its industrial work. Today, the city still produces things like lace, special fabrics, jewelry, silverware, and metal goods. Hasbro, one of the world's biggest toy and game companies, has its main office in Pawtucket.

How Pawtucket Became a City

Originally, the land west of the Blackstone River was part of North Providence. The land east of the Blackstone River was part of Rehoboth, Massachusetts. In 1828, Rehoboth gave up its land, and Pawtucket became a new town in Massachusetts.

In 1862, the eastern part of Pawtucket became part of Providence County, Rhode Island. On March 1, 1862, the area of Pawtucket and East Providence officially moved into Rhode Island. The border between Rhode Island and Massachusetts has stayed the same ever since. This ended a 225-year dispute over the border!

In 1874, the land west of the river was taken from North Providence and added to Pawtucket. For a while, it was like two different towns. Finally, in 1886, West and East Pawtucket joined together and became one city.

Pawtucket's Location and Rivers

According to the United States Census Bureau, Pawtucket covers about 9.0 square miles (23.22 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 8.7 square miles (22.45 square kilometers), is land. The rest, about 0.3 square miles (0.77 square kilometers), is water.

Pawtucket has three main river systems. These include the Blackstone River (which also includes the Seekonk River), the Moshassuck River, and the Ten Mile River.

People of Pawtucket

Pawtucket's Population in 2020

The 2020 United States census counted 75,604 people living in Pawtucket. There were 31,565 households and 17,202 families. The city had about 8,723 people per square mile.

The population included people from many different backgrounds. About 49.6% were white, 13% were black or African-American, and 1.5% were Asian. About 24.8% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

In terms of age, 21.8% of the people were under 18 years old. About 14.3% were 65 years or older. The average age in the city was 37.7 years.

Pawtucket's Economy

Hasbro, a very large company that makes toys and games, has its main office in Pawtucket. Hasbro is one of the top 1000 companies in the United States.

Many companies in healthcare, retail, and insurance also have their main offices in Pawtucket. Fox Point Pickles, a company that makes pickles, is also based in the city.

Arts and Culture in Pawtucket

Pawtucket has supported the arts community since 1975. On September 2, 1977, the Beach Boys held a concert at Narragansett Park. About 40,000 people attended, making it the largest concert audience in Rhode Island's history. In 2017, the street where the stage stood was officially renamed "Beach Boys Way."

In 1999, the city created an Arts District. Pawtucket has become a well-known center for arts and culture. Many experimental and indie rock bands have recorded albums at Machines with Magnets. This is a recording studio and art gallery in Downtown Pawtucket. Bands like Battles and Lightning Bolt have worked there.

Lorraine Mills is another important place for arts and culture. It's an old mill building that has been repurposed. It now houses the Mixed Magic Theatre, Wage House (a comedy club), Pawtucket Arts Collaborative, and Crooked Current Brewery.

Every September, the city holds an annual Arts Festival. This festival is produced with the help of the Pawtucket Arts Festival Board of Directors.

Pawtucket is home to McCoy Stadium. The Pawtucket Red Sox, a professional baseball team, played there from 1970 to 2020. They were the top minor league team for the Boston Red Sox. The longest professional baseball game ever, which lasted 33 innings, was played at McCoy Stadium in 1981. Pawtucket has a long history of professional baseball, going back to 1892. The PawSox team moved to Worcester, Massachusetts, in 2021 and became the Worcester Red Sox.

In 2024, Rhode Island FC, a soccer team in the USL Championship, will start its first season. Starting in 2025, the team will play at a new soccer-specific stadium along the Seekonk River. The team's main office is in Pawtucket.

In 1934, Narragansett Park opened for Thoroughbred horse racing. Until it closed in 1978, the track hosted many important races. Famous horses like Seabiscuit and War Admiral raced there.

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  The Portuguese Social Club of Pawtucket marches in the 2021 Bristol Fourth of July Parade.

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  Pawtucket Armory Center for the Arts (a former Pawtucket Armory), with The Sandra Feinstein-Gamm Theatre in an annex.

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  From 1970 to 2020, the Pawtucket Red Sox played at McCoy Stadium.

Parks and Fun in Pawtucket

The bandstand at Slater Memorial Park.

• Slater Memorial Park has many fun things to do. It includes tennis courts and places for picnics.
• Daggett Farm
• Water Color Gallery (open to the public)
• Daggett House
• Marconi Garden

Education in Pawtucket

Pawtucket public schools

Samuel Slater Middle School

William E. Tolman High School

Shea High School

Public Schools

The Pawtucket School Department manages public education in the city. Here are some of the schools:

High Schools

• Charles E. Shea High School
• William E. Tolman High School
• Blackstone Academy Charter School
• Jacqueline M Walsh School for the Arts

Middle Schools

• Joseph Jenks Middle School
• Samuel Slater Middle School
• Lyman B. Goff Middle School

Elementary Schools

• Elizabeth Baldwin Elementary
• M. Virginia Cunningham Elementary
• Flora S. Curtis Elementary
• Curvin McCabe Elementary
• Fallon Memorial Elementary
• Nathanael Greene Elementary
• Agnes E. Little Elementary
• Potter Burns Elementary
• Francis J. Varieur Elementary
• Henry J. Winters Elementary

Catholic Schools

The Quality Hill area of Pawtucket is home to St. Raphael Academy. This is a private high school that helps students prepare for college. St. Raphael Academy is known for its successful sports teams.

Pawtucket also used to have Bishop Keough High School, an all-girls Catholic high school. The city also has three Catholic elementary schools: St. Cecilia School, St. Teresa School, and Woodlawn Catholic Regional School.

How Pawtucket Gets Around

Transportation

Pawtucket has several local bus routes run by the RIPTA. The Pawtucket/Central Falls station for the MBTA Commuter Rail opened on January 23, 2023. This station replaced an older one that closed in 1981.

Highways and Roads

Interstate 95 and U.S. 1 both pass through the western part of Pawtucket. Some parts of I-95 in the city have very slow speed limits. This is because the highway has sharp turns, called "S-curves," that were built to avoid tearing down certain buildings in the city.

Downtown Circulator

The former Downtown Circulator route.

Pawtucket used to have a "Downtown Circulator." This was a one-way loop of roads through the downtown area. It was similar to how some cities in Britain use "ring roads."

The circulator used several streets, including East Avenue, High Street, and Dexter Street. Parts of the circulator carried directions for U.S. 1 and other state routes. It was marked with a big "C" on signs. Today, there are no longer signs for the circulator, but the roads are still set up in the same way.

Famous People from Pawtucket

Sister City

Pawtucket has a sister city: Belper, in Derbyshire, England. This connection is special because Samuel Slater learned about textile machines in Belper. He learned the secrets of Richard Arkwright's Water Frame there. Sometimes, people in Belper jokingly call him "Slater the traitor" because he brought those secrets to America. Belper even has an annual festival to celebrate being sister cities with Pawtucket.

See also

In Spanish: Pawtucket para niños