Coventry, Rhode Island | |
|---|---|
Town | |
 | |
 Seal | |
 Location inKent County and the state ofRhode Island. | |
| Coordinates:41°41′38″N71°35′45″W / 41.69389°N 71.59583°W /41.69389; -71.59583 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Rhode Island |
| County | Kent |
| Area | |
• Total | 161.5 km2 (62.4 sq mi) |
| • Land | 154.2 km2 (59.5 sq mi) |
| • Water | 7.3 km2 (2.8 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 116 m (381 ft) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 35,688 |
| • Density | 231.4/km2 (599/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code | 02816 |
| Area code | 401 |
| FIPS code | 44-18640[2] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1220082[1] |
| Website | coventryri |
Coventry is a town inKent County, Rhode Island. The population was 35,688 at the2020 census and is part of thePawtuxet River Valley [Wikidata].
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 62.3 sq mi (161 km2). 59.5 sq mi (154 km2) of it is land and 2.8 sq mi (7.3 km2) of it (4.49%) is water. The town is bordered byWest Warwick to the east,Foster,Scituate, andCranston to the north,West Greenwich andEast Greenwich to the south, andSterling,Connecticut, to the west. It is the largest town in land area in Rhode Island, being surpassed in total area only bySouth Kingstown, Rhode Island, with water and land area of 79.8 square miles (207 km2).
According to theKöppen Climate Classification system, Coventry has anoceanic climate, abbreviated "Cfb" on climate maps.
| Climate data for Coventry, Rhode Island, 1991-2020 normals | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 36.4 (2.4) | 38.5 (3.6) | 47.0 (8.3) | 60.5 (15.8) | 71.0 (21.7) | 79.6 (26.4) | 85.0 (29.4) | 82.0 (27.8) | 74.3 (23.5) | 62.3 (16.8) | 51.5 (10.8) | 41.8 (5.4) | 60.8 (16.0) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 27.4 (−2.6) | 29.4 (−1.4) | 36.3 (2.4) | 48.4 (9.1) | 59.2 (15.1) | 68.3 (20.2) | 74.3 (23.5) | 72.0 (22.2) | 64.1 (17.8) | 52.3 (11.3) | 41.8 (5.4) | 33.1 (0.6) | 50.5 (10.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 18.4 (−7.6) | 20.3 (−6.5) | 25.6 (−3.6) | 36.3 (2.4) | 47.4 (8.6) | 56.9 (13.8) | 63.6 (17.6) | 61.9 (16.6) | 53.9 (12.2) | 42.2 (5.7) | 32.1 (0.1) | 24.3 (−4.3) | 40.2 (4.6) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 4.47 (114) | 3.45 (88) | 5.03 (128) | 4.72 (120) | 3.62 (92) | 4.11 (104) | 3.21 (82) | 4.33 (110) | 3.86 (98) | 5.27 (134) | 4.40 (112) | 5.49 (139) | 51.96 (1,321) |
| Source: NOAA[3] | |||||||||||||
Coventry was settled by English colonists in the early 18th century, when it was part ofWarwick. The area was far from the center of Warwick and grew very slowly. However, by 1741, enough farmers (about 100 families) had settled in the area that they petitioned the General Assembly of Rhode Island to create their own town. The petition was granted, and the new town was named Coventry after theEnglish city. For the rest of the 18th century, Coventry remained a rural town populated by farmers. Among the buildings that survive are theWaterman Tavern (1740s), theNathanael Greene Homestead (1770), and thePaine Homestead (late 17th century to early 18th century). The oldest church isMaple Root Baptist Church which dates from the end of the 18th century. The congregation was organized in 1762 and was affiliated with theGeneral Six-Principle Baptists.
During theRevolutionary War, the people of Coventry were supporters of the patriot cause.Nathanael Greene, a resident of Coventry, rose through the ranks to become a leading general of the American army. By the end of the war, Greene was second in command in the US army afterGeorge Washington.
In the 19th century, the Industrial Revolution came to Coventry with the building of the first mill in Anthony. Over the next century, the eastern end of town became very industrialized, with manufacturing centers being located in Anthony,Washington,Quidnick, andHarris villages. Many of the old factories still stand in the town, and the village centers remain mostly intact. The demographics of the town changed, as industrial jobs at these new mill villages attractedFrench Canadian and Irish immigrants. By the end of the 19th century, almost one fourth of the population was born outside the US, and French was the primary language for many of the people in the eastern part of Coventry. Not all immigrants worked in the factories. Census records from the late 19th century show that some owned farms.
By comparison, the western end of the town remained very rural, with the only centers of population being located atGreene andSummit, both established as railroad stations on theNew York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad.
In the 20th century, the town went through much change. The advent of the automobile brought an end of the railroad, and the track was dismantled in the 1970s. By the mid-20th century, industry had largely left the town and most of the factories closed.
Coventry offers a few recreation facilities. The town has youth sport leagues for football (boasting the 2006 American Youth Football National title), basketball, baseball, and softball. Carbuncle Pond offRoute 14 (Plainfield Pike) near the Connecticut border is a 39-acre (160,000 m2) pond that is popular for freshwater fishing. Johnson's Pond, a waterfront neighborhood, houses facilities for fishing and watersports.Wakeboarding Magazine rated Johnson's Pond as the best location forwakeboarding in Rhode Island. The 860-acre (3.5 km2) George B. Parker woodland, owned by the Audubon Society of Rhode Island, offers several hiking trails. The woodland caretaker's home dates from the mid 18th century.
The town has been investing in the Coventry Greenway, a pedestrian and bicycle path built on the old New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad right-of-way and part of theEast Coast Greenway, a trail running fromMaine toFlorida. The Coventry Greenway travels 15 miles (24 km) from theConnecticut state line to theWest Warwick town line. The greenway has recently undergone a massive renovation and has reopened to the public as a walking, cycling, and horse trail.
Coventry has numerous villages founded in the 19th century:
Coventry boasts many old homes, churches and cemeteries. Farmhouses from the 18th century can be found scattered around the town, and many are still private residences. On the eastern side of town, many homes from the 19th century can be found, ranging from the two-family mill workers residence to mansions owned by the town elites. The village ofGreene and theRice City andHopkins Hollow parts of town have remained unchanged since the 19th century. Also, many of the churches in Coventry date from the 19th century and are still functioning churches.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1790 | 2,477 | — | |
| 1800 | 2,423 | −2.2% | |
| 1810 | 2,928 | 20.8% | |
| 1820 | 3,139 | 7.2% | |
| 1830 | 3,851 | 22.7% | |
| 1840 | 3,433 | −10.9% | |
| 1850 | 3,620 | 5.4% | |
| 1860 | 4,247 | 17.3% | |
| 1870 | 4,349 | 2.4% | |
| 1880 | 4,519 | 3.9% | |
| 1890 | 5,068 | 12.1% | |
| 1900 | 5,279 | 4.2% | |
| 1910 | 5,848 | 10.8% | |
| 1920 | 5,670 | −3.0% | |
| 1930 | 6,430 | 13.4% | |
| 1940 | 6,998 | 8.8% | |
| 1950 | 9,869 | 41.0% | |
| 1960 | 15,432 | 56.4% | |
| 1970 | 22,947 | 48.7% | |
| 1980 | 27,065 | 17.9% | |
| 1990 | 31,083 | 14.8% | |
| 2000 | 33,668 | 8.3% | |
| 2010 | 35,014 | 4.0% | |
| 2020 | 35,688 | 1.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[4][5] | |||
As of thecensus of 2020, there were 35,688 people and 14,503 households in the town. The population density was 604.2 inhabitants per square mile (233.3/km2). There were 14,931 housing units in the town. The racial makeup of the town was 90.90%White, 0.94%African American, 0.23%Native American, 1.30%Asian, 0.03%Pacific Islander, 1.17% fromother races, and 5.44% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 3.44% of the population.
There were 14,503 households, out of which 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.4% weremarried couples living together, 26.7% had a female householder with no spouse present, and 15.2% had a male householder with no spouse present. 8.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 2.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.83.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 18.6% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 29.6% from 45 to 64, and 18.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years.
The median income for a household in the town was $99,177, and the median income for a family was $115,718. Theper capita income for the town was $46,557. About 7.9% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 8.0% of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those age 65 or over.
| Year | GOP | DEM | Others |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 52.29%10,461 | 45.61%9123 | 2.10%420 |
| 2016 | 52.52%9,199 | 40.15%7,032 | 7.33%1,283 |
| 2012 | 42.22%6,969 | 55.26%9,122 | 2.51%415 |
| 2008 | 42.57%7,367 | 55.60%9,622 | 1.83%316 |
| 2004 | 45.40%7,249 | 52.71%8,417 | 1.89%301 |
| 2000 | 35.28%5,111 | 58.08%8,415 | 6.64%962 |
| 1996 | 26.66%3,633 | 54.92%7,485 | 18.42%2,511 |
| 1992 | 29.63%4,466 | 40.38%6,086 | 29.98%4,519 |
| 1988 | 49.77%6,348 | 49.88%6,362 | 0.36%46 |
Pursuant to its charter, Coventry's municipal government is classified as Council-Manager, with all powers vested in an elected Town Council, including the appointment of a Town Manager. Each Town councilperson represents one of five municipal districts. Members of the School Committee are also elected using these districts.
In theRhode Island Senate, Coventry is a part of the 21st and 33rd Districts. In theRhode Island House of Representatives it is part of the a part of the 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th, 29th and 40th Districts. At the federal level, Coventry is included inRhode Island's 2nd congressional district and is currently represented by DemocratSeth M. Magaziner.
Coventry, Rhode Island istwinned with:
Coventry, Rhode Island travel guide from WikivoyageMunicipalities and communities ofKent County, Rhode Island,United States | ||
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