Smithfield, Rhode Island | |
|---|---|
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location inProvidence County and the state ofRhode Island. | |
| Coordinates:41°55′18″N71°32′58″W / 41.92167°N 71.54944°W /41.92167; -71.54944 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Rhode Island |
| County | Providence |
| Incorporated | 1731 |
| Named after | John Smith (miller) |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council-manager |
| • Town Council | John J. Tassoni Jr. (D) Angelica L. Bovis (D) Thomas Winfield (D) Michael P. Iannotti (R) Rachel S. Toppi (R) |
| • Town Manager | Robert W. Seltzer |
| Area | |
• Total | 27.8 sq mi (71.9 km2) |
| • Land | 26.6 sq mi (68.9 km2) |
| • Water | 1.2 sq mi (3.1 km2) |
| Elevation | 367 ft (112 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 22,118 |
| • Density | 810/sq mi (311/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Codes | 02828, 02917, 02814 |
| Area code | 401 |
| FIPS code | 44-66200[2] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1219817[1] |
| Website | smithfieldri.com |
Smithfield is a town inProvidence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 22,118 at the2020 census. Incorporated in 1731, it includes the historic villages ofEsmond,Georgiaville,Mountaindale, Spragueville, Stillwater, andGreenville. Smithfield is home toBryant University, a private, four-year university.
The area comprising modern-day Smithfield was first settled in 1663 as a farming community by severalBritish colonists, includingJohn Steere.[3] The area was originally within the boundaries ofProvidence until it was incorporated as a separate municipality by the General Assembly in February 1731. The first town meeting was held on March 17, 1731 at the home of Captain Richard Whitman located in modern-dayLincoln. Richard Sayles was elected as the first town clerk. John Arnold, Captain Joseph Mowry, Thomas Steere, John Mowry, Sam Aldrich and Benjamin Smith were elected as the first members of the town council.[4] According to the town's official website, Smithfield was named afterJohn Smith, a first settler of Providence, who was granted land byRoger Williams and was one of the original party of six men that formed original settlement of Providence Plantations.[5]
Chief JusticePeleg Arnold lived in early Smithfield, and his 1690 home still stands today. Through the early 18th century, Smithfield was home to an activeQuaker community that extended along Great Road, from what is today Woonsocket, north intoUxbridge, Massachusetts. This Quaker community became influential in theabolition movement, with members such asEffingham Capron andAbby Kelley Foster, and also gave rise to other Quaker settlements including one atAdams, Massachusetts, whereSusan B. Anthony was born as an early member.Elizabeth Buffum Chace, an abolitionist and figure in the women's rights movement, was born in Smithfield.
During the Industrial Revolution, Smithfield transformed from an agrarian community to a manufacturing center, with several textiles mills being founded along theWoonasquatucket River. By 1819, there were nine cotton mills in Smithfield. To alleviate difficulties with the mills' water supplies, the Woonasquatucket River Company was granted a charter to construct three reservoirs in town: Slack Reservoir, Upper and Lower Sprague Reservoir, and Waterman Reservoir. With a stable supply of water, by 1876, the number of mills in Smithfield increased to 20.[4]
As early as 1833, movements had begun to advocate for splitting Smithfield into multiple municipalities.[4] In 1871, the towns ofNorth Smithfield andLincoln were granted charters by the General Assembly to become separate municipalities, and the city ofCentral Falls later split from Lincoln in 1895. The colonial ghost town ofHanton City is located within the boundaries of present-day Smithfield.
In 1943, aU.S. Army Air Corps Lockheed RB-34 crashed on Wolf Hill, killing all three servicemen aboard.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 71.9 km2 (27.8 sq mi), of which 68.9 km2 (26.6 sq mi) is land and 3.1 km2 (1.2 sq mi) is water. The total area is 4.25% water.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1790 | 3,171 | — | |
| 1800 | 3,120 | −1.6% | |
| 1810 | 3,828 | 22.7% | |
| 1820 | 4,678 | 22.2% | |
| 1830 | 6,857 | 46.6% | |
| 1840 | 9,534 | 39.0% | |
| 1850 | 11,500 | 20.6% | |
| 1860 | 13,283 | 15.5% | |
| 1870 | 2,605 | −80.4% | |
| 1880 | 3,085 | 18.4% | |
| 1890 | 2,500 | −19.0% | |
| 1900 | 2,107 | −15.7% | |
| 1910 | 2,739 | 30.0% | |
| 1920 | 3,199 | 16.8% | |
| 1930 | 3,967 | 24.0% | |
| 1940 | 4,611 | 16.2% | |
| 1950 | 6,690 | 45.1% | |
| 1960 | 9,442 | 41.1% | |
| 1970 | 13,468 | 42.6% | |
| 1980 | 16,886 | 25.4% | |
| 1990 | 19,163 | 13.5% | |
| 2000 | 20,613 | 7.6% | |
| 2010 | 21,430 | 4.0% | |
| 2020 | 22,118 | 3.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[6] | |||
As of the2020 United States Census, Smithfield has 22,118 residents and 7,797 households in the town. The population density was 832 inhabitants per square mile (321/km2). The racial makeup as of 2020 was 84.77%White, 1.25%African Americans, 0.24%Native American, 7.51%Asian, 1.89% from other races and 4.33% of two or more races.Hispanic andLatino of any race made up 3.73% of the population.[7]
There were 7,797 households, out of which 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.4% were married couples living together, 24.6% had a female householder with no spouse present and 12.9% had a male householder with no spouse present. 11.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 people and the average family size was 2.97.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 16.4% of the population under the age of 18, 18.1% from 18-24, 17.7% from 25 to 44, 26.6% from 45 to 64, and 21.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.7 years.
The median income for a household in the town was $101,653, and the median income for a family was $133,639. The per capita income for the town was $45,943. About 4.2% of the population live below thepoverty line, including 0.5% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over.
Smithfield contains three public elementary schools (Pleasant View, Raymond LaPerche, and Old County Road School), a middle school (Vincent J. Gallagher Middle School) and a public high school,Smithfield High School which was ranked 17th out of 52 high schools in Rhode Island in 2006.[8] St. Phillip's School, a private Roman Catholic academy offering education in grades K–8, is situated in Greenville.[9] Mater Ecclesiae College, a Catholic college, was also located in the town in a facility that was formerly the St. Aloysius Orphanage until the college closed in 2015.[10][11] Partnered with Saint Raphael Academy[12] in Pawtucket, the private Catholic boarding school Overbrook Academy[13] currently resides those same facilities for middle school, high school, and summer camp programs.
Bryant University, a private university with programs in business and the arts and sciences, is located in Smithfield.
In 1971, the university moved to its current campus in Smithfield when the founder ofTupperware,Earl Silas Tupper, a Bryant alumnus, donated the current 428 acres (1.73 km2) of land to be the new campus. The famous Bryant Archway was also relocated. The old Emin Homestead and Captain Joseph Mowry homestead occupied much of the land that makes up the present day Smithfield campus. The land was purchased and farmed for three generations between the late 19th century and the mid-20th century. Today, many descendants of the original Emin settlers still live near the Bryant campus. The school also claims a handful of family members as alumni and offers a scholarship for accounting students as a tribute to the Emin family. Historical pictures of the Emin Homestead can still be found in the Alumni house.[14]
According to Smithfield's 2024 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[15] the principal employers in the city are:
| # | Employer | # of employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fidelity Investments | 4,400 |
| 2 | Bryant University | 1,103 |
| 3 | Town of Smithfield | 500 |
| 4 | Citizens Bank | 400 |
| 5 | Honeywell | 300 |
| 6 | Village at Waterman Lake | 300 |
| 7 | Stop & Shop | 300 |
| 8 | FGX International | 250 |
| 9 | Target Corporation | 200 |
| 10 | Dave's Marketplace | 200 |
Stepanakert, Artsakh (2023)[30]
Municipalities and communities ofProvidence County, Rhode Island,United States | ||
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41°54′N71°32′W / 41.900°N 71.533°W /41.900; -71.533
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