Historical Markers in
Providence County, Rhode Island

A Family Business A Livelie Experiment A Mechanic's Life A Place for Your Ideas A Shelter for Persons Distressed Across the River from Market Square Alice Mill World War I Memorial Ambrose Burnside Memorial Annye Around the Corner from Market Square Beneficent Congregational Church Bernon Worsted Mill Bethel A.M.E. Church Birthplace of American Manufacturing Blackstone River Valley Bridging the Seekonk Brigadier General Casimir Pulaski Brown University Slave Trade Memorial Burning of British Taxed Tea Burrillville Veterans Monument Burrillville Veterans Plaque Captain Wilbur Kelly Channeling Progress Civil War Memorial College Hill Historic District Colonial Wharf at South Water Street: 1910-1942 /Fox Point and the Night Boat Era 1822-1932 Community Development Congdon Street Baptist Church Court and State House Crawford Street Bridge Without Crawford Street Crescent Park Looff Carousel Daggett House Easter Rising Ethnicity First Baptist Church First Baptist Church in America 375th Anniversary First Professional Theater First Successful Cotton Mill in America First Town House of Providence First Universalist Church Fleur-De-Lys Studio Fountain Street Fox Point Cape Verdean Community Fox Point: The 19th Century Port of Providence / Shipping Expands Around the Point Gabriel Bernon Gaetano Del Guidice Gano Park - Centuries of History Giovanni Da Verrazzano Grover C. Walker Memorial Harnessing the Power of the Blackstone River HMS Gaspee Hope College Horace Mann In Honor of WWII Veterans In Memory of Henrietta I. Drummond In Memory of Korea and Vietnam Veterans In Memory of Our Townsmen Indomitable John Brown House John F. "Jack" McGee KellyÂ’s Mill Lady Carrington and The Blackstone Canal Lincoln St World War II Memorial Lippitt House Looff Carousel Luigi Scala Major Gales and Hurricanes around Market Square Major Henry Harrison Young Marconi Milling Machines Monastery Bell Morris Brown House Nine MenÂ’s Misery North Smithfield Vietnam War Memorial Old Slater Mill Olney Street Riot 1831 On This Location 5 August 1943 Three Servicemen Perished Pawtucket City Hall Pawtucket Public Library Pawtucket Public Library / Old Pawtucket Post Office Pawtucket Veterans Memorial Pembroke College Tribute Pierce Park and Riverwalk Prince Hall Prince Hall Masonic Lodge F.A.M. Providence Providence Harbor History Providence Marine Corps of Artillery Providence Preservation Organizations Providence River Bridge Providence River Park Realizing Providence Repentance for Slavery Revolutions: American and Industrial Rhode Island Holocaust Memorial Rhode Island Irish Famine Memorial Rhode Island Korean Veterans Memorial Rhode Island Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Rhode Island State House Rhode Island World War II Memorial Rise of the Gangways (1704-1844) / Fall of the Gangways (1844-1983) River and Fields at Pawtucket River Relocation Project and Providence River Park River Relocation Project and Providence River Park Rochambeau's Army in Rhode Island Roger Williams Founded Providence Here in 1636 Roger Williams Landing 1636 Roger Williams National Memorial Seasonal Gathering Shakespeare's Head Sissieretta Jones Site of Roger Williams House Slater Mill Snowtown Riot 1831 Spanish American War Memorial Splendid Mansion of Eleazer Arnold State Arsenal 20th Century Wars Memorial Steeple Street Steeple Street Steeple Street Complex Stephanie and Ashley Stephen Hopkins Styles The Arcade The Bicentennial of Haitian Independence The Boys of Adams' Battery "G" The Brown Bear The Changing Face of the West Bank / The West Bank The Crawford Street Bridge The First Baptist Church The First Baptist Meetinghouse The First Official Residence of the President of Brown University The Fox Point Hurricane Barrier/A Second Life for the Hurricane Barrier The Glory Days of Providence's Old Harbor The Grand Lodge of Rhode Island The History of The Weybosset Bridge The Hurricane and Flood of September 21, 1938 The Hurricane of September 21st 1938 The Interstate 195 Relocation Project and the Old Harbor Plan The Landing Place of Roger Williams The Meeting Street School The Moshassuck River The Old Harbor The Old Slater Mill The Original Water Supply The Perfect Place The Prophet of Religious Freedom The Puritan and the Indian The Second Freewill Baptist (Pond Street) Church The Site of Hardscrabble Riot 1824 The Wellspring of Providence The Wilkinson Mill The Woonasquatucket River Thomas A. Doyle To Our World War II Veterans Tockwotton and the Indiamen / Sails to Rails 1835: Providence's First Train Station Union Station University Hall Veterans of Foreign Wars Memorial Wall of Hope Washington Street Water Works Welcome to India Point Park Wilkinson Mill William Gilbane Witness to History Women of Woonsocket Woonasquatucket River Woonsocket Civil War Memorial Woonsocket Civil War Monument Woonsocket Spanish-American War Monument Woonsocket Veterans Monument Woonsocket YMCA World War I Memorial World War I Memorial World War I Monument World War II Memorial
Newport, Rhode Island was once one of the wealthiest cities in America due to its prominence in the shipping and whaling industries in the 18th century.
Providence County, located in the state of Rhode Island, has a rich and storied history that spans several centuries. The area was originally inhabited by the Narragansett Native American tribe before European colonization began in the 17th century. In 1636, Roger Williams founded the settlement of Providence, which would become the capital city of Rhode Island and the county seat of Providence County.

During the 18th century, Providence County experienced rapid industrial growth. The region became a major center for manufacturing, particularly in textiles, which helped fuel the Industrial Revolution in America. Mills and factories sprang up along the banks of the Blackstone River, utilizing its water power. This economic expansion led to an influx of immigrants, including Irish and Italian populations, who played a significant role in the area's cultural diversity.

Providence County played a pivotal role in the American Revolution. It was the site of important military actions such as the burning of the British revenue cutter Gaspee in 1772, a famous act of resistance against British authority. The county also supplied troops for the Continental Army, and notable figures like General Nathanael Greene, a trusted aide of George Washington, hailed from the area.

In the 19th and 20th centuries, Providence County continued to thrive industrially and economically. It became a center for innovation in fields like jewelry manufacturing and machine tool production. Additionally, the county witnessed significant social advancements, such as the establishment of institutions for higher education, including Brown University in Providence.

Today, Providence County remains a vibrant and diverse region. Its rich history is showcased through numerous museums, historic sites, and cultural events. The county's legacy as an industrial and cultural hub continues to shape its identity and contribute to Rhode Island's overall heritage.

This timeline provides a concise overview of the key events in the history of Providence County, Rhode Island.

  • 1636: Providence County was founded by Roger Williams when he purchased land from the Narragansett tribe.
  • 1643: Providence Plantations, including Providence County, joined the New England Confederation.
  • 1703: Providence County was officially established as one of three counties in the colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.
  • 1780: The Rhode Island General Assembly divided Providence County into five separate towns: Providence, Pawtucket, Cumberland, and Smithfield.
  • 1804: The city of Providence was officially incorporated as a separate municipality within Providence County.
  • 1831: The city of Pawtucket was officially incorporated as a separate municipality within Providence County.
  • 1868: The town of East Providence was separated from the city of Providence and incorporated as a separate municipality.
  • 1871: Burrillville was separated from Glocester and became a separate town in Providence County.
  • 1910: Woonsocket was incorporated as a city within Providence County.
  • 1972: Foster and Scituate were transferred from Providence County to neighboring Kent County.
  • 1986: The town of Smithfield was expanded to include the former town of Georgiaville.