Pawtucket is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. It is the fourth largest city in the state. It belongs with Warwick, Cranston, North Providence and East Providence to the Providence Metropolitan Area, a metropolitan area with more than 1.5 million inhabitants on the Atlantic coast about 40 km southwest of Boston and 200 km northeast of New York. The US The Census Bureau recorded a population of 75,604 as of the 2020 census.
Downtown Pawtucket, Rhode Island has received federal recognition for
its contributions to regional planning, industry, and architecture. The
historic district is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
by the National Park Service.
1 Slater Memorial Park, entrance at
15 Armistice Blvd or 1A Newport Ave, ☏+1 401 728-0500 ext. 257; open
Memorial Day through Labor Day from 8 am to 9 pm. From Labor Day to
Memorial Day, the park is open from 8 a.m. to dusk. In the center of the
park is a small lake with ducks and swans, the Daggett House,
Pawtucket's oldest house, Daggett Farm, the Roof Carousel, which opens
and closes in April, and the Rhode Island Watercolor Society
headquarters and gallery. There are 10 tennis courts, a baseball field,
basketball court, and open fields for year-round sports recreation.
Picnic areas are available for rent, and throughout the year the City of
Pawtucket offers Slater Park as a host of seasonal fun for its citizens.
Fall events include Pumpkins in the Park, where hundreds of
jack-o'-lanterns are carved and lit up, and the Haunted Tunnel, which
runs from late September through Halloween; Winter Wonderland is held in
December, when the carousel is specially opened and In December, Winter
Wonderland takes place, with a special opening of the carousel,
Christmas tree decorations, and concerts. The Pawtucket Arts Festival
hosts concerts and other events in the park during the summer months.
The most popular events are the free concert by the Boston Pops and the
fireworks finale that closes the festival.
2 Old Slater Mill National
Historic Landmark, 67 Roosevelt Ave, ☏ +1 401-205-6338. A museum complex
dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of America's industrial
heritage along the Blackstone River and at the birthplace of the
American Industrial Revolution. It also serves as the Blackstone Valley
National Corridor Visitor Center. The Slater Mill, built in 1793, was
the first water-powered cotton mill in North America. The mill regularly
hosts a variety of events, including workshops and ghost tours.
St.
Cecelia's Church, 1253 Newport Avenue, ☎ +1 401 722-1101. located at the
corner of Newport and Central, is one of the largest churches in Rhode
Island. Named for the patron saint of music.
Daggett Athletic Fields
(Daggett Ave.) A great athletic complex with various types of fields and
plenty of space. The best slopes in Pawtucket for sledding and
snowboarding. Woods in the back are perfect for a secluded walk. Bring
your roller blades, etc., as the trail leads immediately to Slater Park,
where it turns into a bike path.
Lee Pond on Broadway near Leedham
Hardware. Nice area and skate park. The main reason (the only reason) to
go there is because it's perfect for ice skating in sub-zero
temperatures. It's fun and you might even make a friend or two.
Hasbro Company, Newport Avenue Hasbro is one of the world's leading toy
companies.
Blackstone River. The Blackstone River flows through
Pawtucket and empties into Worcester, Massachusetts. Its water power
powered the Slater Mill and thus contributed to the beginning of the
country's conversion from farm to mill.
Samuel Slater Canal Boat, 175 Main St, ☏ +1 401 724-2200; call for
rates and hours; established in 2000, the canal boat offers 2.5-mile
river tours leading to the historic Slater Mill. Canal Boat can be
booked as a river tour for 12 people or rented as a bed and breakfast
overnight tour for 4 people.
Slater Park Bike Trail. This trail takes
walkers and cyclists from the edge of the park to the Daggett Athletic
Field.
Sandra Feinstein Gamm Theatre (172 Exchange St, ☏ +1 401
723-4266); the Gamm Theatre, which moved from a 75-seat theater in
Providence in 2003, opened in a renovated Pawtucket Armory listed on the
National Register of Historic Places. Gamm's productions presented at
the Armory offer an intimate viewing experience with only 135 seats.
Ticket prices vary by day. Regular tickets range from $24-$32. Gamm also
offers senior, student, subscriber, senior subscriber, and group
discounts.
Rhode Island Community Players (350 Division Street, Jenks
Middle School) ☎ +1 401 726-6860.Community Players is the oldest
community theater company in Rhode Island. They usually present four
productions: two plays and two musicals. Adult prices are $18 for
musicals and $15 for plays; children through 12th grade are $15 for
musicals and $12 for plays.
The Met, 1005 Main St, ☏ +1 401-729-1005.
medium-sized music hall in Hope Artist Village. Bands from all genres
such as rock, punk, jazz, hip-hop, hardcore, ska, etc. Mainly local
musicians perform, but also artists too small for Lupos. One advantage
over Providence clubs is that parking is free, with two brightly lit
free parking lots across the street and down the street. Most Sundays
there is an open blues jam with no cover. Tickets are on sale
atwww.etix.com, F.Y.E. Stores, Round Again Records, In Your Ear, and
Lupo's box office. Ticket prices vary depending on the acts performing.
Regular tickets range from $8-$25.
Rhode Island Watercolor Society
(RIWS), Slater Memorial Park Armistice Boulevard, ☏+1 401 726-1876;
gallery hours are Tue-Sat 10am-4pm, Wed 1pm-5pm. founded in 1896, the
Rhode Island Watercolor Society (RIWS) is a local The RIWS holds 15
exhibitions a year, along with the National Watercolor Competition.
Pawtucket Arts Festival 175 Main St, ☏ +1 401 724-5200. Held annually in
early September. The festival features visual arts, performances, and
participatory art events. Held in Slater Park and downtown Pawtucket.
United Skates of America, 75 New Rd, Rumford, ☏ +1 401 438-9898.
family-friendly skating rink. Cheap rates, skate rentals, games, prizes,
good food, and all kinds of parties can be organized.
Pawtucket
Veterans Memorial Park (intersection of Exchange St and Roosevelt Ave) ☎
+1 401 728-0500 ext. 225. overlooking the Blackstone River, this park
has a monument dedicated to all Pawtucket veterans and an amphitheater
with 225 seats and a covered stage. theater with 225 seats and a covered
stage.
Pawtucket Preservation Society ☏ +1 401 725-9581; see
Pawtucket's historic buildings, including Greek Revival, Victorian,
bungalow, and three-story buildings. Guided or self-guided historical
and architectural tours available.
Dennis M Lynch Arena Ice Skating
Rink, 25 Andrew Ferland Way (formerly Beatty St.), ☏ +1 401 728-7420.
Call for rates and hours. The rink was established in 2000 and is home
to the city's youth field hockey organization. It also offers ice
skating and figure skating lessons and open ice skating for the public.
RI Chinese Dragon Boat Race, Tim Healy Way. 8 am-4 pm. Dragon boat
racing is a great event to bring the little ones to. Races are held
throughout the day, with an awards ceremony at the end. It is also part
of the Pawtucket Arts Festival. Held once a year in August. Free.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 23.3 km², of which 22.6 km² is land and 0.7 km² (= 2.89%) is water. Pawtucket's territory falls within the drainage basins of three rivers: the Blackstone River, the tidal Seekonk River, and the Ten Mile River. Pawtucket is on a Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company rail line from Boston to Providence and has one station. Interstate 95 and the U.S. Hwy 1
The population was 71,148 at the 2010 census. Of these, 66.5% were
White, 13.4% African American, 1.5% Asian, 0.6% Native American. 19.7%
are Hispanics, with most already included under "Whites." There is 56.7%
White non-Hispanic origin. 6.1% indicated 2 or more races. Almost 20% of
the city's population are French speakers or French Canadians. The city
is also home to significant Portuguese, Cape Verdean and Liberian
communities.
Per capita income was $21,568, well below the Rhode
Island average of $28,707. 17.8% of Pawtucket's population lived below
the poverty line (Rhode Island: 12.2%).
Pawtucket was founded in 1671 near the falls of the Blackstone River.
Originally, the part west of the Black River belonged to North
Providence, and East Pawtucket to the east belonged to Rehoboth. After
1860 East Pawtucket was ceded from Massachusetts to Rhode Island and the
two boroughs were united to form Pawtucket.
The hydroelectric
power available through the river was an important location factor.
Powered by a mill, Samuel Slater installed the first successfully
working cotton spinning machine with a fully mechanized power
transmission system in 1793. As a result, other textile companies
settled in the city, and the textile industry determined the city's
economy well into the 20th century. In addition to the textile industry,
mechanical engineering and metalworking companies played an important
role in the development of the city.
After the decline of
industrial textile processing, Pawtucket remained a working class and
industrial town. In addition to the production of special textiles, the
most important industrial sectors today are the processing of gemstones,
the production of silverware and metal processing. In addition, the toy
manufacturer Hasbro has its headquarters in Pawtucket.
From 1934 to 1978, Narragansett Park was Pawtucket's racecourse. The facility seated 10,000 spectators and hosted several regular races. Among other things, the legendary Seabiscuit started here. In the 1970s, the number of spectators fell, and the facility closed in 1978. Today, the areas are covered by a commercial area, only the grandstand is still standing and is used by a discounter.