Providence (or Providencia in Spanish) is the capital and
largest city of Rhode Island in the United States, and one of
the first cities to be founded in that country. Located in
Providence County, the city is the second most Great New
England. Its population in 2010 was 178,042 inhabitants, while
that of its metropolitan area was 1,600,856 inhabitants.
Formerly nicknamed the "Hive of Industry," Providence began
promoting itself as "the Creative Capital" in 2009 to emphasize
its educational resources and arts community. Its previous alias
was "Renaissance City", although in 2010 the percentage of the
population below the poverty line was 29.1%.
Providence was founded in June 1636 by Puritan divine Roger Williams
and became one of the original Thirteen Colonies. As a minister in the
Massachusetts Bay Colony, Williams advocated the separation of church
and state and condemned the confiscation of Native American land by
settlers. For these "various, new, and dangerous opinions" he was
convicted of sedition and heresy and banished from the colony. Williams
and others established a settlement at Rumford.
The party later
moved down the Seekonk River, around the point now known as Fox Point,
and up the Providence River to the confluence of the Moshassuck and
Woonasquatucket rivers. Here they established a new settlement which
they named "Providence Plantations", one of the first towns in the
United States of the colonial era.
Unlike Salem and Boston,
Providence lacked a royal charter. Settlers organized themselves like
this, allocating land on the east side of the river (the East Side) in
1638. Approximately six acres each, these home lots stretched from Towne
Street (now South Main Street) to Hope Street.
In 1652,
Providence outlawed African and African-American slavery for periods of
more than 10 years. This statute constituted the first anti-slavery law
in the United States, although there is no evidence that the ban was
ever enforced.
In March 1676, the Narragansetts burned down
Providence Plantations as part of King Philip's War. Later in the year,
the Rhode Island legislature formally rebuked the other colonies for
provoking the war.
In 1770 Brown University moved to Providence
from nearby Warren. At the time, the college was known as Rhode Island
College, occupying a single building on College Hill. The university's
choice to move to Providence instead of Newport symbolized a further
shift away from the latter city's commercial and political dominance
over the state.
Providence residents were among the first patriots to shed blood in the run-up to the Revolutionary War during the Gaspee Affair of 1772, and Rhode Island was the first of the Thirteen Colonies to renounce allegiance to the British Crown in the May 4, 1776. It was also the last of the Thirteen States to ratify the United States Constitution on May 29, 1790, once they had ensured that the Bill of Rights would become part of the Constitution.
After the war, Providence was the ninth largest city in the country
with 7,614 residents. The economy shifted from maritime endeavors to
manufacturing, particularly machinery, tools, silverware, jewelry, and
textiles. In the early 20th century, Providence was home to some of the
largest manufacturing plants in the country, including Brown & Sharpe,
Nicholson File, and the Gorham Manufacturing Company.
Providence
residents ratified a city charter in 1831 when the population exceeded
17,000. The city's seat of government was located in the Market House on
Market Square from 1832 to 1878, which was the geographic and social
center of the city. city. City offices soon outgrew this building, and
the City Council resolved to create a permanent municipal building in
1845. City offices moved to Providence City Hall in 1878.
Local
politics were divided over slavery during the Civil War, as many had
ties to southern cotton and the slave trade. Despite ambivalence
regarding the war, the number of military volunteers routinely exceeded
quota, and the city's manufacturing proved invaluable to the Union.
Providence prospered after the war, and waves of immigrants raised the
population from 54,595 in 1865 to 175,597 in 1900.
In the early 20th century, Providence was one of the wealthiest
cities in the United States. Providence was a major manufacturer of
industrial products, from steam engines to precision tools, silverware,
screws, and textiles. Giant companies were headquartered in or near
Providence, such as Brown & Sharpe, Corliss Steam Engine Company,
Babcock & Wilcox, Grinnell Corporation, Gorham Manufacturing Company,
Nicholson File, and the Fruit of the Loom textile company.
From
1975 to 1982, $606 million of national and local community development
funds were invested throughout the city. In the 1990s, the city pushed
for revitalization, realigning the north-south train tracks, removing
the massive rail viaduct that separated downtown from the capitol
building, uncovering and moving the rivers (which had been covered by
paved bridges) to creating Waterplace Park and river walks along the
riverbanks and building the Fleet Skating Rink (now Alex and Ani City
Center) and Providence Place Mall.
In the early 2000s, Providence undertook an economic development plan
that outlined a planned shift to a knowledge economy. These efforts
involved rebranding the formerly Industrial Jewelry District as a new
"Knowledge District".
Despite the new investments, poverty
remains an entrenched problem. Approximately 27.9 percent of the city's
population lives below the poverty line. Recent increases in real estate
values further exacerbate problems for those with marginal income
levels, as Providence had the largest increase. high in the median home
price of any city in the United States between 2004 and 2005.
According to the Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 112.7
km², of which 99.7 km² is land and 5.4 km² (10%) is water.
Providence sits at the head of Narragansett Bay, with the Providence
River, formed by the confluence of the Moshassuck and Woonasquatucket
rivers, flowing into the bay through Downtown.
Providence is
founded on seven hills. The most prominent are: Constitution Hill (near
Downtown), College Hill (east of the Providence River), and Federal Hill
(west of Downtown). The other four are Tockwotten Hill, Smith Hill,
Christian Hill and Weybosset Hill.
it has 25 official neighborhoods, although these neighborhoods are
often grouped together and collectively referred to as:
The East
Side is a region that includes the neighborhoods of Blackstone, Hope
(also known as Summit), Mount Hope, College Hill, Wayland, and Fox
Point.
The Jewelry District describes the area bounded by I-95, the
former I-195, and the Providence River. The city has endeavored to
rename this area the Knowledge District to reflect the new development
of the area's life sciences and technology-based economy.
The North
End is formed by the concatenation of the neighborhoods of Charles,
Wanskuck, Smith Hill, Elmhurst and Mount Pleasant.
The South Side (or
South Providence) consists of the neighborhoods of Elmwood, Lower South
Providence, Upper South Providence, Washington Park, and West End.
West Broadway is an officially recognized neighborhood with its own
association. It overlaps with the southern half of Federal Hill and the
northern part of the West End.
Geographically, Providence is compact, characteristic of East Coast
cities that developed before the use of the automobile. It is among the
most densely populated cities in the country and has the eighth highest
percentage of pedestrian travelers. The city's street layout is
irregular; more than a thousand streets run haphazardly, connecting and
leaving traditionally bustling places like Market Square.
Downtown Providence has numerous 19th century commercial buildings in
the Federal and Victorian architectural styles, as well as several
Postmodern and Modernist buildings. In particular, there is a fairly
clear spatial separation between the areas of pre-1980s development and
post-1980s development; West Exchange Street and Exchange Terrace serve
as the rough boundaries between the two.
The newer area,
sometimes called "Capitol Center", includes Providence Place Mall
(1999), Omni Providence Hotel (1993) and Providence Residences (2007),
GTECH Corporation (2006), Waterplace Towers condominiums (2007), and
Waterplace Park (1994). The area tends towards newer development, as
much of it is land reclaimed in the 1970s from a mass of railway tracks
colloquially referred to as the "Chinese Wall". This part of the Center
is characterized by spaces open, wide fairways and landscaping.
The streetscape of much of Downtown has retained a similar appearance
since the early 20th century. Many of the tallest buildings in the state
are located here. At 130m tall, the city's tallest structure is the Art
Deco-style Industrial National Bank Building. This contrasts with the
city's second-tallest structure, the modern-style One Financial Plaza.
Other buildings on the Providence skyline include the postmodern 50
Kennedy Plaza and the modern Textron Tower. Downtown is also home to the
historic Providence Biltmore Hotel and the Westminster Arcade, the
oldest enclosed mall in the United States.
The city's southern
shoreline, away from Downtown, is the location of oil tanks, ferry and
shipping docks, power plants, and nightclubs. The Russian Submarine
Museum was located here until 2008, when the submarine sank. The Fox
Point Hurricane Barrier is also located here, built to protect
Providence from storm surges such as those suffered by the city during
the Great New England Hurricane of 1938 and Hurricane Carol of 1954.
Most of the urban landscape comprises abandoned and revitalized
industrial mills, two- and three-story homes, a small number of
high-rise buildings (predominantly for housing the elderly), and
single-family homes. Interstate 95 serves as a physical barrier between
the city's commercial core and neighborhoods such as Federal Hill and
the West End.
Providence has a humid continental climate, with hot summers, cold
winters, and high humidity throughout the year. The influence of the
Atlantic Ocean keeps Providence, and the rest of Rhode Island, warmer
than most inland New England. January is the coldest month with an
average of -2.3 °C, while July is the warmest month with an average of
22.6 °C. 11 days each summer the maximum temperature is reached, which
is 32 °C. The most extreme temperatures in history have been -27 °C on
February 9, 1934 and 40 °C in August 1975.
Like the rest of the
northeast coast, Providence receives abundant rainfall throughout the
year. Monthly precipitation ranges from a maximum of 127.3 mm in March
to a minimum of 83.6 mm in July. Rainfall is generally less in the
summer months than in the winter months, when storms known as
"Nor'easters" can cause significant snowfall and blizzards. Although
hurricanes are not frequent on the New England coast, Providence's
location at the head of Narragansett Bay makes it vulnerable to them.
According to the 2010 census, Providence had 178,042 people, 162,956
households, and 35,261 families. The population density was 3,840
inhabitants per square kilometer, quite high and characteristic of
relatively old New England cities such as New Haven ( Connecticut),
Springfield, Massachusetts, and Hartford, Connecticut. Also like these
cities, the population peaked in the 1940s, just before the period of
rapid urbanization that took place across the country.
Providence
has had a significant Italian population since the early 20th century;
in 1930, 20% of the population claimed to have Italian ancestry, a
percentage that has dropped to 13% today. This influence is manifested
in the Little Italy neighborhood on Federal Hill. Irish immigrants are
also of considerable importance; 9% of residents claim to have Irish
ancestors.
According to the Census Bureau in 2000 the median
household income in the town was $26,867, and the median family income
was $32,058. About 29.1% of the population and 23.9% of families were
below the poverty line.
Around 1830, Providence had manufacturing industries in metals,
machinery, textiles, jewelry, and silverware. Manufacturing has since
declined, but the city remains one of the largest centers of jewelry and
silverware design and manufacturing. Services also make up a large part
of the city's economy, particularly education, health care, and finance.
Providence is also the site of a Sectional Center Facility (SCF), a
regional center for the United States Postal Service. As the capital of
Rhode Island, the city's economy also consists of government services.
Notable Providence-based companies include Fortune 500 Textron, a
high-tech industrial conglomerate; United Natural Foods, distributor of
natural and organic foods; Fortune 1000 Nortek Incorporated; Gilbane,
construction and real estate company. Other companies based in the city
include Citizens Bank, Virgin Pulse, Ørsted US Offshore Wind, and
Providence Equity.
The city is home to the Rhode Island
Convention Center, which opened in December 1993. Along with a hotel,
the convention center is connected to Providence Place Mall, a major
shopping center, via an elevated walkway.
Much of Providence's culture is similar to that of Rhode Island. As
in the state, the city's inhabitants have a non-rhotic accent.
Providence has the highest number of donut shops per capita of any city
in the country, with one per 4,700 residents. Providence, like many
other cities in the United States, is reputed to have the highest number
of restaurants per capita, many of which are all of which have been
founded or run by graduates of Johnson & Wales University.
Providence has several ethnic neighborhoods, the most important being
Federal Hill and the North End (Italian), Fox Point (Portuguese), West
End (mainly Central American and Asian), and Smith Hill (Irish with
various enclaves of other ethnicities).
The city has earned a
reputation as one of the most active and growing gay communities in the
Northeast; the rate of same-sex relationships is 75% higher than the
national average. Former mayor David Cicilline won the election as an
outspoken man gay, making him the first openly gay mayor of a state
capital in the United States. Providence is home to the largest gay
saunas in New England.
During the summer months, the city is home
to WaterFire, an environmental art installation consisting of about 100
bonfires burning just above the surface of the three rivers that run
through Downtown Providence. There are multiple WaterFire events that
are taking place accompanied by pieces of classical music and world
music. The public art displays, especially the sculptures, change
regularly. The Tony Award-winning theater group Trinity Repertory
Company, the Providence Black Repertory Company, and the Rhode Island
Philharmonic Orchestra originate from Providence.
Providence is
also home to several performing arts centers such as the Veterans
Memorial Auditorium, the Providence Performing Arts Center, and the
Providence Festival Ballet. The city's underground music scene, centered
around artist-controlled spaces like the now-defunct Fort Thunder, is
well known in underground music circles. The city is set in The Affair
of Charles Dexter Ward (1928) by H. P. Lovecraft .
The city is also home to the Tony Award-winning Trinity Repertory Company theater group, the Providence Black Repertory Company, and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as groups such as The American Band, once associated with the noted American composer David Wallis Reeves. Providence is also home to several performing arts centers, including the Veterans Memorial Auditorium, the Providence Performing Arts Center, and the Providence Festival Ballet. The city's underground music centers around artist-run venues like the now-defunct Fort Thunder and is well known in alternative circles. Providence is also home to the Providence Improv Guild, an improv theater that hosts weekly performances and offers improv classes and skits. of comedy, and AS220, a former non-profit arts center with exhibition, educational and performance spaces, as well as live performances.
Providence has a 5 km² park system. These include Waterplace Park and Riverwalk, Roger Williams Park, Roger Williams National Memorial, and Prospect Terrace Park. Prospect Terrace Park has expansive views of Downtown, as well as a 15-foot-tall granite statue of Roger Williams looking out over the city. As one of America's first cities, Providence contains many historic buildings, while the East Side neighborhood in particular includes the largest contiguous area of buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with many homes built before Independence .
Providence's East Side is also home to the First Baptist Church of
America, which was founded by Williams in 1638, as well as the Old State
House, which served as the state capitol from 1762 to 1904. Nearby is
Roger Williams National Monument. . The State House has the fourth
largest free-standing marble dome in the world and the second largest
marble dome after Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome. Westminster Arcade is
the oldest enclosed shopping mall in the country.
The Rhode
Island School of Design Museum contains the 20th largest collection in
the United States. The Providence Athenaeum is the fourth oldest library
in the United States, along with the Providence Public Library and the
nine branches of the Rhode Island Community Library. Providence. Edgar
Allan Poe frequented the library and met and courted Sarah Helen Whitman
in the library. H. P. Lovecraft was also a frequent visitor there.
The Bank Newport City Center is located near Kennedy Plaza in
Downtown, connected by a pedestrian tunnel to Waterplace Park, a
cobblestone and concrete park below street traffic that adjoins the
three Providence rivers. Another landmark of the Downtown is the
Providence Biltmore, a historic hotel adjacent to Kennedy Square.
The southern part of the city is home to the famous Big Blue Bug
attraction, the world's largest termite, and the mascot of the namesake
Big Blue Bug Solutions. Roger Williams Park contains a zoo, botanical
center, and the Museum of Natural History and Planetarium.
The city is home to the Providence Bruins of the American Hockey
League, who play at the Dunkin' Donuts Center (formerly the Providence
Civic Center). From 1926 to 1972, the AHL's Providence Reds played at
the Rhode Island Auditorium. In 1972, the team moved to the Providence
Civic Center, where they played until moving to Binghamton, New York, in
1977.
The city is home to the Rhode Island Rebellion rugby league
team, which plays for Classical High School. Its inaugural season began
on June 4, 2011.
The NFL's New England Patriots and MLS's New
England Revolution play in Foxborough, Massachusetts, which is located
halfway between Providence and Boston. Providence was once the home of
the NFL's Providence Steam Rollers in the 1920s and 1930s, and the BAA's
Providence Steamrollers in the 1940s. The city was also the site of
Rocky Marciano's 29 of his 49 fights.
The city's now-defunct
baseball team, the Providence Grays, competed in the National League
from 1879 to 1885. The team defeated the New York Metropolitans in
baseball's first successful World Series in 1884. Today, professional
baseball is represented by the Pawtucket Red Sox, who play in
neighboring Pawtucket.
Providence was the site of the alternative
sports event Gravity Games from 1999 to 2001, and was the first site of
the X Games, known in its first edition as the Extreme Games, in 1995.
Providence has its own roller derby league; was formed in 2004 and has
four teams: the Providence Mob Squad, the Sakonnet River Roller Rats,
the Old Money Honeys, and the Rhode Island Riveters.
As the state capital, Providence is home to the Rhode Island General
Assembly, as well as the offices of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor
at the Rhode Island State House. The city itself has a mayor-council
government. The Providence City Council consists of 15 aldermen, one for
each of the city's wards, who enact ordinances and approve an annual
budget. Providence also has probate and superior courts. The United
States District Court for the District of Rhode Island is located
downtown, across from Providence City Hall, next to Kennedy Plaza.
In November 2002, David Cicilline was elected mayor of Providence,
becoming the first openly gay mayor of a US state capital.
The
city's first Latino mayor was Ángel Taveras, who took office on January
3, 2011. Current mayor Jorge Elorza succeeded him on January 5, 2015.