Carolina, Rhode Island
Encyclopedia
Carolina is a village that straddles the border of the towns of Charlestown
and Richmond
on the Pawcatuck River
in Washington County
, Rhode Island
. Rhode Island Route 112 passes through the village. Carolina is identified as a census-designated place
for reporting of data from the 2010 census
.
The Carolina Village Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1974. The district includes examples of Greek Revival
, Italianate
, and Queen Anne
architecture. The district comprises 71 properties over an area of 115 acre (0.4653889 km²) and includes the former mill complex and nearby residences. The district encompasses properties along Carolina Main Street and Carolina Back Road and their vicinity between Pine Hill Road and Alton-Carolina Road (Route 91
), including houses along Butter Lane, Tall Pines Drive, Schoolhouse Lane, Carolina Mill Lane, and Downs Court.
and a gristmill
were built on the river at the site of the village, which was then known as Nichols Bridge. A few years later, a cotton mill
was established, with production buildings mostly located in Richmond, but some employee housing located across the river in Charlestown. In 1843 Rowland G. Hazard
bought the mill, renaming it the Carolina Mills Company in honor of his wife, Caroline Newbold Hazard of South Kingstown. The village around the mill was also given the same name. The Rhode Island Historic Preservation Commission described 19th-century Carolina as a "center for the surrounding area, including a school, a church, a post office, a bank, several stores, a blacksmith
shop, and halls for meetings, lectures, and 'entertainments'." The local post office
was named "Carolina Mills" from 1850 until 1879, when it was renamed "Carolina."
In 1862 the complex switched from cotton textile production to production of woolens. The Hazard family operated the mill complex until 1863, when they leased it to T.R. Hyde & Co., which was a partnership between Thomas R. Hyde and Rowland Hazard II that operated the mill until 1868. The mill was sold to new owners in 1869, but Rowland Hazard II operated it as a lessee until at least 1877. The mill complex operated until 1930 or 1935.
The mill complex deteriorated after its closure, and Carolina became a residential community. However, other components of the village remained intact and the village was listed on the National Register in 1974. The portion of Carolina village in the town of Richmond includes a "corridor" of about two dozen one-story and one-and-a-half-story cottages and other domestic buildings built between about 1840 and 1870. Other buildings of historic interest include the remains of the mill; the Carolina School, built in 1845; the Carolina Free Will Baptist Church, built in 1845 and relocated in 1865; the octagonal Albert Potter House
, built in 1867; and a 2½-story Queen Anne-style house built by Ellison Tinkham, who was one of the owners of the mills from 1868 until 1907.
Carolina was also the site of the establishment of one of the first trout farms
in America. In 1877 John W. Hoxie established the Clearwater Trout Farm on White Brook from land leased from Rowland G. Hazard, north of the village center. Two years later Hoxie's brother, Charles, established his own White Brook Trout Hatchery on an adjacent plot of land along the brook. By 1892 the White Brook Trout Hatchery was incorporated as the American Fish Culture Company with Rowland Hazard II as a minority shareholder. In 1899 the Hazard family gained controlling interest in the corporation. Upon the death of John W. Hoxie in 1903, the R. Hazard Estate acquired full interest in Clearwater Trout Farm, and both farms were eventually merged and operated as American Fish Culture Company by the Hazard Family until its sale to the State of Rhode Island
in 1995. By the early 1920s, American Fish Culture Company was considered to be the largest fish farm in America.
Charlestown, Rhode Island
Charlestown is a town in Washington County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 7,827 at the 2010 census.-History:Charlestown is named after King Charles II, and was incorporated in 1738. The area was formerly part of the town of Westerly...
and Richmond
Richmond, Rhode Island
Richmond is a town in Washington County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 7,708 at the 2010 census. The villages of Alton, Arcadia, Carolina, Hope Valley, Kenyon, Shannock, Usquepaug, Woodville, and Wyoming are located in Richmond.-History:The town of Richmond was originally part...
on the Pawcatuck River
Pawcatuck River
The Pawcatuck River is a river in the U.S. states of Rhode Island and Connecticut flowing approximately . There are eight dams along the river's length. The former USS Pawcatuck was named after the river.-History:...
in Washington County
Washington County, Rhode Island
Washington County, commonly known colloquially as South County, is a county located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. Washington County borders Kent County to the north, New London County in Connecticut to the west, Suffolk County in New York to the southwest, the Atlantic...
, Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
. Rhode Island Route 112 passes through the village. Carolina is identified as a census-designated place
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
for reporting of data from the 2010 census
United States Census, 2010
The Twenty-third United States Census, known as Census 2010 or the 2010 Census, is the current national census of the United States. National Census Day was April 1, 2010 and is the reference date used in enumerating individuals...
.
The Carolina Village Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1974. The district includes examples of Greek Revival
Greek Revival architecture
The Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in Northern Europe and the United States. A product of Hellenism, it may be looked upon as the last phase in the development of Neoclassical architecture...
, Italianate
Italianate architecture
The Italianate style of architecture was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. In the Italianate style, the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian Renaissance architecture, which had served as inspiration for both Palladianism and...
, and Queen Anne
Queen Anne Style architecture
The Queen Anne Style in Britain means either the English Baroque architectural style roughly of the reign of Queen Anne , or a revived form that was popular in the last quarter of the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century...
architecture. The district comprises 71 properties over an area of 115 acre (0.4653889 km²) and includes the former mill complex and nearby residences. The district encompasses properties along Carolina Main Street and Carolina Back Road and their vicinity between Pine Hill Road and Alton-Carolina Road (Route 91
Route 91 (Rhode Island)
-Route:Route 91 takes the following route through the State:*Westerly: ; Route 3 to Hopkinton town line**Oak Street, Westerly-Bradford Road*Hopkinton: ; Westerly town line to Richmond town line**Alton-Bradford Road...
), including houses along Butter Lane, Tall Pines Drive, Schoolhouse Lane, Carolina Mill Lane, and Downs Court.
History
In 1802 the first wooden damDam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
and a gristmill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
were built on the river at the site of the village, which was then known as Nichols Bridge. A few years later, a cotton mill
Cotton mill
A cotton mill is a factory that houses spinning and weaving machinery. Typically built between 1775 and 1930, mills spun cotton which was an important product during the Industrial Revolution....
was established, with production buildings mostly located in Richmond, but some employee housing located across the river in Charlestown. In 1843 Rowland G. Hazard
Rowland G. Hazard
Rowland Gibson Hazard was an American industrialist, politician, and social reformer.-Early life:Hazard was born in South Kingstown, Rhode Island in 1801. His parents were Rowland Hazard , founder in 1802 of the Peace Dale Manufacturing Company in Peace Dale, Rhode Island, and the former Mary Peace...
bought the mill, renaming it the Carolina Mills Company in honor of his wife, Caroline Newbold Hazard of South Kingstown. The village around the mill was also given the same name. The Rhode Island Historic Preservation Commission described 19th-century Carolina as a "center for the surrounding area, including a school, a church, a post office, a bank, several stores, a blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
shop, and halls for meetings, lectures, and 'entertainments'." The local post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
was named "Carolina Mills" from 1850 until 1879, when it was renamed "Carolina."
In 1862 the complex switched from cotton textile production to production of woolens. The Hazard family operated the mill complex until 1863, when they leased it to T.R. Hyde & Co., which was a partnership between Thomas R. Hyde and Rowland Hazard II that operated the mill until 1868. The mill was sold to new owners in 1869, but Rowland Hazard II operated it as a lessee until at least 1877. The mill complex operated until 1930 or 1935.
The mill complex deteriorated after its closure, and Carolina became a residential community. However, other components of the village remained intact and the village was listed on the National Register in 1974. The portion of Carolina village in the town of Richmond includes a "corridor" of about two dozen one-story and one-and-a-half-story cottages and other domestic buildings built between about 1840 and 1870. Other buildings of historic interest include the remains of the mill; the Carolina School, built in 1845; the Carolina Free Will Baptist Church, built in 1845 and relocated in 1865; the octagonal Albert Potter House
Albert S. Potter Octagon House
The Albert S. Potter Octagon House, also known simply as the Octagon House, is an historic octagonal house located at 4 Carolina Main Street on the corner of Shannock Hill Road in the village of Carolina in Richmond, Rhode Island. It was built by watchmaker Albert S. Potter in 1857...
, built in 1867; and a 2½-story Queen Anne-style house built by Ellison Tinkham, who was one of the owners of the mills from 1868 until 1907.
Carolina was also the site of the establishment of one of the first trout farms
Fish farming
Fish farming is the principal form of aquaculture, while other methods may fall under mariculture. Fish farming involves raising fish commercially in tanks or enclosures, usually for food. A facility that releases young fish into the wild for recreational fishing or to supplement a species'...
in America. In 1877 John W. Hoxie established the Clearwater Trout Farm on White Brook from land leased from Rowland G. Hazard, north of the village center. Two years later Hoxie's brother, Charles, established his own White Brook Trout Hatchery on an adjacent plot of land along the brook. By 1892 the White Brook Trout Hatchery was incorporated as the American Fish Culture Company with Rowland Hazard II as a minority shareholder. In 1899 the Hazard family gained controlling interest in the corporation. Upon the death of John W. Hoxie in 1903, the R. Hazard Estate acquired full interest in Clearwater Trout Farm, and both farms were eventually merged and operated as American Fish Culture Company by the Hazard Family until its sale to the State of Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
in 1995. By the early 1920s, American Fish Culture Company was considered to be the largest fish farm in America.