Charles, Providence, Rhode Island
Encyclopedia
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
. Along with Wanskuck
Wanskuck, Providence, Rhode Island
Wanskuck is a neighborhood in the northern edge of Providence, Rhode Island. Along with Charles, it is one of two neighborhoods comprising what is often referred to as the North End. Wanskuck is bounded to the east by Route 146, to the west by Providence College, Admiral street, Douglas avenue,...
, it comprises what is sometimes referred to as the North End. To the west Charles is partitioned from Wanskuck by Route 146, while the Chad Brown public housing complex separates Charles from Smith Hill to the south, and the West River
West River
-Rivers:Canada*West River in Antigonish County, Nova Scotia*West River in Pictou County, Nova Scotia*West River in Sheet Harbour, Nova Scotia...
and Interstate 95
Interstate 95 in Rhode Island
Interstate 95, the main north–south Interstate Highway on the east coast of the United States, runs generally southwest-northeast through the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It runs from the border with Connecticut near Westerly through Warwick and Providence and to the Massachusetts state line...
bounds the area to the east. The city limits abutting the city of North Providence
North Providence, Rhode Island
North Providence is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 32,078 at the 2010 census.The town has the distinction of being the smallest by area in the smallest state . Though at only , the city of Central Falls is Rhode Island's smallest municipality...
bound Charles to the north.
History
Until Wanskuck Road (now Branch Avenue) was completed in 1706, Charles's lack of connections to the more developed part of Providence kept the area sparsely populated. In 1765, the isolated North End (of which Charles is a part) was annexed to the neighboring town of North Providence. By the 19th century, the improvement in infrastructure and proximity to the West RiverWest River (Rhode Island)
The West River is a river in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It flows approximately and is the only named tributary of the Moshassuck River. It has a history of providing water to textile mills during the Industrial Revolution as evidenced by the 7 dams along the river's length.-Course:The West...
caused corporations such as the Silver Spring Bleaching and Dyeing Company to move to the area. With the new industry came an influx of immigrants and an increase in demand for housing stock. By the end of the century the neighborhood was filled with one and two family homes of Irish, English, German, Scottish, and Italian immigrant families, with the largest presence found of the latter. This rapid growth and development were among the factors that lead North Providence to return the North End to Providence in 1874.
The neighborhood's connection to the rest of Providence improved further with streetcar service in 1895. By the 1930s, Charles was densely settled by the working and middle class.
In the latter half of the 20th century, much industry declined and withdrew from the region, though the effects have been somewhat mitigated by Providence's attempts to market part of the area as an industrial park.
Demographics
For the most part, Charles remains a primarily residential and commercial neighborhood. Homeownership, unemployment, and income levels remain steady and the neighborhood remains predominantly white with 52.7% of occupants claiming Italian ancestry. 16% of residents are HispanicHispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
and 8% are African-American. One in three children under the age of six speaks a language other than English as their primary language.
The median family income is $36,966, above the city-wide average of $32,058. 16% of households live in poverty and 7% of households receive some form of public assistance.
Government
All of Charles in is Ward 4, which is represented in the Providence City CouncilProvidence City Council
The Providence City Council is the fifteen-member legislative body of the city of Providence, Rhode Island. The two major responsibilities of the council are enacting ordinances necessary to ensure the welfare and good order of the city and adopting the city's annual budget...
by Nicholas J. Narducci, Jr, a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
.
Parks
The Charles neighborhood includes four green spaces:- Ascham Field - a 1.72 acres (6,960.6 m²) athletic flied.
- Hopkins Square - a 1 acres (4,046.9 m²) plaza at the corner of Branch Avenue and Charles Street. The square includes a statue of Esek HopkinsEsek HopkinsCommodore Esek Hopkins was the first and only Commander in Chief of the Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War. He was also an accomplished merchant captain and privateer.-Early life and career:...
. - Prete-Metcalf Field - an 11.36 acres (45,972.3 m²) area of athletic fields and walking trails
- St Ann's Plaza - a small plaza at the corner of Branch Avenue and Hawkins Street.
There is also a preserve, the Canada Pond Management area, in the northwest corner of Charles. The preserve extends into North Providence, Rhode Island
North Providence, Rhode Island
North Providence is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 32,078 at the 2010 census.The town has the distinction of being the smallest by area in the smallest state . Though at only , the city of Central Falls is Rhode Island's smallest municipality...
.