Federal Hill, Providence
Encyclopedia
The Federal Hill neighborhood has a salient role in the history of Providence
due to its central location within the city. This part of Providence is best known for its Italian American
community and abundance of restaurant
s.
and Route 10 to the west and north, and Interstate 95
to the east. The area borders: Downtown
to the east, Smith Hill and Valley to the north, Olneyville to the west, and the West End
and South Providence
to the south.
Atwells Avenue is the cultural centerpiece of the neighborhood, with many famous restaurants densely clustered along it between Interstate 95 and Harris Avenue, but also containing a mix of other typical urban businesses such as numerous sandwich and pizza shops, convenience stores, and tattoo
parlors. The gateway arch over Atwells Avenue near Downtown is one of the most recognizable landmarks in Providence. The La Pigna (or The Pine Cone) sculpture hanging from its center, a traditional Italian symbol of welcome, abundance, and quality, is often mistakenly referred to as "The Pineapple" and has become the symbol of Federal Hill. Other important streets in the neighborhood include Broadway, home primarily to professional, medical and legal offices, but also to the historic Columbus Theater now used for both movies and live performances. Other than a commercial and warehouse section in the area of Dean and Washington Streets, most of the rest of the neighborhood is residential, often catering to college students. Johnson and Wales University also maintains the Renaissance Hall Dormitory on Federal Hill as well.
Most cross streets in the historic neighborhood between Atwells Avenue and Broadway are one-way due to their narrowness. A few streets remain paved with cobblestone
.
roast celebration on the plain adjacent to the hill. The organizers of the celebration intended to celebrate the ratification of the Federal Constitution by the 9 of the 13 states needed to create the United States. Because anti-federalist sentiment was strong in Rhode Island, General William West led 1,000 armed farmers to Providence to stop the celebration. Eventually, a compromise was reached and the celebrants agreed to celebrate Independence Day only and not the ratification of the Federal Constitution. The issue remained hotly controversial in Rhode Island for two more years until the state finally became the last of the original thirteen states to join the union.
The area of Federal Hill was originally called Nocabulabet, believed to be an anglicized version of either a Narragansett
or Wampanoag phrase meaning "land above the river" or "land between the ancient waters."
Federal Hill's Atwells Avenue is named for Amos Maine Atwell, who led a syndicate of businessmen developing the western areas of the city in 1788. The area developed into a working class area during the early 19th century in part due to reverses in commercial shipping.
The first two decades of the 20th century witnessed heavy Italian-American immigration into Federal Hill, making it the city's informal Little Italy
. Though the area today is more diverse, Federal Hill still retains its status as the traditional center for the city's Italian-American community. Providence's annual Columbus Day
parade marches down Atwells Avenue.
, the racial makeup of the 02903 zip code, in which Federal Hill is located, was 65.8% White, 12.4% Black or African American, 7.2% Asian, 0.7% American Indian, and 8.4% from other races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15.2% of the population.
According to the Providence Plan, a local nonprofit aimed at improving city life, 47% of residents are white, 32.1% Hispanic
, and 14.8% are African-American. These are all slightly above the city-wide averages. Nearly 50% of public school children speak a language other than English as their primary language.
The median family income is $27,288, below the city-wide average of $32,058. 28% of families live below the poverty line with 10% of residents receiving some form of public assistance.
One in four children has been exposed to unsafe levels of lead.
by Democrat Bryan Principe. A small portion of Federal Hill is in Ward 15, represented by Democrat Josephine DiRuzzo.
The Providence Public Safety Complex is located on Federal Hill at 325 Washington Street. The complex is the headquarters of the Providence Police Department, the Providence Fire Department
and the city's municipal courts. The courts and particularly Judge Frank Caprio
have been made famous locally by the television show Caught in Providence, which documents the proceedings of the municipal court.
The Quality Assurance Review Center
(QARC) is located in the Federal Hill neighborhood.
Another large green space is Franciscan Park, a two and a half acre park, located off Broadway near Route 6.
Also, the Spruce Street Bocce Courts on the northwest corner of Spruce and Dean streets has benches and two lighted bocce courts and serves as the home of several local bocce leagues, the largest being the popular Nocabulabet Bocce League which hosts games on Wednesday nights during its spring and fall seasons.
. The area's proximity to Johnson and Wales University has allowed Providence to attract and retain skilled chefs, many of whom work in the many restaurants on Atwells Avenue.
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...
due to its central location within the city. This part of Providence is best known for its Italian American
Italian American
An Italian American , is an American of Italian ancestry. The designation may also refer to someone possessing Italian and American dual citizenship...
community and abundance of restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
s.
Geography
Federal Hill is bounded by Westminster Street to the south, Route 6U.S. Route 6 in Rhode Island
U.S. Route 6 is a major east–west road in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. Nationally, the route continues west to Bishop, California and east to Provincetown, Massachusetts. In western Rhode Island, it forms part of one of several routes between Hartford, Connecticut and Providence, Rhode...
and Route 10 to the west and north, 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...
to the east. The area borders: Downtown
Downtown, Providence, Rhode Island
Downtown, also known as Downcity, is the central economic, political, and cultural district of the city of Providence, Rhode Island. It is bounded on the east by Canal Street and the Providence River, to the north by Smith Street, to the west by Interstate 95, and to the south by Henderson Street...
to the east, Smith Hill and Valley to the north, Olneyville to the west, and the West End
West End, Providence, Rhode Island
The West End is a neighborhood in the southwestern part of Providence, Rhode Island in the region often referred to as the South Side. Its boundaries are delineated by Westminster Street to the north, Huntington Avenue to the south, Elmwood Avenue to the east and the railroad tracks with Route 10...
and South Providence
Upper South Providence, Providence, Rhode Island
Upper South Providence is an official neighborhood in the South Side in the city of Providence, Rhode Island. It is bound to the north by Interstate 95, the east by the Providence River, to the south by Public Street, and the west by Broad Street...
to the south.
Tattoo
A tattoo is made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. Tattoos on humans are a type of body modification, and tattoos on other animals are most commonly used for identification purposes...
parlors. The gateway arch over Atwells Avenue near Downtown is one of the most recognizable landmarks in Providence. The La Pigna (or The Pine Cone) sculpture hanging from its center, a traditional Italian symbol of welcome, abundance, and quality, is often mistakenly referred to as "The Pineapple" and has become the symbol of Federal Hill. Other important streets in the neighborhood include Broadway, home primarily to professional, medical and legal offices, but also to the historic Columbus Theater now used for both movies and live performances. Other than a commercial and warehouse section in the area of Dean and Washington Streets, most of the rest of the neighborhood is residential, often catering to college students. Johnson and Wales University also maintains the Renaissance Hall Dormitory on Federal Hill as well.
Most cross streets in the historic neighborhood between Atwells Avenue and Broadway are one-way due to their narrowness. A few streets remain paved with cobblestone
Cobblestone
Cobblestones are stones that were frequently used in the pavement of early streets. "Cobblestone" is derived from the very old English word "cob", which had a wide range of meanings, one of which was "rounded lump" with overtones of large size...
.
History
Federal Hill received its name after a 1788 Fourth of July oxOx
An ox , also known as a bullock in Australia, New Zealand and India, is a bovine trained as a draft animal. Oxen are commonly castrated adult male cattle; castration makes the animals more tractable...
roast celebration on the plain adjacent to the hill. The organizers of the celebration intended to celebrate the ratification of the Federal Constitution by the 9 of the 13 states needed to create the United States. Because anti-federalist sentiment was strong in Rhode Island, General William West led 1,000 armed farmers to Providence to stop the celebration. Eventually, a compromise was reached and the celebrants agreed to celebrate Independence Day only and not the ratification of the Federal Constitution. The issue remained hotly controversial in Rhode Island for two more years until the state finally became the last of the original thirteen states to join the union.
The area of Federal Hill was originally called Nocabulabet, believed to be an anglicized version of either a Narragansett
Narragansett
Narragansett may refer to:*Narragansett , a Pennsylvania Railroad train*Narragansett , an Amtrak train*Narragansett **Narragansett land claim*Narragansett, Rhode Island, a town*Narragansett Bay*Narragansett...
or Wampanoag phrase meaning "land above the river" or "land between the ancient waters."
Federal Hill's Atwells Avenue is named for Amos Maine Atwell, who led a syndicate of businessmen developing the western areas of the city in 1788. The area developed into a working class area during the early 19th century in part due to reverses in commercial shipping.
The first two decades of the 20th century witnessed heavy Italian-American immigration into Federal Hill, making it the city's informal Little Italy
Little Italy
Little Italy is a general name for an ethnic enclave populated primarily by Italians or people of Italian ancestry, usually in an urban neighborhood.-Canada:*Little Italy, Edmonton, in Alberta*Little Italy, Montreal, in Quebec...
. Though the area today is more diverse, Federal Hill still retains its status as the traditional center for the city's Italian-American community. Providence's annual Columbus Day
Columbus Day
Many countries in the New World and elsewhere celebrate the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas, which occurred on October 12, 1492, as an official holiday...
parade marches down Atwells Avenue.
Demographics
According to the 2000 censusUnited States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
, the racial makeup of the 02903 zip code, in which Federal Hill is located, was 65.8% White, 12.4% Black or African American, 7.2% Asian, 0.7% American Indian, and 8.4% from other races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15.2% of the population.
According to the Providence Plan, a local nonprofit aimed at improving city life, 47% of residents are white, 32.1% Hispanic
Hispanic
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 14.8% are African-American. These are all slightly above the city-wide averages. Nearly 50% of public school children speak a language other than English as their primary language.
The median family income is $27,288, below the city-wide average of $32,058. 28% of families live below the poverty line with 10% of residents receiving some form of public assistance.
One in four children has been exposed to unsafe levels of lead.
Government
Nearly all of Federal Hill is within Ward 13, 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 Democrat Bryan Principe. A small portion of Federal Hill is in Ward 15, represented by Democrat Josephine DiRuzzo.
The Providence Public Safety Complex is located on Federal Hill at 325 Washington Street. The complex is the headquarters of the Providence Police Department, the Providence Fire Department
Providence Fire Department
The Providence Fire Department, also known as the PFD, is the principal fire suppression, prevention, and rescue agency of Providence, Rhode Island, under the jurisdiction of the mayor of Providence. The Providence Fire Department is the largest fire department in Rhode Island. It is also one of...
and the city's municipal courts. The courts and particularly Judge Frank Caprio
Frank Caprio (judge)
Judge Frank Caprio is the television judge on ABC's Caught in Providence. He is also the chief municipal judge in Providence, Rhode Island and a member of the Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Board of Rejents.Judge Frank Caprio is the son of Antonio Caprio, an...
have been made famous locally by the television show Caught in Providence, which documents the proceedings of the municipal court.
The Quality Assurance Review Center
Quality Assurance Review Center
The Quality Assurance Review Center is a research program within the University of Massachusetts Medical School that provides radiotherapy quality assurance , diagnostic imaging data management, and clinical research support...
(QARC) is located in the Federal Hill neighborhood.
Parks
Federal Hill includes three green spaces along Atwells Avenue:- Garibaldi Square is a half-acre square featuring a monumental bust of Giuseppe GaribaldiGiuseppe GaribaldiGiuseppe Garibaldi was an Italian military and political figure. In his twenties, he joined the Carbonari Italian patriot revolutionaries, and fled Italy after a failed insurrection. Garibaldi took part in the War of the Farrapos and the Uruguayan Civil War leading the Italian Legion, and...
. - DePasquale Plaza is a plaza used for outdoor dining.
- John's Park is a small park at the former location of St John's Church.
Another large green space is Franciscan Park, a two and a half acre park, located off Broadway near Route 6.
Also, the Spruce Street Bocce Courts on the northwest corner of Spruce and Dean streets has benches and two lighted bocce courts and serves as the home of several local bocce leagues, the largest being the popular Nocabulabet Bocce League which hosts games on Wednesday nights during its spring and fall seasons.
Culinary Reputation
Federal Hill is often characterized by its culinary reputation. Atwells Avenue has over twenty restaurants within a quarter mile section, such as Angelo's Civita FarneseAngelo's Civita Farnese
Angelo's Civita Farnese is a popular restaurant in the Federal Hill neighborhood of Providence, Rhode Island.Founded in 1924, it is known for as much for its atmosphere as for its food. The seating is family-style, so you could wind up sitting next to anyone from local politicians to national...
. The area's proximity to Johnson and Wales University has allowed Providence to attract and retain skilled chefs, many of whom work in the many restaurants on Atwells Avenue.