Forestdale, Rhode Island
Encyclopedia
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
and historic district
Historic district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries, historic districts receive legal protection from development....
in North Smithfield
North Smithfield, Rhode Island
North Smithfield is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States, settled as a farming community in 1666 and incorporated into its present form in 1871. North Smithfield includes the historic villages of Forestdale, Primrose, Waterford, Branch Village, Union Village, Park Square, and...
, Providence County
Providence County, Rhode Island
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 621,602 people, 239,936 households, and 152,839 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,504 people per square mile . There were 253,214 housing units at an average density of 613 per square mile...
, 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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, one-half mile from Slatersville, Rhode Island
Slatersville, Rhode Island
Slatersville is a village on the Branch River in the town of North Smithfield, Rhode Island, United States. It includes the Slatersville Historic District, a historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places....
. The historic district runs east and west along Main Street and north on Maple Avenue. School Street is the primary road through the village, and the Branch River
Branch River (Rhode Island)
The Branch River is a river in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It flows approximately 16 km . There are six dams along the river's length. The river provided energy for many of the regions textile mills in the nineteenth century.-Course:...
runs adjacent to the road in the valley. The Village Haven Restaurant and local VFW
VFW
VFW may refer to:*Vereinigte Flugtechnische Werke*Veterans of Foreign Wars*Veterans of Future Wars*Video for Windows*VFW Parkway...
chapter are also located in the village.
History
The village was originally owned by the Forestdale Manufacturing Company, a textile mill, later purchased by John SlaterJohn Slater
John Slater may refer to:Business and government*John Fox Slater , American philanthropist, son of John Slater *John Slater , father of John Fox Slater, brother and partner of Samuel Slater...
& Co. The Mansfield & Lamb scythe
Scythe
A scythe is an agricultural hand tool for mowing grass, or reaping crops. It was largely replaced by horse-drawn and then tractor machinery, but is still used in some areas of Europe and Asia. The Grim Reaper is often depicted carrying or wielding a scythe...
-shop manufactured sycthes and later tools in Forestdale starting in 1824, and during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
manufactured swords and sabres for Union Forces. The mills used water power from the Branch River to power their equipment.
Further reading
- Walter Nebiker, The History of North Smithfield (Somersworth, NH: New England History Press, 1976).