Coventry is a
town
A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world.
Origin and use
The word "town" shares an ori ...
in
Kent County,
Rhode Island
Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area and the seventh-least populous, with slightly fewer than 1.1 million residents as of 2020, but it ...
, United States. The population was 35,688 at the
2020 census and is part of the .
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...
, the town has a total area of . of it is land and of it (4.49%) is water. The town is bordered by
West Warwick
West Warwick is a town in Kent County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 31,012 at the 2020 census.
West Warwick was incorporated in 1913, making it the youngest town in the state. Prior to 1913, the town, situated on the wester ...
to the east,
Foster,
Scituate, and
Cranston to the north,
West Greenwich
West Greenwich is a town in Kent County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 6,528 at the 2020 census. West Greenwich was named for the historic town of Greenwich, Kent, England. It was separated from East Greenwich in 1741. Stud ...
and
East Greenwich
East Greenwich is a town and the county seat of Kent County, Rhode Island. The population was 14,312 at the 2020 census. East Greenwich is the wealthiest municipality within the state of Rhode Island. It is part of the Providence metropolitan st ...
to the south, and
Sterling,
Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...
, to the west. It is the largest town in land area in Rhode Island, being surpassed in total area only by
South Kingstown, Rhode Island
South Kingstown is a town in, and the county seat of, Washington County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 31,931 at the 2020 census. South Kingstown is the second largest town in Rhode Island by total geographic area, behind New ...
, with water and land area of .
Climate
According to the
Köppen Climate Classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
system, Coventry has an
oceanic climate, abbreviated "Cfb" on climate maps.
History
Coventry was first settled by English colonists in the early 18th century, when the town was part of
Warwick
Warwick ( ) is a market town, civil parish and the county town of Warwickshire in the Warwick District in England, adjacent to the River Avon. It is south of Coventry, and south-east of Birmingham. It is adjoined with Leamington Spa and Whi ...
. Since the area was so far away from the center of Warwick, the section that became Coventry grew very slowly. However, by 1741, enough farmers (about 100 families) had settled in the area that they petitioned the General Assembly of Rhode Island to create their own town. The petition was granted, and the new town was named "Coventry", after the
English city. For the rest of the 18th century, Coventry remained a rural town populated by farmers. Among the buildings that survive are the
Waterman Tavern
The Waterman Tavern is a historic house and tavern at 283 Maple Valley Road, near Whaley's Hollow in Coventry, Rhode Island. The -story wood-frame house was built before 1747 by John Waterman, who was licensed to operate a tavern on the premises i ...
(1740s), the
Nathanael Greene Homestead
The General Nathanael Greene Homestead, also known as Spell Hall, is a historic house at 20 Taft Street in Coventry, Rhode Island.The General's first name is Nathanael, but the National Historic Landmarks program listing for him misspells his fi ...
(1770), and the
Paine Homestead
The Paine House Museum is an historic house at 7 Station Street in the village of Washington in the town Coventry, Rhode Island. The oldest portion of this large -story wood-frame house may have been built as early as 1691 by Samuel Bennett, wh ...
(late 17th century/early 18th century). The oldest church
Maple Root Baptist Church dates from the end of the 18th century. The congregation was organized in 1762 and was affiliated with the
General Six-Principle Baptists
The Six-Principle Baptists is a Baptist Christian denomination in United States.
History
The history of General Six-Principle Baptists in America began in Rhode Island in 1652 when the historic First Baptist Church, once associated with Roger Wi ...
.
During the
Revolutionary War, the people of Coventry were supporters of the patriot cause.
Nathanael Greene
Nathanael Greene (June 19, 1786, sometimes misspelled Nathaniel) was a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. He emerged from the war with a reputation as General George Washington's most talented and dependab ...
, a resident of Coventry, rose through the ranks to become a leading general of the American army. By the end of the war, Greene was second in command in the US army after
George Washington
George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...
.
In the 19th century, the Industrial Revolution came to Coventry with the building of the first mill in Anthony. Over the next century, the eastern end of town became very industrialized, with manufacturing centers being located in Anthony,
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
,
Quidnick, and
Harris
Harris may refer to:
Places Canada
* Harris, Ontario
* Northland Pyrite Mine (also known as Harris Mine)
* Harris, Saskatchewan
* Rural Municipality of Harris No. 316, Saskatchewan
Scotland
* Harris, Outer Hebrides (sometimes called the Isle of ...
villages. Many of the old factories still stand in the town, and the village centers (in particular, Anthony and Quidnick) remain mostly intact. The demographics of the town changed, as industrial jobs at these new mill villages attracted
French Canadian and
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
immigrants. By the end of the 19th century, almost one fourth of the population was born outside the US, and
French was the primary language for many of the people in the eastern part of Coventry. Not all immigrants worked in the factories. Census records from the late 19th century show that some owned farms.
By comparison, the western end of the town remained very rural, with the only centers of population being located at
Greene
Greene may refer to:
Places United States
*Greene, Indiana, an unincorporated community
*Greene, Iowa, a city
*Greene, Maine, a town
** Greene (CDP), Maine, in the town of Greene
*Greene (town), New York
** Greene (village), New York, in the town ...
and
Summit, both established as railroad stations on the
New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad , commonly known as The Consolidated, or simply as the New Haven, was a railroad that operated in the New England region of the United States from 1872 to December 31, 1968. Founded by the merger of ...
.
![Nathanael Greene Homestead](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/Nathanael_Greene_Homestead.jpg)
In the 20th century, the town went through much change. The advent of the automobile brought an end of the railroad. (The track was dismantled in the 1970s, and in the early 21st century, the right of way was revitalized as the Washington Secondary Rail Trail/Greenway). By the mid-20th century, industry had largely left the town and most of the factories closed.
Since the late 20th century, the town has attracted new residents, and the eastern part of the town became suburbanized. In the early 21st century, a movement in the town has developed to limit residential development to keep the rural flavor of the western part of the town.
Recreation
Coventry offers a few recreation facilities. The town has youth sport leagues for football (boasting the 2006 American Youth Football National title), basketball, baseball, and softball. Carbuncle Pond off
Route 14 (Plainfield Pike) near the Connecticut border is a pond that is popular for freshwater fishing. Johnson's Pond, a waterfront neighborhood, houses facilities for fishing and watersports. ''Wakeboarding Magazine'' rated Johnson's Pond as the best location for
wakeboarding
Wakeboarding is a water sport in which the rider, standing on a wakeboard (a board with foot bindings), is towed behind a motorboat across its wake and especially up off the crest in order to perform aerial maneuvers. A hallmark of wakeboardin ...
in Rhode Island. The George B. Parker woodland, owned by the Audubon Society of Rhode Island, offers several hiking trails. The woodland caretaker's home dates from the mid 18th century.
The town has been investing in the Coventry Greenway, a pedestrian and bicycle path built on the old New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad right-of-way and part of the
East Coast Greenway
The East Coast Greenway is a pedestrian and bicycle route between Maine and Florida along the East Coast of the United States. In 2020, the Greenway received over 50 million visits.
The nonprofit East Coast Greenway Alliance was created in 1991. ...
, a trail running from
Maine
Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and ...
to
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
. The Coventry Greenway travels from the
Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...
state line to the
West Warwick
West Warwick is a town in Kent County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 31,012 at the 2020 census.
West Warwick was incorporated in 1913, making it the youngest town in the state. Prior to 1913, the town, situated on the wester ...
town line. The greenway has recently undergone a massive renovation and has reopened to the public as a walking, cycling, and horse trail.
Villages
Coventry has numerous villages founded in the 19th century; they are:
*
Anthony
Anthony or Antony is a masculine given name, derived from the '' Antonii'', a ''gens'' ( Roman family name) to which Mark Antony (''Marcus Antonius'') belonged. According to Plutarch, the Antonii gens were Heracleidae, being descendants of Anton, ...
– Mill village in the eastern part of the town
*
Arkwright – Mill village founded by
James DeWolf
James DeWolf (March 18, 1764December 21, 1837) was a slave trader, a privateer during the War of 1812, and a state and national politician. He served as a state legislator for a total of nearly 25 years, and in the 1820s as a United States senat ...
, a slave trader
*
Blackrock
BlackRock, Inc. is an American multi-national investment company based in New York City. Founded in 1988, initially as a risk management and fixed income institutional asset manager, BlackRock is the world's largest asset manager, with trill ...
– Named after a large dark rock rumored to be the site of Native American marriage ceremonies
* Colvintown – Named after original settlers, the Colvin's
*
Coventry Centre – Village in the geographic center of Coventry
*
Fairbanks – Mill village along the
Moosup River
The Moosup River is a river in the U.S. states of Rhode Island and Connecticut. It flows approximately .U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 The river is named af ...
*
Greene
Greene may refer to:
Places United States
*Greene, Indiana, an unincorporated community
*Greene, Iowa, a city
*Greene, Maine, a town
** Greene (CDP), Maine, in the town of Greene
*Greene (town), New York
** Greene (village), New York, in the town ...
– Old railroad village in the western end of town
*
Harris
Harris may refer to:
Places Canada
* Harris, Ontario
* Northland Pyrite Mine (also known as Harris Mine)
* Harris, Saskatchewan
* Rural Municipality of Harris No. 316, Saskatchewan
Scotland
* Harris, Outer Hebrides (sometimes called the Isle of ...
– Mill village in the northeastern part of town
*
Hopkins Hollow – Rural hamlet in the southwestern part of town, almost unchanged in over 150 years
*
Quidnick – Mill village on the border of West Warwick
*
Rice City – Rural village in the northwestern part of town, dominated by Rice Tavern (1804), which used to serve travelers on their way to Connecticut
*
Spring Lake – Former mill village
*
Summit – Railroad village near Greene
*
Tiogue – Formerly Barclay, after
Robert Barclay
*
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
– Mill village in the center of the town
*
Whaley's Hollow
Whaley's Hollow (also known as Pottersville and Maple Valley) is a village in Coventry, Rhode Island.
Thomas Whaley was an early settler in the area who operated a saw mill and whose home still stands today on Maple Valley Road. John Waterman bui ...
– Mill village and location of
Waterman Tavern
The Waterman Tavern is a historic house and tavern at 283 Maple Valley Road, near Whaley's Hollow in Coventry, Rhode Island. The -story wood-frame house was built before 1747 by John Waterman, who was licensed to operate a tavern on the premises i ...
Historic homes
Coventry boasts many old homes, churches and cemeteries. Farmhouses from the 18th century can be found scattered around the town, and many are still private residences. On the eastern side of town, many homes from the 19th century can be found, ranging from the two-family mill workers residence to mansions owned by the town elites. The village of
Greene
Greene may refer to:
Places United States
*Greene, Indiana, an unincorporated community
*Greene, Iowa, a city
*Greene, Maine, a town
** Greene (CDP), Maine, in the town of Greene
*Greene (town), New York
** Greene (village), New York, in the town ...
and the
Rice City and
Hopkins Hollow parts of town have remained unchanged since the 19th century. Also, many of the churches in Coventry date from the 19th century and are still functioning churches.
National Register of Historic Places listings in Coventry
*
Isaac Bowen House (1795)
*
Joseph Briggs House-Coventry Town Farm (1790)
*
Carbuncle Hill Archaeological District, RI-1072-1079
*
General Nathanael Greene Homestead
The General Nathanael Greene Homestead, also known as Spell Hall, is a historic house at 20 Taft Street in Coventry, Rhode Island.The General's first name is Nathanael, but the National Historic Landmarks program listing for him misspells his fi ...
(1770)
*
Hopkins Hollow Village
*
Interlaken Mill Bridge
The Interlaken Mill Bridge is an historic bridge spanning the Pawtuxet River at the site of the former Arkwright and Interlaken mill complexes in Coventry, Rhode Island. The lenticular pony truss bridge was built in 1885 by the Interlaken Corpora ...
(1885)
*
Moosup River Site (RI-1153)
*
Paine House (1748)
*
Pawtuxet Valley Dyeing Company (1859)
*
Read School (1831)
*
Rice City Historic District
*
South Main Street Historic District (Coventry, Rhode Island)
The South Main Street Historic District is a historic district in Coventry, Rhode Island. It extends along South Main Street from its crossing of the South Branch of the Pawtuxet River in the north, to just below Wood Street in the south, and ...
*
Waterman Tavern
The Waterman Tavern is a historic house and tavern at 283 Maple Valley Road, near Whaley's Hollow in Coventry, Rhode Island. The -story wood-frame house was built before 1747 by John Waterman, who was licensed to operate a tavern on the premises i ...
(1744) â€
Historical Marker for Waterman Tavern – HMdb*
William Waterman House
*
Wilson-Winslow House (1812)
Demographics
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...
of 2000, there were 33,668 people, 12,596 households, and 9,295 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 13,059 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 97.60%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...
, 0.39%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.15%
Native American, 0.56%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.03%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...
, 0.31% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 0.97% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 1.14% of the population.
There were 12,596 households, out of which 34.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.4% were
married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.2% were non-families. 21.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.9% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $51,987, and the median income for a family was $60,315. Males had a median income of $40,174 versus $29,357 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the town was $22,091. About 3.6% of families and 5.2% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 5.6% of those under age 18 and 7.0% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Pursuant to its charter, Coventry's municipal government is classified as Council-Manager, with all powers vested in an elected Town Council, including the appointment of a Town Manager. Each Town councilperson represents one of five municipal districts. Members of the School Committee are also elected using these districts.
In the
Rhode Island Senate
The Rhode Island Senate is the upper house of the Rhode Island General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Rhode Island, the lower house being the Rhode Island House of Representatives. It is composed of 38 Senators, each of wh ...
, Coventry is a part of the 21st and 33rd Districts. In the
Rhode Island House of Representatives
The Rhode Island House of Representatives is the lower house of the Rhode Island General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Rhode Island, the upper house being the Rhode Island Senate. It is composed of 75 members, elected ...
it is part of the a part of the 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th, 29th and 40th Districts. At the federal level, Coventry is included in
Rhode Island's 2nd congressional district
Rhode Island's 2nd congressional district is a congressional district in southern and western Rhode Island. The district is currently represented by Democrat James Langevin, who has represented the district since January 2001.
Composition
T ...
and is currently represented by Democrat
James R. Langevin.
Notable people
*
Henry B. Anthony (1815–1884), US senator and the 21st
governor of Rhode Island
The governor of Rhode Island is the head of government of the U.S. state of Rhode Island and serves as commander-in-chief of the state's Army National Guard and Air National Guard. The current governor is Democrat Dan McKee. In their capac ...
; anti-Catholic newspaperman; born in Coventry
*
Henry P. Baldwin (1814–1892), US senator from and the 15th
governor of Michigan; born in Coventry
*
Allen Bestwick
Allen Bestwick (born September 24, 1961) is an American sportscaster. He is the lead play-by-play voice for University of Connecticut women’s basketball telecasts for SNY, the lead track announcer at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and the l ...
(born 1961), Race Announcer with NBC and ESPN/ABC. Notable for his
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and ...
work
*
Peter Frechette
Peter Frechette ( ; born October 3, 1956) is an American actor. He is a stage actor with two Tony Award nominations for '' Eastern Standard'' and ''Our Country's Good'', and frequently stars in the plays of Richard Greenberg. He is well known on ...
, actor
*
Nathanael Greene
Nathanael Greene (June 19, 1786, sometimes misspelled Nathaniel) was a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. He emerged from the war with a reputation as General George Washington's most talented and dependab ...
(1742–1786), Continental Army general during the
Revolutionary War
*
Mike Stefanik
Michael Paul Stefanik (May 20, 1958 – September 15, 2019) was an American professional stock car racing driver. He competed mainly in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, but also made appearances in the Busch Grand National series and the Craf ...
, driver with
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and ...
*
Desiree Washington
Michael Gerard Tyson (born June 30, 1966) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1985 to 2005. Nicknamed "Iron Mike" and "Kid Dynamite" in his early career, and later known as "The Baddest Man on the Planet", Tyson is cons ...
, contestant of
Miss Black America
The Miss Black America beauty contest is a competition for young African-American women. The pageant has garnered the support of artists, activists and performers including Stevie Wonder, Curtis Mayfield, and Oprah Winfrey. After 40 years, in 200 ...
whom Heavyweight boxer
Mike Tyson was found guilty of raping
[Shipp, E.R. (1992). "Tyson gets 6-year prison term for rape conviction in Indiana." The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/1992/03/27/sports/tyson-gets-6-year-prison-term-for-rape-conviction-in-indiana.html?pagewanted=all]
International relations
Twin towns – Sister cities
Coventry, Rhode Island is
twinned with:
*
Coventry
Coventry ( or ) is a city in the West Midlands, England. It is on the River Sherbourne. Coventry has been a large settlement for centuries, although it was not founded and given its city status until the Middle Ages. The city is governed b ...
, United Kingdom
References
External links
*
Official website
{{authority control
Towns in Kent County, Rhode Island
Providence metropolitan area
Towns in Rhode Island
1741 establishments in Rhode Island