Cowesett is a hillside neighborhood located in

Warwick, Rhode Island Warwick ( or ) is a city in Kent County, Rhode Island, the third largest city in the state with a population of 82,823 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. It is located approximately south of downtown Providence, Rhode Island, sout ...

Location

Cowesett is bounded on the north by

Rhode Island Route 117 Route 117 is a state route in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. Its western terminus is at Route 14 in Coventry, and its eastern terminus is at U.S. Route 1A (US 1A) in Cranston. Route description *Coventry: 14.0 miles (22.5 km); Route 14 ...

, on the south by

East Greenwich, Rhode Island 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 ...

, on the east by

U.S. 1 U.S. Route 1 or U.S. Highway 1 (US 1) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway System, United States Numbered Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. It runs from Key West, Florida, north to Fort Kent, ...

(Post Road), and on the west by Crompton /

Rhode Island Route 2 Route 2 is a State highway#United States, state highway in Rhode Island, that runs from U.S. Route 1 in Rhode Island, U.S. Route 1 in Charlestown, Rhode Island, Charlestown to US 1 in Providence, Rhode Island, Providence. Route descripti ...

. To the east is the neighborhood of Chepiwanoxet and Greenwich Bay, an arm of

Narragansett Bay Narragansett Bay is a bay and estuary on the north side of Rhode Island Sound covering , of which is in Rhode Island. The bay forms New England's largest estuary, which functions as an expansive natural harbor and includes a small archipelago. Sma ...

. Cowesett is known as the "Wellesley by the Sea" for its similarity to the affluent Wellesely, MA but near the coast. The neighborhood is in walking distance of Main Street and other attractions such as Scallop Town Park, Academy Field, and the town library in

Name

The name Cowesett, which has had various spellings throughout history, may be derived from the Narragansett expression ''kówaw'' 'pine tree' + ''-es'' 'small' + ''-sett'' 'place', meaning 'Small Pine Place.'Francis Joseph O'Brien, Jr. (Moondancer) and Julianne Jennings (Strong Woman), ''An Introduction to the Narragansett Language: A Study of Roger Williams' '' A Key into the Language of America. Newport, Rhode Island: Aquidneck Indian Council, 2001, P. 127 Note 477; https://www.scribd.com/doc/299109237/Introduction-to-the-Narragansett-Language , accessed September 7th, 2017 This place name may have designated by metonymy the earliest inhabitants of this area prior to contact with Europeans.

Schools and Colleges

The one

public school Public school may refer to: * State school (known as a public school in many countries), a no-fee school, publicly funded and operated by the government * Public school (United Kingdom), certain elite fee-charging independent schools in England an ...

located in Cowesett is Cedar Hill Elementary School, and students who live in the neighborhood also attend the public schools of Scott Elementary School, Winman Junior High School, and

Toll Gate High School Toll Gate High School is a public high school in Warwick, Rhode Island on Centerville Road. It serves education to grades 9-12 and has approximately 1100 students and 97 teachers. History The school opened in 1972 with Robert J. Shapiro as the fi ...

Notable residents

Cowesett is home to actor

James Woods James Howard Woods (born April 18, 1947) is an American actor. He is known for his work in various film, stage, and television productions. He started his career in minor roles on and off-Broadway. In 1972, he appeared in '' The Trial of the ...

, former boxer

Vinny Pazienza Vinny Paz (born Vincenzo Edward Pazienza, December 16, 1962), formerly Vinny Pazienza, is an American former professional boxer who held world titles at lightweight and light middleweight. The 2016 film ''Bleed for This'' is based on his comebac ...

, and Olympic Gold Medalist

Sara DeCosta Sara Ann DeCosta (born May 13, 1977) is an American ice hockey player. She won a gold medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics, and a silver medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics. Biography She is the daughter of Nancy and Frank DeCosta. She was born in ...

. It is the former home of current Major League pitcher

Dan Wheeler Daniel Michael Wheeler (born December 10, 1977) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, New York Mets, Houston Astros, Boston Red Sox, and Cleveland Indians from 1999 ...

of the Tampa Bay Rays.

Transportation

In 2010, the

Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (abbreviated MBTA and known colloquially as "the T") is the public agency responsible for operating most public transportation services in Greater Boston, Massachusetts. The MBTA transit network in ...

(MBTA) opened up Warwick Station on the

Providence/Stoughton Line The Providence/Stoughton Line is an MBTA Commuter Rail service in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, primarily serving the southwestern suburbs of Boston. Most service runs entirely on the Northeast Corridor between South Station in Boston and Provi ...

, providing train service connecting

T. F. Green Airport Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport is a public international airport in Warwick, Rhode Island, United States, south of the state's capital and largest city of Providence. Opened in 1931, the airport was named for former Rhode Islan ...

and

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, Massachusetts.

References

Populated places in Kent County, Rhode Island Neighborhoods in Rhode Island Warwick, Rhode Island {{RhodeIsland-geo-stub