Elmhurst is a primarily residential neighborhood in the northwest quadrant of
Providence
Providence often refers to:
* Providentia, the divine personification of foresight in ancient Roman religion
* Divine providence, divinely ordained events and outcomes in Christianity
* Providence, Rhode Island, the capital of Rhode Island in the ...
, Rhode Island. Douglas Avenue and Admiral Street bound Elmhurst to the northeast, Academy Avenue and Smith Street bound it to the west, while Chalkstone Avenue marks the southern border.
History
In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Elmhurst was mostly large tracts of land used for farming. Streets constructed along present-day Douglas Ave, Eaton Street, and Chalkstone Avenue allowed for transit of produce to the city. The neighborhood remained sparsely settled for most of the nineteenth century. A streetcar line connecting Elmhurst to the city was opened in 1882. In 1909, the city acquired a piece of land on either side of a stream flowing from Academy Avenue, parallel to Chalkstone, and created Pleasant Valley Parkway, a landscaped boulevard similar in design to Blackstone Boulevard in the
Blackstone neighborhood of Providence, though the residents attracted to the area were not as wealthy as their Blackstone counterparts.
[Providence Neighborhoods: Elmhurst](_blank)
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In the early 1900s, 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 ...
and Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
immigrants making their way out of crowded closer neighborhoods displaced the initial middle and upperclass residents. Institutional growth came over the next few decades in the form of the founding of the Charles V. Chapin Hospital, the Providence Lying-In Hospital
The Providence Lying-In Hospital (later known as Women & Infants Hospital) is a historic hospital building in Providence, Rhode Island. The main building is a -story Gothic Revival structure which was designed in 1922 by Edward Stevens of Stevens ...
(now Women and Infants Hospital) – the first Women's Maternity Services facility in the region, and the Homeopathic Hospital of Rhode Island (now Roger Williams Medical Center). Providence College
Providence College is a Private university, private Catholic Church, Catholic university in Providence, Rhode Island. Founded in 1917 by the Dominican Order and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence, local diocese, it offers 47 undergradua ...
and La Salle Academy
}
La Salle Academy is an American private, Catholic all-boys' high school in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York.
The school is run by the Eastern North American District of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools. ...
moved to the area in 1917 and 1925 respectively.
Nathanael Greene Middle School, a yellow brick Tudor Gothic style public school, was built in 1929 on Chalkstone Avenue.
Following World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, Elmhurst saw growth of a suburban character as it was one of the few areas in Providence with undeveloped land. Most of these houses were built in the northwestern part of the neighborhood.
Demographics
As of 1990 census, Elmhurst was the least ethnically diverse neighborhood in Providence, with less than 3% nonwhite. The median family income was 40% higher than the median for the city and unemployment, at 4.6%, was half that of the city as a whole.
According to the Providence Plan, a local nonprofit aimed at improving city life, 82% of residents are white, 9% Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, 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 Vic ...
, and 5% African-American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
. 28% of children under the age of six speak a language other than English as their primary language.
The median family income is $51,503, above the citywide average of $32,058. 6.4% of families live below the poverty line while 2% of families receive some form of public assistance.
References
External links
Neighborhood Profiles at providenceri.com
{{Providence neighborhoods
Irish-American culture in Rhode Island
Italian-American culture in Providence, Rhode Island
Neighborhoods in Providence, Rhode Island