Middletown 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
Newport County,
Rhode Island
Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...
, United States. The population was 17,075 at the
2020 census. It lies to the south of
Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council.
Portsmouth is the most dens ...
and to the north of
Newport on
Aquidneck Island
Aquidneck Island, also known as Rhode Island, is an island in Narragansett Bay in the state of Rhode Island. The total land area is , which makes it the largest island in the bay. The 2020 United States Census reported its population as 60,109. T ...
, hence the name "Middletown".
History
Various issues including unjust taxation and a growing population caused the freeholders living in the northern section of Newport to petition the general assembly for independence. As a result of the petition, the land that Middletown occupies was set apart in 1731. The town was incorporated in 1743.
During the 1980s, large sections of East Main Road and West Main Road running through Middletown began to be commercialized, and by the late 1990s, the area had become Aquidneck Island's central business district.
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 the ...
, the town has a total area of 14.9 square miles (38.7 km
2), of which 13.0 square miles (33.6 km
2) is land and 2.0 square miles (5.1 km
2; 13.18%) is water. Middletown was known as the "farming community" of Aquidneck Island. Today most of the developed land is located towards the western part of the town, while what is left of its rural heritage is primarily towards the east. Middletown also has several beaches.
The
census-designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...
of
Newport East and part of the
Melville CDP lie within the town boundaries.
Parks and beaches
Middletown is home to
Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge
Occupying a peninsula between the Sakonnet River and Rhode Island Sound, the Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge is a very popular site for the over 65,000 annual visitors each year. It is located in the southeasternmost part of the Town of ...
, as well as two beaches:
* Sachuest Beach (locally known as Second Beach), a south-facing beach with concessions, showers, and bathrooms. The west part is known as Surfer's End.
* Third Beach is an east-facing beach with fewer waves, grills, and picnic tables.
Town parks in Middletown include:
* Demery Memorial Park
* Dunlap-Wheeler Park
* Middletown Valley Park
* Paradise Valley Park
Government
![Seal of Middletown RI at Paradise Valley Park](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/27/Seal_of_Middletown_RI_at_Paradise_Valley_Park.jpg)
The town is governed by a seven-member
town council
A town council, city council or municipal council is a form of local government for small municipalities.
Usage of the term varies under different jurisdictions.
Republic of Ireland
Town Councils in the Republic of Ireland were the second ti ...
, elected
at-large
At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather than ...
in partisan elections. Executive authority is vested in an appointed
town administrator
A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city, in a "Mayor–council government" council–manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are sometimes referred to as the chief execu ...
(on the
council–manager model). The town also elects a non-partisan
school committee
A board of education, school committee or school board is the board of directors or board of trustees of a school, local school district or an equivalent institution.
The elected council determines the educational policy in a small regional ar ...
.
Middletown forms part of , represented by
Democrat
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
*A member of a Democratic Party:
**Democratic Party (United States) (D)
**Democratic ...
David Cicilline
David Nicola Cicilline (; born July 15, 1961) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the 36th mayor of Providence from 2003 to 2011, the first openly ...
. At the state level, Middletown is part of one state senate and three state house districts. The 12th
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 w ...
district, which also includes parts of Newport,
Little Compton and
Tiverton, is held by Democrat
Louis P. DiPalma. 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 t ...
, Middletown forms part of the 72nd, 73rd, and 74th districts. The 72nd, which also includes a portion of Portsmouth, is represented by
Democrat
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
*A member of a Democratic Party:
**Democratic Party (United States) (D)
**Democratic ...
Terri Cortvriend. The 73rd, which is predominantly Newport, is held by Democrat Marvin Abney. The 74th, shared between Middletown and
Jamestown, is represented by Democrat
Deb Ruggiero
Deborah L. "Deb" Ruggiero (born April 2, 1958) is an American radio personality and politician from Jamestown, Rhode Island. A Democrat, she serves in the Rhode Island House of Representatives, representing the 74th district, which contains all of ...
.
Demographics
At the 2000 census,
there were 17,334 people, 6,993 households and 4,643 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 7,603 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 89.12%
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 on ...
, 2.72%
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 ...
, 2.36%
Native American, 1.18%
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 ...
, 1.11%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...
, 1.07% 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 2.43% from two or more races.
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 ...
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 2.93% of the population.
There were 6,993 households, of which 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.9% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.6% were non-families. Of all households 28.7% were made up of individuals, and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.01.
Of the population, 25.0% were under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 30.9% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males.
The
median household income
The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two equal groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of ...
was $51,075 and the median family income was $57,322. Males had a median income of $41,778 and females $27,229. The per capita income for the town was $25,857. About 3.7% of families and 5.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.2% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over.
Transportation
Newport State Airport, a public-use
general aviation
General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations with the exception of commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services ...
airport and the only airport on Aquidneck Island, is located in Middletown.
West Main Road (
RI-114) and East Main Road (
RI-138) are the
main roads running north–south through Middletown.
Sports
Middletown is home to
St Columba's Cricket Club, which hosts an annual
cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
tournament for teams throughout the
New England
New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...
area. The Newport National Golf Club is located in Middletown. The town is also home to the Middletown Islanders hockey, football, baseball, volleyball, and lacrosse teams. They also are involved with
Pop Warner football
Pop Warner Little Scholars, commonly known simply as Pop Warner, is a nonprofit organization that provides activities such as American football, for over 425,000 youths aged 5 to 16 years old, in several nations. It is the largest youth footbal ...
and cheerleading. More known as a middle school football league, Pop Warner hosts from very young ages and separates them by age.
* Kids ages 6–8: Mighty Mights
* Kids ages 9 & 10: Junior Pee Wee
* Kids ages 11 & 12: Pee Wee
* Kids ages 13 & 14: Midget
Schools
![Middletown High School, Middletown RI](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/47/Middletown_High_School%2C_Middletown_RI.jpg)
As of September 2009, the
Middletown Public School District consists of four schools serving pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. They are Aquidneck Elementary School (grades Pre-K to 3), Forest Avenue Elementary School (grades K–3), Joseph H. Gaudet Middle School (grades 4–8) and
Middletown High School (grades 9–12). Starting in September 2009, all fourth grade students will attend Joseph H. Gaudet Middle School. John F. Kennedy, former elementary school, will be closed at the end of the 2008–2009 school year due to budget cuts.
Middletown is also home to private schools, including All Saints Academy (grades K–8), a Catholic school, and
St. George's School (grades 9–12).
Historic sites in Middletown
*
Boyd's Windmill, built 1810
*
Bailey Farm, built 1838
*
Clambake Club of Newport
The Clambake Club of Newport is a historic private club at 353 Tuckerman Avenue in Middletown, Rhode Island.
Building
The club's main building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995. It is located at the tip of Easton's ...
, built in 1895
*
Gardiner Pond Shell Midden
*
Hamilton Hoppin House, built in 1856
*
Lyman C. Joseph House, built 1882
*
Norman Bird Sanctuary
Norman Bird Sanctuary is a bird sanctuary, nature preserve, environmental education center, and museum at 583 Third Beach Road in Middletown, Rhode Island overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.
In 1949, the Norman Bird Sanctuary was founded through a ...
, central house built
*
Paradise School
The Paradise School is an historic school building at Paradise Avenue and Prospect Street in Middletown, Rhode Island. It is situated on farm land which historically belonged to the Whitman family for generations, and was donated by the family to ...
, built 1875
*
Prescott Farm
Prescott Farm is a historic preservation of a colonial farm in Middletown ( Newport County), Rhode Island. It spans 40 acres, and was in danger of demolition before Doris Duke, through the Newport Restoration Foundation bought it in 1973 and beg ...
,
*
Whitehall (Rhode Island)
The Whitehall Museum House is the farmhouse modified by Dean George Berkeley, when he lived in the northern section of Newport, Rhode Island that comprises present-day Middletown, Rhode Island, Middletown in 1729–1731, while working to open hi ...
, built 1729
*
Witherbee School, built 1900
Notable people
*
Israel T. Almy,
Fall River
Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The City of Fall River's population was 94,000 at the 2020 United States Census, making it the tenth-largest city in the state.
Located along the eastern shore of Mount H ...
architect, born in Middletown
*
George Berkeley
George Berkeley (; 12 March 168514 January 1753) – known as Bishop Berkeley (Bishop of Cloyne of the Anglican Church of Ireland) – was an Anglo-Irish philosopher whose primary achievement was the advancement of a theory he called "immate ...
(a.k.a. Bishop Berkeley), 18th century
Anglo-Irish
Anglo-Irish people () denotes an ethnic, social and religious grouping who are mostly the descendants and successors of the English Protestant Ascendancy in Ireland. They mostly belong to the Anglican Church of Ireland, which was the establis ...
philosopher; known for his doctrine of
immaterialism
Subjective idealism, or empirical idealism, is a form of philosophical monism that holds that only minds and mental contents exist. It entails and is generally identified or associated with immaterialism, the doctrine that material things do no ...
; lived in Middletown
*
Edwin Booth
Edwin Thomas Booth (November 13, 1833 – June 7, 1893) was an American actor who toured throughout the United States and the major capitals of Europe, performing Shakespearean plays. In 1869, he founded Booth's Theatre in New York. Some theatri ...
, actor, built summer cottage "Boothden" in Middletown in 1884
*
Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Kim Coppola (born January 7, 1964), known professionally as Nicolas Cage, is an American actor and film producer. Born into the Coppola family, he is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Screen Actors Gu ...
, actor, once lived in Middletown
*
Billy Cowsill
William Joseph Cowsill Jr. (January 9, 1948 – February 18, 2006) was an American singer, musician, songwriter, and record producer. He was the lead singer and guitarist of The Cowsills, who had three top-10 singles in the late 1960s. From the ...
, singer-songwriter, musician and record producer; born in Middletown (1948)
*
Charlie Day
Charles Peckham Day (born February 9, 1976) is an American actor, writer, producer and podcaster. He is best known for playing Charlie Kelly on the FX comedy ''It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia'' (2005–present), which he co-created with Rob M ...
, actor (''
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
''It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia'' is an American sitcom created by Rob McElhenney and developed by McElhenney and Glenn Howerton that premiered on August 4, 2005 on FX and later FXX beginning with the ninth season in 2013. It stars Charlie ...
''); grew up in Middletown
*
Charles A. Flynn
Charles A. Flynn (born ) is a United States Army general who serves as commanding general of United States Army Pacific since June 4, 2021. He previously served as Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Plans and Training (G3/5/7) of the Army Sta ...
, retired
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
General, born in Middleton (1963)
*
Michael T. Flynn, retired
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...
, former
National Security Advisor A national security advisor serves as the chief advisor to a national government on matters of security. The advisor is not usually a member of the government's cabinet but is usually a member of various military or security councils.
National sec ...
to President
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
and former
Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency
The Director of the United States Defense Intelligence Agency is a military officer who, upon nomination by the President of the United States and confirmation by the Senate, serves as the United States' highest-ranking military intelligence offic ...
under President
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
; born in Middletown (1958)
*
Richard Hatch,
Survivor contestant, grew up in Middletown
*
Obadiah Holmes
Obadiah Holmes (1610 – 15 October 1682) was an early Rhode Island settler, and a Baptist minister who was whipped in the Massachusetts Bay Colony for his religious beliefs and activism. He became the pastor of the Baptist Church in Newport, ...
, colonial Baptist minister; ancestor of President
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...
; lived and is buried in a section of Newport annexed by Middletown
*
John Huston
John Marcellus Huston ( ; August 5, 1906 – August 28, 1987) was an American film director, screenwriter, actor and visual artist. He wrote the screenplays for most of the 37 feature films he directed, many of which are today considered ...
, film director, screenwriter and actor (''
Moulin Rouge (1952),
Key Largo
Key Largo ( es, Cayo Largo) is an island in the upper Florida Keys archipelago and is the largest section of the keys, at long. It is one of the northernmost of the Florida Keys in Monroe County, and the northernmost of the keys connected b ...
'');
Oscar
Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to:
People
* Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms.
* Oscar (Irish mythology), ...
winner (''
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre''); died in Middletown (1987)
In popular culture
* Portions of the 2012 romantic drama ''
Celeste and Jesse Forever
''Celeste and Jesse Forever'' is a 2012 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Lee Toland Krieger and written by Rashida Jones and Will McCormack. The movie was released on August 3, 2012 in New York City and Los Angeles, with Rashida Jo ...
'' were filmed in several locations throughout the state, notably on Middletown's Sachuest Bay shoreline off Tuckerman Avenue.
See also
*
References
External links
Town of Middletown official websiteMiddletown Historical Society
{{Coord, 41, 32, 44, N, 71, 17, 29, W, type:city_region:US-RI, display=title
Towns in Newport County, Rhode Island
Narragansett Bay
Populated coastal places in Rhode Island
Providence metropolitan area
Towns in Rhode Island