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Smith Hill is a neighborhood in
The neighborhood gets its name from settler John Smith, who set up a grist mill here in 1636, after being banished from England.
Prior to the mid-1800s, the area was considered rural escape from downtown, with few homes. However, in the 1900s industrialization attracted immigrants from Ireland, Eastern Europe and the Balkans to work in nearby mills.
The neighborhood's proximity to the Woonasquatucket and
Dodge House Prov.jpg, Christopher Dodge house, Holden Street
Saint_Patrick_Academy_Providence_Rhode_Island.jpg, Saint Patrick Academy, 244 Smith Street
Carroll Tower, Providence RI.jpg, Carroll Tower, an assisted living facility on Smith Street
A. T. Cross Company headquarters Providence.jpg, A. T. Cross Company headquarters, Promenade Street
Baba's Original New York System, Providence RI.jpg, Baba's Original New York System, a local eatery on Smith Street
State Office Building photograph
from the Rhode Island State Archives Neighborhoods in Providence, Rhode Island Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Rhode Island {{ProvidenceRI-NRHP-stub
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts ...
. Its traditional bounds are the Woonasquatucket River, the Chad Brown public housing complex, Interstate 95
Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from US Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the Canadia ...
and West River.
The Roger Williams Medical Center
The Roger Williams Medical Center (RWMC) is a university-affiliated teaching hospital in Providence, Rhode Island. Roger Williams Medical Center has an affiliation with Boston University School of Medicine. The Roger Williams Medical Center (RWMC ...
(RWMC) is located in the Smith Hill neighborhood and is adjacent to the VA hospital
Veterans' health care in the United States is separated geographically into 19 regions (numbered 1, 2, 4-10, 12 and 15–23) In January 2002, the Veterans Health Administration announced the merger of VISNs 13 and 14 to create a new, combined netw ...
.
The Rhode Island State House
The Rhode Island State House, the capitol of the state of Rhode Island, is located at 900 Smith Street just below the crest of Smith Hill, on the border of downtown in Providence. It is a neoclassical building designed by McKim, Mead & White wh ...
is also located on the border with Downtown
''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business district ...
. The name 'Smith Hill' is therefore used as a metonym
Metonymy () is a figure of speech in which a concept is referred to by the name of something closely associated with that thing or concept.
Etymology
The words ''metonymy'' and ''metonym'' come from grc, μετωνυμία, 'a change of name' ...
for the Rhode Island state government and the Rhode Island General Assembly
The State of Rhode Island General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. A bicameral body, it is composed of the lower Rhode Island House of Representatives with 75 representatives, and the upper Rhode Island Se ...
.
History
The neighborhood gets its name from settler John Smith, who set up a grist mill here in 1636, after being banished from England.
Prior to the mid-1800s, the area was considered rural escape from downtown, with few homes. However, in the 1900s industrialization attracted immigrants from Ireland, Eastern Europe and the Balkans to work in nearby mills.
The neighborhood's proximity to the Woonasquatucket and Moshassuck River
The Moshassuck River is a river in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It flows U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 from the town of Lincoln to the city of Provi ...
s provided power for the industrial mills.
In the 21st Century, Smith Hill is home to about 6,000 people in a densely populated residential neighborhood. The location offers easy access to downtown, featuring small parks, a post office, a library branch, and the Harry Kizirian Elementary School. The Smith Hill Partners Initiative (SHPI) plans community events.
Demographics
The neighborhood is home to whites of European descent and an increasing number of minorities. As of the 1990 census, Smith Hill was 20% Hispanic, 17.2% Asian and 12.2% black. The neighborhood's unemployment and poverty rates are above average for the city, though efforts have been made to revitalize the area, although, without success.Gallery
Related linksSmith Hill Community Development Corporation
neighborhood non-profit dedicated to community building and affordable housing
References
External links
State Office Building photograph
from the Rhode Island State Archives Neighborhoods in Providence, Rhode Island Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Rhode Island {{ProvidenceRI-NRHP-stub