Upper South Providence, Providence, Rhode Island
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Upper South Providence is an official neighborhood in the South Side in the city of
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 Bay ...
. It is bound to the north by
Interstate 95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1, US Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Miami, Florida, to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between M ...
, the east by the Providence River, to the south by Public Street, and the west by Broad Street. Often associated with Lower South Providence directly to its south, Upper South Providence is a distinct neighborhood.


History

After the founding of Providence, the area that is today Upper South Providence Between 1754-1868, the neighborhood and areas south were part of the city of
Cranston, Rhode Island Cranston, once known as Pawtuxet, is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island. The official population of the city in the 2020 United States Census was 82,934, making it the second largest in the state. The center of population of Rhode Island i ...
. The area did not witness substantial development until the industrialization of the late 19th century, when it attracted
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
Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
immigrants. The Pine/Friendship street area, in the northern section of South Providence, was the camping ground for Rochambeau's troops in June 1781, prior to the start of their march to Yorktown. 1832 saw the beginning of middle and upper-class residential development here. By the late 19th century, many impressive Greek Revival, Italianate, Queen Anne, and Second Empire homes were built; many of these have since been demolished. The area was home to wealthy textile and jewelry magnates, including the president of the
Gorham Manufacturing Company The Gorham Manufacturing Company is one of the largest American manufacturers of sterling and silverplate and a foundry for bronze sculpture. History Gorham Silver was founded in Providence, Rhode Island, 1831 by Jabez Gorham, a master crafts ...
. By the early 20th century, transit improvements encouraged the more affluent residents to move to the outer ring of the city. In 1868, most of the area was reannexed by Providence from Cranston. For the next 90 years, the area was predominantly Irish Catholic, with a significant Jewish minority. Many Roman Catholic churches remain in the area today.


Government

At the municipal level, all of Upper South Providence falls within Ward 11. This ward is represented in the
Providence City Council The Providence City Council is the fifteen-member legislative body of the city of Providence, Rhode Island. The two major responsibilities of the council are enacting ordinances necessary to ensure the welfare and good order of the city and ad ...
by Mary Kay Harris, a
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 ...
.


Demographics

As of March 2007, 41.2% of residents in Upper South Providence were
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 ...
, 34% were Black or
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 ...
, 28.7% were White (18.8% Non-Hispanic White), 2.6% were Asian or Pacific Islander, and 2.6% were Native American.Upper South Providence
/ref> Nearly half of all public school children under the age of six speak a language other than English as their primary language. This is slightly below the citywide average of 54%. The Upper South Side continues to struggle with entrenched poverty. The median family income was $24,656 as of March 2007, well below the citywide average of $32,058. As of the year 2000 census, the area's unemployment rate at 17% was the highest in the city, with 27% unemployment in the Upper South Side's largest block. 36.4% of families live below the poverty line while 16% rely on some form of public assistance. One in four children in this neighborhood under the age of six have been exposed to high amounts of lead, primarily from
lead paint Lead paint or lead-based paint is paint containing lead. As pigment, lead(II) chromate (, "chrome yellow"), lead(II,IV) oxide, (, "red lead"), and lead(II) carbonate (, "white lead") are the most common forms.. Lead is added to paint to acceler ...
in older homes.


Parks and Greenspaces

Unlike other neighborhoods in Providence, Upper South Providence does not include many parks or green spaces. The largest green space in Upper South Providence is the Davey Lopes Recreation Center at the corner of Dudley Street and Prairie Avenue. Smaller parks include the Dudley Street Gateway and the Pearl Street Park. Peace & Plenty Park is located at 98 Peace Street, in nearby Elmwood. This 10,000 sq ft. playground is one of the few playgrounds in the South Side of Providence.


Hospitals

Rhode Island Hospital Rhode Island Hospital is a private, not-for-profit hospital located in the Upper South Providence neighborhood in Providence, Rhode Island. It is the largest academic medical center in the region, affiliated with Brown University since 1959. As a ...
,
Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island is a women and infants' hospital in Providence, Rhode Island. It is the primary teaching hospital in obstetrics, gynecology, and newborn pediatrics of the Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University. ...
, and
Hasbro Children's Hospital Rhode Island Hospital is a private, not-for-profit hospital located in the Upper South Providence neighborhood in Providence, Rhode Island. It is the largest academic medical center in the region, affiliated with Brown University since 1959. As ...
are located in close proximity to one another in Upper South Providence.Women & Infants Hospital : Providence, Rhode Island
/ref> Rhode Island Hospital has 719 beds and an acute care hospital and an academic center affiliated with Brown University's School of Medicine.


References


''Neighborhood Profiles'' at providenceri.com
{{Providence neighborhoods Irish-American culture in Rhode Island Jews and Judaism in Rhode Island Neighborhoods in Providence, Rhode Island