Woonsocket Hill in North Smithfield Rhode Island RI USA seen from Woonsocket Hill Road

Woonsocket Hill (originally Niswasocket) is one of the highest points in the state of

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 ...

and is the highest point in the town of

North Smithfield, Rhode Island North Smithfield is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States, settled as a farming community in 1666 and incorporated into its present form in 1871. North Smithfield includes the historic villages of Forestdale, Primrose, Waterfo ...

at 586 feet. The hill is located near the center of the town and "contained a highly refractory stone used for hearth stones. ".

History

The hill takes its name from the

Nipmuc The Nipmuc or Nipmuck people are an Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands, who historically spoke an Eastern Algonquian language. Their historic territory Nippenet, "the freshwater pond place," is in central Massachusetts and nearby part ...

word ''Niswasocket'' meaning ""place of steep descent" and is notable as:

586-foot hill in the center of town, with a fire tower at the summit. The hill, referred to in 1659 as "Niswasocket" by
Roger Williams Roger Williams (21 September 1603between 27 January and 15 March 1683) was an English-born New England Puritan minister, theologian, and author who founded Providence Plantations, which became the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantation ...
, was, until the turn of the 20th century, believed to be the highest elevation in Rhode Island. Although not the highest, it is one of the most dramatic because of its steep sides and height above the surrounding area. The summit affords long views in all directions; Mt. Wachusett, in northern Massachusetts, is visible from the top on clear days. A fire tower was established here in the early 20th century, and is still manned during dry periods. The rocks at Woonsocket Hill were a valuable natural resource in the 19th century. Because of their good refractory properties, they were used as
hearth A hearth () is the place in a home where a fire is or was traditionally kept for home heating and for cooking, usually constituted by at least a horizontal hearthstone and often enclosed to varying degrees by any combination of reredos (a lo ...
stones for furnaces in all the Atlantic states. In the latter part of the 19th century, the hill was frequented by numerous excursion parties. Nearby Union Village was once known as Woonsocket because of its proximity to the hill; the name of the hill was later applied to northern Rhode Island’s
largest city The United Nations uses three definitions for what constitutes a city, as not all cities in all jurisdictions are classified using the same criteria. Cities may be defined as the cities proper, the extent of their urban area, or their metropo ...
."Historic and Architectural Resources of North Smithfield, Rhode Island: A Preliminary Report," North Smithfield - Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage ..., pg. 63, http://www.preservation.ri.gov/pdfs_zips_downloads/survey_pdfs/north_smithfield.pdf

Today,

Jerimoth Hill Jerimoth Hill () is the highest point in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It is the lowest state highpoint in New England. Located in the town of Foster in the northwest of the state, the site is used as an observatory. It is also a popular dest ...

is recognized as the highest point in Rhode Island. Various local landmarks take their name from Woonsocket Hill including, Woonsocket Hill Road, Woonsocket Hill Bridge, and the nearby City of

Woonsocket, Rhode Island Woonsocket ( ), is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 43,240 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, making it the sixth largest city in the state. Being Rhode Island's northernmost city, Woonsock ...

References

{{coord, 41.97760, -71.55367, format=dms, type:mountain_region:US-RI, display=title Hills of Rhode Island Landforms of Providence County, Rhode Island