Primrose is a village in

North Smithfield 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, Waterf ...

Rhode Island Rhode Island ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Is ...

, United States. The village is located in the area around Greenville Road and Providence Pike. The village derives its name from the Primrose railroad station, which existed on Greenville Road for the Providence and Springfield Railroad, which began service in 1873. The Primrose Fire Department and North Smithfield High School are located in the area. The historic Primrose

Grange Grange may refer to: Buildings * Grange House, Scotland, built in 1564, and demolished in 1906 * Grange Estate, Pennsylvania, built in 1682 * The Grange (Toronto), Toronto, Ontario, built in 1817 * Monastic grange, a farming estate belonging to ...

(1887) building is located on Grange Road as well as several eighteenth-century farms surrounded by stonewalls.NORTH SMITHFIELD RECONNAISSANCE REPORT BLACKSTONE VALLEY HERITAGE LANDSCAPE INVENTORY 201

/ref> Grange Building on Grange Road in Primrose RI in the town of North Smithfield Rhode Island

Grange Building on Grange Road in Primrose RI in the town of North Smithfield Rhode Island

Geography

The geography of Primrose was drastically changed by the

Wisconsin glaciation The Wisconsin glaciation, also called the Wisconsin glacial episode, was the most recent glacial period of the North American ice sheet complex, peaking more than 20,000 years ago. This advance included the Cordilleran Ice Sheet, which nucleated ...

between 70,000 and 10,000 years ago. This glaciation or "

Ice Age An ice age is a long period of reduction in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental and polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. Earth's climate alternates between ice ages, and g ...

" created a more rugged terrain, and deposited granite throughout the landscape. As a result of this rugged terrain, this area has many peaks and valleys, which leads to many wetlands. This area is less built up than the other villages in

, partly because of the geography, and partly because the area is not part of the

mill village A mill town, also known as factory town or mill village, is typically a settlement that developed around one or more mills or factories, often cotton mills or factories producing textiles. Europe Italy * '' Crespi d'Adda'', UNESCO World He ...

of Slatersville.

Primrose Pond

According to a 2010 National Park Service Report:

Primrose Pond is a 64-acre former ice pond at the headwaters of the
Woonasquatucket River The Woonasquatucket River (pronounced , Algonquian languages, Algonquian for "where the salt water ends"), sometimes called "the Woony", is a river in the United States, U.S. state of Rhode Island. It flows approximately U.S. Geological Su ...
. It is a long pond north of Farnum Pike (Routes 5, 104) and is bound on the east by Pond House Road and on the west by Black Plain Road. Remnants of a
dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aqua ...
, a small
viaduct A viaduct is a specific type of bridge that consists of a series of arches, piers or columns supporting a long elevated railway or road. Typically a viaduct connects two points of roughly equal elevation, allowing direct overpass across a wide ...
, and a mill trench are located along the southern edge. A
saw mill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logging, logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes ...
that operated from ca. 1780 to the early 20th century was located on the south end and an ice house built in the early 20th century was located on the western edge. The linear pond is surrounded by privately owned parcels. The pond is also privately owned and only two nonowners have been granted boat access to the pond. There used to be a summer day camp on Pond House Road.

References

External links

Primrose Fire Department
Villages in Providence County, Rhode Island Providence metropolitan area Villages in Rhode Island {{RhodeIsland-geo-stub

Geography

Primrose Pond

Further reading

References

External links