Little Compton, Rhode Island
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Little Compton is a town in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 3,593 at the 2000 census.GR2 Little Compton is located in southeastern Rhode Island, between the Sakonnet River and the Massachusetts state boundary. It is the birthplace of the Rhode Island Red hen. Current Madtv repetory cast member Arden Myrin is from the town.
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[edit] History
Little Compton originally belonged to the Wampanoag tribe, who were led by Awashonks, the sister of Metacom (commonly known as King Philip.) They called the area Sakonnet (variations include Sogkonate, Seconit, and Seaconnet).
The first European settlers in Little Compton were Englishmen from the Plymouth colony in Massachusetts who sought to expand their land holdings by settling further on the periphery of the colony. They petitioned the Plymouth colony, which granted them their land. There were thirty-two original owners of the land, one of whom was Colonel Benjamin Church, well-known for his role in the late 17th-century Indian Wars. In 1675, Church built his homestead in Little Compton, just prior to King Philip's War. Today, a plaque on the side of West Main Road marks the location of Church's original homestead.
In 1682, the town was incorporated by the Plymouth Colony and renamed Little Compton. This is possibly a reference to Little Compton in Warwickshire, England. However, there is no direct evidence to substantiate this relationship. By 1747, Little Compton secured its own royal decree and was annexed to Newport County as a part of Rhode Island along with Tiverton and other towns. Because Little Compton was once part of the Plymouth colony, all probate records prior to 1746 can be found in Taunton, MA, United States.
Sites of historic interest in Little Compton include the Wilbor House, built in 1692 by Samuel Wilbor, now the home of the Little Compton Historical Society[1]. There are many historic cemeteries; Colonel Benjamin Church and his family are buried in the Commons cemetery, as is Elizabeth Pabodie, the first-born child of John and Priscilla Alden of Mayflower fame. The stones in the cemetery reflect a style of carving similar to that found both in Newport and in Boston during the same time period.
Rhode Island's only town common is located in Little Compton.
While there are only a few 17th-century structures still standing, there are many which date from the 18th and 19th century. The Quaker meeting house on West Main Road, Number 8 Schoolhouse (now used as part of the Town Hall), Town Hall, Wilbur's Store, and the United Congregational Church all predate 1900 and are centered around the town commons. Additional historic homes are scattered throughout town and include the Asa Gray house, the Slicer house, Oldacre, the Brownell house on West Main Road, the Brownell house on Meetinghouse Lane, the Whalley farmstead on Burchard Ave., and the Brownell Library on the commons.
[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 74.9 km² (28.9 mi²). 54.1 km² (20.9 mi²) of it is land and 20.8 km² (8.0 mi²) of it (27.79%) is water.
[edit] Education
There is only one school in Little Compton, the Josephine F. Wilbur and McMahon school, which teaches kindergarten through 8th grade to approximately 350 students. Located in the center of town, called the commons, the school is known by residents simply as "Wilbur School." High school students are sent to Portsmouth High on Aquidneck Island.
[edit] Rhode Island Red
The Rhode Island Red is a breed of chicken originally bred in Adamsville, a small village which is part of Little Compton. Little Compton is the only place in the US with a monument to a chicken. In 1925, the Rhode Island Red Club of America donated funds for an elegant monument to the Rhode Island Red in Adamsville, near the baseball field and across the street from the Barn restaurant; the monument is now on the National Register of Historic Places. A competing monument to the Rhode Island Red, claiming to have been created not for the poultry fanciers, but for the farmers who raised them commercially in great numbers in Little Compton, was erected by the state in 1954, one mile south of Adamsville.
[edit] Stores & Restaurants
The majority of stores in Little Compton are in the center of town, the Commons. A Sovereign Bank is also on the commons in a building that used to be the Post Office. Before that, it was the Simmons store, which is now located in Adamsville. One of the more famous restaurants in Little Compton is the Commons Lunch, known for its johnny cakes. It burned down in 2004, but has since reopened. A-1 Pizza has been on the Commons in Little Compton for over 35 years and serves fresh pizzas and subs. Other restaurants in town include Crowther's on Pottersville Road and the Country Harvest on West Main Road. During the summer, many farm stands open, most of which are on West Main Road. These include the Country Stand, Walker's Roadside Stand, and Young Farm. Peckham's Greenhouse at West Main and Peckham Roads attracts customers for its plants and gardening supplies. In Adamsville, Gray's claims to be the oldest continually operating general store in the country; it is now an antique store.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 3,593 people, 1,475 households, and 1,041 families residing in the town. The population density was 66.5/km² (172.1/mi²). There were 2,103 housing units at an average density of 38.9/km² (100.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.75% White, 0.06% African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 0.06% from other races, and 0.64% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.86% of the population.
There were 1,475 households, of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.7% were married couples living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.4% were non-families. 24.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the town the population was spread out with 21.7% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 29.8% from 45 to 64, and 17.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 97.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $55,368, and the median income for a family was $62,750. Males had a median income of $43,199 versus $28,676 for females. The per capita income for the town was $32,513. 3.4% of the population and 3.7% of families were below the poverty line. 1.0% of those under the age of 18 and 2.4% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Most people who live in Little Compton commute to work in cities such as Providence and Boston. Many houses in Little Compton are summer homes. The population almost doubles in the summer due to tourism.
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