Tiverton, Rhode Island
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| Tiverton, Rhode Island | |
  Tiverton, Rhode Island
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | Rhode Island |
| County | Newport |
| Area | |
| - Total | 36.3 sq mi (94.1 km²) |
| - Land | 29.4 sq mi (76.0 km²) |
| - Water | 7.0 sq mi (18.0 km²) |
| Elevation | 144 ft (44 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Total | 15,260 |
| - Density | 519.8/sq mi (200.7/km²) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 02878 |
| Area code(s) | 401 |
| FIPS code | 44-70880[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1220066[2] |
Tiverton is a town in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 15,260 at the 2000 census.
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[edit] Geography
Tiverton stands on the eastern shore of Narragansett Bay, opposite the northern end of Rhode Island proper, meaning the largest island in the said bay, which has lent its name to the state as a whole. The channel separating this island from the mainland, Sakonnet River, narrows to a width of half a mile or less, near Tiverton. According to the United States Census Bureau, Tiverton has a total area of 36.3 square miles (94.1 km²), of which 29.4 square miles (76.0 km²) is land and 18.0 km² (7.0 sq mi; 19.16%) is water.
The northern portion of greater Tiverton is North Tiverton, Rhode Island.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 15,260 people, 6,077 households, and 4,405 families residing in the town. The population density was 519.8 people per square mile (200.7/km²). There were 6,474 housing units at an average density of 220.5/sq mi (85.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.98% White, 0.43% Black or African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.39% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.22% from other races, and 0.79% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.68% of the population.
There were 6,077 households out of which 29.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.2% were married couples living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.5% were non-families. 23.1% 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 2.51 and the average family size was 2.95.
The age distribution of the population of Tiverton was 22.1% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18–24, 29.0% from 25–44, 26.6% from 45-64, and 16.5% 65 years older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 94.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.6 males aged 18 or more.
The median income for a household in the town was $49,977, and the median income for a family was $58,917. Males had a median income of $41,042 versus $29,217 for females. The per capita income for the town was $22,866. About 2.9% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.7% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] History
Tiverton was originally incorporated in 1694, as part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In 1746, in the final settlement of a long colonial boundary dispute between Rhode Island and Massachusetts, Tiverton was annexed to Rhode Island by Royal Decree (together with its fellow towns along the eastern shore of Narragansett Bay, Barrington, Bristol and Little Compton, and the town of Cumberland, to the north of Providence). Tiverton was then incorporated as a town of Rhode Island, in 1747. Until that same year, Tiverton controlled the area of East Freetown, Massachusetts, as an outpost. The boundary settlement of 1746 had put East Freetown in Massachusetts, and in 1747 it was purchased by Freetown, Massachusetts.
Men from that erstwhile Tiverton outpost took part in the Battle of Freetown, on May 25, 1778, during the Revolutionary War. For about three years of that war, December 1776 – late 1779, Rhode Island proper (also known as Aquidneck Island, historically) was occupied by the British. During this time, Tiverton was a refuge for Americans fleeing this occupation, and a mustering place for Colonial forces, gathering to drive away the British. (The occupying forces eventually were withdrawn strategically, as General Clinton marshalled his forces for the 1780 British invasion of South Carolina.[3])
In its early days, Tiverton was chiefly a farming community with some fishing and boat construction. Until 1900 the manufacture of menhaden oil, a fish derivative, was one of the primary industrial pursuits. Cotton and woolen mills were established as early as 1827. As of 2006, trade establishments are the major employers in the town. Recent years have seen Tiverton grow as a summer resort and residential area. New development has been concentrated in the area known as North Tiverton, adjacent to Fall River, Massachusetts.
In 2002, contaminated soil (including some soil that was blue) was discovered in the Bay Street neighborhood of Tiverton. In 2003, private property testing began. Contaminants including arsenic, lead, cyanide, and more were found at levels above residential exposure guidelines. Residents have been prohibited from digging in the soil. ENACT (Environmental Neighborhood Awareness Committee of Tiverton) advocates on behalf of the community.[4] Property values in the neighborhood have plummeted due to the contamination and moratorium on digging soil, which meant that residents of this working class neighborhood have lost their home equity. One of ENACT's successes has been the passage of the legislation in the Rhode Island statehouse to create the Environmentally Contaminated Home Ownership (ECHO) loan program, which provides loans for people whose home equity is almost zero due to contamination.[5] The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) has been involved in developing work plans.[6]
[edit] National Historic Places in Tiverton
- Benjamin Barker House
- Bourne Mill
- Cook-Bateman Farm
- Fort Barton Site
- Joseph Hicks House
- Osborn-Bennett Historic District
- Tiverton Four Corners Historic District
[edit] Notable residents
- Robert Gray, merchant sea-captain and explorer
- Paul Di Filippo science fiction author
- Mika Seeger ceramic artist
[edit] Education
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This section does not cite any references or sources. (April 2008) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. |
Tiverton has 5 public schools: Poccasset Elementary School, Fort Barton Elementary School, Ranger Elementary School, (the newest school in the district) Tiverton Middle School, and Tiverton High School. The town is its own district and a part of the Newport County district.
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ McEvedy, p.62
- ^ ENACT, www.enactri.org
- ^ Schwartzapfel, Beth. "Civil Actions." Brown Alumni Magazine. Nov/Dec 2007. http://www.brownalumnimagazine.com/under_the_elms/civil_actions.html.
- ^ Oct. 4, 2005 ENACT presentation to Tiverton residents.
[edit] Further reading
- McEvedy, Colin (1988). The Penguin Atlas of North American History to 1870. London: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-051128-8.
[edit] External links
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