Warwick, Rhode Island

City of Warwick
City

Warwick City Hall

Location in Kent County and the state of Rhode Island.
Coordinates: 41°43′N 71°25′W / 41.717°N 71.417°WCoordinates: 41°43′N 71°25′W / 41.717°N 71.417°W
Country United States
State Rhode Island
County Kent
Incorporated (town) 1642
Incorporated (city) 1931
Government
 • Type Mayor-council
 • Mayor Scott Avedisian
Area
 • Total 49.62 sq mi (128.52 km2)
 • Land 35.50 sq mi (91.94 km2)
 • Water 14.1 sq mi (36.6 km2)
Elevation 36 ft (11 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 82,672
 • Density 2,328.8/sq mi (899.2/km2)
Time zone Eastern (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code 02886-02889
Area code(s) 401
FIPS code 44-74300[1]
GNIS feature ID 1220018[2]
Website http://www.warwickri.gov/

Warwick (i/ˈwɒrɪk/ WORR-ik, more locally /ˈwɒrwɪk/) is a city in Kent County, Rhode Island, United States. It is the second largest city in the state, with a population of 82,672 at the 2010 census. Its mayor has been Scott Avedisian since 2000. Founded by Samuel Gorton in 1642, Warwick has witnessed major events in American history.

The City of Warwick (and T.F. Green Airport) is located approximately 12 miles (19 km) south of downtown Providence, and 63 miles (101 km) southwest of Boston, Massachusetts, and 171 miles (275 km) northeast of New York City.

Warwick was decimated during King Philip's War (1675–76) and was the site of the Gaspee Affair, a significant prelude to the American Revolution. Warwick is also the home of revolutionary war general Nathanael Greene, George Washington's second-in-command, and the Civil War hero of the battle of Gettysburg, General George S. Greene.

Warwick is home to Rhode Island's main airport, T. F. Green Airport, which serves the greater Providence area and also functions as a reliever for Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts. It is also the home of the 43rd Military Police Brigade of the Rhode Island Army National Guard.

Early history

Warwick was founded in 1642 by Samuel Gorton when Narragansett Indian Chief Sachem Miantonomi agreed to accept 144 fathoms of Wampumpeague for what was known as "The Shawhomett Purchase". This included the present day towns of Coventry and West Warwick. However, the purchase was not without dispute. The two sachems of the area, Sacononoco and Pumham, stated that Miantonomi had sold the land without asking for their approval. The two sachems took their case to Boston, Massachusetts where they placed their lands under Massachusetts rule. In 1643 Massachusetts sent a militia force to Shawomett to arrest Gorton and his followers. After a tense standoff, all but three of the Gortonists surrendered to the Massachusetts force. This event caused the other three towns on Narragansett Bay (Providence, Portsmouth, and Newport) to unite and get a royal charter allowing the towns on Narragansett Bay to form the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.

In 1648, Gorton was granted a Charter by Robert Rich, 2nd Earl of Warwick, Lord Admiral and head of the Parliamentary Commission on Plantation Affairs. Because of this, the name of the settlement was changed from Shawhomett to Warwick. While Massachusetts continued to lay claim to the area, it made no further effort to enforce it.

In 1772, Warwick was the scene for the first violent act against the Crown. In what was to be called the Gaspee Affair, local patriots mooned[3] and then boarded the Gaspee, a revenue cutter charged with enforcing the Stamp Act 1765 and Townshend Acts in Narragansett Bay, where smuggling was common. It was here that the first blood of the American Revolution was spilled when the commanding officer of the Gaspee, Lt. Dudingston, was shot in his crotch while resisting the taking of his ship. The Gaspee was stripped of all cannon and arms before being torched.

During the Revolution, Warwick militiamen participated in the battles of Montreal, Quebec, Saratoga, Monmouth, and Trenton, and were present for the surrender at Yorktown.

Transportation

T. F. Green Airport is a station on the Providence/Stoughton Commuter Rail Line, providing weekday service to Providence Station and Boston's South Station.

Climate

Climate data for Warwick, Rhode Island (T.F. Green Airport), 1981–2010 normals
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 69
(21)		 72
(22)		 90
(32)		 98
(37)		 96
(36)		 98
(37)		 102
(39)		 104
(40)		 100
(38)		 88
(31)		 81
(27)		 77
(25)		 104
(40)
Average high °F (°C) 37.4
(3)		 40.3
(4.6)		 47.8
(8.8)		 58.6
(14.8)		 68.4
(20.2)		 77.5
(25.3)		 82.8
(28.2)		 81.4
(27.4)		 74.2
(23.4)		 63.3
(17.4)		 53.2
(11.8)		 42.3
(5.7)		 60.6
(15.9)
Average low °F (°C) 21.0
(−6.1)		 23.6
(−4.7)		 30.0
(−1.1)		 39.6
(4.2)		 48.6
(9.2)		 58.4
(14.7)		 64.2
(17.9)		 63.2
(17.3)		 55.3
(12.9)		 43.9
(6.6)		 35.7
(2.1)		 26.3
(−3.2)		 42.5
(5.8)
Record low °F (°C) −13
(−25)		 −17
(−27)		 1
(−17)		 11
(−12)		 29
(−2)		 39
(4)		 48
(9)		 40
(4)		 32
(0)		 20
(−7)		 6
(−14)		 −12
(−24)		 −17
(−27)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.76
(95.5)		 3.34
(84.8)		 5.00
(127)		 4.36
(110.7)		 3.55
(90.2)		 3.64
(92.5)		 3.28
(83.3)		 3.60
(91.4)		 3.92
(99.6)		 3.92
(99.6)		 4.51
(114.6)		 4.21
(106.9)		 47.09
(1,196.1)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 10.3
(26.2)		 8.6
(21.8)		 5.6
(14.2)		 0.7
(1.8)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 1.4
(3.6)		 7.3
(18.5)		 33.8
(85.9)
Avg. precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 11.0 9.7 11.9 11.3 12.0 10.9 9.4 9.0 8.7 9.4 10.1 11.6 125.0
Avg. snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 5.6 4.7 3.4 0.6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.6 3.4 18.3
Mean monthly sunshine hours 170.5 175.2 217.0 225.0 254.2 273.0 291.4 263.5 234.0 207.7 147.0 148.8 2,607.3
Source #1: NOAA (extremes 1904–present),[4] The Weather Channel[5]
Source #2: HKO (sun only, 1961–1990)[6]

Geography

Warwick is located at 41°43′N 71°25′W / 41.717°N 71.417°W (41.7181, -71.4152).[7]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 49.6 square miles (128 km2), of which, 35.5 square miles (92 km2) of it is land and 14.1 square miles (37 km2) of it (28.46%) is water.

The following villages are located in Warwick:

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
18305,529—
18406,72621.6%
18507,74015.1%
18608,91615.2%
187010,45317.2%
188012,16416.4%
189017,76146.0%
190021,31620.0%
191026,62924.9%
192013,481−49.4%
193023,19672.1%
194028,75724.0%
195043,02849.6%
196068,50459.2%
197083,69422.2%
198087,1234.1%
199085,427−1.9%
200085,8080.4%
201082,672−3.7%
U.S. Decennial Census

Warwick is officially a part of the Providence metropolitan area, which has a population of 1,600,852 in 2010 census. As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 85,808 people, 35,517 households, and 22,979 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,417.2 people per square mile (933.3/km²). There were 37,085 housing units at an average density of 1,044.7 per square mile (403.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.21% White, 1.16% African American, 0.25% Native American, 1.49% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.59% from other races, and 1.28% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.60% of the population.

There were 35,517 households out of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.7% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.3% were non-families. 29.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the city the population was spread out with 21.9% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 30.1% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 90.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $46,483, and the median income for a family was $56,225. Males had a median income of $39,455 versus $28,946 for females. The per capita income for the city was $23,410. About 4.2% of families and 5.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.4% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Before its dissolution, Eckerd Corporation had its headquarters in Warwick.[9]

The ten largest employers in Warwick are Kent Memorial Hospital, Citizens Bank- Warwick Call Center, UPS, MetLife, City of Warwick, Leviton Manufacturing, Wal-Mart, Community College of Rhode Island, J.C. Penney, Kenney Manufacturing, and Inskip Automall.

Notable people

Education

The Knight Campus building of the Community College of Rhode Island

Local public schools are operated by Warwick Public Schools.[12] Toll Gate High School, Warwick Veterans Memorial High School, and Pilgrim High School are the three comprehensive public high schools located in Warwick. The three public middle schools are Winman Junior High School, Aldrich Junior High School, and Gorton Junior High School. Warwick Public Schools are headed by superintendent, Richard D'Agostino.

Bishop Hendricken High School is an all-male college preparatory Catholic high school located in Warwick. Rocky Hill School is a P-12 coed secular country day school located on Warwick's isolated Potowomut peninsula. Despite RHS being geographically included as part of the city of Warwick, the school lists an intentionally erroneous East Greenwich address.

The Community College of Rhode Island Knight Campus is also located in Warwick on the former Knight Estate.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  2. ↑ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  3. ↑ The Deliberate Attack on the Gaspee
  4. ↑ "NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
  5. ↑ "Monthly average temperatures and precipitation". The Weather Channel. Retrieved 2009-08-30.
  6. ↑ "Climatological Normals of Providence". Hong Kong Observatory. Retrieved 2013-05-04.
  7. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 8.7 8.8 8.9 8.10 8.11 8.12 8.13 8.14 8.15 8.16 8.17 8.18 8.19 8.20 8.21 8.22 8.23 8.24 8.25 8.26 8.27 8.28 8.29 8.30 8.31 8.32 8.33 8.34 8.35 RI.gov: Cities & Towns
  9. ↑ "Contacting Us." Eckerd Corporation. Retrieved on June 19, 2010. "Mail: 50 Service Ave., Warwick, RI 02886."
  10. ↑ Rhode Island. Dept. of State (1916). Manual, with Rules and Orders, for the Use of the General Assembly of the State of Rhode Island. Rhode Island. Dept. of State. p. 393.
  11. ↑ Derewicz, Mark. "Costantino's hitting streak breaks record", Baseball America, March 11, 2003. Accessed June 6, 2010.
  12. ↑ Warwick Public Schools website

External links