Mount Pleasant, Providence, Rhode Island

Mount Pleasant, Providence, Rhode Island
Providence neighborhoods with Mount Pleasant in red

Mount Pleasant is a working-class residential neighborhood situated in the northwest of the city of Providence, Rhode Island. It is bordered by Olneyville to the south, Valley to the east, Manton to the west, and Elmhurst to the northeast, and the Town of North Providence to the north. The major street boundaries that define Mount Pleasant are Academy Avenue to the east, Smith Street to the northeast, Atwells Avenue to the south, and portions of Bullock, Chalkstone, Mera, and Rushmore Avenues to the west.

Mount Pleasant is one of Providence's most stable neighborhoods. According to the 1990 census, less than half of all Mount Pleasant residents moved into their current residence in the past five years; nearly four out of ten residents had lived in their present unit for more than a decade, and almost one out of five had lived in his or her current home for more than 20 years.

Contents

History

Mount Pleasant was one of the last sections of the city to be developed, and as a result, most of the houses are of medium size on well landscaped lots and tree-lined streets. Although some houses were constructed in the 19th century, most were built in the early 20th century. The majority of the land area in Mount Pleasant served as farm land through much of the 18th century. By the 1730s, two roads had been established to facilitate produce delivery from the outlying farms to the market downtown. The roads included the northern branch along present-day Douglas Avenue and Eaton Street, and the southern branch along Chalkstone Avenue.

The area of Mount Pleasant remained sparsely populated until around the end of the 19th century. It wasn't until the 1880s when streetcars traversed Chalkstone Avenue that the neighborhood would see a significant number of houses constructed. In the early 1900s, a neighborhood commercial strip formed along Chalkstone Avenue between River Avenue and Mount Pleasant Avenue. That commercial strip remains a thriving part of the neighborhood today, including a full-service grocery store, a bank, service stations, pharmacies, bakeries, tailors, barber shops, meat markets, restaurants, and pubs.

Landmarks

Various large educational institutions are located in Mount Pleasant. Rhode Island College, Mount Pleasant High School, and LaSalle Academy are all located in the neighborhood. Along with Triggs Memorial Golf Course, this institutional area is significant in that it provides the neighborhood with substantial open space.

Demographics

By the early 20th century, the Mount Pleasant area was predominantly middle and upper middle-class. The area gradually became more diverse after 1900, as second and third generation Irish-Americans began to move into the area to escape the more congested neighborhoods of Smith Hill and South Providence. By the mid 20th century, second and third-generation Italian-Americans comprised a significant portion of the neighborhood's ethnic composition, many of them having moved to Mount Pleasant from Federal Hill.

The median family income in Mount Pleasant in 1989 was $36,073, 27 percent higher than the citywide median. The incidence of poverty in Mount Pleasant increased slightly in all categories over the past decade, although poverty rates remained well below the citywide figures. In 1990, less than 10 percent of all persons were poor, about 7 percent of families were living below poverty, 16 percent of children were poor, and about 12 percent of the elderly had income below the poverty level.

References


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Mount Hope, Providence, Rhode Island — Providence neighborhoods with Mount Hope in red Mount Hope is a neighborhood in northern Providence, Rhode Island. It is one of six neighborhoods comprising the East Side of Providence. The area is bounded to the north by Rochambeau Avenue, to… …   Wikipedia

  • Neighborhoods in Providence, Rhode Island — Providence neighborhoods with major highways shown …   Wikipedia

  • College Hill, Providence, Rhode Island — Providence neighborhoods with College Hill in red College Hill is a neighborhood in Providence, Rhode Island, and one of six neighborhoods comprising the East Side of Providence and part of College Hill Historic District. It is roughly bounded by …   Wikipedia

  • Manton, Providence, Rhode Island — Providence neighborhoods with Manton in red Manton is a residential neighborhood in Providence, Rhode Island and part of Johnston, Rhode Island. It is in the westernmost part of the city. of Providence The town of North Providence borders it to… …   Wikipedia

  • Olneyville, Providence, Rhode Island — Providence neighborhoods with Olneyville in red Olneyville is a neighborhood in Providence, Rhode Island bordered by Atwells Avenue to the north, U.S. Route 6 to the south and Rhode Island Route 10 to the east. The Woonasquatucket River runs… …   Wikipedia

  • Charles, Providence, Rhode Island — Providence neighborhoods with Charles in red Charles is a neighborhood in northern Providence, Rhode Island. Along with Wanskuck, it comprises what is sometimes referred to as the North End. To the west Charles is partitioned from Wanskuck by… …   Wikipedia

  • Downtown, Providence, Rhode Island — Downtown Providence Historic District U.S. National Register of Historic Places U.S. Historic district …   Wikipedia

  • Mount Pleasant High School — may refer to one of the following secondary schools: Mount Pleasant High School (Arkansas) Mount Pleasant, Arkansas Mount Pleasant High School (San Jose, California) San Jose, California Mount Pleasant High School (Delaware) Wilmington, Delaware… …   Wikipedia

  • Rhode Island College — This article is about the current institution that has used this name since 1960. For the institution that used this name from 1764 until 1804, see Brown University. Rhode Island College Established 1854 Type Public …   Wikipedia

  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Providence County, Rhode Island — Location of Providence County in Rhode Island This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Providence County, Rhode Island. This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”