Smithfield, Rhode Island
| Smithfield, Rhode Island | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
 Location in Providence County and the state of Rhode Island. |
|
| Coordinates: 41°55′18″N 71°32′58″W / 41.92167°N 71.54944°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Rhode Island |
| County | Providence |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council-manager |
| • Town Council | Suzanna L. Alba (D) Alberto J. LaGreca, Jr. (R) Bernard A. Hawkins (D) Maxine A. Cavanagh (R) Gregory J. Tocco (D) |
| • Town Manager | Dennis Finlay |
| Area | |
| • Total | 27.8 sq mi (71.9 km2) |
| • Land | 26.6 sq mi (68.9 km2) |
| • Water | 1.2 sq mi (3.1 km2) |
| Elevation | 400 ft (122 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 21,430 |
| • Density | 805.6/sq mi (311.0/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP codes | 02828, 02917 |
| Area code(s) | 401 |
| FIPS code | 44-66200 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1219817 |
| Website | http://smithfieldri.com/ |
The town of Smithfield is located in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. It includes the historic villages of Esmond, Georgiaville, Mountaindale, Hanton City, Stillwater and Greenville. The population was 21,430 at the 2010 census. Smithfield is the home of Bryant University, a private four year college.
The area comprising modern-day Smithfield was first settled in 1636 by several British colonists, including John Steere as a farming community and named after Smithfield, London. The area was within the boundaries of Providence until 1731 when Smithfield was incorporated as a separate town. Chief Justice Peleg Arnold lived in early Smithfield, and his 1690 home stands today. There was an active Quaker community in early 18th century Smithfield that extended along the Great Road, from what is today Woonsocket, north into south Uxbridge, Massachusetts. This Quaker community, and its members, became influential in the abolition movement, with members such as Effingham Capron and Abby Kelley Foster, and also gave rise to other Quaker settlements including one at Adams, Massachusetts where Susan B. Anthony was born as an early member. Elizabeth Buffum Chace is a well-known person from Smithfield who was influential in both abolition of slavery, and the women's rights movement. In the 19th century several mills were built in the town. In the mid-19th century the towns of North Smithfield, Rhode Island, and Lincoln, Rhode Island, became separate towns. The colonial ghost town of Hanton City is located within the boundaries of present-day Smithfield, but was a completely separate community in the eighteenth century. A Revolutionary war soldier, from the Smithfield side of the Massachusetts border, Captain James Buxton, ended up as a Massachusetts militiaman and Continental Army veteran, who was deeded 300 acres in Worcester County by Governor John Hancock. For this reason Buxton was lost to the history of Rhode Island Revolutionary soldiers.(see South Uxbridge history). Buxton served at Valley Forge among other battles.
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