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Overview of the Elmwood Neighborhood Project
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Overview of the Elmwood Neighborhood Project
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" Positioned halfway between Boston and New York Providence is the capital of the tiny state of Rhode Island. It's granite capitol building is almost a miniature of the one in Washington it is considered one of the most beautiful in the country. Rhode Island itself could also be called a miniature state because in less than a 150 square miles it packs great stretches of fantastic beaches. The glorious mansions of Newport. Peaceful harbors nestled between rural farms and bustling cosmopolitan centers like downtown Providence. This city of Providence grew a great deal during the industrial revolution because of its location. On shipping routes and at the confluence of Two Rivers that formed the Providence river but like many other cities that saw a period of decline during the late twentieth century when we saw all sorts of suburban sprawl. Boom in recent years the ambitious city management of mayor Vincent buddy Cianci. Has taken full advantage of the economic boom. -- bring Providence into a full renaissance ready to reclaim its old reputation as the Venice of the north. The water place park one of several areas the city has transformed into prize winning public spaces. Features gondolas and singing bonfires in the canal during summer water fire celebrations. And at the entrance to federal hill. The pine cone of hospitality invites visitors to enjoy a great concentration of the city's famed Italian restaurants. While new malls parks and highways have sprung up all over Providence historic preservation has remained a high priority in -- You can see that just by walking down benefit street. Past these beautifully preserved eighteenth and nineteenth century buildings that show off the wealth brought here early on by the shipping trade. In a city that's had so many economic ups and downs it's a great source of pride that so many architectural treasures survive here today. You really can't talk about Providence without talking about education it's home to several colleges and universities like the Rhode Island School of Design what -- most prestigious art schools in the world. And it's also the seat of the ivy league's Brown University. Its founders the brown family live in Rhode Island history as prominent religious leaders educators and entrepreneur -- Two of their homes that is the John Brown house and -- brown house are preserved as historical landmarks today. Providence itself was actually founded way back in the 1630s. As a haven for those seeking religious and political freedom from the strictly puritan Massachusetts bay colony. There's actually -- park named after the founder of the city Roger Williams. -- its impressive casino walking trails and duck ponds and a popular zoo. Roger Williams park is only a few blocks from our project neighborhood of elmwood from. Elmwood avenue now an exit or two south of downtown Providence off of interstate 95. Really helps to tell the story of how the whole elmwood district was developed how -- deteriorated and how it slowly being reclaimed as a neighborhood. When the population of Providence tripled between 1870 in 1910. The city expanded to the southwest. Industry grew enormously in those years and factories like the Gorham manufacturing plant were built right here off elmwood avenue. Until before long what had started as farmland grew into a bustling suburban neighborhood with strong ties to the downtown."
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