Warren, Rhode Island
Encyclopedia
Warren is a town
in Bristol County
, Rhode Island
, United States
. The population was 10,611 at the 2010 census
.
had established a trading post at Sowams. In 1623, Winslow and John Hampden saved the life of Wampanoag Sachem Massasoit
with medicine, gaining an important native ally.
In 1636, Roger Williams
, banished from Salem, fled to Sowams where he was sheltered by Massasoit until he settled at Providence.
Permanent English settlement east of the Indian village began. In 1653, Massasoit and his oldest son sold to certain Plymouth Colony settlers what is now Warren and parts of Barrington, Rhode Island
; Swansea, Massachusetts
; and Rehoboth, Massachusetts
. After the death of Massasoit, relations between the Indians and the settlers became strained, leading to King Philip's War
in 1675. The English settlement at Sowams was destroyed during the war, but rebuilt.
In 1668, the township was officially incorporated with the name Sowams; in 1691, the Plymouth Colony merged with the Massachusetts Bay Colony
.
Warren was ceded to Rhode Island from Massachusetts in 1747. The town was named "Warren" after a British
naval hero, Admiral Sir Peter Warren, after a victory at Louisburg in 1745. At the time of cession in 1747, Barrington, Rhode Island
was unified with Warren, until it was separated again in 1770.
In the mid-18th century the town was well known as a whaling port, and shipbuilding became an important industry. The Revolutionary War
seriously affected Warren's commercial prosperity, and the town suffered British raids in 1778 along with the rest of the region.
Warren was the original home of Brown University
, founded in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. The school registered its first students in 1765. Brown was the Baptist answer to Congregationalist Yale and Harvard, Presbyterian Princeton, and Episcopalian Penn and Columbia. At the time, it was the only one of these schools that welcomed students of all religious persuasions (following the example of Roger Williams, who founded Rhode Island in 1636 on the same principle).
Within the decade after the Revolution commerce revived, and until the middle of the 19th century, Warren was famous for the fine vessels launched from its yards. These vessels, largely commanded by Warren men and operated by Warren crews, engaged in whaling, merchant service, and the West India trade. Three notable ships were built in Warren by Chase & Davis: the 1853 clipper Lookout
, the 1853 clipper bark Gem of the Sea, and the 1854 clipper bark
Mary Ogden.
With the decline of the whaling industry and related seafaring commerce toward the middle of the 19th century, business attention turned to textile manufacturing. Warren's first cotton mill was erected by the Warren Manufacturing Company in 1847. Further mills and factories developed during and after the Civil War, attracting an immigrant work force.
Presently Warren is home to several waterfront businesses such as Blount Marine, Blount Seafood, and Anchorage Inc. (Dyer Boats).
, the town has a total area of 8.6 square miles (22.3 km²), of which, 6.2 square miles (16.1 km²) of it is land and 2.5 square miles (6.5 km²) of it (28.90%) is water. Warren is located on the east bank of the Warren River (opposite Barrington
, Rhode Island
).
of 2000, there were 11,360 people, 4,708 households, and 2,994 families residing in the town. The population density
was 1,845.8 people per square mile (713.2/km²). There were 4,977 housing units at an average density of 808.7 per square mile (312.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.82% White, 0.83% African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.50% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.29% from other races
, and 1.29% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.93% of the population.
There were 4,708 households out of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.3% were married couples
living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.4% were non-families. 30.8% 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 2.36 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the town the population was spread out with 21.6% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 90.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $41,285, and the median income for a family was $52,824. Males had a median income of $35,472 versus $27,023 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $22,448. About 5.2% of families and 7.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.1% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over.
New England town
The New England town is the basic unit of local government in each of the six New England states. Without a direct counterpart in most other U.S. states, New England towns are conceptually similar to civil townships in other states, but are incorporated, possessing powers like cities in other...
in Bristol County
Bristol County, Rhode Island
The border with Bristol County, Massachusetts is rather unusual since the counties both share the same name. The only other instances in which two neighboring counties with the same name share a state border are Sabine County, Texas and Sabine Parish, Louisiana, Union Parish, Louisiana and Union...
, Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 10,611 at the 2010 census
United States Census, 2010
The Twenty-third United States Census, known as Census 2010 or the 2010 Census, is the current national census of the United States. National Census Day was April 1, 2010 and is the reference date used in enumerating individuals...
.
History
Warren was the site of the Indian village of Sowams on the peninsula called Pokanoket (the near parts now called Mount Hope Neck), and was first explored by Europeans in 1621, by Edward Winslow and Stephen Hopkins. By the next year, Plymouth ColonyPlymouth Colony
Plymouth Colony was an English colonial venture in North America from 1620 to 1691. The first settlement of the Plymouth Colony was at New Plymouth, a location previously surveyed and named by Captain John Smith. The settlement, which served as the capital of the colony, is today the modern town...
had established a trading post at Sowams. In 1623, Winslow and John Hampden saved the life of Wampanoag Sachem Massasoit
Massasoit
Massasoit Sachem or Ousamequin ,was the sachem, or leader, of the Pokanoket, and "Massasoit" of the Wampanoag Confederacy. The term Massasoit means Great Sachem.-Early years:...
with medicine, gaining an important native ally.
In 1636, Roger Williams
Roger Williams (theologian)
Roger Williams was an English Protestant theologian who was an early proponent of religious freedom and the separation of church and state. In 1636, he began the colony of Providence Plantation, which provided a refuge for religious minorities. Williams started the first Baptist church in America,...
, banished from Salem, fled to Sowams where he was sheltered by Massasoit until he settled at Providence.
Permanent English settlement east of the Indian village began. In 1653, Massasoit and his oldest son sold to certain Plymouth Colony settlers what is now Warren and parts of Barrington, Rhode Island
Barrington, Rhode Island
Barrington is a town in Bristol County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 16,310 at the 2010 census.In July 2005, CNN/Money and Money magazine ranked Barrington sixth on its list of the 100 best places to live in the United States.-History:...
; Swansea, Massachusetts
Swansea, Massachusetts
Swansea is a town in Bristol County in southeastern Massachusetts.It is located at the mouth of the Taunton River, just west of Fall River, 47 miles south of Boston; and 12 miles southeast of Providence, Rhode Island....
; and Rehoboth, Massachusetts
Rehoboth, Massachusetts
Rehoboth is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 10,172 at the 2000 census.-History:It was incorporated in 1643 making it one of the earliest Massachusetts towns to be incorporated. The Rehoboth Carpenter Family is among the founding families...
. After the death of Massasoit, relations between the Indians and the settlers became strained, leading to King Philip's War
King Philip's War
King Philip's War, sometimes called Metacom's War, Metacomet's War, or Metacom's Rebellion, was an armed conflict between Native American inhabitants of present-day southern New England and English colonists and their Native American allies in 1675–76. The war is named after the main leader of the...
in 1675. The English settlement at Sowams was destroyed during the war, but rebuilt.
In 1668, the township was officially incorporated with the name Sowams; in 1691, the Plymouth Colony merged with the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Massachusetts Bay Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was an English settlement on the east coast of North America in the 17th century, in New England, situated around the present-day cities of Salem and Boston. The territory administered by the colony included much of present-day central New England, including portions...
.
Warren was ceded to Rhode Island from Massachusetts in 1747. The town was named "Warren" after a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
naval hero, Admiral Sir Peter Warren, after a victory at Louisburg in 1745. At the time of cession in 1747, Barrington, Rhode Island
Barrington, Rhode Island
Barrington is a town in Bristol County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 16,310 at the 2010 census.In July 2005, CNN/Money and Money magazine ranked Barrington sixth on its list of the 100 best places to live in the United States.-History:...
was unified with Warren, until it was separated again in 1770.
In the mid-18th century the town was well known as a whaling port, and shipbuilding became an important industry. The Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
seriously affected Warren's commercial prosperity, and the town suffered British raids in 1778 along with the rest of the region.
Warren was the original home of Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
, founded in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. The school registered its first students in 1765. Brown was the Baptist answer to Congregationalist Yale and Harvard, Presbyterian Princeton, and Episcopalian Penn and Columbia. At the time, it was the only one of these schools that welcomed students of all religious persuasions (following the example of Roger Williams, who founded Rhode Island in 1636 on the same principle).
Within the decade after the Revolution commerce revived, and until the middle of the 19th century, Warren was famous for the fine vessels launched from its yards. These vessels, largely commanded by Warren men and operated by Warren crews, engaged in whaling, merchant service, and the West India trade. Three notable ships were built in Warren by Chase & Davis: the 1853 clipper Lookout
Lookout (clipper)
The Lookout was an 1853 clipper known for her passages from New York to San Francisco, and as an offshore and coastal trader in the lumber and coal trades.-Launched at the height of the clipper boom:...
, the 1853 clipper bark Gem of the Sea, and the 1854 clipper bark
Barque
A barque, barc, or bark is a type of sailing vessel with three or more masts.- History of the term :The word barque appears to have come from the Greek word baris, a term for an Egyptian boat. This entered Latin as barca, which gave rise to the Italian barca, Spanish barco, and the French barge and...
Mary Ogden.
With the decline of the whaling industry and related seafaring commerce toward the middle of the 19th century, business attention turned to textile manufacturing. Warren's first cotton mill was erected by the Warren Manufacturing Company in 1847. Further mills and factories developed during and after the Civil War, attracting an immigrant work force.
Presently Warren is home to several waterfront businesses such as Blount Marine, Blount Seafood, and Anchorage Inc. (Dyer Boats).
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 8.6 square miles (22.3 km²), of which, 6.2 square miles (16.1 km²) of it is land and 2.5 square miles (6.5 km²) of it (28.90%) is water. Warren is located on the east bank of the Warren River (opposite Barrington
Barrington, Rhode Island
Barrington is a town in Bristol County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 16,310 at the 2010 census.In July 2005, CNN/Money and Money magazine ranked Barrington sixth on its list of the 100 best places to live in the United States.-History:...
, Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
).
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 11,360 people, 4,708 households, and 2,994 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,845.8 people per square mile (713.2/km²). There were 4,977 housing units at an average density of 808.7 per square mile (312.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.82% White, 0.83% African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.50% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.29% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.29% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.93% of the population.
There were 4,708 households out of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.3% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.4% were non-families. 30.8% 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 2.36 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the town the population was spread out with 21.6% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 90.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $41,285, and the median income for a family was $52,824. Males had a median income of $35,472 versus $27,023 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $22,448. About 5.2% of families and 7.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.1% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over.
Local notable sites and historic places
- Warren United Methodist Church and ParsonageWarren United Methodist Church and ParsonageWarren United Methodist Church and Parsonage are an historic Methodist church and house at 27 Church Street in Warren, Rhode Island, United States. The congregation, First Methodist Church, started in 1789 under the Rev. Daniel Smith, and the current building was constructed in 1844. It is...
- Warren Waterfront Historic DistrictWarren Waterfront Historic DistrictWarren Waterfront Historic District is a historic district in Warren, Rhode Island.The district stretches from the Warren River, and Belcher Cove, to the old town line Warren Waterfront Historic District is a historic district in Warren, Rhode Island.The district stretches from the Warren River,...
- The Baptist Church in Warren
Notable people born in Warren
- Lou AbbruzziLou AbbruzziLouis John "Duke" Abbruzzi was an American football player.He spent one season as a Boston Yanks special teams player and tailback. HE accounted for 229 all-purpose yards, 26 rushing yards from 6 carries, and 55 receiving yards of 2 receptions....
, NFL football player - Pat AbbruzziPat AbbruzziPasquale "Pat" Abbruzzi was an American college and professional Canadian football running back and high school football coach...
, All-Star Canadian football player, RI football legend - Luther BlountLuther BlountLuther H. Blount was an American entrepreneur, inventor, and philanthropist. Blount was a shipbuilder and holds 22 patents; most of which are relating to his trade.- Biography :...
, Started Blount Marine, American Canadian Caribbean Cruise Lines and Bay Queen Cruises - Hezekiah ButterworthHezekiah ButterworthHezekiah Butterworth was an American writer of books for young people, and a poet.- Biography :Born in Warren, Rhode Island, he was platform lecturer, speaking on education, hymnology, and his travels, which included tours in Europe, South America, Cuba and Canada...
, was an American writer of books for young people, and a poet.
See also
- LookoutLookout (clipper)The Lookout was an 1853 clipper known for her passages from New York to San Francisco, and as an offshore and coastal trader in the lumber and coal trades.-Launched at the height of the clipper boom:...
, 1853 clipper ship built in Warren