Federal Hill, Providence, Rhode Island

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Geography

Federal Hill is bounded by Westminster Street to the south, Route 6 and Route 10 to the west and north, and Interstate 95 to the east. The area borders: Downtown to the east, Smith Hill and Valley to the north, Olneyville to the west, and the West End and South Providence to the south.

parlors. The gateway arch over Atwells Avenue near Downtown is one of the most recognizable landmarks in Providence. The pinecone sculpture hanging from its center, a traditional Italian symbol of abundance and quality, is often mistakenly referred to as "The Pineapple" and has become the symbol of Federal Hill. Other important streets in the neighborhood include Broadway, home primarily to professional medical and legal offices, but also to the historic Columbus Theater now used for both movies and live performances. Other than a commercial and warehouse section in the area of Dean and Washington Streets, most of the rest of the neighborhood is residential, often catering to college students.

Most cross streets in the historic neighborhood between Atwells Avenue and Broadway are one-way due to their narrowness. A few streets remain paved with cobblestone.

History

Federal Hill received its name after a 1788 4th of July ox roast celebration on the plain adjacent to the hill. The organizers of the celebration intended to celebrate the ratification of the Federal Constitution. Because anti-federalist sentiment was strong in Rhode Island, General William West led 1,000 armed farmers to Providence to stop the celebration. Eventually, a compromise was reached and the celebrants agreed to celebrate Independence Day only and not the ratification of the Federal Constitution. [The Streets of the City by Florence Parker Simister (F89 .P0 S52, v.1, p. 127-128)]

Federal Hill's Atwells Avenue is named for Amos Maine Atwell, who led a syndicate of businessmen developing the western areas of the city in 1788. The area developed into a working class area during the early 19th century in part due to reverses in commercial shipping. [http://www.providenceri.com/Neighborhoods/fedhill.html Providence Neighborhoods: Federal Hill ] ]

The first two decades of the twentieth century witnessed heavy Italian-American immigration into Federal Hill, making it the city's informal Little Italy. Though the area today is more diverse, Federal Hill still retains its status as the traditional center for the city's Italian-American community. Providence's annual Columbus Day parade marches down Atwells Avenue.

Demographics

According to the 2000 census,GR|2 the racial makeup of the 02903 zip code, in which Federal Hill is located, was 65.8% White, 12.4% Black or African American, 7.2% Asian, 0.7% American Indian, and 8.4% from other races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15.2% of the population.

According to the Providence Plan, a local nonprofit aimed at improving city life, 47% of residents are white, 32.1% Hispanic, and 14.8% are African-American. These are all slightly above the city-wide averages. Nearly 50% of public school children speak a language other than English as their primary language. [http://local.provplan.org/profiles/fhl_main.html Federal Hill ] ]

The median family income is $27,288, below the city-wide average of $32,058. 28% of families live below the poverty line with 10% of residents receiving some form of public assistance.

One in four children has been exposed to unsafe levels of lead.

Government

Nearly all of Federal Hill is within Ward 13, which is represented in the Providence City Council by Democrat John J. Lombardi. A small portion of Federal Hill is in Ward 15, represented by Democrat Josephine DiRuzzo. [http://local.provplan.org/profiles/maprnks/fhl_ward_02.gif]

The Providence Public Safety Complex is located on Federal Hill at 325 Washington Street. The complex is the headquarters of the Providence Police Department, the Providence Fire Department and the city's municipal courts. [ [http://www.providencepolice.com/directory.html Department Directory Page ] ] The courts and particularly Judge Frank Caprio have been made famous locally by the television show "Caught in Providence", which documents the proceedings of the municipal court.

The Quality Assurance Review Center (QARC) is located in the Federal Hill neighborhood.

Parks

Federal Hill includes three green spaces along Atwells Avenue:

* Garibaldi Square is a half-acre square featuring a monumental bust of Giuseppe Garibaldi.
* DePasquale Plaza is a plaza used for outdoor dining.
* John's Park is a small park at the former location of St John's Church.

Another large green space is Franciscan Park, a two and a half acre park, located off Broadway near Route 6. [ [http://www.citywidegreen.org/parkFinder/neighborhoods.php?neighborhoods=7 Citywide Green ] ]

Culinary Notoriety

Federal Hill is often characterized by its culinary reputation. [ [http://www.boston.com/ae/food/restaurants/articles/2005/05/18/the_providence_palate/ The Providence palate R.I. capital is rich with culinary delights - The Boston Globe ] ] [ [http://culinary.jwu.edu/content345.html Experience the Providence Culinary Scene: College of Culinary Arts Johnson & Wales University ] ] Atwells Avenue has over twenty restaurants within a quarter mile section, such as Angelo's Civita Farnese. The area's proximity to Johnson and Wales University has allowed Providence to attract and retain skilled chefs, many of whom work in the many restaurants on Atwells Avenue.

Gallery

References