Elmwood, Providence, Rhode Island

Elmwood is a neighborhood in the South Side of Providence, Rhode Island. The triangular region is demarcated by Broad Street, Elmwood Avenue, and Interstate 95.

History

Prior to the 1850s, the region had been used primarily as farm land. Then, in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, as the city began to expand south and west with the development of manufacturing and shipping interests, the area began to develop. In the 1840s through 1860s, as the city of Providence expanded from a population of 23,000 to past 50,000, development crept southwestward along Broad Street. As areas began to be densely populated, the remaining farms were subdivided.

The neighborhood takes its name from one of its principal developers, Joseph J. Cooke, who in 1843 purchased a large tract of farm land and named the estate "Elmwood". He and other developers sought to built a model suburban community with wide streets and shade-giving elm trees. [http://www.providenceri.com/Neighborhoods/elmwood.html Providence Neighborhoods: Blackstone ] ]

As public transportation improved from omnibuses (horse-drawn carriages) to horse-drawn tracked cars, and finally to electrified streetcars, development began to quicken pace. A number of manufacturers moved to Elmwood, while the area near Public St, Elmwood Ave, and Potters Ave began to develop as a middle to upper class residential neighborhood.

As the automobile came to increase in popularity, businesses in the form of car dealerships, garages, and service stations would proliferate along Elmwood Avenue. As trolley service was bustituted, Elmwood Ave was widened significantly and the elm trees Cooke planted had to be removed. These changes in streetscape change the character of the neighborhood irrevocably.

When the 1950s came, Interstate 95 was constructed, and many single-family homes were converted into apartments. Combined with the aging housing stock and traffic congestion, the neighborhood became less appealing to the middle-class, who left in large numbers during this time.

In the early and mid 1970s, spot demolition on dilapidated houses became common and Elmwood fell into disrepair, though in recent years, there have been many efforts to restore many older mansion and revitalize the neighborhood.

Demographics

In 1990, the neighborhood remains one of the most ethnically, culturally, and racial diverse in the city. 40% of residents were Hispanic, more than 33% were African-American, 26% were white, 14% were Asian, and nearly 3% were Native-American. Today the neighborhood is majority Hispanic.

According to the Providence Plan, a local nonprofit aimed at improving city life, 56.7% of the population is Hispanic, 23.3% African-American, 23.6% white, 9.3% Asian, and 1.8% Native American. 70% of children under the age of six speak a language other than English as their primary language. [http://204.17.79.244/profiles/elm_main.html Elmwood ] ]

Median family income rates are well below the city-wide average. Nearly 28% of families live below the poverty line while nearly 17% receive some form of public assistance. Nearly one in four children has been exposed to high amounts of lead, mostly from lead paint in older homes.

Only half of residents over 25 had completed high school, while the employment rate was 14 percent verses 9 for the city as a whole.

Government

Most of Elmwood is in Ward 9 though a portion of Ward 11 protrudes into Elmwood north of Potters Avenue. [http://204.17.79.244/profiles/maprnks/elm_ward_02.gif] Miguel Luna and Balbina A Young represent Wards 9 and 11 respectively in the Providence City Council. Both are Democrats.

Parks

Elmwood has four small parks: Sackett Street Park and Amos Earley Park south of Sackett Avenue, Niagara Street Park north of Potters Avenue, and Columbus Square at the intersection of Elmwood and Reservoir Avenues. [ [http://www.citywidegreen.org/parkFinder/neighborhoods.php?neighborhoods=6 Citywide Green ] ]

Hospitals

St Joseph's Hospital for Specialty Care is a Catholic hospital located at 21 Peace Street in the northern portion of Elmwood. [ [http://www.specialtycareri.com/ Welcome To Saint Joseph Hospital for Specialty Care Homepage ] ] It completes a line of four hospitals on the South Side that to the east includes Rhode Island Hospital, Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, and Hasbro Children's Hospital.

References

[http://www.providenceri.com/Neighborhoods/elmwood.html "Neighborhood Profiles" at providenceri.com]