Chepachet, Rhode Island
Encyclopedia
Chepachet is a village and census-designated place
in the town of Glocester
in the northwestern part of the U.S. state
of Rhode Island
. It is centered at the intersection of U.S. Route 44
(aka Putnam Pike) and RI Route 102 (also known as Victory Highway and Chopmist Hill Road). Chepachet's ZIP code
is 02814.
, located on Glocester's border with neighboring community North Scituate, is the only secondary school
for residents of Chepachet. West Glocester Elementary, an elementary school
in Chepachet, is part of the Glocester Elementary School District.
and Nipmuc natives, the name means "where rivers meet." During the American Revolution
, Loyalists
from Newport were exiled near Chepachet, including Thomas Vernon, a Tory from Newport, who recorded election celebrations in Chepachet in 1776:
, which helped to win voting rights for non-landowners in a new state Constitution.
Since 1926, the town has hosted the Ancients and Horribles parade, an annual Fourth of July event, notable for its political statements and ribald humor.
In the 1940s, a US Navy auxiliary ship, USS Chepachet, was named after the village. The ship's bell resides at the seat of town government, and the ship's surviving crew had a 50th anniversary reunion in the town in 1998.
In the 1990s Chepachet gained brief national attention in episodes of television
's The X-Files
as the location of the youth summer home of main character Fox Mulder
. In one episode set in Providence
he mentions Chepachet is "20 miles up Route 5." This is only marginally correct, as the local Route 5 does not enter Providence's boundaries, but passes through Smithfield
, and is accessible to Chepachet only by crossing Burrillville
; actually, from Providence, US 44 (which crosses RI 5 in Greenville
) is the most direct route to Chepachet, and from points north and south, it's RI 102.
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
in the town of Glocester
Glocester, Rhode Island
Glocester is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 9,746 as of the 2010 census. The villages of Chepachet and Harmony are in Glocester. Putnam Pike Glocester is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 9,746 as of the 2010...
in the northwestern part of the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of 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...
. It is centered at the intersection of U.S. Route 44
U.S. Route 44
U.S. Route 44 is an east–west United States highway that runs for 237 miles through four states in the Northeastern region of the United States. The western terminus is at U.S. Route 209 and New York State Route 55 in Kerhonkson, a hamlet in the Hudson Valley region of New York...
(aka Putnam Pike) and RI Route 102 (also known as Victory Highway and Chopmist Hill Road). Chepachet's ZIP code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
is 02814.
Schools
The area is part of the Foster-Glocester Regional School District, meaning Ponaganset High SchoolPonaganset High School
Ponaganset High School is a school of the Foster-Glocester School District, located in Glocester, Rhode Island . The majority of high school students live in the rural towns of Foster, Rhode Island and Glocester, Rhode Island. This is a public high school, known for its music program, AP and honors...
, located on Glocester's border with neighboring community North Scituate, is the only secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
for residents of Chepachet. West Glocester Elementary, an elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
in Chepachet, is part of the Glocester Elementary School District.
History
"Chepachet" was originally a habitat of the PequotPequot
Pequot people are a tribe of Native Americans who, in the 17th century, inhabited much of what is now Connecticut. They were of the Algonquian language family. The Pequot War and Mystic massacre reduced the Pequot's sociopolitical influence in southern New England...
and Nipmuc natives, the name means "where rivers meet." During the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, Loyalists
Loyalist (American Revolution)
Loyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the Kingdom of Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. At the time they were often called Tories, Royalists, or King's Men. They were opposed by the Patriots, those who supported the revolution...
from Newport were exiled near Chepachet, including Thomas Vernon, a Tory from Newport, who recorded election celebrations in Chepachet in 1776:
This being the day for the choice of Deputies (members of the General Assembly). We are told that there is a very great resort of people of all kinds at Chepasseh, and that it is a day of great frolicking. Our landlord and his three sons are gone, having rigged themselves out in the best manner. [A] man on horseback passed by (together with many others) with a very large bag full of cakes made by Granne West (mother to the General [ William West ]) which are to be sold to the people.. In 1842, Chepachet was the setting of the endgame of the Dorr Rebellion
Dorr Rebellion
The Dorr Rebellion was a short-lived armed insurrection in the U.S. state of Rhode Island led by Thomas Wilson Dorr, who was agitating for changes to the state's electoral system.- Precursors :...
, which helped to win voting rights for non-landowners in a new state Constitution.
Since 1926, the town has hosted the Ancients and Horribles parade, an annual Fourth of July event, notable for its political statements and ribald humor.
In the 1940s, a US Navy auxiliary ship, USS Chepachet, was named after the village. The ship's bell resides at the seat of town government, and the ship's surviving crew had a 50th anniversary reunion in the town in 1998.
In the 1990s Chepachet gained brief national attention in episodes of television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
's The X-Files
The X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
as the location of the youth summer home of main character Fox Mulder
Fox Mulder
FBI Special Agent Fox William Mulder is a fictional character and protagonist in the American Fox television shows The X-Files and The Lone Gunmen, two science fiction shows about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of Alien existence. Mulder's peers consider his theories on...
. In one episode set in Providence
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
he mentions Chepachet is "20 miles up Route 5." This is only marginally correct, as the local Route 5 does not enter Providence's boundaries, but passes through Smithfield
Smithfield, Rhode Island
Smithfield is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. It includes the historic villages of Esmond, Georgiaville, Mountaindale, Hanton City, Stillwater and Greenville...
, and is accessible to Chepachet only by crossing Burrillville
Burrillville, Rhode Island
Burrillville is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. It was incorporated as an independent municipality on November 17, 1806 when the Rhode Island General Assembly authorized the residents of then North Glocester to elect its own officers. The population was 15,955 at the 2010...
; actually, from Providence, US 44 (which crosses RI 5 in Greenville
Greenville, Rhode Island
Greenville is a village and census-designated place in the town of Smithfield in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 8,626 at the 2000 census...
) is the most direct route to Chepachet, and from points north and south, it's RI 102.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Providence County, Rhode Island
- Ancient and Horribles ParadeAncient and Horribles ParadeAncient and Horribles Parade, founded in 1927, is a nationally known Fourth of July parade on U.S. Route 44 in the village of Chepachet, Rhode Island in the town of Glocester...
- Dorr RebellionDorr RebellionThe Dorr Rebellion was a short-lived armed insurrection in the U.S. state of Rhode Island led by Thomas Wilson Dorr, who was agitating for changes to the state's electoral system.- Precursors :...
- Ponaganset High SchoolPonaganset High SchoolPonaganset High School is a school of the Foster-Glocester School District, located in Glocester, Rhode Island . The majority of high school students live in the rural towns of Foster, Rhode Island and Glocester, Rhode Island. This is a public high school, known for its music program, AP and honors...
- The Horror at Red HookThe Horror at Red Hook"The Horror at Red Hook" is a short story written by H. P. Lovecraft. Written on August 1–2, 1925, it was first published in the January 1927 issue of Weird Tales.-Inspiration:...