College Hill is a neighborhood in Providence, Rhode Island

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...

, and one of six neighborhoods comprising the East Side

East Side, Providence, Rhode Island

The East Side is a collection of neighborhoods in Providence, Rhode Island on the eponymous eastern part of the city. It officially comprises the neighborhoods of Blackstone, Hope , Mount Hope, College Hill , Wayland, and Fox Point.The area is separated from East Providence, Rhode Island to the...

 of Providence and part of College Hill Historic District. It is roughly bounded by North Main Street to the west, Power Street to the south, Governor Street and Arlington Avenue to the east and Olney Street to the north. The name refers to the two major educational institutions established in the neighborhood: 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 ,...

 and Rhode Island School of Design

Rhode Island School of Design

Rhode Island School of Design is a fine arts and design college located in Providence, Rhode Island. It was founded in 1877. Located at the base of College Hill, the RISD campus is contiguous with the Brown University campus. The two institutions share social, academic, and community resources and...

. Prior to their development, the area was known as Prospect Hill. College Hill is also home to Thayer Street

Thayer Street

Thayer Street in Providence, Rhode Island is a popular destination for students of the area's nearby schools of Brown University, Moses Brown School, Wheeler School, RISD, Providence College, Johnson & Wales University, and Rhode Island College....

, a shopping strip frequented by students in the Providence area.

College Hill is the most affluent neighborhood in Providence, with a median family income of nearly three times that of the city as a whole.

History

Around the time of the founding of the colony of Providence Plantations the farm of Rev. Chad Brown

Chad Brown (minister)

Reverend Chad Brown I was one of the first ministers of the First Baptist Church in America and a co-founder of Providence, Rhode Island...

 occupied the hill. Settled around North Main Street in 1636, nearly all of Providence was originally on College Hill. By the time of 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...

, the foot of the hill was densely populated with wharves, warehouses, shops, public buildings, and residential houses. In 1770, the college that became Brown University was moved to the old Brown farm and over the next century would gradually expand. In the nineteenth century, precious metals and jewellery trading drove much business on North Main Street, and RISD was established in 1877. By the 1900s, Brown had begun expanding more aggressively, demolishing nearly 100 houses in the 1950s for a residential quadrangle area.

In the post-war

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 years, Providence went into a decline. Many of the neighborhood's more historic centers were in disrepair and were slated for demolition as part of urban renewal projects. The Providence Preservation Society intervened and the area is now home to one of the country's largest restored collections of 18th and 19th century Victorians and colonials.

Government

College Hill is divided along Angell Street between Ward One to the south and Ward Two to the north.

As of the 2006 elections, Ward One is represented in the Providence City Council

Providence City Council

The Providence City Council is the fifteen-member legislative body of the city of Providence, Rhode Island. The two major responsibilities of the council are enacting ordinances necessary to ensure the welfare and good order of the city and adopting the city's annual budget...

 by Seth Yurdin and Ward Two by Cliff Wood. Both are Democrats (USA).
Major public buildings include the Providence County Courthouse and the Rhode Island Office of the Attorney General. Both are located on North Main Street, at the bottom of College Hill. The Rhode Island Supreme Court is located along Benefit Street.

Demographics

75.6% of College Hill residents are white while 13.6 % are Asian, both well-above the city-wide averages of 54.5% and 6.2% respectively. African-Americans and Hispanics each comprise about 5% of the population.

Median family income on College Hill is $121,521, well above the city-wide average. About 5% of households live below the poverty line. Fewer than 1% of households receive any public assistance.

Universities and Schools

The College Hill contains nearly all of Brown University's academic and residential facilities, including the Main Green, the Rockefeller Library, the Pembroke Campus, and the School of Medicine

Brown Medical School

The Warren Alpert Medical School is the medical school of Brown University, located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. First established in 1811, the school was suspended after sixteen years of operation by university President Francis Wayland. The medical school was reinstated in 1975...

. Most of Rhode Island School of Design's buildings are along the slope of College Hill.

The Moses Brown School

Moses Brown School

Moses Brown School is a Quaker school located in Providence, Rhode Island, founded by Moses Brown, a Quaker abolitionist, in 1784. It is one of the oldest preparatory schools in the country.-Founder:...

, on Lloyd Avenue and the Wheeler School

Wheeler School

The Wheeler School is a coeducational independent day school located on the East Side of Providence, Rhode Island, United States. The school serves students from the nursery level through twelfth-grade.- Mary C. Wheeler :...

, on Hope Street, are notable private schools on College Hill.

Hope High School

Hope High School (Rhode Island)

Hope High School is a public high school in the East Side of Providence, Rhode Island, U.S.A. operated by Providence Public School District. It was founded in 1898 and since 2003, Hope High School has been partitioned into three semi-independent "communities" -- Hope High School Arts Community,...

 is located at the corner of Hope and Olney Streets, is one of Providence's major public high schools.

Shopping and Restaurants

Numerous cafes, restaurants, and shops are located along Thayer Street, adjoining Brown University at Soldier's Arch. Both streets are home to numerous small and independent shops, though Thayer Street has a few chain stores. Brown University's bookstore is located on Thayer. Thayer Street's Avon Cinema

Avon Cinema

The Avon Cinema is an Art Deco Theatre opened on the East Side of Providence, near Brown University, since February, 1938 in the United States of America.-History:...

, dating back to the early twentieth century, is a noted College Hill landmark.

Parks

• Prospect Terrace Park
  Prospect Terrace Park
  Prospect Terrace Park is a park located on Congdon Street in the College Hill neighborhood of Providence, Rhode Island. The park, founded in 1867, overlooks the city's "downcity."Author and Providence native H. P...
  
   is a park located on top of College Hill that allows for a scenic view of downtown Providence and the city and county beyond.

• Riverwalk, located along the Providence River, is where part of Waterfire
  WaterFire
  WaterFire is the award-winning sculpture by Barnaby Evans presented on the rivers of downtown Providence, RI.First created by Evans in 1994 to celebrate the tenth anniversary of First Night Providence, WaterFire has grown to become an annual public art phenomenon.WaterFire is simultaneously a free...
  
   is held.

• Roger Williams National Memorial
  Roger Williams National Memorial
  Roger Williams National Memorial is a landscaped urban park located on a common lot of the original settlement of Providence, Rhode Island, by Roger Williams in 1636. Bounded by North Main, Canal, and Smith Streets and Park Row, the memorial commemorates the life of the co-founder of the Colony of...
  
   on North Main Street.

• Veterans' Memorial Park and Market Square between South Main Street and Canal Street.

Landmarks

The base of College Hill is the oldest area of the city. The College Hill Historic District includes much of the area and has been recognized as a National Historic Landmark District

National Historic Landmark

A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...

 by the Department of the Interior

United States Department of the Interior

The United States Department of the Interior is the United States federal executive department of the U.S. government responsible for the management and conservation of most federal land and natural resources, and the administration of programs relating to Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Native...

. The Providence Preservation Society and the Rhode Island Historical Society

Rhode Island Historical Society

The Rhode Island Historical Society is a privately endowed membership organization, founded in 1822, dedicated to collecting, preserving, and sharing the history of Rhode Island...

 have preserved numerous historic buildings in the College Hill area. Landmarks include:

• The Old State House
• The First Baptist Church in America
  First Baptist Church in America
  The First Baptist Church in America is the First Baptist Church of Providence, Rhode Island, also known as First Baptist Meetinghouse. The oldest Baptist church congregation in the United States, it was founded by Roger Williams in Providence, Rhode Island in 1638...
  
  
• The First Christian Science Church on Meeting Street - A domed church on Meeting Street.
• The Providence Athenaeum
  Providence Athenaeum
  The Providence Athenaeum, founded in 1753 in Providence, Rhode Island, is the fourth oldest subscription library in the United States. Only the Library Company of Philadelphia, founded in 1731 by Benjamin Franklin, Newport's Redwood Library and Athenaeum, founded in 1747, and the Charleston Library...
  
   - The fourth oldest library in America, located on Benefit Street.
• The Marine Armory - An armory in service during the American Civil War
  American Civil War
  The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
  
   and the original headquarters of the Rhode Island State Police
  Rhode Island State Police
  The Rhode Island State Police is an agency of the state of Rhode Island responsible for statewide law enforcement and regulation, especially in areas underserved by local police agencies and on the state's limited-access highways...