Cumberland, Rhode Island
Encyclopedia
Cumberland is a town
in Providence County
, Rhode Island
, United States
, incorporated in 1746. The population was 33,506 at the 2010 census
.
, Massachusetts
, which was purchased from the local Native Americans by the Plymouth Colony
. It was later transferred to Rhode Island as part of a long-running boundary dispute. The town was named in honor of Prince William, Duke of Cumberland.
William Blackstone (also spelled William Blaxton
in colonial times) was the first European to have settled and lived in Cumberland. (He was also the first European to have settled in Boston, but left there when he and the newly arrived Puritans disagreed about religion.) He preached his brand of tolerant Christianity under an oak tree that became an inspiration to Christians worldwide. He lived on a farm in the Lonsdale area of Cumberland, where he cultivated the first variety of American apples, the Yellow Sweeting. The site of his home is now occupied by the Ann & Hope mill.
The popular tourist destination "Nine Men's Misery
" is a tomb found on the grounds of a former Trappist monastery (Abbey of Our Lady of the Valley), part of which was destroyed in a fire in 1950. The Trappists sold the monastery and grounds to the town and part of the building was converted into the Edward J. Hayden Library, aka Cumberland Public Library in 1976. This combined three smaller libraries into one.
Cumberland was the site of iron works that made cannons and cannon balls for the French and Indian War
and the American Revolution. Additionally, Cumberland (along with the neighboring towns of Central Falls, RI, Lincoln, RI, and Attleboro, Massachusetts
) was the home of the Valley Falls Company
, which is the original antecedent of Berkshire Hathaway
, now one of the world's largest and most successful companies.
A machine shop in Cumberland made the first power loom
s for woolens in America. These were reportedly used at the Capron Mill in Uxbridge
, around 1820, that burned in a recent spectacular Bernat Mill
fire.
Cumberland is in the lower Blackstone Valley
of Rhode Island and in the John H. Chafee, Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor
, New England's historic National Park area.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 28.2 square miles (73 km²), of which 26.8 square miles (69.4 km²) is land and 1.5 square miles (3.9 km²) (5.17%) is water. View on Google Maps Hybrid
The only large deposit of Cumberlandite
, an iron
-rich mineral, is found off Elder Ballou Meeting House Road in northern Cumberland. Though the ore was used to make cannons during the colonial era, the resulting casts were of poor quality and prone to cracking. A major geologic feature of the area is Diamond Hill, a massive outcropping of white quartz
. The hill once was host to two small ski areas and is now a town park.
of 2010, there were 34,489 people, 12,198 households, and 9,038 families residing in the town. The population density
was 1,287 people per square mile (458.9/km²). There were 12,572 housing units at an average density of 469.2 per square mile (181.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.74% White, 0.57% African American, 0.08% Native American, 0.83% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.84% from other races
, and 0.92% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.09% of the population.
There were 12,198 households out of which 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.9% were married couples
living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.9% were non-families. 22.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the town the population was spread out with 24.2% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 91.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $72,242, and the median income for a family was $84,038. Males had a median income of $41,073 versus $29,188 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $32,378. About 2.9% of families and 3.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.1% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those age 65 or over. However, due to the recent recession, the percentage of the population below or near the poverty line has increased dramatically.
Cumberland also has a large and active second and third generation Portuguese-American community. Many of these Portuguese-American citizens immigrated from the Azores Islands, Portugal into the area to work at the factories in Cumberland and the adjacent cities of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, and Central Falls, Rhode Island. There are several Portuguese American Festivals that celebrate the cultural history throughout the year. These include the São João or Saint John's Festival that is held in the month of June at the Clube Juventude Lusitana and the Our Lady of Fatima Festival which is held at Our Lady of Fatima Church on Labor Day weekend. The celebrations include traditional Portuguese music, dance and parades. More recently, Cumberland has experienced an increase in its Hispanic population, specifically persons of Colombian descent.
For many years, the district held the distinction of the lowest per pupil spending in the state using comparative financial data from the Rhode Island Department of Education. Over the past ten years, however, the taxpayers have provided substantial resources to the schools through bonds to improve school facilities. Most recently these bond funds were spent on targeted improvements at Ashton School, John J. McLaughlin Cumberland Hill School and Cumberland High School.
Thanks to the financial generosity of the citizens of the Town of Cumberland, major renovations have been completed at Cumberland High School as part of the "CHS 2010" program. Originally opened at its Mendon Road location in 1961, Cumberland High School was formally rededicated on September 27, 2008 after five years of construction and renovation. A new facility, known as the Wellness Center, was built, including three basketball courts, an indoor track, and health and physical education rooms. Also, new music and art rooms have been constructed in the location of the former gymnasium. The final phase of the renovations and additions include a new 15-classroom science and technology wing and a new servery and cafeteria seating 600 students.
With a major cycle of facilities updates completed, the district has adopted a three-year strategic plan focused on 21st century skills for students and teachers to create equitable learning opportunities for its five thousand students. A primary emphasis of the district's Strategic Plan is a collaborative effort to design and build a Town Learning Community that will invigorate community support for the public education system. The Strategic Plan calls for the district to invest funds on teacher professional development in learning styles differences, gifted education and the integration of new classroom technology in all areas of instruction. Also, the plan focuses on strategies to personalize learning for students through differentiated instruction, advisory programs and the district's K-12 counseling program.
Nationally recognized educational organizations are partnering with the Cumberland schools in their improvement efforts. In literacy, the district is working with the Hasbro Center for Teaching Excellence/Highlander-Dunn Institute and the HILL for Literacy and, in mathematics, the Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Texas at Austin. The goal of the Cumberland Literacy Initiative is to raise student achievement in reading by training all elementary teachers as master teachers in literacy. The Cumberland Mathematics Initiative aims to provide a guaranteed and viable curriculum in mathematics for every student, every day, in every classroom in Cumberland, thereby raising the mathematical proficiency of all students in grades kindergarten through twelve.
The school system is led by its seven-member School Committee that is elected to serve for two years and includes a Chairperson, Vice-chairperson and Clerk. The School Committee hires a Superintendent of Schools to administer policies and to manage and lead learning in the district. The Cumberland Superintendent of Schools (in chronological order) are Mr. Robert Condon, Dr. Robert McGinnis, Mr. Rodney McFarlin, Dr. Robert Patterson, Mr. Robert Wallace (1993–1996), Mr. Joseph Nasif (1996–2005), and Dr. Donna Morelle (2005–2011).
Cumberland is home to a public charter school, the first Rhode Island Mayoral Academy, Blackstone Valley Prep (originally Democracy Prep Blackstone Valley). The school opened in the fall of 2009 with Kindergarten.
The one non-public school in Cumberland, Mercymount Country Day School,is run by the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, a Roman Catholic order which has its New England regional headquarters in Cumberland.
). The first recorded Arnold Mills Parade was held on July 4, 1927.http://arnoldmillsparade.com/
Cumberland Farms
, a large convenience store chain, takes its name from the original dairy farm business in Cumberland, Rhode Island.
A popular event, Cumberlandfest, is held each year on the second weekend of August at Diamond Hill Park on Diamond Hill Road. This event features a carnival, with rides and various venues, as well as live entertainment and a small fireworks show. Proceeds go to the town's athletic programs. This event attracts thousands of people every year.
Late in the year, started in 2002, Cumberland Town and Recreational Department has been putting together a "Spook Trail" in the woods of Diamond Hill Park on Diamond Hill Road called, Haunted Hill. Each year they have title characters like Freddy, Jason, Leatherface, and Michael Myers, along with other characters such as scarecrows, clowns and zombies.
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 Providence County
Providence County, Rhode Island
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 621,602 people, 239,936 households, and 152,839 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,504 people per square mile . There were 253,214 housing units at an average density of 613 per square mile...
, 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...
, incorporated in 1746. The population was 33,506 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
Cumberland was originally settled as part of RehobothRehoboth, 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...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, which was purchased from the local Native Americans by the Plymouth Colony
Plymouth 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...
. It was later transferred to Rhode Island as part of a long-running boundary dispute. The town was named in honor of Prince William, Duke of Cumberland.
William Blackstone (also spelled William Blaxton
William Blaxton
Reverend William Blaxton was an early British settler in New England, and the first European settler of modern day Boston and Rhode Island.-Biography:...
in colonial times) was the first European to have settled and lived in Cumberland. (He was also the first European to have settled in Boston, but left there when he and the newly arrived Puritans disagreed about religion.) He preached his brand of tolerant Christianity under an oak tree that became an inspiration to Christians worldwide. He lived on a farm in the Lonsdale area of Cumberland, where he cultivated the first variety of American apples, the Yellow Sweeting. The site of his home is now occupied by the Ann & Hope mill.
The popular tourist destination "Nine Men's Misery
Nine Men's Misery
Nine Men's Misery is a site in current day Cumberland, Rhode Island where nine colonists were tortured by the Narragansett Indian tribe during King Philip's War...
" is a tomb found on the grounds of a former Trappist monastery (Abbey of Our Lady of the Valley), part of which was destroyed in a fire in 1950. The Trappists sold the monastery and grounds to the town and part of the building was converted into the Edward J. Hayden Library, aka Cumberland Public Library in 1976. This combined three smaller libraries into one.
Cumberland was the site of iron works that made cannons and cannon balls for the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
and the American Revolution. Additionally, Cumberland (along with the neighboring towns of Central Falls, RI, Lincoln, RI, and Attleboro, Massachusetts
Attleboro, Massachusetts
Attleboro is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States and is immediately north of Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Once known as "The Jewelry Capital of the World" for its many jewelry manufacturers, Attleboro had a population of 42,068 at the 2000 census, and a population of 43,645 as of...
) was the home of the Valley Falls Company
Valley Falls Company
The Valley Falls Company was founded in 1839 by Oliver Chace, in Valley Falls, Rhode Island, an historic mill village on both sides of the Blackstone River, within the modern-day towns of Cumberland and Central Falls, Rhode Island...
, which is the original antecedent of Berkshire Hathaway
Berkshire Hathaway
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. is an American multinational conglomerate holding company headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, United States, that oversees and manages a number of subsidiary companies. The company averaged an annual growth in book value of 20.3% to its shareholders for the last 44 years,...
, now one of the world's largest and most successful companies.
A machine shop in Cumberland made the first power loom
Power loom
A power loom is a mechanized loom powered by a line shaft. The first power loom was designed in 1784 by Edmund Cartwright and first built in 1785. It was refined over the next 47 years until a design by Kenworthy and Bullough, made the operation completely automatic. This was known as the...
s for woolens in America. These were reportedly used at the Capron Mill in Uxbridge
Uxbridge, Massachusetts
Uxbridge is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It was first settled in 1662, incorporated in 1727 at Suffolk County, and named for the Earl of Uxbridge. Uxbridge is south-southeast of Worcester, north-northwest of Providence, and southwest of Boston. It is part of...
, around 1820, that burned in a recent spectacular Bernat Mill
Bernat Mill
The Bernat Mill, also known as Capron Mill, and later "Bachman Uxbridge Worsted Company", was a yarn mill in Uxbridge, Massachusetts, USA, that was destroyed by fire on July 21, 2007....
fire.
Cumberland is in the lower Blackstone Valley
Blackstone Valley
The Blackstone Valley or Blackstone River Valley is a region of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. It was a major contributor to the American Industrial Revolution...
of Rhode Island and in the John H. Chafee, Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor
Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor
The John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor is a National Heritage Corridor dedicated to the history of the early American Industrial Revolution, including mill towns stretching across 24 cities and towns near the river's course in Worcester County, Massachusetts and...
, New England's historic National Park area.
Geography
United 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 28.2 square miles (73 km²), of which 26.8 square miles (69.4 km²) is land and 1.5 square miles (3.9 km²) (5.17%) is water. View on Google Maps Hybrid
The only large deposit of Cumberlandite
Cumberlandite
Cumberlandite is the U.S. state of Rhode Island's state rock. It is only found in large concentrations on a lot in Blackstone Valley, Cumberland, and in traces scattered throughout the Narragansett Bay watershed. Due to its high amounts of iron, it is slightly magnetic.The rock was formed over 1.5...
, an iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
-rich mineral, is found off Elder Ballou Meeting House Road in northern Cumberland. Though the ore was used to make cannons during the colonial era, the resulting casts were of poor quality and prone to cracking. A major geologic feature of the area is Diamond Hill, a massive outcropping of white quartz
Quartz
Quartz is the second-most-abundant mineral in the Earth's continental crust, after feldspar. It is made up of a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon–oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall formula SiO2. There are many different varieties of quartz,...
. The hill once was host to two small ski areas and is now a town park.
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 2010, there were 34,489 people, 12,198 households, and 9,038 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 1,287 people per square mile (458.9/km²). There were 12,572 housing units at an average density of 469.2 per square mile (181.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.74% White, 0.57% African American, 0.08% Native American, 0.83% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.84% 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 0.92% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.09% of the population.
There were 12,198 households out of which 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.9% 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, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.9% were non-families. 22.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the town the population was spread out with 24.2% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 91.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $72,242, and the median income for a family was $84,038. Males had a median income of $41,073 versus $29,188 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 $32,378. About 2.9% of families and 3.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.1% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those age 65 or over. However, due to the recent recession, the percentage of the population below or near the poverty line has increased dramatically.
Cumberland also has a large and active second and third generation Portuguese-American community. Many of these Portuguese-American citizens immigrated from the Azores Islands, Portugal into the area to work at the factories in Cumberland and the adjacent cities of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, and Central Falls, Rhode Island. There are several Portuguese American Festivals that celebrate the cultural history throughout the year. These include the São João or Saint John's Festival that is held in the month of June at the Clube Juventude Lusitana and the Our Lady of Fatima Festival which is held at Our Lady of Fatima Church on Labor Day weekend. The celebrations include traditional Portuguese music, dance and parades. More recently, Cumberland has experienced an increase in its Hispanic population, specifically persons of Colombian descent.
Notable past/present residents
- William BlaxtonWilliam BlaxtonReverend William Blaxton was an early British settler in New England, and the first European settler of modern day Boston and Rhode Island.-Biography:...
, Cumberland's first European settler - Jemima WilkinsonJemima WilkinsonJemima Wilkinson was a charismatic American evangelist who preached total sexual abstinence and the Ten Commandments to her congregation of "Universal Friends." Her family were strict Quakers, most of her views were from her upbringing in the Quaker religion.As a young woman, she was plagued by a...
, 18th century evangelist, was born and raised in Cumberland - Tim WhiteTim White (wrestling)Timothy Rhys White is a former professional wrestling referee. He worked with World Wrestling Entertainment as a producer on the SmackDown! brand...
, former WWE referee - The Farrelly BrothersFarrelly brothersPeter John Farrelly and Robert Leo "Bobby" Farrelly, Jr. , professionally known as the Farrelly Brothers are screenwriters and directors of ten comedy films, including There's Something About Mary; Dumb and Dumber; Kingpin; Hall Pass; Me, Myself & Irene; Shallow Hal; Stuck on You; Osmosis Jones;...
grew up in Cumberland on Thomas Leighton Blvd. - David MacaulayDavid MacaulayDavid Macaulay is an author and illustrator. Now a resident of Norwich, Vermont, United States, he is an alumnus and faculty member at the Rhode Island School of Design.- Biography :...
, author and illustrator graduated from Cumberland High School - Aaron FrickeAaron FrickeAaron Fricke is a gay rights activist. He was born January 25, 1962 in Providence, Rhode Island. He is best known for the pivotal case in which he successfully sued his high school for not allowing him to bring his boyfriend, Paul Guilbert, to the senior prom at Cumberland High School in...
, gay rights activist - Brad AdamonisBrad AdamonisBradley Fred Adamonis is an American professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour.Adamonis was born in Providence, Rhode Island. He graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio in 1996 with a degree in Sports Management. While at Miami he was first-team All-Mid-American Conference in...
, current PGA tour golfer, grew up in Cumberland. - Richard JenkinsRichard JenkinsRichard Dale Jenkins is an American stage, film, and television actor. After beginning his career in theatre, Jenkins made his film debut in 1974, and appeared in supporting roles in numerous film productions in the 1980s and the 1990s. His breakthrough came in the 2000s for playing the deceased...
, Academy Award Nominated actor, resides in Cumberland. - Rocco BaldelliRocco BaldelliRocco Dan Baldelli is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and designated hitter. Because of his excellent size and speed, and in reference to his hometown, he was nicknamed, "The Woonsocket Rocket," early in his professional career...
, MLB Free Agent outfielderOutfielderOutfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
who grew up in Cumberland. His parents still reside there and he owns a house next to his parents. - Brian LawtonBrian LawtonBrian R. Lawton is a former professional ice hockey left wing and agent who played 483 games in the National Hockey League between 1983 and 1992...
, the first American ice hockeyIce hockeyIce hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
player selected no.1 overall in the NHL entry draftNHL Entry DraftThe NHL Entry Draft is an annual meeting in which every franchise of the National Hockey League systematically select the rights to available amateur ice hockey players who meet draft eligibility requirements...
, grew up in Cumberland although he was born in New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. - Cory PesaturoCory PesaturoCory Pesaturo is an American musician from Rhode Island. Pesaturo is an accordion player, who also plays the piano, clarinet, and saxophone. He began playing at the age of nine, and in 2002, became the youngest person to win the National Accordion Championship...
, world champion accordionist on both electric and acoustic accordions. Has performed for various world leaders. - John Capron, SrJohn CapronJohn Willard Capron was an American military officer in the infantry, state legislator, and textile manufacturer.-Early life, family:...
, born in Cumberland in 1754, native who became a clothier, and later textile pioneer, installed first power looms for woolens made at Cumberland, in his Capron Mill at Uxbridge, in 1820's.
Schools
The Cumberland Public Schools is a comprehensive PK-12 public school system serving the Town of Cumberland, Rhode Island. The school system enrolls approximately 5,000 students in preschool, elementary, middle and high school. The five town elementary schools include Bernard F. Norton School, Garvin Memorial School, Ashton School, Community School, and John J. McLaughlin Cumberland Hill School. Students in grades 6-8 attend one of two middle schools; Joseph L. McCourt Middle School (formerly Cumberland Middle School) or North Cumberland Middle School. All students in grades 9-12 attend Cumberland High School, a modern campus spread over 2.5 acres (10,117.2 m²) on Mendon Road/Route 122.For many years, the district held the distinction of the lowest per pupil spending in the state using comparative financial data from the Rhode Island Department of Education. Over the past ten years, however, the taxpayers have provided substantial resources to the schools through bonds to improve school facilities. Most recently these bond funds were spent on targeted improvements at Ashton School, John J. McLaughlin Cumberland Hill School and Cumberland High School.
Thanks to the financial generosity of the citizens of the Town of Cumberland, major renovations have been completed at Cumberland High School as part of the "CHS 2010" program. Originally opened at its Mendon Road location in 1961, Cumberland High School was formally rededicated on September 27, 2008 after five years of construction and renovation. A new facility, known as the Wellness Center, was built, including three basketball courts, an indoor track, and health and physical education rooms. Also, new music and art rooms have been constructed in the location of the former gymnasium. The final phase of the renovations and additions include a new 15-classroom science and technology wing and a new servery and cafeteria seating 600 students.
With a major cycle of facilities updates completed, the district has adopted a three-year strategic plan focused on 21st century skills for students and teachers to create equitable learning opportunities for its five thousand students. A primary emphasis of the district's Strategic Plan is a collaborative effort to design and build a Town Learning Community that will invigorate community support for the public education system. The Strategic Plan calls for the district to invest funds on teacher professional development in learning styles differences, gifted education and the integration of new classroom technology in all areas of instruction. Also, the plan focuses on strategies to personalize learning for students through differentiated instruction, advisory programs and the district's K-12 counseling program.
Nationally recognized educational organizations are partnering with the Cumberland schools in their improvement efforts. In literacy, the district is working with the Hasbro Center for Teaching Excellence/Highlander-Dunn Institute and the HILL for Literacy and, in mathematics, the Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Texas at Austin. The goal of the Cumberland Literacy Initiative is to raise student achievement in reading by training all elementary teachers as master teachers in literacy. The Cumberland Mathematics Initiative aims to provide a guaranteed and viable curriculum in mathematics for every student, every day, in every classroom in Cumberland, thereby raising the mathematical proficiency of all students in grades kindergarten through twelve.
The school system is led by its seven-member School Committee that is elected to serve for two years and includes a Chairperson, Vice-chairperson and Clerk. The School Committee hires a Superintendent of Schools to administer policies and to manage and lead learning in the district. The Cumberland Superintendent of Schools (in chronological order) are Mr. Robert Condon, Dr. Robert McGinnis, Mr. Rodney McFarlin, Dr. Robert Patterson, Mr. Robert Wallace (1993–1996), Mr. Joseph Nasif (1996–2005), and Dr. Donna Morelle (2005–2011).
Cumberland is home to a public charter school, the first Rhode Island Mayoral Academy, Blackstone Valley Prep (originally Democracy Prep Blackstone Valley). The school opened in the fall of 2009 with Kindergarten.
The one non-public school in Cumberland, Mercymount Country Day School,is run by the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, a Roman Catholic order which has its New England regional headquarters in Cumberland.
Culture and traditions
Cumberland is home to the Arnold Mills Fourth of July Parade and Road Race, which is held each year to celebrate (Fourth of JulyIndependence Day (United States)
Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
). The first recorded Arnold Mills Parade was held on July 4, 1927.http://arnoldmillsparade.com/
Cumberland Farms
Cumberland Farms
Cumberland Farms is a regional chain of convenience stores based in Framingham, Massachusetts, and operating primarily in the eastern United States and Florida. Cumberland Farms operates roughly 600 retail stores, gas stations, and a support system including petroleum and grocery distribution...
, a large convenience store chain, takes its name from the original dairy farm business in Cumberland, Rhode Island.
A popular event, Cumberlandfest, is held each year on the second weekend of August at Diamond Hill Park on Diamond Hill Road. This event features a carnival, with rides and various venues, as well as live entertainment and a small fireworks show. Proceeds go to the town's athletic programs. This event attracts thousands of people every year.
Late in the year, started in 2002, Cumberland Town and Recreational Department has been putting together a "Spook Trail" in the woods of Diamond Hill Park on Diamond Hill Road called, Haunted Hill. Each year they have title characters like Freddy, Jason, Leatherface, and Michael Myers, along with other characters such as scarecrows, clowns and zombies.
National Registered Historic Places
- Arnold Mills Historic DistrictArnold Mills Historic DistrictArnold Mills Historic District is a historic district east of Cumberland Hill at Sneech Pond and Abbott Run and Valley Roads in Cumberland, Rhode Island....
- Ashton Historic DistrictAshton Historic DistrictThe Ashton Historic District is a historic district in Cumberland, Rhode Island. The district consists of a mill and an adjacent mill village that was built for the workers of the mill. It lies between Mendon Road, Scott Road, Angell Road, Store Hill Road, Front Street and Middle Street...
- Ballou-Weatherhead HouseBallou-Weatherhead HouseThe Ballou-Weatherhead House is an historic house on Tower Hill Road in Cumberland, Rhode Island.The house is one-and-one-half story, center-chimney dwelling built around 1748 and expanded during the Federal period, around 1799, at which point the style was changed to Federal architecture...
- Berkeley Mill VillageBerkeley Mill VillageBerkeley Mill Village is a historic district in Cumberland, Rhode Island bounded by Martin Street and Mendon Road.The Village was constructed as mill employee housing in 1872 in a Romanesque style. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972....
- Burlingame-Noon HouseBurlingame-Noon HouseThe Burlingame-Noon House is an historic house built around 1800 in Cumberland, Rhode Island.The structure was originally a simple, one-and-one-half-story, five-room-plan, centre-chimney Federal style cottage, constructed in the first decades of the 19th century. In the middle of the century, it...
- Cole, John, Farm
- Furnace Carolina SiteFurnace Carolina SiteThe Furnace Carolina Site is an historic site of a blast furnace in Cumberland, Rhode Island along the the Abbott Run river.-History:...
- Luke Jillson HouseLuke Jillson HouseThe Luke Jillson House is an historic house at 2510 Mendon Road in Cumberland, Rhode Island. It was built around 1752 and is an excellent example of a Georgian style house of the time....
- St. Joseph's Church ComplexSt. Joseph's Church ComplexSt. Joseph's Church Complex is an historic site at 1303 Mendon Road in Cumberland, Rhode Island which includes a Gothic Revival style Roman Catholic church along with two late nineteenth-century, clapboard-sheathed, wood-frame structures on the east side of Mendon Road.The handsome, asymmetrical,...
- Lewis Tower HouseLewis Tower HouseThe Lewis Tower House is an historic house built around 1825. It is situated at 2199 Mendon Road in Cumberland, Rhode Island.It is a Federal style house that is two-and-one-half-stories with a flank gable roof and an L-plan. The house is set into a small hill and has a one-and-one half-story,...
- Tower-Flagg Barn ComplexTower-Flagg Barn ComplexThe Tower-Flagg Barn Complex is an historic site in Cumberland, Rhode Island at 100 Abbott Run Valley Road.The site was built originally in the eighteenth century and added to the National Historic Register in 1998....
- Whipple-Jenckes HouseWhipple-Jenckes HouseThe Whipple-Jenckes House is an historic American Colonial house at 2500 Diamond Hill Road in Cumberland, Rhode Island. The house was built around the year 1750, enlarged slightly in 1780, and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.The house is a very simple...
External links
- Official Website
- Cumberland Public Schools
- HILL for Literacy
- Highlander-Dunn Institute
- North Cumberland Middle School Website
- Cumberland High School Digital Initiative
- Arnold Mills Annual Fourth of July Parade and Road Race
- Who is William Blackstone? Short, readable biography of a very interesting pioneer.
- The story of William Blackstone, with local color, from the Worcester Telegram & Gazette.
- Detailed history of Cumberland, from History of the State of Rhode Island, by Albert J. Wright, 1878.
- Cumberland Public Library