Waterford, Rhode Island
Encyclopedia
Waterford is a village located on St. Paul Street in North Smithfield, Rhode Island
and Blackstone, Massachusetts
. The Branch River
flows through the village.
Waterford was developed in 1824 by Welcome Farnum, a Yankee entrepreneur, who purchased land, built a dam on the Branch River, and constructed the first textile mill called Red Mill. He named the village Waterford because many of the Irish workers in his mill came from Waterford
, Ireland
. The last mills in the area was constructed mid-nineteenth century. Waterford is home to several St. Paul's Church, originally serving a largely Irish population, and its adjacent school, and many businesses.
North Smithfield, Rhode Island
North Smithfield is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States, settled as a farming community in 1666 and incorporated into its present form in 1871. North Smithfield includes the historic villages of Forestdale, Primrose, Waterford, Branch Village, Union Village, Park Square, and...
and Blackstone, Massachusetts
Blackstone, Massachusetts
Blackstone is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 9,026 at the 2010 census. It is formally a part of the Providence metropolitan area. Blackstone is the only municipality in Massachusetts to employ automatic cameras in traffic enforcement.- History :This...
. The Branch River
Branch River (Rhode Island)
The Branch River is a river in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It flows approximately 16 km . There are six dams along the river's length. The river provided energy for many of the regions textile mills in the nineteenth century.-Course:...
flows through the village.
Waterford was developed in 1824 by Welcome Farnum, a Yankee entrepreneur, who purchased land, built a dam on the Branch River, and constructed the first textile mill called Red Mill. He named the village Waterford because many of the Irish workers in his mill came from Waterford
Waterford
Waterford is a city in the South-East Region of Ireland. It is the oldest city in the country and fifth largest by population. Waterford City Council is the local government authority for the city and its immediate hinterland...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. The last mills in the area was constructed mid-nineteenth century. Waterford is home to several St. Paul's Church, originally serving a largely Irish population, and its adjacent school, and many businesses.
External links and references
- Walter Nebiker, The History of North Smithfield (Somersworth, NH: New England History Press, 1976).