Burrillville, Rhode Island

Burrillville, Rhode Island
Town
Town office building (2013)
Coat of arms
Motto:  "Embracing Our Past...Envisioning Our Future"
Location within Providence County and Rhode Island.
Coordinates: 41°58′6″N71°40′59″W / 41.96833°N 71.68306°W / 41.96833; -71.68306
Country	United States
State	Rhode Island
County	Providence
Incorporated	1806
Named for	James Burrill Jr.
Government
• Type	Council–Manager
• Town Manager	Michael C. Wood
Area
• Total	57.1 sq mi (148.0 km2)
• Land	55.6 sq mi (143.9 km2)
• Water	1.6 sq mi (4.1 km2)
Elevation [1]	371 ft (113 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	16,158
• Density	280/sq mi (110/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes	02826 (Glendale), 02830 (Harrisville), 02839 (Mapleville), 02858 (Oakland), 02859 (Pascoag)
Area code	401
FIPS code	44-11800 [2]
GNIS ID	1220081 [1]
Website	burrillville.org

Burrillville (BUH-reh-vil ^[3] ) is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 16,158 at the 2020 census.

History

Burrillville was probably first settled sometime around 1662, when the first Europeans began to settle the Nipmuc lands. ^[4] The Town was originally a part of Glocester, Rhode Island. ^[4] John Smith and members of the Saulsbury family were among the earliest settlers. Samuel Willard treated many smallpox victims in South Uxbridge and Glocester (Burrillville), and he had the scars to prove it. ^{[4] [5]} In 1806, The Town of Burrillville became a separate town and consisted of 60 square miles (160 km²) of land in the northwestern corner of Rhode Island, bordering Connecticut and Massachusetts. ^[4] Later boundary disputes with Massachusetts and Glocester reduced this land area by the mid-19th century. ^[4] Joktan Putnam was the first town moderator. ^[4] The Nipmuc word for snake was rendered "askug" by Roger Williams in his A Key Into the Language of America, and "askoog" by the Reverend John Eliot in his Algonquian translation of the Bible. Burrillville's principal village, Pascoag, named after the stream upon which it is located, probably derives from this Algonquian root. Gradually in the early-to-mid-19th century, the various mills and villages took shape such as Harris mills, and the village of Harrisville, Mapleville mills, Oakland mills etc. ^[4] Buck Hill was known for a colorful band of counterfeiters. ^[4] The town is today part of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, New England's, historic National Park area. ^[6] Burrillville was home to many historic mills, many of which have either been burned, demolished, abandoned or renovated. The Stillwater Mill Complex in Harrisville is home to the Clocktower apartments, which used to be the old Tinkham textile mills (factual content requested). The site is also home to the recently built Jesse Smith Library.

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 town was named for 19th century United States senator James Burrill, Jr. who was then the Rhode Island Attorney General. ^[7]

Until 1846, the Sherman Farm was owned by the family. It totaled over 1,100 acres (4.5 km²) and was once the largest fruit and dairy farm in the state. The farmhouse had 32 rooms.^{[ citation needed ]}

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 57.2 square miles (148.0 km²), of which 55.6 square miles (143.9 km²) is land and 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²) (2.76%) is water.

Villages

Burrillville is further divided into villages: Glendale, Harrisville, Mapleville, Nasonville, Oakland, and Pascoag.

Climate

Climate data for Burrillville, Rhode Island
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	67 (19)	68 (20)	88 (31)	94 (34)	93 (34)	94 (34)	97 (36)	97 (36)	94 (34)	84 (29)	78 (26)	75 (24)	97 (36)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	35 (2)	38 (3)	47 (8)	58 (14)	69 (21)	76 (24)	81 (27)	79 (26)	72 (22)	61 (16)	50 (10)	39 (4)	59 (15)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	16 (−9)	19 (−7)	27 (−3)	36 (2)	46 (8)	55 (13)	60 (16)	59 (15)	51 (11)	39 (4)	32 (0)	22 (−6)	39 (4)
Record low °F (°C)	−13 (−25)	−11 (−24)	−1 (−18)	14 (−10)	27 (−3)	38 (3)	42 (6)	39 (4)	31 (−1)	21 (−6)	4 (−16)	−15 (−26)	−15 (−26)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	4.97 (126)	4.00 (102)	5.09 (129)	4.49 (114)	4.00 (102)	4.04 (103)	3.84 (98)	4.51 (115)	3.99 (101)	4.61 (117)	4.97 (126)	4.66 (118)	53.17 (1,351)
Average snowfall inches (cm)	11.5 (29)	10 (25)	2.1 (5.3)	0.9 (2.3)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0.2 (0.51)	2 (5.1)	10.7 (27)	37.4 (94.21)
Source: [8]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1810	1,834		—
1820	2,164		18.0%
1830	2,196		1.5%
1840	1,982		−9.7%
1850	3,538		78.5%
1860	4,140		17.0%
1870	4,674		12.9%
1880	5,714		22.3%
1890	5,492		−3.9%
1900	6,317		15.0%
1910	7,878		24.7%
1920	8,696		10.4%
1930	7,677		−11.7%
1940	8,185		6.6%
1950	8,774		7.2%
1960	9,119		3.9%
1970	10,087		10.6%
1980	13,164		30.5%
1990	16,230		23.3%
2000	15,796		−2.7%
2010	15,955		1.0%
2020	16,158		1.3%
U.S. Decennial Census [9] [10]

As of the census of 2020, there were 16,158 people and 6,029 households in the town. The population density was 294.2 inhabitants per square mile (113.6/km²). There were 6,701 housing units in the town. The racial makeup of the town was 92.75% White, 0.65% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 1.22% from other races, and 4.70% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.43% of the population.

There were 6,029 households, out of which 26.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.6% were married couples living together, 22.2% had a female householder with no spouse present, and 15.2% had a male householder with no spouse present. Of all households, 8.6% were made up of individuals, and 3.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 18.7% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 23.2% from 25 to 44, 30.2% from 45 to 64, and 19.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years.

The median income for a household in the town was $111,829, and the median income for a family was $129,363. The per capita income for the town was $46,197. About 6.9% of the population was below the poverty line, including 8.8% of those under age 18 and 6.1% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Burrillville town vote
by party in presidential elections ^[11]

Year	GOP	DEM	Others
2020	57.46%4,906	40.22% 3,434	2.32% 198
2016	56.93%4,139	35.19% 2,558	7.88% 573
2012	44.19% 3,044	53.22%3,666	2.60% 179
2008	44.79% 3,160	52.87%3,730	2.34% 165
2004	47.61% 3,024	50.45%3,204	1.94% 123
2000	37.96% 2,228	54.70%3,211	7.34% 431
1996	26.25% 1,420	54.90%2,970	18.85% 1,020
1992	29.32% 1,880	38.27%2,454	32.41% 2,078
1988	47.85% 2,479	51.75%2,681	0.41% 21

In the Rhode Island Senate, Burrillville is a part of the 23rd District and is currently represented by Republican Jessica De La Cruz. At the federal level in the U.S. House of Representatives, Burrillville is in Rhode Island's 2nd congressional district, which is currently represented by Democrat Seth M. Magaziner.

In presidential elections, Burrillville has traditionally leaned Democratic; however, in 2016, Donald Trump became the first Republican to win the town in over three decades when he defeated former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton by approximately 22 points. This was the best Republican performance since 1920.

Burrillville was also one of seven towns in Rhode Island where independent candidate Ross Perot finished in second place during the 1992 presidential election. Perot received 2,018 votes (31.47 percent) behind Bill Clinton's 2,454 votes (38.27 percent) and ahead of George H. W. Bush's 1,880 (29.32 percent).

Notable people

• Vice Admiral Walter E. Carter Jr., naval flight officer and President of the U.S. Naval War College ^[12]
• Oscar Lapham, U.S. Congressman ^[13]
• Henry Francis Walling, cartographer

National Historic Register sites

• Bridgeton School (1897)
• Harrisville Historic District
• Moses Taft House (Burrillville, Rhode Island) (1786)
• Oakland Historic District
• Pascoag Grammar School (1917)

See also

• Rhode Islandportal

References

1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Burrillville, Rhode Island
2. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
3. Farzan, Antonia Noori. "Rhode Island pronunciation guide: 35 names that visitors and even some locals get wrong". The Providence Journal. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
4. "Rhode Island Reading Room/History of Rhode Island/History of Burrilville with Illustrations". rootsweb. Retrieved December 26, 2007.
5. Backofen, Walter A (2001). Elias Frost, M.D., and his strategy for being remembered. p. 6. OCLC: 58438763.
6. "Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor/Valley sites-Glocester and Burrilville". National Park Service. Archived from the original on December 13, 2007. Retrieved December 26, 2007.
7. "Burrillville History/James Burrill" . Retrieved March 2, 2008.
8. "Intellicast - Local and National Weather Forecast, Radar, Maps and Severe Report". www.intellicast.com. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
9. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
10. Snow, Edwin M. (1867). Report upon the Census of Rhode Island 1865. Providence, RI: Providence Press Company.
11. "Rhode Island Board of Elections: Previous Election Results". Archived from the original on August 14, 2018. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
12. "United States Navy Biography Rear Admiral Walter E. "Ted" Carter, Jr. Superintendent U.S. Naval War College". U.S. Navy. Retrieved March 25, 2014.
13. "LAPHAM, Oscar, (1837–1926)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved March 25, 2014.

Further reading

• History of the State of Rhode Island with Illustrations, Albert J. Wright, Printer No. 79 Mille Street, corner of Federal, Boston. Hong, Wade & Co., Philadelphia 1878.

External links

• Town of Burrillville official website
• "History of Burrillville"—History of the State of Rhode Island with Illustrations
• Burrillville History Site by Town Historian Patricia Mehrtens
• Valley Sites—Glocester and Burrilville—Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor
• Nipmuck Nation website—Nipmuck tribe extended into what is today Burrilville