Primrose is a village in North Smithfield, Rhode Island, United States. The village is located in the area around Greenville Road and Providence Pike. The village takes its name from the Primrose railroad station which existed on Greenville Road for the Providence and Springfield Railroad which began service in 1873. The Primrose Fire Department and North Smithfield High School are located in the area. The historic Primrose Grange (1887) building is located on Grange Road as well as several eighteenth-century farms surrounded by stonewalls. [1]
The geography of Primrose was drastically changed by the Wisconsin glaciation between 70,000 and 10,000 years ago. This glaciation or "Ice Age" created a more rugged terrain, and deposited granite throughout the landscape. As a result of this rugged terrain, this area has many peaks and valleys, which leads to many wetlands. This area is less built up than the other villages in North Smithfield, partly because of the geography, and partly because the area is not part of the mill village of Slatersville.
According to a 2010 National Park Service Report:
Primrose Pond is a 64-acre former ice pond at the headwaters of the Woonasquatucket River. It is a long pond north of Farnum Pike (Routes 5, 104) and is bound on the east by Pond House Road and on the west by Black Plain Road. Remnants of a dam, a small viaduct, and a mill trench are located along the southern edge. A saw mill that operated from ca. 1780 to the early 20th century was located on the south end and an ice house built in the early 20th century was located on the western edge. The linear pond is surrounded by privately owned parcels. The pond is also privately owned and only two nonowners have been granted boat access to the pond. There used to be a summer day camp on Pond House Road. [1]
Providence County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. As of the 2020 census, the county's population was 660,741, or 60.2% of the state's population. Providence County contains the city of Providence, the state capital of Rhode Island and the county's most populous city, with an estimated 190,934 residents in 2020. Providence County is included in the Providence-Warwick, RI-MA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which in turn constitutes a portion of the greater Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT Combined Statistical Area. As of 2010, the center of population in Rhode Island is located in Providence County, in the city of Cranston.
Greenville is a village and census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Smithfield in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 8,658 at the 2010 census. The CDP is centered on the village of Greenville but also encompasses the nearby villages of West Greenville and Spragueville, as well as the Mountaindale Reservoir and beach.
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 Slatersville. The population was 12,588 at the 2020 census.
Smithfield is a town that is located in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. It includes the historic villages of Esmond, Georgiaville, Mountaindale, Hanton City, Stillwater and Greenville. The population was 22,118 at the 2020 census. Smithfield is the home of Bryant University, a private four year college.
Route 104 is a 13.4-mile-long (21.6 km) numbered state highway in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It runs from US 44 in North Providence to Worrall Street in Downtown Woonsocket. The route connects the cities of Providence and Woonsocket via the town center of Smithfield.
Route 146 is a 16.24-mile (26.14 km) north-south expressway in the U.S. state of Rhode Island, maintained by the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT). Spanning approximately 16 miles (26 km) along a northwest–southeast axis, it links the cities of Providence, Woonsocket, and Worcester, Massachusetts.
The Moshassuck River is a river in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It flows 8.9 miles (14.3 km) from the town of Lincoln to the city of Providence. There are six dams along the river's length.
The Woonasquatucket River is a river in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It flows approximately 15.8 miles (25.4 km) and drains a watershed of 130 km2 (50 sq mi).
The Piscassic River is a 15.3-mile-long (24.6 km) river located in southeastern New Hampshire in the United States. It is a tributary of the Lamprey River, part of the Great Bay and Piscataqua River watershed leading to the Atlantic Ocean.
The Stillwater River is a river in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It flows approximately 6.1 miles (9.8 km). There are four dams along the river's length.
The Branch River is a river in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It flows for approximately 16 km (10 mi). There are six dams along the river's length, including those forming the Slatersville Reservoir. The river provided energy for many of the region's textile mills in the nineteenth century.
Slatersville is a village on the Branch River in the town of North Smithfield, Rhode Island, United States. It includes the Slatersville Historic District, a historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The historic district has been included as part of the Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park. The North Smithfield Public Library is located in Slatersville.
Forestdale is a village and historic district in North Smithfield, Providence County, Rhode Island, United States, one-half mile from Slatersville, Rhode Island. The historic district runs east and west along Main Street and north on Maple Avenue. School Street is the primary road through the village, and the one-room schoolhouse for which the street is named still stands. The Branch River runs through the valley adjacent to the School Street. The Village Haven Restaurant and local VFW chapter are also located in the village.
Georgiaville is a village in Smithfield, Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The village was named after the Georgia Cotton Manufacturing Company mill located in the area. The Georgiaville Pond Beach is located in the village and is a popular recreation spot. In the 1920s the Ku Klux Klan was active in the area, and Klan rallies were held in Georgiaville. The village, which has retained many features of its origin as a mid-19th century mill village including the mill complex and several blocks of mill worker housing, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. Georgiaville is also where Smithfield's town hall is located.
Branch Village is a village in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. Located on Rhode Island Route 146A near the intersection of St. Paul Street in North Smithfield, the village takes its name from the Branch River which runs through it.
Noon Hill and Shattuck Reservation are adjacent open space preserves located in Medfield, Massachusetts. They are managed by the land conservation non-profit organization The Trustees of Reservations. The 200-mile (320 km) Bay Circuit Trail passes through both properties. The Town of Medfield owns conservation land adjacent to the properties.
North Smithfield High School is a high school in the Primrose section of North Smithfield, Rhode Island, USA. It is the only public high school in the town and was ranked 12th out of 51 public high schools in Rhode Island in 2022. The current principal is Amy L. Burns.
The Stillwater Mill was a former textile factory located in Smithfield, Rhode Island.
Waterman Reservoir is a large lake along Putnam Pike in Glocester and Greenville in Providence County, Rhode Island.
41°57′15″N71°33′23″W / 41.95417°N 71.55639°W