India Point Park

Last updated
India Point Park
India Point Park, Providence Rhode Island.jpg
India Point Park
Location Fox Point, Providence, Rhode Island
Coordinates 41°49′03″N71°23′33″W / 41.8176003°N 71.3925556°W / 41.8176003; -71.3925556
Area18 acres (73,000 m2)
Created1974 (1974)
Visitors75,000
Sunset India Point Park (9340627306).jpg
Sunset

India Point Park is a park in the Fox Point neighborhood of Providence, Rhode Island at the confluence of the Seekonk River and Providence River. The park takes its name from the maritime activity connecting Providence with the East and West Indies. [1] The East Bay Bike Path begins at the eastern end of the park, and crosses over the Washington Bridge before heading to Watchemoket Square in East Providence and continuing on to the Bristol waterfront north of the Mount Hope Bridge. The park is also a part of the Washington–Rochambeau Revolutionary Route.

Contents

History

India Point was Providence's first port. [2] It was established in 1680 and flourished as a center of maritime trade for 250 years. [3] John Brown established his tea and spice trade with the East Indies here, which is what gives the park its name. [3] In August 1790, Brown took George Washington for a carriage ride to India Point [4] India Point Park remained an important trade center until the Great Depression. [3] [2]

Transportation center

During the early 1800s, Fox Point became a major transportation center for the city, serving as many as seven steamship lines. [5] In 1835, the Boston and Providence Railroad opened on India Street at Ives Street. [5]

Cargo shipping

During the 19th century, Providence was growing some of the largest manufacturing plants in the country, including Brown & Sharpe, Nicholson File, and Gorham Silverware. Many of these companies shipped their goods through the wharves at India Point. [5] Providence shipped out cotton and woolen goods, hardware, machinery, steam engines, and other goods to the world. In return, the ships brought raw materials including cotton, wool, leather, iron, hides, and other products. [5] By the late 1800s the ships were bringing coal to Providence. [5] In 1878 coal imports peaked at nearly one million tons of coal, which were stored in storage yards and wharves along the harbor. [5] Many of these wharf pilings were still visible a century later. [5]

Passenger lines

A sign in India Point Park tells the story of the steamships India Point Park sign - Shipping expands around the point.jpg
A sign in India Point Park tells the story of the steamships

On August 22, 1821, the steamboat Robert Fulton became the first steamboat to travel direct from New York to Providence. [6] In addition to cargo, Fox Point was host to several passenger steamship lines, including the Providence and Stonington Line, the Long Island Sound Steamship line, the New England Steamship Company, the Merchants & Miners Steamship Line, and others. These large, fast, and comfortable ships brought passengers from ports such as Philadelphia, [5] Boston, Baltimore, and Miami. [7] In the 1920s, Merchants & Miners had six ships and three sailings per week from Baltimore to Providence. [7] Service continued until 1941, when steamships were requisitioned for the war effort. [7]

In June 1911, the French Fabre Line began trans-Atlantic service to Providence. [7] Between June 30, 1912, and June 30, 1913, Fabre brought almost 12,000 mostly Italian and Portuguese immigrants to the Lonsdale Dock. [7] The route was so popular that Fabre built an additional pier on Allens Avenue in 1914. [7]

Decline of shipping

By the 1940s, after being battered by the 1938 New England hurricane, [3] and with many steamships having been requisitioned for the war effort, [7] commerce largely ceased. The Port of Providence was moved to Allens Avenue, which had deeper waters. [7] As diesel fuel replaced coal, [7] the coal yards of India Point were turned into scrap yards. [3] [2]

In the 1960s, the construction of Interstate 195 cut India Point off from the rest of the neighborhood. Architectural historian William McKenzie Woodward believed the effect was poorly mitigated by the pedestrian walkway. [8]

Beautification and park

In the 1960s and 1970s, Providence underwent a concerted beautification effort, including, finally, the transformation of India Point into a public park dedicated in 1974. [2]

The original pedestrian bridge over I-195 was demolished in 2005 for an expanded linear park bridge which opened a few years later, providing greater access for the greater Fox Point neighborhood. [9] Foot traffic has also benefitted from the George Redman Linear Park, which was completed in September 2015.

The long period of neglect is still reflected in the condition of the Green Jacket Shoal, the section of the Providence River between Fox Point and Riverside, which has accumulated a century's worth of debris. Remnants of destroyed docks, pilings, a dry dock, shipwrecks, abandoned ships, and other structures stick out of the water in many places around the shoal, owing to many years of natural disasters and economic hardship. [10] [11] As the character of the area moved away from its industrial past, and with increased public recreational use of the water via India Point Park and Bold Point, the detritus has come to be a noted source of urban blight and a safety concern for anyone using the water. [10] [12] A cleanup effort began in 2015 with federal, state, and non-governmental funding. [10]

"Portugal Parkway" sign Portugal Pkwy sign and flag at India Point Park.jpg
"Portugal Parkway" sign

India Street, which runs along India Point Park, was renamed "Portugal Parkway" in 2023 to commemorate the neighborhood's history as an immigration hub for Portuguese immigrants from 1865 through the 1930s. [13] [14] Providence City Councilor John Gonçalves introduced the necessary city resolution at the request and urging of Orlando Mateus, former president of the "R.I. [Rhode Island] Day of Portugal;" the master of ceremonies for the event was State Senator and Senate Minority Leader Jessica de la Cruz, and Senator Jack Reed and Representative Seth Magaziner also attended and participated. [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] However, as of summer 2023, signage on I-195 (eastbound) still lists the exit to the recently renamed Portugal Parkway as "India Street" and Gano Street (old Exit 2/new Exit 1A is an exit only from eastbound I-195).

Events

Events at India Point Park
Rhode Island Philharmonic plays at an outdoor concert July 4, 2012.jpg
July 4 concert, 2012
July 4 fireworks at India Point Park, 2016.jpg
July 4 fireworks, 2016
Cape Verdean Independence Day Festival at India Point Park, Providence Rhode Island (cropped).jpg
Cape Verdean Independence Day Festival, 2022

India Point Park is the setting for many events, including an annual Fourth of July concert and fireworks display, [21] Cape Verdean Independence Day Festival (July, [22] said to be the oldest in the nation [23] ),the Rhode Island Seafood Festival in September, [24] movie nights, poetry readings, [25] and various others.

Panorama

India Point Park Providence RI.jpg
Panorama of India Point Park showing recreational paths and a railway stop repurposed as industrial art. Pedestrian bridge across I-195 visible in background.

Linear Park Bridge and Performing Arts Amphitheater

View of the park and bay from the steps coming from the I-195 pedestrian bridge. India Point Park Providence Rhode Island.jpg
View of the park and bay from the steps coming from the I-195 pedestrian bridge.

The new linear park pedestrian bridge over Interstate 195 is six times wider than the one it replaced, and connects to East Street. It features benches, decorative lighting and landscaping of flowers, shrubs and small trees on the bridge itself, and a stair/ ramp system on the park side. The watering system was installed in the fall of 2009. The ramp leading to the linear park bridge also serves as 'on the green' seating for the amphitheater formed at the base/ shoreline of the park. Such events as July 4 performances of the Rhode Island Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra have taken place in this performing arts space. [26]

Other amenities include the Hilton Garden Inn Hotel, the Marston Boathouse, and a sports fields on the east end of the park.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnston, Rhode Island</span> Town in Rhode Island, United States

Johnston is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 29,568 at the 2020 census. Johnston is the site of the Clemence Irons House (1691), a stone-ender museum, and the only landfill in Rhode Island. Incorporated on March 6, 1759, Johnston was named for the colonial attorney general, Augustus Johnston.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate 195 (Rhode Island–Massachusetts)</span> Highway in Rhode Island and Massachusetts

Interstate 195 (I-195) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway running a combined 44.55 miles (71.70 km) in the US states of Rhode Island and Massachusetts. It travels from a junction with I-95 in Providence, Rhode Island, east to a junction with I-495 and Massachusetts Route 25 in Wareham, Massachusetts. It runs east–west and passes through the cities of Fall River, Massachusetts, and New Bedford, Massachusetts. The portion of I-195 in East Providence is also known as the East Providence Expressway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WJAR</span> NBC affiliate in Providence, Rhode Island

WJAR is a television station in Providence, Rhode Island, United States, affiliated with NBC. Owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, the station has studios on Kenney Drive in Cranston, Rhode Island, and its transmitter is located in Rehoboth, Massachusetts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhode Island State House</span> State capitol building of the U.S. state of Rhode Island

The Rhode Island State House, the capitol of the state of Rhode Island, is located at 900 Smith Street just below the crest of Smith Hill, on the border of downtown in Providence. It is a neoclassical building designed by McKim, Mead & White which features the fourth largest structural-stone dome in the world, topped by a gilded statue of "The Independent Man", representing freedom and independence. The building houses the Rhode Island General Assembly – the state House of Representatives is located in the west wing, and the Senate in the east – and the offices of the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, and general treasurer of Rhode Island. Other state offices are located in separate buildings on a campus just north of the State House.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henderson Bridge (Rhode Island)</span> Bridge in Between Providence and East Providence, Rhode Island

The Henderson Bridge is a bridge in Rhode Island which spans the Seekonk River, and connects the East Side neighborhood of Providence with the Watchemoket and Phillipsdale neighborhoods of East Providence. After a major reconstruction, the bridge reopened to automobile traffic in phases from November 16 to 20, 2023. A new cycle path opened on November 27. A few weeks later, it was used as a detour during the emergency closure of the westbound half of the parallel Washington Bridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WPRI-TV</span> CBS/MyNetworkTV affiliate in Providence, Rhode Island

WPRI-TV is a television station in Providence, Rhode Island, United States, affiliated with CBS and MyNetworkTV. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group, which provides certain services to dual Fox/CW affiliate WNAC-TV under a local marketing agreement (LMA) with Mission Broadcasting. The two stations share studios on Catamore Boulevard in East Providence, Rhode Island; WPRI-TV's transmitter is located on Pine Street in Rehoboth, Massachusetts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washington Bridge (Providence, Rhode Island)</span> Bridge in Between Providence and East Providence, Rhode Island

The Washington Bridge is a series of three bridges carrying Interstate 195, US Route 6, US Route 44, and U.S. Route 1A over the Seekonk River connecting India Point in Providence to Watchemoket Square in East Providence, Rhode Island. The historic portion of the bridge dating to 1930 serves as the pedestrian crossing, and bike link to the East Bay Bike Path. The pedestrian span is also a part of the Washington-Rochambeau National Historic Trail. As of December 11, 2023, the westbound bridge is closed to all but emergency vehicles due to critical safety issues. On March 14, 2024, Governor Dan McKee announced that the westbound bridge cannot be repaired and will have to be replaced, requiring at least two years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fox Point, Providence, Rhode Island</span> Neighborhood of Providence in Rhode Island, United States

Fox Point is a neighborhood in the East Side of Providence, Rhode Island. It is bounded by the Providence and Seekonk rivers, Interstate 195 and the College Hill and Wayland neighborhoods. Fox Point is the southernmost neighborhood in the East Side area of Providence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Bay Bike Path</span> Multi-use trail in Rhode Island

The East Bay Bike Path is a 14.5-mile (23.3 km) paved rail trail in Rhode Island. The path originates in Providence and India Point Park, crosses the Seekonk River via the George Redman Linear Park and the Washington Bridge, and continues southeast to Bristol along the shoreline of Narragansett Bay. The path passes through the city of East Providence, the hamlet of Riverside, and the towns of Barrington and Warren. It is part of the East Coast Greenway, a 3,000-mile system of trails connecting the Canada–US border in Maine to Key West, as well as provides access to Haines State Park, Brickyard Pond (Barrington), and Colt State Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jewelry District (Providence)</span> Place

The Jewelry District is a neighborhood of Providence, Rhode Island located just southeast of Downtown. The historical path of Interstate 195 delineates the neighborhood's northern border while Interstate 95 and the Providence River define its western, southern and eastern edges.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Statue of Christopher Columbus (Johnston, Rhode Island)</span> Sculpture by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi

Columbus is a historic statue in Johnston, Rhode Island. The statue is a bronze cast of a sterling silver statue which was created by Rhode Island's Gorham Manufacturing Company for the 1892 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The original silver statue was not meant for permanent exhibition, but rather as a demonstration of the skills of the Gorham Company, and was later melted down. The bronze cast was dedicated on November 8, 1893, in Columbus Square, in Providence, Rhode Island, United States as a gift from the Elmwood Association to the City of Providence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Providence, Rhode Island</span> Capital city of Rhode Island, United States

Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. The county seat of Providence County, it is one of the oldest cities in New England, founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He named the area in honor of "God's merciful Providence" which he believed was responsible for revealing such a haven for him and his followers. The city developed as a busy port, as it is situated at the mouth of the Providence River at the head of Narragansett Bay.

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Providence, Rhode Island, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fabre Line</span>

The Fabre Line or Compagnie Française de Navigation à Vapeur Cyprien Fabre & Compagnie was a French shipping line formed in 1881 by Cyprien Fabre. It began operating a small fleet of sailing ships in 1865. Its ports of call included New York, NY; Providence, RI; Boston, MA; Ponta Delgada, Madeira, and Lisbon, Portugal; Piraeus and Salonica, Greece; Algiers, Algeria; Beirut, Lebanon; Naples and Palermo, Italy; Alexandria, Egypt; Jaffa and Haifa, Palestine; Constantinople, Turkey; Monaco; and Marseilles, France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green Jacket Shoal</span> Shoal and ship graveyard off Providence, Rhode Island

Green Jacket Shoal is a 33-acre (13 ha) shoal and ship graveyard in Providence River, between the cities of East Providence and Providence, Rhode Island, United States. It contains a large amount of debris from a century of abandoned and wrecked ships, destroyed docks, pilings, and other remnants of the area's industrial past. India Point, on the Providence side, was the city's first port, which remained active from 1680 until the Great Depression in the early 20th century. Bold Point, on the East Providence side, was home to a dry dock and other maritime businesses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">COVID-19 pandemic in Rhode Island</span> Ongoing COVID-19 viral pandemic in Rhode Island, United States

The COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. state of Rhode Island is part of an ongoing worldwide viral pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019, a novel infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. As of August 18, 2022, there has been 414,931 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Rhode Island, 89 of which are currently hospitalized, and 3,636 reported deaths. Rhode Island's COVID-19 case rate and death rate per capita are the highest and twentieth highest, respectively, of the fifty states since the start of the pandemic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael S. Van Leesten Memorial Bridge</span> Bridge in Providence, Rhode Island

The Michael S. Van Leesten Memorial Bridge is a footbridge crossing the Providence River located in the city of Providence, Rhode Island. The bridge connects Providence's Fox Point neighborhood to the city's Jewelry District. Originally known as the Providence River Pedestrian Bridge, in July 2020 it was renamed in honor of Michael S. Van Leesten.

This is a list of protests in Rhode Island related to the murder of George Floyd.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Rhode Island</span> Election results

The 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Rhode Island were held on November 8, 2022, to elect the two U.S. representatives from the state of Rhode Island, one from each of the state's 2 congressional districts. The elections coincided with other elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the United States Senate and various state and local elections. It followed a primary election on September 13, 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sabina Matos</span> 70th Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island

Sabina Matos is an American politician serving as the 70th lieutenant governor of Rhode Island. Sabina Matos is the first Dominican American elected to statewide office in the United States. Matos also holds the distinction of being the first Black statewide officeholder in Rhode Island.

References

  1. ↑ "About the Park". Friends of India Point Park. Retrieved 2007-01-03.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Betancourt, Frances (2 May 2002). "The Creation of India Point Park" (PDF). Friends of India Point Park. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 24, 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "India Point Park: History". Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology & the Ancient World. Brown University. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  4. ↑ Nathaniel Philbrick (2021). Travels with George: In Search of Washington and His Legacy. Viking. pp. 168–169.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Fox Point: The 19th Century Port of Providence (Informational sign in the park). India Point Park. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  6. ↑ Greene, Welcome Arnold. The Providence Plantations for Two Hundred and Fifty Years. J.A. & R.A. Reid. p. 74. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Shipping Expands Around the Point (Informational sign in the park). India Point Park. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  8. ↑ Woodward, William McKenzie (2003). PPS/AIAri Guide to Providence Architecture. Providence, RI: Providence Preservation Society. pp. 143–144. ISBN   0-9742847-0-X.
  9. ↑ Alex DePaoli (2007-10-18). "Tree stalls India Point Park bridge opening". The Brown Daily Herald . Retrieved 2016-11-12.
  10. 1 2 3 Kuffner, Alex (26 November 2015). "Providence and Seekonk rivers due for a massive cleanup". The Providence Journal . Retrieved 2021-05-13.
  11. ↑ Haas, Meredith (11 July 2016). "One Man's Treasure : Uncovering Rhode Island's largest ship graveyard". 41°N Magazine. Rhode Island Sea Grant & The Coastal Institute at the University of Rhode Island.
  12. ↑ "CRMC permits Clean The Bay's debris removal project at Bold Point Park in EP". Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council. 17 February 2014.
  13. ↑ DaSilva, Melanie (12 June 2023). "India Street renamed Portugal Parkway in Providence". WPRI-TV . Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  14. ↑ "India Street renamed Portugal Parkway on annual Day of Portugal". WJAR. 11 June 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  15. ↑ Shinskey, Allison (April 24, 2023). "Providence councilman pushes to change India Street name". WPRI-TV . WPRI-TV . Retrieved March 15, 2024.
  16. ↑ da Silva, Lurdes C. (June 30, 2023). "Providence's India Street renamed as Portugal Parkway to honor Portuguese heritage, contributions to R.I." The Herald News/O Jornal. The Herald News/O Jornal. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
  17. ↑ "India Street renamed Portugal Parkway on annual Day of Portugal". TurnTo10.com. WJAR. June 11, 2023. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
  18. ↑ "Renaming ceremony of Providence's India Street as Portugal Parkway". The Herald News/O Jornal. The Herald News/O Jornal. June 14, 2023. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
  19. ↑ "Providence City Council approves honorary designation of Portugal Parkway for India Street". TurnTo10.com. WJAR. May 19, 2023. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
  20. ↑ DeAngelis, Gino (June 10, 2023). "Sen. Reed to rename India Street for Day of Portugal". ABC6.com. WLNE-TV . Retrieved March 15, 2024.
  21. ↑ "Providence Independence Day Celebration & Fireworks". GoProvidence. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
  22. ↑ "47th an annual Cape Verdean Independence Day Festival". Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
  23. ↑ "Nation's oldest Cape Verdean celebration returns to Fox Point. What you need to know". The Providence Journal. 8 July 2022. Retrieved 7 August 2022. Music, dancing and the aroma of local delicacies will fill Providence's India Point Park on Sunday as the 47th annual Cape Verdean Festival kicks off.
  24. ↑ "Rhode Island Seafood Festival FAQ". Rhode Island Seafood Festival. Retrieved 7 August 2022. (September)
  25. ↑ "Venue: India Point Park". Arts Now RI. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
  26. ↑ "Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra - Summer Pops Series". Archived from the original on 2014-05-14. Retrieved 2014-05-13.
Parks in Providence, Rhode Island

Burnside Park · India Point Park · Prospect Terrace Park · Roger Williams National Memorial · Roger Williams Park · Waterplace Park

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.