Melville, Rhode Island

Melville, Rhode Island
CDP
The Ice Cream Train
Melville, Rhode Island Location in the state of Rhode Island
Coordinates: 41°35′16.37″N71°17′3.67″W / 41.5878806°N 71.2843528°W / 41.5878806; -71.2843528
Country	United States
State	Rhode Island
County	Newport
Area [1]
• Total	5.13 sq mi (13.29 km2)
• Land	2.10 sq mi (5.43 km2)
• Water	3.03 sq mi (7.85 km2)
Elevation [2]	36 ft (11 m)
Population  (2020) [3]
• Total	1,609
• Density	766.92/sq mi (296.12/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
FIPS code	44-45010 [4]
GNIS feature ID	2378109 [2]

Melville is a census-designated place (CDP) in the towns of Middletown and Portsmouth in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States. It lies along the shore of Narragansett Bay. The population of the CDP was 1,320 at the 2010 census. ^[5] The CDP is named after Admiral George Wallace Melville. Past names for the area include Portsmouth Grove and Bradford. ^[6]

Military history

Melville was the site of the Lovell General Hospital during the American Civil War. ^[7]

In the late 1800s Melville became the site of a U.S. Navy coaling station which was later converted for use as a fuel oil depot.

During World War II, Melville was the site of a PT boat officer training center, the Motor Torpedo Boat Squadrons Training Center. ^[8] It was closed after World War II ended. Among the officers trained there was future President of the United States John F. Kennedy.

After the Navy's withdrawal from Melville in 1973, the site was redeveloped into a boat yard.

The Navy, as of 2020, uses land in Melville for housing and recreation areas.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 13.1 km² (5.1 mi²). 5.6 km² (2.2 mi²) of it is land and 7.5 km² (2.9 mi²) of it (57.23%) is water.

Places of interest

Some locations within Melville CDP include:

• Dyer Island (uninhabited)
• Melville Marina District, also known as Bend Boat Basin, at Coggeshall Point. ^[9]
• Melville Park, ^[10] Melville Ponds Campground, and Portsmouth Dog Park, located near a string of ponds
• N&NB Railroad Melville Station (Portsmouth Junction Station), also serving as the headquarters of the RI branch of Rail Explorers. ^{[9] [11]}
• Parts of the Naval Station Newport area, including the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, are located within the southern part of the CDP boundaries. ^[12]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
2020	1,609		—
U.S. Decennial Census [13]

As of the census ^[4] of 2000, there were 2,325 people, 764 households, and 637 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 415.6/km² (1,076.7/mi²). There were 1,012 housing units at an average density of 180.9/km² (468.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 78.97% White, 9.46% African American, 0.47% Native American, 4.65% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 2.92% from other races, and 3.40% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.39% of the population.

There were 764 households, out of which 61.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 74.7% were married couples living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.6% were non-families. 14.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 1.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.02 and the average family size was 3.36.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 37.8% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 45.9% from 25 to 44, 5.4% from 45 to 64, and 1.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females there were 101.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.4 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $37,314, and the median income for a family was $40,134. Males had a median income of $42,500 versus $20,813 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $14,789. About 7.7% of families and 7.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.5% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

References

1. "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
2. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Melville, Rhode Island
3. "Census Population API". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved Oct 12, 2022.
4. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved 2008-01-31.
5. "Summary Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved July 19, 2020.
6. "Portsmouth Grove, Bradford, Melville — What's in a Name?". 11 April 2019.
7. Grzyb, Frank L. (10 January 2014). Rhode Island's Civil War Hospital: Life and Death at Portsmouth Grove, 1862-1865. McFarland. ISBN   978-0-7864-8973-2.
8. Video of training at the center
9. "Portsmouth and Melville". Embassy Cruising Guide New England Coast, 15th edition. Maptech. 22 February 2021. ISBN   978-1-5457-5367-5.
10. "Melville Park: Explore Rhode Island". exploreri.org.
11. "The Ultimate Guide to Newport, Rhode Island - Page 6 of 6". Rhode Island Monthly. 12 June 2017.
12. Map of Newport County, Rhode Island (including CDP boundaries), census.gov. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
13. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2016.