Warwick, Rhode Island

Warwick (Template:IPAc-en Template:Respell or Template:IPAc-en Template:Respell<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>) is a city in Kent County, Rhode Island, United States, and is the third-largest city in the state, with a population of 82,823 at the 2020 census. Warwick is located approximately Template:Convert south of downtown Providence, Rhode Island, Template:Convert southwest of Boston, Massachusetts, and Template:Convert northeast of New York City.

Warwick was founded by Samuel Gorton in 1642 and has witnessed major events in American history. It was decimated during King Philip's War (1675–1676) and was the site of the Gaspee Affair, the first act of armed resistance against the British, preceding even the Boston Tea Party, and a significant prelude to the American Revolution. Warwick was also the home of Revolutionary War General Nathanael Greene, George Washington's second-in-command, and Civil War General George S. Greene, a hero of the Battle of Gettysburg.

Today, it is home to Rhode Island's main airport, T. F. Green Airport, which serves the Providence area and also functions as a reliever for Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts. Warwick was also home to Rocky Point, which closed in 1995 and is now a state park.

Early history

Template:See also Warwick was settled by Samuel Gorton in 1642. Narragansett Sachem Miantonomi sold him the Shawhomett Purchase for 144 fathoms of wampum. This included the towns of Coventry and West Warwick, Rhode Island. However, Sachems Sacononoco and Pumham claimed that Miantonomi had sold the land without asking for their approval. They took their case to Boston, where they placed their lands under Massachusetts rule. In 1643, Massachusetts Bay Colony sent a militia force to Shawomett to arrest Gorton and his followers. After a tense standoff, all but three of the Gortonists surrendered to the Massachusetts forces. Gorton then sailed back to England and sought a charter from the King. He was greatly assisted in gaining it by Robert Rich, 2nd Earl of Warwick, so Gorton and his fellow settlers changed the name of their colony from Shawumet to Warwick.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The ongoing harassment from Massachusetts Bay Colony, however, caused the other three colonies on Narragansett Bay (Providence Plantations, Portsmouth, and Newport) to unite with Warwick and get a British royal charter allowing them to form the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.<ref name="austin">Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Rp

In 1772, Warwick was the scene of the first violent act against the British Crown in the Gaspee Affair. Local patriots boarded the Gaspee,<ref>This version of the story is told by Ephraim Bowen and John Mawney in Staples, William R., The Documentary History of the Destruction of the Gaspee, (Providence, R.I.: Knowles, Vose, and Anthony, 1845), p. 14–16. These men had taken part in burning Gaspee and made these statements in 1826.</ref> a revenue cutter that enforced the Stamp Act 1765 and Townshend Acts in Narragansett Bay. It was here that the first blood was spilled in the American Revolution when Gaspee's commanding officer Lt. Dudingston was shot and seriously wounded during the struggle for the ship. The Gaspee was stripped of all cannons and arms, then burned.<ref>"Joseph Bucklin V Biography". Joseph Bucklin Society. Retrieved 3 December 2016.</ref>

During the Revolution, Warwick militiamen participated in the battles of Montreal, Quebec, Saratoga, Monmouth, and Trenton, and they were present for the British surrender at Yorktown in 1781.

Transportation

Major traversing highways include:

• File:I-95.svg Interstate 95
• File:I-295.svg Interstate 295
• File:Rhode Island 37.svg Route 37
• T. F. Green Airport Connector Road

Interstate 95 is the major thoroughfare of Rhode Island, with the first southbound exit in Warwick at Jefferson Boulevard, and ending with the Route 117 interchange, near the Apponaug rotaries. Interstate 295 connects to the main highway at exit 27, providing direct travel to Woonsocket and Massachusetts. Smaller routes include Route 37 (Lincoln Avenue Freeway) connecting 295 to U.S. Route 1, and the Airport Connector Road.

The Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport is the main airport serving Rhode Island, and is located in Warwick. The name was changed from T.F. Green Airport in 2021.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> T. F. Green Airport is a station on the Providence/Stoughton Commuter Rail Line, providing weekday service to Providence Station and Boston's South Station.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Geography

Warwick is located at Template:Coord (41.7181, −71.4152).<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref>

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (28.46%) is water. Warwick's entire eastern edge is waterfront, starting with the Providence River at its northern border with Cranston. Conimicut Point marks the end of the river and the beginning of Narragansett Bay, which extends beyond the city's southern limit on its way to the Atlantic Ocean; two southern Warwick peninsulas, Warwick Neck and Potowomut, enclose the water to form Greenwich Bay.

Warwick is bordered by Cranston to the north, West Warwick to the west, and East Greenwich to the south. The city's southernmost neighborhood, Potowomut, is a semi-exclave, reachable by land only by passing through East Greenwich; through Potowomut, Warwick also shares a border with North Kingstown. Because of the North Kingstown border, Warwick borders two Rhode Island counties: Providence County and Washington County.

The following villages are located in Warwick: Template:Columns-list

Demographics

Template:US Census population Warwick is officially a part of the Providence metropolitan area, which has a population of 1,600,852 in the 2010 census.

2020 census

The 2020 United States census counted 82,823 people, 36,555 households, and 21,150 families in Warwick. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 38,625 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert.<ref name=:0>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The racial makeup was 85.69% (70,967) white or European American (84.28% non-Hispanic white), 2.11% (1,751) black or African-American, 0.3% (252) Native American or Alaska Native, 3.11% (2,575) Asian, 0.02% (13) Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian, 2.58% (2,138) from other races, and 6.19% (5,127) from two or more races.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Hispanic or Latino of any race was 6.06% (5,019) of the population.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Of the 36,555 households, 22.5% had children under the age of 18; 42.6% were married couples living together; 30.5% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. 33.8% of households consisted of individuals and 16.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.<ref name=:0 /> The average household size was 2.3 and the average family size was 2.9.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The percent of those with a bachelor’s degree or higher was estimated to be 25.3% of the population.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

16.9% of the population was under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 25.1% from 25 to 44, 29.4% from 45 to 64, and 21.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46.0 years. For every 100 females, the population had 108.6 males.<ref name=:0 /> For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 112.4 males.<ref name=:0 />

The 2016-2020 5-year American Community Survey estimates show that the median household income was $73,285 (with a margin of error of +/- $2,534) and the median family income was $90,027 (+/- $4,102). Males had a median income of $51,057 (+/- $1,899) versus $39,959 (+/- $1,627) for females.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The median income for those above 16 years old was $44,491 (+/- $1,873).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Approximately, 3.8% of families and 7.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.0% of those under the age of 18 and 9.2% of those ages 65 or over.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Government

Warwick town vote
by party in presidential elections<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Year	GOP	DEM	Others
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|2020	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|42.20% 19,578	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|55.70% 25,845	2.19% 1,018
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|2016	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|44.25% 18,338	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|48.35% 20,038	7.39% 3,064
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|2012	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|37.21% 15,027	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|60.54% 24,448	2.24% 905
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|2008	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|38.37% 16,541	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|59.85% 25,802	1.79% 770
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|2004	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|41.02% 16,640	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|57.10% 23,164	1.87% 760
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|2000	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|32.37% 12,741	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|60.85% 23,948	6.78% 2,669
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|1996	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|26.83% 10,414	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|59.64% 23,152	13.53% 5,254
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|1992	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|29.88% 13,348	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|45.90% 20,504	24.22% 10,822
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|1988	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|45.29% 18,052	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|54.34% 21,662	0.37% 149

Warwick is split into three districts in the Rhode Island Senate which are currently held by Democrats Michael McCaffrey (District 29), Jeanine Calkin (District 30), and Kendra Anderson (District 31). The town is a part of Rhode Island's 2nd congressional district, which is currently represented by Democrat Seth Magaziner. It is traditionally Democratic in presidential elections; no Republican has carried it in over three decades.

Economy

It is considered part of the Template:Ill. Before its dissolution, Eckerd Corporation had its headquarters in Warwick.<ref>"Contacting Us." Eckerd Corporation. Retrieved on June 19, 2010. "Mail: 50 Service Ave., Warwick, RI 02886."</ref>

The ten largest employers in Warwick are Kent Memorial Hospital, Citizens Bank- Warwick Call Center, UPS, MetLife, City of Warwick, Leviton Manufacturing, Wal-Mart, Community College of Rhode Island, J.C. Penney, Kenney Manufacturing, and Inskip Automall.

Notable people

• Bill Almon, MLB player who attended Warwick Veterans Memorial High School
• Rocco Baldelli, MLB player and Minnesota Twins manager who attended Bishop Hendricken High School
• John Belluso, playwright
• Brenda Bennett, musician and former member of Vanity 6, born in Warwick<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• Clarence Otis Bigelow, pharmacist and banker
• John Brown, American merchant and participant in the Gaspee Affair; Brown University is named for him
• Vanessa Carlton, musician
• Marnee Carpenter, actress
• Liam Coen, American football coach, head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars
• Kate Fagan, sports journalist
• Thomas Holden, American general and Rhode Island Supreme Court justice
• John Hynes, Head coach of the NHL Nashville Predators, born in Warwick
• Michaela McManus, actor, best known for roles on One Tree Hill and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, attended Toll Gate High School
• Martha McSally, Senator from Arizona (2019–2020), born and raised in Warwick
• Walt Mossberg, personal technology journalist and editor, born and raised in Warwick who attended Pilgrim High School
• Nolan North, voice actor who attended Bishop Hendricken High School
• Nicholas O'Neill (1985–2003), writer, actor, and musician best known as the youngest victim of The Station nightclub fire.
• David Petrarca, notable director of TV, film and theatre including Game of Thrones.
• Dave Shalansky, actor, attended Toll Gate High School
• Joe Shekarchi, Rhode Island Speaker of the House
• Kyle Smith, Vice president of player personnel of the Atlanta Falcons
• Chris Terreri, NHL goalie attended Pilgrim High School
• Dan Wheeler, MLB pitcher attended Pilgrim High School
• Fred Whittingham, NFL player and coach, attended Warwick Veterans Memorial High School
• James Woods, actor, attended Pilgrim High School in 1965<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Education

File:Community College of Rhode Island Knight Campus-side.jpg

The Knight Campus building of the Community College of Rhode Island

Local public schools are operated by Warwick Public Schools.<ref>Warwick Public Schools website</ref> Toll Gate High School and Pilgrim High School are the two comprehensive public high schools located in Warwick. The high schools are set for renovations in March 2025, a year after the city council issued a $350 million bond to rebuild them.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The two public middle schools are Winman Junior High School and Warwick Veterans Junior High School. Aldrich Junior High School and Gorton Junior High School closed in 2016 as part of the school consolidation project.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The school department is headed by superintendent Lynn Dambruch.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Bishop Hendricken High School is an all-male college preparatory Catholic high school located in Warwick.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Rocky Hill School is a Pre-K–12 co-ed secular country day school located on Warwick's isolated Potowomut peninsula. The school lists an East Greenwich address, despite being geographically included as part of the city of Warwick.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The Community College of Rhode Island Knight Campus is also located in Warwick on the former Knight Estate.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

External links

• Template:Official website