Foster (Rhode Island)
| Foster | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Location in Rhode Island
|
|||
| Basic data | |||
| State : | United States | ||
| State : | Rhode Island | ||
| County : | Providence County | ||
| Coordinates : | 41 ° 48 ′ N , 71 ° 44 ′ W | ||
| Time zone : | Eastern ( UTC − 5 / −4 ) | ||
| Residents : | 4,606 (as of 2010) | ||
| Population density : | 34.8 inhabitants per km 2 | ||
| Area : | 134.3 km 2 (approx. 52 mi 2 ) of which 132.5 km 2 (approx. 51 mi 2 ) is land |
||
| Height : | 160 m | ||
| Postal code : | 02825 | ||
| FIPS : | 44-27460 | ||
| GNIS ID : | 1220072 | ||
| Website : | www.townoffoster.com | ||
Foster is a place in Providence County in Rhode Island in the United States . The population was 4606 according to the 2010 census .
geography
According to the United States Census Bureau , the place has a total area of 134.3 km², of which 132.5 km² are land and 1.9 km² (1.41% of the total area) are water. In Foster is the highest mountain in Rhode Islands, Jerimoth Hill with a height of 248 m.
history
Foster was originally a farming colony of British colonists in the 17th century. In 1662, William Vaughan, Zachariah Rhodes and Robert Wescott bought the large area of West Quanaug from the Indians that bordered Providence . The purchase consisted of nearly half of the village of Foster. The first settler was reportedly Ezekiel Hopkins. Many Newport settlers were active in the village in the 18th century.
Foster was incorporated with Scituate in 1730 and formed the western part of the township and remained part of Scituate until 1781 when it was split off as a separate township. Foster got its name from the US Senator Theodore Foster . Foster gave the place a library. Some of the original library books and location records are still available. The US Senator Nelson Aldrich was born in Foster in 1841. He was important in establishing the US Federal Reserve Board. In the 1920s the Ku Klux Klan was active in the area and one of the largest Klan gatherings was held in Foster at the Old Home Day grounds in 1924 with 8,000 participants and US Senator Thomas Heflin .
Personalities
- Theodore Foster (1752–1828) - US Senator and namesake for the place
- Solomon Drowne - physicist, author and secretive friend of Foster. He lived on the Mount Hygeia farm .
- Nelson W. Aldrich (1841–1915) - US Senator and father of Abby Aldrich Rockefeller .
- HP Lovecraft (1890-1937) - author. His house was on Johnson Road but has since burned down.
- Mark Picard - author of the Ultraquest series.
- Daniel Thompson Fusco
Attractions
- Foster City Hall : Built in 1796 and still in use today, Foster City Hall is the oldest administrative building of its type in the United States.
- only Covered Bridge in Rhode Island: Swamp Meadow Covered Bridge (the other is on the Cross Country Course at Ponaganset High School in North Scituate) Built in 1994, it is a rebuilding of the early 19th century specimen.
- Jerimoth Hill , the highest point in Rhode Island is in Foster.
Foster is home to the most scenic part of the North South Trail. Along the way you can see the remains of the Thomas O 'Wagon Wheel Shop, which was converted into a pebble mill in 1919.
Historic Sites in Foster
- Foster Center Historic District
- Breezy Hill Site (RI-957)
- Clayville Historic District
- Capt. George Dorrance House
- Moosup Valley Historic District
- Mount Vernon Tavern
- Mount Hygeia
- Hopkins Mill Historic District
