Although
each its own municipality, the cities of Pawtucket, Central
Falls and Cumberland act as a cohesive, tri-community unit along
the Broad Street corridor. The mixed-use layout of the community
brings residential, community and business together in a shared
space. The land the cities fall on served as a prime location
for colonial settlers during the early stages of the Industrial
Revolution due to its proximity to both the Atlantic Ocean and
the various bays and rivers touching it, most notably the
Blackstone River. Broad Street has historically been a melting
pot of rich cultures, from the European and Asian immigrants of
the 1700 and 1800’s, to the Latin American, Caribbean and
African immigrants of today. Many of Broad Street’s businesses
and government or religious buildings reflect its history and
are listed or eligible for the National Register of Historic
Places. Here’s a quick look at the three cities that house Broad
Street.
Pawtucket
Pawtucket, founded in 1671, was an original
New England mill town. The city now boasts a diverse population
of over 72,000 inhabitants and is strategically situated at the
falls of the Blackstone River and the upper tidewaters of
Narragansett Bay. This was an ideal place for industrial
commerce. It’s no wonder Samuel Slater successfully constructed
and operated machines for spinning cotton yarn in 1793 at the
Slater Mill Historic Site, which today is still a popular
tourist location. The industrial development of Pawtucket
continued to expand for the next century making it a highly
developed and important manufacturing center.
Today, Pawtucket is a high-traffic city with
convenient links to other major metropolitan areas via
Interstate 95. With tens of thousands of residential housing
units, hundreds of employment industries and one thousand
commercial and service establishments, the city thrives. Over
the last twenty years, city development policies have been
targeted at several areas: Improvement of the quality of
residential neighborhoods, expansion of employment opportunities
and assistance to the commercial sector with rehabilitation
loans and location incentive loans.
Broad Street is one of the largest,
heavily-traveled, commercial corridors that leads to downtown
Pawtucket. The street works as an access way to and from
Pawtucket, while the city presents a motivation for many people
to patronize Broad Street.
Central Falls, once recorded as the most
densely populated city in the nation by Ripley’s Believe it or
Not, has been home to many newly immigrated groups. Inhabited
primarily by Native American tribes prior to the 1800’s, the
area experienced a large population increase with the growth of
the textile industry during the Industrial Revolution. The city
was originally a village in the town of Smithfield, which
encompassed about 30 villages. It was split up in 1871 to create
three towns: Lincoln, Smithfield and North Smithfield. Central
Falls fell into Lincoln’s district and within twenty-four years
had grown so much that it was chartered on February, 21, 1895 as
The City of Central Falls.
While the city’s past settlers were mostly
from Europe, the more recent population boom has come from Latin
America. Many came after hearing word of the plentiful jobs in
the textile industry during the 1970’s. The curiosity sparked by
friends and relatives drew more and more Latinos into the
neighborhood. Today this accounts for the over 80% Latino/
Hispanic ownership of businesses along Broad Street in Central
Falls.
Large populations of Colombian and
Portuguese people have come as well as Cape Veridians from the
North Western coast of Africa. This has created a unique
cultural environment in the city and contributes to its lively,
diverse communities. Central Falls has many local, ethnic
restaurants and shops. The city has recently experienced a few
bumps in the road due to the economic downturn, but still is an
up-and-coming area in the Providence-area.
Cumberland originally drew in settlers
because of its close proximity to many New England locations.
The same is true today. The town still retains its early rural
charm even with the steady growth in industry, commerce and
population. It was one of five towns received from Massachusetts
by Royal Decree. The town was known as Attleboro Gore until
1746, when it was incorporated in Rhode Island as the town of
Cumberland. Cumberland was named in honor of William, the Duke
of Cumberland.
Cumberland's early industrial growth
centered around the abundant water power of the Blackstone and
Abbott Run Rivers. Minerals such as iron and copper were once
mined in Cumberland. The town was once known as the mineral
deposit of New England because of the extensive mineral deposits
within its border. Several shafts — more than 100 years old —
are still visible, but mineral deposits are no longer
commercially mined. Today, manufacturing and retail trade are
the largest sources of income in Cumberland. The continued
industrial and commercial growth has contributed greatly to
Cumberland's tax base. Cumberland's country atmosphere,
convenient location and continued growth make this town an
excellent choice for residence and business interests.
Broad Street Regeneration
Initiative c/o Blackstone Valley Tourism Council
175 Main Street Pawtucket, Rhode Island 02860 USA
Tel: 1-401-724-2200 info@mybroadstreetri.com
Although
each its own municipality, the cities of Pawtucket, Central
Falls and Cumberland act as a cohesive, tri-community unit along
the Broad Street corridor. The mixed-use layout of the community
brings residential, community and business together in a shared
space. The land the cities fall on served as a prime location
for colonial settlers during the early stages of the Industrial
Revolution due to its proximity to both the Atlantic Ocean and
the various bays and rivers touching it, most notably the
Blackstone River. Broad Street has historically been a melting
pot of rich cultures, from the European and Asian immigrants of
the 1700 and 1800’s, to the Latin American, Caribbean and
African immigrants of today. Many of Broad Street’s businesses
and government or religious buildings reflect its history and
are listed or eligible for the National Register of Historic
Places. Here’s a quick look at the three cities that house Broad
Street.
Pawtucket, founded in 1671, was an original
New England mill town. The city now boasts a diverse population
of over 72,000 inhabitants and is strategically situated at the
falls of the Blackstone River and the upper tidewaters of
Narragansett Bay. This was an ideal place for industrial
commerce. It’s no wonder Samuel Slater successfully constructed
and operated machines for spinning cotton yarn in 1793 at the
Slater Mill Historic Site, which today is still a popular
tourist location. The industrial development of Pawtucket
continued to expand for the next century making it a highly
developed and important manufacturing center. 
Central Falls, once recorded as the most
densely populated city in the nation by Ripley’s Believe it or
Not, has been home to many newly immigrated groups. Inhabited
primarily by Native American tribes prior to the 1800’s, the
area experienced a large population increase with the growth of
the textile industry during the Industrial Revolution. The city
was originally a village in the town of Smithfield, which
encompassed about 30 villages. It was split up in 1871 to create
three towns: Lincoln, Smithfield and North Smithfield. Central
Falls fell into Lincoln’s district and within twenty-four years
had grown so much that it was chartered on February, 21, 1895 as
The City of Central Falls. 
Cumberland originally drew in settlers
because of its close proximity to many New England locations.
The same is true today. The town still retains its early rural
charm even with the steady growth in industry, commerce and
population. It was one of five towns received from Massachusetts
by Royal Decree. The town was known as Attleboro Gore until
1746, when it was incorporated in Rhode Island as the town of
Cumberland. Cumberland was named in honor of William, the Duke
of Cumberland. 
