Greene, Rhode Island
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Greene, Rhode Island | |
|---|---|
 Greene Community Church and House | |
 Location in Kent County and the state of Rhode Island | |
| Coordinates: 41°41′28″N 71°44′45″W / 41.69111°N 71.74583°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Rhode Island |
| County | Kent |
| Town | Coventry |
| Area | |
• Total | 6.09 sq mi (15.78 km2) |
| • Land | 6.07 sq mi (15.73 km2) |
| • Water | 0.015 sq mi (0.04 km2) |
| Elevation | 558 ft (170 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 914 |
| • Density | 150/sq mi (58.1/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (Eastern) |
| ZIP Code | 02827 |
| Area code | 401 |
| FIPS code | 44-31240[4] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1219521[2] |
Greene is an unincorporated village and census-designated place[2] in the western part of the town of Coventry, Rhode Island. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 888.[4] It is 2 miles (3 km) east of the Connecticut border and the same distance north of West Greenwich, Rhode Island. It is named in honor of Nathanael Greene, a Rhode Island-born general in the American Revolution who led the American forces in the Southern Theater of the war and helped turn the tide toward America's victory.
Until 1854, Greene was a swamp with a cart path running through it. The path connected Hopkins Hollow to the south and Rice City to the north. The railroad came to the area in the early 1850s, and the original train stop was known as "Coffin Station" because Coffin Road was the nearest road. In 1856, railroad officials renamed the station "Greene" after Revolutionary War hero Nathanael Greene.[5] The railroad wanted to build a depot where local farmers could sell their produce to the trains heading towards Providence, Rhode Island and Hartford, Connecticut, and the Greene depot became an important station in western Rhode Island. Every morning, farmers would bring their produce to sell to the 7:25 milk train going to Providence.
As the station grew in importance, a village grew up around it, shipping large amounts of milk, wood, and cranberries via train. Eventually, a school, church, library, and meeting hall were built, as well as a religious campground where the Advent Christian Church held annual camp meetings starting in 1880. The religious campground became important in Rhode Island, where camp meetings were held throughout the summer. The railroad would add on extra cars to their trains during the summer months, and up to 10,000 people would attend. After the beginning of the 20th century, the camp meeting declined and ended decades later.[6]
The railroad's importance declined greatly in the 20th century with the advent of the automobile, and the depot closed in 1969. Today, Greene is a shadow of what it once was. However, the village is mostly intact, with most of the buildings dating from the late 19th century.
