Pawtucket is a city of 72,644, persons founded in 1671, at the strategic falls of the Blackstone River and the upper tidewaters of Narragansett Bay. It is a City with a special place in the industrial history of the United States. For it was here at the Slater Mill Historic Site that Samuel Slater successfully constructed and operated machines for spinning cotton yarn in 1793. Besides textiles, a variety of machines and iron working shops grew up alongside the textile industry.

The industrial development of Pawtucket continued to expand for the next century making it a highly developed and important manufacturing center. Although the textile industry is no longer dominant, a number of specialty textile operations still remain in Pawtucket, making products such as lace, non-woven, and elastic woven materials.. Pawtucket now has 300 diversified industries with the three largest being jewelry and silverware, metals and textiles.

The past decades have seen concerted efforts to diversity the economy of the State, and Pawtucket has participated in that undertaking. In the case of Pawtucket, major political reforms preceded extensive physical changes to the City. a home rule charter went into effect in 1954 providing a strong mayoral and unicameral City Council form of government, a clear organizational format, with professional officials and staff. Since 1956 the City has been a leader in community development programs, modernized and upgraded facilities and services, it has maintained consistent budgeting and fiscal methods, and instituted modern planning, programming, and management techniques.

The City of Pawtucket today includes: major residential areas with 30,000 housing units, an employment center with 300 industries and 1,000 commercial and service establishments, and convenient links to the other major metropolitan areas by Interstate 95. City development policies over the last twenty years have been targeted to 1) improve the quality of residential neighborhoods and the housing stock, through rehabilitation programs, 2) expand the employment opportunities through stabilizing manufacturing centers and the creation of new industrial opportunities, and 3) assistance to the commercial sector with rehabilitation loans and location incentive loans.

PROVIDENCE CHILDREN'S MUSEUM. (1840) In the Pitcher-Goff Mansion, 58 Walcott Street. A hands-on museum for children 1 to 11 with exhibits and programs for fun and learning. Exhibit areas include: The State Room; My Way, Your Way; Great Grandmother's Kitchen; Our House; Great House Hunt; Shape Lab; Presto Change-Oh!; and the Gazebo Gift Shop. Programs scheduled weekly. Two traveling exhibits: You Who?! and Magic Words. OPEN: Year round; Tue-Sat, 9:30-5 p.m.; Sun, 1-5 p.m. Closed first two weeks following Labor Day. 726-2590.

DAGGETT HOUSE. (1685) Slater Park, off U.S. Rte. 1-A. Furnished with outstanding antiques, including Colonial pewter used in Revolutionary War. China owned by Gen. and Mrs. Nathanael Greene and the Daggett Family. Outstanding needlework and furniture. OPEN: Jun-Sep, Sat & Sun, 2-5 p.m. and by appt. by Pawtucket Chapter, NSDAR, Custodian. 333-1268, 722-2631.

PAWTUCKET PUBLIC LIBRARY. 13 Summer Street. Excellent collection in the areas of literary criticism, Polish language and culture, and local history. Scheduled adult and children's programs, special events, and exhibits. Impressive library building. Main doorway mirrors the Athens Erechtheum. Six marble panels depict Egyptian, Greek, Judaic, Roman, Anglo-Saxon, and Teutonic civilizations. OPEN: Mon-Thu, 9-8:45 p.m.; Fri & Sat, 9-4:45 p.m.; Summer hours; Mon-Thu, 9-7:45 p.m.; Fri & Sat, 9-3:45 p.m. 725-3714.

PAWTUCKET VETERANS MEMORIAL PARK. Corner of Exchange St. and Roosevelt Avenue. The recently completed park, overlooking the Blackstone River, contains a monument to all Pawtucket Veterans and an amphitheater area seating 225 persons with a covered stage. 728-0500, Ext. 225.

SLATER MEMORIAL PARK. U.S. Route 1-A. The park has full recreational facilities, including tennis courts, paddle boats, pony rides, and 18 picnic sites. The Looff Carousel was built in 1894, installed in the park in 1910, and restored in 1978. OPEN: Park: Memorial Day-Labor Day, 8-9 p.m.; Labor Day-Memorial Day, 8-dusk. Carousel hours vary. 728-0500, x 252.

SLATER MILL HISTORIC SITE. Roosevelt Avenue , P.O. Box 696. Includes Slater Mill (l793), birthplace of American industry, the Sylvanus Brown House (l758), an early skilled worker's home; and the Wilkinson Mill (1810) which houses an authentic 19th century machine shop. A reconstructed 16,000 lb. water wheel (c.1826) is in operation. Operating early textile machinery and demonstrations of hand-spinning and weaving. Museum shop. OPEN: Jun l-Labor Day, Tue-Sat, 10-5 p.m.; Sun, 1-5 p.m.; Mar 1- May 31 and Labor Day-Dec 17, Sat-Sun, l-5 p.m. Groups by advance reservation weekdays. 725-8638.

Population: The population count for the City of Pawtucket as of April 1, 2000, was 72,958. This represented a 0.4% change (314) from the 1990 population of 72,644. 

Population Density: Pawtucket contains 22.625 square kilometers of land area (8.736 Sq. Miles) and 0.661 square kilometers of water area (0.255 Sq. Miles). Total area is 23.286 square kilometers or 8.991 square miles.

The 2000 population density of Pawtucket is 8,386 persons per square mile of land area.

Age Distribution: In 2000, 54,807 persons residing in Pawtucket were 18 years of age or older.

More Census 2000 data on Pawtucket and the State of Rhode Island is available at the Statewide Planning Program Website.

City Hall
137 Roosevelt Avenue
Pawtucket, RI 02860
Hours: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm
Summer: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
FAX: 728-8932

**Information above provided by the Rhode Island Department of Economic Development Corporation

Web Links

City of Pawtucket Pawtucket School Department Pawtucket Red Sox The Pawtucket Times Pawtucket Youth Soccer Blackstone Valley Tourism Council