Little Compton, Rhode Island

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Template:Rimap Little Compton is a town located in Newport County, Rhode Island. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 3,593. Little Compton is located in southeast Rhode Island, between the Sakonnet River and the Massachusetts state boundary. It is the birthplace of the Rhode Island Red.

Contents 1 History 2 Geography 3 Education 4 Rhode Island Red 5 Stores & Restaurants 6 Demographics

History

The original settlers in Little Compton were men who sought to expand westward and gain more land, and so petitioned the Plymouth Colony, which granted them their land. One of these men, Captain Benjamin Church, was in the process of building his homestead in Little Compton by 1675, just prior to King Philip's War. The land originally belonged to the Wampanoag tribe led by Awashonks, the sister of Metacom (commonly known as King Philip.) The land was called alternately Sakonnet, Sogkonate, Seconit, Seaconnet, and many other variations of the same by the Wampanoags. Today it is commonly spelled Sakonnet. The town itself was incorporated in 1682 by the Plymouth Colony, and renamed Little Compton (possibly a reference to the Little Compton in Warwickshire, England.)Tiverton, its neighboring town, was also incorporated into the Plymouth Colony. By 1746/7, however, Little Compton had secured its own royal decree and was annexed to Newport County as a part of Rhode Island. All probate records for Little Compton prior to 1746 can be located in Taunton, MA. Sites of historic interest in Little Compton include the Wilbor House, built in 1692 by Samuel Wilbor, and now the home of the Little Compton Historical Society and on the National Register of Historic Places. [1] Also, the Quaker Meeting House, Number 8 Schoolhouse (now used as part of the Town Hall), Town Hall, Wilbur's Store, and United Congregational Church all predate 1900 and are centered around the town Commons. Colonel Benjamin Church and his family are buried in the Commons cemetery, as is Elizabeth Peabody, the daughter of John Alden of Mayflower fame.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 74.9 km² (28.9 mi²). 54.1 km² (20.9 mi²) of it is land and 20.8 km² (8.0 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 27.79% water.

Education

There is only one school in Little Compton, the Josephine F. Wilbur and McMahon school, which teaches Kindergarten through 8th grade. It is called by the natives simply "Wilbur School", and is located in the middle of town, known as the Commons. There are approximately 350 students. High school students are sent to Portsmouth High school on Aquidneck Island. Prior to 2001, they were sent to Middletown High School which is also on Aquidneck Island.

Rhode Island Red

The Rhode Island Red is a chicken which was originally bred in Little Compton. In 1925 the Rhode Island Red Club of America donated funds for an elegant monument to the Rhode Island Red in Adamsville, near the baseball field and across the street from what used to be Abraham Manchester's restaurant. (The monument is now on the National Register of Historic Places.) A competing monument to the Rhode Island Red, claiming its creation not for the poultry fanciers, but for the farmers who grew them commercially in great numbers in Little Compton, was erected by the state in 1954 a mile or so south of Adamsville.

Stores & Restaurants

The majority of stores in Little Compton are in the center of the town, the Commons. This includes Wilbur's general store, Corner Cones ice cream, Coming Attractions video store, dry cleaners, thrift shop, and A-1 Pizza. Also on the Commons is a Sovereign Bank, which exists in a building that used to be the Post Office, and before that, Simmons store, which is now located in Adamsville. One of the more famous restaurants in Little Compton is the Commons Lunch, known for its johnny cakes. It burned down in 2004, and is currently being rebuilt. Other restaurants in town include Crowthers on Pottersville Rd., and the Country Harvest on West Main Road. During the summer, many farmstands open up to the public too, most of which are on West Main Road. These include the Country Stand, Walkers Roadside Stand, and Young Farm. Peckham's Greenhouse is also a favorite destination for many people. In Adamsville, there is the oldest general store in the country, Gray's (also an antique store).

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 3,593 people, 1,475 households, and 1,041 families residing in the town. The population density was 66.5/km² (172.1/mi²). There were 2,103 housing units at an average density of 38.9/km² (100.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.75% White, 0.06% African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 0.06% from other races, and 0.64% from two or more races. 0.86% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 1,475 households out of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.7% were married couples living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.4% were non-families. 24.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.92.

In the town the population was spread out with 21.7% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 29.8% from 45 to 64, and 17.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 97.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $55,368, and the median income for a family was $62,750. Males had a median income of $43,199 versus $28,676 for females. The per capita income for the town was $32,513. 3.4% of the population and 3.7% of families were below the poverty line. 1.0% of those under the age of 18 and 2.4% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Image:Flag of Rhode Island.svg	The State of Rhode Island
Capital	Providence
Regions	Blackstone Valley | Block Island | East Bay | Newport County | Providence | South County | Warwick/West Bay
Counties	Bristol | Kent | Newport | Providence | Washington
Cities	Central Falls | Cranston | East Providence | Newport | Pawtucket | Providence | Warwick | Woonsocket
Towns	Barrington | Bristol | Burrillville | Charlestown | Coventry | Cumberland | East Greenwich | Exeter | Foster | Glocester | Greene | Hopkinton | Jamestown | Johnston | Lincoln | Little Compton | Middletown | Narragansett | New Shoreham (Block Island) | North Kingstown | North Providence | North Smithfield | Portsmouth | Richmond | Scituate | Smithfield | South Kingstown | Tiverton | Warren | West Greenwich | West Warwick | Westerly
Indian Tribe Reservations	Narragansett Indian Tribe
Image:Rhode Island state seal.png	Culture	Geography	Government	History	Images

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