Barrington, Rhode Island
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Barrington is a town in Bristol County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 16,819 at the 2000 census.
In July of 2005, CNN/Money and Money magazine ranked Barrington sixth on its list of the 100 best places to live in the United States.
Barrington was famous in the 90s for the Brendel murders.
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[edit] Geography
Barrington is located at (41.745201, -71.318193)GR1 along the tidal Barrington River.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 39.9 km² (15.4 mi²). 21.8 km² (8.4 mi²) of it is land and 18.2 km² (7.0 mi²) of it (45.46%) is water.
[edit] History
The land in Barrington was originally granted by the King of England to members of the Mayflower party. Some parts of the town retain names from this land grant, including Prince's Hill, named for Thomas Prince.
In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century Barrington was home of the Barrington Brick Works, which made bricks that were used in construction worldwide. Many laborers from Italy lived in Barrington and worked in the brickyard. Their descendents still make up a significant portion of the town population.
A number of seaside vacation cottages were built in Barrington during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Today these have been expanded into permanent homes.
Since the 1980s, Barrington has attracted an increasingly affluent population, drawn from academics, professionals and executives who work in Providence. This has caused something of a political split between the longer-standing residents and the newcomers, particularly on such issues as taxes, education policy and zoning issues.
[edit] Demographics
Barrington is named for Barrington, Somerset in England.
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 16,819 people, 6,011 households, and 4,712 families residing in the town. The population density was 771.2/km² (1,998.1/mi²). There were 6,199 housing units at an average density of 284.3/km² (736.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.37% White, 0.68% Black or African American, 0.11% Native American, 1.77% Asian, 0.26% from other races, and 0.81% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.05% of the population.
There were 6,011 households out of which 40.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.7% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.6% were non-families. 18.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.14.
In the town the population was spread out with 28.2% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 95.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $74,591, and the median income for a family was $84,657. Males had a median income of $59,722 versus $36,195 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $35,881. About 3.0% of families and 3.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.5% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.
Barrington provides a quiant seaside backdrop to a typical suburban town. Its location is close to Providence and within a 30 minute drive to Newport, allowing its residents access to two of Rhode Island's biggest attractions. Although it is small, the town does have a notable town beach and yachting commmunity. In addition to aquatic activities, the town also has a beautiful center complete with shops such as Ann and Taylor Loft, Talbots, and some small restaurants. Visitors and local residents also take advantage of the bike path that cuts through the town, connecting Providence with Bristol.
Although Barrington is often criticized for its high taxes, they have one of the top public school systems in the country. The public schools offered to its residents include:
Elementary: Sowams Elementary School Primrose Elementary School Nayatt Elementary School Hampton Meadows School
Junior High: Barrington Middle School
High School: Barrington High School
Other schools in the town include Barrington Christian Academy, St. Lukes, St. Andrew's, and the Zion Bible School.
[edit] Notable natives and residents
- Thomas W. Bicknell - An educator and historian born there.
- Brad Faxon - A professional American golfer
- Spalding Gray - An actor, screenwriter and playwright born there.
- Michael S. Harper - Poet
[edit] External links
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
Barrington School Department
The Brendel murders.
Town of Barrington Official Web Site
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