Rhode Island Real Estate & Relocation Guide

South Kingstown, Rhode Island

Population: 27,921

Located in Washington County

The original town of King's Town, incorporated in 1674, included the present towns of South Kingstown, North Kingstown and Narragansett. It was in this area that the Narragansett Indians hunted, fished, raised corn and held forth against the rival Niantic Indians. The first settlement was in South Kingstown, and it was there in the Great Swamp Fight, in 1675, that colonial soldiers from Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut gave King Philip his greatest defeat.

Farming was the main activity in early times. Flax was among its earliest products. By 1800, the Wakefield Manufacturing Company was in operation, as well as the Peace Dale Mill, which grew to be one of the town's largest industries.

The founding of the Rhode Island College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts in 1892, near the Village of Kingston, was an important milestone in the history of the town. Growing into the present University of Rhode Island, this institution plays a major role in both the economic and cultural life of the town.

Recently, diversified small industry has replaced the town's former leading textile manufacturer. The J.P. Stevens Company, for many years operated the Peace Dale Mill, until the textile decline soon after the end of World War II. A drive for additional new industrial growth is currently underway.

Capitalizing on its exceptional shoreline and beach areas, the town has also experienced significant residential expansion, and development of its summer resort and tourist facilities.

Courtesy of Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation