Best Community #31: River Beauty

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

GoLocalProv Best Communities Team

 

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Tiverton

Few Rhode Island towns have as varied a set of facets. Do you know this town from its breathtaking waterfront? Its well-known four-corners-style retail village? Its ice cream? Tiverton embraces more contrasts than these, and for many, it's a place to enjoy on a weekend ramble. What kind of town is Tiverton for year-round living?

Currently, Tiverton is a mixed bag. Overall, the town ranks just below the center of the 2011 Affordability rankings (26th) and one notch below on Education (27th). Its highest performance in 2011 was on Safety, where it ranked 24th statewide. 

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Tiverton by the numbers

Established: 1694
Population: 15,780
Median household income: $57,316
Median housing price: $215,500

2011 Best Communities rankings

Overall ranking: 31
Affordability ranking: 26
Education ranking: 27
Economic condition ranking: 29
Safety ranking: 24
Arts & Culture ranking: 26

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History in a nutshell:

We had to fight a bit to acquire this beautiful stretch of waterfront land. Before Tiverton was a part of Rhode Island it was a part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. However, a long border dispute between Rhode Island and Massachusetts was resolved in 1741 and the town of Tiverton, along with a few others was annexed to Rhode Island, and Tiverton was incorporated in 1747. In its early days, Tiverton was mainly a farming community with some fishing and boat construction, but cotton and wool mills were established as early as 1827. Tiverton also had a role in the Revolutionary War, as it was an asylum for Americans feeling from British influence and occupation. Today, trade establishments are the major source of income and Tiverton has also become a summer getaway destination and residential area.

Famous residents:

Robert Gray, merchant sea-captain and explorer
Russell Warren, architect
Paul Di Filippo, science fiction author
Mika Seeger, ceramic artist

Additional research by Nate Holterman

 

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