Coventry Travel Guide

Coventry was first settled in the early 18th century, when the town was part of Warwick. Since the area was so far away from the center of Warwick, the area that became Coventry grew very slowly. However, by 1741, enough farmers (about 100 families) had settled in the area that they petitioned the General Assembly of Rhode Island to create their own town. The petition was granted, and the new town was named Coventry, after a city in central England. For the rest of the 18th century, Coventry remained a rural town populated by farmers. Among the buildings that survive are the Waterman Tavern (1740s), the Nathaniel Greene Homestead (1770), and the Paine Homestead (late 1600s/early 1700s). The oldest church in Coventry, Maple Root Baptist Church, dates from the end of the 18th century.

During the War of Independence, the people of Coventry were supporters of the patriot cause. Nathaniel Greene, a resident of Coventry, rose through the ranks to become a leading general of the American army. By the end of the war, Greene was second in command in the US amry after Geroge Washington

In the 19th century, the Industrial Revolution came to Coventry with the building of the first mill in Anthony. Over the next century, the eastern end of town became very industrialized, with manufacturing centers being located in Anthony, Washington, Quidnick, and Harris villages. Many of the old factories still stand in the town, and the village centers (in particular Anthony and Quidnick) remain mostly intact. The demographics of the town also changed as these new mill villages were populated by French Canadian and Irish immigrants. By the end of the 19th century, almost one fourth of the population was born outside the US, and French was the primary language for many of the people in the eastern part of Coventry. Not all immigrants, however, worked in the factories. Census records from the late 19th century show that some of them owned farms.

By comparison, the western end of the town remained very rural, with the only centers of population being located at Greene and Summit, both being established as railroad stations on the New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad.

In the 20th century, the town went through much change. The advent of the automobile brought an end of the railroad (which was dismantled in the 1970s) and most of the old factories closed. In the late 20th century, many new people moved to Coventry, most of them being from the Providence area. These new comers moved because of the large amount of land available to build on. The eastern part of the town became suburbanized. Currently, there is a movement in the town to limit new homes in order to keep the rural flavor of the western part of the town.