Barrington

Barrington, Rhode Island
—  Town  —
Location of Barrington in Bristol County, Rhode Island
Coordinates: 41°44′43″N 71°19′5″W / 41.74528°N 71.31806°W / 41.74528; -71.31806
Country	United States
State	Rhode Island
County	Bristol
Incorporated	1770
Government
- Type	Council-manager
Area
- Total	15.4 sq mi (39.9 km2)
- Land	8.4 sq mi (21.8 km2)
- Water	7.0 sq mi (18.1 km2)
Elevation	7 ft (2 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	16,819
- Density	1,997.9/sq mi (771.4/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	02806
Area code(s)	401
FIPS code	44-05140[1]
GNIS feature ID	1220084[2]
Website	Town of Barrington Official Web Site

Barrington is a town in Bristol County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 16,819 at the 2000 census.

In July 2005, CNN/Money and Money magazine ranked Barrington sixth on its list of the 100 best places to live in the United States.

Geography

Barrington is located at 41°44′42″N 71°19′5″W / 41.745°N 71.31806°W / 41.745; -71.31806 (41.745201, -71.318193)^[3] along the tidal Barrington River.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 15.4 square miles (39.9 km²), of which, 8.4 square miles (21.8 km²) of it is land and 7.0 square miles (18.2 km²) of it (45.46%) is water.

History

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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.

Barrington was part of Swansea, Massachusetts from its incorporation in 1667 (part of the Plymouth Colony until the merger with Massachusetts in 1691).^[4] The Baptist residents petitioned for separation from Swansea in 1711, and Barrington was incorporated as an independent town in 1717. It was named after Barrington, Somerset, where many of the English settlers came from.

In 1747, Barrington was ceded to Rhode Island but made a part of Warren, Rhode Island. In 1770, its independence was restored by the Rhode Island legislature.^[4]

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.

Since the 1980s, Barrington has attracted an increasingly affluent population, drawn from academics, professionals and executives who work in Providence.

Please help improve this article by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page. (April 2008)

Demographics

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 16,819 people, 6,011 households, and 4,712 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,998.1 people per square mile (771.2/km²). There were 6,199 housing units at an average density of 736.4/sq mi (284.3/km²). 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 town 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.

Education

The public schools offered to its residents include:

• Elementary:

Sowams Elementary School, Primrose Hill Elementary School, Nayatt Elementary School, Hampden Meadows School

• Junior High:

Barrington Middle School

• High School:

Barrington High School

Other schools in the town include Barrington Christian Academy, St. Lukes, and St. Andrew's School.

Barrington has been home to one college, Barrington College, which closed in 1985. A bible college, Zion Bible College, occupied the campus until 2008.

Notable Sites and Registered Historic Places in Barrington

Nayatt Point Lighthouse, ca. late 1800s

• Alfred Drowne Road Historic District
• Barrington Civic Center
• Belton Court
• Nayatt Point Lighthouse
• O'Bannon Mill
• St. Matthew's Episcopal Church

Notable natives and residents

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• David Angell - American television sitcom producer
• Thomas W. Bicknell - Educator and historian; born there
• Brad Faxon - Professional golfer
• Henry Giroux- World renowned academic and cultural critic
• Spalding Gray - An actor, screenwriter and playwright born there.
• Scott Haltzman- A physician and author (wrote Secrets of Happily Married Men)
• Michael S. Harper - Poet
• Phil Madeira - Nashville songwriter, musician, and recording artist, raised there.
• Shanna Moakler - Model, Miss USA 1995, actress, and reality television star
• Joe Donnelly - American Politician

References

External links

• Town of Barrington Official Web Site
• Town of Barrington Official GIS Maps and Property Information
• Barrington School Department
• The Brendel murders.

• Barrington, Rhode Island is at coordinates 41°44′43″N 71°19′05″W / 41.745201°N 71.318193°W / 41.745201; -71.318193 (Barrington, Rhode Island)Coordinates: 41°44′43″N 71°19′05″W / 41.745201°N 71.318193°W / 41.745201; -71.318193 (Barrington, Rhode Island)

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