Elmhurst (Providence, Rhode Island)

 neighborhood  Add category

Elmhurst, with its open and scenic wooded rolling hills, attracted the settlement of numerous country retreats during the mid 19th century. William Grosvenor's Gothic Revival Villa called "Elmhurst" gave the area its name in 1849 and was the first retreat to be constructed in the area.

Settlement remained sparse in Elmhurst until the end of the 19th century. During the early 1870s, plats of house lots were laid out but the national economic panic of 1873 dramatically slowed down development plans. A couple of houses appeared along the major streets before the late 1880s, but substantial residential development occurred only after the economy picked up and public transportation improved.

By 1882, streetcars traversed Chalkstone Avenue, extending out to Smith Street and North Providence by the 1890s. In 1909, the city acquired a continuous strip of land on either side of a stream that flows from Academy Avenue to Promenade Street and constructed a residential boulevard, Pleasant Valley Parkway. Housing development increased during the years that followed the completion of the Parkway. The Parkway was handsome and somewhat similar to Blackstone Boulevard in design but did not attract residents of the same level of wealth. In addition, a neighborhood commercial strip formed along Chalkstone Avenue between River and Mount Pleasant Avenues.

By the early 20th century, the Elmhurst area was predominantly middle and upper middle class. The ethnic composition of the area began to become more diverse after 1900. Second and third-generation Irish residents began to move into the area to escape from more crowded neighborhoods like Smith Hill and Upper and Lower South Providence. By the mid 20th century, second and third-generation Italians, many of whom moved from Federal Hill, comprised a significant portion of Elmhurst's ethnic composition.

The quiet and spacious qualities of the Elmhurst neighborhood, in conjunction with the availability of large tracts of land in the form of 19th century estates, attracted various social and educational institutions. This area met the needs of the institutional boom that swept the city during the early part of the 20th century. Several hospitals were established.

Providence College, founded by the Dominican Order in 1917, was constructed on a large tract adjacent to the Bradley Estate. Providence College is a strong presence in the nearby community. Not only do many students live in the surrounding rental units but the College offers use of their gymnasium facilities and night courses to both local citywide Providence residents.

Elmhurst experienced continued suburban development after World War II as one of the few areas in Providence with yet undeveloped land. The small and mid-sized houses built on the landscaped lots in the northwestern part of Elmhurst followed the tradition of the earlier 20th century dwellings.

According to the Providence Plan, a local nonprofit aimed at improving city life, 82% of residents are white, 9% Hispanic, and 5% African-American. 28% of children under the age of six speak a language other than English as their primary language.

The median family income is $51,503, above the city-wide average of $32,058. 6.4% of families live below the poverty line while 2% of families receive some form of public assistance.

www.providenceri.com/ONS/neighborhoods/elmhurst