Blackstone, Providence, Rhode Island

is the final resting place of several Rhode Island governors, including Herbert W. Ladd Blackstone is one of the last parts of Providence to be developed, as the remoteness of its location and marshy land had precluded significant development before the late 19th century. It wasn't until construction of Blackstone Boulevard in 1894 as a means of reaching Swan Point Cemetery that the area saw extensive residential development. The area was largely marshland, and the earliest road was Cat Swamp Lane followed the high ground. Several farms were located in the area during the 1700s, and a few farmhouses from that era remain. The 20th century saw institutional development in the form of Central Baptist Church, Temple Emanuel, and St. Sebastian's Roman Catholic Church. ==Description==

The Blackstone neighborhood comprises the northeast corner of the East Side of Providence, between the eastern ridge of the Moshassuck River Valley and the western bank of the Seekonk River. Houses of Worship Notable religious institutions in the area include Temple Emanu-El, St. Sebastian's Roman Catholic Church and the Community Church of Providence (formerly Central Baptist). The Community Church began as an offshoot of the First Baptist Church in America. entitled "Light in Heaven and Earth". Brown University Brown University built several facilities in the neighborhood. Ladd Observatory was built in 1891 on the edge of the neighborhood at Hope Street and Doyle Avenue. In the 1920s Brown built several athletic facilities along Elmgrove Avenue, including Brown Stadium (1925), Aldrich Field (1925—1961), and Marvel Gymnasium (1927—1989). Aldrich field was sold in 1961 and developed as a residential neighborhood, with streets named for Brown presidents Maxcy, Faunce, Barbour, and Wriston. The hospital was built in 1847 on the Richard Browne Farm at the end of Rochambeau Avenue. is a green space between northbound and southbound lanes of Blackstone Boulevard. It consists of of parkland and a jogging/walking path. • Blackstone Park Conservation District is a woodland conservation area along the river, important bird habitat for the Seekonk River and Blackstone wildlife corridor. ==Demographics==

For census purposes, the Census Bureau classifies Blackstone as part of the Census Tract Area 34. This neighborhood had 4,993 inhabitants based on data from the 2020 United States Census. The racial makeup of the neighborhood was 73.2% (3,655) White (Non-Hispanic), 0.4% (20) Black (Non-Hispanic), 10.7% (536) Asian, 7.4% (367) from some other race or from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.3% (415) of the population. 11.7% are foreign born. The area is also home to the Providence Hebrew Day School on Elmgrove Avenue and Temple Emmanuel on Morris Avenue. ==Government==

Ward Two encompasses Blackstone, all of College Hill and Wayland north of Angell Street, and parts of Mount Hope. As of the 2018 elections, Helen Anthony, a Democrat, represents the ward in the City Council. ==References==