Fox Point was originally used for farmland, but its economy quickly changed to maritime affairs with the construction of Providence's first port at India Point in 1680, becoming a major trading point in the
Atlantic Triangular Trade of slaves, sugar cane, and rum between
New England, the
West Indies, and
West Africa. The neighborhood derives its name from Tockwotten Hill, which was largely leveled (along with slum residences) as part of a public works project in the 19th century. The fill was used to reclaim part of the
Seekonk River now consisting of Gano Street and land to the east of Gano Street. Once the area's street grid had been laid, Fox Point developed as a residential neighborhood. However, Fox Point became an attractive location for industry with the completion of the
Boston and Providence Railroad and regular steamship connections to ports along the East Coast. The new industry, in turn, attracted many immigrants.
Irish were the first wave, and the neighborhood became home to increasing numbers of
Portuguese and
Cape Verdeans by the second half of the 19th century. During much of the 20th Century, Fox Point was a neighborhood made up of immigrants from Cape Verde, Portugal, Ireland, Lebanon, and more. Grocery stores, community centers, and restaurants dotted the neighborhood. By the 1980s, those residents and businesses were displaced by gentrification, resulting from urban renewal and the encroachment of students from nearby
Brown University living off-campus. ==Demographics==