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Thornton, Rhode Island

Cranston, Rhode IslandItalian-American culture in Rhode IslandJohnston, Rhode IslandNeighborhoods in Rhode IslandPopulated places in Providence County, Rhode Island
Rhode Island geography stubs
The Lofts at Pocasset Mill, Thornton RI
The Lofts at Pocasset Mill, Thornton RI

Thornton (formerly known as Simmonsville and Lower Simmons Village) is a neighborhood located in the north-west part of Cranston, Rhode Island on the Johnston line and extends into the Johnston side. Many of the residents of this Thornton are Italian-American, and the Feast of Saint Rocco, a Christian saint, is held every August on the grounds of St. Rocco's Church and remains an important cultural event in the community. Saint Rocco's Church was formerly on the Cranston side of Thornton on Clemence Street until the new church opened in 1951 on Atwood Avenue on the Johnston side of Thornton.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Thornton, Rhode Island (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Thornton, Rhode Island
Atwood Avenue, Cranston

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Wikipedia: Thornton, Rhode IslandContinue reading on Wikipedia

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 41.794166666667 ° E -71.478333333333 °
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Address

Atwood Avenue 763
02920 Cranston
Rhode Island, United States
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The Lofts at Pocasset Mill, Thornton RI
The Lofts at Pocasset Mill, Thornton RI
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Nearby Places

Thomas Fenner House
Thomas Fenner House

The Thomas Fenner House or the "Sam Joy Place" is a historic stone-ender house in Cranston, Rhode Island. It the oldest surviving house in the Providence Plantations portion of Rhode Island. The only older structure in the state is the White Horse Tavern in Newport. The house was built as a farmhouse in 1677 after King Philip's War by Captain Arthur Fenner for his son Major Thomas Fenner. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. The House is available for short stays by those interested in the historical and architectural significance of the property. It also is made available to educational groups to visit and study. Captain Arthur Fenner's original homestead, which was known as "Fenner Castle" (circa 1652) was burnt to the ground in King Philip's War. Captain Arthur was appointed Captain of the militia and his son Thomas was appointed Major. They were among a small handful of men "one who staid and went not away" in the defense of Providence. After the war, in 1677, Arthur rebuilt his home also built, for his son, the Major Thomas Fenner house. The "Fenner Castle" stood until 1896 when the chimney was demolished. Arthur's great grandson, Thomas's grandson) was Governor Arthur Fenner who donated a piece of wood from Captain Arthur's "Fenner Castle" for what is now the RI Mace. He did so to honor his grandfather, Captain Arthur Fenner who so bravely defended Providence from the Indians.

Hughesdale, Rhode Island
Hughesdale, Rhode Island

Hughesdale is a neighborhood in the town of Johnston, Rhode Island. Hughesdale is a primarily residential neighborhood in the southeast corner of the town, centered near Central Avenue and Atwood Avenue. It is situated near the villages of Simmonsville and Thornton. The neighborhood is named for the local 19th-century mill owner Thomas Henry Hughes, an Englishman who arrived in America first to Pawtucket, Rhode Island in 1839, and later to Johnston in 1849. Thomas Hughes established what would later be known as the Hughesdale Dye and Chemical Works on the Dry Brook, a tributary of the Pocasset River, in 1850. Hughesdale grew as a small mill village around the chemical works. Much of the village including the mill was destroyed by a flood in 1868, but the mill was quickly rebuilt larger than before. Hughes set up a post office at his store in 1876, and the Hughesdale Congregational Church was established the following year. By 1878, the village was occupied by some 300 inhabitants, and the mill employed over 50 men. Thomas Hughes died in 1883, and two of his four sons took over the business. The Hughes Chemical Works was destroyed a second time in a fire in 1914.Thomas Hughes's personal home from 1865 to around 1877, pictured on the right, is one of the few buildings still standing from this early era. The building was built in 1845 and is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places as the Thomas H. Hughes House.