"Woonsocket" Woonsocket by ForestqueenNYC

Woonsocket Travel Guide: 14 reviews and 17 photos

Interesting Mill Town From Another Era

When I was a girl living in Warwick and Quonset Point RI, I wanted to go to Woonsocket. I knew that they spoke French there because of the large population of French Canadians and I wanted to learn to speak French. It wasn't Paris or even Quebec, but at that time I was desperate to learn the language.

Before driving there today, I had visions of Woonsocket being a lovely city. Parts of it were charming with its old homes. But it is a mill town so parts of it were really ugly. There were five or six mills there at one time. The buildings are still there, but I am not sure they make anything in them anymore. I know the fabric mills moved to North Carolina in the late 50s.

It is a very clean town, as I have noticed all the places in RI that I have recently visited have been. The main street has been upscaled and had some trendy looking shops. I think it is a facinating look back to the past and, since it is not far from where I am staying in Massachusetts, I might go back and take another look from an historical point of view.

In the poorer section of town, probably where the millworkers lived, there is some rather interesting architecture--living quarters-- in a style that I had never seen before.

For more information take a look at this website.
http://www.woonsocket.org/village.htm

Last visit to Woonsocket: Jul 2006
Intro Updated Jul 15, 2006
Add to Trip Planner (?)
Report Abuse

Reviews (1)

French Canadian Genealogy Things to Do (1)

If you are French Canadian you might want to check out the librairy where they have people who specialize in French... more travel advice

Have you been to Woonsocket? Share your travels with the world!

Comments (2)

Reply
- Report abuse
webguy Oct 4, 2009 at 6:46 AM

Update information on the French Canadian Genealogy. Please visit the American-French Genealogical Society - AFGS for current Hours etc. http://www.afgs.org
Reply
- Report abuse
Pawtuxet Jul 27, 2006 at 11:02 PM

Good to hear you are finding the state clean. Woonsocket holds its own history...as does Lowell and Fall River. Anthropologist's dream. Hope you see the Worker's Museum and the hill with the mill owners' homes. I should create a page myself.