Westerly (town), Rhode Island
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Template:Rimap Westerly, founded in 1669 by John Babcock, is a beachfront community on the south shore of Washington County, Rhode Island. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 22,966.
For geographic and demographic information on particular parts of the town of Westerly, see the articles on Bradford and Westerly (CDP).
Westerly's primary industries today are textiles and tourism, but historically Westerly was also famous for its granite, mined from quarries in Bradford and Potter Hill.
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Geography
Westerly sits atop a glacial moraine, which is a series of small hills of debris left behind by receding glaciers in the last ice age. On the western border of Westerly flows the Pawcatuck River, once renowned for its own species of Westerly salmon, three of which are on the town's crest. The Pawcatuck River flows from some fifteen miles deep into neighboring towns in the north and empties in Little Narragansett Bay. The Pawcatuck River also serves as the boundary between Westerly and Stonington, Connecticut. Along the coast of Westerly lie salt ponds, which serve as shallow reeflike pools, whose outer walls form the long, white beaches for which the town became renowned. From west to east, these ponds are called Winnapaug Pond, Weekapaug Pond and Quonochontaug Pond. Famous beaches, from west to east are Watch Hill beach, East Beach, Misquamicut Beach and Weekapaug Beach. The town also has a fresh water lake, Chapman's pond, which is undergoing revitalization. Also, Westerly grantite is mined here, some of it even made the Georgia state house.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Westerly has a total area of 193.8 km² (74.8 mi²). 77.9 km² (30.1 mi²) of it is land and 115.8 km² (44.7 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 59.78% water.
Villages
Westerly consists of a number of small villages. Downtown Westerly, on the Pawcatuck River, is the municipal seat of the area, with the main town post office, library, high school and police station. Other villages are Watch Hill (with its fantastic beaches and summer cottages - along with the world-renowned private golf club, the Misquamicut Club), Misquamicut (a beachfront community with small amounts of nightlife and lots of hotels), Winnapaug (with its two golf courses Winnapaug Golf Club and Weekapaug Golf Club ,the only public golf course in the town), Dunn's Corner, Bradford, Shelter Harbor (a private residential community with its new private golf course, the Shelter Harbor Golf Club), Avondale (an old New England fishing community, with antique colonial and Queen Anne style homes and tree-lined streets), Potter Hill and White Rock. For the most part, Westerly's citizens identify themselves with the town, as opposed to the village in which they reside. The town is renowned for its pride, fostered by its beautiful beaches and events such as First Night and The Summer Pops, hosted by the Chorus of Westerly every June in the town park.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there are 22,966 people, 9,402 households, and 6,130 families residing in the town. The population density is 294.7/km² (763.3/mi²). There are 11,292 housing units at an average density of 144.9/km² (375.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the town is 95.17% White, 0.71% Black or African American, 0.57% Native American, 1.99% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.34% from other races, and 1.22% from two or more races. 1.18% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 9,402 households out of which 29.7% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.2% are married couples living together, 11.0% have a female householder with no husband present, and 34.8% are non-families. 29.0% of all households are made up of individuals and 12.5% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.40 and the average family size is 2.98.
In the town the population is spread out with 23.5% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 39 years. For every 100 females there are 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 89.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town is $44,613, and the median income for a family is $53,165. Males have a median income of $37,887 versus $26,800 for females. The per capita income for the town is $24,092. 6.7% of the population and 4.3% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 9.6% of those under the age of 18 and 6.6% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
The most frequent ancestries among the town's population are Italians (34.2%), Irish (17.9%) and English (14.2 %). Many Italians moved to Westerly from Italy at the turn of the century(particularly from Sicily and Calabria), and Italian is spoken at the homes of many residents.
External links
- City Data (http://www.city-data.com/city/Westerly-Rhode-Island.html)
- Geocities Entry (http://www.greatestcities.com/North_America/USA/Rhode_Island_RI/Westerly_town.html?redir=1)
- Local Newspaper (http://www.thewesterlysun.com/)
- Chamber of Commerce (http://www.westerlychamber.org/westerly.shtml)
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State of Rhode Island
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| Capital: | |
| Regions: | |
| Cities: |
Cranston | East Providence | Newport | Pawtucket | Providence | Warwick | Woonsocket |
| Counties |
Bristol | Kent | Newport | Providence | Washington |