Barrington, Rhode Island

Barrington is a town in Bristol County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 16,310 at the 2010 census.

In July 2005, CNN/Money and Money magazine ranked Barrington sixth on its list of the 100 best places to live in the United States.

History
The land in Barrington was originally granted by the King of England to members of the Mayflower party. Some parts of the town retain names from this land grant, including Prince's Hill, named for Thomas Prince.

Barrington was part of Swansea, Massachusetts from its incorporation in 1667 (part of the Plymouth Colony until the merger with Massachusetts in 1691). The Baptist residents petitioned for separation from Swansea in 1711, and Barrington was incorporated as an independent town in 1717. It was named after Barrington, Somerset, where many of the English settlers came from.

In 1747, Barrington was ceded to Rhode Island but made a part of Warren, Rhode Island. In 1770, its independence was restored by the Rhode Island legislature.

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century Barrington was home of the Barrington Brick Works, which made bricks that were used in construction worldwide. Many laborers from Italy lived in Barrington and worked in the brickyard. Their descendents still make up a significant portion of the town population.

Since the 1980s, Barrington has attracted an increasingly affluent population, drawn from academics, professionals, and executives who work in Providence.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, Barrington has a total area of 15.4 sqmi, of which, 8.4 sqmi of it is land and 7 sqmi of it (45.46%) is water. Barrington is located 7 mi SE of Providence and 44 mi south of Boston, Massachusetts.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 16,819 people, 6,011 households, and 4,712 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,998.1 people per square mile (771.2/km²). There were 6,199 housing units at an average density of 736.4 per square mile (284.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.37% White, 0.68% Black or African American, 0.11% Native American, 1.77% Asian, 0.26% from other races, and 0.81% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.05% of the population.

There were 6,011 households out of which 40.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.7% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.6% were non-families. 18.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the town the population was spread out with 28.2% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 95.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $74,591, and the median income for a family was $84,657. Males had a median income of $59,722 versus $36,195 for females. The per capita income for the town was $35,881. About 3.0% of families and 3.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.5% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.

Education
The public schools offered to its residents include:


 * Elementary:
 * Nayatt Elementary School,
 * Primrose Hill Elementary School,
 * Sowams Elementary School,
 * Hampden Meadows School
 * Middle School: Barrington Middle School
 * High School: Barrington High School

Other schools in the town include Barrington Christian Academy, St. Luke's, and St. Andrew's School.

Barrington has been home to one college, Barrington College, which closed in 1985. A bible college, Zion Bible College, occupied the campus until 2008.

Barrington was Rhode Island's only "Dry" liquor town. On December 17, 2011 the Town Council approved 2 liquor stores.



Notable sites

 * Alfred Drowne Road Historic District
 * Barrington Civic Center
 * Belton Court
 * Nayatt Point Lighthouse
 * O'Bannon Mill
 * Rhode Island Country Club
 * St. Matthew's Episcopal Church

Notable people

 * David Angell, television sitcom producer (Frasier); multiple Emmy Award winner; born in West Barrington; died during the September 11 attacks
 * Nicholas Bianco, boss of the Patriarca crime family; lived in Barrington
 * Thomas W. Bicknell, educator and historian; born in Barrington
 * Christopher Denise, illustrator of children's books (The Great Redwall Feast, A Redwall Winter's Tale), lived in Barrington
 * Joe Donnelly, U.S. Senator, former congressman for Indiana's 2nd congressional district
 * Brad Faxon, golfer with the PGA Tour; lives in Barrington
 * Maynard Ferguson, jazz trumpet player; raised in Barrington
 * Henry Giroux, academic and cultural critic; taught high-school social studies in Barrington
 * Spalding Gray, actor, screenwriter and playwright (Swimming to Cambodia); raised in Barrington
 * Scott Haltzman, psychiatrist, relationship counselor, and author (Secrets of Happily Married Men); lived in Barrington
 * Michael S. Harper, Poet Laureate of Rhode Island (1988-1993); lived in Barrington
 * Carolyn Huntoon, NASA scientist, first woman director of the Johnson Space Center, resides in Barrington
 * Jon Land, author and screenwriter (Dirty Deeds)
 * Phil Madeira, Nashville songwriter, musician, and recording artist; alum of Barrington High School (1970)
 * Logan Marshall-Green, actor (Law & Order, 24, The O.C., Across the Universe); alum of Barrington High School
 * Shanna Moakler, model and actress; first runner-up at Miss USA 1995; alum of Barrington High School