Fields Point: A History of Fill, Industry, Recreation, and Infrastructure
HOURS
Sat, May 5 10am-11:30am
MEETING POINT
Save the Bay
ENDING POINT
Same as Meeting Point
WALK DESCRIPTION
‘Where is Fields Point? Oh yeah, off of Allen’s Avenue?’ ‘Is that where JWU is? Is Save the Bay there too?’ ‘What is going on down there anyway?’
Turns out there’s A LOT going on at Fields Point which is the stretch of coast that borders the Providence River as it opens up to Narragansett Bay. Starting with a fascinating history of fill and shoreline modification, it is currently the site of Providence Port, the Narragansett Bay Commission, the Johnson and Wales Bayside Campus, the Save the Bay facility, and more.
Although some of these uses may not be compatible with public use, there are also a couple of hidden public parks tucked away. Come learn about the history of the area – from its early history as a farm to its wartime use as a shipyard to the filling that shaped the shoreline we know today. Come learn about its current uses: did you know that one of the tallest structures in RI extends down to meet one of the State’s most expensive investments (the Combined Sewer Overflow)? And learn about its charged future as one of the most vulnerable areas to sea level rise in Providence.
