William Blackstone (also spelled William Blaxton in colonial times) was the first European to have settled and lived in Cumberland. (He was also the first European to have settled in Boston, but left there when he and the newly arrived Puritans disagreed about religion.) He preached his brand of tolerant Christianity under an oak tree that became an inspiration to Christians worldwide. [3] He lived on a farm in the Lonsdale area of Cumberland, where he cultivated the first variety of American apples, the Yellow Sweeting. The site of his home is now occupied by the Ann & Hope mill.

The popular tourist destination "Nine Men's Misery" is a tomb found on the grounds of a former Trappist monastery (Abbey of Our Lady of the Valley), part of which was destroyed in a fire in 1950. The Trappists donated the monastery to the town and part of the building was converted into the Edward J. Hayden Library in 1976.[

Cumberland was the site of iron works that made cannons and cannon balls for the French and Indian War and the American Revolution.

A machine shop in Cumberland made the first power looms for woolens in America. [4] These were reportedly used at the Capron Mill in Uxbridge, around 1820[4], that burned in a recent spectacular Bernat Mill fire.

A machine shop in Cumberland made the first power looms for woolens in America. [4] These were reportedly used at the Capron Mill in Uxbridge, around 1820[4], that burned in a recent spectacular Bernat Mill fire.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 28.2 square miles (73.2 km²), of which, 26.8 square miles (69.4 km²) of it is land and 1.5 square miles (3.8 km²) of it (5.17%) is water. View on Google Maps Hybrid

The only large deposit of Cumberlandite, an iron-rich mineral, is found off Elder Ballou Meeting House Road in northern Cumberland. Though the ore was used to make cannons during the colonial era, the resulting casts were of poor quality and prone to cracking. A major geologic feature of the area is Diamond Hill, a massive outcropping of white quartz. The hill once was host to two small ski areas and is now a town park.

Demographics

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 31,840 people, 12,198 households, and 9,038 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,188.4 people per square mile (458.9/km²). There were 12,572 housing units at an average density of 469.2/sq mi (181.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.74% White, 0.57% African American, 0.08% Native American, 0.83% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.84% from other races, and 0.92% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.09% of the population.

There were 12,198 households out of which 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.9% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.9% were non-families. 22.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the town the population was spread out with 24.2% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 91.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $54,656, and the median income for a family was $63,194. Males had a median income of $41,073 versus $29,188 for females. The per capita income for the town was $25,592. About 2.9% of families and 3.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.1% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those age 65 or over.

Cumberland also has a large and active second and third generation Portuguese-American community. Many of these Portuguese-American citizens immigrated from Portugal into the area to work at the factories in Cumberland and the adjacent cities of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, and Central Falls, Rhode Island. There are several Portuguese American Festivals that celebrate the cultural history through out the year. These include the São João or Saint John's Festival that is held in the month of June at the Clube Juventude Lusitana and the Our Lady of Fatima Festival which is held at Our Lady of Fatima Church on Labor Day weekend. The celebrations include traditional Portuguese music, dance and parades. More recently, Cumberland has experienced an increase in its Hispanic population, specifically persons of Colombian descent.

Schools

The Cumberland Public Schools is a comprehensive PK-12 public school system serving the Town of Cumberland, Rhode Island. The school system enrolls approximately 5,200 students in preschool, elementary, middle and high school. The five town elementary schools include Bernard F. Norton School, Garvin Memorial, Ashton School, Community School, and John J. McLaughlin Cumberland Hill School. Students in grades 6-8 attend one of two middle schools; Joseph L. McCourt Middle School (formerly Cumberland Middle School) or North Cumberland Middle School. All students in grades 9-12 attend Cumberland High School, a modern campus spread over 2.5 acres (10,000 m2) on Mendon Road/Route 122.

For many years, the district held the distinction of the lowest per pupil spending in the state using comparative financial data from the Rhode Island Department of Education. Over the past ten years, however, the taxpayers have provided substantial resources to the schools through bonds to improve school facilities. Most recently these bond funds were spent on targeted improvements at Ashton School, JJM Cumberland Hill School and Cumberland High School.

Thanks to the financial generosity of the citizens of the Town of Cumberland, major renovations have been completed at Cumberland High School as part of the "CHS 2010" program. Originally opened at its Mendon Road location in 1961, Cumberland High School was formally rededicated on September 27, 2008 after five years of construction and renovation. A new facility, known as the Wellness Center, was built, including three basketball courts, an indoor track, health and physical education rooms. Also, new music and art rooms have been constructed in the location of the former gymnasium. The final phase of the renovations and additions include a new 15-classroom science and technology wing and a new servery and cafeteria seating 600 students.

With a major cycle of facilities updates completed, the district has adopted a three-year strategic plan focused on 21st century skills for students and teachers and the integration of technology. A primary emphasis of the district's 2008-2011 Strategic Plan is a collaborative effort to design and build a town learning community that will invigorate community support for the public education system. The Strategic Plan calls for the district to invest funds on teacher professional development in learning styles differences, gifted education and new classroom technology. Also, the plan focuses on strategies to personalize learning for students through differentiated instruction, advisory programs and the district's K-12 counseling program.

There is one private school in Cumberland. Mercymount Country Day School is run by the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, a Roman Catholic order which has its New England regional headquarters in Cumberland.