The Center of Rhode Island

A recent trip to the popular ‘Centre of New England’ got me wondering about where the actual center of RI might be.  

As I went about my shopping chores I wondered if anyone else had pondered this issue, so I conducted a very unscientific poll of a handful of shoppers I encountered. Predictably, just about everyone I approached said that they had never given the issue any thought and while most were willing to offer a guess the majority said they would pick somewhere in Warwick as the geographic center of RI; only a couple of folks mentioned Coventry and I’m sure more than a few probably thought I was loony for even asking.

But I was determined to find the answer and thanks to Mapquest and Google, I discovered that the geographic center of our beloved state is not in the Centre of New England. The satellite view of the longitude and latitude coordinates shows the actual center of our state to be in the backyard of a home, about 200 yards east of the Hopkins Hill Fire Station on Bestwick Trail.

Thinking that this prominent spot might be identified with a marker or plaque I paid a visit but being mindful of privacy and wary of the risk of trespassing I rang the bell of the home. Fortunately, I was politely greeted and after explaining the purpose of my visit the homeowner was surprised to learn of the unique geographical importance of their backyard. The visit also enlightened her about the likely reason why a sign denoting the location is anonymously posted on their front lawn each year. While I left with a sense of accomplishment I also realized that apparently I wasn’t the only one who uncovered the real center of Rhode Island.

So Providence can claim to be the center of state government and commerce but Coventry is where you will actually find the center of the Rhode Island.

And for the actual center of New England? It is actually in Dunbarton, New Hampshire but I don’t plan to visit there anytime soon.