Rejuvenating Peace Dale

Peace Dale is a tiny village with a rich past. Quaker industrialist Rowland Hazard founded the community around 1800 when he purchased interest in a small wool-carding mill on the Saugatucket River. His involvement in the business quickly grew, fully purchasing the mill in 1812 and running a fully integrated manufacturing business by 1815, one of the first of such textile plants in America. The village continued to expand as his sons further built the community, with new buildings and a stone mill. The mills used for woolen manufacturing operated until 1948. Today, many of the buildings from the original settlement still stand, and in 1987, Peace Dale was named as a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places.

In 2000, Rhode Island Housing developed a program to encourage the revitalization of Rhode Island’s neighborhoods. Several organizations in South Kingstown came together to submit a proposal for Peace Dale resulting in a grant to develop a community-based plan to address the economic vitality, physical condition, housing opportunities and social needs in the village, since the village had fallen on some tough times in the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s. After a series of community meetings helped to establish a thorough plan, The Friends of Peace Dale, Inc., now called the Peace Dale Neighborhood Revitalization, Inc., (PDNRI) was formed in 2000 to carry out the plan’s goals. By collaborating with the Town of South Kingstown, the Peace Dale Arts Initiative, the Peace Dale Merchants Association, different community organizations, local businesses and faithful residents, the PDNRI has made significant strides in reawakening this quaint district of South Kingstown.

A variety of community projects have begun to take place since the grant in 2000. Commercial façade improvement grants have helped local businesses renew their outward appearance and purchase attractive new signs. Local artists have contributed interesting new public art pieces to the village, including statues, tile work and murals. Activities and events that are free to the public are held year round to help celebrate and bring visitors to the village, including the Peace Dale Village Holiday Gala and the Peace Dale Arts Initiative’s Annual Peace Fair. New shops, bakeries, cozy restaurants, peaceful green spaces, unique local art installments and more help to make Peace Dale an idyllic location to spend an afternoon or a lifetime. Since the spring of this year, a fresh board has been appointed to further revamp the group’s efforts.

“There is still a lot of room for improvement in Peace Dale,” says PDNRI president Therese Martin. “We’re optimistic that a fresh wave of effort will renew a feeling of pride in Peace Dale. We’ve connected with several new businesses, as well as many people who’ve worked with PDNRI in the past. We welcome input from the residents and all of those who share our goal of making Peace Dale a great place to work, live and play.”

The PDNRI holds meetings the second Tuesday of every month from 6:30- 8:30pm at the Peace Dale Congregational Church, at 261 Columbia Street in Peace Dale, that are open to all, so swing by to learn more or to get involved.