( This story was updated because an earlier version included an inaccurate headline. )
As Rhode Island’s capital, Providence is well-known as the state’s hub for food, arts and entertainment, but it’s also the state’s oldest town.
Providence was founded by Roger Williams in 1636, making it nearly 400 years old. According to the National Parks Service website , Williams and a group of companions first settled near a freshwater spring in what is now the College Hill area of the city.
Upon finding the spring, Williams negotiated with Narragansett chiefs Canonicus and Miantonomi, who agreed to give him the land that would become Providence in exchange for English trade goods. King Charles II of England granted Williams a charter for the colony in 1663.
Since that founding day in 1636, Providence played an important role in the country’s early history. The city was a hub for trading in the 1700s, home to many early revolutionary efforts and, as the country progressed into the Industrial Revolution, a leader in manufacturing products like thread, jewelry and machinery.