Manton

Manton is one of Providence's smaller and quieter neighborhoods, tucked into the western edge of the city where it meets North Providence and Johnston. The Woonasquatucket River forms its western boundary, while Rushmore Avenue, Chalkstone Avenue, Smith Street, and Triggs Memorial Golf Course separate it from the rest of Providence to the east. The neighborhood takes its name from Edward Manton, an early colonial landowner whose family accumulated a large tract of land here.

Through the 18th century, Manton was a rural agrarian area whose proximity to the Woonasquatucket River later made it ideal for early industry; tanneries appeared in the late 18th century, followed by water-powered mills built in 1827 and 1830 that drew workers as railroad lines pushed east through Olneyville to downtown. The collapse of the textile industry through the 20th century reshaped the neighborhood. Manton Heights, a public housing development, opened in 1953, and the Manton-Fruit Hill Neighborhood Association was later organized to advocate for the community.

Today the area is largely residential. Walk Score lists the neighborhood at 54 for walkability and 41 for transit, with about 3,612 residents. RIPTA Route 27 — branded "Broadway / Manton" — is a high-frequency line that links the neighborhood directly to downtown Providence. Outdoor amenities include the city-owned Triggs Memorial Golf Course on the neighborhood's eastern edge and the Woonasquatucket River Greenway corridor along its western boundary.