Greenville’s post office opened in 1823, and 3 of its places are on the National Register
Most of Greenville was built recently: 9% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1975. Below: 3 old photos and papers from 1908 on and old-book passages.
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Greenville yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Greenville is a village and census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Smithfield, Rhode Island, United States. As of the 2020 census, Greenville had a population of 9,061. The CDP is centered on the village of Greenville but also encompasses the nearby villages of West Greenville and Spragueville, as well as the Mountaindale Reservoir and beach. The village of Greenville is named after Revolutionary War general Nathanael Greene, who was born in Rhode Island in 1742. The location, however, was first settled in the 17th century. The village contains the Greenville Baptist Church (American Baptist Churches, USA), Greenville Public Library, and William Winsor School, and there are many apple…
Its first post office opened in 1823. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 8,658 to 9,061 (+5%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
From the old history books
What they wrote about Greenville in 1891
Passages that mention Greenville, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Providence County, Rhode Island1891 · page 214Read the page →
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There are three mills in the village of Greenville and its vicinty. One of these was built in Knightsville about the year 1845 by a company consisting of Stephen and Albert Winsor and William Brown, and was run under the name of Winsor & Brown. In 1850 the company built the store. In 1857 the property was sold to Jeremiah Knight, who operates it now for the manufacture of sheetings. The mills employ 50 hands. Stephen H. Brown is superintendent.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Providence County, Rhode Island1891 · page 213Read the page →
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St. Thomas Protestant Episcopal church is located in the village of Greenville. The first Episcopal service was held in Greenville by the Reverend Mr. Richmond, who came to this village by invitation of an old resident, a few years before regular services were established.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
By decade
Greenville, decade by decade
3 decades in the archive, from the 1900s to the 1930s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →
From Wikimedia Commons (6) and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
2013
2008
2008