Exeter is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than city, cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares ...

in Washington County,

Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area and the seventh-least populous, with slightly fewer than 1.1 million residents as of 2020, but i ...

, United States. Exeter extends east from the

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

border to the town of

North Kingstown North Kingstown is a town in Washington County, Rhode Island, United States, and is part of the Providence metropolitan area. The population was 27,732 in the 2020 census. North Kingstown is home to the birthplace of American portraitist Gilber ...

. It is bordered to the north by West Greenwich and

East Greenwich East Greenwich is a town and the county seat of Kent County, Rhode Island. The population was 14,312 at the 2020 census. East Greenwich is the wealthiest municipality within the state of Rhode Island. It is part of the Providence metropolitan ...

, and to the south by Hopkinton,

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, a ...

, and

South Kingstown South Kingstown is a town in, and the county seat of, Washington County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 31,931 at the 2020 census. South Kingstown is the second largest town in Rhode Island by total geographic area, behind New ...

. Exeter's

postal code A postal code (also known locally in various English-speaking countries throughout the world as a postcode, post code, PIN or ZIP Code) is a series of letters or digits or both, sometimes including spaces or punctuation, included in a postal ...

is 02822, although small parts of the town have the mailing address West Kingston (02892) or Saunderstown (02874). The population was 6,460 at the 2020 census.

History

Native Americans lived in the town prior to

King Philip's War King Philip's War (sometimes called the First Indian War, Metacom's War, Metacomet's War, Pometacomet's Rebellion, or Metacom's Rebellion) was an armed conflict in 1675–1676 between indigenous inhabitants of New England and New England coloni ...

, and Wawaloam, a female Narragansett/Nipmuc leader lived in the town in the 1660s. The town of Exeter was formed in 1742 from the western part of

. The name Exeter derives from the county town and cathedral city of

Exeter Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal c ...

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...

, England. Numerous

other places Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

have also been given the name. Exeter is noted by folklorists as the site of one of the best documented examples of

vampire A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mi ...

exhumation Burial, also known as interment or inhumation, is a method of final disposition whereby a dead body is placed into the ground, sometimes with objects. This is usually accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing the deceased and objec ...

: the Mercy Brown Vampire Incident of 1892.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy An economy is an area of th ...

, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it (1.15%) is water.

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2000, there were 6,045 people, 2,085 households, and 1,592 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 2,196 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 96.36%

White White is the lightness, lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...

, 0.66%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

, 0.60% Native American, 0.74% Asian, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of Ocea ...

, 0.33% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.29% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 1.27% of the population. There were 2,085 households, out of which 38.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.4% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.6% were non-families. 16.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.15. In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.3% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 31.6% from 25 to 44, 26.0% from 45 to 64, and 9.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.0 males. The median income for a household in the town was $64,452, and the median income for a family was $74,157. Males had a median income of $47,083 versus $36,928 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the town was $25,530. About 4.5% of families and 5.5% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 7.5% of those under age 18 and 10.2% of those age 65 or over.

Government

The town government is directed by a 5-member town council that is headed by a council president. For the purpose of school administration, Exeter is a member town of the

Exeter-West Greenwich Regional School District Exeter-West Greenwich Regional School District (EWG) is a public school district in Kent County and Washington County, Rhode Island, United States, serving the rural towns of Exeter and West Greenwich in the south-central part of the state. Th ...

along with the neighboring town of West Greenwich.

Attractions and National Historic Places in Exeter

* Yawgoo Valley is the only ski resort in Rhode Island. * Austin Farm Road Agricultural Area * Baptist Church in Exeter
Exeter Chapel
* Fisherville Historic and Archeological District *

Hallville Historic and Archeological District Hallville Historic and Archaeological District is a historic district in Exeter, Rhode Island. The historic district contains the remains of 19th-century textile mills and associated structures. The only standing structure in the district is ...

Lawton's Mill Lawton's Mill (also known as the Albro Mill) is a historic mill located on Ten Rod Road in Exeter, Rhode Island. The mill property includes an 18th-century house, an early 19th-century wood-frame mill building, and a 19th-century barn with early ...

* Simon Lillibridge Farm * Parris Brook Historic and Archeological District *

Queen's Fort Queen's Fort is a historic site in Exeter, Rhode Island. Little more than a round, rocky hillock, the site has long been described as the site of a Native American fortification constructed in 1676 by Queen Quaiapen and members of the Narragans ...

* Sodom Mill Historic and Archeological District
Tomaquag Museum
only solely Native American museum in Rhode Island

Notable people

* George Wait Babcock, privateer * Job Kenyon, politician

References

External links

EDC Profile of Exeter

RI.GOV – Town of Exeter

Town of Exeter, Rhode Island website

Exeter Town Library

Exeter-West Greenwich Regional School District

Exeter Town Hall

Welcome to South County Rhode Island

R.I. Veterans Memorial CemeteryUnited States Constitution Referendum Ratification: Exeter
from the Rhode Island State Archives {{authority control Towns in Rhode Island Towns in Washington County, Rhode Island Providence metropolitan area