Originally a part of Providence, Johnston became a separate town and was incorporated in 1759. It was named in honor of Augustus Lucas Johnston, of Newport, Attorney General of Rhode Island from 1758 to 1766. He owned much of the land in Johnston. The first settler was Thomas Clemence who built a house c.1680, which still stands at 38 George Waterman Road, and is known as the Clemence-Irons House. A soapstone quarry, used earlier by the Indians, and a granite quarry, were worked by the early settlers. A cotton mill was built in 1835, and a dyestuffs factory was established about 1870. A major industrial development was the founding of a hosiery company in 1884 which employed over 100 people. However, throughout its early history, until the middle of the 19th century, Johnston was primarily a farming community. Now the importance of farming has been replaced by the manufacture of jewelry and silverware, fabricated metals, and retail trade establishments. Today, while a few colonial farm houses dot the landscape, Johnston has mainly given way to suburban development.
Government in Johnston, Rhode Island
Johnston was Established in 1636, Incorporated in 1759 Johnston Form of Government: Town Mayor and a five member Town council Johnston Council Meetings: The second Monday of each month at 7pm. Johnston Fiscal Year Begins: July 1
Johnston Town Hall 1385 Hartford Avenue Johnston, Rhode Island 02919 Hours: 9:00 am - 4:30 pm
General Demographic Characteristics
Johnston Population: The population count for The Town of Johnston as of April 1, 2005, was 28,195. This represented a 6.23% increase (1,653 persons) from the 1990 population of 26,542.
Johnston Rank: In 2005 Johnston ranks 11th in population among Rhode Island's 39 cities and towns.
Johnston Median Age: In 2005 the median age of the population in Johnston was 40.7.
Johnston Age Distribution: In 2005, 79.1% or 22,289 persons residing in Johnston were 18 years of age or older. 21,466 were 21 and over, 6,073 were 62 and over, and 5,315 were 65 and over.
Johnston Population Density: The 2005 population density of Johnston is 1,191 persons per square mile of land area. Johnston contains 23.67 square miles of land area (61,295,309 Sq. meters) (15,146.52 acres) and 0.71 square miles of water area (1,830,900 square meters) (454.4 acres).
Johnston Housing Units: The total number of housing units in the The Town of Johnston as of April 1, 2005, was 11,574. This represented an increase of 1,190 units from the 10,384 housing units in 1990. Of the 11,574 housing units 377 were vacant. 48 of the vacant units were for seasonal of recreational use.
Johnston Households: In 2005, there are 11,197 households in Johnston with an average size of 2.47 persons. Of these, 7,730 were family households with an average family size of 3.02 persons.
Johnston Race: >JohnstonTotal Population of One Race: 27,948 >Johnston White Population: 27,254 >Johnston Black of African American: 184 >Johnston American Indian and Alaska Native: 37 >Johnston Asian Population: 304 >Johnston Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander: 14 >Johnston Some Other Race: 155 >Johnston Total Population of two or More Races: 247 >Johnston Hispanic or Latino: In 2005, 533 persons of Hispanic origin resided in Johnston. This represented 1.9% of the population. An increase of 358 or 204.6% from the 1980 Hispanic population of 175.
