Almost lost to another era, Cranston is indeed fortunate to have most of the Cranston Print Works Village intact.
The mill houses on Oak, Maple, Pine and Cedar still resemble life in the days when the people answered the call of the mill bell every morning.
There were about 60 or more of these houses built in the Sprague era. Most
survive and are much the same as they were then. Our villager take pride
in the local history of the Print Works Village.
The Mill has seen much change but a few of the old buildings remain to remind the passerby of the days of the A. & W. Sprague Manufacturing Company. The Meeting House is the next building of the Village that could be in peril. The hopes are high for converting the old church to the Arlington Branch library but they are just hopes at this time. .
Up the street at the Howard and Cranston, is a long forgetten part of the A. & W. Sprague Company. Here is Bulltown, complete with the superintendants house and the school house. First row: Roy Lewis, Ted Murphy, Germaine Doucette, Anges McNabb, Antiontte Fischer, Rolande Duby in front of Antoinette, Pat Davis, Lorette Gowdy, Irene McGinty, Evelyn Bromley, Ethel Hazerman, Walter Whiting, Ray Stone. Second row: Helen Enright, Sadie Anderson, Alice Gomes, Etta Evans, Germaine Stone, Sam Johnson, Ray Crompton, Dea Kelly, Marion Wisherm, Esther Nelson, Babe Johnson, Stella Madden, Liz Desesarl. Third row: Rose Perry, Emily Christopher, Maggie Johnson, Mae Ouimette, Ruth Grandchamp, Alice Cowsill, Mame (Mumford Kennedy ?) , Mae Richards, Anna Rhode, Anna Martin, Mrs. Perry, Dot Bowen, Kitty Murphy, Gladys Krause, Louie (the Man!!) McKay. Fourth row: Jack Prior, Geo Fugere, Ralph Misto, Buck Herman, Bob Hannon, Bud Budlong, Bill Schintze, Bill Prior, Ray Page, Harold Sheffel, Harold Petling, Frank Dodd, Jimmie Hurley, (Harry Erickson back of Hurly), Bill Glendenning, Ed McCann Sr., Charlie Legacy, Frank Conley, Bob Suiter, Pat Kelly.
Cranston Historical Society Home page Do you have any pictures of the Cranston Village that you will share. If so please the Cranston Historical Society at:
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The Sprague Mansion stands proudly on Cranston Street as the master of mill's house. The mansion is the birthplace of two Rhode Island Governors who went on to be Rhode Island Senators. The 28 room house is on the list of National Historical Places and is the property of the Cranston Historical Society.
Sprague Mansion
Across the street, sadly the victim of progress, the Company Store is no longer standing. Only this photo reminds us of what used to be the post office and the hub of activity of the town.
George Dyer(on a bike)owned and lived in the house to the left of the school and bought the school which he had attended as a child and made it a tenement house. The Gansett News store building in the school yard was at one time the local A&P store. The lady behind the counter was Mrs. John Clegg who at Christmas time was a Santa's helper at the Outlet Department Store in Providence. (This local history is thanks to John Dyer.)
The Cranston Print Works Train Station was torn down many years ago.
A village takes people.
People and places of Cranston long ago.
Voices and Visions of Pawtuxet Village
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