Misquamicut, Rhode Island
Misquamicut is a census-designated place and fire district in southern Washington County, Rhode Island. It is part of the town of Westerly. The population was listed as 390 in 2010. Name Misquamicut is a Narragansett word meaning "Red Fish Place" or "Salmon Place". History The district was once known as Pleasant View. The land was purchased from Chief Sosoa of the Montauks in 1661. The name was changed from Pleasant View to Misquamicut in 1928. The area suffered a series of devastating hurricanes that wiped out beach homes, hotels, and other structures in 1938, 1944, and 1954. A portion of the oceanfront became Misquamicut State Beach in 1959. Atlantic Beach Park is a privately operated amusement center with of land and buildings within the Misquamicut section of beachfront. It lies south of Misquamicut State Beach and north of Winnapaug Pond, a source of Rhode Island quahogs and bay scallops. This section of Misquamicut was originally called "Atlantic Beach Casino". It retains a carousel with antique band organ, rides, bumper cars, a game room, and an ice cream stand. More recently, miniature golf, go-carts, a batting cage, water slides, and a gift shop have been added. Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Misquamicut has a total area of 1.25 mi2 (3.23 km2), of which 1.17 mi2 (3.04 km2) is land and 0.075 mi2 (0.19 km2), or 6.0%, is water. Demographics As of the 2020 census, there were 434 people, 869 housing units, and 222 families in the CDP. There were 419 White people, 0 African Americans, 3 Native Americans, 2 Asians, 1 person from some other race, and 9 people from two or more races. The ancestry was 36% Italian, 23.6% Irish, 20.9% English, 10.6% German, 4.7% Polish, 3.4% French, and 2.2% Scottish. The median age was 63 years old. A total of 46.3% of the population were 65 years or older, with 36.5% between the ages of 65 and 74, 8.4% between the ages of 75 and 84, and 1.5% 85 years or older. The median household income was $124,688. A total of 4.9% of the population was in poverty, with 4.5% of people under 18, and 9.7% of people between the ages of 18 and 64 being in poverty. References External links Misquamicut Fire District Census-designated places in Washington County, Rhode Island Westerly, Rhode Island Census-designated places in Rhode Island Populated coastal places in Rhode Island 1661 establishments in Rhode Island