Mashapaug

Mashapaug comes from Two Algonquian words: ‘massa’ and ‘pug’, meaning ‘large standing water.’ 

Mashapaug Pond is the center of this area and all the shops and stores surround this pond. It is the largest freshwater pond in the city of Providence, Rhode Island.Unfortunately, it is currently contaminated by industrial pollution. There is an Urban Pond Procession that happens every year. In 2017, it was the 10th annual one. They go around the pond and go to places like Alvarez High School, Reservoir Elementary School, and Mashapaug Elementary School. At the end, the finale starts with music and presentations from the school.

This picture shows that this pond really does surround everything. This area is called Reservoir, Providence, Rhode Island today.  It is a neighborhood in Southwest Providence. A perfect day here would include a bike ride up and down its 35 streets. The places that surround this area are Dr. Jorge Alvarez High School(Public School), Reservoir Avenue Elementary School, Mashapaug Commons(vacant), Popeyes, and other places like WSBE Rhode Island PBS and Semper Home Loans(google maps).

Picture provided by google search:

Here is an example of a house that is on 20 Algonquin St, Providence, RI. This is in the same area. Another thing I find interesting is the street name. The street is named after the Algonquin’s. It is the 8th ranked neighborhood in Providence and 8th ranked neighborhood in Rhode Island. The Demographics here are 40.5 % Non-Hispanic White, 15.4 % Asian, 16.6 % African-American, and 22.6 % Hispanic.