Burrillville, town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States
Burrillville is a town in the northern part of Providence County, Rhode Island, set among forests and small rivers near the borders with Connecticut and Massachusetts. It is made up of seven villages, including Pascoag, Harrisville, and Mapleville, with older homes, small shops, and open rural land spread across the area.
English colonists first settled this area in the 1660s, building small farms and mills along the rivers that ran through the forests. The town was officially incorporated in 1806 and named after Senator James Burrill Jr., who was active in Rhode Island politics at the time.
The name Burrillville honors Senator James Burrill Jr., a notable figure in Rhode Island's early political life. The seven villages that make up the town, including Pascoag and Harrisville, each have their own character, and residents tend to identify with their home village rather than with the broader town.
The town is best reached by car, with Route 44 and Route 7 being the main roads into the area from different directions. For those who want to stay overnight, there are options ranging from a farm-style bed and breakfast to a campground with spaces for tents and RVs.
A short walk from Buck Hill Management Area leads to a marker where Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts all meet at one point. In the village of Glendale, Spring Lake Beach runs one of the oldest arcades in the country, where visitors can play old-style games and rent canoes or paddleboats on the same visit.
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