Foster

Foster, a western Rhode Island town on the Connecticut border, is also the site of the state’s highest point. Neighbors can scale Jerimoth Hill, which has an elevation of 812 ft., and enjoy the feeling of literally being above everyone else in the Ocean State. But the small town of Foster is a lot more than just bragging rights. It’s a rustic village where neighbors can get their hands on acres and acres of land and still be in Providence in about 30 minutes. “It’s one of the more rural areas in Rhode Island, where you can still buy property with a fair amount of land attached to it,” says Jess Powers, team leader and associate broker at Hope State Living with eXp Realty and a 20-year resident of Rhode Island. “For example, there was a property for sale recently that was 55 acres.”

Acreage is king in this forested country town. Driving down the main roads, neighbors will find their cars engulfed by leafy trees. Some houses sit at the end of long, windy driveways behind stone walls. The only indications of some residential streets are mailboxes; without them, no one would know houses were even there. Log houses can cost $400,000, raised ranch-style houses can go for $350,000, 1800s colonials can cost $550,000 and clapboard Cape Cods can go for $850,000. Houses are a mixture of 19th-century homesteads and newer builds from the 1970s and 1980s, says Powers.

Farm life is front and center in Foster. In the fall, neighbors pick pumpkins, get lost in the corn maze and hop on hayrides at Cucumber Hill Farm. The farm reopens in the wintertime for sales of beef and winter squash. People drive their cars and motorcycles underneath the Swamp Meadow Covered Bridge, the only covered bridge on a public road in Rhode Island. They hike along the Ponaganset River through the trail entrance at the Spencer Property, and at Jerimoth Hill, it’s a roughly 10-minute hike to the highest point in Rhode Island. Adventurous neighbors who want to feel free can book a cabin at Dyer Woods Nudist Campgrounds, which has hiking trails, a sauna and a hot tub on the grounds.

The great thing about Rhode Island, Powers says, is that a grocery store is never more than 15 minutes away. That’s one of the advantages of living in such a tiny state, she says. Dino’s Park & Shop is 8 miles away, and Big Y World Class Market in Danielson, Connecticut is about 10 miles away. Commuting to Providence is also easy, Powers says – the capital city is 20 miles east. “You’re only about 25 minutes from Providence, but Foster feels fairly rural with a country vibe,” she says. “If you’re commuting, it’s not a long commute.” Neighbors shop for everyday goods at Target, groceries at Stop & Shop and pet supplies at Petco at Killingly Commons, a Connecticut shopping mall about 7 miles away. When it’s time to blow off some steam, neighbors enjoy going to Mulberry Vineyards, a rustic winery in nearby Chepachet with tastings of its varietals every weekend, says Powers. Everyone knows everyone at Shady Acres Diner, a country diner along U.S. Route 6 with 1950s-style touches and highly rated dishes like fish and chips and buffalo chicken cheese steak.

Foster is part of the Foster-Glocester Regional School district, which teaches about 1,400 students across two rural towns. Children in Foster attend Captain Isaac Paine Elementary School before moving on to Ponaganset Middle School and Ponaganset High School. All three schools have B-plus ratings from Niche. The high school has career and technical education programs, including music technology, plant science, animal science and criminal justice. Located along U.S. Route 6, Foster is minutes from Interstate 395 and about 15 miles from Interstate 295 in Johnston. As more people move to Rhode Island, Powers says, they gravitate towards rural areas like Foster. “People want to get out of the city but also have easy access, and you just don’t get that many places,” she says. “They’ll look at western Massachusetts and western Rhode Island, and they find that western Rhode Island has a lot of what they’re looking for. That’s Rhode Island in a nutshell.”

Written By

Laura Finaldi

Photography Contributed By

Brett Bulthuis

Video By

Adam Lapallo