Parish History
St. John the Evangelist Parish in the Slatersville section of the Town of North Smithfield, RI, was established in 1872. The area saw an increased population to work at the textile mills founded by John Slater, brother of Samuel Slater, the founder of America’s Industrial Revolution. "Slatersville" was the first mill village community in the United States. The same year saw the Town of North Smithfield also incorporated. With some renovations, the church building has served the people of the surrounding community continuously for 150 years. The new extension to the church building was dedicated in 1987 to accommodate the expanding parish.