Meadows Woods School
Goff also notes that shipyard workers tended to be family men as seen in early 19th century census records. Fifty workers at the Williams yard in 1822 were listed as head-of-household, clustered in the Meadow Woods and New City Street areas, creating a distinct neighborhood within walking distance to the yards. Expansion of the Williams shipyard led to the growth of the neighborhood known today as Meadow Woods, near the intersection of North Main Street, Book Hill Road and River Road. More than a dozen houses for both skilled and unskilled workers sprang up in this area circa 1800, just as the Williams yard began to expand. For example, David Williams built his homestead on Mill Lane in 1798, on the road leading to the mills. Russell Post built his home in 1803 near Book Hill Road, just 200 yards from the Williams Complex; Ezra Williams( one of Samuel’ s sons), lived in a home built in 1804, just east of Book Hill Road.
At the foot of today’ s New City Street, on what was once known as Denison’ s Point, Richard P. Williams, Samuel’ s grandson, operated a second, complementary Williams shipyard. His workers, too, lived near that shipyard on New City Street and along Kings Lane. These shipyard enclaves expanded community services with a store and wharf at the end of New City Street and a separate Meadow Woods School district for the children growing up near the shipyards.
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