The area comprising modern-day Smithfield was first settled in 1663 as a farming community by several British colonists, including John Steere.

[3] The area was originally within the boundaries of Providence until it was incorporated as a separate municipality by the General Assembly in February 1731.

The first town meeting was held on March 17, 1731 at the home of Captain Richard Whitman located in modern-day Lincoln.

[5] Chief Justice Peleg Arnold lived in early Smithfield, and his 1690 home still stands today.

Through the early 18th century, Smithfield was home to an active Quaker community that extended along Great Road, from what is today Woonsocket, north into Uxbridge, Massachusetts.

Elizabeth Buffum Chace, an abolitionist and figure in the women's rights movement, was born in Smithfield.

During the Industrial Revolution, Smithfield transformed from an agrarian community to a manufacturing center, with several textiles mills being founded along the Woonasquatucket River.

In 1943, a U.S. Army Air Corps Lockheed RB-34 crashed on Wolf Hill, killing all three servicemen aboard.

[8] St. Phillip's School, a private Roman Catholic academy offering education in grades K–8, is situated in Greenville.