In the 18th century, Silver Lake was a quiet, rural area, part of the town of Johnston, with most residents living on farms. The character of the neighborhood changed significantly after the extension of the Plainfield Street trolley line in 1882; additional lines were added over the next two decades, making the area much more accessible to workers from nearby industrial areas. In 1898, the city of Providence annexed portions of the neighborhood; the remainder of Silver Lake became part of Providence in 1919.