The town of Lincoln was originally part of neighboring Smithfield and in the early days was home to quarrying activity in the “Lime Rock” section. It has been a suburban community for the cities of Providence and Woonsocket over the last two centuries. Lincoln became its own entity in 1871 when it was split off from Smithfield and named after the late President, Abraham Lincoln. The community today is mostly single family homes and small condominium developments. There are several historic homes, but there is a good mix of newer construction. The township consists of several small villages, notably: Albion, Lime Rock, Londsdale, Manville, Quinnville, and Saylesville.

Along the Great Road Historic District on Route 123 between the villages of Saylesville and Limerock lies a half-mile stretch along the Moshassuck River that showcases structures from the 17th to 19th centuries. Eleazer Arnold House, the Friends Meeting House, and the Hannaway Blacksmith Shop are included in this cluster of historic buildings.

Lincoln has easy access to Providence via the highway Route 146 and is now the home of several corporations, who left the cities for more space and easier commutes. A leading company in this area is Amica Insurance. The town is also home to the Community College of RI (CCRI).

For entertainment, the major attraction is Twin Rivers. This establishment started life as Lincoln Downs, a thoroughbred horse racing track. It converted over to Greyhound dog racing in the 1970s and started its path to a casino in 1992 when it added video slot machines to augment the declining revenues at the dog venue. Today, Twin Rivers is a thriving small slots casino and entertainment complex.

However, Lincoln still maintains its rural roots and the community is well respected as a suburban environment for the family raising children.