Until Wanskuck Road (now Branch Avenue) was completed in 1706, Charles's lack of connections to the more developed part of Providence kept the area sparsely populated. In 1765, the isolated North End (of which Charles is a part) was annexed to the neighboring town of North Providence. By the 19th century, the improvement in infrastructure and proximity to the West River caused corporations such as the Silver Spring Bleaching and Dyeing Company to move to the area. With the new industry came an influx of immigrants and an increase in demand for housing stock. By the end of the century the neighborhood was filled with one and two family homes of Irish, English, German, Scottish, and Italian immigrant families, with the largest presence found of the latter. This rapid growth and development were among the factors that lead North Providence to return the North End to Providence in 1874.