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RHODE   ISLAND 

A     GUIDE    TO     THE     SMALLEST    STATE 


AMERICAN  GUIDE  SERIES 


RHODE  ISLAND 


A      GUIDE      TO      THE      SMALLEST      STATE 


Written  by  Workers  of  the  Federal  Writers'  Project  of  the 
Works  Progress  Administration  for  the  State  of  Rhode  Island 

SPONSORED  BY  LOUIS  W.  CAPPELLI,  SECRETARY   OF  STATE,  CHAIRMAN  OF  THE 
SPONSORING  COMMITTEE 


Illustrated 


HOUGHTON        MIFFLIN       COMPANY       -       BOSTON 
Vfe  ft ibrr«*r  #re«  Cambridge 


COPYRIGHT,  1937,  BY  LOUIS  W.  CAPPELLI 
SECRETARY  OF  STATE  FOR  THE  STATE  OF  RHODE  ISLAND  AND  PROVIDENCE  PLANTATIONS 

ALL  RIGHTS  RESERVED  INCLUDING  THE  RIGHT  TO  REPRODUCE 
THIS  BOOK  OR  PARTS  THEREOF  IN  ANY  FORM 


CAMBRIDGE  •  MASSACHUSETTS 
PRINTED  IN  THE  U.S.A. 


PREFACE 


RHODE  ISLAND  is  a  conservative  State  that  still  sticks  to  its  early 
designation,  'The  State  of  Rhode  Island  and  Providence  Plantations/ 
It  was  the  first  of  the  thirteen  Colonies  to  declare  independence  of  Great 
Britain,  and  the  last  to  ratify  the  Federal  Constitution.  It  has  a  'city* 
of  forty-five  square  miles  that  contains  dozens  of  small  villages,  but  no 
metropolitan  center;  a  city  only  a  mile  square  with  more  than  25,000 
inhabitants;  and  a  township  of  forty-nine  square  miles  with  a  population 
of  but  402. 

Although  the  'Smallest  State,'  it  lays  claim  to  a  greater  number  of 
historic  sites  and  other  points  of  interest  than  can  be  found  in  some  of  the 
largest  States  of  the  Union.  Not  all  of  these  are  dealt  with  in  this  book  — 
for  the  sake  of  brevity  the  editors  have  been  obliged  to  omit  mention  of 
dozens  of  Early  American  houses,  embankments  thrown  up  to  repel 
foreign  invaders  who  never  appeared,  and  many  hillocks  on  which  were 
erected  beacon  poles  with  kettles  of  tar  to  be  burned  when  Indians  or 
British  threatened.  They  have  striven  to  avoid  the  all  too  prevalent 
conception  that  American  history  stopped  with  the  Revolution,  or  at 
best  by  1800;  and  they  have  included  here  many  points  of  interest  which, 
although  not  now  'historic/  may  well  be  considered  so  a  century  hence. 

The  goal  of  those  who  have  worked  upon  this  book  has  been  to  present 
an  adequate,  accurate,  and  interesting  picture  of  Rhode  Island,  past  and 
present,  in  all  its  complex  and  changing  aspects.  Rhode  Island's  early 
settlers  were  probably  the  most  varied  group  of  religious  non-conformists 
ever  gathered  in  a  colony,  and  its  present  population  is  racially  one  of 
the  most  diversified  in  the  Union.  In  respect  to  scenic  and  recreational 
details,  chief  emphasis  has  been  placed  upon  the  coastal  regions  rather 
than  the  relatively  uninteresting  and  sparsely  populated  inland  area. 
In  the  group  of  '  background '  essays,  local  history  and  politics  have  been 
traced  from  Roger  Williams  to  Governor  Robert  E.  Quinn;  industry 
from  William  Blackstone's  apple  orchard  to  the  modern  textile  mills; 
transportation  from  Canonicus'  canoe  to  the  airplane;  and  so  on  through 
the  list  of  other  subjects  dealt  with. 

The  book  could  not  have  been  completed  without  the  voluntary 
assistance  of  many  loyal  Rhode  Islanders.  The  editors  are  especially 


Preface 


indebted  to  the  following,  who  have  offered  valuable  advice  and  criti- 
cism: Prof.  George  E.  Adams,  Miss  Edith  R.  Blanchard,  Prof.  Chelcie  C. 
Bosland,  Mr.  Herbert  O.  Brigham,  Prof.  Charles  W.  Brown,  Mr.  William 
L.  Bryant,  Mr.  John  H.  Cady,  Mr.  Howard  M.  Chapin,  Prof.  J.  Franklin 
Collins,  Miss  Sallie  Coy,  Prof.  S.  Foster  Damon,  Mrs.  Antoinette  F. 
Downing,  Dr.  Basil  E.  Gilbert,  Mr.  John  H.  Greene,  Mr.  Burton  K. 
Harris,  Mr.  Norman  M.  Isham,  Mr.  Charles  Keller,  Mr.  Joseph  J. 
Kirby,  Dr.  Stephen  B.  Luce,  Mr.  William  Davis  Miller,  Mr.  G.  Andrews 
Moriarty,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  A.  Morse,  Mr.  Addison  P.  Munroe,  Prof. 
Alonzo  W.  Quinn,  Mr.  Clarence  E.  Sherman,  Miss  Maud  L.  Stevens,  Mr. 
Wilfred  E.  Stone,  Mr.  George  B.  Utter,  Mr.  L.  Metcalfe  Walling,  Mr. 
Richard  B.  Watrous,  and  Mr.  Frederic  E.  Whi taker. 

This  volume  was  prepared  under  the  editorial  supervision  of  Joseph 
Gaer,  Editor-in-Chief  of  the  New  England  Guides  and  Chief  Field 
Supervisor  of  the  Federal  Writers'  Project. 

JARVIS  M.  MORSE 
State  Director 


CONTENTS 


PREFACE  ix 

By  Jarvis  M.  Morse,  State  Director,  Federal  Writers'  Project 

NOTATIONS  ON  THE  USE  OF  THE  BOOK  xix 

GENERAL  INFORMATION  xxi 
Transportation  and  Accom-     Climate  and  Equipment 

modations  Information  for  the  Motorist 

Recreations 

ANNUAL  EVENTS  xxv 

i.  RHODE  ISLAND:  THE  GENERAL 

BACKGROUND 

THE  NATURAL  SETTING  3 

THE  INDIANS  22 

HISTORY  32 

THE  STATE  GOVERNMENT  60 

INDUSTRY  AND  COMMERCE  66 

LABOR  78 

TRANSPORTATION  86 

AGRICULTURE  93 

FOREIGN  GROUPS  98 

FOLKLORE  106 

EDUCATION  116 

RELIGION  125 


xii  Contents 


SPORTS,  RECREATION,  AND  CONSERVATION  130 

ARCHITECTURE  137 

ART  AND  ARTISTS  149 

LITERATURE  AND  JOURNALISM  157 

Music  164 

THE  THEATER  175 

II.    MAIN  STREET  AND  VILLAGE  GREEN 

(City  and  Town  Descriptions  and  City  Tours) 

Bristol  183 

Newport  198 

Pawtucket  241 

Providence  252 

Warwick  292 

Westerly  298 

Woonsocket  311 

III.    HIGH  ROADS  AND  LOW  ROADS  (TOURS) 

(Mile-by-Mile  Description  of  the  State's  Highways) 

TOUR  i     From  Massachusetts  Line    (North  Attleboro)    to 

Connecticut  Line  (New  London).  US  1  321 

lA  From  Westerly  to  Watch  Hill  346 

2  From  Providence  to  Westerly.  State  3  350 

2A  From  Junction  with  State  3  (Cranston)  to  Junc- 
tion with  StateS  (Washington).  State  3 A  363 

3  From  Junction  with  State  3  (Warwick)  to  Junc- 
tion with  US  1  (Charlestown).  State  2  368 

4  From  Massachusetts  Line   (Worcester)  to  Provi- 
dence. State  146  376 

4A  From  Junction  with  State  146  and  Breakneck  Hill 
Rd.   (Lincoln  Township)  to  Junction  with  US  1 

(Providence)  382 


Contents  xiii 


46  From  Woonsocket  to  Junction  with  US  44  (North 

Providence).  State  104  385 

4.C  From  Massachusetts  Line  (Worcester)  to  Provi- 
dence. State  122  388 

5  From  Massachusetts  Line  (Wrentham)  to  Newport. 
State  11  and  State  114  392 

5A  From  Junction  with  US  6  (East  Providence)  to 
Junction  with  State  114  (Barrington).  Barring- 
ton  Parkway  and  State  103  410 

6  From  Massachusetts  Line  (Fall  River)  to  Junc- 
tion with  State  114  (Newport).  State  138  413 

6 A  From  Tiverton  to  Sakonnet  Point.  State  126  and 

Sakonnet  Point  Rd.  421 

7  From  Newport  to  Saunderstown,  via  Jamestown 

(on  Conanicut  Island)  424 

yA  Circuit  of  Conanicut  Island  428 

8  From  Newport  to  Block  Island,  via  boat 

Sec.  a.  Newport  to  Block  Island  433 

Sec.  b.  Block  Island  to  Settlers'  Rock  437 

Sec.  c.  Circuit  of  Block  Island  439 

9  From  Massachusetts  Line  (Uxbridge)  to  Wickford. 
State  102  440 

10  From  Massachusetts  Line  (Fall  River)  to  Connec- 
ticut Line  (Willimantic) .  US  6  449 

11  From  Massachusetts  Line  (Taunton)  to  Connec- 
ticut Line  (Putnam).  US  44  457 

CHRONOLOGY  463 

BIBLIOGRAPHY  475 

INDEX  481 


ILLUSTRATIONS    AND   MAPS 


GLIMPSES  INTO  THE  PAST 
Blaskowitz  Map   of  Narragansett 
Bay  (1777) 
Courtesy  of  the  John  Carter  Brown 

Library 

Reconstruction  of  a  Narragansett 
Indian  Vilkge,  Goddard  Park, 
Warwick 

Burning  of  the  'Gaspee'  in  1772 
Courtesy  of  the  Rhode  Island  His- 
torical Society 
Governor  Joseph  Wanton 

Courtesy  of  the  Rhode  Island  His- 
torical Society 

Portrait  of  Thomas  W.  Dorr 
Oliver  Hazard  Perry  House,  South 
Kingstown 

FARM  AND  FACTORY 

The  Second  Slater  Mill  (1793), 
Pawtucket 

Cranston  Print  Works,  Cranston 

Arctic  Mill,  West  Warwick 

Preparation  of  yarn  for  dyeing,  Thies 
Dyeing  Company,  Centerville 

Silverware    making,    the    Gorham 
Company,  Providence 
Courtesy  of  the  Gorham  Company 

Tool  making,  the  '  Scraping  Depart- 
ment,' Brown  &  Sharp  Manu- 
facturing Company,  Providence 

Tool   making,    milling   machinery, 
Brown  &  Sharp  Manufacturing 
Company,  Providence 
Courtesy  of  Brown  &  Sharp  Manu- 
facturing Company 

Lace  manufacturing,  Bancroft  Lace 
Company,  West  Warwick 

ON  THE  CAMPUS 

Rhode  Island  Hall,  Brown  Uni- 
versity, Providence 

Courtesy  of  W.  Lincoln  Highton 
Campus  Scene,  Rhode  Island  State 

College,  Kingston 

Gymnasium,  Rhode  Island  State 
College,  Kingston 


between  36  and  37 
Fireplace,  Nathanael  Greene  House, 

Anthony 

Doorway,  Oliver  Hazard  Perry  House 
Governor  Samuel  Ward  King 

Courtesy  of  the  Division   of  Public 

Buildings 
General  Nathanael  Greene 

Courtesy  of  the   Rhode  Island  His- 
torical Society 
City  of  Providence  about  i8<o 

Courtesy  of  the  Rhode  Island  His- 
torical Society 
Brown  University  about  1840 

Courtesy  of  the  John  Carter  Brown 

Library 
State  Capitol,  Providence 

between  66  and  67 

Stone  carving,  Smith  Granite  Com- 
pany, Westerly 

Yacht  under  construction,  The  Her- 
reshoff  Company,  Bristol 

Courtesy  of  W.  Lincoln  Highton 
Yacht   finishing,   C.   T.   Bent,   East 

Greenwich 

Government  Navigation  Service,  Bris- 
tol 

Courtesy  of  W.  Lincoln  Highton 
Port  of  Providence 

Courtesy  of  W.  Lincoln  Highton 
Rhode  Island  Turkey 
Rhode  Island  Red  Hens  at  Rhode 

Island  State  College,  Kingston 
Cows  at  Rhode  Island  State  College, 
Kingston 


between  112  and  113 
Providence  College,  Providence 
Moses  Brown  School,  Providence 
Diman    Hall,    St.    George's    School, 

Middletown 
Campus  Scene,  St.  George's  School, 

Middletown 


XVI 


Illustrations  and  Maps 


THE  BUILDER'S  ART 

Clemence  House,  Johnston 
Eleazer  Arnold  Tavern,  or  Old  Stone 

Chimney  House,  Lincoln 
First  Baptist  Meeting-House,  Provi- 
dence 
Old  Colony  House,  Newport 

Courtesy  of  W.  Lincoln  Highton 
John  Brown  House,  Providence 
Courtesy  of  W.  Lincoln  Highton 
'Hearthside/  Lincoln 

THE  URBAN  AND  SUBURBAN  SCENE 
Bradford  House,  Hope  Street,  Bris-      Providence 

tol 
Governor  William  Greene  House, 

Division  Street,  Warwick 
Captain  Card  House,  Westerly 
Harbor  Scene,  Newport 

Courtesy  of  W.  Lincoln  Highton 
Wanton-Lyman-Hazard    House, 

Newport 

Two  views  of  the  Fleur  de  Lys  Build- 
ing, 7  Thomas  Street,  Providence 
OLD  AND  NEW  CHURCHES 
Slatersville  Congregational  Church, 
North  Smithfield 

Courtesy  of  W.  Lincoln  Highton 
Quaker  Meeting-House,  Newport 
Courtesy  of  W.  Lincoln  Highton 


between  142  and  143 
Old  Brick  Market,  Newport 
Entrance,    John    Carter    Brown    (or 

Nightingale)  House,  Providence 
Linden  Place,  Bristol 
Entrance,    Crawford    Allen    House, 

Providence 

Immanuel  Case  House,  Wickford 
Doorway,  Slatersville 

Courtesy  of  W.  Lincoln  Highton 

between  188  and  189 
Harbor  from  Fort  Hill, 
East  Providence 

Courtesy  of  W.  Lincoln  Highton 
Pergola,  John  3rown  House,  Provi- 
dence 
Country  Road,  Potowomut  Peninsula, 

Warwick 

Reynolds  House,  Hope  Street,  Bristol 
A   picturesque    corner,    Angell    and 
Benefit  Streets,  Providence 


HERE  AND  THERE 

Lightning    Splitter    House,    East 
Providence 
Courtesy  of  W.  Lincoln  Highton 

Hannah  Robinson  House,  Narra- 
gansett 

Doorway,    Narragansett    Church, 
Wickford 

Doorway,  Hannah  Robinson  House, 
Narragansett 

Street  Scene,  Wickford 

Doorway,  Bishop  House,  Rumford 
HERE  AND  THERE 

Western  Hotel,  Nasonville 

Arnold  Ellis  House,  West  Green- 
wich 

Newman  Church,  Rumford 

Whitcomb  Farmhouse,  East  Provi- 
dence 
Courtesy  of  W.  Lincoln  Highton 

Jamestown  Ferry 

Purgatory,  Middletown 

Grave   of   Thomas   Willett,   East 
Providence 


between  232  and  233 
Old  Jewish  Cemetery,  Newport 

Courtesy  of  W.  Lincoln  Highton 
Holy  Trinity  Church,  Tiverton 
Church  of  the  Precious  Blood,  Woon- 

socket 
Trinity  Church,  Newport 

between  336  and  337 
Windmill,  Portsmouth 
Mount  Hope  Bridge,  Bristol-Ports- 
mouth 

Courtesy  of  W.  Lincoln  Highton 
Amos  Cook  House,  Cumberland  Hill 
Fireplace    House,     Lincoln    Woods, 

Lincoln 

A  South  County  Farmyard,  Narra- 
gansett 
Watch  Hill,  Block  Island  Sound 

between  366  and  367 
John  Rowland  House,  Tiverton 
Centerville  Bridge 
Country  Road,  West  Warwick 
Friends  Meeting-House,  Woonsocket 
Willing  Vose  House,  Woonsocket 
Providence  County  Court  House 
New     Industrial     Trust     Company, 

Providence 

Doorway,  St.  John's  Rectory,  New- 
port 


Illustrations  and  Maps 


xvii 


SURF,  SAIL,  AND  THE  GREAT  OUTDOORS 


between  396  and  397 


Yacht  'Aloha/  Newport  Harbor 
Courtesy  of  W.  Lincoln  Highton 

Rhode  Island  Yacht  Club,  Cranston 

Fish  nets,  Newport  Harbor 

Courtesy  of  W.  Lincoln  Highton 

Boating  near  Pawtuxet  Cove, 
Cranston 

Bathing,  Scarborough  Beach,  Nar- 
ragansett 

Waves  lapping  on  the  sand,  Watch 
Hill  and  Napatree  Point,  Wes- 
terly 


MAPS 

Newport  City  Map 
Providence  Metropolitan  Map 
Providence  Civic  Center 
Rhode  Island  Key  Map 


King    Park,   near   Site   of  Rocham- 

beau's  Landing  at  Newport 
Playground,  Pawtucket 
Drive,   Lincoln  Woods  Reservation, 

Lincoln 
Picnic  Grove  and  Fireplace,  Goddard 

Park,  Warwick 

Down    the    Home    Stretch,    Narra- 
gansett  Park,  Pawtucket 

Courtesy  of  Providence  'Star-Tribune* 
Cliff  Walk,  Newport 

Courtesy  of  W.  Lincoln  Highton 

Seascape,  near  Cliff  Walk,  Newport 

Courtesy  of  W.  Lincoln  Highton 

218 

254 
282 
322 


NOTATIONS  ON  THE  USE 
OF  THE  BOOK 


General  Information  on  the  State  contains  practical  information  for  the 
State  as  a  whole;  the  introduction  to  each  city  and  tour  description  also 
contains  specific  information  of  a  practical  sort. 

The  Essay  Section  of  the  Guide  is  designed  to  give  a  reasonably  compre- 
hensive survey  of  the  State's  natural  setting,  history,  and  social,  eco- 
nomic, and  cultural  development.  Limitations  of  space  forbid  elaborately 
detailed  treatments  of  these  subjects,  but  a  classified  bibliography  is 
included  in  the  book.  A  great  many  persons,  places,  and  events  men- 
tioned in  the  essays  are  treated  at  some  length  in  the  city  and  tour  descrip- 
tions; these  are  found  by  reference  to  the  index.  The  State  Guide  is  not 
only  a  practical  travel  book;  it  will  also  serve  as  a  valuable  reference 
work. 

The  Guide  is  built  on  a  framework  of  Tour  Descriptions,  written  in 
general  to  follow  the  principal  highways  from  north  to  south  or  from  east 
to  west,  though  they  are  as  easily  followed  in  the  reverse  direction. 

As  a  matter  of  convenience,  lengthy  descriptions  of  cities  and  towns 
are  removed  from  the  tour  sections  of  the  book  and  separately  grouped 
in  alphabetical  order. 

Each  tour  description  contains  cross-references  to  other  tours  crossing 
or  branching  from  the  route  described;  it  also  contains  cross-references 
to  all  descriptions  of  cities  and  towns  removed  from  the  tour  descriptions. 

Readers  can  find  the  descriptions  of  important  routes  by  examining 
the  tour  index  or  the  tour  key  map.  As  far  as  possible,  each  tour  descrip- 
tion follows  a  single  main  route;  descriptions  of  minor  routes  branching 
from,  or  crossing,  the  main  routes  are  in  smaller  type. 

Cumulative  mileage  is  used  on  main  and  side  tours,  the  mileage  being 
counted  from  the  beginning  of  each  main  tour  or,  on  side  tours,  from  the 
junction  with  the  main  route;  mileage  is  started  afresh  on  side  routes 
branching  from  side  routes.  The  mileage  notations  are  at  best  relative, 
since  totals  depend  to  some  extent  on  the  manner  in  which  cars  are  driven 
—  whether  they  cut  around  other  cars,  round  curves  on  the  inside  or  out- 
side of  the  road,  and  so  forth.  Then,  too,  the  totals  will  in  the  future  vary 
from  those  in  the  book  because  of  road  building  in  which  curves  will  be 


xx  Notations  on  the  Use  of  the  Book 

eliminated  and  routes  will  be  carried  around  cities  and  villages  formerly 
on  the  routes. 

Inter-State  routes  are  described  from  and  to  the  State  Lines;  in  the 
Index  to  Tours  and  in  the  tour  headings  the  names  of  the  nearest  out-of- 
State  cities  of  importance  on  the  routes  are  listed  in  parentheses  to  enable 
travelers  readily  to  identify  the  routes. 

Descriptions  of  points  of  interest  in  each  city  are  numbered  and  ar- 
ranged in  the  order  in  which  they  can  conveniently  be  visited;  the  num- 
bers preceding  the  descriptions  correspond  with  the  numbers  on  the  map 
of  the  city.  The  key  list  of  points  of  interest  on  the  city  map  is  a  partial 
index  to  the  descriptions  of  points  of  interest  in  the  city. 

Points  of  interest  in  cities,  towns,  and  villages  have  not  been  indexed 
under  the  names  of  such  communities,  because  many  persons  know  the 
name  of  a  point  of  interest,  but  are  doubtful  as  to  the  name  of  the  com- 
munity in  which  it  is  situated. 


GENERAL    INFORMATION 


TRANSPORTATION  AND  ACCOMMODATIONS 

(State  map  showing  highways,  and  map  giving  routes  of  railroads,  air- 
lines, bus  lines,  and  water  transportation,  in  pocket  at  inside  of  front 
cover.) 

Railroads:  New  York,  New  Haven  and  Hartford  Railroad  (N.Y.,  N.H. 
&  H.)  operates  all  lines  within  the  State.  Main  line  (Boston  to  New  York) 
runs  southwest  through  Providence.  Branch  lines  from  Providence  to 
Woonsocket  and  Worcester,  and  from  Providence  to  Bristol.  (See 
Transportation  map.) 

Bus  Lines:  Greyhound  Lines,  Great  Eastern  Bus  System,  New  England 
Transportation  Company,  Short  Line.  Ten  lesser  lines  offer  intrastate 
service.  (See  Transportation  map.) 

Highways'.  Three  Federal  highways.  Highway  patrol  maintained.  No 
border  inspection.  Gasoline  tax  $£.  (For  highway  routes  see  State  map.) 

Steamboat  Lines:  Colonial  Navigation  Company  offers  year-round  service 
to  New  York.  Summer  lines  to  Newport  and  Block  Island.  (See  Trans- 
portation map.) 

Airlines:  American  Airlines,  Inc.,  connecting,  at  State  airport  in  Warwick, 
with  transcontinental  lines  from  Boston  and  New  York.  (See  Transporta- 
tion map.) 

Accommodations:  Best  sleeping  and  dining  accommodations  are  in  Provi- 
dence, Newport,  and  Woonsocket.  Scattered  but  adequate  elsewhere. 


RECREATIONS 

Recreational  Areas:  Newport,  Narragansett  Pier,  Providence,  Narra- 
gansett  Bay  coast  line,  and  Atlantic  seaboard.  Ample  swimming,  boating, 
fishing,  golfing,  tennis,  and  riding  facilities.  Summer  colonies  at  Narra- 
gansett Pier,  Newport,  Conanicut  Island,  and  elsewhere. 

Fishing  Laws:  Game  fish  are  defined  as  trout,  black  bass,  pickerel,  white 
perch,  and  yellow  or  striped  perch. 

Open  Season:  Trout,  April  15  —  July  15.   Black  bass,  June  20  — 
February  20.  Pickerel,  June  20  —  February  20.  Lobster,  April  i  — 
December  31.  Oysters  and  scallops,  second  Monday  in  September  — 
January  15. 


xxii  General  Information 


Licenses:  Required  of  all  male  persons  over  18  years  of  age  when 
fishing  in  fresh-water  ponds  and  streams.  Women,  and  children  under 
18  years,  are  exempt.  Resident,  $1.25.  Non-resident,  same  fee  as 
required  of  non-residents  in  their  State,  but  not  less  than  $2.50. 
Aliens  who  have  resided  in  the  State  one  year,  $2.50.  Other  aliens, 
$5.  Lobster,  $5.  Shellfish,  $2.  Issued  by  city  and  town  clerks. 

Limits  (daily):  Black  bass  (not  less  than  10  inches  in  length),  8. 
Pickerel  (10  inches),  18.  Trout  (7  inches),  20.  White  perch  (6 
inches),  20.  Yellow  or  striped  perch  (6  inches),  30.  Lobster  (4^6 
inches,  body  measure).  Residents  are  allowed  to  take  i  bushel  of 
oysters,  clams,  and  quahaugs  without  a  license;  with  license,  20 
bushels. 

Prohibited:  Sale  of  black  bass,  trout,  pickerel,  and  yellow  perch 
caught  in  State  waters. 

Hunting  Laws:  Small  game  is  defined  as  pheasants,  ruffed  grouse,  wood- 
cock, quail,  ducks,  geese,  Wilson  snipe,  brant,  rails,  gallinules,  sora,  coot, 
rabbit,  hare,  fox,  squirrel,  raccoon,  muskrat,  mink,  and  otter. 

Open  Season  (dates  inclusive):  Partridge,  quail,  cock  pheasant, 
November  i — December  31  (New  Shoreham  pheasants  are  pro- 
tected except  on  the  first  and  third  Wednesdays  in  November  and 
first  Wednesday  in  December).  Limit,  two  per  day.  Woodcock, 
November  i  —  November  20.  Duck  (except  wood  duck,  ruddy  duck, 
bufflehead  duck),  goose  (except  Ross'  goose  and  snow  geese),  brant, 
coot,  jacksnipe,  October  21  —  November  19.  Rails  and  gallinules, 
September  i  —  November  30.  Gray  squirrel,  hare,  rabbit,  November 
i  —  December  31.  Raccoon,  October  i  —  February  i.  Muskrat, 
mink,  otter,  November  i  —  February  i  (Bristol  and  Newport 
counties,  December  i  —  March  i). 

Licenses:  Resident,  $2^25.  Non-resident,  $10.25.  Aliens,  $15.25. 
Issued  by  city  and  town  clerks. 

Limits:  2  ruffed  grouse  or  partridges,  3  cock  pheasants,  6  quail,  10 
ducks,  4  geese  including  brant,  4  woodcock,  15  Wilson  snipe,  15  coot, 
15  rails  and  gallinules  a  day.  Migratory  game  birds  may  be  possessed 
during  the  first  ten  days  of  closed  season,  but  not  more  than  one 
day's  limit  of  such  birds  may  be  possessed  at  any  one  time. 

Game  taken  outside  of  State  and  legally  exported  may  be  imported 
and  possessed  under  permit  from  commissioners,  except  migratory 
game  birds  as  mentioned  previously. 

Export  of  all  game  prohibited;  excepting  that  a  non-resident 
licensee  may  take  out  under  his  license  10  wild  ducks,  4  geese  includ- 
ing brant,  4  woodcock,  and  10  each  of  jacksnipe,  coots,  rails,  and 
gallinules  in  one  calendar  year  if  carried  open  to  view. 

Prohibited:  Use  of  wire  snares,  poison,  traps  set  in  open,  ferreting, 
or  use  of  weasel;  killing  of  hen  pheasants,  wood  duck,  swan,  or 


General  Information  xxiii 


shore  birds;  shooting  of  game  birds  between  sunset  and  one-half 
hour  before  sunrise. 

Note:  Hunting  and  fishing  laws  are  altered  so  frequently  that 
tourists  should  procure  the  latest  digest  available. 


CLIMATE  AND  EQUIPMENT 


Weather  conditions  are  uncertain.  The  summer  wardrobe  of  light  clothing 
should  be  supplemented  by  heavier  wraps  to  meet  occasional  periods  of 
damp  chilly  weather  which  occur  during  the  hottest  months.  Topcoats 
are  in  general  use  in  the  spring  and  fall  seasons,  while  overcoats  of  heavy 
weight  are  worn  throughout  the  winter.  Except  in  rare  instances  the 
snowfall  is  moderate,  with  the  main  arteries  of  travel  open  and  passable. 


INFORMATION  FOR  THE  MOTORIST 


Non-resident  owners  or  operators  of  motor  cars  are  permitted  to  use  the 
highways  of  the  State,  provided  they  have  complied  with  the  laws  of 
registration  and  operation  of  the  State  or  section  in  which  they  reside,  and 
provided  that  the  State  or  section  in  which  they  reside  extends  a  reciprocal 
privilege  to  drivers  of  Rhode  Island  cars.  Registrar  of  Motor  Vehicles 
reserves  right  to  revoke  this  privilege.  Registrar  reserves  right  of  attorney 
for  service  of  civil  process  against  non-residents.  Registration  Authority, 
Division  of  Motor  Vehicles,  State  Office  Building,  Providence.  Office 
hours  from  9  to  4.30.  Saturday  to  12  noon. 

Legal  Speeds:  Twenty  miles  per  hour  in  congested  areas,  35  miles  per  hour 
elsewhere.  State  Police  post  signs  giving  limits  of  reasonable  speed  on  all 
State  highways,  except  in  winter  months.  These  signs  have  no  legal 
validity,  however,  and  are  no  assurance  against  arrest  if  a  driver  operates 
at  a  speed  which  shall  be  considered  unreasonable  in  unusual  circum- 
stances. Congestion  in  the  State,  as  elsewhere  in  New  England,  makes 
strict  supervision  of  speed  imperative.  The  State  regulates  all  speed  laws, 
in  urban  as  well  as  rural  districts. 

General  Rides  of  the  Road:  At  intersections,  driver  approaching  from  right 
has  right  of  way.  Trolley  cars  are  not  to  be  passed  on  the  side  open  for 
passengers  except  where  there  is  an  established  safety  zone  or  on  the 
direction  of  a  traffic  officer.  It  is  permissible  to  pass  trolley  cars  on  the 
left,  at  a  cautious  rate  of  speed,  and  at  the  driver's  risk.  No  turn  may  be 
made  at  a  red  light  except  where  such  is  indicated  by  a  green  arrow.  Keep 
in  right-hand  lane  except  when  overtaking  or  passing  another  vehicle; 
do  not  pass  on  the  right;  never  pass  on  a  hill  curve,  or  other  place  where 
the  view  is  obstructed.  Do  not  pass  at  intersections.  Observe  and  obey 
all  highway  signs.  Any  person  who  moves,  releases  the  brakes  of,  or 


xxiv  General  Information 


disturbs  a  motor  vehicle  belonging  to  someone  else  is  subject  to  the  law 
against  operating  or  tampering  with  a  motor  vehicle  without  the  consent 
of  the  owner.  Any  person  in  a  motor  vehicle  who  removes  any  article 
from  fields,  gardens,  or  land  subjects  the  operator  of  that  vehicle  to  loss 
of  license  upon  conviction.  There  are  laws  against  driving  under  the 
influence  of  drugs  or  intoxicating  liquors  (heavy  penalty),  racing  on  the 
highways,  excessive  exhaust  smoke,  driving  with  muffler  open,  using 
sirens,  and  throwing  lighted  tobacco  or  any  other  lighted  material  on  the 
roads.  Motor  cars  must  have  a  rear  lamp,  and  must  have  two  head  lamps 
operating  sufficiently  to  reveal  objects  at  a  distance  of  two  hundred  feet. 
These  must  be  used  from  one-half  hour  after  sundown  until  one-half  hour 
before  sunrise,  or  at  any  other  time  when  objects  cannot  be  discerned 
within  a  distance  of  two  hundred  feet. 

Trailers:  Trailers  are  permitted  at  any  of  the  State  reservations  having 
a  camp  site.  There  are  camp  grounds  at  Goddard  Park  (Warwick), 
Lincoln  Woods  (Lincoln),  Dawley  Park  (Richmond),  Haines  Park  (Bar- 
rington),  and  Pawtuxet  River  Reservation  (Cranston).  Permit  15  cents, 
plus  50  cents  charge  for  a  week  or  part  thereof.  Parking  limit  two  weeks, 
but  extension  may  be  secured  if  camp  is  not  crowded.  Trailers  may  be 
parked  at  any  private  auto  camp  that  makes  arrangements  for  them; 
there  are  such  camps  at  Matunuck,  Point  Judith,  Narragansett,  and 
Middletown. 

Persons  walking  on  highways  shall  keep  as  far  to  the  left  as  is  practicable. 
Ambulances,  fire  engines,  and  police  cars  have  right  of  way  at  all  times. 

Motorists  requiring  services  of  State  Police  should  report  by  telephone  to 

the  nearest  of  the  following  barracks: 

Telephone 

Lincoln  Barracks   .  Perry  1200 

Chepachet  Barracks  Pascoag  12 

Scituate  Barracks  Scituate  12 

Wickford  Barracks  Wickford  12 

Hope  Valley  Barracks  Hope  Valley  12 

Portsmouth  Barracks  Portsmouth  12 


ANNUAL    EVENTS 


Note:  nfd  means  no  fixed  date. 

Jan. 

2d  wk 

Providence 

Mid-  Winter  Concert,  Providence  Festival 

Chorus. 

Jan. 

nfd 

Providence 

Ice  Carnival,  Rhode  Island  Department 

American  Legion. 

Feb. 

ist  wk 

Providence 

Winter  Sports  Carnival. 

Feb. 

nfd 

Providence 

Military    Ball,    Rhode    Island    Chapter 

Reserve  Officers'  Association. 

March 

nfd 

Providence 

Manual    Art    Exhibit    of    Junior    High 

School  Work. 

April 

i 

State 

Opening  of  the  Lobster  Season. 

April 

15 

State 

Opening  of  the  Trout-Fishing  Season. 

April 

4th  wk 

State 

Annual    Jamboree,  Rhode    Island    Boy 

Scouts. 

April 

nfd 

State 

Flower  Show,  Rhode  Island  Federation  of 

Flower  Clubs. 

May 

4 

State 

Rhode  Island  Independence  Day. 

May 

30 

Pawtucket 

Novelty  Park  Club  Marathon. 

May 

30 

Providence 

Interscholastic  Track  Meet. 

May 

ist  wk 

Newport 

Opening  of  the  Newport  Casino  Season. 

May 

ist  wk 

Providence 

Exhibit  of  the  Handicraft  Club. 

May 

2d  wk 

Providence 

Music    Week    Festival,    Rhode    Island 

Federation  of  Music  Clubs. 

May 

4th  wk 

Jacob's  Hill 

(Seekonk,  Mass.) 

Annual  Horse  Show. 

May 

4th  wk 

Providence 

Invitation   Tournament,    Rhode   Island 

Golf  Association. 

May 

nfd 

Pawtucket 

Opening  of  the  Racing  Season,  Narra- 

gansett  Park. 

June 

3d  wk 

Providence 

State  Women's  Amateur  Golf  Title  Play. 

June 

nfd 

Newport 

Newport  to  Bermuda  Race,  Cruising  Club 

of  America. 

June 

nfd 

Providence 

Providence  Festival  Chorus  Concert. 

June 

nfd 

State 

Annual  Encampment,  Veterans  of  Foreign 

Wars. 

July 

nfd 

Cranston 

Long  Distance  Overnight  Race,  Edge- 

wood  Yacht  Club. 

July 

nfd 

Newport 

America's  Cup  Races,  New  York  Yacht 

Club,  in  Years  of  English  Challenge. 

July 

nfd 

Providence 

Display  of  Roses,  Roger  Williams  Park. 

Aug. 

ist  wk 

Newport 

Amateur  Flower  Show,  Newport  Horti- 

cultural Society. 

Aug. 

ist  wk 

Newport 

Newport  Flower  Show,  Newport  Garden 

Association. 

Aug. 

ist  wk 

Portsmouth 

American  Kennel  Club  Dog  Show. 

XXVI 


Annual  Events 


Aug.  3d  wk 

Aug.  3d  wk 

Aug.  3d  wk 

Aug.  3d  wk 


Newport 
Newport 

Newport 
Newport 


Aug. 
Sept. 
Sept. 
Sept. 
Sept. 

4th  wk 
16 
ist  wk 
ist  wk 
3d  wk 

Watch  Hill 
State 
Kingston 
State 
Providence 

Sept. 
Sept. 

4th  wk 
4th  wk 

Providence 
Providence 

Sept. 

4th  wk 

Providence 

Sept. 

nfd 

State 

Oct. 

27 

Newport 

Oct.     ist  wk    Providence 

Oct.     2d  wk     Pascoag 
Oct.    nfd          Providence 


Oct.    nfd 


Providence 


Nov.  i  State 

Nov.  14  Olneyville 

Nov.  ist  wk  Providence 

Nov.  2d  wk  West  Warwick 

Nov.  3d  wk  Providence 


Nov.    nfd 


Providence 


Dec.     ist  wk    Providence 
Dec.    4th  wk    Providence 


Floral,  Fruit,  and  Vegetable  Exhibit, 
Narragansett  Horticultural  Society. 

Invitation  Tennis  Tournament,  the 
Casino. 

King  and  Astor  Cup  Races. 

Annual  Reception  and  Tea,  Newport  Art 
Association. 

Watch  Hill  Beach  Club  Water  Carnival. 

Opening  of  the  Oyster  Season. 

Kingston  Fair. 

Opening  of  the  Scallop  Season. 

New  England  Horseshoe  Pitchers'  Cham- 
pionship Tourney. 

Endicott  Cup  Golf  Tournament. 

Rhode  Island  Junior  Horseshoe  Pitchers' 
Tournament. 

Rhode  Island  Women's  Golf  League 
Tournament. 

Casting  Tournament  of  Rhode  Island  Fish 
and  Game  Protective  Association. 

Open  House  in  Observance  of  Navy  Day: 
Torpedo  Station,  Naval  Training  Sta- 
tion, Naval  War  College,  and  Naval 
Hospital. 

Rhode  Island  Golf  Association  Invitation 
Tourney. 

Harness  Races,  Burrillville  Driving  Club. 

Opening  of  the  Boston  Symphony  Orches- 
tra Concert  Season. 

Opening  of  the  Providence  Community 
Concert  Association  Season. 

Opening  of  the  Hunting  Season. 

Pulaski  Day  Celebration. 

Chrysanthemum  Show. 

Gertin  Marathon. 

Rhode  Island  Food  Show  and  Better 
Homes  Exposition. 

Opening  of  the  Providence  Symphony 
Orchestra  Concert  Season. 

Providence  Police  Association  Ball. 

Charity  Ball,  Volunteers  of  America. 


i.    RHODE    ISLAND:    THE 

GENERAL      BACKGROUND 


THE      NATURAL      SETTING 


GEOGRAPHY  AND  TOPOGRAPHY 

RHODE  ISLAND,  the  smallest  State  in  the  Union,  is  about  48  miles 
long  and  37  miles  wide;  it  could  be  contained  in  Texas  two  hundred  times. 
Of  Rhode  Island's  1497  square  miles,  more  than  200  are  occupied  by  the 
waters  of  Narragansett  Bay,  which  extends  28  miles  inland  from  the  sea 
past  gently  rolling  hills.  The  Island  of  Rhode  Island,  on  which  is  situated 
the  city  of  Newport,  is  the  largest  in  the  bay,  others  of  note  being  Conani- 
cut,  Prudence,  Dutch,  and  Gould.  Seventy-six  miles  of  coast  face  the  At- 
lantic, while  170  miles  of  coastline  skirt  the  inland  waters  of  the  State. 
Rhode  Island  is  bounded  on  the  west  by  Connecticut,  and  on  the  north 
and  east  by  Massachusetts;  the  State  lies  between  41°  18'  and  42°  31' 
North  Latitude,  and  between  71°  8'  and  71°  53'  West  Longitude. 

From  Napatree  Point,  at  the  extreme  southwestern  corner  of  the 
State,  easterly  to  Point  Judith  is  a  continuous  front  line  of  beaches  behind 
which  lie  many  'salt  ponds.'  These  ponds  have  been  formed  by  the  sea 
breaking  through  the  outer  sand  barrier,  and  then  depositing  sand  to 
close  the  opening.  East  of  Point  Judith  another  beach  area  is  found  in  the 
town  of  Narragansett.  On  the  southern  tip  of  the  Island  of  Rhode  Island 
wave  action  has  created  four  or  five  more  fine  beaches,  and  another  near 
Sakonnet  on  the  eastern  tip  of  the  mainland.  Within  the  bay  itself  the 
combined  action  of  wave  and  tide  has  produced  several  sandspits  and 
forelands,  good  examples  of  the  latter  being  Gaspee  Point  and  Conimicut 
Point,  some  seven  and  nine  miles  respectively  to  the  south  of  Providence. 

About  midway  between  Point  Judith  and  Montauk  Point,  New  York, 
lies  Block  Island,  comprising  eleven  square  miles  of  tillable  land;  this  is 
a  noted  vacation  spot. 

Rhode  Island  has  three  main  topographical  divisions,  which  correspond 
closely  with  geologic  formations:  (i)  An  area  of  sand-plain  lowlands  is 
adjacent  to  the  ocean  and  Narragansett  Bay.  In  this  area  carbonaceous 
and  graphite  shoals  have  offered  little  resistance  to  erosion.  Bedrock  may 
be  200  feet  below  sea  level,  and  the  eroded  areas  have  been  overlaid  by 
heavy  deposits  forming  the  visible  sand  plains.  (2)  The  slightly  higher 


Rhode  Island :  The  General  Background 


and  gently  rolling  lands  to  the  east  of  the  upper  bay  are  composed  of  coarse 
sandstone  and  conglomerates  which  have  withstood  weathering  to  a 
greater  degree  than  the  formation  just  noted  above.  (3)  The  largest  topo- 
graphical division  is  that  of  higher  land,  which  rises  abruptly  about  200 
feet  just  west  of  Providence  and  reaches  its  highest  point,  805  feet,  at 
Durfee  Hill  in  Glocester.  The  latter  hill  is  surrounded  by  a  plateau  of  from 
600  to  700  feet  in  elevation.  This  plateau  is  marked  by  long  ridgy  hills 
which  tend  to  have  easy  northern  slopes,  sharper  southern  slopes,  and 
rather  more  abrupt  western  than  eastern  slopes. 

Generally  speaking,  the  western  two-thirds  of  the  State  is  underlaid 
by  ancient  crystalline  rocks,  which  have  withstood  eroding  better  than 
the  area  nearer  the  shore.  All  of  southeastern  Rhode  Island,  except  for  a 
small  part  of  Portsmouth  and  Tiverton,  is  less  than  200  feet  above  sea 
level,  but  the  northwestern  section,  or  that  part  of  the  State  lying  roughly 
beyond  a  line  drawn  from  the  northern  boundary  of  Westerly  into  Cum- 
berland, is  featured  by  elevations  of  200  to  800  feet. 


CLIMATE 

Rhode  Island,  lying  in  the  north  temperate  zone  on  the  Atlantic  sea- 
board, shares  with  the  surrounding  States  the  inconsistent  climate  charac- 
teristic of  that  region.  Without  going  against  Nature  and  absolutely 
defying  the  four  seasons,  Rhode  Island  climate  has  as  many  variations  as 
the  solar  system  will  permit. 

Being  not  only  on  the  seacoast  but  also  vastly  encroached  upon  by  the 
waters  of  Narragansett  Bay,  the  State  is  at  the  mercy  of  winds  from  both 
land  and  sea.  The  temperature  of  these,  winds  is  affected  by  the  elements 
over  which  they  pass;  if  over  land,  it  is  hot  in  summer  and  cold  in  winter; 
if  over  sea,  it  is  tempered  by  water's  slower  change,  and  is  relatively  cool 
in  summer  and  warm  in  winter.  Furthermore,  the  State  is  situated  near 
the  confluence  of  many  low-pressure,  cyclonic  storm  tracks,  and  this  often 
causes  abrupt  changes  of  wind  direction  which  play  havoc  with  the 
climate.  This  condition  prevails  from  October  to  April,  and  although  the 
summer  temperatures  are  more  equable  than  those  of  the  winter,  the 
general  weather  conditions  are  never  without  their  changes  and  surprises. 

The  climate  of  a  region  is  usually  judged  by  the  length  of  the  growing 
season,  which  lies  between  the  two  average  or  probable  dates  of  killing 
frost.  In  Rhode  Island  the  normal  growing  season  extends  from  May  i  to 


.  The  Natural  Setting 


October  15,  but  there  are  distinct  variations  from  year  to  year,  and  varia- 
tion among  the  different  communities  even  within  the  State's  small  area. 
Variations  of  the  latter  sort  are  so  prevalent  all  over  the  country  that  the 
United  States  Department  of  Agriculture  lists  the  growing  season  by 
municipalities  rather  than  by  States  or  even  counties.  From  Rhode  Is- 
land's northwest,  or  inland,  portion  to  Block  Island,  which  lies  some 
ten  miles  off  the  coast,  the  season  varies  in  length  from  four  to  seven 
months.  Therefore,  the  five  and  one-half  months  from  May  i  to  October 
15  can  be  taken  only  as  an  average.  This  period  of  168  days  is  not  signifi- 
cantly longer  or  shorter  than  the  growing  seasons  in  other  temperate 
regions. 

Rhode  Island's  seasonal  variation  in  temperature  averages  56°  —  that 
is,  the  thermometer  rises  56°  from  the  average  winter  low  to  the  average 
summer  high,  or  from  22.5°  to  78.5°.  The  year  1934  gave  two  extremes, 
the  thermometer  going  to  17°  below  zero  in  February  and  rising  to  100° 
in  July;  but  climatically,  this  was  an  extreme  year  throughout  most  of  the 
United  States.  In  July,  1936,  when  heat  records  were  being  broken  in  the 
West,  the  official  temperature  in  Providence  did  not  exceed  94°. 

The  average  precipitation,  or  rainfall,  is  about  48  inches  annually, 
of  which  very  nearly  half  falls  during  the  growing  season.  The  rainfall 
in  Rhode  Island  may  be  considered  normal,  being  neither  too  little  nor 
too  much. 

The  average  humidity  (the  relative  amount  of  water  vapor  in  the  air) 
is  64.25  over  the  year;  for  the  different  periods  of  the  year  it  is  as  follows: 
December  to  February,  66;  March  to  May,  60;  June  to  August,  66; 
September  to  November,  65.  The  number  100  corresponds  to  the  satura- 
tion point  of  the  air;  at  this  point,  the  amount  of  water  vapor  in  the  air  is 
so  great  that  the  vapor  turns  into  precipitation  or  ram.  Like  the  figures 
for  the  growing  season,  the  figures  for  the  average  humidity  vary  con- 
siderably in  different  parts  of  the  State,  the  humidity  being  higher  near 
the  inland  waters.  Summer  climate  along  the  coast  is  generally  pleasant, 
and  the  prevailing  direction  of  the  winds,  despite  the  innumerable  dis- 
turbances, is  northwest. 


GEOLOGY  AND  FOSSIL  REMAINS 

Some  twenty  to  forty  thousand  years  ago,  what  is  now  the  State 
of  Rhode  Island  was  beginning  to  be  freed  from  the  load  of  glacial  ice 


Rhode  Island :  The  General  Background 


which  had  formerly  been  pushed  intermittently  down  over  the  north- 
eastern part  of  the  country  from  farther  north.  This  great  mass  of  ice, 
calculated  to  have  been  more  than  a  mile  in  thickness,  exercised  profound 
effects  upon  the  land  underneath,  some  of  the  results  being  amply  il- 
lustrated in  the  State's  present  topography.  Glacial  action  made  the 
northern  slopes  of  the  hills  more  gentle  than  the  southern;  it  carved  out 
rock  bowls  to  form  natural  reservoirs  like  Wallum  Lake,  Beach  Pond,  and 
Stafford  Pond,  and  with  the  melting  away  of  ice  at  the  outer  edge  of  its 
advance,  it  left  deposits  of  boulders  and  ill-sorted  debris  in  a  terminal 
moraine.  This  terminal  moraine  is  the  rather  prominent  belt  of  irregular 
boulder-covered  hillocks  extending  from  Watch  Hill  eastward  into  Wake- 
field.  As  the  edge  of  the  glacier  melted  farther  back,  away  from  this  ridge 
of  debris,  the  rivers  resulting  from  the  melting  of  great  volumes  of  ice 
often  became  overloaded  with  sediment,  so  that  they  spread  out  behind 
the  terminal  moraine  barrier  and  deposited  the  sediment  there.  These 
deposits  form  some  of  the  sand  plains  now  found  around  Central  Falls 
and  Providence.  Sometimes  an  especially  thick  ice  fragment  was  left 
behind  to  melt  more  slowly  while  sand  and  gravel  were  deposited  around 
it,  so  that  when  it  was  finally  gone  another  sort  of  depression  was  left  — 
a  bowl  in  a  dirt  plain,  which  became  a  Lonsdale,  Hammond,  or  Ponagan- 
sett  Pond.  The  Island  of  Rhode  Island  in  Narragansett  Bay  exists  by 
reason  of  the  fact  that  its  bed  rock  was  more  resistant  than  the  surround- 
ings, so  that  glacial  action  left  it  standing  up  above  the  channels  cut  out 
on  either  side.  The  origin  of  other  islands  in  the  bay,  such  as  Conanicut 
and  Gould,  is  similar.  Block  Island  in  the  Atlantic,  on  the  other  hand,  is 
part  of  a  terminal  moraine  formed  by  glacial  debris  dumped  some  distance 
out  to  sea  from  the  present  shoreline. 

Much  of  New  England  is  composed  of  old  igneous  and  metamorphic 
rocks,  but  in  several  places  there  are  down-folded  troughs  of  younger 
bedded  sedimentary  rocks.  The  Narragansett  basin,  which  extends  from 
the  lower  Narragansett  Bay  northward  and  northeastward  into  Massa- 
chusetts, to  a  few  miles  east  of  Brockton  and  Middleboro,  is  such  a  trough. 
The  western  boundary  of  this  basin  runs  from  near  Wakefield  northward 
a  few  miles  west  of  the  bay,  just  west  of  East  Greenwich,  along  the  south- 
eastern foot  of  Neutaconkanut  Hill,  west  of  Valley  Falls,  and  crosses  the 
northern  boundary  of  the  State  near  Diamond  Hill.  The  eastern  boundary 
runs  south  from  Fall  River,  Massachusetts,  through  Tiverton,  and  follows 
along  a  short  distance  east  of  the  east  shore  of  the  Sakonnet  River.  A  few 
patches  of  granite  and  metamorphic  rocks  occur  in  this  basin  at  Bristol, 
also  to  the  southwest  of  Newport  and  at  the  south  end  of  Conanicut 


The  Natural  Setting 


Island.  Another  small  basin  extends  from  Woonsocket  southwest  to  the 
vicinity  of  North  Scituate.  Except  for  these  basins  of  sedimentary  rocks, 
the  State  is  underlain  by  igneous  and  metamorphic  formations.  Thus, 
most  of  the  western  part  of  the  State  is  composed  of  igneous  and  meta- 
morphic rocks  and  most  of  the  eastern  part  is  in  the  area  of  the  younger 
sedimentary  deposits. 

The  rocks  of  the  western  part  of  the  State  are  largely  granites  of  several 
different  ages  (Northbridge,  Sterling,  Milford,  and  Quincy),  but  all 
several  hundred  million  years  old.  They  were  formed  by  the  cooling  and 
solidification  of  great  masses  of  molten  material  which  had  worked  upward 
from  within  the  earth  toward,  but  not  to,  the  surface.  The  fact  that  these 
rocks  now  crop  out  in  the  numerous  ledges  of  western  Rhode  Island  is  due 
to  long  periods  of  erosion,  during  which  thousands  of  feet  of  overlying 
material  were  stripped  off.  A  very  unusual  type  of  stone,  formed  in  the 
same  way  as  the  granites  but  of  different  composition,  is  the  iron-bearing 
rock  at  Iron  Mine  Hill  (see  Tour  4C).  This  hill  has  aroused  considerable 
popular  interest  because  it  is  the  only  place  in  the  world  where  such 
a  formation  is  known  to  crop  out  and  because,  although  it  has  only  the 
one  outcrop,  heavy  boulders  of  the  same  black  material  are  found  at  many 
points  to  the  south,  even  as  far  as  Block  Island,  where  they  were  carried 
by  the  glacier  many  millions  of  years  later.  The  metamorphic  rocks  of 
the  State  include  recrystallized  types.  Small  patches  of  quartzite  are  all 
that  remain  of  ancient  sandstones.  The  greenstones,  or  chlorite  schists, 
are  probably  old  recrystallized  basaltic  lavas.  They  form  many  ledges  and 
are  quarried  here  and  there  for  road  metal.  There  are  a  few  small  masses 
of  recrystallized  limestone,  especially  near  Limerock.  All  of  these  igneous 
and  metamorphic  rocks  are  geologically  rather  old,  and  have  gone  through 
a  complicated  history. 

The  younger  formations  of  the  sedimentary  basins  are  some  two  hun- 
dred million  years  old,  and  were  formed  during  the  age  when  the  coal  of 
Pennsylvania  and  some  of  the  other  great  coal-producing  States  was 
accumulating.  On  a  floor  of  eroded  igneous  and  metamorphic  rocks  were 
deposited  layers  of  gravel,  sand,  and  mud.  At  times  the  land  became  very 
damp,  and  considerable  thicknesses  of  plant  growth  accumulated  in  the 
swamps  where  ancient  plants  grew  in  profusion.  The  black  shales  and 
slates  today  show  many  imprints  of  the  leaves,  stems,  and  trunks  of  the 
plants  of  that  time.  These  beds  of  plant  matter  later  turned  into  coal. 
After  the  deposition  of  these  great  layers  of  gravel,  sand,  mud,  and  coal, 
these  beds  were  caught  in  a  great  compressional  movement  of  the  earth's 
crust  which  folded  and  faulted  the  land  all  along  the  Appalachian  Moun- 


8  Rhode  Island :  The  General  Background 

tains.  The  buried  material  was  then  elevated  and  erosion  began  its  attack. 
In  this  part  of  the  country  most  of  the  coal-age  rocks  were  carried  away 
by  erosion  except  the  troughs  of  the  folds,  such  as  the  Narragansett  basin 
and  the  Woonsocket  basin.  Attempts  to  mine  what  remains  of  the  coal 
have  been  made  at  Portsmouth,  Cranston,  Valley  Falls,  and  elsewhere, 
but  the  coal  generally  has  too  much  ash  for  use  without  special  treatment, 
and  in  some  places  it  was  so  compressed  and  crushed  that  it  turned  into 
graphite.  Aside  from  the  erosion,  the  only  recorded  geologic  event  before 
the  recent  glaciation  was  the  intrusion  of  several  small  bodies  of  fine 
granite  and  related  rocks  near  Westerly.  At  various  places  in  the  State 
there  are  mineral  veins  which  yield  some  interesting  mineralogical 
specimens,  although  they  are  usually  small.  Several  old  metal  mines 
have  been  dug  in  these  veins,  but  as  far  as  can  be  learned,  no  great  profits 
were  gained  therefrom. 

The  coal  deposits  of  the  Narragansett  Bay  region  are  rich  in  petrified 
plants  of  a  prehistoric  age.  Research  has  revealed  that  local  specimens 
are  closely  allied  with  specimens  found  in  Missouri.  Examples  of  fossils 
derived  from  the  animal  world  are,  however,  seldom  found  within  the 
boundaries  of  this  State,  and  most  of  these  belong  to  the  family  of  insects 
and  amphibians  which  have  been  uncovered  in  the  coal  measures  around 
Plainville,  Massachusetts.  Occasional  imprints  of  four-toed  amphibians 
have  been  found  by  workers  connected  with  the  geology  department  of 
Brown  University.  Probably  the  chief  reason  for  the  scarcity  of  these 
remains  is  that  the  Rhode  Island  sedimentary  rocks,  of  the  kind  in  which 
fossils  are  usually  found,  were  mostly  formed  in  fresh  water. 

Before  the  age  of  huge  animals,  however,  there  was  a  period  of  luxuriant 
plant  life,  the  local  remains  of  which  are  more  common.  This  plant  life 
was  of  a  non-flowering  type,  composed  of  seed  ferns,  club  mosses,  and 
giant  horsetails  that  flourished  in  a  cool,  moist,  cloudy  climate.  Brown 
University  has  an  extensive  collection  (several  tons  in  fact)  of  various 
types  of  fossil  fernlike  plants  and  other  forms  of  plant  life.  At  the  present 
time  one  may  find  shale  fragments  which,  when  split  open,  show  the 
delicate  tracery  of  a  seed  fern  imprinted  upon  these  ancient  muds.  Many 
plant  fossils  were  found  when  the  car  tunnel  through  College  Hill  was 
excavated  in  1914;  and  from  Valley  Falls  westward  to  Sockanosset,  and 
thence  southward,  the  coaly  shales  will  often  be  found  to  carry  imprints 
of  early  plants. 

The  later-formed  coarse  sandstones  of  the  Narragansett  basin  contain 
few  fossils,  but  have  casts  of  horsetails  and  club  mosses.  One  of  the  largest 
discovered  had  a  trunk  diameter  of  sixteen  inches,  and  was  possibly  fifty 


The  Natural  Setting 


feet  in  height.  Its  linear-grooved  bark  was  buried  in  the  muds  and  sands 
hundreds  of  millions  of  years  ago,  and  was  revealed  when  the  McCormick 
sandstone  quarry  in  East  Providence  was  opened.  Not  far  away,  in  a 
ravine  leading  to  the  Seekonk  River,  can  be  found  growing  today  the 
dwarf  eighteen-inch  descendants  of  these  past  giants. 


MINERAL  RESOURCES 

Two  bedrock  resources  of  the  State  have  acquired  national  repute  — 
-one,  the  Westerly  granite,  by  reason  of  its  intrinsic  value,  and  the  other, 
the  unique  Rhode  Island  coal,  because  of  its  place  at  the  far  eastern  end 
of  the  coal  series  in  the  country.  The  area  of  commercial  granite  is  in  the 
southwestern  part  of  the  State,  extending  from  Westerly  eastward  to 
Bradford.  Here  we  find  a  busy  and  localized  industry;  the  granite  areas 
are  relatively  small,  and  vary  considerably  in  quantity.  The  rock  itself 
is  fine-grained,  and  either  pink  or  gray  according  to  the  color  of  the 
predominant  mineral,  feldspar.  It  is  generally  made  up  of  glassy  quartz, 
feldspar,  and  a  little  black  mica.  This  fine-textured  rock  will  take  a  high 
polish,  is  free  from  impurities  which  might  otherwise  produce  stains,  and 
has  a  high  crushing  strength.  All  of  the  foregoing  characteristics  make  it 
an  excellent  granite  for  monuments  and  building  purposes.  The  most 
usable  stone  is  surrounded  by  an  older  coarse-grained  granite  into  which 
the  newer  Westerly  granite  forced  its  way  while  molten,  deep  down  in  the 
earth's  crust;  finally  by  ages  of  erosion  the  cover  was  removed  and  the  fine 
granite  was  exposed  for  man's  use  (see  WESTERLY). 

From  numerous  places  in  the  western  upland  area  of  the  State  are 
taken  considerable  amounts  of  granite  gneiss  which  can  be  used  for  curb- 
ing and  for  some  building  purposes.  Practically  all  of  the  rural  chimneys 
and  the  foundations  of  early  hpuses  in  the  State  were  made  of  this  ma- 
terial, and  also  some  of  the  older  buildings  at  State  College  in  Kingston. 
Owing  to  the  shearing  which  affected  it,  and  which  gave  to  this  rock 
a  streakiness  and  a  tendency  to  split  easily,  it  has  only  about  one-third 
the  strength  of  Westerly  granite,  and  may  be  used  only  for  low  buildings 
or  for  incidental  stone  work. 

Along  the  northwestern  border  of  the  State,  in  Glocester  and  Foster, 
is  found  a  belt  of  light-colored  quartzite,  more  or  less  sheared,  which  in 
early  times  was  used  as  whetstones  for  scythes  (see  Tour  4). 

At  various  places  west  and  north  of  Providence,  quarry  operations  have 


io  Rhode  Island:  The  General  Background 

been  carried  on  in  a  fine-grained,  dark  greenstone.  Quantities  of  this 
material  from  Neutaconkanut  Hill,  Manton,  Berkeley,  and  Pascoag  have 
been  excavated  and  crushed  for  use  as  road  material  and  concrete  ag- 
gregate. This  rock  is  presumably  a  metamorphosed  intrusion  of  fine- 
grained basalt.  It  has  been  compressed  by  mountain-building  forces, 
which  have  sheared  it<  weakened  it,  and  changed  the  mineral  character- 
istics in  some  degree.  It  thus  tends  to  split  more  readily  in  one  direction 
than  another,  and  to  produce  shaly  fragments,  and  on  these  planes  will 
frequently  be  found  spots  of  greasy  serpentine  or  talc.  Certain  portions 
of  the  greenstone  area  have  a  more  massive  rock  than  the  ordinary  type 
used  for  trap-rock,  but  these  more  valuable  portions  of  the  quarries  are 
infrequent,  so  that  the  rocks  of  both  high  and  low  grade  are  crushed  to- 
gether to  go  into  a  common  product. 

Not  far  from  the  State  border,  and  about  three  miles  east  of  Woon- 
socket,  near  Cumberland  Hill,  lies  a  small  area  about  one-half  mile  in 
diameter  of  a  deep-seated,  coarse-grained,  heavy,  tough,  black  rock,  that 
has  long  been  quarried  and  crushed  for  the  general  purposes  of  trap-rock. 
It  has  high  crushing  strength  and  is  more  expensive  to  prepare  for  the 
market  than  ordinary  trap-rock,  such  as  is  obtained  from  the  New  Haven 
section  of  Connecticut.  It  contains  a  coarse  or  magnetite  iron  oxide,  and 
common  boulders  of  this  Cumberland  rock  are  frequently  brought  in  as 
possible  meteorites.  The  other  trap-rock  occurring  in  Rhode  Island  is  in 
relatively  infrequent  narrow  dikes;  it  does  not  occur  in  the  Narragansett 
basin  sediments,  but  in  the  upland  crystalline  area.  All  of  these  narrow 
dikes  exhibit  the  basalt  jointing  cracks  extending  inward  from  the  cooling 
surface  of  the  walls,  which  make  a  trap-rock  very  easy  to  crush  to  different 
sizes  for  road  and  other  purposes. 

From  one  of  the  largest  dikes  in  the  Snake  Den  Quarry,  in  Johnston 
(see  Tour  10),  gold  was  supposed  to  have  been  extracted  in  some  cyanide 
vats,  at  the  beginning  of  the  past  century,  to  interest  unwary  investors. 
No  gold  is  found  in  any  of  the  Rhode  Island  rocks  in  paying  quantities, 
and  this  development  was  simply  a  get-rich-quick  scheme  in  which  the 
gold  was  interjected  into  the  process  by  the  operators.  Several  other 
unsuccessful  attempts  have  been  made  to  mine  gold  in  Rhode  Island. 

One  of  the  earliest  charters  granted  by  the  Colony  for  the  exploitation 
of  natural  resources  related  to  the  deposits  of  limestone  of  the  Harris 
Quarries,  on  the  present  Louisquisset  Pike,  in  the  town  of  Lincoln.  For 
some  time  this  quarry  has  been  idle,  though  near  the  villages  of  Limerock 
and  Berkeley  are  found  ruins  of  former  lime  kilns.  The  old  excavations 
are  now  filled  with  water.  However,  an  opening  at  the  Dexter  Quarry  in 


The  Natural  Setting 


Lincoln,  two  miles  east  of  the  earliest  excavation,  is  still  in  use  and  pro- 
duces annually  some  thirty-five  thousand  barrels  of  quicklime  and  slack 
for  soils  (see  Tour  4: A). 

From  early  times  it  was  known  that  burnable  deposits  of  coal  existed 
in  the  vicinity  of  Narragansett  Bay.  In  1809  the  General  Assembly 
authorized  a  $10,000  lottery  to  develop  the  Portsmouth  coal  mine,  and 
apparently  about  a  million  tons  of  coal  were  mined  from  this  seam.  North 
of  Little  Compton,  the  coal  has  been  changed  to  a  graphite,  and  was  mined 
to  a  limited  extent  for  that  product.  In  the  town  of  Cranston  are  two 
well-known  coal  developments.  One  of  these,  the  so-called  Cranston  coal 
mine,  north  of  Sockanosset  School  on  State  3,  has  experienced  an  inter- 
mittent development  for  a  great  many  years;  its  irregular  carbonaceous 
bed  is  about  ten  feet  thick  (see  Tour  2).  On  Cranston  Street,  on  the 
eastern  slope  of  Laurel  Hill,  extensive  excavations  into  a  more  graphitic 
layer  have  been  made.  Here  many  thousands  of  tons  were  taken  out  from 
the  old  Fenner  Ledge  near  the  Arlington  car  barn.  The  old  Valley  Falls 
coal  mine  near  Pawtucket  had  several  hundred  feet  of  underground  work- 
ings in  the  northward  continuation  of  this  same  coaly  layer  (see  Tour  5) . 
At  the  present  time,  though,  nearly  all  of  the  above  developments  have 
been  abandoned  and  the  shafts  are  either  closed  or  filled  with  water. 

The  history  of  coal  mining  in  Rhode  Island  is  a  record  of  attempts  to 
mine  and  market  an  anthracite  coal  so  highly  compressed  by  mountain- 
building  forces  that  it  had  lost  the  characteristics  of  ordinary  anthracite 
and  had  become  graphitic  and  almost  infusible.  Solutions  of  quartz  and 
pyrite  were  also  injected  into  this  material,  which  accounts  for  the  high 
amount  of  ash  in  these  coals;  this  ash  usually  has  to  be  removed  by  some 
flotation  process  or  other  special  treatment.  The  extreme  reluctance  of 
Rhode  Island  coal  to  ignite,  together  with  its  high  content  of  clinker- 
forming  ash,  gives  it  a  low  fuel  value. 

A  typical  sandstone  quarry  is  found  in  East  Providence,  one-half  mile 
east  of  Moore's  Corner,  near  the  junction  of  Pawtucket  and  Warren 
Avenues.  The  rock  here  is  composed  of  quartz  grains  and  clay,  with  some 
still  unweathered  feldspar.  It  is  rather  nonporous,  fairly  coarse  grained, 
and  gray  in  color,  with  the  joint  faces  showing  a  pleasing  rusty  tone.  Its 
use  as  building  material  is  exhibited  in  Wilson  Hall  at  Brown  University. 
This  rock,  while  not  possessing  the  necessary  characteristics  for  the  high- 
est grade  road  material,  is  still  of  great  value  for  rough  dimension  stone 
and  for  concrete  aggregates. 

Throughout  the  metropolitan  area  from  Valley  Falls  southward  to  Na- 
tick  and  Apponaug  are  the  level  glacial  sand  plains.  These  plains  are  com- 


12  Rhode  Island:  The  General  Background 

posed  of  more  or  less  stratified  sand  and  gravel,  with  occasional  beds  of  fine 
clay,  that  were  deposited  in  still  water  at  the  front  of  the  retreating 
glaciers.  These  sands  and  gravels  furnish  an  abundance  of  excellent 
material  for  mortar,  and  for  both  fine  and  coarse  concrete  aggregates. 
Hence  with  several  hundred  square  miles  covered  from  ten  to  one  hundred 
and  fifty  feet  deep  with  this  material,  Rhode  Island  has  no  need  for  im- 
ports of  this  character.  Numerous  sand  and  gravel  pits  have  been  opened 
and  developed. 

The  complex  geology  of  Rhode  Island  has  benefited  collectors,  for 
within  its  small  area  are  found  specimens  of  many  different  minerals. 
The  Neutaconkanut  Hill  region  is  a  favorite  resort  of  geology  students 
on  field  tours;  the  Limerock  area  with  its  several  quarries  provides  varied 
specimens  of  quartz  and  calcite,  and  a  local  variety  of  serpentine  called 
bowenite.  The  Diamond  Hill  and  Cumberland  Hill  regions  have  also 
furnished  many  species,  samples  of  which  may  be  found  in  the  museums 
of  Brown  University,  Harvard  University,  and  the  Boston  Society  of 
Natural  History.  Minor  minerals  accompanying  granite  have  also  been 
found  in  the  rocks  of  these  quarries.  Epidote  is  occasionally  found  near 
Pascoag,  and  fibrous  quartz  occurs  at  many  places  in  the  coal  seams,  and 
ottrelite  in  the  associated  rocks.  The  soapstone  outcropping  near  Ochee 
Spring  on  Hartford  Avenue,  Johnston,  is  of  both  historic  and  mineral 
importance,  since  it  was  the  scene  of  the  quarrying  operations  by  the 
Indians,  who  used  the  stone  for  jars  or  ollas  (see  Tour  10). 


SOIL 


Generally  speaking,  the  best  soils  of  Rhode  Island  lie  along  Narragan- 
sett  Bay,  and  the  most  sterile  are  found  along  the  Connecticut  border  in 
the  western  part  of  the  State.  Many  variations  in  the  quality,  texture, 
and  location  of  the  types  of  Rhode  Island  soil  make  possible  the  raising  of 
a  great  variety  of  vegetables,  fruits,  and  flowers.  Of  the  eleven  recognized 
types  of  soil,  six  cover  about  ninety-eight  per  cent  of  the  State  to  an 
average  depth  of  ten  inches. 

The  light  brown  sand,  known  as  Glocester  stony  loam,  is  to  be  found 
on  more  than  forty-six  per  cent  of  Rhode  Island  acreage,  but  seldom  near 
Narragansett  Bay.  The  rough,  almost  mountainous  topography  of  the 
Glocester  area,  and  the  loose,  rocky  subsoil,  make  for  thorough  drainage. 
Owing  to  this  fact,  the  land  becomes  too  dry  for  cultivation  when  there 


The  Natural  Setting  13 


is  a  drought,  and  at  times  it  becomes  too  dry  even  for  pasturage.  The 
weather  also  accounts  for  the  presence  of  the  soil  itself,  for  Glocester 
stony  loam  is  derived  from  the  immediately  underlying  rock.  Mechanical 
weathering  processes,  not  chemical  decomposition,  break  down  the  rock 
into  fine  gravel.  Such  soil  produces  the  stunted  chestnut,  oak,  and  gray 
birch  trees  of  the  western  part  of  the  State.  Blackberries  and  huckle- 
berries grow  wild  in  profusion,  but  less  than  one-tenth  of  the  Glocester 
stony  loam  has  been  cultivated. 

The  strongest  general  soil  in  Rhode  Island,  the  Miami  stony  loam, 
covers  the  smooth  rolling  hills  of  the  Narragansett  basin  and  its  table- 
lands, particularly  in  Cumberland  and  South  Kingstown  (see  Tour  1),  and 
on  the  large  island  in  the  bay.  Miami  stony  loam  is  mellow  brown  in 
color  and  firm  enough  to  hold  moisture  for  the  entire  growing  season. 
Slightly  more  than  one-fifth  of  the  soil  of  Rhode  Island  is  of  this  type.  It 
is  a  typical  glacial  soil  derived  from  a  deposit  of  glacial  till  on  the  fine- 
grained rock  of  the  area.  It  has  been  cultivated  to  raise  good  crops  of  hay 
and  corn  and,  in  the  southeastern  part  of  the  State,  potatoes  and  onions. 

Warwick  sandy  loam  covers  nearly  twelve  per  cent  of  the  acreage  of 
Rhode  Island.  It  is  found  not  only  in  Warwick,  but  also  across  the  bay  in 
East  Providence  and  Barrington,  where  it  lies  in  almost  level  undula- 
tions. It  usually  contains  some  fine  gravel,  but  is  generally  free  from 
large  gravel  and  stones.  Warwick  sandy  loam  is  profitable  for  cultivation 
in  spite  of  its  sandy  character  and  loose  porous  subsoil,  for  it  is  usually 
found  at  low  elevations  and  close  enough  to  the  water  table  to  insure 
a  supply  of  moisture  for  crops  even  in  periods  of  drought.  It  is  derived 
from  glacial  sediments  and  is  normally  a  mellow  brown,  although  wearing 
and  cultivation  have  greatly  modified  its  surface  and  color.  It  is  well 
suited  to  the  market-gardening  practiced  around  Providence,  and  is  the 
lightest  of  desirable  grass  and  grain  soils. 

In  certain  areas  rather  thin  layers  of  Warwick  sandy  loam  lie  upon  the 
large  gravel  and  rounded  boulders  which  form  the  subsoil  for  Alton  stony 
loam.  Such  layers  usually  contain  more  gravel,  and  represent  a  phase  of 
transition  between  the  conditions  giving  rise  to  the  coarser  Alton  stony 
loam  and  those  which  produced  the  typical  Warwick  sandy  loam.  One- 
tenth  of  Rhode  Island  soil  is  Alton  stony  loam.  It  is  found  on  terrace 
remnants  and  abrupt  slopes  from  which  the  soil  covering  has  eroded,  and 
it  occurs  in  patches  all  over  the  State,  particularly  on  Block  Island  (see 
Tour  8).  Its  porous  character  and  loose  subsoil  make  for  rapid  drainage; 
when  it  is  supplied  with  moisture  from  higher  lands  and  near-by  slopes, 
however,  it  can  be  cultivated  so  as  to  produce  fair  crops  of  potatoes  and 


14  Rhode  Island :  The  General  Background 

early  vegetables.  It  is  derived  from  various  rough  glacial  sediments,  and 
is  a  naturally  productive  soil  when  deep  enough.  Where  it  has  not  been 
cleared  off  for  truck-gardening  and  canning  crops,  Alton  stony  loam  sup- 
ports a  growth  of  wild  grass,  pitch  pine,  cedar,  gray  birch,  and  dense 
underbrush. 

The  thin  and  naturally  unproductive  soil  known  as  Norfolk  coarse 
sand  supports  a  growth  of  scrubby  pitch  pine  and  wild  grass  on  about 
four  per  cent  of  the  State's  land.  With  a  heavy  application  of  coarse 
organic  manure  and  partial  irrigation,  this  light  brown  or  yellowish  soil 
becomes  arable,  and  is  best  suited  to  raising  melons. 

Swamps  cover  about  the  same  number  of  acres  as  the  Norfolk  coarse 
sand.  When  not  used  to  store  water  for  the  mills,  they  merely  lie  useless 
and  stagnant.  Part  of  the  swamp  area  is  bog  land  which  might  be  im- 
proved and  converted  into  market-gardens.  Where  the  peaty  matter  is  of 
considerable  depth,  improvement  for  use  as  ordinary  tillage  is  difficult,  but 
such  areas  are  said  to  be  suited  to  the  raising  of  cranberries. 


WATER  RESOURCES 

A  mere  glance  at  a  map  of  Rhode  Island  will  suggest  that  waterways 
and  water  resources  play  a  large  part  in  the  life  of  the  State.  Narragansett 
Bay  alone  covers  an  area  nearly  one-fifth  as  great  as  that  of  the  land  area, 
and  the  bay  together  with  inland  waters  occupies  about  twenty-five  per 
cent  of  the  State's  gross  area.  Geographically  speaking,  Narragansett 
Bay  with  its  extensions  on  the  north,  the  Providence  and  the  Seekonk 
Rivers,  cuts  the  State  into  two  unequal  parts;  the  western  section  is  much 
the  larger,  and  is  supplied  with  several  large  streams  and  ponds.  Few 
places  in  the  State  are  far  from  navigable  waters;  coasting  vessels  can 
reach  Westerly  and  Wakefield  in  the  south,  and  seagoing  ships  can  dock 
at  Providence  and  Pawtucket  in  the  center,  and  at  the  peninsular  or  island 
ports  of  Barrington,  Warren,  Newport,  and  Block  Island. 

Narragansett  Bay  is  a  great  asset  to  Rhode  Island  from  many  points 
of  view;  it  is  useful  for  transportation,  fisheries,  and  recreation.  Together 
with  its  branches,  Greenwich  Bay,  the  Providence  and  Seekonk  Rivers, 
Mount  Hope  Bay,  and  the  Sakonnet  River,  Narragansett  Bay  extends 
inland  more  than  twenty-eight  miles.  It  forms  the  drainage  basin  for  the 
Potowomut,  Pawtuxet,  Moshassuck,  Woonasquatucket,  and  Blackstone 
Rivers  in  addition  to  the  others  previously  mentioned.  Within  its  large 


The  Natural  Setting  15 


expanse  lies  the  Island  of  Rhode  Island,  on  which  are  located  the  city  of 
Newport  and  the  towns  of  Middletown  and  Portsmouth;  Conanicut 
Island,  forming  the  major  part  of  the  town  of  Jamestown;  Prudence 
Island,  which  belongs  to  the  town  of  Portsmouth,  and  several  smaller 
islands  such  as  Dutch,  Hope,  Gould,  Dyer,  Hog,  and  Patience.  The 
average  range  of  the  tide  in  Narragansett  Bay  is  3.5  feet  at  Newport  and 
4.6  feet  at  Providence. 

The  rivers  of  Rhode  Island  are  not  large,  but  on  account  of  the  uneven 
beds  produced  by  glacial  action  many  water-power  sites  have  been  de- 
veloped along  their  courses.  The  textile  mill  villages  grew  up  around 
these  natural  sites,  so  that  the  industrial  population  of  the  State  became 
highly  centralized  in  the  river  valleys.  Since  the  annual  rainfall  is  fairly 
evenly  distributed,  the  runoff  of  the  streams  is  reasonably  constant, 
except  under  unusual  conditions  of  spring  thaws  or  occasionally  heavy 
autumn  rains,  so  that  the  streams  can  be  utilized  most  of  the  year  as 
a  source  of  power.  It  has  been  estimated  that  a  little  more  than  one-half 
of  the  annual  rainfall  runs  off  quickly,  and  about  one-half  of  that  amount 
is  wasted  during  flood  conditions,  when  it  flows  over  dams  and  spillways 
without  being  utilized  in  water  wheels  or  turbines  (see  Industry). 

The  Pawcatuck  River,  which  rises  in  Worden  Pond,  South  Kingstown, 
is  joined  a  short  distance  west  thereof  by  the  Queens  River,  which  flows 
down  from  West  Greenwich  and  Exeter;  it  courses  thereafter  generally 
in  a  southwesterly  direction,  being  joined  by  the  Wood  River,  after  which 
it  winds  crookedly  into  Little  Narragansett  Bay  off  Watch  Hill.  For  about 
ten  miles  the  Pawcatuck  River  forms  the  boundary  line  between  Rhode 
Island  and  Connecticut.  It  is  about  forty-two  miles  in  length,  and  drains 
an  area  of  about  295  square  miles,  sixty- two  of  which  are  in  Connecticut. 
Except  for  the  town  of  Westerly  near  its  mouth,  the  Pawcatuck  flows 
through  sparsely  populated  country  districts.  There  are  seven  dams  on 
the  river,  supplying  manufacturing  plants  with  1400  horse-power. 

The  Potowomut  River,  lying  almost  wholly  within  East  Greenwich, 
flows  into  Narragansett  Bay  just  south  of  the  mouth  of  Greenwich  Bay. 
The  valley  of  this  stream  is  about  seven  miles  long,  and  drains  an  area  of 
about  twenty- three  square  miles.  The  Potowomut  has  few  dams;  it  flows 
in  general  through  a  sparsely  populated  area  of  farm  lands  and  wooded 
hills. 

The  Pawtuxet  River  rises  in  the  Scituate  Reservoir,  and  joins  in  West 
Warwick  the  South  Branch  River,  which  begins  in  Coventry.  From  West 
Warwick  the  river  runs  northeast,  forming  part  of  the  boundary  line 
between  Warwick  and  Cranston;  it  empties  into  the  Providence  River  in 


1 6  Rhode  Island:  The  General  Background 

the  village  of  Pawtuxet.  The  river  is  about  twenty-eight  miles  in  length, 
and  it  has  a  watershed  of  232  square  miles.  It  runs  through  twelve  mill 
villages  with  a  population  of  about  110,000.  Along  its  lower  half  the 
Pawtuxet  flows  through  a  thickly  populated  district,  where  it  is  ex- 
tensively used  for  power.  Its  last  three  miles,  however,  are  given  over 
to  recreational  purposes  (see  Tour  1). 

The  Woonasquatucket  River  rises  in  Smithfield  and  flows  southeast 
through  the  mill  towns  of  Georgiaville,  Greystone,  Centerdale,  and 
Man  ton  into  Providence.  It  has  a  drainage  area  of  52.3  square  miles,  on 
which  live  some  160,000  people. 

The  Moshassuck  River  rises  in  the  northern  part  of  Lincoln,  and  flows 
south  through  that  town  into  the  Providence  River.  It  is  about  nine  miles 
long,  with  a  watershed  of  22.6  square  miles.  Below  Saylesville  the  Moshas- 
suck runs  through  an  industrial  district.  In  the  second  quarter  of  the 
nineteenth  century  the  lower  part  of  this  river  was  developed  as  part  of 
the  Blackstone  Canal  (see  Tour  44).  The  estimated  population  of  the 
Moshassuck  River  Valley  is  134,000. 

The  Blackstone  River,  more  than  forty  miles  long,  rises  in  Massachu- 
setts and  enters  Rhode  Island  at  the  northwest  corner  of  Woonsocket. 
It  was  named  for  William  Blackstone,  first  white  settler  in  what  is  now 
Cumberland  (see  Tour  5).  For  many  years  in  early  history  the  Black- 
stone  River  served  as  the  eastern  boundary  of  Providence  Plantations. 
In  its  course  through  Woonsocket  the  river  forms  roughly  a  letter  W; 
from  Woonsocket  it  flows  southeast  into  the  Seekonk  River.  With  a  drain- 
age area  of  540  square  miles,  about  one-third  of  which  lies  within  Rhode 
Island,  the  Blackstone  flows  through  a  densely  populated  manufacturing 
district;  it  is  said  to  be  one  of  the  most  completely  utilized  streams  for 
industrial  purposes  in  the  world.  There  are  thirty-four  dams  on  the  main 
stream,  eleven  of  them  in  Rhode  Island,  utilizing  409  in  a  total  fall  of  471 
feet.  Power  plants  installed  on  the  stream  are  capable  of  producing 
15,000  horse-power.  It  was  the  Blackstone  River  which  early  determined 
the  industrial  character  of  Woonsocket.  Abbott  Run,  largely  in  the  town 
of  Cumberland,  is  one  of  many  tributaries  to  the  Blackstone.  The  Rhode 
Island  population  of  the  valley  is  184,000. 

Though  there  are  many  other  short  rivers  in  the  State,  the  only  one 
much  used  today  for  power  or  other  industrial  purposes  is  the  Saugatuck, 
in  South  Kingstown,  six  miles  in  length,  flowing  through  the  industrial 
districts  of  Peace  Dale  and  Wakefield.  The  largest  inland  body  of  water 
in  the  State  is  the  Scituate  Reservoir  (see  Tour  10). 


The  Natural  Setting  17 


PLANTS 

An  unexpected  variety  in  the  flora  of  Rhode  Island  is  due  to  the  peculiar 
geography  of  the  State.  The  moderating  effect  of  Narragansett  Bay 
on  the  climate  greatly  aids  the  growth  of  such  trees  as  the  tulip,  usually 
found  from  Pennsylvania  south  to  the  Gulf  States,  and  the  pin  and  post 
oaks,  both  of  which  are  extremely  rare  so  far  north.  Providence  and  the 
Buttonwoods  area  of  Warwick  have  a  number  of  beautiful  tulip  trees, 
and  the  oaks  may  be  seen  near  the  north  shore  of  Wickford  Harbor.  On 
the  other  hand,  in  the  north  and  northwestern  sections  of  Rhode  Island 
the  canoe,  or  paper,  birch  and  the  sugar  maple  are  to  be  found;  although 
very  seldom  seen  as  far  south  as  this  State,  they  grow  near  Wallum  Lake 
(see  Tour  9),  and  on  Diamond  Hill  in  Cumberland.  There  are  at  least 
sixty  different  kinds  of  trees  in  Rhode  Island,  including  species  of  oak, 
ash,  hickory,  elm,  willow,  maple,  birch,  poplar,  pine,  and  cedar,  all  of 
which  are  native  to  the  State.  The  maple  has  been  adopted  by  the  public 
schools  as  the  State  tree.  Hundreds  of  trees  and  shrubs  which  have  been 
introduced  to  Rhode  Island  may  be  seen  flourishing  in  Roger  Williams 
Park  (see  PROVIDENCE).  Some  of  these  are  native  to  the  Orient  and 
Europe. 

Even  greater  variety  is  to  be  found  among  the  smaller  plants.  The 
rocks  and  tidal  pools  of  Narragansett  Pier,  Newport,  and  Sakonnet  con- 
tain many  species  of  seaweed,  while  the  fresh- water  algae  of  the  same  class 
are  to  be  found  in  ponds  and  streams  all  over  the  State.  Eelgrass,  notable 
for  its  wonderful  powers  of  fertilization,  is  found  in  the  smaller  bodies 
of  salt  water.  Cat-tails  and  asters  are  to  be  found  in  the  marshes  of 
Charlestown  and  South  Kingstown.  In  many  places  the  seashore  of 
Rhode  Island  is  overgrown  with  plants.  The  Newport  cliffs  are  sometimes 
painted  the  brick-red  shade  of  the  pimpernel  (see  NEWPORT),  and  in 
many  places  along  the  seashore  a  curious  sort  of  fleshy  chick  weed  (Arenaria 
peplodies,  L.),  grows  abundantly.  The  surfaces  of  some  of  the  fresh-water 
ponds  in  Roger  Williams  Park  and  East  Greenwich  are  almost  hidden  at 
times  beneath  the  wonderful  pond  lilies.  Occasionally  among  the  creamy 
white  blossoms  are  to  be  seen  a  few  rare  pink  ones.  Pickerel  weed,  with 
its  tall  spikes  of  blue  flowers,  is  also  common  in  many  ponds.  On  the  cove 
lands  of  upper  Providence  grows  the  beautiful  wild  rice.  Water  weed, 
which  became  a  nuisance  in  England  after  being  transferred  there  as 
a  novelty,  is  native  to  the  rivers  and  streams  of  Rhode  Island.  Along  the 


l8  Rhode  Island:  The  General  Background 

Woonasquatucket,  among  many  other  plants,  there  is  usually  a  fine  show 
of  arrow-arum. 

The  swamps  of  South  Kingstown,  Charlestown,  and  Westerly  are  over- 
grown with  interesting  flora.  The  sundew  and  the  pitcher-plant,  both 
insectivorous,  are  to  be  found,  and  there  are  patches  of  blue  gentians  and 
tall  iris.  At  least  thirty  kinds  of  orchids  have  been  found  in  Rhode  Island 
swamps,  including  the  Arethusa  bulbosa,  Pogonia,  and  Calopogon.  Ever- 
green holly  grows  near  the  Great  Swamp  in  North  Kingstown  (see 
Tour  3).  Poison  sumac,  which  should  be  carefully  avoided,  flourishes  in 
almost  every  local  swamp. 

The  meadows  of  Rhode  Island  are  covered  with  a  great  variety  of 
grasses,  weeds,  and  wiry  sedges.  Near  Warwick  there  are  whole  fields  of 
red  deer-grass,  and  patches  of  the  brown-centered  yellow  daisy.  In  many 
places  in  the  State  the  meadows  are  white  with  wild  carrot  and  white 
daisies.  Three  species  of  true  lily  may  be  seen  —  the  bright  orange  Turk's- 
cap,  the  nodding  yellow  Canadian,  and  the  erect  red  Philadelphia.  In 
the  late  summer,  goldenrod,  purple  asters,  and  the  three-fingered  poison 
ivy  turning  red  are  common.  On  the  sandy  plain  between  Apponaug  and 
Buttonwoods  are  many  trailing  blackberries  and  some  wild  indigo. 

The  large  wooded  area  of  Rhode  Island  contains  some  of  the  most 
beautiful  flowers  in  the  State.  The  violet,  Rhode  Island's  State  flower, 
grows  in  yellow,  white,  and  blue  patches  in  the  early  spring,  and  some- 
times returns  to  bloom  in  late  September.  Nodding  trilliums  and  the 
handsome  columbine  are  to  be  found  in  Cumberland.  Flowering  dogwood 
blooms  in  the  spring,  and  in  South  County  one  may  come  upon  the  great 
pinkish  lavender  blossoms  of  the  rhododendron.  Along  the  Kingston 
road  near  Matunuck  the  delicate  fragrance  of  the  blooming  mountain 
laurel  conies  from  the  hills,  which  are  covered  with  the  white  and  pink 
blossoms  (see  Tour  1). 

Among  the  fungi  found  in  Rhode  Island  are  a  number  of  species  of 
mushrooms,  some  edible  and  some  poisonous.  In  Roger  Williams  Park 
the  lawn  before  Betsey  Williams's  cottage  is  marked  with  widening  circles 
of  the  fairy-ring  mushroom  (see  PROVIDENCE).  Corn  smut,  which 
attacks  only  the  flowers  of  its  host  plant,  and  puffballs  may  be  found 
throughout  the  State.  Rocks  all  over  Rhode  Island  are  being  broken  down 
by  a  variety  of  lichens.  Among  the  mosses  on  tree  bark,  rocks,  or  even 
in  the  water,  one  may  find  every  shade  of  green  from  the  darkest  to  almost 
white.  More  than  forty  kinds  of  fern,  including  the  maidenhair  and  the 
lime-loving  walking  fern,  have  been  found  in  Rhode  Island.  The  latter 
species,  rare  in  eastern  New  England,  occurs  near  Limerock.  On  the 


The  Natural  Setting  19 


many  rocky  cliffs  of  Little  Compton  the  polypody  fern  may  easily  be 
found. 

Since  the  highest  elevation  in  Rhode  Island  is  about  eight  hundred  feet, 
there  are  no  alpine  or  sub-alpine  species  of  flora.  In  general,  the  flora  is 
similar  to  that  in  the  neighboring  States  of  Connecticut  and  Massachu- 
setts. 


ANIMALS 

Representative  specimens  of  every  large  division  of  the  animal  kingdom 
are  to  be  found  in  Rhode  Island.  Unicellular  animals,  including  the 
amoeba  and  the  paramecium,  abound  in  almost  all  the  waters  of  the 
State.  In  lower  Narragansett  Bay  may  be  found  rocks  encrusted  with 
small  unusable  sponges,  including  some  of  the  vase  and  finger  types.  The 
brilliantly  colored  Portuguese  man-of-war,  of  the  same  large  group  as  the 
sponges,  is  sometimes  carried  into  Rhode  Island  waters  by  the  Gulf 
Stream.  Among  the  stinging  animals  a  number  of  sea  anemones  may  be 
found,  especially  on  the  low  mud  flats  off  the  Colt  Drive  in  Bristol. 
Jellyfish  are  common  in  the  warm  quiet  water  of  Salt  Pond  near  Wake- 
field,  and  in  the  clear  ocean  off  Point  Judith  a  type  of  stony  coral  may  be 
seen  collecting  on  the  bottom.  Marine  worms  burrow  in  the  mud  and 
sand  along  the  shore,  and  the  yard-long  Cerebratulus  lacteus  is  a  common 
bait  for  fish.  On  the  tide  flats  of  East  Greenwich  and  Warwick  Neck  the 
iridescent  sandworm  is  common;  like  the  earthworm  found  in  the  meadows 
and  woods  of  the  State,  it  is  an  annelid,  a  segmented  animal.  The  common 
starfish  lives  in  great  numbers  upon  the  oysters  in  lower  Narragansett 
Bay.  Sea  cucumbers,  which  are  members  of  the  same  phylum  as  the  star- 
fish, may  be  dug  out  of  the  mud  in  Bristol. 

Among  the  crustaceans  common  to  Rhode  Island  are  barnacles,  shrimp- 
like  prawn,  and  many  species  of  crab.  The  blue  crab,  delicious  to  eat,  is 
often  to  be  found  near  the  mouths  of  rivers  and  streams  flowing  into  the 
bay.  But  the  most  valuable  crustacean  found  in  Rhode  Island  waters  is 
the  lobster. 

Belonging  to  the  same  phylum  as  the  squid,  which  is  common  in  Rhode 
Island  waters  in  season,  are  the  clam,  the  mussel,  and  the  oyster.  The 
famous  quahaug  is  a  large  hard-shelled  clam  whose  numbers  have  been 
almost  depleted  except  from  Conimicut,  the  Kickemuit  River,  and  East 
Greenwich  Bay,  where  they  are  now  protected  by  law.  The  quahaug  is 


2O  Rhode  Island :  The  General  Background 

larger  than  the  common  clam,  and  has  a  stronger  flavor,  but  its  neck  is 
much  shorter.  As  early  as  1799  a  small  tract  of  the  public  domain  was 
leased  to  private  persons  for  the  cultivation  of  oysters  in  Rhode  Island. 
About  six  thousand  acres  are  now  leased  for  that  purpose.  Along  the 
beaches  may  be  found  the  shells  of  the  slipper  limpet  or  boat  shell,  peri- 
winkle, conch,  oyster  drill,  and  several  kinds  of  snails. 

Among  the  primitive  vertebrates  found  in  Rhode  Island  are  certain 
tunicates  and  wormlike  balanoglossids.  There  are  probably  no  lancelets, 
but  sea  squirts  have  been  found  in  lower  Narragansett  Bay. 

The  ponds  and  streams,  as  well  as  the  marine  waters  of  Rhode  Island, 
provide  a  variety  of  habitats  for  fish.  In  the  ocean  off  Block  Island,  sword- 
fish,  bluefish,  and  sea  bass  are  caught  for  both  profit  and  sport.  Up  the 
bay  near  Newport  occurs  the  annual  run  of  scup,  and  the  marine  waters 
of  the  State  may  be  successfully  fished  at  almost  any  time  for  alewives, 
cod,  eels,  perch,  and  the  fighting  tautog.  From  the  inland  ponds  and 
streams  the  small-  and  large-mouthed  bass,  white  and  yellow  perch,  and 
eels  are  to  be  caught  (see  Sports  and  Recreation).  Also  from  these  fresh 
waters  may  be  drawn,  after  a  battle,  pickerel  and  trout.  At  the  head  of 
the  Pettaquamscutt  River  lies  the  small  village  of  Bridgetown,  whose 
inhabitants  smoke  the  herring  which  they  catch  in  the  annual  runs. 

Among  the  amphibians  and  reptiles  of  Rhode  Island  are  more  than  a 
dozen  species  of  salamander,  at  least  six  species  of  frogs,  and  nine  species 
of  turtle.  In  muddy  fresh-water  ponds  and  streams  both  snapping  and 
spotted  turtles  are  common.  Now  and  then  in  salt  or  brackish  streams  is 
found  the  diamond-back  terrapin,  and  green  marine  turtles  nearly  six 
feet  long  have  drifted  into  Rhode  Island  waters  with  the  Gulf  Stream. 
The  box  turtle,  whose  habitat  is  the  dry  land,  and  the  wood  terrapin  are 
rare  in  Rhode  Island.  There  are  nearly  twenty  species  of  snakes  in  the 
State,  ranging  in  size  from  the  finger-length  garter  snakes  to  six-foot  black- 
snakes  in  North  Smithfield.  Near  Portsmouth  and  Little  Compton  there 
are  banded  rattlesnakes,  and  large  ones  have  been  seen  in  Smithfield; 
while  the  common  hognose  snake  is  to  be  found  in  many  parts  of  the 
State. 

The  spiders  in  Rhode  Island  range  in  size  from  the  small  gray  garden 
varieties  to  the  black  and  yellow  species  which  grow  to  nearly  two  inches 
in  length.  There  are  great  numbers  of  insects  of  the  common  varieties. 
The  raising  of  honey  bees  is  profitably  carried  on  in  many  parts  of  the 
State.  The  insects  destructive  of  many  trees  and  shrubs  in  Rhode  Island 
include  the  elm  tree  beetle,  the  Japanese  beetle,  the  gypsy  moth,  and  the 
brown-tailed  moth. 


The  Natural  Setting  21 


Being  a  maritime  State,  Rhode  Island  is  on  the  fringe  of  the  migration 
route  of  the  twenty-five  or  more  species  of  shore  birds,  which  have  been 
saved  from  extermination  by  hunting  restrictions.  The  State  is,  however, 
mostly  southeast  of  the  coastal  migration  route  for  small  land  birds,  so 
that  the  number  of  spring  and  fall  transients  is  disappointingly  small. 
Because  of  its  isolated  position  offshore,  Block  Island  is  an  interesting 
'  bird  trap '  for  transient  migrants,  particularly  ducks,  of  all  the  numerous 
species  that  move  up  and  down  the  Atlantic  fly- way. 

Along  the  Connecticut  border  in  the  western  part  of  Rhode  Island  are 
sections  of  land  which  either  never  have  been  cleared  or  have  become 
overgrown  again  with  scrub  oak  and  underbrush.  In  this  area  throughout 
the  year  live  the  bluejay,  the  ruffed  grouse,  the  barred  and  screech  owls, 
and  in  the  warmer  months  the  robin,  catbird,  and  flicker.  A  favorite 
haunt  of  the  osprey  is  in  the  Touisset  section  of  Warren,  near  the  Massa- 
chusetts border.  There  are  many  terns  and  gulls.  Among  migratory 
birds  found  in  the  State  are  five  species  of  ducks,  the  least  sandpiper,  the 
loon,  and  the  American  woodcock.  Rhode  Island,  particularly  around 
Touisset,  seems  to  be  a  favorite  haunt  of  the  osprey.  There  are  many 
terns  and  gulls  of  various  species,  and,  in  Newport  County,  so  many 
pheasants  that  the  market-gardeners  are  bothered.  The  State  buys  and 
releases  ring-necked  pheasants,  and  protects  the  hen  pheasants  by  law. 


THE      INDIANS 


WHEN  the  white  man  came  to  the  land  which  is  now  Rhode  Island  he 
found  it  in  the  possession  of  five  Indian  tribes  —  the  Narragansetts, 
Niantics,  Nipmucks,  Pequots,  and  Wampanoags.  All  of  these  tribes 
belonged,  in  a  linguistic  sense,  to  the  great  Algonquian  family  of  North 
American  Indians.  The  tribes  were  ruled  by  sachems,  who  exercised  an 
authority  which  was  often  hereditary  in  practice  if  not  in  theory.  The 
sachems  married  only  women  equal  to  them  in  birth,  the  'royal'  power 
passing  to  their  descendants  unless  the  heirs  were  notoriously  unfit  for 
the  position.  Under-sachems  or  sagamores  ruled  smaller  bands  within  the 
tribe,  these  groups  often  taking  their  name  from  the  locality  in  which  they 
lived.  Thus  the  Cowesets,  near  Greenwich,  belonged  to  the  Narragansetts, 
while  the  Nausets  on  Cape  Cod  came  under  the  sway  of  the  Wampanoags. 
The  sagamores  dealt  justice  in  cases  where  individuals  were  concerned, 
but  in  important  matters  pertaining  to  the  tribe  as  a  whole  the  sachem 
held  full  power.  He  commonly  dispatched  culprits  with  his  own  hand, 
if  the  offense  had  been  a  serious  one,  and  he  administered  whippings  in 
minor  cases.  Although  the  Indians  had  no  written  law  until  after  the 
coming  of  the  white  man,  their  customs  were  as  unyielding  as  any  code. 
Persons  committing  adultery,  murder,  or  robbery  were  severely  punished. 
Tribal  ownership  of  land  was  sacred  to  them;  should  an  Indian  kill  a  deer 
on  foreign  soil,  custom  decreed  that  a  part  of  the  slain  animal  must  be  sent 
to  the  sachem  ruling  that  territory. 

A  system  of  counting  from  one  to  a  hundred  thousand  by  using  grains 
of  corn  as  counters,  and  the  coining  of  money  from  shells,  borrowed  from 
Dutch  trappers,  were  customs  common  to  the  Narragansetts  when  Roger 
Williams  first  became  acquainted  with  them.  Their  currency  was  made 
from  seashells  gathered  during  the  summer,  and  then  in  winter  worked 
into  the  beadlike  coins  known  as  wampum,  which  was  so  often  used  by 
the  white  colonists  that  it  came  to  have  a  set  value  in  relation  to  European 
coins.  White  wampum  was  made  of  the  inner  shell  of  the  periwinkle, 
broken  into  small  beads  and  strung  upon  a  sinew;  it  was  valued  at  six 
pieces  to  the  English  penny.  Black  wampum  came  from  a  part  of  the 
quahaug  or  round  clam  shell;  three  pieces  were  worth  a  penny.  Fascinated 
by  the  decorative  patterns  these  wampum  beads  could  form,  the  Indians 


The  Indians  23 


wore  belts  and  other  trappings  made  thereof.  Considerable  ingenuity  was 
used  in  the  drilling  and  polishing  of  the  beads.  Roger  Williams  remarked 
that  the  ingenuity  also  extended  to  counterfeiting  the  black  wampum  from 
stone.  Otherwise  the  Indians  used  stone  for  the  manufacture  of  all  sorts 
of  useful  implements  such  as  axes,  chisels,  gouges,  arrowheads,  pestles  and 
mortars,  and  ornamented  pipes.  Many  of  these  implements  are  preserved 
as  relics  in  local  museums.  In  addition  to  visiting  the  museums,  everyone 
interested  in  Indian  life  should  read  Williams's  '  Key  Into  the  Language  of 
America,'  published  in  London  in  1643.  This  book  is  not  a  mere  dictionary 
of  definitions,  but  a  most  entertaining  description  of  Indian  life;  it  has 
been  reprinted  several  times  since  the  first  edition. 

In  the  weaving  of  baskets  and  nets  the  Indians  were  very  skillful,  and 
there  seems  to  have  been  a  division  of  labor  in  this  field,  some  Indians 
making  only  one  sort  of  article  and  selling  or  trading  it  for  other  products. 
Earthen  dishes  were  baked  in  fire,  but  the  red  man's  most  skillful  use  of 
flame  came  in  the  making  of  hollowed-log  canoes,  which  were  manu- 
factured from  tree  trunks  by  a  method  of  charring  and  gouging.  These 
craft  were  ordinarily  propelled  by  paddles,  though  sometimes  in  running 
before  the  wind  a  coat  or  mat  was  used  as  a  sail.  The  Indians  were 
ardent  and  skillful  fishermen,  using  bone  hooks,  nets,  and  spears.  Ac- 
cording to  Roger  Williams,  they  were  good  swimmers  also,  for  when  their 
cranky  craft  upset  they  could  swim  a  distance  of  t  two  miles  to  shore.' 

Tribes  hunted  deer  in  bands,  beating  the  cover  to  drive  the  animals  out. 
They  also  set  traps  and  deadfalls  for  other  game,  and  were  great  hunters 
of  birds.  Roots  and  berries  formed  a  large  part  of  their  diet,  and  they 
made  a  bread  of  crushed  strawberries  and  meal.  Corn,  beans,  and  squash 
were  cultivated  in  fields.  Forty  or  fifty  women  would  often  co-operate  in 
preparing  the  fields  for  planting.  They  plowed  with  sharp  sticks  and  did 
not  attempt  stump-grubbing,  preferring  to  girdle  the  bark  of  a  tree,  thus 
killing  it  so  the  sun  could  filter  through  the  dead  branches.  Corn  was  the 
staple  article  of  diet  in  winter  months,  being  pounded  by  hand  into  a 
coarse  meal  and  stored  in  bags  or  baskets.  A  warrior  could  carry  several 
days'  supply  of  food  in  a  belt  about  his  waist,  for  a  handful  of  corn, 
moistened  with  water,  made  a  fairly  satisfactory  meal.  The  raising  of 
tobacco  was  the  only  form  of  agriculture  that  the  men  carried  on,  but 
that  was  important,  since  every  man  carried  his  pipe  and  tobacco  in  a  bag 
about  his  neck.  Tobacco  was  much  esteemed  by  the  Indian  as  a  remedy 
for  toothache  and  a  preventive  of  rheumatism. 

The  Indian  woman  cultivated  the  fields,  tanned  the  hides  of  slain 
animals,  carried  her  youngest  child  strapped  to  a  board  on  her  back.  She 


24  Rhode  Island :  The  General  Background 

collected  and  dried  the  berries  and  roots  for  winter  storage,  and  manu- 
factured shoes  and  leggings  of  deerskin.  She  was  not  ill-treated  by  her 
husband,  who  gave  her  parents  a  dowry  when  he  took  her  to  his  house. 
Though  monogamy  was  generally  practiced,  polygamy  was  not  forbidden; 
some  of  the  sachems  had  several  wives,  for  a  wife  by  her  labor  in  the  field 
produced  riches.  The  Indians  indulged  their  children;  Roger  Williams 
commented  that  the  little  boys  and  girls  were  often  very  insolent  owing 
to  lack  of  discipline. 

The  Indian  house  was  characterized  by  its  portability  and  imperma- 
nence.  A  circle  of  upright  poles  was  erected  and  the  tops  were  tied  to- 
gether in  a  clump.  This  framework  was  covered  with  mats  of  bark  or  skin, 
made  by  the  women.  The  Anterior  was  hung  with  mats  or  skins  decorated 
with  designs  in  crude  colors.  The  Indians  knew  and  used  the  colors  of 
white,  black,  red,  yellow,  green,  and  blue.  The  skins  commonly  used  by 
them  were  deer,  moose,  raccoon,  wolf,  otter,  beaver,  and  squirrel.  Their 
showiest  wearing  apparel  was  a  coat  of  turkey  feathers,  made  by  the  old 
men  instead  of  the  women.  Male  children  went  naked  for  the  first  ten  or 
twelve  years,  while  little  girls  wore  an  apron  'of  a  hand's  breadth'  from 
birth.  During  cooler  weather,  both  children  and  adults  wore  a  skin  cloak, 
leggings,  and  deerskin  shoes.  Inside  the  Indian  house,  baskets  and  bags 
took  the  place  of  shelves,  while  mats  served  as  a  bed.  A  hole  in  the  top  of 
the  shelter  was  the  chimney  for  the  cooking  fire  in  the  center  of  the  house. 
The  term  'wigwam'  was  never  used  by  the  Indians;  it  is  the  white  man's 
corruption  of  wetuomuck,  meaning  'at  their  home'  or  'at  home.'  Some- 
times the  houses  were  oblong  instead  of  round,  with  several  chimney 
holes,  to  accommodate  a  number  of  family  cooking  arrangements.  Long 
houses  were  occasionally  erected  for  great  feasts.  In  summer  the  Indians 
moved  from  field  to  field,  packing  up  and  moving  when  the  fleas  became 
too  numerous  or  the  ground  too  dusty.  In  winter  they  moved  into  wooded 
bottom  lands,  away  from  the  bitter  winds.  It  was  not  uncommon  to  find 
twenty  or  more  villages  in  the  course  of  a  twenty-mile  walk. 

The  Indians  were  fond  of  gossip  and  lavish  in  their  hospitality.  A 
meeting  on  a  trail  was  the  signal  for  the  smoking  of  pipes  and  the  exchang- 
ing of  news.  They  played  games  in  which  entire  tribes  took  part.  One 
game  was  similar  to  football,  and  another  was  played  with  small  sticks  or 
bones  resembling  dice.  Having  no  horses  or  other  beasts  of  burden,  they 
traveled  long  distances  on  foot,  and  from  this  training  they  were  notable 
runners. 

Against  sickness  they  were  comparatively  helpless,  relying  on  the 
medicine  man  and  his  incantations,  and  attributing  misfortune  to 


The  Indians  25 


capriciousness  or  desire  for  vengeance  on  the  part  of  some  one  of  their 
many  gods.  One  vigorous  remedy  which  they  did  employ  was  a  sort  of 
Turkish  bath,  commonly  known  as  the  sweat  bath,  which  had  a  wide 
distribution  throughout  North  America.  A  small  hut  was  plastered 
nearly  airtight  with  mud,  heated  stones  were  placed  inside,  and  water 
was  poured  over  them.  The  Indians  stayed  in  the  steam  and  heat  until 
nearly  suffocated;  then  they  dashed  out  to  plunge  into  a  pond  or  river. 
When  a  person  was  sick,  the  women  of  his  family  smeared  themselves  with 
soot  and  black  earth,  and  upon  a  death  the  men  of  the  family  likewise 
went  into  mourning.  The  mockuttasuit,  or  funeral  director,  generally  an 
old  man  of  dignity  and  position,  prepared  the  body  for  burial  in  the 
ground.  The  mat  upon  which  the  body  lay  was  buried  with  it,  together 
with  an  earthen  dish  belonging  to  the  deceased.  Often  a  coat  belonging 
to  the  dead  man  or  woman  was  hung  on  a  near-by  tree  limb,  there  to 
remain  undisturbed  until  it  rotted.  A  sacrifice  was  made  to  the  gods;  it  is 
recorded  that  Canonicus,  sachem  of  the  Narragansetts,  burned  his  house, 
and  all  his  possessions  in  it,  as  an  offering  when  a  son  died.  The  name  of 
a  dead  man  was  never  spoken,  and  the  taking  of  that  name  by  members 
of  another  tribe  was  held  just  cause  for  war.  The  death  of  any  person  was 
cause  enough  for  moving  a  village. 

The  Indian  gods  of  this  locality  were  at  least  thirty-eight  in  number; 
among  these  were  the  deities  representing  earth,  fire,  water,  feast,  famine, 
and  the  dance.  Cowtantowit  was  the  supreme  god,  and  it  was  to  him  that  the 
annual  public  feast  of  thanksgiving  was  held  in  gratitude  for  the  fruits  of 
the  harvest.  Legend  says  that  a  crow,  a  sacred  bird  to  the  Indians,  first 
brought  to  them  a  single  grain  of  corn  and  a  bean  from  the  field  of  Cow- 
tantowit, who  lived  far  in  the  southwest.  Gods  were  never  represented  by 
images,  for  they  were  held  to  be  ghosts. 

The  warrior's  weapons  were  the  spear,  bow  and  arrow,  and  the  club. 
Indians  were  brave  in  warfare,  but  treacherous  according  to  the  white 
man's  standards,  since  they  held  that  the  basest  trickery  or  deceit  was 
not  dishonorable  if  directed  against  a  foe.  The  bond  of  lineal  brother- 
hood was  the  strongest  personal  relationship,  a  brother  often  paying  the 
debts  of  a  dead  brother,  and  even  giving  his  life  in  atonement  for  a 
brother's  crime. 

By  their  own  rather  high  estimate,  there  were  thirty  thousand  Indians 
in  Rhode  Island  when  the  white  man  came.  Historical  evidence  points 
to  the  conclusion  that  the  local  Indians  were  a  fairly  prosperous  and  happy 
people  who,  after  forty  years  of  rum  and  civilization,  found  themselves 
hunted,  murdered,  or  sold  into  slavery  so  that  the  white  man  could 
occupy  their  lands. 


26  Rhode  Island :  The  General  Background 

Of  the  five  historic  tribes  which  had  some  connection  with  Rhode 
Island,  we  know  least  about  the  Nipmucks.  References  to  this  tribe,  or 
collection  of  small  bands,  appear  frequently  in  early  narratives,  but  no 
one  has  yet  reconstructed  their  history  or  culture  with  any  completeness. 
Most  of  the  Nipmucks  ranged  over  central  Massachusetts,  but  some  of 
them  lived  at  one  time  in  northern  Rhode  Island.  In  the  middle  seven- 
teenth century  New  England  missionaries  made  efforts  to  Christianize 
them,  but  these  efforts  did  not  prevent  the  Nipmucks  from  joining  with 
the  Wampanoags  and  others  in  King  Philip's  War.  At  the  close  of  hostili- 
ties in  1676,  most  of  the  Nipmucks  fled  westward  or  to  Canada.  A  few 
scattered  bands  incorporated  themselves  with  the  tribes  which  remained 
friendly  to  the  white  man,  but  the  Nipmucks  as  a  distinct  family  lost  their 
identity  at  that  time. 

The  Pequots,  most  of  whom  lived  in  southeastern  Connecticut,  were 
practically  exterminated  as  a  tribe  in  1637,  only  seventeen  years  after  the 
first  permanent  white  settlement  was  made  in  New  England.  Fierce 
fighters  and  trouble-makers,  the  Pequots  were  fomenting  a  scheme  to 
wipe  out  the  white  man  when  Roger  Williams  first  appeared  in  Rhode 
Island  and  prevailed  upon  the  Narragansetts  to  ally  themselves  with  the 
English  colonists  and  a  friendly  group  of  the  Connecticut  Mohegans.  The 
resulting  hostilities  of  1637  broke  the  Pequot  power;  many  of  the  survivors 
fled  from  southern  New  England,  while  others  remained  as  wards  of  the 
English  on  a  reservation  in  Connecticut. 

The  Rhode  Island  Niantics  (there  was  also  a  Connecticut  branch)  oc- 
cupied the  southern  part  of  the  State  under  the  rule  of  Ninigret,  who  kept 
his  followers  out  of  most  of  the  troubles  which  took  place  between  the 
natives  and  the  whites.  Ninigret,  cousin  of  the  Narragansett  sagamore 
Miantonomi,  was  described  by  Increase  Mather  as  'an  old  crafty  sachem/ 
Certain  it  is  that  he  preserved  pride  and  property  without  fighting  for 
either.  He  first  appeared  in  history  in  1637,  when  he  visited  Boston  to 
discuss  the  Pequot  situation.  In  1647  he  again  visited 'Boston,  this  time 
to  sign  a  treaty  ending  his  war  with  the  Mohegans.  In  1652  he  visited 
the  Dutch  at  Manhattan,  and  during  the  next  few  years  warred  with  the 
Montauk  Indians  on  Long  Island.  By  abstaining  from  personal  activity 
in  King  Philip's  War,  he  secured  for  himself  and  his  heirs  some  tribal 
lands  near  Charlestown.  To  this  sanctuary  came  also  the  remnants  of  the 
Narragansett  tribe.  Ninigret,  who  was  one  of  the  few  sachems  of  his 
period  to  die  of  old  age,  is  reputed  to  have  told  a  Christian  missionary  to 
'go  and  make  the  English  good,  first.' 

The  name  Nfantic  was  lost  when  the  colonists  came  to  refer  to  the 


The  Indians  27 


Indians  occupying  the  tribal  lands,  or  Charlestown  reservation,  as  Narra- 
gansetts.  An  influx  of  Negro  blood  was  rapid,  so  that  by  1852  few  Indians 
of  pure  blood  remained  in  the  State.  The  reservation  passed  from  ex- 
istence in  1879.  Though  the  descendants  of  the  tribal  remnants  hold 
a  ceremony  or  pow-wow  every  year  (see  Tour  10),  the  assimilation  of 
Indian  blood  is  evident  in  the  fact  that  the  so-called  '  Narragansetts '  come 
from  all  walks  of  life.  Present-day  Indians,  and  those  of  Indian  descent, 
have  served  with  distinction  as  Rhode  Island  soldiers  and  sailors,  so  that 
the  possession  of  Indian  blood  is  rightly  held  in  esteem. 

The  Narragansetts,  or  l  the  People  of  the  Small  Point/  were  the  most 
powerful  tribe  in  Rhode  Island,  occupying  most  of  the  State  and  claiming 
control  over  the  Nipmuck  and  part  of  the  Mohegan  territory.  They 
numbered  about  five  thousand  in  1674.  Escaping  the  pestilence  of  1617, 
which  weakened  the  once  stronger  Wampanoags,  they  had  won  the  islands 
in  Narragansett  Bay  from  that  tribe,  and  were  engaged  in  war  with  them 
when  Roger  Williams  appeared  on  the  scene.  He  helped  to  make  peace 
between  Canonicus,  sachem  of  the  Narragansetts,  and  Massasoit,  head 
of  the  Wampanoags.  These  two  rulers  also  maintained  peaceful  relations 
with  the  white  men  of  the  Bay  Colony  and  of  Rhode  Island.  Canonicus 
had  sent  to  the  Pilgrims  in  1622,  as  was  the  custom  when  strangers  ap- 
peared, the  usual  challenge  to  war  in  the  form  of  a  bundle  of  arrows  tied 
up  in  a  snakeskin.  Tradition  says  that  the  snakeskin  was  politely  re- 
turned, filled  with  powder  and  lead.  No  hostilities  resulted. 

Roger  Williams  received  title  to  his  lands  from  Canonicus,  who  died 
in  1647,  aged  about  eighty  years.  Canonicus'  nephew,  Miantonomi,  was 
the  old  sachem's  right-hand  man  until  his  own  death  in  1643.  He  was 
constantly  suspected  of  disloyalty  to  the  English,  but  he  managed  to  clear 
himself  of  definite  charges  when  summoned  to  Boston  in  1640  and  1642. 
He  was  much  impressed  by  the  preaching  of  Roger  Williams.  Mian- 
tonomi was  captured  by  the  Mohegans  in  1643  and  sent  to  Hartford  for 
trial;  Hartford  sent  him  to  Boston,  where  he  was  condemned  to  death, 
and  delivered  to  his  enemy  Uncas  for  execution. 

At  the  time  of  King  Philip's  War,  1675-76,  the  Narragansetts  were 
ruled  by  Canonchet,  descended  through  a  collateral  line  from  Canonicus. 
The  Narragansetts  at  first  took  no  part  in  the  war,  except  to  harbor 
refugee  Wampanoags,  but  when  the  colonists  descended  upon  them  in 
December,  1675,  the  Narragansetts  actively  supported  the  native  cause 
against  the  rising  tide  of  white  dominion.  Canonchet  became  the  real 
leader  of  the  Indian  raids  against  the  white  settlements  while  King  Philip 
was  in  northern  New  England.  He  was  captured  and  executed  near 


28  Rhode  Island:  The  General  Background 

Stonington,  Connecticut,  in  the  spring  of  1676,  his  head  being  sent  to 
Hartford  as  a  trophy.  He  was  described  by  Williams  as  a  'hopeful  spark,' 
and  two  remarks  of  his  have  come  down  to  us  which  make  it  evident  that 
he  was  very  much  of  a  person.  When  asked  in  1675  to  deliver  up  some 
fugitives  he  refused  thus,  *  Not  a  Wampanoag,  or  the  paring  of  a  Wam- 
panoag  nail.'  When  told  he  was  to  be  executed  he  said,  'I  shall  die  before 
my  heart  is  soft,  or  I  have  said  anything  unworthy  of  myself.' 

The  last  member  of  the  Narragansett '  royal '  line  was  Quaiapen,  a  sister 
of  Ninigret.  She  also  lost  her  life  in  1676.  Historians  have  described  her 
as  'an  old  piece  of  venom'  rather  than  a  romantic  Indian  princess.  With 
her  death  the  Narragansetts  were  broken  up  as  a  tribe.  Some  fled  west- 
ward, others  went  to  Canada.  In  1682  a  party  of  about  one  hundred  was 
at  Albany,  New  York,  seeking  permission  to  return  to  Rhode  Island  in 
peace;  later  they  joined  the  Niantics.  A  number  of  Narragansetts  went 
with  the  miscellaneous  group  called  the  Brotherton  Indians,  a  mixed 
band  led  by  Samson  Occom,  a  Christian  Indian  minister.  In  1833  the 
Brothertons  removed  from  Oneida  County,  New  York,  to  the  shores  of 
Green  Bay,  Wisconsin,  where  they  abandoned  tribal  organization  and 
became  citizens. 

The  Wampanoags  under  Massasoit  and  his  sons  Wamsutta  (or  Alex- 
ander) and  Metacom  (or  King  Philip)  occupied  the  east  shore  of  Narra- 
gansett Bay  and  the  adjacent  parts  of  Massachusetts,  including  Cape 
Cod,  Nantucket,  and  Martha's  Vineyard.  Relations  between  the  two 
races  were  peaceable  during  the  life  of  Massasoit,  but  after  his  death  in 
1662  the  red  men  came  to  have  many  grievances  against  their  white 
neighbors.  For  one  thing,  Wamsutta  died  under  conditions  which  made 
Philip  believe  he  had  been  mistreated.  In  general,  the  common  English 
practices  of  debauching  the  Indians  with  strong  drink,  tricking  them  into 
signing  away  their  lands,  and  endeavoring  to  make  them  surrender  their 
arms  (Treaty  of  Taunton,  1671)  led  to  a  determination  on  the  red  man's 
part  to  expel  the  whites  from  the  country.  King  Philip  is  often  charged  with 
having  fomented  a  widespread  conspiracy  against  the  English ;  it  is  more 
probable  that  the  Indians  spontaneously  arose  because  of  grievances 
which  they  had  harbored  for  a  number  of  years. 

The  Wampanoags  began  at  Swansea,  Massachusetts,  in  June,  1675,  the 
most  destructive  Indian  war  New  England  ever  experienced  —  a  war 
that  had  extermination  as  its  object  and  that,  but  for  the  treachery  of 
some  Indians  to  their  own  race,  might  have  succeeded.  Of  the  ninety 
settlements  in  New  England  at  the  time,  fifty-two  were  attacked,  and 
thirteen  almost  wholly  destroyed.  Six  hundred  colonists,  or  one  in  every 


The  Indians  29 


eleven  able  to  bear  arms,  were  killed,  together  with  numbers  of  women 
and  children.  More  than  six  hundred  houses  were  burned,  and  the  ex- 
pense of  the  war  to  Plymouth  Colony  alone  amounted  to  more  than 
£100,000,  an  enormous  sum  in  those  days.  The  end  for  the  Indian  was  the 
breaking  up  of  his  tribes,  slavery,  flight,  or  death. 

King  Philip's  War  raged  for  two  years,  with  sporadic  outbursts  for 
some  time  afterward.  One  of  the  decisive  battles  was  fought  on  Rhode 
Island  soil,  and  many  settlements  were  devastated.  The  aged  Governor 
Coddington  was  a  Quaker,  and  thus  was  reluctant  to  give  military  assistance 
to  Providence  and  the  more  exposed  settlements.  The  island  of  Newport 
became  a  refuge  for  those  who  fled  their  homes.  In  Providence,  however, 
Roger  Williams,  who  was  also  more  than  seventy  years  of  age,  became  an 
officer  in  a  military  band.  At  first  the  Narragansetts  were  neutral,  though 
they  sheltered  many  Wampanoag  women  and  children  and  provided  a  few 
warriors  for  Philip's  raids.  Owing  to  the  certainty  that  the  entire  Narra- 
gansett  tribe  would  be  drawn  into  the  war  at  some  time,  the  military 
officers  of  Massachusetts  and  Connecticut  determined  to  carry  hostilities 
into  the  Narragansetts'  country  before  the  Indians  were  in  a  position  to 
strike  with  force. 

The  result  was  the  Great  Swamp  Fight,  on  December  19, 1675,  in  which 
soldiers  from  all  of  the  southern  New  England  colonies  (Rhode  Islanders 
taking  part  with  some  reluctance)  attacked  and  destroyed  the  Narra- 
gansetts' winter  camp  near  the  present  West  Kingston  (see  Tour  3). 
After  burning  the  winter  supplies  of  the  Indians,  the  colonists  made  their 
way  back  to  the  easterly  settlements,  suffering  intensely  from  the  cold  on 
their  march.  Joshua  Tift,  a  renegade  white  friend  of  the  Indians,  was 
captured  and  tried  in  Providence.  Suspected  of  having  supervised  the 
construction  of  the  Indian  fort,  he  was  condemned  and  hanged  —  '  a  sad 
wretch,  he  never  heard  a  sermon  but  once  these  fourteen  years.' 

In  the  spring  of  1676,  all  the  outlying  houses  in  Warwick,  and  a  good 
many  of  those  in  Providence,  were  burned  by  the  infuriated  Narra- 
gansetts. Roger  Williams  lost  his  house,  but  as  recompense  for  his  part  hi 
endeavoring  to  keep  the  Narragansetts  out  of  the  war  and  for  aiding  the 
Colonial  cause  in  general,  Massachusetts  suspended  the  decree  of  banish- 
ment against  him  for  the  duration  of  the  war. 

The  fortunes  of  war  turned  against  the  Indians  after  the  death  of 
Canonchet  later  in  the  spring.  Captain  Benjamin  Church  hunted  down 
the  elusive  Philip,  the  chase  ending  in  a  swamp  near  the  foot  of  Mount 
Hope  (see  BRISTOL),  where  Philip  was  shot  by  an  Indian  ally  of  the 
white  officer.  Church  also  captured  Anawon,  Philip's  brother-in-law, 


3O  Rhode  Island :  The  General  Background 

near  Taunton.  After  the  death  of  Quaiapen  in  a  battle  at  Warwick,  July, 
1676,  the  war  was  practically  over.  King  Philip  was  not  a  great  military 
leader,  but  he  was  in  many  respects  an  admirable  man.  His  family  was 
sold  into  slavery,  and  Philip's  head,  cut  from  his  dead  body,  was  exposed 
on  a  pole  in  Plymouth. 

The  imprint  of  the  Indian  survives  in  Rhode  Island  today  chiefly  in 
the  many  names  derived  from  Indian  usage.  The  city  of  Woonsocket 
takes  its  name  from  Miswosakit,  the  Indian  term  for  the  present  Woon- 
socket Hill  in  the  adjacent  town  of  North  Smithfield;  according  to  Roger 
Williams,  the  term  meant  'at  the  very  steep  hill.'  The  present  Conanicut 
Island  is  named  for  the  Narragansett  sachem  Canonicus.  Pawtucket,  the 
name  of  the  large  city  just  north  of  Providence,  meant  to  the  Indians 
'waterfall  place.'  Apponaug,  a  village  in  modern  Warwick,  meant  'shell- 
fish,' and  existing  banks  of  clamshell  dust  there  attest  to  the  Indian  use 
of  this  place  as  a  site  for  'shore  dinners.'  The  present  Sakonnet,  in 
southern  Little  Compton,  is  said  to  be  a  modernized  version  of  an  Indian 
phrase  meaning  the  'haunt  of  the  wild  goose,'  and  a  somewhat  similar 
derivation  is  given  for  the  name  of  the  Seekonk  River  between  Providence 
and  East  Providence.  The  subject  of  modern  derivations  from  Indian 
names  is  a  fascinating  hobby,  but  one  which  requires  a  very  thorough 
knowledge  of  the  old  native  languages. 

There  are  few  Indian  archeological  remains  in  the  State.  The  mounds 
at  Charlestown,  called  Ninigret's  Fort  (see  Tour  1),  were  once  regarded  as 
prehistoric.  They  were  dedicated  as  Indian  relics  in  1883,  but  are  now 
considered  to  be  the  remains  of  a  Dutch  trading  fort.  Queen's  Fort,  west 
of  Wickford  Junction  (see  Tour  3),  is  an  authentic  Indian  fortification, 
made  by  piling  stones  into  an  irregularly  shaped  wall. 

Recently  there  has  come  to  light  an  archeological  discovery  which  may 
indicate  the  human  occupation  of  Rhode  Island  at  a  time  long  before  the 
days  of  the  historic  Indian  tribes  known  to  the  first  white  settlers.  On  the 
homestead  of  Mr.  William  T.  Ide,  2585  Pawtucket  Avenue,  East  Provi- 
dence, a  Folsom  point  was  found  in  the  spring  of  1936.  Folsom  points 
were  discovered  near  Folsom,  New  Mexico  (hence  the  name),  about  ten 
years  ago,  and  are  considered  by  some  archeologists  to  date  back  about 
twelve  thousand  years.  The  New  Mexican  points  were  found  with  the 
bones  of  an  extinct  species  of  bison,  but  one  which  may  have  been  alive 
as  late  as  the  fourteenth  century  A.D.  Mr.  Ide's  specimen  is  the  first  one 
found  in  Rhode  Island.  The  Smithsonian  Institution  in  Washington  has 
stated  that  this  is  a  very  good  example  of  the  eastern  type  of  Folsom 
point,  and  that  it  is  composed  of  black  chert  which  may  have  been  from 


The  Indians  31 


a  piece  of  glacial  float.  It  is  still  a  moot  question,  however,  what  conclu- 
sions are  to  be  drawn  from  this  discovery. 

There  are  at  least  three  important  private  collections  of  Indian  relics  in 
Rhode  Island,  and  three  collections  open  to  the  public;  namely,  those  at 
the  Rhode  Island  Historical  Society  and  the  Roger  Williams  Park  Mu- 
seum in  Providence,  and  that  at  the  Museum  of  Primitive  Culture  in 
Peace  Dale  (see  Tour  1). 


HISTORY 


EARLY  SETTLEMENT 

THE  first  white  settlement  within  the  present  borders  of  Rhode  Island 
was  founded  in  1636  by  Roger  Williams.  Oppressed  by  the  Puritanism  of 
Massachusetts,  he  had  fled  to  the  upper  Narragansett  Bay  region,  and 
others  following  his  example  migrated  in  1638  to  lands  farther  south  on 
the  bay.  Rhode  Island's  corporate  history  may  be  said  to  have  begun  in 
1647,  when  representatives  of  the  four  new  towns  of  Providence,  Ports- 
mouth, Newport,  and  Warwick  formed  the  first  general  assembly,  at  which 
measures  were  adopted  for  common  peace  and  security. 

The  land  which  is  now  the  State  of  Rhode  Island  had,  of  course,  been 
visited  by  white  men  long  before  the  arrival  of  Williams.  The  Portuguese 
navigator  Miguel  Cortereal  was  probably  on  the  coast  in  1511;  and 
Giovanni  da  Verrazano,  the  Florentine  navigator  sailing  for  France, 
visited  Narragansett  Bay  in  1524.  Dutch  adventurers  and  traders  came 
to  this  vicinity  early  in  the  seventeenth  century.  Block  Island  is  named 
for  Captain  Adriaen  Block,  who  sailed  along  the  coast  in  the  '  Onrust '  in 
1614,  and  Dutch  traders  continued  to  visit  Rhode  Island  shores  for  some 
time  thereafter.  William  Blackstone,  an  Anglican  clergyman,  settled  in 
what  is  now  Cumberland  about  a  year  before  Williams'  arrival,  but 
Blackstone  cannot  be  considered  a  real  founder  of  the  State.  He  gathered 
no  band  of  colonists  about  him  at  his  farm  on  Study  Hill,  and  the  land 
he  settled  on  was  a  part  of  Massachusetts  until  1747. 

The  best  known  of  the  Colony's  founders,  Roger  Williams,  was  born 
in  England  about  1603.  As  a  young  man  he  was  a  protege  of  Sir  Edward 
Coke's.  He  attended  Pembroke  College,  Cambridge,  and  then  became 
a  chaplain  to  Sir  William  Masham  (of  the  Massachusetts  Bay  Company), 
who  married  a  daughter  of  Lady  Joan  (Cromwell)  Barrington,  an  aunt  of 
Oliver  Cromwell.  Young  Williams  hence  had  ample  opportunity  to  be 
come  acquainted  with  the  reform  movement  which  soon  after  came  into 
prominence  in  the  struggle  between  Parliament  and  King  Charles  I. 
Since  he  had  also  acquired  liberal  theological  ideas,  he  considered  it  wise 
to  leave  England,  where  dissenters  from  the  Anglican  Church  were  often 


History  33 


persecuted.  Leaving  the  mother  country  on  the  ship  'Lyon,'  near  the 
end  of  1630,  he  came  to  America  with  his  wife,  Mary  Barnard,  landing  at 
Boston,  Massachusetts,  on  February  9,  1631.  Williams  refused  a  call  to 
serve  as  a  teacher  in  the  Boston  church,  partly  on  the  ground  that  its 
members  still  held  communion  with  the  Anglican  Church.  He  served  for 
a  short  time  as  assistant  in  the  church  at  Salem,  and  spent  about  two 
years  in  Plymouth,  where  he  became  acquainted  with  Massasoit  and 
Canonicus,  sachems  of  the  Wampanoag  and  Narragansett  tribes. 

It  was  after  his  return  to  Salem  in  the  summer  of  1633  that  Williams 
came  into  serious  conflict  with  the  Puritan  leaders  of  Massachusetts.  He 
denied  the  right  of  civil  magistrates  to  inflict  punishment  for  breaches  of 
religious  discipline ;  he  declared  that  the  King  of  England  could  not  give 
away  lands  belonging  to  the  Indians;  and  he  refused  to  take  the  oaths 
required  of  Massachusetts  inhabitants.  Because  of  these  beliefs,  Williams 
was  banished  from  the  Bay  Colony  on  October  9,  1635,  though  he  was 
granted  permission  to  remain  until  the  following  spring  on  condition  that 
he  cease  preaching  '  seditious '  doctrines.  Unable  to  remain  silent,  he  fled 
from  Salem  in  January,  1636,  just  in  time  to  avoid  arrest  and  immediate 
deportation  to  England.  Leaving  his  wife  and  family  in  Salem,  he  took 
to  'a  narrow  Indian  path'  which  led  to  Sowams  (Warren),  the  head- 
quarters of  Massasoit.  Williams  settled  first  on  the  east  side  of  the  See- 
konk  River,  at  what  is  now  East  Providence,  where  he  was  joined  by 
William  Harris,  John  Smith,  Francis  Wickes,  Joshua  Verein,  and  Thomas 
Angell  —  the  latter  a  young  serving  lad  of  Richard  Waterman's.  In- 
formed that  the  land  belonged  to  Plymouth,  he  moved  in  June,  1636,  to 
the  banks  of  the  Moshassuck  River,  and  in  commemoration  of  'God's 
providence  to  him  in  his  distress,'  he  named  the  new  settlement  Provi- 
dence. It  is  to  be  noted  that  the  ideal  of  'soul  liberty'  or  religious  tolera- 
tion which  we  commonly  associate  with  Roger  Williams  was  developed  in 
practice  in  Rhode  Island  in  1636;  neither  Williams  nor  any  of  his  Massa- 
chusetts contemporaries  held  that  freedom  of  conscience  was  a  cause  of 
his  banishment,  though  actually  it  was  an  important  underlying  cause. 

Williams  proceeded  to  turn  the  former  Indian  country  at  Providence 
into  a  typical  English  plantation.  He  secured  a  deed  to  a  large  tract  of 
land,  which  was  essentially  the  present  Providence  County  save  the  part 
that  lies  east  of  the  Blackstone  River.  Williams  acquired  this  tract  as  his 
own  personal  property,  though  it  was  not  his  intention  to  administer  it  for 
profit.  In  the  fall  of  1638,  he  associated  with  himself  twelve  other  settlers 
—  Stukely  Westcott,  William  Arnold,  Thomas  James,  Robert  Cole,  John 
Greene,  John  Throckmorton,  William  Carpenter,  William  Harris,  Thomas 


34  Rhode  Island :  The  General  Background 

Olney,  Francis  Weston,  Richard  Waterman,  and  Ezekiel  Holyman  —  as 
'the  Proprietors'  Company  for  Providence  Plantations.' 

Providence  was  a  simple  democracy  in  which  the  heads  of  families  met 
fortnightly  to  consult  about  planting,  keeping  watch,  and  similar  matters; 
but  as  settlement  increased,  this  form  of  government  became  inadequate. 
In  1637  there  was  drawn  up  under  Williams'  influence  a  plantation 
covenant,  somewhat  similar  to  the  '  Mayflower  Compact '  of  the  Pilgrims. 
It  bound  its  subscribers  to  obey  such  rules  as  should  be  made  by  the 
majority  but  'only  in  civill  things.'  The  only  officers  were  a  treasurer 
and  a  clerk,  and  for  some  time  there  were  no  courts  or  constables.  Such 
an  elementary  democracy  contained  within  it  possibilities  of  danger, 
hence  in  1640  it  was  agreed  to  have  a  board  of  governors,  called  Disposers, 
who  would  conduct  the  general  business  of  the  plantation,  subject  to  the 
control  of  the  town  meeting.  Shortly  before  this,  in  March,  1639,  an 
event  of  great  importance  in  religious  history  took  place,  when  Williams, 
Ezekiel  Holyman  (or  Holliman),  and  ten  others  founded  the  first  Baptist 
Society  in  America.  It  is  related  that  Holyman  first  baptized  Williams, 
who  then  baptized  Holyman  and  the  ten  others.  This  was  undoubtedly 
the  first  baptismal  ceremony  by  immersion  in  America.  Although  he 
took  a  leading  part  in  the  founding  of  the  American  Baptist  Church, 
Williams'  interest  ia  the  movement  was  short-lived;  he  doubted  the 
validity  of  his  baptism,  and  became  a  '  Seeker '  —  one  who,  dissatisfied 
with  the  regular  organization  of  any  one  church,  sought  instead  the  good 
elements  to  be  found  in  all  ecclesiastical  systems.  Until  death,  he  re- 
mained a  '  Seeker,'  ever  disturbed  in  mind  and  often  controversial. 

Portsmouth  and  Newport  were  the  next  towns  founded  after  Provi- 
dence. Two  former  residents  of  Massachusetts,  John  Clarke  and  William 
Coddington,  had  a  prominent  part  in  the  settling  of  both.  Clarke  was 
a  physician  and  Coddington  a  man  of  wealth  and  position,  who  with  some 
others  were  ordered  to  leave  Massachusetts  in  the  spring  of  1638  because 
of  their  sympathy  with  Anne  Hutchinson.  This  new  company  of  exiles 
came  by  boat  to  Providence,  where  they  consulted  with  Williams  regard- 
ing a  place  of  settlement.  In  March  they  secured  an  Indian  deed  to  the 
island  of  Aquidneck.  Before  leaving  Boston  for  their  own  plantation, 
Coddington  and  Clarke  drew  up  a  compact  for  a  theocratic  form  of 
government;  they  were  men  of  greater  business  experience  and  of  more 
autocratic  tendencies  than  either  Williams  or  Samuel  Gorton,  the 
founder  of  Warwick. 

About  the  first  of  April,  1638,  this  group  took  possession  of  the  north 
end  of  Aquidneck,  calling  their  settlement  Pocasset,  but  later  renaming 


History  35 


it  Portsmouth.  To  this  new  Colony  came  Anne  Hutchinson  with  a  num- 
ber of  her  followers,  exiles  from  Massachusetts.  A  struggle  for  political 
power  between  Coddington  and  Mrs.  Hutchinson  ensued  in  which  Cod- 
dington  was  defeated,  after  which  he  and  his  followers  moved  southward  in 
May,  1639,  and  founded  Newport.  Those  remaining  at  Portsmouth 
established  a  new  government  based  on  English  rather  than  Mosaic  law. 
In  March,  1640,  however,  the  two  towns  united  under  a  common  rule, 
federal  in  nature,  with  Coddington  as  Governor.  At  the  general  Court  of 
Election  held  in  March,  1644,  it  was  ordered  that  the  island  called  Aquid- 
neck  should  henceforth  be  known  as  the  Isle  of  Rhodes,  or  Rhode  Island. 
This  was  the  first  official  use  of  the  name  '  Rhode  Island '  as  applied  to  a 
part  of  the  present  State. 

Samuel  Gorton,  the  founder  of  Warwick,  was  also  an  exile  from  Massa- 
chusetts. This  man,  who  has  described  himself  as  'a  citizen  of  London, 
clothier,  professor  of  the  mysteries  of  Christ,  and  De  Primo/  was  banished 
from  Plymouth  in  December,  1638,  for  opposing  the  magistrates,  who  had 
censured  the  conduct  of  his  maid  servant.  Coming  to  Portsmouth,  he 
also  quarreled  with  the  authorities  there,  and  so  he  moved  to  Providence, 
where  he  was  refused  admission  as  an  '  inhabitant '  or  legal  citizen  because 
of  his  tendency  to  disturb  the  peace.  After  many  difficulties  with  the 
Providence  leaders,  he  moved  to  Pawtuxet,  and  in  January,  1645,  to 
Shawomet  or  Warwick.  Soldiers  from  Massachusetts  broke  up  his  settle- 
ment in  the  following  summer,  and  took  him  to  Boston  for  trial  as  a 
heretic.  He  was  kept  in  chains  and  at  hard  labor  during  the  winter;  then 
upon  his  release  hi  the  spring  he  went  to  Portsmouth  again.  He  secured 
the  submission  of  the  Narragansett  sachems  to  the  authority  of  the  Eng- 
lish Crown  on  April  19,  1644.  Gorton  made  a  trip  to  England  later  in 
the  year,  and  obtained  an  order  from  the  Earl  of  Warwick  guaranteeing 
him  freedom  from  molestation  at  Shawomet;  thither  he  returned  in  1648, 
naming  the  reorganized  settlement  Warwick  in  honor  of  his  benefactor. 

Thus  the  early  history  of  Rhode  Island  is  the  story  of  four  separate 
communities,  each  acting  in  large  degree  independently  of  the  others.  To 
gain  greater  protection  against  outside  dangers,  Roger  Williams  went  to 
England  in  1643  to  secure  a  charter  which  would  give  the  Colony  a  legal 
basis  for  existence.  He  took  a  ship  from  New  Amsterdam  (New  York) 
in  June,  and  in  the  following  March  he  obtained  the  Colony's  first  charter, 
granted  by  a  parliamentary  commission  headed  by  the  Earl  of  Warwick. 
After  his  return  to  Rhode  Island  in  the  fall  of  1644,  Williams  left  Provi- 
dence for  a  time  and  lived  at  a  trading  house  near  Wickford,  where  he 
hoped  to  raise  money  to  pay  the  expenses  of  his  trip  abroad  (see  Tour  1). 


36  Rhode  Island :  The  General  Background 

The  charter  created  '  The  Incorporation  of  Providence  Plantations  in  the 
Narragansett  Bay  in  New  England,'  which  included  Providence,  New- 
port, and  Portsmouth,  but  not  Warwick.  Although  the  latter  settlement 
was  not  named  in  the  charter,  Warwick  was  by  common  consent  admitted 
to  the  same  privileges  as  the  others  at  the  opening  of  the  first  legislative 
session  May  19-21,  1647. 


BOUNDARY  DISPUTES 

One  would  suppose  that  the  boundaries  of  a  State  only  1084  square 
miles  in  area  could  have  been  settled  without  difficulty,  yet  they  were  not 
finally  established  until  more  than  260  years  after  the  founding  of  Provi- 
dence. Rufus  Choate  once  declared  that  the  boundaries  of  Rhode  Island 
might  as  well  have  been  marked  on  the  north  by  a  bramblebush,  on  the 
south  by  a  bluejay,  on  the  west  by  a  hive  of  bees  in  swarming  time,  and 
on  the  east  by  five  hundred  foxes  with  firebrands  tied  to  their  tails.  The 
difficulty  was  due  in  part  to  the  fact  that  in  early  days  independent  groups 
of  settlers  acquired  lands  from  the  Indians  by  vaguely  worded  deeds,  in 
part  to  the  disloyal  action  of  some  inhabitants  who  placed  their  estates 
under  the  jurisdiction  of  Massachusetts  or  Connecticut,  and  lastly  to  the 
continual  controversies  with  the  neighboring  States  over  the  exact  location 
of  the  lines  established  by  court  decrees  or  arbitrations. 

Shortly  after  the  founding  of  Providence,  Roger  Williams  made  an 
agreement  with  the  Narragansett  chieftain  Canonicus  for  the  use  of  lands 
lying  along  the  Woonasquatucket,  Moshassuck,  and  Pawtuxet  Rivers, 
and  extending  north  along  the  Seekonk  River  to  Pawtucket  Falls  (con- 
firmed by  written  deed  in  March,  1638).  By  1659  other  Indian  convey- 
ances had  enlarged  this  grant  so  that  it  included  most  of  what  is  now 
Providence  County  west  of  the  Blackstone  River,  and  some  of  the  small 
islands  in  Narragansett  Bay.  In  March,  1638,  William  Coddington  and 
others  secured  another  extensive  grant,  also  from  Canonicus,  including 
Aquidneck  (the  Island  of  Rhode  Island) ;  and  early  in  1643,  Samuel  Gorton 
and  others  purchased  from  the  Narragansetts  the  territory  called  Shawo- 
met  (Warwick).  These  separate  communities,  as  noted  above,  soon  be- 
came politically  united,  so  that  conflicts  arising  from  Indian  conveyances 
disappeared,  but  disputes  with  rival  English  settlements  caused  much 
greater  trouble.  From  1642  to  1658,  lands  lying  along  the  Pawtuxet  and 
the  Pawtucket  Rivers,  belonging  in  part  to  the  Arnold  family,  were 


GLIMPSES       INTO       THE       PAST 


SINCE  history  is  the  sum  total  of  human  experience  these 
glimpses  into  the  past  have  been  limited  to  a  few  outstanding 
scenes.  For  the  sake  of  convenience  this  group  of  illustrations 
is  centered  around  political  and  martial  heroes;  the  broader 
aspects  of  Rhode  Island's  cultural  heritage  are  shown  in  suc- 
ceeding groups. 

When  Roger  Williams  founded  Providence  in  the  summer  of 
1636,  his  neighbors,  the  Narragansett  Indians,  were  proba- 
bly living  in  villages  like  the  one  shown  in  the  Goddard  Park 
reconstruction,  erected  during  the  State's  Tercentenary  Cele- 
bration of  1936. 

Five  illustrations  belong  to  the  Revolutionary  era:  showing, 
in  the  burning  of  the  '  Gaspee,'  Rhode  Island's  first  bold  act 
of  defiance  against  English  rule;  the  last  Colonial  governor, 
Joseph  Wanton,  who  was  deposed  in  1775;  a  mariner's  map 
of  Narragansett  Bay  made  during  the  years  when  the  British 
and  our  French  allies  were  fighting  for  the  control  of  this 
valuable  naval  base;  Nathanael  Greene,  the  State's  great 
Revolutionary  general,  and  an  interior  view  of  his  home  in 
Anthony. 

The  Oliver  Hazard  Perry  House  brings  to  mind  Rhode  Is- 
land's naval  hero  in  the  War  of  1812. 

The  State's  only  internal  rebellion  centers  around  Thomas 
W.  Dorr's  threat  to  the  administration  of  Governor  Samuel 
Ward  King. 

Views  of  the  city  of  Providence  and  Brown  University  as  they 
appeared  nearly  a  century  ago  are  followed  by  a  modern 
photo  of  the  present  State  Capitol. 


BLASKOWITZ  MAP  OF  NARRAGANSETT  BAY  (1777) 


F.CONSTRUCTION    OF    A    NARRAGANSETT    INDIAN    VILLAGE,  GODDARD   PARK,  WARWICK 


BURNING   OF   THE    'GASPEE*    IN    1772 


M 


Wi 


GOVERNOR    JOSEPH   WANTON 


PORTRAIT   OF   THOMAS   W.   DORR 


/ 


**7V    ^\ 


Jr*       \/V 

Xv 


7 


K 


n 


•1B^ 


r... 


iulK- 


/ 


OLIVER   HAZARD   PERRY   HOUSE,  SOUTH    KINGSTON 


FIREPLACE,  NATHANAEL   GREENE    HOUSE,  ANTHONY 


DOORWAY,  OLIVER    HAZARD    PERRY    HOUSE 


GOVERNOR  SAMUEL   WARD   KING 


GENERAL   NATHANAEL   GREENE 


CITY   OF    PROVIDENCE   ABOUT    1850 


CITY  or  ruovmivNci:  K.I 


BROWN   UNIVERSITY  ABOUT    1840 


STATE    CAPITOL,  PROVIDENCE 


History  37 

voluntarily  placed  by  their  owners  under  the  rule  of  Massachusetts,  and 
for  much  of  the  time  between  1659  and  1671  the  Atherton  Company, 
which  held  approximately  the  eastern  half  of  North  Kingstown,  con- 
sidered its  territory  to  be  under  the  control  of  Connecticut. 

The  main  boundary  line  between  Rhode  Island  and  Connecticut  became 
an  active  source  of  controversy  in  1662,  when  the  latter  Colony  received 
a  royal  charter  extending  its  eastern  limits  to  'the  Narragansett  River 
commonly  called  Narragansett  Bay.'  The  Rhode  Island  agent  in  England 
at  the  time,  John  Clarke,  realized  that  this  addition  to  Connecticut  would 
nearly  obliterate  his  own  Colony,  so  he  insisted  that  the  'Narragansett 
River'  was  the  Pawcatuck.  Governor  Winthrop,  who  represented  Con- 
necticut in  London,  agreed  to  this  interpretation,  hence  the  new  Rhode 
Island  Charter  of  1663  named  the  Pawcatuck  River  as  the  southern  part 
of  the  intercolonial  boundary.  Winthrop's  concession  was  later  repudiated 
by  the  Connecticut  Assembly;  and  to  complicate  matters  further,  the 
royal  commissioners  who  visited  Rhode  Island  in  1665  decided  that  the 
disputed  territory  should  belong  to  neither  colony  but  to  the  King,  though 
Rhode  Island  might  exercise  jurisdiction  over  it  (King's  Province)  for 
the  time  being.  Controversies  with  Connecticut  over  the  Pawcatuck 
River  raged  until  1703,  when  a  commission  meeting  at  Stonington  agreed 
on  a  line,  confirmed  by  King  George  on  February  8,  1727,  and  finally 
adjusted  September  27, 1728,  which  was  substantially  the  same  boundary 
that  exists  today. 

The  original  boundary  of  Rhode  Island  on  the  north  was,  in  theory, 
the  southern  limit  of  Massachusetts  as  defined  in  the  latter's  charter  of 
1629.  Some  markers  were  erected  in  Wrentham  in  1642  to  indicate  this 
line,  but  the  result  was  not  satisfactory  to  either  party.  Commissioners 
representing  the  two  Colonies  agreed  in  1711  to  accept  the  charter  bound- 
ary (under  the  new  Massachusetts  Charter  of  1691),  and  a  line  was  run  in 
1719  which  proved,  however,  to  be  very  inaccurate.  Other  eighteenth- 
century  attempts  to  agree  on  a  division  met  with  little  success. 

Most  of  what  is  now  eastern  Rhode  Island  was  originally  claimed  by 
Plymouth  Colony,  and  then  by  Massachusetts  when  the  former  Colony 
was  merged  (1691)  with  the  latter.  An  eastern  boundary  between  Rhode 
Island  and  Massachusetts  was  agreed  upon  by  a  royal  commission  meeting 
at  Providence  in  1741,  and  confirmed  by  royal  decree  five  years  later. 
Although  not  wholly  satisfactory  to  Rhode  Island,  the  decision  did  award 
to  the  Colony  the  '  Attleboro  Gore,'  or  what  amounts  to  the  present  town 
of  Cumberland.  Disputes  touching  lands  along  the  eastern  shore  of 
Narragansett  Bay  continued  for  more  than  a  century.  The  whole  dispute 


38  Rhode  Island :  The  General  Background 

with  Massachusetts  reached  the  Supreme  Court  in  1846,  where  it  was 
decided  largely  in  favor  of  Massachusetts;  but  since  the  parties  were  then 
unable  to  agree  on  a  line  following  the  judicial  interpretation,  a  second 
decree  was  sought  from  the  court  in  1861.  By  the  later  decision,  January 
23,  1 86 1,  Rhode  Island  received  part  of  Pawtucket  and  East  Providence, 
Massachusetts  being  given  Fall  River.  The  northern  boundary  with 
Massachusetts  was  finally  established  on  March  22, 1883,  and  the  eastern 
boundary  on  June  3,  1899.  The  western  boundary  line  was  finally  estab- 
lished on  May  5,  1887. 


POLITICAL  AND  MILITARY  HISTORY  TO  1776 

The  first  assembly  of  the  Colony  of  Rhode  Island  and  Providence 
Plantations  met  at  Portsmouth  on  May  19-21, 1647.  The  chief  executive 
was  called  President,  and  until  1663  the  office  was  held  most  of  the  time 
by  Newport  men,  John  Coggeshall  being  the  first.  Newport  was  the 
largest  town  in  the  Colony  in  1647,  having  about  three  hundred  inhabitants 
while  Providence  had  about  two  hundred.  Coddington  went  to  England 
in  1648,  and  secured  in  1651  a  special  commission  making  him  Governor 
of  Aquidneck  —  an  innovation  which  aroused  so  much  opposition  that 
the  commission  was  vacated  in  1652,  though  the  four  towns  did  not  unite 
again  for  general  legislation  until  1654.  Roger  Williams  was  instrumental 
in  securing  the  revocation  of  the  Coddington  commission;  he  was  in 
England,  for  a  second  visit  on  behalf  of  the  Colony,  from  1651  to  1654. 
On  his  return  to  America  in  the  latter  year,  he  was  made  President  of  the 
reunited  settlements,  holding  that  position  until  May,  1657.  He  died  in 
1683,  sometime  between  January  16  and  March  15. 

In  1655,  there  were  two  hundred  and  forty-seven  freemen  (qualified 
voters)  in  Rhode  Island,  ninety-six  of  whom  lived  in  Newport.  In  the 
summer  of  1657,  the  first  Quakers  came  to  the  Colony,  where  they  found 
a  refuge  generally  denied  them  elsewhere  in  British  America.  Missionary 
zeal  led  them  to  brave  the  anti-Quaker  laws  of  Massachusetts,  as  a  result 
of  which  Mary  Dyer  was  hanged  at  Boston  in  the  spring  of  1660.  Al- 
though Roger  Williams  did  not  favor  the  Quaker  sect,  his  ideal  of  religious 
freedom  forbade  him  to  take  legal  measures  against  them.  However,  he 
did  engage  in  a  three-day  debate  with  Quaker  spokesmen  at  Newport  in 
1671,  hoping  to  convince  the  Friends  of  their  errors. 

With  the  restoration  of  Charles  II  to  the  English  throne  in  1660,  Rhode 


History  39 


Island  felt  it  advisable  to  secure  a  royal  charter  to  replace  the  parliamen- 
tary grant.  This  aim  was  accomplished  in  1663,  and  the  charter  continued 
in  force  until  1843 — a  term  of  one  hundred  and  eighty  years.  The 
charter  contained  the  following  clause  relating  to  religious  liberty: 

That  our  loyall  will  and  pleasure  is,  that  noe  person  within  the  said 
colonye,  at  any  tyme  hereafter  shall  be  anywise  molested,  punished,  dis- 
quieted or  called  in  question  for  any  differences  in  opinion  in  matters  of 
religion  and  doe  not  actually  disturb  the  civill  peace  of  sayd  colony,  but 
that  all  and  every  person  and  persons  may  from  tyme  to  tyme  and  at  all 
tymes  hereafter  freelye  and  fullye  enjoye  his  and  their  own  judgements  and 
consciences  in  matters  of  religious  concernments,  they  behaving  themselves 
peaceably  and  quietly,  and  not  using  this  libertie  to  lycentiousnesse  and 
profanenesse,  nor  to  the  civill  injurye  or  outward  disturbance  of  others. 

From  the  granting  of  the  royal  charter  to  the  end  of  the  seventeenth 
century,  five  new  towns  were  incorporated.  Westerly,  or  the  Misquamicut 
tract,  was  bought  from  the  Indians  and  settled  in  1661.  Block  Island  was 
admitted  to  the  Colony  of  Rhode  Island  in  1664,  and  incorporated  as  New 
Shoreham  in  1672.  Kings  Towne  was  made  a  town  in  1674;  it  was  called 
Rochester  from  1686  to  1689.  Kings  Towne  was  divided  into  North 
Kingstown  and  South  Kingstown  in  1723.  East  Greenwich  was  incorpo- 
rated in  1677;  it  became  Bedford  in  1686,  but  resumed  its  original  name 
three  years  later.  Conanicut  Island  was  incorporated  as  Jamestown  in 
1678.  During  the  same  period  settlers  from  Plymouth  or  Massachusetts 
founded  three  towns  which  later  became  part  of  Rhode  Island;  these 
were  Barrington  (1660),  Little  Compton  (1674),  and  Bristol  (1680). 

Much  of  Rhode  Island's  history  after  the  middle  of  the  seventeenth 
century  is  concerned  with  military  and  naval  affairs  —  from  1652  to  the 
end  of  the  Revolution  the  Colony  took  part  in  at  least  nine  wars.  Priva- 
teers went  out  of  Newport  to  seize  enemy  ships  during  the  Anglo-Dutch 
commercial  war  of  1652-54,  and  the  Colony  made  preparations  for 
hostilities  which  did  not  materialize  locally  in  the  later  conflicts  between 
England  and  Holland  (1664-67  and  1672-74).  King  Philip's  War  occurred 
immediately  thereafter.  Rhode  Island  had  little  to  do  with  its  causes, 
although  the  general  increase  of  English  settlements  here  as  elsewhere  was 
a  factor  contributing  to  Indian  resentment.  But  whatever  the  causes, 
Rhode  Island  could  not  escape  the  consequences;  two  powerful  native 
tribes  lived  within  her  borders.  Hostilities  broke  out  at  Swansea,  Massa- 
chusetts (the  middle  of  June,  1675),  despite  attempts  made  by  several 
Rhode  Islanders  to  effect  a  peaceful  compromise.  Captain  Benjamin 
Church,  recently  settled  in  the  new  town  of  Little  Compton,  persuaded 


4O  Rhode  Island :  The  General  Background 

Awashonks,  squaw-sachem  of  the  Sakonnet  Indians,  to  keep,  out  of  the 
war,  but  he  failed  in  urging  Weetamoe  of  the  Pocassets  to  adopt  a  similar 
policy.  Roger  Williams  also  exerted  his  influence  in  behalf  of  peace ;  and 
on  June  17,  1675,  Deputy-Governor  John  Easton  of  Newport  and  a  com- 
mittee of  five  held  a  futile  parley  with  Philip  (Metacom)  and  his  chiefs  at 
Bristol  Neck  Point. 

Although  the  war  was  begun  by  the  Wampanoags  under  Philip,  the 
more  dangerous  Narragansetts  under  Canonchet,  who  could  muster 
a  thousand  warriors,  soon  entered  the  fray.  At  the  end  of  July,  1675, 
Philip  escaped  from  traps  laid  to  catch  him  on  the  east  side  of  the  Taunton 
River  and  fled  northward,  not  to  be  seen  again  by  white  men  in  Rhode 
Island  until  his  capture  at  the  end  of  the  war. 

The  major  Rhode  Island  event  of  the  Indian  uprising  was  the  Great 
Swamp  Fight  at  North  Kingstown,  on  December  19,  1675  (see  Tour  3). 
Actually  this  battle  was  not  keenly  desired  by  Rhode  Islanders,  but  it  was 
more  or  less  forced  on  the  Colony  by  the  aggressive  tactics  of  the  Massa- 
chusetts authorities,  who  hoped  to  cripple  the  Narragansetts  in  their 
winter  quarters.  With  the  destruction  of  this  encampment  in  December, 
the  once-powerful  Narragansetts  received  a  blow  from  which  they  never 
recovered.  After  the  Swamp  Fight,  Rhode  Island  witnessed  little  warfare 
until  spring.  Captain  Michael  Pierce  and  most  of  his  force  of  fifty  white 
soldiers  (there  were  some  Indian  allies)  were  slain  in  an  engagement  on 
March  26,  near  what  is  now  Central  Falls  (see  Tour  5) ;  and  a  few  days  later 
many  houses  in  Providence  were  burned.  King  Philip  was  overtaken  by 
a  band  of  men  under  Captain  Church  and  killed  near  Mount  Hope,  Bris- 
tol, on  August  12,  1676  (see  BRISTOL).  With  the  destruction  of  the 
Narragansetts,  the  Indians  rapidly  declined  to  an  insignificant  position 
in  Rhode  Island  affairs.  In  1709,  the  Colony  negotiated  with  the  younger 
Ninigret,  sachem  of  the  Niantics,  for  an  Indian  reservation  of  some  sixty- 
four  square  miles  in  Charlestown,  and  arranged  for  the  lease  of  other 
areas.  Tribal  lands  titles  were  extinguished  for  five  thousand  dollars  in 
1879,  the  Narragansett  tribe  itself  having  been  practically  extinct  for 
a  quarter  century. 

Intercolonial  wars  between  the  English  and  the  French,  and  the  Indian 
allies  of  both,  extended  from  the  end  of  the  seventeenth  century  beyond 
the  middle  of  the  eighteenth.  The  first  of  the  French  wars,  called  King 
William's,  was  fought  1689-97.  In  the  first  year  of  hostilities,  Block 
Island  was  attacked  by  a  French  privateering  force,  which  plundered  the 
island  for  at  least  a  week  in  July.  This  force  was  later  driven  away  from 
Rhode  Island  shores  by  Captain  Thomas  Paine  of  Newport  and  James- 


History  41 

town  (see  Tour  8).  Though  the  Colony  did  not  otherwise  have  any  large 
part  in  the  war,  it  may  be  observed  that  at  this  time  privateering  was  first 
legalized  by  the  Assembly.  Privateering  became  such  a  profitable  form 
of  warfare  that  the  Colony  acquired  an  unsavory  reputation  for  providing 
a  friendly  haven  for  pirates,  whether  native  inhabitants  or  transients. 
Charges  of  piracy  and  of  other  irregularities  in  government  were  made,  for 
political  purposes,  by  Lord  Bellomont  of  Massachusetts  in  1699  and  by 
Governor  Joseph  Dudley  a  few  years  later,  causing  a  bill  for  the  alteration 
of  the  Rhode  Island  government  to  pass  the  House  of  Commons,  though 
it  failed  in  the  House  of  Lords.  Rhode  Island  itself  later  took  measures  to 
end  piracy,  and  in  July,  1723,  twenty-six  freebooters  were  hanged  at 
Gravelly  Point  near  Newport. 

Before  the  trouble  stirred  up  by  Bellomont  and  Dudley,  the  Colony 
experienced,  along  with  the  rest  of  New  England,  a  change  of  government 
under  the  so-called  'Dominion  of  New  England,'  an  experiment  begun  by 
Charles  II  and  continued  by  his  brother  James  II.  Quo  warranto  pro- 
ceedings based  on  some  real  and  some  alleged  irregularities  were  insti- 
tuted, the  Colony's  charter  was  voided  (October,  1685),  and  notice  was 
served  to  the  authorities  at  Newport  in  the  following  June.  As  a  county 
in  the  new  Dominion,  the  Colony  of  Rhode  Island  fared  rather  better  than 
Massachusetts,  where  there  was  continual  strife.  The  Governor-General, 
Sir  Edmund  Andros,  favorably  regarded  Rhode  Island  claims  to  King's 
Province  and  other  lands,  and  gave  the  Colony  an  able  subordinate  ruler 
in  the  person  of  Francis  Brinley,  presiding  judge  of  the  Court  of  General 
Quarter  Sessions.  The  Colony  resumed  its  charter  government  after  the 
fall  of  Andros  in  Massachusetts,  the  first  meeting  of  freemen  under  the 
former  constitution  being  held  in  Newport,  on  May  i,  1689.  Four  years 
later  the  Attorney-General  of  England  declared  that  the  charter  of  1663 
was  still  in  force, 

The  second  French  war,  Queen  Anne's,  lasted  from  1702  to  1713,  during 
which  time  Rhode  Island  privateering  flourished  again.  Captain  William 
Wanton  of  Newport,  in  the  '  Greyhound,'  a  hundred-ton  brigantine,  took 
three  French  prizes  on  a  trip  to  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence,  and  later  with 
his  brother  John  seized  other  enemy  vessels.  The  Colony  furnished  troops 
for  Captain  Church's  expedition  against  the  Eastern  Indians,  and  con- 
tributed both  men  and  money  to  the  unsuccessful  campaign  against 
Canada.  As  a  result  of  its  expenditures  in  this  war,  Rhode  Island  em- 
barked in  1710  on  its  first  venture  in  inflation,  when  it  authorized  printing 
bills  of  credit  to  the  amount  of  £5000  —  a  procedure  which  had  no  serious 
effects  at  the  time  but  which  led  in  later  years,  especially  after  the  Revolu- 
tion, to  grave  economic  disturbances. 


42  Rhode  Island :  The  General  Background 

The  next  intercolonial  war  began  in  1739  as  a  commercial  conflict  with 
Spain  but  was  later  merged  with  the  third  French  war  (King  George's, 
1744-48).  During  the  first  year  of  these  new  hostilities,  Rhode  Island 
built  the  famous  Colony  sloop  'Tartar,'  which  was  armed  with  twelve 
carriage  and  twelve  swivel  guns.  Rhode  Islanders  took  part  in  the  ex- 
pedition against  Cartagena,  in  1741,  one  of  the  most  disastrous  campaigns 
in  which  Americans  have  ever  participated,  and  assisted  Captain  Simeon 
Potter  of  Bristol,  commanding  the  'Prince  Charles  of  Lorraine,'  in  ravag- 
ing the  coast  of  French  Guiana.  Also  during  this  war  the  Colony  char- 
tered two  special  artillery  companies,  one  in  Newport  (1742)  and  the 
other  in  Providence  (1744).  Captain  Daniel  Fones  (see  Tour  1)  com- 
manded the  '  Tartar '  in  the  large  New  England  expedition  which  captured 
the  fortress  of  Louisburg  in  1745,  and  he  contributed  to  the  successful 
outcome  of  the  campaign  by  dispersing  a  French  force  in  the  Gut  of 
Canso.  Altogether  Rhode  Island  raised  about  six  hundred  and  fifty  men 
for  King  George's  War. 

The  last  French  war  was  fought  between  1754  and  1763.  Two  Rhode 
Island  men,  Stephen  Hopkins  and  Martin  Howard,  attended  the  Albany 
Congress  in  1754,  where  an  attempt  was  made  to  bring  about  a  greater 
degree  of  intercolonial  co-operation.  No  battles  of  this  last  French  and 
Indian  war  were  fought  on  Rhode  Island  soil;  but  men  from  the  Colony 
served  at  Fort  William  Henry  in  1755,  some  were  captured  by  the  French 
at  Oswego  in  1756,  some  were  lost  at  the  fall  of  Fort  William  Henry  in 
1757,  some  aided  in  the  capture  of  Fort  Frontenac  in  1758,  and  others 
served  with  Jeffrey  Amherst  through  1759  and  1760.  In  round  numbers, 
about  one  thousand  Rhode  Island  men  enlisted  in  the  land  forces  during 
this  war,  and  nearly  fifteen  hundred  went  to  sea  as  privateersmen. 

Soon  after  the  conclusion  of  the  final  French  war,  Rhode  Island  became 
embroiled  in  the  disputes  between  America  and  England  over  matters  of 
trade,  taxation,  and  imperial  control  in  general.  England's  seventeenth- 
century  trade  regulations  had  not  greatly  handicapped  Rhode  Island, 
partly  because  the  early  navigation  acts  were  not  strictly  enforced.  But 
the  acts  limiting  Colonial  manufacturing  of  woolen  goods  (1699),  hats 
(1732),  and  iron  (1751),  and  the  Molasses  Act  (1733)  placing  heavy  duties 
on  the  importation  of  molasses,  from  which  Rhode  Islanders  made  rum, 
convinced  the  colonists  that  the  English  policy  toward  America,  even 
though  it  may  not  have  been  actually  tyrannical,  was  a  hindrance  to  local 
prosperity. 

In  connection  with  the  controversies  which  raged  after  1763,  the  name 
of  Stephen  Hopkins  is  outstanding.  Born  in  Providence  in  1707  and  reared 


History  43 

as  a  young  man  in  Chopmist,  Scituate,  he  held  after  1742  a  number  of 
responsible  public  offices.  He  became  Governor  in  1755,  and  from  that 
year  to  1768  he  was  chosen  chief  executive  ten  times.  His  rival  for  the 
position,  Samuel  Ward,  was  chosen  three  times  during  the  same  period, 
the  result  in  the  annual  contests  being  often  decided  by  the  narrow  margin 
created  by  a  few  pounds  or  shillings  distributed  to  the  right  voters.  From 
1764  on,  Hopkins  had  much  to  do  with  shaping  public  opinion  against 
English  measures,  the  most  famous  of  his  writings  being  the  'Right  of 
Colonies  Examined/  which  appeared  in  the  Providence  Gazette.  Rhode 
Island  was  represented  by  Metcalf  Bowler  and  Henry  Ward  in  the  Con- 
gress of  1765  at  New  York,  which  opposed  the  Stamp  Act. 

In  1765  there  occurred  one  of  the  earliest  instances  of  resistance  to 
British  authority.  On  the  night  of  June  4,  a  mob  of  about  five  hundred 
sailors  and  boys  seized  a  boat  attached  to  the  'Maidstone,'  which  had 
been  impressing  sailors  in  Newport  Harbor,  and  dragged  it  through 
Queen  Street  to  the  Common,  where  it  was  burned.  No  redress  was 
secured  by  the  British  officers.  Hopkins  was  followed  as  Governor  by 
Josias  Lyndon;  and  then  in  1769  came  another  Newporter,  Joseph  Wan- 
ton, who  held  the  position  until  the  Revolution.  During  the  first  year  of 
Wanton's  tenure  occurred  the  'Liberty'  affair,  in  which  a  group  of  New- 
port men  scuttled  the  British  revenue  sloop  of  that  name  (see  NEW- 
PORT). In  this  same  year,  there  also  took  place  a  more  peaceful  but 
nevertheless  important  event,  the  first  commencement  of  Rhode  Island 
College,  now  Brown  University.  In  June,  1772,  another  British  revenue 
vessel,  the  'Gaspee,'  was  burned  as  it  lay  grounded  about  seven  miles 
south  of  Providence  on  the  west  side  of  Narragansett  Bay  (see  Tour  1). 
Governor  Wanton  was  placed  in  the  embarrassing  position  of  being 
obligated  to  enforce  English  regulations  without  at  the  same  time 
alienating  his  own  constituents.  He  filled  this  difficult  r61e  with  consider- 
able success;  in  1769  and  1772  he  issued  executive  proclamations  for  the 
arrest  of  the  local  offenders,  but  he  did  not  overexert  himself  to  bring  the 
guilty  ones  to  trial.  The  '  Gaspee '  incident  has  been  called  '  the  Lexington 
of  the  sea.' 

The  War  for  Independence  began  at  Lexington  and  Concord,  Massa- 
chusetts, in  April,  1775,  and  the  situation  in  Rhode  Island  soon  reached 
a  point  where  diplomacy  no  longer  sufficed.  News  of  the  battle  of  Lexing- 
ton on  April  19  came  to  Rhode  Island  the  same  night,  and  the  next  day 
a  thousand  men  were  ready  to  march  to  the  scene  of  strife.  Two  days 
later  a  special  session  of  the  Legislature  met  at  Providence  and  authorized 
the  enlisting  of  fifteen  hundred  new  troops.  Although  Governor  Wanton 


44  Rhode  Island :  The  General  Background 

was  well  disposed  toward  the  Colonial  side  of  the  controversy,  he  believed 
that  war  would  damage  both  parties  without  resulting  in  final  benefit  to 
either.  Because  of  his  refusal  to  sanction  military  measures,  the  Assembly 
suspended  him  as  Governor,  and  on  October  31  it  deposed  him  from  office, 
electing  Nicholas  Cooke  of  Providence  in  his  place.  In  the  following 
spring,  Rhode  Island  became  the  first  Colony  to  declare,  by  solemn  act, 
her  independence  of  the  British  Crown.  The  Rhode  Island  act  of  in- 
dependence, passed  on  May  4,  1776,  antedates  by  two  months  the  resolu- 
tion of  independence  adopted  by  the  Continental  Congress  at  Phila- 
delphia, and  antedates  also  the  adoption  of  the  Virginia  'Bill  of  Rights.' 
Thus  Rhode  Island  may  justly  claim  to  be  the  oldest  independent  State 
in  the  United  States. 


STATE  NAME 

Rhode  Island  officially  acquired  its  name  on  July  18,  1776,  when  the 
General  Assembly  in  session  at  Newport  resolved  that '  the  style  and  title 
of  this  government . . .  shall  be  the  State  of  Rhode  Island  and  Providence 
Plantations.7  In  common  usage  the  latter  part  of  this  title,  which  had 
been  given  to  the  early  settlements  by  the  English  charter  of  1644,  is 
omitted.  The  name  ' Rhode  Island'  was  first  used  hi  connection  with 
a  part  of  the  present  State  by  Verrazano,  an  Italian  navigator,  who  visited 
Narragansett  Bay  in  1524.  His  account  of  the  voyage  notes  that  an  island 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  bay,  probably  the  one  now  known  as  Block  Island, 
reminded  him  of  the  island  of  Rhodes  in  the  Mediterranean  Sea.  More 
than  a  century  later,  Roger  Williams,  perhaps  influenced  by  Verrazano, 
used  the  name  '  Rhode  Island '  in  a  letter  to  Governor  John  Winthrop  of 
Massachusetts.  Williams  applied  the  name  to  the  large  island  in  Narra- 
gansett Bay  then  called  Aquidneck,  the  island  on  which  stands  the  present 
city  of  Newport.  In  1644  a  Court  of  Election  held  at  Newport  ordered 
'  that  the  ysland  commonly  called  Aquethneck,  shall  be  from  henceforth 
called  the  Isle  of  Rhodes,  or  RHODE  ISLAND.'  Thus  the  name  of  the 
State  originated  in  devious  ways.  It  was  first  used  in  connection  with 
Block  Island  by  Verrazano,  it  was  more  than  a  century  later  transferred 
to  Aquidneck,  and  was  finally  applied  to  the  State  at  large  at  the  time 
of  the  Revolutionary  War. 

Native  sons  and  daughters  pronounce  the  name  of  their  State  as  if  it 
were  spelled  Ro-dl'land. 


History  45 


FROM  INDEPENDENCE  TO  THE  FEDERAL  UNION 

Very  little  of  the  Revolutionary  War  was  actually  fought  on  Rhode 
Island  soil,  although  local  men  served  in  widely  scattered  fields  through- 
out the  contest.  The  State  witnessed  the  first  naval  action  of  the  war 
when  on  June  15,  1776,  Captain  Abraham  Whipple  captured  off  James- 
town an  armed  tender  attached  to  the  British  frigate  'Rose.'  In  October 
the  'Rose,'  commanded  by  James  Wallace,  bombarded  Bristol  until  the 
captain  was  induced  to  leave  by  a  gift  of  some  forty  sheep  (see  BRISTOL). 
Bristol  and  Warren  were  also  pillaged  in  May,  1778.  Rhode  Island  dele- 
gates in  the  Second  Continental  Congress,  meeting  at  Philadelphia,  took 
a  prominent  part  in  inducing  that  body  to  organize  the  Continental  Navy, 
of  which  Esek  Hopkins,  brother  of  Stephen,  was  made  commander-in- 
chief. 

The  war  came  most  closely  home  to  Rhode  Island  through  the  British 
occupation  of  Newport,  from  December  8,  1776,  to  October  25,  1779, 
especially  since  the  British  made  raiding  attacks  on  near-by  communities 
from  their  Newport  base  of  operations.  The  battle  of  Rhode  Island  was 
fought  in  Portsmouth  on  August  28-29,  1778,  when  American  forces 
under  General  John  Sullivan  attempted  to  drive  the  British  out  of  New- 
port (see  Tour  6) ;  though  this  ultimate  object  was  not  gained,  the  British 
did  not  thereafter  advance  farther  into  the  State.  French  aid  arrived  in 
Rhode  Island  in  July,  1780,  with  the  appearance  of  Count  Rochambeau 
and  his  six  thousand  troops,  the  majority  of  whom  were  subsequently 
encamped  on  the  outskirts  of  Providence. 

Near  the  close  of  the  war  General  Nathanael  Greene  of  Rhode  Island 
achieved  national  fame  by  rescuing  from  failure  the  American  campaign 
in  the  South,  since  the  battle  he  conducted  at  Guilford  Court  House  on 
March  15,  1781,  proved  to  be  the  turning  point  in  that  sector.  Also, 
Greene's  resourceful  leadership  in  the  battle  of  Eutaw  Springs  on  Septem- 
ber 8,  1781,  for  which  Congress  honored  him  with  a  gold  medal,  may  be 
considered  as  closing  the  national  war  in  South  Carolina.  David  Ramsay's 
'History  of  the  American  Revolution'  (1789)  states  that  'History  affords 
but  few  instances  of  commanders  who  have  achieved  so  much,  with 
equal  means,  as  was  done  by  General  Greene,  in  the  short  space  of  a 
twelvemonth.  He  opened  the  campaign  [in  the  South]  with  gloomy 
prospects;  but  closed  it  with  glory.'  General  Washington  visited  Newport 
in  March,  1781,  to  confer  with  Rochambeau  on  plans  for  the  next  southern 


46  Rhode  Island :  The  General  Background 

campaign,  which  came  to  a  sudden  and  successful  end  at  Yorktown. 
The  French  troops  left  the  State  in  June  on  the  way  to  New  York  to  join 
with  the  main  force  of  the  American  army;  and  a  Rhode  Islander,  Captain 
Stephen  Olney  (see  Tour  11),  led  a  detachment  of  the  Rhode  Island 
regiment  in  an  assault  on  the  outer  redoubts  of  Yorktown,  October  15, 
1781. 

The  Revolution  is  estimated  to  have  cost  Rhode  Island  a  million  dol- 
lars; and  owing  to  casualties  or  to  the  fight  of  royalists  from  the  State,  the 
population  declined  from  about  58,000  in  1774  to  52,000  in  1782.  Hard 
times  followed  the  war,  and  led  to  much  unrest  among  farmers  and  the 
debtor  class,  resulting  in  a  distressing  experience  with  paper  money.  Bills 
of  credit  had  been  issued  at  various  times  since  1710,  the  crisis  coming  in 
1786  when  the  paper  currency  reached  its  greatest  volume  and  also  the 
lowest  point  in  its  depreciation.  The  Legislature  authorized  in  May  a  new 
issue  of  £100,000  and  in  June  passed  a  supplemental  act  forcing  creditors 
to  accept  the  depreciated  paper  under  penalty  of  £100  fine  and  loss  of 
their  right  to  vote.  For  a  short  time  the  State  was  treated  to  the  odd 
spectacle  of  debtors  chasing  their  creditors.  This  situation  was  checked 
by  the  case  of  John  Trevett  vs.  John  Weeden,  argued  before  the  Superior 
Court  at  Newport  in  September,  1786,  a  decision  being  rendered  for  the 
creditor-defendant.  During  the  Revolutionary  period,  the  State  also  took 
measures  to  end  slavery;  it  prohibited  the  slave  trade  in  1774,  and  in 
1784  it  enacted  measures  for  the  gradual  emancipation  of  slaves. 

Rhode  Island's  place  in  the  new  Union,  created  by  the  Constitutional 
Convention  at  Philadelphia  in  1787,  was  decided  only  after  a  long  and 
closely  contested  political  battle.  Rhode  Islanders  were  very  jealous  of 
any  outside  interference  with  their  affairs,  particularly  with  their  trade, 
and  hence  the  State  did  not  send  delegates  to  the  Philadelphia  convention. 
After  the  new  Federal  Constitution  had  been  adopted  by  its  framers, 
Rhode  Island  delayed  until  1790  before  calling  a  State  convention  to 
ratify  the  new  instrument  of  government.  In  July,  1789,  Congress  sought 
to  force  Rhode  Island  into  the  Union  by  placing  the  State  (and  also  North 
Carolina,  which  had  not  ratified)  outside  the  revenue  limits  of  the  rest 
of  the  country,  but  it  postponed  enforcement  of  this  discriminatory  act 
to  1790.  A  Rhode  Island  convention  finally  met  in  the  Old  Court  House 
at  South  Kingstown  on  March  i,  but  this  assembly  adjourned  without 
coming  to  a  favorable  decision.  A  second  convention  met  at  Newport  two 
months  later,  and  ratified  the  Federal  Constitution  on  May  29,  by  the 
vote  of  34  ayes  to  32  nays. 

On  its  entrance  into  the  Union,  the  State  was  composed  of  thirty 


History  47 

towns,  as  compared  with  only  nine  in  1700;  the  population  had  increased 
from  7181  in  1708  to  68,825  in  1790.  Local  commerce,  which  had  been 
nearly  ruined  by  the  war,  was  beginning  to  revive,  though  it  never 
regained  the  predominant  position  it  once  occupied  in  the  economic  life 
of  the  State. 


THE  RISE  OF  DEMOCRACY 

In  the  period  immediately  following  1790,  Rhode  Island  was  occupied 
with  internal  adjustments  incident  to  its  enrollment  as  a  member  of  the 
new  Union.  These  adjustments  were  primarily  economic,  and  the  fore- 
most question  was  that  of  revenue.  The  State's  acceptance  of  the  Con- 
stitution did  not  entail  as  great  a  sacrifice  of  independence  as  some  had 
feared,  but  it  brought  a  diversion  of  shipping  revenues  from  the  State  to 
the  Federal  Government.  Since  commerce  was  Rhode  Island's  most 
profitable  occupation,  this  diversion  of  revenue  disarranged  for  a  time 
the  finances  of  the  local  government.  One  of  the  first  results  of  the  change 
was  the  temporary  suspension  of  work  on  Providence  harbor  improve- 
ment because  of  lack  of  funds.  Five  months  before  Rhode  Island  joined 
the  Union,  the  State  had  levied  a  duty  of  two  cents  per  ton  on  most  vessels 
entering  Providence  River.  The  proceeds  of  this  tax  were  assigned  to  the 
River  Machine  Company,  which  was  to  dredge  the  river  and  keep  it 
navigable.  Although  Congress  permitted  the  State  to  retain  this  special 
revenue  for  five  years,  the  proceeds  therefrom  were  not  large.  Rhode 
Island  commerce  continued  to  encounter  difficulties  after  1790,  because 
of  the  European  wars,  Jefferson's  Embargo  of  1807-09,  and  the  second 
war  with  Great  Britain.  With  the  coming  of  Samuel  Slater  to  Pawtucket 
in  1790,  however,  the  textile  industry  had  its  beginning,  and  it  eventually 
supplanted  commerce  as  the  major  source  of  private  profit. 

Rhode  Island's  first  senators  in  Congress  were  Joseph  Stanton,  Jr. 
(1739-1807),  and  Theodore  Foster  (1752-1828).  Their  tenure  was  deter- 
mined by  lot,  Stanton  drawing  four  years  and  Foster  two.  They  were 
sent  to  Philadelphia  in  June,  1790,  and  given  State  loans  of  one  hundred 
and  fifty  dollars  each  to  use  as  ready  cash  until  their  first  Federal  salaries 
were  paid.  For  Representative  in  Congress,  the  State  re-elected  Benjamin 
Bourn  (1755-1805),  a  member  of  Congress  under  the  Articles  of  Con- 
federation. 

The  twenty-year  period  following  1790  is  often  called  'the  administra- 


48  Rhode  Island :  The  General  Background 

tion  of  the  Fenners.'  Just  previous  to  Rhode  Island's  ratification  of  the 
Constitution,  Arthur  Fenner  was  elected  Governor,  and  was  re-elected 
each  year  until  1805,  when  he  died  and  was  succeeded  by  his  son  James. 
The  latter  held  office  until  he  was  defeated  in  1811  by  William  Jones. 
Fenner  lost  on  that  occasion  by  only  172  votes  in  a  total  of  7508.  This 
closely  fought  election  turned  upon  national  rather  than  local  issues,  the 
character  of  which  may  be  explained  somewhat  as  follows:  For  many  years 
after  1790,  local  politics  depended  largely  upon  the  interests  of  the  two 
great  national  parties  and  their  respective  leaders,  Hamilton  and  Jeffer- 
son. The  Federalists  in  Rhode  Island  generally  supported  Hamilton's 
program  for  a  strong  national  government  and  friendly  commercial  inter- 
course with  England;  whereas  the  Anti-Federalists,  later  called  the 
Republicans,  sympathized  with  Jefferson's  support  of  States'  rights,  and 
with  his  sentimental  attachment  for  France,  which  was  in  the  throes  of 
a  republican  revolution.  Local  party  alignment  was  not  always  clear, 
however.  Hamilton  lost  favor  in  Rhode  Island  when  the  Federal  Govern- 
ment assumed  only  a  part  of  the  State's  Revolutionary  debt.  For  many 
years  after  the  Revolution,  also,  there  was  a  strong  local  sentiment  in 
favor  of  the  French  because  the  able  and  amiable  French  general,  Ro- 
chambeau,  had  maintained  quarters  in  Newport  during  the  latter  part  of 
the  war.  The  ever-present  fear  of  impressment  by  the  English  navy  alarmed 
seamen  and  merchants  who  would  otherwise  have  supported  the  Federalist 
cause.  When  in  1794,  for  instance,  the  British  sloop-of-war  'Nautilus' 
sailed  into  Newport  harbor,  her  commander,  Captain  Boynton,  was 
charged  with  carrying  American  sailors  in  his  crew.  A  critical  situation 
was  avoided  in  this  instance  because  the  captain,  upon  being  shown  that 
six  of  the  crew  were  Americans,  discharged  them  with  pay,  professing 
previous  ignorance  of  their  citizenship.  For  several  years  after  1790, 
party  lines  in  Rhode  Island  were  not  sharply  drawn.  Governor  Arthur 
Fenner  was  regarded  as  an  Anti-Federalist,  but  Samuel  T.  Potter,  long 
Lieutenant-Governor,  was  of  the  opposite  faction.  James  Fenner  was 
a  Republican.  Pro-French  sentiment  in  America  declined  after  1803, 
when  Napoleon,  continuing  his  wars,  aspired  to  conquer  all  of  Europe 
so  as  to  close  the  whole  continent  to  English  trade.  The  Federalists 
became  favorable  to  England,  and  more  bitter  in  their  opposition  to  the 
Republican  administration  because  of  Jefferson's  Embargo,  which  dealt 
a  deadly  blow  to  Rhode  Island  shipping,  and  because  of  the  hardly  more 
satisfactory  commercial  regulations  under  Madison,  his  successor  in  the 
presidency. 
Public  opinion  was  divided  on  the  merits  of  the  War  of  1812.  Rhode 


History  49 

Islanders  wished  to  expand  their  sea  trade,  and  the  war  was  obviously  a 
hindrance  to  this  endeavor.  Most  New  Englanders  had  little  enthusiasm 
for  Henry  Clay's  ambition  to  conquer  Canada,  and  Rhode  Islanders  in 
particular  were  afraid  that  the  hostilities  would  bring  down  British  attacks 
upon  the  vulnerable  spots  along  their  seacoast.  Despite  the  strategic 
advantages  of  Narragansett  Bay  as  a  base  for  naval  operations,  the  Fed- 
eral Government  had  neglected  fortifications  for  its  defense. 

Yet  many  Rhode  Islanders  played  a  heroic  part  in  this  blundering  war 
which  was  conducted  on  both  sides  with  singular  incapacity.  The  re- 
markable American  naval  victories  of  the  war  were  due  to  the  seafaring 
tradition  of  American  sailors  and  shipbuilders  rather  than  to  the  fore- 
sight of  the  Federal  Government.  One  of  the  most  decisive  battles  of  the 
war  was  Perry's  victory  on  Lake  Erie  (1813).  Oliver  Hazard  Perry  was 
born  at  Rocky  Brook,  South  Kingstown,  in  1785  (see  Tour  1),  became 
a  midshipman  in  1799,  served  in  the  Tripolitan  War,  and  in  1812-13  was 
in  command  of  a  gunboat  flotilla  in  New  York  waters.  In  February, 
1813,  he  was  given  command  of  a  fleet  to  be  equipped  on  Lake  Erie. 
Most  of  the  spring  and  summer  passed  in  ship  construction  at  Erie, 
Pennsylvania;  but  in  September  Perry's  little  squadron  was  ready  for 
action,  and  sought  the  British  squadron.  The  battle  was  fought  at  Put- 
in-Bay on  September  10,  1813.  Against  great  odds,  both  in  men  and 
ships,  Perry  disabled  the  British  flotilla.  His  victory  gave  the  United 
States  the  control  of  Lake  Erie,  and  enabled  General  William  Henry 
Harrison  to  make  a  brief  invasion  of  Canada.  Perry  engaged  in  no  major 
battles  after  this  campaign.  In  1819  he  went  to  Venezuela  on  a  govern- 
ment mission,  and  there,  at  thirty-four  years  of  age,  he  died  of  yellow 
fever. 

Another  thorn  in  Britain's  side  during  the  War  of  1812  was  James 
De  Wolfe,  of  Bristol,  who  as  a  boy  ran  away  from  his  father's  farm  to  go 
privateering  and  who  later  accumulated  a  fortune  in  the  slave  trade  (see 
BRISTOL).  His  ships  had  suffered  from  impressment,  so  that  he  had  no 
love  for  the  English.  In  less  than  a  fortnight  after  the  declaration  of  war 
he  offered  to  the  Government,  at  his  own  expense,  the  brig  'Yankee,'  of 
1 60  tons  burden,  mounting  18  guns  and  carrying  120  men,  under  the 
command  of  Oliver  Wilson.  On  six  cruises  this  vessel  captured  or  de- 
stroyed five  million  dollars'  worth  of  British  property. 

The  less  heroic  aspect  of  Rhode  Island's  r61e  in  the  war  appeared  in 
relation  to  the  question  of  militia  service.  The  State  raised  a  quota  of 
five  hundred  men  and  placed  them,  as  ordered,  under  the  Federal  com- 
mander, General  Dearborn,  but  Rhode  Island  refused  to  allow  the  militia 


50  Rhode  Island :  The  General  Background 

to  engage  in  service  outside  the  State,  or  to  do  garrison  duty  under 
Federal  officers.  The  Governors  of  Massachusetts  and  Connecticut  like- 
wise refused  to  allow  Federal  officers  to  command  their  State  troops. 
Since  the  United  States  had  at  this  time  a  very  small  standing  army, 
these  restrictions  upon  the  use  of  the  New  England  militia  seriously  handi- 
capped the  conduct  of  the  war.  Rhode  Island  felt  that  she  had  a  strong 
case  for  refusing  to  allow  the  militia  to  perform  Federal  service,  because 
of  Federal  neglect  of  local  defense.  Under  Governor  William  Jones,  the 
State  used  its  resources  for  its  own  protection.  Money  was  granted  the 
Providence  Marine  Corps  for  the  purchase  of  cannon,  and  quantities  of 
muskets  were  stored  at  Providence  and  Newport,  each  musket  'with  two 
extra  flints  and  twenty  rounds  of  ammunition.'  When  the  threat  of  a 
British  invasion  became  very  real,  after  Stonington,  Connecticut,  had 
been  bombarded  in  August,  1814,  the  State  took  on  the  appearance  of  a 
well-armed  camp.  Guards  were  established  at  the  Stone  Bridge  in  Tiver- 
ton,  at  Barbour's  Heights  in  North  Kingstown,  and  at  several  points  in 
Warren  and  East  Greenwich.  All  the  townspeople  of  Providence,  from 
'free  men  of  color'  to  'gentlemen  of  the  bar'  and  students  of  Brown 
University,  labored  on  earthworks  for  the  defense  of  the  city.  Vigilance 
was  not  relaxed  until  news  of  the  Treaty  of  Ghent  arrived  (February, 
1815). 

The  feeling  of  the  New  England  States  against  the  Federal  Govern- 
ment culminated  in  the  Hartford  (Connecticut)  Convention  (December, 
1814),  at  which  Rhode  Island  was  represented  by  four  delegates.  The 
members  met  in  secret  session  for  three  weeks,  while  Federal  troops  were 
encamped  at  Hartford  'on  recruiting  duty.'  Because  of  its  secrecy  the 
Hartford  Convention  was  popularly  supposed  to  have  contemplated 
treason  or  secession,  and  this  widespread  impression  helped  to  bring 
about  the  rapid  decline  of  the  Federalist  Party.  A  history  of  the  conven- 
tion, published  in  1833,  showed  that  the  delegates  carried  on  an  animated 
and  fair-minded  discussion  of  State  vs.  Federal  relations,  but  the  true 
nature  of  the  convention  came  to  light  too  late  to  save  its  members  from 
obloquy.  Rhode  Island's  delegates  made  a  report  to  their  Legislature, 
but  in  the  universal  rejoicing  over  the  peace  with  Great  Britain,  the 
proposed  amendments  to  the  Federal  Constitution  were  laid  aside  with- 
out serious  consideration. 

The  decline  of  the  Federalist  Party  in  Rhode  Island  enabled  the  Re- 
publicans to  elect  Nehemiah  Rice  Knight  (1780-1854)  as  Governor  in 
1817,  though  the  Federalists  retained  control  of  the  House.  The  political 
bitterness  of  those  days  is  manifested  by  the  fact  that  the  House  ordered 


History  51 


the  court-martial  (which  was  not  carried  out)  of  a  Newport  artillery 
officer,  Captain  Robert  Cranston,  who  was  alleged  to  have  insulted  ex- 
Governor  Jones. 

Rhode  Island's  history  in  the  second  decade  of  the  nineteenth  century 
was  largely  bound  up  with  attempts  to  reform  the  State  Constitution. 
The  State  was  living  under  an  antiquated  frame  of  government,  the 
King  Charles  Charter  of  1663.  This  charter  specified  no  suffrage  quali- 
fications, but  since  1724  the  right  to  vote  had  been  limited  by  statute  to 
adult  males  who  owned  £100  of  real  estate  or  property  which  rented 
for  at  least  seven  shillings  annually,  and  to  the  eldest  sons  of  such  persons. 
By  1840  these  requirements  disqualified  about  half  of  the  adult  male 
population.  After  1797,  many  attempts  were  made  to  alter  this  situation, 
but  the  Legislature,  under  control  of  the  landholders,  would  not  give 
way  to  demands  for  a  new  constitution.  The  situation  became  the  more 
intolerable  when  Connecticut  and  Massachusetts  reformed  their  funda- 
mental laws  in  1818  and  1820,  respectively. 

Success  for  the  reform  party  was  finally  assured  through  the  work  of 
Thomas  Wilson  Dorr  (1805-54).  Dorr  was  the  son  of  a  prosperous 
Providence  manufacturer,  a  graduate  of  Harvard,  and  a  lawyer  of  good 
business  and  social  position.  In  1840,  he  was  instrumental  in  founding 
the  Rhode  Island  Suffrage  Association,  and  in  1841  the  People's  Party, 
which  held  a  constitutional  convention  and  drew  up  a  constitution  pro- 
viding for  universal  manhood  suffrage.  The  People's  Constitution  was 
sweepingly  ratified  by  a  plebiscite  in  which  all  adult  males  were  allowed 
to  vote.  The  existing  government,  under  Governor  Samuel  Ward  King 
(1786-1851)  of  Johnston,  contended,  justly,  that  these  proceedings  were 
illegal,  but  the  party  in  power  was  so  frightened  that  it  authorized  another 
convention.  The  work  of  this  second  meeting,  called  the  Landholders' 
Constitution,  was  rejected  by  676  votes  in  a  total  of  16,702.  At  this 
point  Dorr  forsook  peaceful  methods  of  reform  and  became  a  real  rebel. 

The  People's  Party  elected  Dorr  Governor,  and  inaugurated  him  at 
Providence  on  May  3,  1842.  The  next  day  Governor  King  was  inaugu- 
rated at  Newport.  Thus  the  smallest  State  in  the  Union  had  two  govern- 
ments; but  since  it  also  had  five  capitals,  the  rival  administrations  could 
move  about  without  getting  in  each  other's  way.  Both  parties  appealed 
to  President  Tyler  for  aid,  but  received  no  encouragement.  On  the  night 
of  May  17-18,  the  Dorrites  moved  against  the  armory  in  Providence; 
but  when  their  'artillery,'  two  old  field  pieces  captured  from  General 
Burgoyne  in  1777,  refused  to  fire,  they  withdrew.  Dorr  left  the  State 
for  a  time,  while  the  administration  proceeded  to  arrest  many  of  his 


52  Rhode  Island :  The  General  Background 

followers.  He  returned  to  Rhode  Island  in  June,  expecting  to  find  five 
hundred  armed  supporters  in  Chepachet.  Since  only  about  a  tenth  of 
that  number  assembled,  he  decided  to  retire  from  the  field  of  action. 
As  a  gesture  of  victory,  Governor  King  sent  troops  to  storm  the  rebel 
' works'  on  Acote  Hill  in  Chepachet  (see  Tour  9).  One  cow  was  killed 
in  the  encounter,  the  only  other  casualty  being  that  of  a  bystander  who 
was  shot  while  a  mob  on  the  Massachusetts  side  of  the  Blackstone  River 
was  'ragging'  the  Kentish  Guards  holding  the  bridge. 

Dorr  voluntarily  gave  himself  up  to  the  authorities  in  1843.  He  was 
tried  for  treason  and  convicted,  though  the  defense  lawyers  contended 
that  one  could  commit  treason  only  against  the  United  States  and  not 
against  an  individual  State.  After  a  year's  imprisonment,  Dorr  was  re- 
leased. Being  then  in  poor  health,  he  retired  from  public  affairs,  but  the 
goal  he  had  personally  failed  to  attain  was  reached  by  others.  The  legal 
government  of  the  State  called  another  convention,  which  in  October 
and  November,  1842,  framed  the  present  State  Constitution,  conferring 
the  suffrage  upon  adult  males  who  possessed  $134  worth  of  real  property 
or  who  paid  a  tax  of  at  least  $i  annually.  Roger  Williams  was  Rhode 
Island's  great  protector  of  religious  liberty;  Thomas  Wilson  Dorr  was 
its  outstanding  champion  of  democracy. 


THE  MODERN  STATE 

Shortly  after  1842,  Rhode  Island  became  involved  in  the  national  issues 
of  slavery  and  westward  expansion.  Slavery  had  been  curtailed  in  the 
State  with  the  passage  of  the  Emancipation  Act  of  1784.  Anti-slavery 
sentiment  was  maintained  throughout  the  years  following,  and  was  quick 
to  rise  when  the  issue  became  national.  On  July  4,  1833,  the  first  of  many 
public  anti-slavery  meetings  was  held  in  Providence.  In  1845,  the  General 
Assembly  adopted  a  resolution  condemning  the  annexation  of  Texas,  on 
the  ground  that  the  United  States  had  no  power  to  extend  its  jurisdiction 
over  a  foreign  nation.  The  resolution  indicated,  if  it  did  not  openly  reveal, 
the  strong  local  sentiment  against  slavery.  Hence  Rhode  Island  was  in 
accord  with  the  other  northern  States  that  opposed  the  ambiguous  atti- 
tude of  the  Federal  Government  on  the  question  of  slavery  in  the  Lone 
Star  State.  Despite  objection  to  the  annexation  of  Texas,  however,  the 
General  Assembly  encouraged  enlistments  for  the  Mexican  War;  it  passed 
special  resolutions  upon  the  death  of  Major  J.  R.  Vinton  in  action,  and 


History  53 


appointed  a  committee  to  arrange  details  for  his  funeral,  which  was  con- 
ducted with  much  pomp  and  ceremony. 

Two  events  of  contemporary  importance  occurred  in  1843  and  1848. 
Amasa  Sprague,  a  prosperous  textile  manufacturer,  was  murdered  at 
Cranston  in  1843,  probably  as  a  result  of  his  having  successfully  opposed 
the  granting  of  a  license  to  sell  liquor  near  his  factory.  The  suspected 
slayer  was  convicted  and  executed,  but  doubt  as  to  his  guilt  arose  later, 
and  it  was  largely  as  a  result  of  the  Sprague  case  that  the  State  abolished 
capital  punishment  in  1852.  The  other  event  was  the  introduction  to 
Providence  in  1848  of  gas  lighting.  Though  Providence  was  somewhat 
tardy  in  adopting  such  illumination  for  its  streets,  gas  had  been  used  in 
Newport  as  early  as  1806.  David  Melville  of  Newport  had  become  in- 
terested in  the  method  of  manufacturing  and  using  gas  which  had  already 
been  successfully  tried  in  Europe,  and  he  is  generally  credited  with  the 
introduction  of  gas  lighting  to  America.  There  are  records  of  single  gas 
lamps  being  put  into  use,  in  1804,  in  Washington,  D.C.,  though  it  is  not 
certain  that  these  were  of  the  same  type  that  Melville  used.  After  some 
experimenting,  Melville  was  able  to  illuminate  his  house,  and  the  street 
in  front  of  his  house,  with  gas  distilled  from  coal.  In  1813,  he  had  suf- 
ficiently improved  his  apparatus  to  take  out  a  patent.  Installations  were 
made  in  several  near-by  mills  and  in  two  or  three  lighthouses.  However, 
there  was  no  public  lighting  in  Providence  until  1821,  and  even  then 
the  illuminant  used  was  not  gas;  sperm-oil  lamps  were  used  in  street 
lamps  until  1848,  when  gas  lighting  was  introduced. 

Many  other  events  of  economic  importance  occurred  during  the  first 
half  of  the  nineteenth  century.  The  first  State  banking  institution,  the 
Providence  Bank,  was  chartered  in  1791,  and  the  first  three  savings  banks 
in  1819.  The  steamboat  'Firefly,'  the  first  in  these  waters,  made  its 
initial  trip  from  Newport  to  Providence  on  May  28,  1817.  Regular 
steamboat  service  was  established  in  1823.  In  the  latter  year  the  Black- 
stone  Canal  was  chartered,  being  opened  to  commerce  five  years  later. 
The  earliest  charter  for  a  turnpike  was  granted  just  before  1800;  and  a 
railroad  charter  was  granted  in  1828,  though  no  trains  ran  over  the  first 
line,  between  Providence  and  Boston,  until  June,  1835.  The  second  rail- 
road, between  Providence  and  Stonington,  Connecticut,  was  opened  in 
November,  1837;  and  the  next  enterprise,  the  Providence  and  Worcester 
Railroad,  began  to  operate  in  1847. 

In  the  middle  of  the  nineteenth  century,  Matthew  Calbraith  Perry 
achieved  international  fame  through  his  dealings  with  Japan.  Born  in 
Newport  in  1794,  he  was  the  younger  brother  of  Oliver  Hazard  Perry, 


54  Rhode  Island :  The  General  Background 

and  was  with  the  latter  at  the  Battle  of  Lake  Erie,  and  during  the  Mexi- 
can War  commanded  a  naval  battery  at  Vera  Cruz.  The  treaty  negotiated 
by  Perry  with  Japan  in  1854  was  the  first  modern  commercial  treaty  made 
by  that  power. 

At  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War  in  1861,  Rhode  Islanders  were  quick 
to  offer  their  services  to  the  Union  —  quite  in  contrast  to  their  behavior 
during  the  War  of  1812.  On  April  16,  1861,  the  day  after  President 
Lincoln  asked  for  75,000  volunteers,  Governor  William  Sprague  (1830- 
1915)  issued  a  call  for  a  special  regiment  of  infantry.  To  assist  its  organ- 
ization, the  Governor  contributed  $100,000  in  the  name  of  his  firm,  A.  and 
W.  Sprague.  Two  days  later,  the  first  detachment  of  1000  men,  picked 
from  2500  volunteers,  left  Providence  under  the  command  of  Colonel 
Ambrose  E.  Burnside.  In  another  four  days,  a  second  detachment  de- 
parted, under  command  of  Lieutenant-Colonel  Joseph  S.  Pitman.  A  bat- 
tery of  artillery  commanded  by  Captain  Charles  H.  Tompkins  drilled  for 
two  weeks  at  Easton,  Pennsylvania,  and  then  arrived  in  Washington  on 
May  2 ;  this  was  the  first  volunteer  battery  of  the  Civil  War. 

Governor  Sprague  personally  engaged  in  the  early  fighting  of  the  war; 
a  horse  was  shot  from  under  him  at  the  first  battle  of  Bull  Run.  In  late 
July  and  early  August  of  1861,  the  first  Rhode  Island  detachments  were 
mustered  out  of  service,  since  their  enlistments  had  been  for  only  three 
months.  Between  1861  and  1863,  a  total  of  fourteen  regiments  (including 
one  colored  contingent)  marched  away  from  Rhode  Island.  On  the  home 
front,  a  branch  of  the  United  States  Sanitary  Commission  was  established 
at  Providence  to  forward  medicines  and  other  hospital  supplies  to  the 
Union  armies.  The  Providence  Ladies'  Volunteer  Relief  Association  was 
formed  to  aid  in  the  shipment  of  clothes,  bandages,  and  other  necessities, 
and  in  1863  the  group  was  made  an  auxiliary  of  the  Sanitary  Commission. 

Rhode  Island  regiments  participated  in  nearly  all  of  the  major  battles 
of  the  war.  Inscriptions  on  regimental  colors  record  service  at  Fort 
Sumter,  Spottsylvania,  and  Vicksburg.  The  State  contributed  a  total 
of  24,042  men  to  the  army,  and  645  men  to  the  navy.1  Rhode  Island 
seamen  were  recruited  through  New  Bedford,  Massachusetts.  Thomas 
P.  Ives  of  Providence  contributed  a  yacht  to  the  Government.  After 
recovering  from  an  illness  at  the  outbreak  of  the  war,  Ives  held  the  rank 
of  captain  and  saw  service  in  Chesapeake  Bay  and  at  Roanoke.  Rhode 
Island  casualties  of  the  war  have  been  recorded  as  255  killed,  1265  dead 
of  wounds  or  disease,  and  1249  wounded  —  a  total  of  2769. 

Ambrose  E.  Burnside  (1824-81),  an  adopted  citizen  of  Rhode  Island 

1  These  figures  include  264  re-enlistments. 


History  55 

who  later  became  Governor,  was  the  State's  most  distinguished  partici- 
pant in  the  Civil  War.  Born  in  Indiana,  he  graduated  from  West  Point 
in  1847,  but  resigned  from  the  Army  in  1852  to  manufacture  in  Rhode 
Island  a  breech-loading  rifle  of  his  own  invention.  In  the  fifties,  he  was 
Major-General  of  the  State  Militia,  but  for  some  years  prior  to  the  out- 
break of  the  Civil  War  he  lived  in  Illinois,  where  he  held  an  executive 
position  with  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad.  However,  at  the  call  to  arms 
he  returned  to  Rhode  Island  immediately  and,  as  already  noted,  was 
given  command  of  the  first  volunteer  force  to  leave  Providence.  His 
misfortunes  at  Fredericksburg  in  1862  are  too  well  known  to  be  recounted 
here.  After  the  war,  General  Burnside  returned  to  Rhode  Island,  where 
he  served  three  terms  as  Governor  and  then,  in  1875,  became  a  United 
States  Senator  (see  BRISTOL). 

After  the  Civil  War  came  years  of  economic  expansion  in  Rhode 
Island.  It  was  a  conservative  and  fairly  steady  development.  Since 
Revolutionary  days,  the  economic  structure  of  the  State  had  been  fairly 
immune  from  the  worst  effects  of  nation-wide  depressions.  In  recent 
times  especially,  the  State  has  escaped  any  spectacular  financial  disasters. 
Only  one  brokerage  firm  failed  as  a  result  of  the  1929  stock-market 
crash,  and  only  one  bank  long  remained  closed  after  the  1933  bank 
holiday. 

The  telephone  was  introduced  into  Rhode  Island  shortly  after  1880, 
when  the  first  charter  to  the  Providence  Telephone  Company  was  granted 
for  a  territory  covering  all  of  Rhode  Island  and  parts  of  eastern  Massa- 
chusetts. In  1869,  there  had  been  some  thought  of  making  Rhode  Island 
the  American  terminal  of  a  trans- Atlantic  cable,  and  the  Narragansett 
and  European  Cable  Company  was  incorporated  for  the  purpose;  but 
the  plan  was  not  carried  through.  The  wireless  telegraph  was  introduced 
in  1903,  and  was  used  during  the  summer  of  that  year  by  the  Providence 
Journal  in  connection  with  a  Block  Island  edition  which  featured  news 
dispatched  from  the  mainland  by  wireless.1  Electric  carbon  arc  illumi- 
nation began  in  1882  on  Market  Square  and  Westminster  Street  in  Prov- 
idence, and  the  incandescent  lamp  for  house  illumination  came  into  use 
in  1902. 

In  the  second  half  of  the  nineteenth  century,  Rhode  Island  experimented 
with  prohibition.  The  first  public  temperance  meeting  was  held  at 
Providence  in  April,  1827.  Twenty-five  years  later,  the  General  Assembly 
passed  a  prohibitory  liquor  law,  which  was  modified  in  1856  and  then 

1  Two  broadcasting  stations,  WEAN  and  WJAR,  went  on  the  air  within  a  few  days  of  each 
other  in  the  summer  of  1922,  and  are  still  in  existence.  They  are  now  both  connected  with  the 
NBC  broadcasting  network;  whereas  a  third  station,  WPRO,  is  on  the  Columbia  circuit. 


56  Rhode  Island :  The  General  Background 

abolished  in  1863,  when  a  return  of  the  licensing  system  was  welcomed 
as  a  source  of  revenue  for  the  State  and  town  governments.  A  drastic 
prohibitory  law,  under  which  medical  prescriptions  containing  alcohol 
could  not  be  refilled,  was  in  force  from  1874  to  1875,  and  in  1885  a  pro- 
hibition amendment  was  added  to  the  State  Constitution.  Under  a  special 
chief  a  force  of  county  sheriffs,  town  constables,  and  other  police  was  or- 
ganized to  enforce  the  measure.  The  law  proved  to  be  very  unpopular, 
and  was  repealed  in  1889.  Rhode  Island  did  not  ratify  the  Eighteenth 
Amendment  to  the  Federal  Constitution;  and  in  the  1933  popular  vote 
on  the  Twenty-First  Amendment,  Rhode  Islanders  favored  the  repeal  of 
national  prohibition  by  a  ratio  of  about  seven  to  two. 

The  chief  enforcement  officer  under  the  prohibition  law  of  1885  was 
Charles  R.  Bray  ton  (1840-1910),  a  Civil  War  general  who  for  thirty 
years  was  the  Republican  'boss'  of  the  State.  In  1870,  Brayton  had  been 
Federal  pension  agent  for  Rhode  Island,  and  after  1870  he  served  as 
postmaster  at  Providence.  Brayton  resigned  from  the  special  police 
force  in  1886,  to  help  bring  about  the  repeal  of  the  prohibition  measure 
under  which  he  was  appointed.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1891. 
His  power  to  control  public  measures  was  enhanced  by  the  facts  that  the 
Governor  then  had  no  veto  power,  and  that  votes  could  be  quite  openly 
bought.  Brayton  drew  annual  retainers  from  railroads  and  other  corpora- 
tions, and  with  the  assistance  of  this  war  chest  he  manipulated  the  legis- 
lators from  the  rural  and  Republican  areas.  It  was  said  of  him  that  he 
never  made  a  promise  unless  he  had  to,  and  never  broke  a  promise  once 
it  was  given.  In  1900  he  became  blind.  He  was  finally  ousted  from  his 
unofficial  quarters  at  the  State  House  through  the  efforts  of  Governor 
Higgins  (Dem.)  in  1906. 

General  Brayton  usually  co-operated  with  Senator  Nelson  A.  Aldrich 
(1841-1915),  who  was  a  power  in  Washington  during  the  same  time. 
A  millionaire  as  well  as  a  great  parliamentarian,  Aldrich  was  one  of 
the  men  whose  careers  lent  point  to  the  gibe  that  the  United  States 
Senate,  at  the  turn  of  the  last  century,  was  'a  rich  man's  club.'  Aldrich, 
Allison,  Platt,  and  Spooner  were  known  as  the  'Big  Four,'  and  they 
dominated  Senate  legislation  until  the  death  of  Platt  in  1905.  Aldrich 
made  a  study  of  European  banking  systems;  and  the  'Aldrich  Plan* 
for  this  country,  proposed  in  1911,  though  not  adopted,  was  a  fore- 
runner of  the  Federal  Reserve  Act  of  1913. 

Across  Narragansett  Bay  from  Aldrich's  Rhode  Island  house  was  the 
imposing  residence  of  Senator  LeBaron  Bradford  Colt  (1846-1924),  who 
came  to  Providence  in  1875,  practiced  law,  and  became  a  member  of 


History  57 

the  State  Legislature  from  Bristol  in  1879.  He  was  United  States  district 
judge  of  Rhode  Island  1881-84,  and  United  States  circuit  judge  1884- 
1913.  He  left  the  bench  then  to  take  a  seat  in  the  Senate  of  the  United 
States,  and  he  was  a  senator  until  his  death,  in  1924. 

The  State's  original  quota  for  the  Spanish- American  War  of  1898  was 
placed  at  one  regiment.  More  than  2300  applications  were  received  for 
the  first  volunteer  force  of  1150  men.  The  regiment  left  for  the  South 
in  May.  The  men  saw  no  service  at  the  front,  but  suffered  greatly  from 
tropical  diseases.  Two  battalions  of  light  artillery,  a  division  for  the 
United  States  Hospital  Service,  and  the  'Vulcan,'  a  floating  machine 
shop,  saw  service  with  the  colors.  Many  Rhode  Island  soldiers  re-enlisted 
for  Philippine  duty. 

On  October  15,  1896,  the  cornerstone  of  the  new  State  House  in  Provi- 
dence was  laid.  On  May  19,  1897,  a  new  State  flag  was  adopted;  and 
on  Battle  Flag  Day  (April  30)  of  1903,  the  flags  in  the  old  State  House 
were  removed  to  the  new  State  House.  This  'marble  palace'  on  Constitu- 
tion Hill  had  been  completed  in  1900;  and  on  November  6  of  the  same 
year  a  constitutional  amendment  making  Providence  the  sole  capital  of 
the  State  had  been  approved.  On  January  i,  1901,  the  General  Assembly 
convened  for  the  first  time  in  the  new  State  House. 

In  1902,  the  General  Assembly  limited  the  hours  of  a  legal  working 
day  for  conductors,  motormen,  and  gripmen  on  street  railways.  The 
street-car  corporation  immediately  opposed  the  measure,  and  announced 
that  men  working  only  the  prescribed  number  of  hours  would  lose  wages. 
A  majority  of  the  workers  went  on  strike,  and  public  sympathy  was  with 
them  since  the  corporation  was  defying  State  law.  There  were  riots,  and 
martial  law  was  declared  in  Pawtucket.  Service  was  restored  on  all  the 
lines  under  military  protection,  and  the  State  paid  more  than  twenty-five 
thousand  dollars  for  militia  to  protect  a  corporation  that  was  breaking  the 
law.  Though  the  Supreme  Court  upheld  the  shorter  working  day,  the 
railway  company  continued  to  operate  in  defiance  of  the  decision,  and  the 
General  Assembly  virtually  repealed  the  measure  by  indefinitely  post- 
poning its  application.  The  election  in  1906  of  a  Democratic  Governor, 
James  H.  Higgins,  may  be  directly  traced  to  this  affair.  Higgins  conducted 
a  campaign  on  the  issue  of  'bossism,'  charging  that  the  opposition  was  too 
friendly  to  public  utilities.  He  served  two  years,  and  was  succeeded  by 
a  Governor  who  served  four  and  one-half  terms. 

Aram  J.  Pothier  (1854-1928),  born  in  Quebec,  came  to  Woonsocket 
when  he  was  eighteen,  and  there  rose  from  a  position  as  grocery  clerk  to 
the  presidency  of  a  bank,  He  made  several  trips  to  France  which  resulted 


58  Rhode  Island :  The  General  Background 

in  the  establishment  in  Woonsocket  of  branch  factories  of  several  French 
and  Belgian  firms.  This  Franco- American  was  often  called  the  'Dick 
Whittington  of  Rhode  Island.'  When  he  came  out  of  virtual  retirement 
in  1924  to  lead  the  Republican  Party  into  office  for  the  fourth  time,  his 
popularity  was  such  that  he  was  elected  by  a  plurality  of  more  than 
36,000. 

The  entrance  of  the  United  States  into  the  World  War  found  Rhode 
Island,  in  common  with  her  sister  States,  eager  to  help  in  the  common 
cause.  More  than  28,000  local  men  served  in  the  national  armies.  Bat- 
teries A,  B,  and  C  of  the  io3d  United  States  Field  Artillery  were  offshoots 
of  the  famous  Providence  Marine  Corps  of  Artillery,  from  which  had 
come  in  the  past  such  men  as  Reynolds,  Sprague,  and  Burnside.  World 
War  casualties  among  Rhode  Islanders  numbered  1693. 

Women  began  registering  as  presidential  voters  for  the  first  time  on 
July  i,  1919.  On  January  6,  1920,  the  General  Assembly  ratified  the 
proposed  amendment  to  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States  extending 
the  full  right  of  suffrage  to  women;  and  on  November  2,  1920,  women  of 
Rhode  Island  exercised  that  right  for  the  first  time  in  national,  State,  and 
town  elections. 

In  1922,  the  State  voted  into  office  a  Democratic  administration, 
although  a  majority  of  the  legislative  members  were  Republicans.  The 
session  of  1924  witnessed  a  famous  filibuster,  when  the  Democrats  re- 
solved to  delay  passage  of  the  annual  appropriation  bills  until  the  Republi- 
can majority  yielded  to  their  demands  for  constitutional  and  other 
changes.  Both  sides  settled  down  to  a  grim  parliamentarian  warfare 
that  was  not  without  its  comic  side.  Spectators  thronged  to  the  State 
House,  where  Lieutenant-Governor  Toupin  astonished  them  by  his 
unique  application  of  Senate  rules,  including  an  inability  to  see  any  Re- 
publicans when  they  rose  to  demand  the  floor.  The  House  soon  tired  of 
meeting  and  sending  bills  to  a  deadlocked  Senate,  where  members  and 
spectators  engaged  in  fist  fights  on  the  floor.  The  climax  came  when  an 
unbearable  odor  emanated  from  a  bomb  placed  behind  the  Senate  leader's 
chair.  Republican  senators  fled  the  State  and  went  into  hiding  in  a  Massa- 
chusetts hotel,  thus  stopping  further  business  through  lack  of  a  quorum. 
To  keep  the  administration  from  going  to  pieces,  the  banks  loaned  money 
to  the  various  State  institutions.  Aram  J.  Pothier  was  elected  Governor 
by  a  landslide  vote  in  the  following  election.  At  his  death,  on  February 
4,  1928,  he  was  succeeded  by  the  Lieutenant-Governor,  Norman  S. 
Case,  who  served  as  Chief  Executive  until  1933. 

The  next  Democratic  Governor,  Theodore  Francis  Green,  was  elected 


History  59 

by  a  large  majority  in  1932.  He  was  at  first  handicapped  by  a  Republican 
majority  in  the  Assembly,  but  in  1934  the  Democrats  took  control  in  no 
uncertain  manner.  In  a  single  day,  all  of  the  eighty  or  more  existing 
boards  and  commissions  were  overthrown,  the  seats  of  the  Supreme  Court 
were  declared  vacant,  and  the  administration  was  reorganized  into  eleven 
new  departments.  Dual  office-holding  became  a  widespread  evil  from 
1934  to  1936,  but  in  the  latter  year  the  Democrats,  returned  to  office  by 
a  large  majority,  gave  promise  that  this  grievance  would  be  abolished. 
Governor  Green  became  a  United  States  Senator-elect  in  November, 
1936,  and  was  succeeded  as  Governor  on  January  4,  1937,  by  the  former 
Lieutenant-Governor,  Robert  E.  Quinn. 

The  State  finishes  its  three  hundredth  year  with  the  question  of  con- 
stitutional reform  still  before  the  people.  Unequal  representation  in  the 
General  Assembly  is  the  main  issue.  At  a  special  election  held  March  10, 
1936,  the  voters  rejected  a  proposal  for  a  special  convention  to  frame 
a  new  constitution,  but  since  that  date  many  amendments  to  the  present 
constitution  have  been  introduced  into  the  regular  assembly. 

Since  1790,  the  number  of  cities  and  towns  in  Rhode  Island  has  in- 
creased from  30  to  39,  and  the  population  from  68,825  to  687,497. J 

xThe  last  figure  given  above  is  from  the  Federal  Census  of  1930;  the  State  Census  of  1936 
showed  a  smaller  total,  of  680,712. 


THE      STATE      GOVERNMENT 


PRIOR  to  the  year  1647,  the  four  original  towns  in  Rhode  Island  — 
Newport,  Portsmouth,  Providence,  and  Warwick  —  were  governed  in- 
dependently of  one  another  (see  History).  Under  the  authority  of  the 
English  Charter  of  1644  there  assembled  at  Portsmouth  in  May,  1647,  the 
first  united  governing  body  for  the  Colony.  Common  officers  were  elected 
by  ballot.  John  Coggeshall  of  Newport  was  selected  to  serve  as  President 
of  the  Colony,  and  Roger  Williams  of  Providence,  John  Sanford  of  Ports- 
mouth, William  Coddington  of  Newport,  and  Randall  Holden  of  War- 
wick were  named  as  Assistants.  William  Dyer  and  Jeremy  Clarke,  both 
from  Newport,  were  elected  General  Recorder  and  Treasurer  respectively. 
Outstanding  enactments  of  this  assembly  of  freeholders  or  General  Court 
had  to  do  with  guarantees  of  liberty  and  property,  insistence  upon  the 
charter  as  a  limitation  upon  legislative  power,  omission  of  an  oath  from 
the  engagement  of  officers,  the  protection  of  liberty  of  conscience,  and 
provision  for  the  initiative  and  referendum. 

The  harmony  which  prevailed  at  the  General  Court  of  1647,  however, 
was  destined  to  be  short-lived.  In  the  course  of  the  next  three  years  the 
General  Assembly,  originally  composed  of  all  freemen,  was  replaced  by 
a  representative  assembly  of  six  men  from  each  town.  Dissension  arose 
between  the  southern  towns  and  those  in  the  north,  and  in  1651  Newport 
and  Portsmouth  failed  to  send  delegations  to  the  annual  meeting.  Thus 
the  General  Court  of  October,  1650,  proved  to  be  the  final  joint  session 
until  1654.  In  that  year  the  existing  differences  were  smoothed  away, 
and  on  August  3 1  an  agreement  for  reunion  was  signed  by  commission- 
ers representing  the  individual  towns.  A  special  Court  of  Election  was 
called  for  September  12,  1654,  at  which  time  a  common  government  for 
the  Colony  was  renewed,  with  Roger  Williams  as  President. 

The  restoration  of  Charles  II  as  King  of  England  (1660)  made  neces- 
sary the  replacement  of  the  Parliamentary  Charter  of  1644  by  a  royal 
instrument.  The  resulting  Charter  of  1663  reincorporated  the  Colony, 
authorized  a  common  seal,  and  outlined  a  plan  of  government.  It  named 
Benedict  Arnold  as  Governor,  William  Brenton  as  Deputy-Governor, 
and  among  ten  Assistants  such  prominent  men  as  Roger  Williams,  John 
Coggeshall,  and  Thomas  Olney.  The  General  Assembly  was  authorized 


The  State  Government  61 

to  establish  its  own  time  and  place  of  meeting;  to  admit  freemen;  to 
name  and  commission  officers;  to  enact  laws  and  ordinances;  to  erect 
courts  of  justice;  to  establish  penalties  for  crime;  to  regulate  trade  with 
the  Indians;  and  to  establish  and  maintain  an  armed  militia.  The  charter 
did  not  regulate  the  right  to  vote  within  the  Colony,  and  this  very  im- 
portant question  was  dealt  with  by  the  Legislature  at  its  own  discretion. 
It  is  to  be  noted  that  the  Governor,  the  Deputy-Governor,  and  the  ten 
Assistants  were  to  be  elected  in  the  same  manner  as  the  other  members  of 
the  General  Assembly,  although  the  original  officers  for  these  positions 
were  named  in  the  charter.  The  election  of  the  Governor  and  other  exec- 
utive officials  by  the  Colony  was  a  peculiarity  of  the  charter  colonies  in 
America,  as  distinguished  from  the  royal  colonies,  where  the  Governors 
were  chosen  by  the  British  Crown. 

The  subsequent  growth  of  new  towns  caused  the  General  Assembly  to 
become  constantly  larger.  By  1672  the  Deputies,  or  representatives  of 
the  towns,  numbered  twenty-two.  It  was  apparent  that  the  general 
officers,  still  twelve  in  number,  could  be  outvoted  by  the  Deputies.  This 
situation  brought  about,  in  1696,  the  separation  of  the  Legislature 
into  two  houses,  the  upper  house  consisting  of  the  Governor,  Deputy- 
Governor,  and  the  Assistants,  and  the  lower  house  of  the  Deputies,  who 
were  presided  over  by  a  Speaker  of  their  own  selection.  Between  1663 
and  the  end  of  the  century  the  Colony  established  several  other  general 
officers:  the  Recorder  (later  to  be  known  as  Secretary  of  State),  General 
Sergeant  (called  Sheriff  after  1696),  General  Treasurer,  General  Attorney, 
Solicitor,  and  Major.  The  latter  was  in  command  of  the  militia,  while  the 
present  office  of  Attorney- General  supplants  those  of  General  Attorney 
and  Solicitor. 

Private  homes  or  taverns  in  the  several  towns  housed  early  sessions  of 
the  General  Assembly.  A  Colony  house  was  erected  at  Newport  in  1690, 
but  the  Legislature  did  not  confine  its  meetings  to  Newport.  The  Con- 
stitution framed  in  1842  followed  Colonial  precedent  by  authorizing 
Assembly  sessions  to  be  held  at  Newport,  South  Kingstown,  Bristol,  East 
Greenwich,  and  Providence.  From  1854  to  1900  the  Legislature  met 
either  in  Newport  or  in  Providence,  and  after  the  latter  year  only  in 
Providence. 

The  Revolutionary  period  brought  about  few  changes  in  the  character 
of  Rhode  Island's  government  (as  a  virtually  independent  charter  Colony, 
Rhode  Island  did  not  need  to  frame  a  constitution  at  the  time  of  asserting 
its  formal  independence  from  Great  Britain),  though  it  caused  a  con- 
troversy between  the  State  and  the  newly  created  Federal  Government. 


62  Rhode  Island :  The  General  Background 

The  Continental  Congress,  always  hard  pressed  for  money,  attempted  in 
1781  to  secure  the  authority  to  levy  customs  duties  throughout  the  Union. 
Rhode  Island  refused  to  agree  to  this  proposal  since  the  State,  enjoying 
a  large  import  trade  in  relation  to  its  size,  would  be  deprived  of  a  rich 
source  of  revenue.  Local  import  and  export  duties  were  already  in  force 
in  Rhode  Island.  This  State  was  not  represented  at  the  Constitutional 
Convention  in  Philadelphia  in  1787,  and  it  failed  to  ratify  the  new  Federal 
Constitution  until  May  29,  1790. 

In  the  early  nineteenth  century  the  major  change  in  Rhode  Island's 
government  was  a  liberalizing  of  the  suffrage.  Since  1724  the  right  to 
vote  had  been  limited  to  adult  males  who  possessed  £100  of  real  estate, 
or  property  which  returned  an  income  of  seven  shillings  annually,  and 
to  the  eldest  son  of  such  persons.  The  Dorr  War  of  1842  forced  the  con- 
servative Legislature  to  call  a  convention,  which  framed  in  the  autumn 
of  that  year  the  Constitution  which  is  still  in  force.  Originally  it  provided 
for  a  nearly  omnipotent  Legislature  which  could,  if  it  chose,  control  both 
the  executive  and  the  judiciary.  This  situation  has  been  somewhat  modi- 
fied by  amendment.  The  original  document  began,  as  is  customary  in 
American  constitutions,  with  a  Bill  of  .Rights.  This  section  (Article  I) 
guaranteed  religious  liberty;  free,  complete,  and  prompt  justice;  trial  by 
jury;  and  freedom  of  the  press.  It  also  forbade  slavery  and  imprisonment 
for  non-fraudulent  debts.  The  Governor  (Article  VII)  was  given  no  veto 
power,  and  judges  of  the  Supreme  Court  (Article  X)  were  to  be  elected 
by  the  Legislature  and  to  be  removable  by  the  same  body.  The  only 
major  limitation  on  the  Legislature's  freedom  of  action  was  a  provision 
(Article  IV)  that  it  could  not,  without  the  express  consent  of  the  people, 
incur  a  State  debt  to  an  amount  exceeding  $50,000,  except  in  time  of  war. 

Since  1842  the  Constitution  has  been  amended  twenty-one  times;  the 
first  amendment,  granting  the  Governor  the  pardoning  power  and  limiting 
annual  assemblies  from  two  sessions  to  one,  was  adopted  in  1854,  and  the 
most  recent  amendment,  providing  for  absentee  voting,  was  accepted  in 
1930.  Other  amendments  have  made  the  following  important  changes: 
Article  IV  (1864)  enabled  electors  absent  from  the  State  to  vote  if  engaged 
in  the  actual  military  service  of  the  United  States.  This  provision  was 
replaced  by  Article  XXI  (1930),  which  permitted  all  absentee  electors  to 
vote.  Article  V  (1886)  established  prohibition,  which  was  subsequently 
repealed  (1889).  Rhode  Island,  it  may  be  noted,  never  ratified  the  Pro- 
hibition Amendment  to  the  Federal  Constitution.  Article  XII  (1903) 
required  judges  of  the  Supreme  Court  to  submit,  on  request  of  the  Gover- 
nor or  either  house  of  the  Legislature,  advisory  opinions  respecting  any 


The  State  Government  63 

question  of  law.  By  Article  XV  (1909)  the  Governor  was  given  the  veto 
power;  a  bill  of  which  he  disapproves,  however,  may  be  passed  over  his 
objections  by  a  three-fifths  vote  of  both  houses  of  the  Assembly.  Article 
XVI  (1911)  gave  the  Governor  and  general  officers  of  the  State  a  term  of 
two  years  instead  of  one. 

As  the  General  Assembly  is  now  constituted,  it  is  based  upon  a  working 
compromise  between  popular  and  geographic  (town)  representation.  The 
Senate  (Article  XIX,  1928)  consists  of  one  senator  from  each  city  or  town, 
but  any  city  or  town  having  more  than  twenty-five  thousand  qualified 
voters  may  have  an  extra  senator  for  a  fraction  exceeding  one-half  of  that 
number  —  no  city  or  town,  however,  to  have  more  than  six  senatorial 
representatives.  There  were  forty-two  senators  in  the  1935-36  Assembly, 
four  being  from  Providence,  the  largest  city  in  the  State.  In  1909  the 
membership  of  the  lower  house  was  set  at  a  maximum  of  one  hundred,  to 
be  apportioned  among  the  cities  and  towns  on  the  basis  of  population, 
provided,  however,  that  each  town  should  always  be  entitled  to  one 
member,  and  that  no  city,  however  large,  should  have  more  than  one- 
fourth  of  the  total  number.  There  were  ninety-nine  representatives  in 
the  1935-36  Assembly,  twenty- three  being  from  Providence.  Although 
not  required  to  do  so,  the  General  Assembly  may  reapportion  its  member- 
ship after  any  Federal  or  State  census. 

Appointees  to  executive  or  administrative  offices  serve  at  the  discre- 
tion of  the  appointing  officer;  there  is  no  civil  service  system.  The  State 
has  complete  control  over  city  charters,  but  as  a  matter  of  policy  it  does 
not  abrogate  or  amend  them  without  due  cause.  Strictly  speaking,  the 
State  does  not  control  the  public  school  system,  but  practically  it  does, 
since  it  has  the  power  to  refuse  State  aid  to  the  schools  of  any  city  or  town 
which  does  not  conform  to  specifications  laid  down  by  the  Department  of 
Education.  In  a  narrow  sense,  also,  the  State  has  little  to  do  with  taxa- 
tion. A  few  taxes,  such  as  those  on  gasoline  and  inheritances,  are  levied 
directly  by  the  State.  Other  direct  levies  partake  of  the  nature  of  licenses 
rather  than  taxes,  such  as  licenses  for  automobile  drivers  and  barbers,  and 
fees  for  the  registration  of  motor  trucks,  etc.  Property  taxes,  the  major 
source  of  public  revenue,  are  levied  by  the  cities  and  towns;  the  returns 
from  intangible  property,  however,  are  turned  over  to  the  State.  Neither 
an  income  tax  nor  a  sales  tax  has  as  yet  been  adopted. 

In  Rhode  Island  the  counties  are  of  negligible  importance.  Sheriffs 
are  county  officers,  and  there  are  county  courts;  otherwise  the  counties 
are  merely  geographical  expressions.  Most  matters  of  everyday  regulation 
are  controlled  by  the  local  city  or  town  governments.  The  towns  still 


64  Rhode  Island :  The  General  Background 

retain  much  of  their  original  freedom  of  action  in 'government,  which  is 
expressed  through  the  medium  of  the  traditional  town  meeting.  The 
State  is  divided  into  seven  cities  and  thirty-two  towns.  Each  one  of  the 
cities  —  Central  Falls,  Cranston,  Newport,  Pawtucket,  Providence, 
Warwick,  and  Woonsocket  —  is  governed  by  a  Mayor,  a  Board  of  Alder- 
men (except  Cranston  and  Warwick),  and  a  Common  Council  (called 
City  Council  in  Cranston  and  Warwick,  and  Representative  Council  in 
Newport).  The  towns  are  governed  by  Town  Councils  and  other  usual 
administrative  officers,  the  elections  in  twenty  of  the  thirty-two  towns 
being  held  at  the  same  time  as  the  State  elections. 

Rhode  Island  has  two  representatives  in  Congress,  chosen  by  districts, 
the  first  district  comprising  roughly  the  eastern  half  of  the  State  plus 
the  east  half  of  Providence,  the  second  district  comprising  the  remainder. 

The  general  officers  of  the  State  —  the  Governor,  Lieutenant-Governor, 
Secretary  of  State,  Attorney-General,  and  General  Treasurer  —  members 
of  the  General  Assembly,  members  of  Congress,  and  a  United  States 
Senator  when  necessary  are  elected  the  Tuesday  after  the  first  Monday  in 
November,  biennially  in  the  even  years.  The  General  Assembly  convenes 
on  the  first  Tuesday  in  January  of  each  year,  and  a  new  State  government 
is  inaugurated  in  each  odd  year. 

The  powers  and  duties  of  the  civil  administration  of  the  State  govern- 
ment are  vested  in  eleven  departments,  as  recently  established  by  the 
Reorganization  Act  (Chapter  2250)  of  the  special  session  of  May,  1935. 
Each  department  is  headed  by  a  general  officer  or  director  appointed  by 
the  Governor  with  Senate  confirmation.  A  peculiar  statute  passed 
January  29, 1901  (the  'Brayton  Law'),  limited  the  Governor's  freedom  of 
choice  in  this  matter;  if  the  Senate  did  not  choose  to  ratify  his  appoint- 
ments it  could  select  its  own  candidates  regardless  of  the  Governor's 
wishes.  In  May,  1935,  this  provision  was  superseded  by  the  more  usual 
regulation  that  the  Senate  may  reject  unsatisfactory  gubernatorial 
appointments,  but  may  not  substitute  candidates  of  its  own  choosing. 
The  earlier  law  was  passed  in  order  to  give  the  upper  house,  usually 
Republican,  control  over  a  Democratic  Governor,  and  to  give  the  Senate 
the  whip-hand  over  a  Governor  of  either  party.  When  the  Senate  is  not 
in  session  the  Governor  may  make  interim  appointments.  The  depart- 
ments are  divided  into  divisions  in  charge  of  separate  chiefs.  The  chief 
of  a  division  is  appointed  by  the  head  of  the  department  in  which  he 
serves;  he  has  the  right  to  employ  his  immediate  subordinates. 

The  State  judiciary  includes  a  Supreme  Court,  with  a  chief  justice  and 
four  associate  justices,  selected  in  Grand  Committee  by  the  General 


The  State  Government  65 

Assembly.  A  Superior  Court,  with  a  presiding  justice  and  ten  associate 
justices,  is  appointed  by  the  Governor  with  the  consent  of  the  Senate.  In 
the  same  manner  justices  are  named  to  the  twenty  district  courts  in  the 
State.  The  Supreme  Court  sits  only  in  the  city  of  Providence.  It  is  in 
session  from  the  first  Monday  in  October  to  the  second  Monday  in  July, 
except  for  a  recess  from  the  third  Monday  in  February  to  the  first  Monday 
in  March. 

An  important  innovation  in  government  is  the  recent  creation  of  a 
State  Planning  Board,  which  was  authorized  in  the  spring  of  1935.  This 
board,  with  headquarters  in  Providence,  is  composed  of  nine  members, 
headed  by  a  chairman;  it  serves  at  the  pleasure  of  the  Governor.  Three 
of  the  board  are  executive  officers  connected  with  the  Department  of 
Public  Works  and  the  Department  of  Agriculture,  while  the  remaining 
six  members  are  chosen  from  the  State  at  large.  All  members  serve  with- 
out compensation.  The  work  carried  on  by  the  planning  board  is  divided 
into  three  classes,  as  follows:  (i)  The  assembling  and  co-ordination  of 
basic  data  pertaining  to  Rhode  Island;  this  work  is  intended  to  present 
an  accurate  picture  of  present  economic  and  social  conditions,  and  to 
reveal  existing  faults  and  advantages.  (2)  The  consideration  of  projects 
submitted  by  various  State  agencies  for  approval.  (3)  The  compiling  of 
a  master  plan  to  be  used  as  a  guide  in  legislation  affecting  the  growth  and 
development  of  the  State.  At  present  (1937)  the  board's  working  staff 
is  maintained  by  funds  from  the  Works  Progress  Administration. 

Affairs  of  the  political  parties  in  Rhode  Island  are  conducted  by  State 
central  committees,  and  local  committees  in  the  several  cities  and  towns. 
The  nomination  of  candidates  for  elective  offices  is  made  in  district  and 
ward  caucuses,  and  in  city,  town,  and  State  conventions. 


INDUSTRY     AND      COMMERCE 


RHODE  ISLAND  was  originally  an  agricultural  State.  Farming  was 
the  principal  occupation  followed  from  the  founding  of  the  first  settlement 
in  1636  to  the  end  of  the  nineteenth  century,  and  the  total  capital  invested 
in  that  pursuit  as  late  as  1890  was  estimated  to  be  twenty-five  million 
dollars. 

Commerce,  including  shipbuilding,  became  a  rival  interest  before  the 
end  of  the  seventeenth  century;  and  certainly  in  the  eighteenth  century, 
trading  on  the  high  seas  was  a  more  notable  feature  of  the  Colony's 
economic  life  than  agriculture.  As  early  as  1646,  a  ship  of  more  than  one 
hundred  tons  burden  was  built  at  Newport  for  delivery  in  New  Haven, 
Connecticut,  and  other  vessels  were  shortly  being  laid  down  in  the  ship- 
yards established  at  favorable  places,  such  as  in  Bullock's  Cove,  East 
Providence.  The  first  warehouse  and  wharf  in  Providence  were  under 
construction  in  1680,  on  a  small  piece  of  land  that  had  been  granted  by 
the  town  fathers  to  Pardon  Tillinghast.  Permission  to  construct  nine 
other  wharves  and  warehouses  was  granted  to  various  persons  in  the  next 
three  years;  but  until  recent  times,  Providence  never  paralleled  Newport 
as  a  commercial  city.  Narragansett  Bay  was  an  important  shipbuilding 
center  throughout  the  Colonial  period,  and  well  into  the  nineteenth 
century. 

The  first  shops  in  Newport  and  Providence  were  probably  operated  by 
shipowners  and  chandlers.  Gideon  Crawford,  admitted  as  a  resident  in 
Providence  in  1687,  was  the  owner  of  a  typical  establishment.  He  and 
his  son  John  "engaged  in  foreign  trade,  importing  and  selling  Holland 
muslins,  calico,  Bengali  tape,  silk  stockings,  edging  laces,  combs,  gloves, 
mohair,  drugget,  silk  crepe,  broadcloth,  and  poplin.  The  stock  in  trade 
for  the  Crawford  store  in  1719  included  indigo,  glassware,  tobacco,  axes, 
brushes,  pewterware,  bolts,  beeswax,  ginger,  alum,  nails,  powder,  gun 
flints,  and  halters. 

Joseph  Jencks,  Jr.,  who  came  from  Massachusetts  and  settled  at  first 
in  Warwick,  introduced  a  new  industry^to  Rhode  Island.  He  was  the  son 
of  the  first  foundryman  to  work  in  brass  and  iron  in  Massachusetts.  In 
March,  1669,  the  younger  Jencks  was  granted  land  on  both  sides  of  the 
Pawtuxet  River  on  which  to  set  up  and  operate  a  sawmill.  Under  this 


FARM      AND      FACTORY 


THE  Industrial  Revolution  of  the  late  eighteenth  century 
overshadowed  Rhode  Island  agriculture  and  reduced  com- 
merce to  secondary  importance.  The  State's  first  industries 
were  the  manufacture  of  textiles  and  jewelry,  both  of  which 
are  still  foremost;  tool  making  has  become  outstanding;  ship- 
building, once  a  corollary  to  flourishing  local  commerce,  still 
exists  on  a  small  scale;  agriculture  has  become  a  science;  and 
unproductive  attempts  to  mine  coal  and  precious  metals  have 
been  compensated  for  by  a  fine  yield  of  granite  in  Westerly. 
The  first  picture  shows  Rhode  Island's  oldest  extant  textile 
mill,  standing  near  the  site  of  the  Nation's  first  successful  tex- 
tile factory.  Other  pictures  show  the  exteriors  or  interiors  of  a 
few  of  the  present-day  mills  engaged  in  various  textile  pro- 
cesses. Craftsmen  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  silverware, 
precision  tools,  yachts,  and  small  boats  can  be  seen  at  their 
tasks.  A  stone-carver  is  shown  at  work  on  a  tombstone  of 
Westerly  granite.  The  picture  of  the  Navigation  Service 
headquarters  at  Bristol,  where  channel  markers  and  buoys  are 
kept  in  condition,  .emphasizes  the  continued  importance  of 
commerce.  Providence  Harbor,  of  which  the  reader  is  given  a 
ship's-eye  view,  is  the  State's  most  important  shipping  center. 
Rhode  Island  agriculture,  especially  in  animal  husbandry,  has 
won  fame  for  the  Rhode  Island  Red  hen,  and,  as  the  three 
final  pictures  indicate,  the  State  College  at  Kingston,  in  co- 
operation with  the  State  Department  of  Agriculture,  con- 
tinues scientific  experiments  in  the  improvement  of  barnyard 
beast  and  fowl. 


THE    SECOND   SLATER    MILL  (1793)  ,  PAWTUCKFT 


CRANSTON    PRINT   WORKS,  CRANSTOfv 


I'FTTT 


ARCTIC,    MILL,  WEST    WARWICK 


PREPARATION    OF   YARN    FOR   DYEING,  THIES    DYEING   COMPANY,  CENTERVILLE 


SILVERWARE    MAKING,  THE   GORHAM    COMPANY,  PROVIDENCE 


OOL    MAKING,  THE    'SCRAPING    DEPARTMENT,'    BROWN    &  SHARP 
MANUFACTURING   COMPANY,  PROVIDENCE 


TOOL    MAKING,  MILLING    MACHINERY,  BROWN    &   SHARP 
MANUFACTURING   COMPANY,  PROVIDENCE 


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m 


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s 


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LACE    MANUFACTURING,  BANCROFT    LACE    COMPANY.  WEST    WARWICK 

STONE    CARVING,  SMITH    GRANITE    COMPANY,  WESTERL 


YACHT   UNDER   CONSTRUCTION,  THE    HERRESHOFF   COMPANY,  BRISTOL 


YACHT    FINISHING,  C.    T.    BENT,  EAST   GREENWICH 


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GOVERNMENT    NAVIGATION    SERVICE,  BRISTOL 


iswa 


PORT   OF    PROVIDENCE 


Kavi 

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RHODE    ISLAND   TURKEY 


RHODE  ISLAND  RED  HENS  AT  RHODE  ISLAND 
STATE    COLLEGE,  KINGSTON 


COWS   AT   RHODE    ISLAND   STATE    COLLEGE,  KINGSTON 


Industry  and  Commerce  67 

grant  he  was  to  sell  boards  at  four  shillings,  sixpence  per  hundred  feet. 
Attracted  by  the  possibilities  of  another  situation,  Jencks  purchased  in 
1671  some  sixty  acres  of  land  near  the  Pawtucket  Falls,  where  the  Black- 
stone  River  becomes  the  Seekonk.  He  set  up  a  forge,  a  sawmill,  a  carpen- 
ter shop,  and  later  an  iron  foundry  and  furnace.  His  shops  turned  out 
hatchets,  axes,  hammers,  shovels,  hoes,  plows,  and  all  forms  of  iron 
implements  needed  by  the  colonists  in  Providence  Plantations  (see 
PAWTUCKET).  Jencks  and  his  followers  became  so  successful  that,  at 
the  beginning  of  the  Revolutionary  War,  Rhode  Island  had  a  larger  iron 
and  steel  production  than  that  of  any  other  Colony. 

The  Hope  Furnace,  owned  by  Nicholas  Brown  and  Company,  and 
situated  in  the  southeast  corner  of  Scituate,  proved  of  great  value  to  the 
Colony  and  State  in  the  eighteenth  century.  Iron  pigs  produced  there, 
and  known  as  'Hope  pigs'  to  the  trade,  were  in  great  demand,  Aaron 
Lopez  and  other  Newport  merchants  often  being  purchasers.  During 
the  Revolution,  Sylvanus  Brown  superintended  the  casting  of  cannon 
for  the  State  and  also  for  Continental  service.  The  furnace  also  supplied 
cannon  for  the  United  States  service  in  1795  (see  Tour  9). 

While  such  men  as  Joseph  Jencks  were  busy  laying  the  foundations  of 
industrialism  in  Rhode  Island,  another  group  sought  its  fortune  in  a  far 
different  field,  through  exploiting  the  slave  trade.  By  1696,  a  shipload  of 
Negroes  had  been  imported,  and  men  and  women  were  sold  for  $150  to 
$175  each.  The  demand  for  slaves  was  not  great  up  to  the  year  1708;  but 
after  that,  local  merchants  plainly  saw  the  profits  to  be  derived  from  the 
triangular  trade  in  rum,  sugar,  and  slaves.  From  Newport  they  sent  ships 
to  Africa  to  trade  for  Negroes.  Sailing  thence  for  the  West  Indies,  the 
slaves  were  exchanged  for  sugar  and  molasses,  which  were  brought  back 
to  Newport  and  Providence,  where  the  molasses  was  made  into  rum. 
This  trade  provided  the  wealth  which  fostered  the  society  and  culture 
of  Newport.  Vessels  of  all  sizes  were  placed  in  the  trade.  One  ship  is 
reported  as  carrying  140  hogsheads  of  liquor,  with  provisions,  muskets, 
and  assorted  shackles.  This  cargo  could  be  traded  for  about  120  slaves,  at 
a  profit  ranging  from  $9000  to  $10,000  for  the  voyage.  The  Revolutionary 
period  witnessed  the  end  of  this  trade.  A  law  of  1774  prohibited  the 
importation  of  slaves  into  Rhode  Island;  and  by  1808  Federal  statute  had 
outlawed  the  slave  trade  for  all  American  citizens. 

Few  names  are  more  closely  connected  with  the  rise  of  commerce  in 
Rhode  Island  than  that  of  the  Brown  family  (see  PROVIDENCE).  The 
Browns  and  their  associates  were  daring  adventurers,  sailors,  and  mer- 
chants. They  were  men  possessed  with  the  qualities  needed  for  success  in 


68  Rhode  Island :  The  General  Background 

that  early  period.  They  included  Chad  Brown  and  Nicholas  Powers  of 
the  first  settlers,  and  Pardon  Tillinghast,  who  constructed  the  first  ware- 
house in  Providence  and  the  first  wharf  built  in  the  Providence  River. 
James  and  Obadiah  Brown,  great-grandsons  of  Chad  Brown,  were  origi- 
nally sailing  masters  who  first  commanded  vessels  owned  by  others  and 
then  bought  craft  of  their  own.  They  subsequently  became  partners  in 
the  first  Brown  commercial  house.  James  Brown  died  in  1739,  leaving 
his  widow,  Hope,  and  four  sons.  Obadiah  Brown  continued  the  business 
after  his  brother's  death;  and  as  his  nephews  came  of  age,  he  took  Nicho- 
las, Joseph,  and  John  into  the  family  partnership.  Following  the  death  of 
Obadiah,  the  business  was  organized  in  1761  as  Nicholas  Brown  and 
Company.  The  youngest  of  the  four  brothers,  Moses,  was  admitted  to 
the  firm  in  1763  and  was  affiliated  with  it  for  about  ten  years.  Nicholas 
Brown  and  Company  achieved  distinction  before  the  Revolution:  the 
firm  built  many  ships  in  its  own  yards,  and  engaged  both  in  peaceful 
trading  ventures  and  in  privateering.  Joseph  Brown  remained  in  the 
family  partnership  only  until  he  had  acquired  a  competency.  His  interest 
in  physical  science  was  stronger  than  his  mercantile  instinct,  and  soon 
after  the  middle  of  the  century  he  turned  to  investigation  and  study. 
In  1769  he  became  a  trustee  of  Rhode  Island  College,  and  in  1784  he  was 
invited  to  fill  the  chair  of  Natural  Philosophy  at  this  institution.  Nicholas 
and  John  Brown  dissolved  their  partnership  in  1782,  and  set  up  separate 
establishments;  the  several  firms  which  later  grew  out  of  this  division  were 
Brown  and  Francis;  Brown  and  Benson;  Brown,  Benson  and  Ives;  and 
Brown  and  Ives  (see  PROVIDENCE}. 

John  Brown,  the  most  adventuresome  of  the  brothers,  took  the  initia- 
tive in  reviving  local  commerce,  which  had  been  greatly  damaged  by  the 
Revolution.  In  1787  he  became  the  first  Rhode  Island  merchant  to 
undertake  direct  trade  with  the  Orient.  The  shipyards  of  John  Brown 
flourished,  and  the  vessels  constructed  therein  gained  world-wide  renown. 
Records  of  the  voyages  made  by  Brown's  ships  indicate  the  commercial 
scope  of  early  American  enterprise.  The  'General  Washington,'  1000 
tons,  Captain  Jonathan  Dennison  in  command,  cleared  from  Providence 
hi  December,  1787,  with  a  cargo  of  anchors,  cannon  shot,  bar  iron, 
ginseng,  tar,  Jamaica  spirits,  New  England  rum,  Madeira  wine,  brandy, 
and  spirits,  reaching  Canton,  China,  ten  months  later.  On  the  outward 
journey  she  stopped  at  Madeira,  Madras,  and  Pondicherry.  Returning, 
she  touched  at  St.  Helena,  Ascension,  and  St.  Eustasius.  The  vessel 
reached  Providence  in  July,  1789,  after  a  voyage  of  more  than  32,000 
miles,  with  a  cargo  of  teas,  silks,  china,  cotton  goods,  lacquered  ware, 


Industry  and  Commerce  69 

flannels,  and  gloves,  valued  at  $99,848.  John  Brown  built  the  'President,' 
a  copper-bottomed  ship  of  950  tons;  and  a  later  vessel  of  his,  the  '  George 
Washington,'  was  the  first  craft  to  fly  the  American  flag  in  Turkish  waters. 

Brown,  Benson  and  Ives  built  the  'John  Jay,'  which  was  launched  late 
in  1 794.  In  December  of  that  year  the  '  John  Jay '  sailed  for  Bombay  with 
pig  iron,  bar  iron,  rum,  gin,  pork,  candles,  and  tobacco  having  a  total 
value  of  $34,550,  and  returned  two  years  later  with  teas  valued  at  $250,- 
ooo.  This  vessel  made  other  voyages  to  Russia,  Batavia,  Canton,  Amster- 
dam, and  Sumatra.  The  'Ann  and  Hope,'  550  tons,  waS  one  of  the  fastest 
commercial  sailing  vessels  to  be  placed  in  commission  in  Rhode  Island. 
On  her  maiden  trip  she  reached  Canton,  China,  in  five  months  and  one 
day,  including  four  days  spent  in  Australia.  The  vessel  returned  from 
Canton  in  126  days  with  a  cargo  of  3165  chests  of  tea,  130  boxes  of  china, 
50,000  pieces  of  Nankeens,  and  392  pieces  of  assorted  silks.  Her  second 
voyage  was  also  to  Canton,  and  the  third  to  Canton  via  London,  with 
tobacco,  coffee,  and  logwood.  The  'Ann  and  Hope'  made  two  more 
voyages  that  netted  the  owners  considerable  profit;  and  the  sixth,  which 
proved  to  be  the  final  trip,  was  to  the  East  Indies  via  Lisbon.  After  many 
minor  misfortunes,  both  going  and  returning,  she  was  wrecked  on  Block 
Island  while  carrying  a  cargo  worth  $300,000. 

Whaling,  with  the  resulting  manufacture  of  spermaceti  candles,  claimed 
the  attention  of  many  local  merchants.  While  Nantucket,  Massachusetts, 
was  the  center  of  the  whaling  industry,  the  Rhode  Island  towns  of  Provi- 
dence, Warren,  Bristol,  and  Newport  were  all  well  represented.  Local 
whaling  was  well  under  way  before  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century. 
Spermaceti,  taken  from  the  heads  of  sperm  whales,  supplanted  tallow  in 
the  making  of  candles,  being  harder  and  giving  a  stronger  and  less  smoky 
light.  In  1763,  a  trust  was  established  controlling  the  distribution  of  the 
entire  production  of  sperm  oil  by  the  combined  whaling  fleets  of  continen- 
tal North  America.  The  product  was  divided  among  ten  manufacturers, 
Nicholas  Brown  and  Company  being  allotted  twenty  barrels  in  each 
hundred.  A  monopoly  price  for  the  oil  was  agreed  upon  yearly,  and  the 
establishment  of  more  spermaceti  works  was  discouraged. 

Aaron  Lopez,  one  of  many  Portuguese  Jews  who  sought  religious  and 
economic  liberty  in  America,  settled  in  Newport  in  1752  and  entered  upon 
a  general  merchandising  career.  Lopez's  chief  interest  was  at  first  the 
spermaceti  candle  trade,  in  which  he  was  one  of  the  pioneers.  Previous 
to  1765,  his  shipping  was  mostly  coastwise,  but  by  1770  he  had  ventured 
profitably  into  the  West  Indies,  and  his  thirty  or  more  vessels  came  to  be 
seen  in  every  busy  port  of  the  commercial  world.  The  Revolution  brought 


70  Rhode  Island :  The  General  Background 

an  abrupt  end  to  his  business,  and  left  his  accounts  in  complete  chaos. 
During  the  war  he  moved  from  Newport  to  Leicester,  Massachusetts. 

Until  the  time  of  the  Revolution,  Newport  was  the  outstanding  com- 
mercial center  in  the  Colony.  Along  with  Lopez,  thriving  sea  trade  was 
carried  on  by  the  Brentons,  George  Rome,  Joseph  Wanton,  Sr.,  and  his 
sons,  Joseph  Jr.  and  William,  and  a  great  many  others.  The  '  Golden  Age 
of  Newport'  is  an  appropriate  term  applied  to  the  years  1760-76,  when 
the  town  flourished  not  only  as  a  seaport  but  as  a  social  center.  People 
from  other  Colonies  began  to  spend  their  summers  there,  a  presage  of 
Newport's  later  fame  as  a  fashionable  resort.  The  foreign  commerce 
engaged  in  by  local  merchants  reached  its  zenith  before  1810;  and  al- 
though commerce  declined  thereafter,  the  general  prosperity  of  the  State 
was  upheld  by  the  rising  industrial  era.  Wealth  accumulated  in  commerce 
was  invested  in  factories,  as  merchants  and  mariners  turned  shoreward 
for  further  gain. 

Moses  Brown,  after  dissolving  connections  with  the  family  partner- 
ship, sought  another  field  in  which  to  invest  his  capital.  Some  cotton  had 
been  imported  into  Providence  from  Spain  as  early  as  1785;  but  to  Moses 
Brown's  wealth,  and  his  willingness  to  finance  Samuel  Slater,  first  success- 
ful reproducer  of  the  Arkwright  processes  in  America,  is  attributed  the 
beginning  of  the  great  American  textile  industry.  The  Pawtucket  factory 
owned  by  the  company  of  Almy,  Brown  and  Slater  was  the  first  successful 
American  cotton  manufactory,  and  for  many  years  it  was  the  only  mill 
to  be  operated  on  a  profitable  financial  basis  (see  PAWTUCKET). 

Many  other  factories  were  soon  built  in  the  State.  Job  Greene,  a 
pioneer  in  the  textile  field,  constructed  a  cotton  mill  at  Centreville  in  the 
Pawtuxet  Valley,  in  1794.  Textile  mills  appeared  in  Coventry  in  1800, 
and  in  Warwick  by  1807.  The  Clyde  Bleachery  and  Print  Works  was 
established  in  1828.  Within  twenty-five  years  of  Samuel  Slater's  coming 
to  Rhode  Island,  it  was  estimated  (though  the  figures  may  be  too  large) 
that  the  State's  cotton  factories  employed  26,000  operatives,  and  annually 
turned  29,000  bales  of  cotton  into  27,840,000  yards  of  cloth.  The  other 
Brown  brothers  and  their  partners  followed  Moses  into  the  textile  in- 
dustry; and  the  firm  of  Goddard  Brothers  in  the  twentieth  century  carries 
on  the  business  begun  by  the  firm  of  Brown  and  Ives.  The  present  Lons- 
dale  Company,  incorporated  in  1834,  with  various  textile  enterprises 
in  the  Blackstone  Valley,  was  one  of  the  Brown  and  Ives  corporations,  its 
'No.  i '  Mill  being  erected  in  1831. 

In  1860,  about  135  cotton  factories  contained  766,600  spindles  and 
26,090  looms,  employed  12,089  operatives,  and  produced  goods  valued 


Industry  and  Commerce  71 

at  $12,258,677.  The  Civil  War,  with  the  blockade  of  Confederate  ports, 
disrupted  the  cotton  industry  for  a  time.  Raw  cotton  nearly  disappeared 
as  a  procurable  commodity,  its  price  rising  from  10  cents  to  $1.80  per 
pound.  The  industry  revived  as  soon  as  hostilities  ceased  between  the 
North  and  South,  and  continued  to  develop  thereafter.  The  capital 
invested  increased  from  $6,675,000  in  1850  to  $11,500,000  in  1860,  and  to 
$18,836,300  in  1870.  In  the  ten  years  from  1870  to  1880  the  number  of 
cotton  factories  was  reduced  from  139  to  115,  but  the  capital  invested 
increased  from  $18,836,300  to  $28,047,331.  Five  thousand  more  persons 
were  employed,  and  the  weight  of  the  goods  produced  had  risen  from 
38,503,000  to  60,906,000  pounds. 

The  local  woolen  and  worsted  industry  became  affluent  at  a  later  time, 
and  less  rapidly  than  was  the  case  with  cotton.  The  first  broadcloth 
manufactured  in  Rhode  Island  was  made  by  the  Bellefonte  Manufactur- 
ing Company  in  Cranston,  established  in  1810  by  William  and  Christopher 
Rhodes.  Other  woolen  and  worsted  mills  soon  followed :  in  North  Kings- 
town by  1815,  in  Hopkinton  by  1816,  in  South  Kingstown  (the  Hazard 
enterprises)  before  1819,  in  North  Providence  by  1822,  in  Pawtucket  by 
1820,  in  Woonsocket  by  1831,  and  in  Providence  by  1842. 

Rowland  Hazard  introduced  carding  machines  at  Peace  Dale,  and  in 
1816  he  installed  there  the  first  woolen  power  looms  used  in  America.  His 
special  products  were  saddle  girths  and  webbing.  The  profits  on  textiles 
were  large  enough  to  warrant  steam-power,  both  as  an  auxiliary  to  water- 
power  and  as  an  independent  source  for  driving  machinery.  The  Provi- 
dence Woolen  Manufacturing  Company  used  steam-power  in  its  factory 
in  1812,  and  two  years  later  the  Providence  Dyeing  and  Calendering 
Company  installed  a  steam  engine  at  a  cost  of  $17,000.  As  coal  replaced 
wood  as  fuel,  other  steam-driven  mills  were  built  in  Providence,  Warren, 
Bristol,  and  elsewhere. 

The  inventions  of  George  H.  Corliss  were  a  decisive  factor  in  the  growth 
of  the  textile  industries.  Corliss  came  to  Providence  in  1844,  to  market 
a  harness-sewing  machine  of  his  own  invention.  His  interest,  however, 
soon  changed  to  steam  engines,  and  in  1848  the  firm  of  Corliss,  Nightin- 
gale and  Company  built  an  engine  for  the  Providence  Dyeing,  Bleaching 
and  Calendering  Company.  This  machine  was  so  successful  that  Corliss 
later  built  larger  engines  of  the  same  type  for  mills  in  Boston,  New  Bed- 
ford, and  Utica.  The  Corliss  Steam  Engine  Company  was  incorporated 
in  1856;  and  Corliss,  as  president,  directed  all  its  business  activities,  be- 
sides devising  further  improvements  in  his  machines.  His  mechanical 
genius  won  him  world-wide  recognition  as  an  authority  on  steam  engines. 


72  Rhode  Island :  The  General  Background 

He  was  awarded  the  Rumford  medal  by  the  American  Academy  of  Arts 
and  Sciences  in  1870,  and  by  1886  he  had  received  honors  in  three  foreign 
countries. 

Calico  printing  from  wooden  blocks  began  in  1790  at  East  Greenwich, 
in  the  Mathewson  and  Mowry  factory.  Schaub,  Tissot  and  Dubosque 
printed  calico  from  wooden  blocks  at  Providence  in  1794.  The  Clyde 
Bleachery  and  Print  Works,  established  at  Warwick  in  1828,  engaged 
first  in  bleaching  and  finishing  white  cotton  goods,  adding  single-color 
printing  machines  in  1833  for  producing  indigo-blue  and  white  calico 
prints.  The  plant  was  enlarged  and  new  printing  machines  were  installed 
from  time  to  time,  until  the  company  had  equipment  for  printing  calico 
in  eight  different  colors.  In  later  years,  fancy  dyeing  and  printing,  as 
well  as  new  styles  of  finishing  cotton  cloth,  were  introduced.  The  found- 
ing of  the  Sayles  Bleachery  at  Saylesville,  in  1847,  marked  the  beginning 
of  one  of  the  world's  largest  textile  finishing  organizations.  The  present 
Cranston  Print  Works  Company  is  an  outgrowth  of  a  cotton-carding  and 
hand-spinning  plant  begun  by  William  Sprague,  before  1813;  and  the 
Dunnell  Print  Works  of  Pawtucket,  later  a  branch  of  the  United  States 
Finishing  Company,  was  in  operation  as  early  as  1817. 

The  number  of  firms  engaged  in  the  woolen  trade  rose  from  45  in  1850 
to  57  in  1860  and  76  in  1870.  The  product  was  valued  at  $2,381,825  in 
1850,  at  $6,915,205  in  1860,  and  at  $15,394,067  in  1870.  The  great  ex- 
pansion of  the  woolen  and  worsted  business  in  Providence  belongs  to  the 
Civil  War  period.  The  first  unit  of  the  Riverside  Mills  was  constructed  in 
1 86 1,  and  the  Wanskuck  Mills  and  the  Waypoyset  Mills  were  opened  in 
1864.  The  Riverside  Mills  manufactured  beavers,  kerseys,  elysians, 
ladies  cloakings,  and  fine  overcoatings,  and  the  Waypoyset  Mills  achieved 
distinction  by  designing  original  patterns  instead  of  copying  imported 
fabrics.  By  1890,  Providence  was  the  second  woolen-manufacturing  city 
in  America,  being  outranked  only  by  Philadelphia.  In  1867,  Darius  Goff 
of  Pawtucket  invented  and  perfected  machinery  for  making  pile  fabrics, 
including  wool  plush.  Census  statistics  for  1890  showed  40  woolen  mills 
in  operation,  16  hosiery  and  knitting  mills,  and  28  worsted  mills.  The 
industry  employed  19,323  persons,  and  the  production  was  valued  at 
$34,721,270.  In  1900,  some  92  companies  employed  19,200  persons  and 
produced  goods  valued  at  $41,385,729. 

The  textile  industry  opened  avenues  for  numerous  related  industries, 
such  as  the  building  of  textile  machinery.  In  Cumberland  during  the 
Revolutionary  War,  Oziel  Wilkinson  and  his  five  sons,  all  blacksmiths, 
had  manufactured  anchors,  screws,  heavy  oil  presses,  farming  implements, 


Industry  and  Commerce  73 

and  other  cast  and  wrought-iron  ware.  Isaac  Wilkinson,  another  son  of 
Oziel's,  cast  sixty  cannon  at  the  Franklin  Foundry,  in  Providence,  for  use 
in  the  War  of  1812.  For  the  same  war,  Stephen  Jencks  manufactured 
ten  thousand  muskets  at  Central  Falls.  The  Wilkinsons  extended  their 
operations  to  include  textile  machinery,  and  made  some  of  the  earliest 
machines  after  the  instructions  of  Samuel  Slater.  Other  men  followed 
suit,  building  power  looms  and  novel  types  of  winding,  braiding,  and 
ring-spinning  devices.  This  was  the  beginning  of  what  was  to  become 
one  of  Rhode  Island's  greatest  industries.  The  J.  and  P.  Coats  Company, 
before  removal  from  Paisley,  Scotland,  to  this  State,  was  equipped  with 
machines  made  here.  The  Coats  concern  began  operations  in  Pawtucket 
in  1868.  Other  early  establishments  connected  with  the  making  of  textile 
machinery  were  Pitcher  and  Gay,  and  Charles  A.  Luther  Company,  of 
Pawtucket;  Joseph  and  Ebenezer  Metcalf,  of  Cumberland;  the  Franklin 
Machine  Company,  the  Phenix  Iron  Foundry,  and  the  Cove  Machine 
Company,  of  Providence;  and  the  Woonsocket  Foundry,  of  Woonsocket. 
In  1830,  Alvin  Jenks  and  his  brother-in-law,  David  G.  Fales,  began 
making  textile  machinery  in  Central  Falls.  There  were  also  iron  foundries 
and  metal-working  shops  in  various  parts  of  Rhode  Island,  including  the 
Brown  and  Sharpe  Manufacturing  Company  (1833),  the  Eagle  Screw 
Company,  and  the  New  England  Screw  Company  (1838);  the  latter  two 
eventually  combined  as  the  American  Screw  Company. 

One  of  the  dominant  industries  in  Providence  after  1850  was  that  of 
jewelry  manufacturing.  Seril  Dodge  was  the  first  jewelry  manufacturer  in 
the  city  (see  PROVIDENCE}.  In  1786,  he  had  a  little  shop  on  North 
Main  Street,  where  he  specialized  in  the  production  of  silver  shoe  buckles; 
but  to  his  brother,  Nehemiah,  has  been  attributed  the  major  credit  of 
beginning  the  vast  jewelry  business  of  America.  In  1794,  Nehemiah 
Dodge  opened  a  shop  on  North  Main  Street,  a  little  to  the  south  of  Saint 
John's  Church,  as  a  silversmith,  goldsmith,  and  watch-repairer.  He 
removed  in  1798  to  a  shop  south  of  the  First  Baptist  Meeting-House. 
While  working  on  individual  orders  in  fine  gold,  Dodge  conceived  the  idea 
of  building  up  his  trade  by  using  a  less  expensive  kind  of  metal.  Up  to 
that  time  persons  of  means  were  the  only  ones  able  to  afford  jewelry. 
Nehemiah  Dodge  hired  journeymen  jewelers,  goldsmiths,  and  silver- 
smiths, and  added  a  number  of  apprentices  to  his  working  force.  He  is 
reputed  to  have  perfected  a  system  of  washing  baser  metal,  called  the 
prototype  of  the  electro-gilding  process,  the  use  of  which  reduced  the 
prices  of  jewelry  to  popular  levels.  Dodge  greatly  enlarged  his  business, 
conducting  a  shop  where  customers  could  make  their  selections  from 


74  Rhode  Island :  The  General  Background 

stock  manufactured  in  advance.  Thus  he  shaped  the  local  jewelry  busi- 
ness of  Providence  and  set  the  pattern  for  manufacturing  and  retail 
establishments  elsewhere. 

Jabez  Gorham,  one  of  Nehemiah  Dodge's  apprentices,  became  a 
journeyman  silversmith,  and  made  silver  spoons  that  he  sold  from  house 
to  house.  From  this  humble  trade  originated  the  immense  business  of  the 
Gorham  Manufacturing  Company  in  Providence.  By  1810,  there  were 
approximately  100  workers  in  the  various  jewelry  shops,  producing  goods 
valued  at  $100,000.  During  the  next  ten  years,  the  number  of  workmen 
increased  to  300,  and  the  value  of  their  work  to  $600,000.  Census  returns 
for  1850  placed  Rhode  Island  third  in  respect  to  the  number  of  persons 
employed  in  manufacturing  jewelry,  and  by  1880  the  State  had  attained 
first  place  in  the  trade.  The  City  of  Providence,  in  which  142  of  the  148 
establishments  were  situated,  had  a  production  valued  at  $5,444,092 
annually.  In  1899,  a  survey  of  the  industry  disclosed  249  firms,  with 
a  total  investment  of  $10,655,227;  8767  persons  were  employed;  and  the 
jewelry  produced  was  valued  at  $19,445,327. 

The  diversity  of  nineteenth-century  Rhode  Island  industry  included 
the  production,  beyond  the  major  items  noted  above,  of  paint,  rubber 
goods,  yacht  and  ship  pulleys,  proprietary  medicines,  soap,  stoves,  sewing 
machines,  twine,  hardware,  printing  machinery,  drugs  and  chemicals, 
baking  powder,  wire,  and  fire  extinguishers. 

Rhode  Island  is  now  the  most  highly  industrialized  State  in  the  Union. 
In  1930,  151,462  persons  out  of  a  total  working  population  of  297,072, 
constituting  more  than  50  per  cent,  were  engaged  in  industry.  In  1933 
the  number  of  persons  so  occupied  was  134  per  thousand  of  the  entire 
population,  whereas  the  average  for  the  country  as  a  whole  was  49  per 
thousand.  Rhode  Island  also  heads  the  list  of  States  in  the  per  capita 
wealth  produced  by  the  manufacturing  process  —  $243  per  person  in  1933, 
compared  to  $118  for  the  country  at  large. 

The  nature  of  the  present  industrial  structure  allows  the  grouping  of 
manufacture  in  Rhode  Island  into  a  few  principal  divisions:  (i)  textiles, 
(2)  metal  trades,  (3)  jewelry  and  silverware,  (4)  rubber  goods,  and  (5) 
miscellaneous.  According  to  the  payrolls  of  December,  1935,  the  relative 
importance  of  these  groups  was  as  follows:  textiles,  more  than  57  per  cent 
of  the  total;  metal  trades,  nearly  14  per  cent;  jewelry  and  silverware,  about 
10  per  cent;  rubber  goods,  less  than  3  per  cent;  and  miscellaneous  in- 
dustries, about  16  per  cent. 

Measured  by  any  criterion,  the  making  of  textiles  is  Rhode  Island's 
most  important  industry,  and  within  this  industry  the  making  of  woolens 


Industry  and  Commerce  75 

and  worsteds  is  the  most  important  branch.  Rhode  Island  is  outranked 
only  by  Massachusetts  in  the  manufacture  of  woolens  and  worsteds, 
employing  16.8  per  cent  of  the  total  workers  of  the  country  in  this 
industry. 

The  local  woolen  and  worsted  industry  is  largely,  though  not  ex- 
clusively, a  city  enterprise;  and  of  Rhode  Island's  seven  incorporated 
cities,  Woonsocket  is  the  great  center  of  the  industry.  Woonsocket  con- 
tains six  mills,  which  employ  more  than  five  hundred  workers  each,  in 
addition  to  a  great  number  of  smaller  establishments.  The  Rhode  Island 
woolen  and  worsted  industry  has  shown  a  definite  improvement  in  past 
years,  its  gross  income  having  increased  steadily  from  1899  to  1931.  The 
healthy  condition  of  this  industry  is  in  contrast  to  many  dark  aspects  of 
the  contemporary  textile  picture.  At  the  present  time,  the  industry 
shows  not  only  a  sustained  purchasing  power,  but  an  increase  in  the 
number  of  workers  employed.  (There  were  19,436  workers  in  1935  as 
compared  with  16,438  a  year  before.) 

The  cotton  mills  of  Rhode  Island  are  fairly  widely  distributed,  many  of 
the  larger  ones  being  outside  the  cities  —  a  condition  less  true  of  most 
other  branches  of  manufacture.  Rhode  Island  ranks  sixth  among  the 
States  of  the  Union  in  number  of  employes  engaged  in  cotton  manu- 
facture. The  Textile  World  for  February,  1936,  calls  the  cotton  industry 
'tough'  because  of  the  conditions  it  has  been  able  to  survive,  and  this 
generalization  about  the  industry  as  a  whole  applies  especially  to  Rhode 
Island  mills.  The  migration  of  the  cotton  industry  from  New  England  to 
the  South  has  been  going  on  for  some  time,  but  the  full  extent  of  the 
change  is  not  often  clearly  recognized.  The  movement  began  more  than 
thirty  years  ago,  and  for  some  time  New  England  minimized  its  im- 
portance. As  the  Southern  textile  industry  developed  first  in  the  field  of 
coarse  goods,  the  North  went  in  for  medium  and  fine  grade  yarns,  and  for 
a  time  both  sections  enjoyed  a  healthy  growth.  From  1910  on,  however, 
things  changed  rapidly,  until  in  1931  the  South  was  ahead  by  a  consider- 
able margin  in  all  grades.  The  South  now  manufactures  81  per  cent  of  all 
cotton  yarn,  and  61  per  cent  of  the  fine  grade  yarn,  the  manufacture  of 
which  New  England  formerly  monopolized.  There  were  only  70  per  cent 
as  many  persons  employed  in  the  Rhode  Island  cotton  industry  in  1933  as 
in  1899.  This  loss  is  due  in  part  to  the  introduction  of  labor-saving  ma- 
chinery—  a  consideration  which  does  not,  however,  appreciably  offset 
the  factor  of  increasing  Southern  competition.  Notwithstanding  the 
general  decline  in  the  cotton  industry,  Rhode  Island  has  now  about  three- 
quarters  of  the  number  of  persons  employed  in  1899;  it  uses  about  one- 


76  Rhode  Island :  The  General  Background 

third  the  amount  of  raw  cotton  that  was  consumed  in  1913;  and  it  realizes 
a  gross  income  of  about  one  and  one-half  times  that  of  1899. 

The  silk  and  rayon  situation  in  Rhode  Island  is  rather  difficult  to 
analyze,  since  figures  are  difficult  to  obtain  and  there  is  much  confusion 
in  terminology.  It  has  been  suggested  that  what  has  been  called  the  silk 
industry  should  now  be  recognized  as  silk  and  rayon,  because  it  is  impos- 
sible to  consider  one  product  without  the  other.  Rayon  has  been  forging 
ahead  since  1929,  especially  on  a  materials-used  basis;  but  indices  drawn 
from  silk  and  rayon  combined  do  not  reveal  favorable  conditions.  The 
number  of  workers  employed  decreased  markedly  from  1933  to  the  end 

of  1935- 

In  addition  to  the  weaving  of  cotton  and  woolen  goods,  a  considerable 
branch  of  the  textile  business  has  to  do  with  what  is  called  'finishing'; 
and  this  branch,  as  well  as  other  subdivisions  of  the  industry,  accounts  for 
a  number  of  large  factories  distributed  fairly  evenly  among  the  cities  and 
towns. 

Rhode  Island  ranks  first  in  the  Union  as  a  jewelry-manufacturing 
State,  employing  37  per  cent  of  the  workers  nationally  engaged  in  that 
industry.  As  the  textile  industry  had  its  Slater,  jewelry  had  its  Nehemiah 
Dodge,  who  became  in  1794  the  first  to  manufacture  jewelry  on  a  large 
scale  in  America.  From  this  beginning  the  industry  has  grown,  until 
today  Providence  is  known  throughout  the  world  as  a  jewelry  center. 
Jewelry  has  a  seasonal  pattern  of  production;  the  high  point  comes  in 
October,  from  which  it  declines  into  July,  then  rises  again  very  rapidly 
into  its  fall  peak.  The  industry  has  consistently  maintained  a  fairly 
prosperous  condition  since  1899,  although  there  was  a  noticeable  decline 
between  1929  and  1931. 

The  local  metal  trades  are  broadly  classified  under  three  headings  — 
nuts  and  bolts,  textile  machinery,  and  general  machinery.  The  best 
available  index  for  these  trades  for  any  length  of  time  is  that  of  average 
daily  consumption  of  power.  On  this  basis,  the  nut  and  bolt  trade  may  be 
said  to  have  declined  steadily  from  1929  to  1932,  and  thereafter  to  have 
risen  until  in  January,  1936,  it  was  a  little  above  the  1930  level.  The  same 
general  statement  holds  true  of  the  two  other  branches,  textile  machinery 
and  general  machinery.  The  Rhode  Island  metal  trades  are  carried  on 
almost  exclusively  in  the  large  cities,  and  most  extensively  in  Provi- 
dence. 

Figures  on  the  rubber  industry  are  not  available  over  a  long  period  of 
years.  The  State  Department  of  Labor  noted  4499  employees  in  eight 
plants  as  of  December,  1935  —  a  gain  of  about  8  per  cent  over  December 


Industry  and  Commerce  77 

of  the  previous  year.  On  a  power-consumption  basis,  the  rubber  industry 
stood  8  per  cent  higher  in  January,  1936,  than  a  year  previously. 

The  principal  miscellaneous  industries  in  the  State  produce  paper  boxes, 
brick,  glass  bulbs,  confectionery  and  ice  cream,  coated  paper  and  card- 
board, display  cases,  baking  powder,  fishing  tackle,  embossed  labels, 
paints,  and  radio  tubes. 

It  would  appear  that  the  year  1935  witnessed  the  first  sustained  re- 
covery from  the  depression  of  the  past  several  years.  Improvement  was 
noticeable  in  the  woolen  and  worsted  industry;  jewelry  was  hi  a  better 
condition  than  in  1934;  and  general  industrial  payrolls  and  employment 
rosters  were  larger  than  in  the  preceding  year.  Rhode  Island  retail  and 
wholesale  business  seemed  to  be  improving  consistently  in  1936. 


LABOR 


IN  RHODE  ISLAND  manufacturing  has  long  outranked  other  economic 
interests.  Textiles,  with  the  related  machinery  and  dyeing  industries, 
were  destined  to  attain  a  commanding  position  after  the  year  1790.  It 
was  then  that  Samuel  Slater,  an  English  immigrant,  defeated  the  English 
embargo  on  machinery  and  machine-design  by  constructing  from  memory 
several  Arkwright  spinning  machines,  and  installing  them  in  a  water- 
power  plant  at  Pawtucket.  Rhode  Island  has  hence  been  considered  the 
birthplace  of  the  textile  industry  in  America. 

The  coming  of  mill  industries  to  Rhode  Island  caused  an  abrupt  change 
in  the  life  of  the  people.  Before  the  advent  of  manufacturing,  production 
had  been  chiefly  for  local  needs.  The  work  of  spinning  yarn  and  making 
cloth,  for  example,  had  been  carried  on  in  the  home  by  the  womenfolk. 
They  began  and  finished  their  product,  and  saw  it  put  to  use.  Other 
workers,  such  as  farmers,  blacksmiths,  and  millers,  included  payment 
for  their  services  in  the  price  of  their  product.  They  made  their  own  in- 
dividual profit  as  a  matter  of  individual  trade.  Even  seamen,  whose  work 
was  collective,  were  paid  more  or  less  directly  hi  shares  of  the  cargo's 
value.  With  the  coming  of  the  factory,  the  economic  process  became  less 
direct  and  simple.  Workers  sold  their  labor,  but  not  the  product  of  their 
labor;  the  workers  who  spun  yarn,  for  example,  were  not  spinning  it  for 
their  own  cloth,  and  they  had  nothing  to  do  with  its  use  or  sale.  Earnings 
did  not  depend  directly  on  the  price  received  for  the  sale  of  the  product. 

This  radical  change  in  the  manner  of  production  was  not  altogether 
welcomed  by  the  people.  Many  men  found  factory  life  less  attractive 
than  cultivating  the  soil  or  sailing  on  merchant  ships. 

The  English  mechanic  largely  responsible  for  Rhode  Island's  successful 
nurture  of  the  infant  textile  industry  was  Samuel  Slater  (see  PAW- 
TUCKET).  Having  completely  memorized  the  Arkwright  process,  he 
smuggled  his  secrets  out  of  England.  For  a  short  time  in  the  late  lySo's, 
he  worked  for  the  New  York  Manufacturing  Company,  one  of  the  many 
unsuccessful  textile  corporations  which  were  already  springing  up  about 
the  country.  From  the  captain  of  a  ship  he  learned  of  the  new  firm  of 
Almy  and  Brown,  in  Pawtucket,  and  he  wrote  to  Moses  Brown  offering 
his  services.  Brown  agreed  to  hire  him,  and  gave  him  complete  technical 


Labor  79 

supervision  of  the  plant.  Although  Slater  subsequently  acquired  a  half 
interest  in  the  corporation,  his  status  was  that  of  a  hired  employee.  This 
is  an  important  fact  because  it  reveals  the  early  pattern  which  the  in- 
dustry assumed.  Slater  stood  in  the  top  rank  of  skilled  laborers.  His 
importance  was  not  considered  equal  to  that  of  Moses  Brown,  who  had 
supplied  the  capital,  nor  was  his  function  considered  as  important  as  that 
of  Almy,  the  agent  for  the  finished  product.  In  other  words,  despite  his 
interest  in  the  firm,  he  was  not  a  capitalist.  However,  the  actual  direction 
was  in  his  hands,  and  by  the  workers  for  the  firm  of  Almy,  Brown  and 
Slater,  he  was  considered  the  employer.  In  the  subsequent  expansion  of 
the  industry,  other  master  laborers  who  held  a  position  corresponding  to 
Slater's  were  also  classed  as  employers.  After  Slater  had  imported  a  few 
English  skilled  laborers  and  had  succeeded  in  training  a  few  Americans, 
the  pattern  became  complete  and  the  industry  was  divided  into  the 
following  strata:  on  the  bottom  were  the  unskilled  laborers,  above  them 
came  the  skilled  laborers,  next  appeared  the  master-labor-employer,  and 
on  top  was  capital.  It  was  not  until  the  later  i85o's  that  many  capitalists 
or  members  of  their  families  actually  went  into  a  mill  to  learn  about  the 
rudiments  of  their  business. 

Between  1790  and  1820,  the  textile  industry  took  strong  root  and  be- 
came an  accepted  part  of  American  life.  Yarn  was  spun  in  mills,  and 
'  let  out '  either  to  small  weaving  establishments  or  to  homes.  A  few  years 
later,  the  mills  began  to  take  care  of  most  of  the  weaving;  and  in  1817, 
when  the  power  loom  was  introduced,  domestic  weaving  disappeared  as 
a  part  of  the  industry.  During  these  first  thirty  years,  the  young  in- 
dustry experienced  many  vicissitudes.  There  was  sharp  competition, 
both  at  home  and  abroad;  there  were  periods  of  excessive  demand  and 
low  demand;  there  were  prosperity  and  peak  employment,  depression  and 
unemployment.  The  relative  success  of  the  firm  of  Almy,  Brown  and 
Slater  moved  other  wealthy  men  to  take  their  capital  from  shipping  to 
invest  it  in  industry.  The  War  of  1812  stimulated  the  industry  in  Amer- 
ica; but  after  peace  had  been  restored,  it  languished,  until  a  protective 
tariff  kept  out  some  of  the  foreign  competition.  Before  1830  there  were 
at  least  a  dozen  large  mills  in  Rhode  Island,  in  addition  to  a  number  of 
smaller  ones,  all  fighting  for  existence.  In  1829  there  was  a  short-lived 
but  disastrous  panic. 

The  growth  of  the  textile  industry  naturally  caused  a  great  increase  in 
the  number  of  mill  laborers.  One  record  states  that  between  1820  and 
1830  the  textile  industry  employed  26,000  operatives;  but  this  estimate 
is  undoubtedly  too  high,  since  the  total  population  in  1820  was  only 


8o  Rhode  Island :  The  General  Background 

83,000.  A  report  for  1831  gives  8500  operatives,  of  which  number  1700 
were  men,  about  3300  were  women,  and  3400  were  children  between  the 
ages  of  seven  and  fourteen. 

The  early  mills  were  located  in  remote  rural  districts  where  water- 
power  could  be  secured.  Their  isolation  made  it  difficult  to  attract 
enough  labor.  To  meet  this  latter  difficulty,  the  family  hiring  system 
was  instituted  almost  at  the  outset.  Mill  villages  sprang  up  around  water- 
power  sites,  with  homes  built  by  the  mills  and  rented  to  the  operatives. 
'Help  wanted'  advertisements  in  the  newspapers  were  directed,  not  to 
individuals,  but  to  whole  families.  Some  of  the  advertisements  even 
specified  the  minimum  allowable  number  of  children  for  applicants. 
Wages  were  so  small  that  as  a  rule  no  family  could  survive  unless  most  of 
its  members  were  working.  Weekly  wages  for  the  period  of  1810-30  were 
approximately  $5.25  for  men,  $2.20  for  women,  and  $1.25  for  children. 
A  week  constituted  six  days  of  from  twelve  to  fourteen  hours  each,  or  a 
maximum  of  84  working  hours.  Many  of  the  mills  used  a  scale  of  wages 
based  on  age  and  length  of  service;  an  employee  was  given  a  slight  in- 
crease with  each  successive  year,  and  there  was  a  higher  minimum  or 
beginner's  wage  for  workers  over  fourteen  years  of  age.  The  service 
increases  had  a  maximum  limit,  higher  for  men  than  for  women. 

Samuel  Slater  and  the  other  employers  did  not  trouble  much  about  the 
education  of  the  children  in  their  employ.  They  confined  themselves  to 
hiring  a  man  to  teach  school  subjects  on  Sundays.  The  pressure  for  free 
public  education  came  from  a  different  quarter.  One  of  the  chief  spokes- 
men of  the  new  movement  was  Seth  Luther,  a  crusader  against  all  of  the 
evils  of  the  textile  industry.  He  pleaded  for  education  as  a  means  of 
eradicating  ignorance  and  depravity.  In  1836,  the  Children's  Friends 
Society  of  Rhode  Island  was  formed  to  promote  child  education  and 
welfare.  In  1840,  a  law  was  passed  requiring  every  child  under  the  age  of 
twelve  to  attend  school  for  at  least  twelve  months  before  starting  to  work. 

The  crusade  for  free  public  education  did  not  begin  to  take  definite 
shape  until  the  organized  labor  movement  had  already  a  history  of  ten 
years'  activity.  The  lead  was  taken  by  the  women.  Indeed,  the  strike  of 
the  ' female  weavers'  in  Pawtucket  in  1824  is  not  only  one  of  the  first 
instances  of  labor  activity  in  Rhode  Island  —  it  is  the  first  instance  of 
women  participating  in  activities  of  labor  organizations  in  the  United 
States.  In  December,  1825,  a  convention  of  workingmen  was  held  in 
Providence,  at  which  delegates  from  five  New  England  States  were 
present.  In  February,  1826,  a  General  Association  was  organized;  and 
shortly  afterward  a  local  unit,  called  the  Providence  Association  of 


Labor  81 

Workingmen,  was  formed.  This  organization  appears  to  have  been  either 
short-lived  or  inactive.  Five  years  later,  in  December,  1831,  the  New 
England  Association  of  Farmers,  Mechanics,  and  Other  Workingmen 
was  formed  in  Providence,  'to  use  mature  methods  to  concentrate  the 
efforts  of  the  laboring  class,  regulate  hours  of  labor  by  one  uniform  stand- 
ard, to  promote  the  cause  of  education  and  general  information,  to  reform 
abuses  practiced  upon  them,  and  to  maintain  their  rights  as  American 
Freemen.'  Their  objectives  were  a  reduction  of  the  working  day  to  ten 
hours  without  a  corresponding  reduction  in  wages,  extra  payment  for 
overtime,  restriction  of  labor  for  women  and  children,  abolition  of 
monopolies,  and  abrogation  of  the  law  demanding  imprisonment  for 
debt.  The  Association  lasted  only  three  years,  holding  its  final  meeting 
at  Northampton,  Massachusetts,  in  1834. 

Two  other  unions,  evidently  independent  of  the  New  England  Associa- 
tion, were  already  in  existence  —  the  Practical  Masons,  and  the  House 
Carpenters,  forerunners  of  the  masons'  and  carpenters'  unions  of  the 
present  day.  Although  1834  marked  the  end  of  the  New  England  Associa- 
tion, it  also  marked  the  beginning  of  local  activity  in  favor  of  the  National 
Trade  Union,  an  organization  which  was  working  for  shorter  hours 
throughout  the  entire  textile  industry.  Between  1834  and  1837,  there 
were  several  strikes  in  Massachusetts  and  New  Hampshire,  but  none  of 
any  importance  were  reported  in  Rhode  Island. 

During  the  period  1836-40,  a  new  labor  factor  came  into  the  scene  — 
namely,  the  immigration  of  workers  from  Ireland  and  Canada.  For  the 
first  thirty  years  of  textile  manufacture,  the  majority  of  laborers  had 
been  native  Americans,  but  in  1832  Seth  Luther  began  to  inveigh  against 
'  the  unrighteous  conduct  of  manufacturers  who  import  foreign  workmen 
to  cut  down  wages  of  American  citizens.'  These  immigrants  formed  the 
vanguard  of  a  host  that  continued  to  increase  during  the  1 840*5  and 
i85o's.  Manufacturers  preferred  foreign  laborers  because  the  latter, 
being  strangers,  were  more  dependent  than  native  operatives,  and  were 
more  submissive  to  corporation  control.  Imported  labor,  furthermore, 
seldom  possessed  the  vote,  since  few  immigrants  had  $134  worth  of  real 
property  or  paid  the  tax  which  would  entitle  them  to  suffrage  and  hence 
to  a  voice  in  the  demand  for  favorable  labor  legislation.  Reform  move- 
ments in  the  field  of  labor  were  advancing  more  rapidly  in  other  States 
than  in  Rhode  Island. 

In  1844,  the  New  England  Workingmen's  Association  was  formed. 
It  existed  for  two  years  and  then  became  the  Labor  Reform  League, 
which  lasted  until  1848.  But  there  is  little  evidence  that  either  of  these 


82  Rhode  Island :  The  General  Background 

organizations  was  able  to  accomplish  much.  However,  in  1846  the  first 
National  Industrial  Congress  was  held,  and  for  ten  years  this  organiza- 
tion memorialized  the  Congress  in  Washington  to  promote  national 
labor  legislation  in  favor  of  shorter  hours,  compulsory  education,  and 
abolition  of  the  contract  system  of  importing  immigrants. 

After  the  first  regional  convention  of  workers,  in  1825,  labor  organiza- 
tions gradually  expanded  until  they  covered  the  industrial  sections  of  the 
entire  nation.  The  beginning,  in  1834,  of  the  National  Trade  Union, 
which  more  or  less  supplanted  the  activities  of  the  New  England  Associa- 
tion of  Farmers,  Mechanics,  and  Other  Workingmen,  indicates  this 
widening  scope.  The  conventions  and  activities  of  the  National  In- 
dustrial Congress  show  further  development  in  this  direction.  In  1866,  the 
National  Labor  Union  was  organized,  and  in  1868  it  voted  to  abolish  the 
fifteen-hour  day  for  women  and  children  in  Rhode  Island,  but  the  vote 
had  no  effect.  The  Knights  of  Labor,  founded  in  1869,  had  by  1885  no 
less  than  sixty-four  local  assemblies  in  the  State  and  a  number  of  active 
women's  benefit  organizations.  The  Knights  were  the  immediate  pre- 
decessors of  the  American  Federation  of  Labor.  The  dispersion  of  the 
Knights  by  the  Federation  meant  the  defeat  of  the  objectives  which 
Utopian  labor  leaders,  such  as  Uriah  S.  Stephens  and  Terence  V.  Pow- 
derly  had  sought. 

During  all  this  national  labor  activity,  the  textile  industry  in  Rhode 
Island  was  going  through  a  slow  evolution.  Steam-power  was  introduced, 
and  labor-saving  improvements  in  machinery  were  being  constantly  made. 
The  mill  villages  of  the  early  days  had  grown  into  towns,  but  without 
the  company  losing  its  influence  on  civic  affairs.  In  localities  where  there 
had  been  mixed  immigration  (French-Canadian,  Irish,  English,  Italian, 
Polish,  Portuguese),  there  was  little  harmony  or  co-operation  among  the 
workers.  In  fact,  while  the  national  labor  organizations  were  taking 
shape  and  becoming  more  active,  those  of  Rhode  Island  remained  small 
and  inactive.  In  1885,  a  ten-hour-day  law  for  women  and  children  was 
finally  passed,  but  no  means  were  provided  for  its  enforcement.  Massa- 
chusetts had  already  an  enforcible  ten-hour  law,  and  had  put  strong 
restrictions  on  child  labor.  In  the  early  iSyo's,  'border  trouble'  arose 
between  the  two  States,  caused  by  Massachusetts  mill  families  moving 
into  Rhode  Island  in  order  to  benefit  from  their  children's  labor.  In 
1899,  the  first  factory  inspectors  were  appointed  in  Rhode  Island.  These 
appointments  were  the  State's  provision  for  enforcing  the  ten-hour  law. 

In  1909,  a  State  board  was  created  for  the  purpose  of  informing  the 
public  about  general  industrial  and  labor  conditions,  and  of  making 


Labor  83 

proposals  and  suggestions  for  improvements.  The  head  of  this  board  was 
the  Commissioner  of  Industrial  Statistics,  whose  duties  were  ill-defined 
and  whose  appropriations  were  small,  so  that  little  came  of  his  work.  In 
1923,  the  appropriations  were  increased,  and  the  Bureau  of  Labor  was 
formed,  with  a  Deputy  Commissioner  to  represent  labor  in  disputes. 

Meanwhile,  in  1912,  the  first  Workmen's  Compensation  Act  was 
passed,  covering  all  kinds  of  labor  except  casual,  domestic,  and  agricul- 
tural, and  including  all  industrial  establishments  except  those  hiring 
fewer  than  five  people.  No  provision  was  made  for  occupational  diseases. 
The  compensation  payments  covered  medical  expenses,  in  case  of  sick- 
ness or  injury,  for  not  less  than  eight  weeks,  with  the  total  payment 
limited  to  one  hundred  dollars.  Hospital  expenses  were  to  be  paid  up  to 
one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  and  fifty  per  cent  of  the  average  weekly  wage 
during  absence  from  work.  For  total  disability,  seven  to  sixteen  dollars 
a  week  were  to  be  paid  for  not  more  than  five  hundred  weeks;  and  for 
partial  disability,  four  to  ten  dollars  a  week  for  not  more  than  three 
hundred  weeks.  In  1921,  administration  of  this  act  was  transferred  from 
the  Superior  Court  to  the  Commissioner  of  Labor.  The  legislature  of 
1935-36  changed  the  Workmen's  Compensation  Law  to  include  thirty- 
one  occupational  diseases.  The  weekly  maximum  benefit  payment  was 
raised  from  sixteen  to  twenty  dollars,  the  compensation  period  from  five 
hundred  to  one  thousand  weeks,  and  the  total  amount  from  five  thousand 
to  ten  thousand  dollars.  More  adequate  medical  compensation  is  now 
provided  for.  The  employee  is  given  a  voice  in  the  agreement  to  pay 
him  compensation,  and  payment  for  incapacity  now  begins  on  the  fourth 
day  instead  of  the  eighth. 

In  1922  took  place  one  of  the  most  bitterly  fought  strikes  in  New 
England  textile  history.  The  depression  of  1921  and  increasing  Southern 
competition  caused  drastic  reductions  in  wages,  some  of  which  amounted, 
over  a  period  of  two  years,  to  as  much  as  forty-two  per  cent.  There  was 
an  energetic  protest.  On  January  23,  1922,  eleven  mule  spinners  in 
Pawtucket  went  on  strike;  as  others  followed,  the  strike  spread  through- 
out New  England.  It  lasted  until  the  middle  of  September,  when  the 
majority  of  mills  opened  again.  In  Rhode  Island,  thirty-four  mills, 
employing  eighteen  thousand  workers,  were  involved.  About  half  of  the 
striking  workers  belonged  to  unions,  of  which  the  Amalgamated  Textile 
Workers  and  the  United  Textile  Workers  were  the  strongest.  The  em- 
ployers asserted  that  they  could  not  pay  higher  wages  and  run  the  mills 
at  a  profit.  Labor  leaders  agreed  that  the  workers  would  return  to  their 
machines  if  the  employers  could  prove  this  assertion,  but  the  latter  re- 


84  Rhode  Island :  The  General  Background 

fused  to  open  their  books  to  Federal  and  State  mediators.  A  compromise 
on  wages  and  hours  was  reached  in  September.  In  many  cases,  differences 
were  settled  locally,  and  in  two  of  the  largest  Rhode  Island  mills  company 
unions  were  set  up.  The  effects  of  Southern  competition  brought  local 
wage  cuts,  causing  another  protest  strike  in  1934,  which  began  in  August 
and  lasted  about  three  weeks. 

Metal  trades  and  jewelry  rank  next  in  importance  after  textiles  in  the 
State's  industrial  life,  but  neither  of  these  trades  has  played  any  signifi- 
cant part  in  labor  history. 

The  American  Federation  of  Labor  has  for  more  than  thirty  years 
maintained  an  office,  for  the  entire  State,  at  Providence.  Its  list  of 
affiliates  includes  more  than  thirty  active  locals,  some  of  which,  such  as 
the  Building  Trades  Council,  Carpenters'  District  Council,  and  the 
United  Textile  Workers,  have  offices  of  their  own.  Exact  membership 
and  employment  figures  are  not  available.  The  Federation  holds  two 
conventions  a  year  on  the  last  Saturday  and  Sunday  in  April,  and  the 
first  Saturday  and  Sunday  in  October.  At  the  April  convention,  officers 
are  elected  for  the  coming  year.  An  Executive  Council,  consisting  of  ten 
vice-presidents,  meets  on  the  first  Saturday  of  each  month;  the  principal 
function  of  this  council  is  to  work  for  legislation.  No  executive  power 
is  vested  in  the  conventions. 

Mediation,  conciliation,  discussion,  and  settlements  of  differences  are 
undertaken  by  the  Providence  Central  Federated  Union,  or  'Central 
Body/  which  is  made  up  of  delegates  from  the  local  unions. 

Of  several  independent  unions  in  the  State,  the  largest  is  the  Inde- 
pendent Textile  Union,  founded  at  Woonsocket  in  March,  1932.  This 
is  an  industrial  union  claiming,  in  its  seven  thousand  members,  ninety- 
five  per  cent  of  the  working  population  of  Woonsocket.  The  genesis  of 
this  union,  and  its  relative  success,  indicate  a  trend  in  the  textile  industry 
toward  the  so-called  'vertical  union.'  Continued  improvements  in  ma- 
chinery, with  the  consequent  leveling-off  of  skill,  point  to  a  virtual  dis- 
appearance of  the  craft  union. 

The  years  1935  and  1936  marked  a  great  improvement  in  labor  legis- 
lation in  Rhode  Island.  In  May,  1935,  a  Department  of  Labor  -was 
formed,  with  a  new  and  increased  personnel.  The  Department  is  headed 
by  the  Director  of  Labor,  supplanting  the  former  Commissioner;  and  it 
comprises  the  three  divisions  of  Labor  Relationships,  Industrial  Inspec- 
tion, and  Unemployment  Compensation.  The  last-named  division 
operates  seven  Public  Employment  Offices  throughout  the  State.  In 
1935,  forty-four  amendments  to  the  General  Laws,  relating  directly  or 


Labor  85 

indirectly  to  labor,  were  enacted.  A  Division  of  Women  and  Children 
has  been  established  as  a  separate  unit,  to  insure  better  surveillance  of 
conditions  among  women  and  minors.  The  Child  Labor  amendment 
raised  the  minimum  age  for  industrial  labor  from  fifteen  to  sixteen.  The 
law  regulating  industrial  home  work  is  aimed  to  abolish  the  sweatshop 
and  improve  home  conditions,  thus  indirectly  aiding  public  health.  The 
Department  of  Public  Health  is  co-ordinated  with  the  Department  of 
Labor  in  its  new  Division  of  Industrial  Hygiene.  The  Prevailing  Wage 
Law  requires  the  Department  of  Labor  to  make  findings  of  prevailing 
wage  rates  in  the  construction  industry,  and  to  enforce  prevailing  wages 
to  be  paid  by  the  State,  city,  or  private  contractors.  The  Anti-Injunction 
Law  aims  to  prevent  the  hasty  and  unwarranted  issuance  of  injunctions 
in  labor  disputes. 

In  addition  to  revising  its  labor  laws,  Rhode  Island  has  entered  into  a 
compact  with  Maine,  Massachusetts,  New  Hampshire,  Connecticut, 
New  York,  and  Pennsylvania,  for  the  purpose  of  'establishing  uniform 
standards  for  conditions  of  employment,  particularly  with  regard  to  the 
minimum  wage.' 


TRANSPORTATION 


RHODE  ISLAND,  within  its  small  land  area  of  1084  square  miles,  has 
193  miles  of  railroads  and  1133  miles  of  highways.  Its  water  area  of  413 
square  miles,  of  which  Narragansett  Bay  is  a  large  portion,  has  made 
Rhode  Island  a  shipping  center.  The  total  annual  bulk  of  goods  trans- 
ported by  ship  to  and  from  its  ports  averages  5,500,000  tons,  most  of 
which  is  handled  in  Providence,  and  a  small  but  growing  part  in  Paw- 
tucket.  There  are  more  than  twenty  local  and  interstate  bus  lines  in 
operation,  carrying  both  passengers  and  freight.  There  are  eight  airports. 

Colonial  Rhode  Island  attached  an  almost  Venetian  importance  to  its 
waterways.  The  many  small  rivers  between  the  Pawcatuck  and  Nar- 
ragansett Bay,  together  with  the  bay  itself,  offered  unlimited  opportu- 
nities for  water  transport,  and  at  the  same  time  presented  obstacles  to 
transport  by  land.  Since  the  early  settlements  were  nearly  all  within  a 
few  miles  of  the  seacoast  or  the  bay  shores,  travel  by  boat  was  logical 
and  expedient. 

Ferries  were  the  earliest  public  utility  to  demand  the  attention  of 
Colonial  authorities.  They  were  needed  not  only  for  passage  across  the 
rivers,  but  also  for  more  or  less  regular  transportation  service  between 
the  islands  in  Narragansett  Bay  and  the  mainland.  Very  soon  after  the 
founding  of  Providence,  a  ferry  service  was  established  for  crossing  the 
Moshassuck  River  in  the  downtown  vicinity  now  known  as  Market 
Square.  The  river  still  flows  here,  though  its  noisome  and  sluggish  waters 
are  largely  hidden  by  an  expansive  viaduct.  Another  early  ferry  was 
established  in  Providence  near  the  present  Point  Street  Bridge,  and 
several  miles  farther  north  one  crossed  the  Blackstone  River  near  the 
site  of  the  present  Lonsdale. 

To  connect  Providence  with  what  is  now  East  Providence,  ferries 
operated  on  the  Seekonk  River  at  the  approximate  locations  of  the  Red 
Bridge  and  the  Washington  Bridge.  From  East  Providence  the  old 
Wampanoag  Indian  Trail  led  to  Boston,  and  the  Montaup  Trail  to 
Newport,  necessitating  ferries  over  the  Barrington  and  Warren  Rivers, 
and  also  at  Bristol,  over  an  arm  of  the  bay  which  is  now  spanned  by  the 
Mount  Hope  Bridge  (the  latter  did  not  replace  ferry  service  until  October, 
1929).  In  the  eastern  part  of  the  Colony,  about  1640,  a  ferry  was 


Transportation  87 


opened  between  Tiverton  and  Portsmouth,  where  the  Stone  Bridge  now 
stands. 

Colonial  and  later  ferries  were  numerous.  There  were  ferries  to  Pru- 
dence Island  from  Portsmouth  and  Warwick,  to  Jamestown  from  New- 
port and  Saunderstown,  and  to  Watch  Hill  from  Stonington,  Connecticut. 
The  ferryboats  were  of  all  sizes  and  descriptions  —  long  rowboats,  flat 
scows,  sailing  vessels,  and,  in  the  nineteenth  century,  boats  powered  with 
steam.  Control  of  ferries  passed  from  the  State  to  Federal  control  after 
the  Gibbons  vs.  Ogden  case  in  1824. 

The  development  of  a  ferry  system  was  paralleled  by  the  construction 
of  bridges,  beginning  with  small,  frail  spans  over  the  narrow  streams. 
The  first  bridge  in  Providence  spanned  the  Moshassuck  at  the  present 
Market  Square.  Another  early  bridge  was  thrown  across  the  Pawtuxet 
River  at  the  Cranston-Warwick  boundary  line.  To  build  a  bridge  over 
the  Blackstone  River,  where  it  widens  and  becomes  the  Seekonk,  Rhode 
Island  sought  the  co-operation  of  Massachusetts,  and  for  one  across  the 
Pawcatuck,  the  assistance  of  Connecticut,  obtained  after  long  disputes 
over  boundaries.  When  spring  freshets  carried  away  the  early  structures 
they  were  rebuilt  with  the  aid  of  lotteries. 

Rhode  Island  did  not  build  roads  as  a  colony;  committees  or  com- 
missions of  the  Legislature  merely  supervised  their  location  and  con- 
struction. In  later  times  the  State  authorized  lotteries  to  assist  in  raising 
money  for  this  purpose,  but  the  actual  road-building  had  to  be  assumed 
by  the  towns.  The  policy  of  t  every  town  for  its  own  roads '  applied  gen- 
erally to  Massachusetts  and  Connecticut,  as  well  as  Rhode  Island.  The 
towns  chose  surveyors,  who  called  out  men  to  work.  When,  in  1798,  the 
State  authorized  the  towns  to  levy  taxes  for  road-building  purposes,  many 
men  paid  their  assessments  with  labor. 

Communication  along  the  seacoast  and  in  the  bay  was  at  first  carried 
on  with  any  available  boat,  but  by  the  eighteenth  century  a  packet 
service  was  inaugurated.  Packets  were  vessels  averaging  seventy-five  to 
one  hundred  tons  burden,  and  were  usually  sloop-rigged.  Providence 
Williams,  son  of  Roger,  owned  a  packet  in  1675.  The  packet  'Hannah' 
achieved  undying  fame  in  history  books  by  luring  the  man-of-war 
'Gaspee'  onto  a  sandspit  near  Warwick  in  1772.  These  boats  carried 
both  freight  and  passengers,  they  ventured  far  beyond  State  boundaries, 
and  by  the  latter  part  of  the  century  they  attempted  to  run  on  fairly 
regular  schedules.  The  trip  to  New  York,  however,  varied  between 
eighteen  hours  and  a  week,  depending  on  wind  and  weather  (the  shorter 
passage  was  devoutly  hoped  for  by  the  shipmaster,  since  the  passengers' 


88  Rhode  Island :  The  General  Background 

board  came  out  of  his  pocket).  Narragansett  Bay  was  literally  criss- 
crossed with  packet  and  ferry  lines. 

Rhode  Island  was  the  scene  of  a  steamboat  trip  considerably  antedating 
that  of  Fulton's  'Clermont.'  In  1796,  Elijah  Ormsbee  installed  a  steam 
engine  in  a  ship's  longboat,  fed  it  from  a  boiler  which  was  taken  from  a 
large  copper  still,  and  made  a  successful  trial  propulsion  against  wind  and 
tide.  He  lacked,  however,  the  funds  and  political  connections  necessary 
to  establish  the  new  method  of  navigation.  A  Fulton-built  boat,  the 
'Firefly,'  was  brought  to  the  State,  in  1817,  to  make  the  run  between 
Providence  and  Newport;  she  remained  in  service  but  a  short  time. 

The  first  regular  steamboat  service  was  founded  in  1822,  when  two 
vessels  controlled  by  the  Livingston-Fulton  monopoly  of  New  York 
State  began  service  between  New  York  City  and  Providence,  with  a  stop 
at  Newport.  Other  steamboats  appeared  in  local  waters  shortly  there- 
after: the  'Washington'  (1825),  the  'Benjamin  Franklin'  (1828),  and 
the  'President'  (1829).  These  boats  were  wood-burners,  and  the  fifteen 
or  twenty  hours'  run  to  or  from  New  York  required  a  quantity  of  fuel  that 
almost  covered  their  decks.  Masts  and  sails  were  retained  to  assist  the 
engines  when  the  wind  was  favorable.  Rival  companies  of  the  New  York 
concern  began  to  send  boats  into  the  State  about  1830.  The  famous 
'Lexington'  made  its  first  trip  to  Providence  in  1835,  the  year  that  rail 
traffic  began  between  the  latter  city  and  Boston.  This  vessel  was  burned 
off  Huntington,  Long  Island,  in  1840,  with  a  loss  of  all  but  four  of  more 
than  a  hundred  passengers  and  crew. 

The  early  railroads  served  as  feeders  for  the  steamboat  lines.  When, 
for  instance,  rail  service  was  established  from  Boston  through  Providence 
to  Stonington,  Connecticut,  in  1837,  travelers  from  the  Massachusetts 
capital  going  to  New  York  used  the  rail  line  to  Stonington  and  went  on 
from  there  by  boat. 

Providence  did  not  become  an  important  port  until  after  the  mid- 
nineteenth  century,  when  a  satisfactory  channel  was  completed  in  the 
upper  bay.  Prior  to  that  time,  beginning  with  the  late  seventeenth 
century,  Newport  held  its  prestige  as  the  State's  chief  port.  Bristol  and 
Warren  were  also  important,  principally  as  home  ports  for  whaling  ves- 
sels. Bristol  enjoyed  twenty  years  of  this  commerce,  between  1827  and 
1847,  whereas  Warren  carried  it  on  for  a  hundred  years  (1760-1861), 
although  its  activities  were  suspended  during  the  privateering  period 
before  and  during  the  Revolution. 

A  survey  looking  toward  the  improvement  of  Providence  Harbor  was 
made  in  1853  under  Lieutenant  William  A.  Rosecrans  (later  a  Union 


Transportation  89 


general),  but  the  channel  to  the  city  docks  was  not  secured  until  1873; 
its  depth  was  twelve  feet.  In  the  meantime,  in  1847,  steamboat  service 
began  between  Fall  River  and  New  York,  a  development  which  threat- 
ened to  overshadow  the  importance  of  the  Rhode  Island  city  as  a  port. 
The  Fall  River  Line  has  maintained  its  importance  as  a  ' Sound  Route' 
line  to  New  York  more  consistently  than  have  the  Providence  routes, 
such  as  the  Commercial  Line  (1851),  the  Neptune  Line  (1863),  and  the 
Merchants'  Steamship  Company  (1865).  In  1893,  the  all-embracing 
New  York,  New  Haven  and  Hartford  Railroad  obtained  control  of  the 
Providence  and  Fall  River  Lines.  Service  was  suspended  in  1918  owing 
to  the  World  War,  was  reopened  later,  but  was  finally  discontinued  from 
Providence  in  May,  1937.  The  Colonial  Line  began  operations  in  1910. 

Rhode  Island,  like  the  other  Atlantic  States,  had  its  'Turnpike  Era.' 
A  turnpike  (whether  its  surface  was  hard  enough  to  turn  the  point  of  a 
pike  or  not)  was  a  roadway  controlled  by  a  corporation  which  could  legally 
charge  tolls  for  profits  and  upkeep.  The  first  local  turnpike  charters 
were  granted  just  before  1800,  and  the  last  in  1842.  A  majority  of  the 
toll  roads  were  located  in  the  northern  part  of  the  State,  such  as  the 
Providence-to-Boston  Pike,  the  Providence-to-Norwich  Pike,  and  the 
Providence-to-Connecticut  Pike  through  Foster.  One  of  the  longest  pikes 
was  that  from  Providence  to  Westerly.  About  the  middle  of  the  nine- 
teenth century  the  Legislature  authorized  the  towns  to  purchase  toll 
bridges  and  turnpikes,  so  that  there  were  few  of  either  left  in  private 
hands  by  1870. 

Another  phase  of  transportation  development,  and  one  which  passed 
very  quickly,  was  canal-building.  The  second  quarter  of  the  nineteenth 
century  witnessed  a  canal  construction  fever  throughout  the  eastern 
United  States.  Rhode  Island's  share  in  this  activity  was  the  Blackstone 
Canal,  from  Providence  to  Worcester,  which  was  completed  in  1828. 
Freight  was  transported  through  the  canal  on  flat-bottomed  boats  drawn 
by  horses  or  mules,  and  there  was  a  special  craft  for  passengers,  the 
'Lady  Carrington,'  which  made  the  trip  in  one  direction  each  day. 
Financially,  the  canal  was  a  failure,  and  it  was  abandoned  after  1844, 
when  the  Providence- Worcester  Railroad  was  chartered. 

The  first  steam  train  on  rails  connected  Providence  with  Boston  in 
June,  1835;  all  of  this  railroad  was  in  Massachusetts  except  the  short 
distance  from  East  Providence  across  the  Seekonk  River,  near  the  present 
Washington  Bridge,  to  India  Point.  The  latter  remained  the  city's  rail- 
road terminus  for  some  time.  Travelers  were  accommodated  at  the 
Tockwotton  House,  the  grounds  of  which,  somewhat  altered  with  the 


Rhode  Island  :  The  General  Background 


passing  years,  now  form  Tockwotton  Park.  A  short  rail  line  from  Provi- 
dence to  Stonington,  Connecticut,  was  opened  in  1837.  The  Providence 
end  of  this  railroad  was  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  Providence  River  from 
the  Boston  line,  but  through  passengers  were  given  ferry  service.  The 
Providence-  Worcester  Railroad  began  operations  in  1847,  with  a  southern 
terminus  near  the  present  Exchange  Place.  A  year  later  all  three  rail- 
roads agreed  on  the  latter  site  for  a  Union  Station.  The  present  Union 
Station  was  constructed  in  1898,  after  the  old  Providence  Cove  had  been 
filled  in.  The  State  regulated  all  railroad  lines  by  local  legislation  from 
1851  until  1887,  when  the  Interstate  Commerce  Commission  assumed 
jurisdiction  over  the  interstate  lines. 

A  fourth  line,  the  Providence,  Warren  and  Bristol  Railroad,  which 
served  these  three  communities  and  had  a  branch  also  to  Fall  River,  was 
begun,  after  a  great  deal  of  agitation  and  struggle,  in  1853.  In  the  i84o's 
an  omnibus  line,  with  horse-drawn  vehicles,  was  in  operation  between 
Warren  and  Bristol.  The  citizens  of  Warren  became  indignant  over  a 
report  that  a  railroad  tunnel  would  be  constructed  beneath  their  main 
street,  rendering  it  impassable  during  the  work.  In  1849,  they  began 
agitation  for  omnibus  service,  hoping  thereby  to  save  their  street  and 
bring  the  railroad  to  terms. 

A  compromise  was  reached  about  the  railroad's  right  of  way,  sparing 
the  destruction  of  the  main  street;  work  was  started,  and  the  first  loco- 
motive chugged  its  way  over  the  rails  on  the  Fourth  of  July,  1855.  The 
tunnel  in  Providence,  running  from  a  point  between  Meeting  and  Angell 
Streets,  just  west  of  Benefit  Street,  to  the  approximate  end  of  East 
George  Street,  near  the  Seekonk  River,  was  built  in  1904,  so  that  the  line 
could  come  into  the  Union  Station  on  its  own  tracks.  Before  that  time, 
the  trains  had  come  into  the  India  Point  terminal  and  were  then  trans- 
ferred to  the  Union  Railway  Company's  tracks.  Also  hi  1904,  legislation 
was  enacted  to  permit  the  New  York,  New  Haven  and  Hartford  to  con- 
solidate all  other  railroads  in  the  State,  and  since  that  time  the  Provi- 
dence, Warren  and  Bristol  has  been  known  as  the  Consolidated.  The 
railroad  electrified  its  service  in  1900,  operating  trolley  trains.  The 
branch  from  Warren  to  Fall  River  was  replaced  by  motor-coach  service 
in  1932;  and  in  1933,  wire-fed  electric  trains  were  replaced  with  Diesel- 
electric  cars. 

Street  railways  were  first  utilized  in  the  metropolitan  area  —  Provi- 
dence, Pawtucket,  and  Central  Falls  —  in  1864,  with  cars  drawn  by 
horses.  The  first  electric  line  was  opened  in  Woonsocket  twenty-four 
years  later,  and  in  Providence  in  1892.  At  the  turn  of  the  century,  there 


Transportation  91 


were  some  214  miles  of  electric  railways  in  the  State.  About  twenty  years 
later  this  type  of  transportation,  suffering  from  increasing  automobile 
competition,  began  to  decline  rapidly.  In  1922  the  General  Assembly  put 
'  jitneys '  out  of  service  by  stringent  legislation,  but  this  did  not  end  the 
competition  from  private  automobiles.  The  present  United  Electric 
Railways  Company,  which  operates  the  remaining  lines  in  the  metropoli- 
tan area,  was  organized  in  1919.  The  tunnel  under  College  Hill,  con- 
necting the  business  center  with  the  more  elevated  East  Side,  was  under- 
taken in  1914. 

During  the  development  of  the  railroads,  shipping  was  not  neglected. 
Minor  improvements  were  made  from  time  to  time  in  Providence  Harbor. 
In  1867  the  first  steps  were  taken  toward  making  the  neighboring  city  of 
Pawtucket  a  seaport.  The  city  received  an  appropriation  from  the 
Metropolitan  Terminal  Development  Commission  for  the  improvement 
of  its  Seekonk  River  channel.  Ten  years  were  required  to  dig  a  channel 
75  feet  wide  by  7  feet  deep.  Another  appropriation  in  1883  allowed 
expansion  of  the  channel  to  the  width  of  100  feet  and  a  depth  of  12  feet. 
In  1899  the  channel  was  extended  to  Division  Street  Bridge,  only  a  few 
hundred  yards  from  the  center  of  the  city.  Pawtucket's  shipping  now 
averages  nearly  400,000  tons  annually,  making  it  second  to  Providence, 
whose  annual  average  is  about  5,000,000  tons.  Newport,  for  many  years 
the  chief  port  of  the  State,  now  averages  about  125,000  tons,  and  Warren 
and  Bristol,  receiving  only  goods  for  local  industries,  handle  much  less. 
The  principal  goods  received  at  the  ports  of  Providence  and  Pawtucket, 
in  order  of  their  importance,  are  oil,  coal,  lumber,  cotton,  and  wool. 

Rhode  Islanders  gained  their  first  glimpse  of  practical  aeronautics  in 
1856,  when  James  K.  Allen  and  his  son,  Ezra,  made  a  balloon  ascension. 
The  elder  Allen  made  a  special  ascension  for  exhibition  purposes  as  late 
as  1906,  on  the  Fourth  of  July,  during  the  course  of  which  performance 
he  disappeared  into  storm-clouds  for  some  time  and  was  given  up  as  lost 
by  the  watchers  below.  A  modern  passenger  air  line  began  to  operate 
between  Newport  and  New  York  in  1923.  The  State  airport  at  Hills- 
grove  was  authorized  in  1930;  but  because  of  obstacles  encountered  in 
the  construction,  regular  interstate  service  was  not  begun  there  until  1936. 

Since  Rhode  Island  is  the  smallest  State  in  the  Union,  it  is  interesting 
to  compare  a  few  of  its  highway  figures  with  those  of  Texas,  the  largest 
State.  Texas  has  a  total  of  188,539  miles  of  roads  of  all  descriptions, 
19,737  miles  of  which  are  highways;  Rhode  Island's  roads  of  all  descrip- 
tions cover  2739  miles,  1133  miles  of  which  are  highways.  In  the  two 
States  there  is  an  extreme  difference  in  the  density  of  population  to  the 


92  Rhode  Island :  The  General  Background 

square  mile  —  Texas  having  the  smallest  in  the  Union,  22.2;  Rhode 
Island  the  largest,  644.3.  These  figures  throw  an  interesting  light  on  the 
maximum  use  of  highways.  While  Texas  has  less  than  one-tenth  of  a 
mile  of  highway  per  square  mile  of  area,  Rhode  Island  has  more  than  a 
mile.  On  an  area  basis,  therefore,  Rhode  Island's  highway  mileage  is 
more  than  ten  times  that  of  Texas,  but  Rhode  Island's  density  of  popula- 
tion is  nearly  thirty  times  that  of  Texas,  so  that  this  State  has  to  make  a 
much  more  intensive  use  of  its  highway  system. 


AGRICULTURE 


THE  history  of  agriculture  in  Rhode  Island  began  in  1635,  when  William 
Blackstone  settled  in  what  is  now  Cumberland,  then  considered  a  part  of 
Massachusetts,  and  planted  a  little  garden  and  some  sweeting  apple 
trees.  More  extensive  cultivation  of  the  soil  began  at  Providence  in  1636. 
Confronted  with  dense  timberland  at  the  outset,  and  provided  with  but 
few  and  crude  tools,  the  early  settlers  were  taxed  to  the  fullest  of  their 
ingenuity  to  make  farming  even  self-supporting.  Soon  after  1636,  the 
colonists  introduced  European  fruits,  grain,  and  domestic  livestock,  and 
began  the  cultivation  of  corn,  pumpkins,  squashes,  and  beans.  Food 
prices  were  high  at  first,  but  declined  from  1676  on;  and  soon  the  hardy 
inhabitants  were  able  to  produce,  not  only  for  their  own  use  but  also  for 
export,  potatoes,  corn,  beans,  tobacco,  beef,  pork,  mutton,  butter,  cheese, 
hides,  and  wool. 

In  Colonial  times  the  Narragansett  country  from  Warwick  southward 
was  divided  into  great  estates  upon  which  resided  a  landed  aristocracy. 
These  estates  were  subdivided  into  farms  of  about  three  hundred  acres 
each,  which  were  worked  by  Negro  slaves  and  some  Indians.  The  In- 
dians, hunters  by  occupation,  proved  decidedly  averse  to  drudgery  on  the 
soil.  On  the  whole,  their  labor  fell  short  of  paying  their  keep.  Corn, 
cheese,  and  wool  were  the  staple  articles  produced,  and  when  the  farms 
were  rented  from  the  owners  the  rentals  were  generally  paid  in  kind. 
Narragansett  or  Old  South  County  cheese  became  famous  not  only  in 
America  but  in  England. 

The  first  Rowland  Robinson  of  Narragansett  is  credited  with  the 
achievement  of  making  trade  in  horses  profitable  in  this  locality.  He  bred 
horses  of  Arabian  origin  with  native  stock,  and  the  crossbreed  became 
known  as  the  'Narragansett  Pacer.'  Very  fleet,  and  with  a  fine  even  gait, 
horses  of  this  breed  became  popular  as  saddle  mounts,  and  were  capable  of 
carrying  a  good-sized  load  in  addition  to  the  rider.  South  County  farmers 
raised  these  horses  in  goodly  numbers,  and  prospered.  So  many  were  sold 
annually  in  the  West  Indies  and  Virginia  that  at  last  not  a  horse  of  the 
breed  was  left  in  Narragansett. 

The  land  in  the  north  and  west  portions  of  the  State  was  not  so  well 
adapted  to  agriculture  as  that  in  the  southern  part.  Thus  the  best  soil 


94  Rhode  Island :  The  General  Background 

was  near  the  points  of  export,  and  farmers  in  those  localities  could  readily 
market  their  surplus  crops  by  water  shipment.  The  terrain  was  favorable 
for  sheep-raising,  and  flocks  increased  so  rapidly  that  a  wool  surplus  was 
available  for  export  to  England.  Shipping  to  the  West  Indies  became 
attractive  because  of  the  double  profit  realized  on  each  voyage;  lumber, 
horses,  pork,  butter,  and  cheese  from  Rhode  Island  were  exchanged  for 
sugar  and  molasses  in  foreign  ports,  particularly  in  the  West  Indies. 
Molasses  served  as  raw  material  in  the  manufacture  of  a  still  more  valu- 
able, more  widely  exchangeable,  and  less  bulky  product  —  New  England 
rum. 

The  growth  of  mill  towns  in  the  nineteenth  century  offered  local  farmers 
an  increased  market  for  their  produce,  so  that  farming  reaped  large 
returns  —  until  the  rise  of  large-scale  Western  agriculture,  and  the  con- 
struction of  railroads  which  could  carry  Western  products  to  the  Atlantic 
seaboard,  caused  the  Eastern  industrial  cities  to  become  less  dependent  on 
locally  grown,  and  rather  more  expensive,  staple  food  supplies. 

Present-day  farming,  therefore,  centers  on  commodities  which  may  be 
profitably  produced  on  a  small  scale  and  marketed  a  short  distance  from 
the  source  of  supply,  such  as  dairy  products,  fresh  fruits  and  vegetables, 
eggs,  and  poultry.  In  general,  the  soil  of  the  State  is  better  adapted  to 
forestry  than  farming,  since  a  good  deal  of  the  land  is  quite  rocky;  but 
the  eleven  soil  types  present  are  so  widely  scattered  that  diversified 
agriculture  can  be  conducted  with  reasonable  profit. 

Before  Rhode  Island  entered  upon  its  present  specialization  in  dairy 
and  truck-garden  products,  it  became  noted  for  three  distinctive  things: 
white  corn  meal,  greening  apples,  and  Rhode  Island  Red  chickens.  The 
corn  meal  is  made  from  white  hard  '  flint '  corn,  ground  slowly  (to  avoid 
frictional  heat)  between  old-fashioned  millstones  turned  by  water-power. 
From  the  resulting  meal  the  famous  Rhode  Island  johnnycake  is  made. 
According  to  tradition,  our  greening  apples  derive  originally  from  a  tree 
brought  from  the  Far  East  by  Metcalf  Bowler,  an  eighteenth-century 
merchant.  This  apple  is  appropriately  named  for  its  brilliant  green  skin; 
it  is  particularly  well  suited  for  cooking  purposes,  especially  for  pie- 
making.  Rhode  Island  Red  hens  were  developed  in  Little  Compton  (see 
Tour  6.4).  Captain  William  Tripp  of  that  town  and  John  Macomber  of 
Westport,  Massachusetts,  began  poultry  experiments  in  1854,  crossing 
Malay  and  Java  cocks  with  Cochin  China  hens,  and  then  crossing  the 
resulting  breed  with  Light  Brahmas,  Plymouth  Rocks,  and  Brown  Leg- 
horns, the  final  product  being  a  breed  with  both  a  high  egg  yield  and 
sound  flesh  for  the  table.  The  name  is  generally  credited  to  Isaac  C. 


Agriculture  95 


Wilbur  of  Little  Compton;  and  the  Red  was  recognized  as  a  legitimate 
breed  at  the  Providence  poultry  show  in  1895.  There  is  also  a  Rhode 
Island  White. 

While  the  State  was  advancing  rapidly  along  industrial  lines  in  the 
nineteenth  century,  it  also  made  considerable  progress  in  the  science  of 
agriculture.  Iron  plows,  scythes,  and  hoes,  which  used  to  be  imported 
from  Europe,  were  being  made  in  America,  and  Rhode  Islanders  experi- 
mented with  new  tools  for  the  care  of  their  fields.  In  1850,  local  farmers 
became  acquainted  with  a  subsoil  plow  which  would  loosen  the  earth  from 
twelve  to  fifteen  inches  below  the  furrow.  At  the  same  time,  a  committee 
of  a  society  for  the  promotion  of  domestic  arts  commented  favorably  on 
Hovey's  patent  hay-cutter.  Hoes  came  to  be  made  of  one  solid  piece  of 
steel,  thus  dispensing  with  riveting  and  welding. 

Between  1828  and  1857,  a  large  number  of  patents  were  issued  to  Rhode 
Islanders  for  new  farm  tools,  including  a  longitudinal  corn-sheller  (1828), 
grain  drills  (1848-49),  a  grass-harvester  (1853),  a  hay-making  machine 
(1855),  and  a  corn-husker  (1857). 

President  Wayland  of  Brown  University  told  in  1851  of  a  farm  in  the 
vicinity  of  Providence  which  in  the  years  1773-76  averaged  237  bushels 
of  corn,  164  bushels  of  potatoes,  and  27  tons  of  hay  per  year.  With  im- 
proved methods  of  cultivation,  this  same  farm  in  the  years  1847-50 
averaged  787  bushels  of  corn,  687  bushels  of  potatoes,  and  225  tons  of 
hay.  Some  of  this  improvement  in  crop  yield  was  due  to  the  more  intelli- 
gent use  of  local  manure,  such  as  stable  dung  and  fish,  and  some  was  due 
to  the  introduction  of  imported  fertilizers  such  as  Peruvian  guano  and 
phosphates. 

The  land  surface  of  modern  Rhode  Island  comprises  some  693,760 
acres,  of  which  about  44  per  cent  is  used  for  general  farming  purposes, 
about  37  per  cent  is  occupied  by  forests  and  sprout  or  scrub  growth,  12 
per  cent  is  taken  up  by  thickly  populated  cities,  and  the  remaining  7  per 
cent  is  accounted  for  by  summer  resorts,  golf  courses,  and  so  forth. 

Of  the  307,700  acres  devoted  to  general  farming,  more  than  38  per 
cent  is  used  for  dairy  farms,  the  most  extensive  areas  so  employed  being 
in  Little  Compton,  Portsmouth,  the  Smithfields,  Johnston,  Foster,  and 
Warwick.  Dairying  is  the  most  important  farm  enterprise,  both  in  point 
of  the  number  of  persons  engaged  and  with  the  respect  to  profit,  as  may 
be  observed  from  the  following  figures:  livestock  on  farms  January  i, 
1935,  21,000  milch  cows  and  3000  heifers;  milk  produced  in  1934,  127 
million  pounds;  average  butterfat  test,  3.85  per  cent;  milk  per  cow,  6050 
pounds.  The  herds  are  of  Ayrshire,  Guernsey,  Holstein,  and  Jersey  stock 


96  Rhode  Island :  The  General  Background 

and  range  in  size  from  a  few  head  to  more  than  a  hundred.  The  milk 
output  finds  a  ready  market  within  the  State.  The  intelligent  use  of 
barn  manure  supplemented  with  lime  and  acid  phosphate  enables  dairy- 
men to  grow  alfalfa  (5000  tons  in  1935)  and  clover,  as  well  as  'tame' 
hay  (51,000  tons  in  1935);  these  crops,  combined  with  ensilage,  greatly 
reduce  the  necessity  for  purchased  feeds.  Aside  from  cattle,  livestock  on 
farms  at  the  beginning  of  1935  consisted  of  3290  horses,  5965  swine,  and 
2276  sheep  and  lambs. 

About  1 6  per  cent  of  Rhode  Island's  land  surface  is  devoted  to  'pre- 
tensive  farming '  —  that  is,  to  farm  operations  carried  on  by  State  insti- 
tutions and  by  the  owners  of  country  estates  who  do  not  work  their 
acres  primarily  for  profit.  Rhode  Island  State  College  at  Kingston,  which 
may  be  cited  as  a  notable  institution  engaged  in  pretensive  farming, 
uses  for  purposes  of  instruction  and  experimentation  6  acres  as  an  arbore- 
tum, 35  acres  for  field  investigation,  and  about  288  acres  for  garden  and 
orchard  crops  and  for  livestock  fodder. 

Poultry  farms  occupy  about  10  per  cent  of  the  State's  rural  area.  The 
poultry  industry  is  in  a  flourishing  condition;  it  is  estimated  that  328,000 
chickens  were  grown  in  1935,  and  that  the  egg  production  of  that  year 
was  more  than  3,000,000  dozen.  Turkey  growing,  which  seemed  to  be 
declining  a  few  years  ago,  is  reviving  rapidly. 

Fruit  farms  take  up  about  3  per  cent  of  the  rural  area.  Apples  thrive 
on  the  heavy  soil  found  in  much  of  northern  Rhode  Island  (189,000 
bushels  of  commercial  apples  were  marketed  in  1935);  peaches  are  grown 
on  the  lighter  soils  near  Narragansett  Bay  (5000  bushels  were  produced 
in  1935),  and  pears  likewise  (7000  bushels  were  produced  the  same  year). 
Considerable  quantities  of  small  fruits,  such  as  strawberries,  raspberries, 
and  grapes  (190  tons  of  the  latter  in  1935),  are  also  raised  in  the  State. 

The  production  of  fresh  vegetables  is  a  highly  specialized  industry  on 
the  light  soils  of  Providence,  Kent,  and  Newport  Counties.  The  grow- 
ing season  in  the  last-named  division  is  slightly  longer  than  in  other  parts 
of  the  State,  so  that  crops  can  be  marketed  late  into  the  fall.  The  State's 
other  leading  crops  for  the  year  1935  were:  697,481  bushels  of  potatoes 
(as  compared  with  450,000  bushels  in  1926);  72,838  bushels  of  corn,  and 
8704  bushels  of  oats. 

Nurseries  are  scattered  about  the  State,  the  most  important  being  on 
the  Island  of  Rhode  Island,  especially  in  Middletown  and  Portsmouth, 
where  shrubs  and  ornamental  trees  are  very  profitably  grown  (see  Tour 
5).  Flowers  are  raised  either  in  the  field  or  under  glass,  the  principal 
varieties  for  cut  use  being  carnations,  roses,  chrysanthemums,  and  snap- 
dragons. 


Agriculture  97 


The  State's  total  farm  acreage  has  declined  somewhat  in  recent  years 
(554,000  acres  in  1850,  443,3°9  acres  in  1910,  309,013  acres  in  1925, 
307,725  acres  in  1935);  and  there  has  been  a  corresponding  shrinkage  in 
the  size  of  individual  farms  (the  average  was  about  103  acres  in  1850, 
about  79  acres  in  1910,  and  about  71  acres  in  1935).  The  total  value  of 
farm  crops  in  1926  was  estimated  at  $4,700,000,  and  in  1934  at  $7,486,000. 
The  number  of  individual  farms  declined  and  then  increased  somewhat 
during  the  past  quarter  century;  there  were  5292  in  1910,  3911  in  1925, 
and  4327  in  1935.  Farms  of  less  than  ten  acres  each  were  the  only  ones 
to  increase  in  number  in  recent  years.  The  average  value  per  acre  of 
farm  land  in  1935  was  $114.51,  and  the  average  value  per  farm  was 
$8114.  The  amount  of  crop  land  actually  harvested  in  1935  was  66,464 
acres;  there  were  103,536  acres  of  improved  land,  148,514  acres  of  wood 
land,  and  32,658  acres  of  untillable  open  pasture. 

Modern  farm  activities  in  Rhode  Island  are  assisted  by  a  number  of 
official  and  voluntary  organizations,  some  of  which  have  been  in  exist- 
ence a  long  time.  The  Rhode  Island  Horticultural  Society,  for  example, 
was  founded  in  1884,  and  the  Rhode  Island  Poultry  Association  in  1886. 
The  present  State  Department  of  Agriculture  and  Conservation  includes 
the  divisions  of  animal  industry  and  milk  control;  entomology  and  plant 
industry;  forests,  parks,  and  parkways;  fish  and  game;  and  the  bureau 
of  markets.  Local  farm  bureaus  were  authorized  by  a  legislative  act  of 
1915,  for  the  purpose  of  developing  better  rural  life  through  the  distribu- 
tion of  information  on  agriculture  and  home  economics.  The  bureaus 
are  an  integral  part  of  the  State  extension  service,  which  is  supported 
by  Federal  funds. 

For  farm  bureau  work,  the  State  is  divided  into  three  districts  — 
eastern,  northern,  and  southern,  each  with  a  central  office  and  a  force  of 
three  agents  who  conduct  demonstrations  for  adult  farmers,  advise  the 
women  on  home  economics,  and  work  with  boys  and  girls  in  the  4~H 
clubs  and  other  organizations  studying  gardening,  sewing,  canning,  cook- 
ing, and  health  problems.  General  headquarters  for  the  bureau  system 
are  at  the  State  College  in  Kingston.  In  addition  to  the  State  organiza- 
tions listed  above,  there  are  at  least  26  other  societies  or  associations 
directly  connected  with  farm  work.1  The  Rhode  Island  State  Grange 
has  a  membership  of  about  seven  thousand. 

1  See  the  Almanac  published  annually  by  the  Providence  Journal  Company. 


FOREIGN      GROUPS 


IT  IS  popularly  said  that  three-quarters  of  Rhode  Island's  population  is 
1  foreign-born.'  The  official  census  figures  show,  however,  that  this  state- 
ment is  based  on  a  confusion  of  terms.  According  to  the  1930  Census, 
Rhode  Island  in  that  year  had  a  total  population  of  687,497,  of  which 
number  466,053  persons  were  counted  as  being  of  'foreign  white  stock' 

—  that  is  to  say,  belonging  to  either  one  of  two  categories:  (a)  those 
born  abroad  of  foreign  white  parents;  (b)  those  born  in  the  United  States 
of  foreign-born  white  parents.  Those  born  abroad  of  foreign  white  parents 

—  the  foreign-born  in  the  strict  sense  of  the  term  —  numbered  only 
170,714,  or  about  25  per  cent  of  the  total  population;  while  the  native 
whites  of  foreign  or  mixed  parentage  numbered  295,339.    The  native 
whites  of  American-born  parentage  totaled  210,963.   The  population  of 
other  than  white  races  totaled  about  11,000,  of  whom  nearly  10,000  were 
Negroes. 

The  State  Census  of  1936  shows  a  somewhat  smaller  total  population, 
and  a  smaller  proportion  of  foreign-born  inhabitants.  The  total  popula- 
tion in  1936  was  680,712;  and  the  number  of  foreign-born  whites  was 
144,952,  of  whom  97,038  have  been  naturalized.  The  five  largest  foreign 
stocks  in  the  State  are  the  Italian,  French-Canadian,  English,  Irish,  and 
Polish.  Exact  figures  on  the  thirty  or  more  foreign-born  elements  repre- 
sented may  be  obtained  from  the  census  reports,  but  it  is  more  important 
to  gain  a  general  idea  of  the  part  which  the  major  groups  play  in  the 
everyday  life  of  the  community. 

The  Italians  make  up  about  19  per  cent  of  the  total  foreign-born 
group.  Though  some  Italians  came  to  Rhode  Island  in  the  latter  half 
of  the  nineteenth  century,  the  'big  immigration'  took  place  between  1900 
and  1915.  The  great  majority  of  these  newcomers  were  of  the  peasant 
class.  On  their  arrival  they  were  perplexed  by  radical  differences  in 
language,  customs,  and  environment.  Added  to  these  difficulties  was  the 
pressing  necessity  of  earning  a  livelihood.  At  first  the  majority  worked 
as  unskilled  laborers,  while  some  became  street  vendors  and  small  shop- 
keepers. In  more  recent  years  the  migration  to  this  country  has  included 
a  larger  number  of  professional  men  and  others  who  were  able  to  estab- 
lish themselves  economically  immediately  upon  arrival.  The  Italians  have 


Foreign  Groups  99 


come  largely  from  the  provinces  of  Frosinone,  Naples,  Campobasso,  and 
Palermo;  only  a  few  are  natives  of  northern  Italy. 

The  Italians  tend  to  settle  solidly  in  particular  sections  of  a  new 
country  or  city,  forming  'colonies.'  Several  such  Italian  districts  are 
located  in  Providence  and  its  vicinity  —  on  Federal  Hill,  around  Charles 
Street  and  Hartford  Avenue,  and  in  Thornton  and  Manton.  The  Italians 
now  living  in  Providence,  53,000  in  number,  would  form  a  good-sized 
city.  There  are  also  large  Italian  groups  in  East  Providence,  Barrington, 
Bristol,  Pontiac,  and  Westerly. 

Though  most  of  these  people  are  still  classed  as  unskilled  workers,  an 
increase  in  the  number  engaged  in  skilled  occupations  is  evident.  The 
trades  practiced  by  most  Italians  are  barbering,  tailoring,  shopkeeping 
(especially  in  food  and  produce),  shoe-repairing,  music,  and  bricklaying. 
Providence  has  several  jewelry  factories,  a  large  artificial-flower  shop, 
two  lumber  companies,  macaroni  factories,  and  many  soda-water  and 
ice-cream  plants,  all  established  by  Italians.  The  skilled  or  learned  pro- 
fessions in  which  they  are  found  include  medicine,  law,  and  dentistry. 

Many  Italian  sections  of  Rhode  Island  cities  maintain  an  Old  World 
atmosphere.  In  the  Federal  Hill  section  of  Providence  the  shopkeepers 
fill  their  windows  with  piles  of  hard  cheeses,  fresh  and  dried  sausages, 
bottles  of  olive  oil,  and  small  casks  of  almonds,  dried  cherries  (used  in 
making  wine),  and  chestnuts,  pistachios,  and  other  nuts. 

The  Italians  have  founded  many  societies  for  mutual  help  —  that  is, 
for  providing  medical  assistance  and  death  benefits.  The  largest  Italian 
organization,  though  it  is  not  of  the  mutual  aid  type,  is  the  Sons  of  Italy. 
This  order,  which  is  now  established  in  half  the  States  of  the  Union,  was 
founded  in  New  York  in  1905;  the  Providence  Lodge,  No.  263,  was 
organized  in  September,  1914.  There  are  now  some  thirty-four  other 
lodges  in  the  State,  including  women's  and  junior  organizations.  The 
general  purposes  of  the  society  are  to  promote  a  community  sense,  and 
to  encourage  attendance  at  school.  There  are  about  four  thousand  mem- 
bers in  the  State;  foreign-born  Italians  must  become  naturalized  to  be 
eligible  for  membership.  Perhaps  three  thousand  Italians  belong  to  the 
forty  or  more  other  societies  and  clubs. 

The  early  Italian  organizations  were  provincial,  limited  to  paesani  or 
fellow  townsmen,  so  that  the  societies  of  a  generation  ago  reflected  the 
older  historic  disunity  of  Italy.  The  home  country's  call  to  arms  against 
Austria  in  1915  fostered  in  America  the  urge  to  a  more  comprehensive 
brotherhood,  hence  the  immediate  and  tremendous  growth  in  Rhode 
Island,  as  elsewhere,  of  the  Sons  of  Italy. 


ioo  Rhode  Island:  The  General  Background 

The  younger  Italians  have  organized  clubs  for  social  or  athletic  pur- 
poses. Thus  we  have  the  Italo-American  Club  (first  formed  in  1896,  but 
reorganized  in  1924)  in  Providence;  its  headquarters  at  256  Broadway 
are  sumptuously  furnished,  and  provided  with  a  restaurant  and  rooms 
for  cards  and  billiards. 

A  particularly  colorful  custom  which  the  Italians  have  brought  to 
Rhode  Island  is  the  celebration  of  feast  days,  such  as  those  of  the  Blessed 
Virgin  and  of  the  patron  saints  of  various  provinces  and  towns  in  Italy. 
The  celebrations  are  partly  religious  and  partly  secular.  There  is  usually 
a  High  Mass,  followed  by  a  procession,  then  dinner,  and  afternoon  music. 

A  typical  Italian  feast  is  that  in  honor  of  Santa  Maria  di  Prata,  which 
originated  in  the  Italian  town  of  Prata  Sannita,  in  the  province  of 
Caserta.  The  festival  begins  with  a  High  Mass  at  Saint  Rocco's  Church 
in  Thornton,  after  which  the  priest  delivers  a  sermon  on  the  life  of  the 
saint,  whose  statue  is  believed  by  the  devout  to  have  saved  many  people 
from  harm  in  a  storm  at  Caserta  in  1688.  Following  this  is  a  parade. 
Young  girls,  dressed  as  angels,  march  from  the  church  to  the  rear  of  the 
Thornton  School,  where  a  girl-angel  is  swung  from  the  top  of  the  school 
to  place  a  crown  on  the  head  of  the  portable  statue  of  the  patron  saint. 
Bombs  are  set  off  as  the  coronation  takes  place.  After  the  coronation, 
the  parade  continues  through  the  streets  of  Thornton,  and  flowers  are 
dropped  on  the  moving  statue  from  an  airplane.  The  customary  evening 
attractions  are  band  concerts  and  a  display  of  fireworks,  but  the  latter 
has  recently  been  eliminated  in  conformance  with  city  ordinances  against 
fireworks. 

Two  New  York  daily  papers  in  Italian  have  a  circulation  of  some 
twenty-five  hundred  copies  in  Rhode  Island;  and  a  local  Italian  paper, 
the  Echo,  formerly  a  daily,  but  now  a  weekly,  is  published  in  Prov- 
idence. A  large  percentage  of  the  Italians  own  their  own  homes,  and 
their  savings  in  local  banks  are  estimated  to  be  twenty  million  dollars. 

The  French-Canadians,  who  make  up  nearly  nineteen  per  cent  of  the 
State's  foreign-born  population,  are  somewhat  more  prone  than  other 
groups  to  resist  assimilation  or  Americanization.  Three  factors  seem  to 
account  for  this  situation:  an  active  retention  of  the  native  language, 
settlement  in  compact  communities  and  conscious  maintenance  of  native 
cultural  traditions,  and  the  dominance  of  Canadian-trained  priests  in  the 
churches  and  Canadian-trained  sisters  in  the  schools. 

The  great  exodus  from  Canada,  though  some  immigrants  had  arrived 
much  earlier,  came  during  and  after  the  Civil  War,  or  between  1860 
and  1895.  Industrial  opportunities  were  the  deciding  factor.  New  mills 


Foreign  Groups  101 


offered  desirable  employment  to  workers  as  skilled  and  industrious  as 
the  French-Canadians.  Some  American  capitalists  sent  agents  to  Canada 
to  stimulate  the  migration  to  this  country,  and  for  a  time  these  agents 
were  able  to  make  it  appear  that  Canada  offered  its  people  little  chance  of 
advancement,  whereas  the  United  States  held  out  great  promise  of  free- 
dom and  adventure.  Once  here,  the  immigrants  established  a  sort  of 
new  Canada,  particularly  in  Woonsocket.  French-Canadian  character- 
istics began  to  manifest  themselves  and  to  bring  forth  remarkable  re- 
sults. The  skill,  reliablity,  and  energy  of  the  newcomers,  and  their  will- 
ingness at  first  to  work  for  low  wages,  fitted  in  perfectly  with  the  aims 
of  those  who  were  promoting  industrial  expansion.  Added  to  these 
qualities  was  often  found  a  natural  inventiveness,  exemplified  in  the 
career  of  Aram  J.  Pothier,  which  aided  factory  improvements  and  be- 
came an  essential  element  in  the  growth  of  local  business. 

The  casual  visitor  motoring  through  Woonsocket  will  perhaps  note 
little  to  distinguish  the  city  from  the  ordinary  New  England  mill  town. 
He  will  find  the  standard  Main  Street  with  its  'five  and  ten'  stores;  he 
will  see  dingy  tenement  houses  and  unprepossessing  factory  buildings. 
Yet  behind  these  humdrum  externals  pulsates  the  spirit  of  the  Franco- 
American.  This  element  is  not  obvious  upon  cursory  examination;  one 
must  linger  and  poke  about  before  the  full  extent  of  French-Canadian 
predominance  becomes  evident.  French- Canadians  of  culture  repudiate 
the  suggestion  that  'Woonsocket  French'  is  a  local  patois;  but  such  it 
is  —  an  indiscriminate  mixture  of  French  and  English.  At  baseball  games 
it  is  not  unusual  to  hear  '  Attende  un  base  on  balls,  Joe,'  and  'Frappe  un 
home-run,'  or,  at  football,  'C'etait  un  bon  tackle.'  French-Canadian 
parents  teach  their  young  children  French,  on  the  theory  that  what  they 
learn  in  childhood  will  not  soon  be  forgotten  and  that  they  will  quickly 
pick  up  English  in  school.  The  result  is  a  lingual  ambidexterity;  whenever 
the  proper  English  word  does  not  come  to  mind,  the  best  French  equiva- 
lent is  used,  and  vice  versa. 

Woonsocket  has  its  French-Canadian  counterpart  of  Paul  Bunyan  in 
a  traditional  Hercules  named  Joe  Montferrat,  who  could  lift  his  plow  from 
the  furrow  to  point  the  location  of  an  inn,  and  who,  while  trying  to  turn 
a  handspring,  struck  his  heels  against  the  heavy  oak  beams  of  a  taproom 
ceiling,  leaving  an  imprint  visible  for  more  than  a  century. 

More  than  half  the  French- Canadian  children  in  Woonsocket  attend 
parochial  schools.  The  little  girls  are  dressed  in  uniforms,  and  almost 
any  day  in  schooltime  one  may  see  young  students  marching  along  the 
sidewalk  in  orderly  columns-of-two,  marshaled  by  two  or  three  nuns. 


IO2  Rhode  Island :  The  General  Background 

It  may  be  thought  that  French-Canadian  allegiance  is  directed  to 
Canada,  but  this  is  not  so.  A  festive  party  may  sing  'O  Canada'  with 
great  gusto,  yet  France  is  the  object  of  their  especial  affection.  It  is  the 
tricolor  of  France,  not  the  Canadian  flag,  which  is  hung  out  on  appro- 
priate occasions,  and  the  term  '  la  belle  Patrie '  refers  not  to  the  northland 
of  their  immediate  derivation  but  to  the  European  homeland,  a  country 
the  majority  of  these  Americans  have  never  seen. 

Following  their  early  success  in  industrial  occupations,  the  French- 
Canadians  began  to  drift  away  from  purely  wage-earning  work.  Lawyers 
and  other  professional  men  became  numerous,  social  life  expanded,  and 
many  clubs  were  founded.  Politics  claimed  French-Canadian  interest; 
and  as  a  group,  the  former  immigrants  and  their  descendants  became  a 
powerful  force  in  local  partisan  maneuverings.  Two  French-Canadians 
became  Governors  of  the  State  —  Aram  J.  Pothier  (1909-15,  1925-28), 
and  Emery  J.  San  Souci  (1921-23);  and  two  became  Lieutenant-Govern- 
ors  —  Adelard  Archambault  (1903-04),  and  Felix  A.  Toupin  (1923-25). 
Others  bought  mills  of  their  own,  or  established  banks. 

The  French-Canadians,  although  they  still  retain  a  moderate  clan- 
nishness,  have  co-operated  in  Rhode  Island's  development.  Intermarriage 
between  different  national  groups  of  comparable  social  standing  is  fairly 
common;  and  since  new  immigration  has  virtually  ceased,  it  is  reasonable 
to  suppose  that  the  present  French- Canadian  population  will  gradually 
lose  itself  in  a  homogeneous  American  pattern. 

In  considering  the  people  designated  as  English,  convenience  demands 
that,  instead  of  including  only  persons  from  England,  the  term  should 
embrace  the  English-speaking  group,  from  England,  Ireland,  and  Canada 
(other  than  French).  This  composite  group  in  1930  made  up  thirty-five 
per  cent  of  the  foreign-born  white  stock  of  Rhode  Island,  being  thus 
nearly  as  large  as  the  combined  Italian  and  French-Canadian  groups. 
The  English-speaking  group  has  been  rapidly  assimilated  into  the  com- 
munity, so  that  a  short  time  after  arrival  there  is  little  to  distinguish  its 
members  from  the  older  native  stock. 

In  the  middle  of  the  nineteenth  century,  the  English  made  up  ninety- 
seven  per  cent  of  the  foreign-born  population  of  Rhode  Island,  two-thirds 
of  the  number  being  recent  Irish  immigrants.  English-speaking  immi- 
grants, the  Irish  predominating,  comprised  a  considerable  proportion  of 
the  early  industrial  laboring  class,  whereas  the  Italians  and  French-Cana- 
dians are  now  more  numerous  in  industry.  The  English  immigrants,  who 
settled  originally  around  the  mills  in  Pawtucket,  Central  Falls,  and 
Esmond,  brought  with  them  their  particular  sports:  English  football 


Foreign  Groups  103 


(Rugby)  flourished  until  recently,  cricket  is  occasionally  played,  and  bowling 
on  the  green  is  still  enjoyed  in  the  northwest  section  of  Providence  and  in 
Pawtucket.  Social  clubs  and  several  societies,  Scotch  or  Irish,  hold  meet- 
ings at  least  once  a  year  at  which  their  national  sports  are  featured.  The 
Highland  Fling  is  not  uncommon  in  these  parts,  and  the  British  Empire 
Club  is  famous  for  its  excellent  speakers  at  dinners  held  several  times  a 
year.  The  Irish,  as  noted,  were  at  first  unskilled  or  mill  workers;  but 
later  they  gravitated  to  the  law  and  politics.  There  are  about  eight 
hundred  Welsh  in  the  State. 

The  Poles  make  up  about  five  per  cent  of  the  foreign  group.  The 
majority  of  Polish  immigrants  have  been  of  peasant  stock.  The  influx 
began  about  fifty  years  ago,  with  the  largest  numbers  coming  between 
1895  and  1905.  Olneyville,  Randall  Square,  and  North  Main  Street  are 
Polish  centers  in  Providence;  large  Polish  colonies  are  found  also  in 
Central  Falls,  Pawtucket,  Warren,  Woonsocket,  and  in  the  towns  of  the 
Pawtuxet  Valley. 

The  textile  and  other  mills  seem  to  have  attracted  most  of  these  people. 
Their  boys  formerly  went  to  work  in  the  mills  as  soon  as  they  could 
legally  leave  school,  but  the  depression  has  inclined  them,  with  a  large 
group  of  all  nationalities  including  the  native  stock,  to  remain  longer  in 
the  classroom.  It  has  been  remarked  that  the  first  generation  of  Poles 
in  this  country  tends  to  keep  much  by  itself,  but  that  the  second  genera- 
tion rapidly  absorbs  the  surrounding  civilization.  The  Poles  have  brought 
from  their  home  country  a  strenuous  regard  for  several  sports,  particu- 
larly soccer  and  boxing,  and,  as  one  may  readily  see  by  scanning  the 
names  on  college  squads  in  the  fall,  they  take  to  American  football. 
The  most  active  Polish-American  Society  in  the  State  is  probably  that 
in  Central  Falls.  All  Poles  are  justly  proud  of  the  fact  that  two  of  their 
race,  Kosciuszko  and  Pulaski,  played  a  prominent  part  in  the  American 
Revolution. 

The  wafer  (oplatki)  custom  prevails  widely  among  the  Poles.  Shortly 
before  Christmas  the  organists  of  parish  churches  distribute  wafers  re- 
sembling those  used  at  Holy  Mass.  At  the  distribution  the  parishioners 
make  small  offerings  for  the  organists  and  altar  boys.  The  wafers  are 
then  sent  to  relatives  and  friends  in  Europe,  while  the  Poles  here  receive 
during  the  same  season  the  wafers  sent  from  the  home  country.  On 
Christmas  Eve,  when  the  families  gather,  they  partake  first  of  the  wafers, 
in  token  of  continued  love,  friendship,  and  good  will  to  all  men. 

The  Portuguese  have  come  to  Rhode  Island  not  only  from  the  main- 
land of  Europe,  but  also  from  the  island  groups  of  the  Azores,  Madeira, 


104  Rhode  Island:  The  General  Background 

and  Cape  Verde.  From  the  last-named  have  come  also  people  with  a 
considerable  admixture  of  African  blood.  From  Brava,  one  of  the  small 
islands  in  this  group,  such  part-Negro  immigrants  used  to  come  to  New 
England  in  the  spring  to  work  through  the  summer,  and  then  return 
home.  Other  transients,  some  of  whom  remained  in  this  country,  came 
from  other  of  the  islands,  but  were  called  Bravas;  so  that  the  term  has 
incorrectly  been  applied  to  Portuguese  from  the  Azores  or  even  from  the 
mainland. 

Portuguese  immigrants  prior  to  1917  were  largely  unskilled  and  un- 
educated. Those  arriving  since  have  been  skilled  and  educated,  and  are 
industrious  home-makers.  A  large  number  have  come  from  the  Azores, 
but  all  Portuguese  territories  are  represented  —  including  Brazil,  which 
was  once  a  Portuguese  colony  and  for  a  time  was  the  seat  of  the  Portu- 
guese Empire.  In  Rhode  Island  there  are  Portuguese  groups  in  the  Fox 
Point  district  of  Providence,  in  East  Providence,  Newport,  Tiverton, 
and  Little  Compton.  On  first  arrival  a  majority  were  farmers,  but  they 
turned  to  industrial  labor  until  they  could  save  up  money  to  buy  farms 
or  small  businesses.  At  present  the  Portuguese  may  be  found,  as  is  the 
case  with  the  Italians,  in  many  trades,  working  as  masons,  machinists, 
carpenters,  chefs,  plumbers,  and  tailors.  There  are  also  many  in  pro- 
fessional life,  as  lawyers,  dentists,  and  druggists.  They  have  a  great 
number  of  local  societies  and  clubs.  The  Cape  Verde  Portuguese,  most 
of  them  part  Negro,  have  tended  to  become  day  laborers  and  long- 
shoremen, while  the  women  work  as  cooks,  housemaids,  and  hairdressers. 

The  Swedes  comprise  about  three  per  cent  of  the  foreign-born  white  stock. 
Some  came  here  early  in  the  nineteenth  century;  many  were  skilled  and 
well-educated.  They  settled  in  Auburn  and  Eden  Park  near  Providence, 
and  in  scattered  localities  elsewhere.  The  men  have  become  skilled 
mechanics  and  may  be  found  in  all  trades.  They  own  or  manage  ten 
jewelry  factories,  and  several  large  grocery  or  food  stores.  Many  of  the 
girls  are  skilled  housemaids  or  trained  nurses.  The  fine  Verdandi  Male 
Chorus  has  been  giving  concerts  in  the  cities  of  the  eastern  United  States 
for  more  than  40  years.  The  Order  of  Vasa  has  several  lodges  in  the 
State.  In  financial  dependability,  literacy,  and  percentage  of  naturaliza- 
tion, the  Swedes  rate  exceptionally  high. 

The  Germans  comprise  about  two  per  cent  of  the  foreign-born  white 
stock.  A  number  served  in  the  Civil  War.  In  occupations  and  in  adapt- 
ability to  assimilation  by  American  culture  they  are  much  like  the  Swedes. 

The  Armenians,  in  numbers  fewer  than  one  per  cent  of  the  total  foreign- 
born  stock,  came  first  about  1885,  then  in  two  waves  during  1908-14 


Foreign  Groups  105 


and  1920-23.  Family  life  is  still  a  potent  unit  in  Armenian  social  rela- 
tions. Young  Armenian  couples  seldom  set  up  housekeeping  by  them- 
selves; they  go  to  live  with  the  parents  of  the  bridegroom  unless  this 
arrangement  is  wholly  impractical. 

The  Greeks,  also  fewer  than  one  per  cent,  came  mostly  after  1895. 
The  majority  are  in  Providence;  they  tend  toward  special  occupations 
as  cooks,  waiters,  confectioners,  bakers,  and  restaurant  keepers. 

The  Lithuanians,  fewer  than  one  per  cent,  first  came  into  the  State 
about  thirty  years  ago.  They  have  a  center  in  Olneyville,  and  are  largely 
weavers,  machine  workers,  and  bakers. 

The  Finns,  two-tenths  of  one  per  cent,  are  mostly  farmers  in  southern 
Rhode  Island. 

The  Syrians  migrated  here  about  1902.  Driven  from  their  homes  by 
Mohammedan  oppression  they  fled  to  America,  many  coming  to  Provi- 
dence. They  are  famed  as  damask  weavers,  and  the  Blackstone  Valley 
with  its  silk  mills  has  been  the  chief  center  about  which  they  have  estab- 
lished themselves.  Until  recently  it  was  the  custom  for  a  Syrian  suitor 
to  pay  a  handsome  price  to  the  father  of  his  prospective  bride.  This  was 
not  an  Old  World  custom,  but  had  an  economic  basis  in  this  country. 
So  many  of  the  first  immigrants  were  bachelors  that  Syrian  girls  were  at 
a  premium.  'If  you  send  to  Damascus  or  Mosul  for  a  bride,'  it  was 
said,  'it  will  cost  a  lot  of  money  to  bring  her  here,  so  it  will  be  cheaper 
to  pay  a  fair  price  right  in  this  country.'  The  Syrians,  coming  from 
shepherd  families,  are  still  loyal  to  milk,  butter,  cheese,  and  lamb  as 
staple  foods,  with  Arabian  coffee,  served  thick  and  strong  in  tiny  cups, 
as  a  national  drink  comparable  to  the  Englishman's  tea. 

In  the  past  twenty  years  the  foreign-born  element  in  Rhode  Island 
has  been  declining  in  proportionate  numbers,  though  the  white  stock  of 
foreign  parentage  has  remained  nearly  constant  in  its  ratio  to  the  total 
population.  The  Negro  element  has  also  been  declining,  until  it  is  now 
only  a  little  more  than  one  per  cent  of  the  total.  The  prevailing  decrease 
in  foreign-born  inhabitants  is  doubtless  due  in  large  part  to  present 
national  immigration  laws. 


FOLKLORE 


RHODE  ISLAND  folklore  and  folkways  are  compounded  of  two  princi- 
pal ingredients:  old  European  traditions  brought  to  America  by  immi- 
grants, early  and  late;  and  legends  of  the  native  Indians.  The  local 
adaptation  of  these  ingredients  has  been  influenced  by  several  factors, 
some  of  which  are  intangible  and  must  remain  only  speculative.  Among 
them  are  the  settlers'  struggles  with  the  sea  and  the  rock-ridden  land, 
religious  beliefs  which  did  not  stop  at  accepting  devils  and  witches  at  their 
most  personal  worst,  a  cunning  appraisal  of  the  less  enlightened  aspects  of 
human  nature,  a  blithe  discount  of  any  value  placed  on  an  individual's 
life,  and  the  acceptance  of  bad  luck  as  a  matter  of  course.  Many  of  the 
tales  resulting  from  this  adaptation  are  remarkable  for  their  grimness 
and  humor. 

Indian  legends  were  current  in  the  time  of  Roger  Williams.  It  is  told 
that  Tashtasuck,  the  first  sachem  of  the  Narragansetts,  was  'greater 
than  anyone  in  the  whole  land  in  power  and  state.'  He  had  only  two 
children,  a  son  and  a  daughter,  and  not  being  able  to  match  them  ac- 
cording to  their  dignity,  he  joined  them  together  in  matrimony.  The 
eldest  son  of  this  union,  Canonicus,  became  a  great  friend  of  Roger 
Williams,  and  assisted  him  in  his  dealings  with  the  Narragansetts  and 
other  tribes. 

Another  legend  deals  with  the  famous  King  Philip,  the  last  of  the 
Wampanoags.  Being  forced  to  retreat  before  the  ever-advancing  forces 
of  the  whites,  he  finally  retired  to  his  refuge  at  Mount  Hope,  resolved 
to  die  like  a  chief  of  royal  blood,  'with  his  arms  in  his  hands.'  (This  old 
phrase  probably  meant,  'with  his  arms  folded  across  his  breast.')  His 
home  was  soon  surrounded,  and  eventually  the  old  warrior  fell,  shot 
through  the  heart  by  a  renegade  of  his  own  race. 

There  are  many  tales  of  the  Devil's  visits  to  Rhode  Island,  most  of  them 
told  to  the  early  white  settlers  by  the  Indians.  The  name  Chepachet  is 
Indian  for  'devil's  bag.'  The  Devil's  footprints  are  supposed  to  be  visible 
to  the  naked  eye  on  rocks  at  Middletown  and  Wickford,  and  the  Indian 
Drum  Rock  at  Apponaug  is  marked  by  the  Devil's  heel. 

From  Coventry  comes  the  Legend  of  Carbuncle  Pond.  Years  ago  when 
that  particular  region  was  claimed  by  Narragansett  and  Mohegan  alike, 


Folklore  107 


there  lived  on  Carbuncle  Hill  a  great  snake.  Its  species  was  unknown,  but 
its  size  was  enormous  and  in  the  center  of  its  head  was  a  large  gem  —  a 
carbuncle  —  deep  red,  glowing  with  the  brilliancy  and  radiance  of  a  great 
fire.  Whenever  it  moved  about  at  night,  its  coming  was  announced  by 
the  glow  of  the  gem,  and  even  by  day  its  light  could  be  seen  in  a  crimson 
flood  in  the  darkness  of  the  woods.  Efforts  of  the  Indians  to  capture  the 
snake  were  unsuccessful  until,  shortly  before  the  coming  of  the  first  white 
men,  a  large  party  of  Indians  surprised  the  reptile,  and  after  a  terrific 
battle  killed  it  and  secured  the  carbuncle.  Tradition  relates  that  at  the 
scene  of  the  battle  a  large  rock  was  cleft  in  twain  by  the  snake's  tail. 
The  carbuncle  served  the  Indian  tribe  as  a  talisman  and  warning  of  danger 
for  many  years.  When  the  white  men  came  and  heard  the  story  of  this 
wonderful  gem,  they  longed  to  possess  it  and  arranged  an  expedition 
against  the  Indians  for  that  purpose.  They  attempted  a  surprise  attack, 
but  their  advance  was  announced  by  the  increased  glow  of  the  stone,  and 
the  Indians  were  prepared.  After  a  battle  which  decimated  the  Indians, 
the  chief  alone  was  left  standing;  but  when  the  white  men  tried  to  take 
the  carbuncle  from  him  he  drew  back  his  arm  and  gave  it  a  mighty  throw. 
It  landed  with  a  great  splash  in  the  middle  of  the  pond  and  was  lost  for- 
ever. 

The  ledge  forming  the  Child-Crying  Rocks,  in  Charlestown,  is  the 
source  of  an  old  legend  of  Indian  cruelty  to  their  newborn  children  who 
were  judged  too  frail  ever  to  become  mature  hunters,  warriors,  or  burden- 
bearers.  According  to  traditions  carefully  transmitted,  the  Indians,  like 
the  Spartans  of  old,  destroyed  these  undesired  infants  by  casting  them 
down  on  these  ragged  rocks.  This  legend  has  been  supported  by  the  early 
white  settlers,  who  often  noticed  that  no  malformed  or  imbecile  adults 
were  ever  to  be  found  among  the  various  Indian  tribes. 

White  men's  legends  also  abound  throughout  Rhode  Island.  One  of 
the  most  interesting  of  these  concerns  the  origin  of  the  Old  Stone  Mill  at 
Newport.  It  has  been  celebrated  by  Longfellow's  'Skeleton  in  Armor' 
and  Fenimore  Cooper's  'Red  Rover.'  A  round  stone  tower  supported  by 
stone  piers,  it  stands  on  a  hill  overlooking  Narragansett  Bay.  That  it  was 
not  built  by  the  Indians  is  obvious  to  any  who  are  acquainted  with  their 
customs.  One  supposition  is  that  the  structure  is  all  that  remains  of 
a  Norse  church  built  by  the  Vikings  about  A.D.  1008.  Another  supposition 
is  that  the  tower  is  the  ruin  of  a  windmill,  built  by  Governor  Arnold,  an 
early  executive  of  the  Colony.  There  is  little  direct  evidence  to  support 
this  contention,  but  it  is  possible  that  the  infant  Colony,  only  forty  years 
old  when  it  is  mentioned  in  the  Governor's  wiU,  could  have  afforded  such 


Io8  Rhode  Island :  The  General  Background 

a  building.  The  orientation  of  the  piers  and  windows,  the  use  of  geomet- 
rical forms,  and  finally  the  insignia  of  Freemasonry  on  a  prominent 
stone  set  in  the  side  of  the  mill  have  provided  much  material  for  re- 
search. 

Block  Island,  rising  out  of  the  ocean  about  nine  miles  off  the  southern 
shore  of  Rhode  Island,  is  the  scene  of  one  of  the  most  tragic  legends.  It 
tells  the  fate  of  the  ship  l  Palatine '  and  its  marauded,  starved  passengers 
(see  Tour  S). 

Simple  folk  tales,  handed  down  from  generation  to  generation,  are  still 
popular,  especially  in  the  rural  districts  of  Rhode  Island.  Most  of  them 
point  a  moral  based  on  the  benefits  of  goodness  and  love  and  the  dire 
consequences  of  evil  and  hate.  Others  are  of  a  humorous  nature.  From 
Cumberland  comes  a  story  explaining  the  old  name  of  Dog  Hill.  It  seems 
that  a  celebrated  dog  suit  was  once  held  there.  A  farmer  owned  a  particu- 
larly vicious  dog  which  snapped  at  every  passer-by.  He  was  such  a  nui- 
sance that  a  neighbor  finally  shot  him,  and  a  suit  for  damages  was  brought 
by  the  owner.  A  large  crowd,  all  in  favor  of  the  defendant,  gathered  to 
witness  the  trial.  The  justice  seemed  to  be  of  the  same  mind  as  his 
audience,  for  he  ruled  that  the  dog's  skin  should  be  stuffed  and  sold  to 
the  highest  bidder,  and  the  proceeds  invested  in  rum  for  the  whole  party. 
As  the  stuffed  dog  was  sold  and  resold  innumerable  times,  the  result  was 
a  hilarious  party  at  which  the  plaintiff  undoubtedly  forgot  his  loss. 

The  story  of  the  '  Sea  Bird '  is  remarkable  not  only  for  its  interest  but 
its  actuality.  In  Newport,  at  the  eastern  end  of  Easton's  Beach,  is  a  road 
leading  to  Purgatory  and  Second  Beach.  There,  in  the  year  1750,  some 
farmers  and  fishermen  who  inhabited  a  cluster  of  dwellings  near  the  water 
observed,  one  morning,  a  vessel  on  the  horizon.  At  first  she  did  not  attract 
any  particular  notice,  for  such  a  sight  was  not  uncommon;  but  it  was 
perceived,  after  a  while,  that  the  vessel  was  approaching  the  shore  — 
standing  in,  as  it  was  termed  —  with  all  her  sails  set  and  her  colors  flying. 
Such  a  spectacle  was  strange  and  startling,  and  the  beach  was  soon  alive 
with  people  who  expected  the  ship  to  be  caught  in  the  breakers  and 
dashed  to  pieces.  Although  not  a  soul  was  visible  on  her  decks,  she  seemed 
to  be  guided  by  some  mysterious  power  as  she  avoided  the  crags  above 
and  the  ledges  beneath  the  water.  Approaching  the  beach,  her  keel 
struck  the  sands  so  gently  that  not  the  slightest  injury  was  sustained. 

Wondering  at  this  strange  occurrence,  the  onlookers  remained  gazing 
at  the  stranded  vessel,  unable  to  believe  their  eyes.  Presently  they 
ventured  on  board,  and  the  only  living  things  they  found  were  a  dog, 
sitting  quietly  on  the  deck,  and  a  cat  in  the  cabin.  Some  coffee  was  boiling 


Folklore  109 


on  the  galley  stove,  and  evident  preparations  had  been  made  for  tire 
breakfast  of  the  crew,  but  not  even  the  ghost  of  a  mariner  was  there. 
There  was  neither  evidence  nor  proof  of  what  might  have  happened,  but 
it  is  generally  supposed  that  the  crew,  finding  themselves  unexpectedly 
near  the  breakers,  abandoned  the  vessel  in  alarm  (the  longboat  was  miss- 
ing) and  were  afterwards  lost.  Later  investigations  brought  to  light  the 
facts  that  the  'Sea  Bird'  was  a  brig  belonging  to  Newport,  under  the  com- 
mand of  Captain  John  Huxham,  and  had  been  hourly  expected  from 
Honduras,  having  been  spoken  about  a  day  or  so  before  by  a  vessel  that 
had  arrived  in  port.  No  tidings  were  ever  heard  of  the  captain  and  crew. 
The  vessel  was  afterwards  floated  and  sold  to  a  merchant  of  Newport,  who 
changed  her  name  to  'Beach  Bird'  and  sailed  her  on  many  commissions. 

One  of  the  few  'tall  tales'  to  come  out  of  New  England  has  been  re- 
counted by  a  Captain  Munroe,  of  Newport.  It  seems  that  once  he  was  on 
a  whaling  voyage.  They  sighted  a  stout  whale  and  harpooned  it,  where- 
upon the  whale  gave  a  terrific  yank  and  started  to  tow  the  ship  in  a  circle. 
They  got  halfway  around  and  saw  to  starboard  what  looked  like  another 
ship,  but  when  they  drew  alongside  they  found  out  it  was  only  their  own 
ship's  paint. 

Throughout  the  State  many  witch  and  ghost  tales  are  still  retold  to  the 
enjoyment  of  all  listeners,  young  and  old.  A  favorite  tale  is  related  of 
an  old  woman  living  in  Exeter,  who  had  long  been  thought  to  be  a  witch. 
One  day  as  a  farmer  was  driving  a  load  of  lumber  along  the  road,  a  black 
cat  jumped  up  on  the  reach  pole.  The  oxen  pulling  the  cart  stopped  and 
would  move  no  farther.  The  farmer,  unable  to  persuade  the  cat  to  get 
down  from  the  pole,  returned  to  his  house  and  got  his  gun;  but  lacking 
bullets,  he  loaded  it  with  a  silver  button.  Returning  to  where  his  oxen 
and  cart  stood,  he  shot  the  cat.  Some  days  later,  the  woman  who  was 
suspected  of  being  a  witch  fell  on  a  stump  and  broke  her  hip.  A  doctor 
was  called,  and  in  treating  her  injury  found  the  silver  button  imbedded 
in  her  flesh. 

The  Moaning  Bones  of  Mount  Tom  is  a  favorite  ghost  tale  in  Arcadia. 
Many  years  ago  a  peddler,  disposing  of  his  wares,  arrived  at  the  foot  of 
Mount  Tom  and  knocked  at  the  door  of  a  lonely  farmhouse.  When  the 
farmer  opened  the  door,  the  peddler  offered  to  sharpen  all  the  knives  in 
the  household  in  return  for  his  supper  and  night's  lodging.  After  having 
supped  with  the  farmer  and  his  daughter,  the  peddler  started  to  work  on 
the  knives,  while  the  farmer  sat  watching  him.  The  daughter  retired 
upstairs  to  go  to  bed,  but  shortly  after,  hearing  a  commotion  below,  she 
dressed  herself  again,  came  downstairs,  and  found  her  father  patting  the 


no  Rhode  Island:  The  General  Background 

hearthstones  back  into  place.  The  room  showed  evidence  of  a  fight  and 
the  peddler  had  disappeared,  but  his  pack  remained  on  the  floor  and  a  pile 
of  silver  lay  on  the  table.  The  girl  quickly  understood  and  began  to 
rummage  through  the  pack  in  search  of  trinkets.  Her  father,  fearing  that 
she  might  give  him  away,  burned  out  her  tongue.  The  old  farmer  and  his 
daughter  later  died,  and  the  abandoned  house  fell  into  disrepair  and  finally 
caved  in.  Blackberry  vines  grew  around  the  ruins  in  profusion  and  the 
children  of  the  neighborhood  came  there  to  gather  the  fruit  and  play. 
One  day  while  playing  hide-and-seek  about  the  old  chimney,  they  heard 
moaning  sounds  that  seemed  to  come  from  beneath  the  stones  at  the 
base  of  the  chimney.  Being  frightened  by  these  weird  sounds,  they  fled 
home  and  notified  their  parents.  A  neighborhood  group,  armed  with 
picks  and  shovels,  accompanied  the  children  to  the  ruins  and,  tearing  up 
the  old  hearth,  found  the  bones  of  the  vanished  peddler. 

In  Kingston  in  1894,  a  man  was  driving  home  from  Peace  Dale  one 
foggy  night.  The  mist  was  low-hanging  and  thick,  but  it  hovered  above 
the  ground  sufficiently  for  the  road  surface  to  be  visible.  He  heard  foot- 
steps and  saw  the  legs  of  three  men  ahead  and  keeping  an  even  pace  with 
his  progress.  Reaching  the  point  at  which  the  roadway  into  the  old  Rod- 
man stone  house  leaves  the  highway,  he  turned  up  the  lane.  Just  then 
the  fog  lifted  and  he  saw,  to  his  horror,  that  the  three  pairs  of  legs  con- 
tinued to  parade  but  there  seemed  to  be  no  bodies  above  them. 

In  Narragansett,  on  the  old  Indian  trail,  which  is  now  a  dirt  road,  is 
the  cellar  hole  of  a  former  house  in  which  lived  an  old  man  and  his  son 
many  years  ago.  The  father  had  a  reputation  for  being  miserly  and  cruel 
and,  according  to  local  gossip,  disciplined  his  son  by  beating  him  with  an 
ax  helve.  After  one  such  beating,  he  announced  that  his  son  had  run  away 
to  sea,  but  his  neighbors  were  inclined  to  believe  that  the  boy  had  been 
beaten  to  death  and  his  remains  buried  in  the  cellar.  When  the  old  man 
died,  he  had  such  an  unsavory  reputation  that  no  one  cared  to  volunteer 
to  sit  up  with  the  body  on  the  night  before  burial.  Finally  a  grandfather 
of  a  family  still  resident  in  Kingston  volunteered.  He  fell  asleep  in  the 
next  room  but  was  soon  awakened  by  the  opening  of  the  outer  door,  which 
unlatched  itself  and  swung  inward.  He  arose  and  closed  the  door,  latching 
it  carefully,  but  again  the  door  opened.  Angered  by  this  occurrence,  he 
whittled  out  a  wooden  plug  and  secured  the  latch  with  the  plug,  but  he 
had  hardly  done  so  when  the  plug  popped  out  and  a  heavy  object  was 
tossed  into  the  room  from  the  outer  darkness.  It  was  an  ax  helve,  worn 
and  smooth  from  use.  He  could  discern  no  one  outside,  so  shut  and 
fastened  the  door  once  more,  and  it  remained  closed  for  the  rest  of  the  night. 


Folklore 


FOLKWAYS 

Rhode  Island  has  many  folkways  and  customs.  Some  of  them  date 
back  to  the  earliest  days  of  the  Narragansett  Colony,  while  others  have 
been  added  through  the  years,  especially  by  the  foreign-born  portion  of 
its  population,  who  still  observe  many  customs  of  the  land  of  their  birth. 

Rhode  Island  celebrates  its  Independence  Day  on  May  4,  when  cere- 
monies are  held  in  the  old  State  House  on  North  Main  Street  in  Provi- 
dence, and  at  other  centers  throughout  the  State.  On  Armistice  Day  in 
Wickford,  flowers  are  thrown  on  the  water  in  memory  of  those  who  died 
at  sea.  In  June  of  each  year,  a  spring  festival  of  music  is  held  at  the  Bene- 
dict Memorial  to  Music  at  Roger  Williams  Park  in  Providence,  and  many 
other  similar  events  take  place  throughout  the  year. 

The  National  Algonquin  Indian  Council,  a  group  of  Indians  whose 
forefathers  came  from  all  parts  of  the  United  States,  have  banded  to- 
gether, and  it  is  their  custom  to  hold  an  annual  Indian  pow-wow  on  Labor 
Day,  in  the  town  of  Johnston.  The  council  generally  has  a  very  interest- 
ing program,  to  which  the  public  is  invited.  The  program  consists  of 
speeches,  lighting  of  the  council  fire,  smoking  the  pipe  of  peace,  a  peace- 
pipe  dance  by  chiefs  of  various  tribes,  Indian  songs  and  dances,  archery 
contests,  and  an  exhibition  of  an  Indian  courtship  and  marriage  ceremony. 

The  Portuguese  hold  a  large  celebration  during  the  Feast  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  which  occurs  in  May  or  June  and  is  an  occasion  for  rejoicing  and 
feasting.  The  ceremony  is  related  to  an  ancient  festival  of  the  Queen's 
Birthday.  The  Queen,  at  her  own  celebration,  is  supposed  to  have  invited 
all  the  poor  to  the  feast,  and  to  have  donned  an  apron  and  waited  upon 
them.  When  the  poorest  man  was  found,  the  Queen  would  bid  the  King 
rise  and  give  the  other  his  chair  and  his  crown,  thus  establishing  equality 
between  the  highest  and  the  lowest.  The  Poles  have  their  chief  festivities 
during  Easter  Week,  and  the  Negroes  hold  their  Emancipation  Day 
celebration  on  the  first  day  of  August. 

Conditions  of  life  in  Colonial  Narragansett  were  widely  different  from 
those  of  other  New  England  Colonies.  The  establishment  of  and  adher- 
ence to  the  Church  of  England,  and  the  prevalence  of  African  slavery, 
evolved  a  social  life  resembling  that  of  the  Virginia  plantations  rather 
than  of  the  Puritan  farm.  Narragansett  was  owned  by  a  comparatively 
small  number  of  persons,  estates  were  large,  and  farms  of  five,  six,  and 
even  ten  square  miles  existed.  Many  of  the  well-to-do  farmers  had  from 


112  Rhode  Island:  The  General  Background 

twenty-five  to  one  hundred  slaves  and  cultivated  up  to  five  thousand 
acres.  It  was  customary  to  breed  horses  for  racing,  and  many  pacers 
were  shipped  to  Cuba  and  sold  for  fancy  prices  to  the  wealthy  owners  of 
sugar  plantations. 

Narragansett  was  a  community  of  many  superstitions,  to  which  the  folk 
customs  of  the  feast  days  of  the  Anglican  Church,  the  evil  communica- 
tion of  witch-seeking  Puritan  neighbors,  the  voodooism  of  the  Negro 
slaves,  the  pow-wows  of  the  native  red  men,  all  added  a  share.  To  be 
sure,  the  modern  generation  professes  to  ridicule  old-time  superstitions, 
but  it  is  interesting  to  note  that  many  survive  and  are  recognized.  Among 
the  farmers  it  is  still  thought  that  the  influence  of  the  moon  affects  plant- 
ing, and  the  groundhog-shadow  weather  forecast  is  still  adhered  to  and 
featured  in  our  newspapers.  A  very  old  poem  about  the  weather,  of 
English  origin,  is  still  quoted  in  Rhode  Island.  It  is  entitled  '  Candlemas 
Day'  (which  corresponds  to  our  Ground  Hog  Day,  February  2). 

As  far  as  the  sun  shines  in  on  Candlemas  Day, 
So  far  will  the  snow  blow  in  afore  old  May. 

Candlemas  Day  is  come  and  gone, 
The  snow  won't  lay  on  a  hot  stone. 

Candlemas  Day  the  good  housewife's  goose  lay; 
Valentine's  Day,  yours  and  mine  may. 

If  Candlemas  Day  be  fair  and  bright, 
Winter  will  have  another  flight; 
But  if  it  be  dark  with  clouds  and  rain, 
Winter  is  gone,  and  will  not  come  again. 

On  Candlemas  Day  if  the  thorns  hang  adrop, 
Then  you  are  sure  of  a  good  pea  crop. 

The  West  wind  always  brings  wet  weather, 
The  East  wind  wet  and  cold  together. 
The  South  wind  surely  brings  us  rain, 
The  North  wind  blows  it  back  again. 

If  the  sun  in  red  should  set, 
The  next  day  surely  will  be  wet; 
If  the  sun  should  set  in  gray, 
The  next  will  be  a  rainy  day. 

Few  present-day  hostesses  would  think  of  seating  thirteen  people  at 
the  same  table,  and  it  is  still  considered  bad  luck  to  spill  salt  at  the  table 


ON      THE      CAMPUS 


IN  ADDITION  to  its  public  schools,  Rhode  Island/has  one 
university,  two  general-curriculum  colleges,  and  about  a  half- 
dozen  preparatory  schools  of  first  rank. 

Rhode  Island  Hall  is  an  early  nineteenth-century  building  on 
the  Brown  University  campus. 

The  two  views  of  Rhode  Island  State  College  at  Kingston  are 
typical  of  the  whole  campus. 

Providence  College,  a  Dominican  Catholic  school,  is  the  most 
recent  (1917)  of  the  State's  institutions  for  higher  learning. 

Moses  Brown  School,  under  Quaker  auspices,  was  established 
at  Providence  in  1819;  and  St.  George's  School,  which  is  usu- 
ally associated  with  Newport  though  it  is  in  near-by  Middle- 
town,  was  built  on  a  charming  seaside  campus  in  the  years 
following  1896. 


RHODE    ISLAND    HALL,  BROWN    UNIVERSITY,  PROVIDENCE 


JP* 


CAMPUS    SCENE,  RHODE    ISLAND    STATE    COLLEGE,  KINGSTON 


GYMNASIUM,  RHODE    ISLAND   STATE    COLLEGE,  KINGSTON 


PROVIDENCE    COLLEGE,  PROVIDENCE 


MOSES   BROWN    SCHOOL,  PROVIDENC 


DIMAN    HALL,  ST.  GEORGE'S   SCHOOL,  MIDDLETOWN 


CAMPUS   SCENE,  ST.    GEORGE'S   SCHOOL,  MIDDLETOWN 


Folklore  113 


unless  a  pinch  is  thrown  over  the  left  shoulder.  There  are  many  who  will 
not  walk  under  ladders,  open  an  umbrella  overhead  while  indoors,  or 
care  to  have  a  black  cat  cross  their  paths.  At  weddings,  it  is  often  the 
custom  for  the  brides  to  wear  '  something  old,  something  blue,  something 
borrowed,  and  something  new';  and  the  wedding  guests  still  scramble  to 
catch  the  bride's  bouquet  and  sleep  with  a  piece  of  wedding  cake  under 
their  pillows.  In  the  old  days,  a  child  born  with  a  caul  was  considered  to 
have  'second  sight,'  and  in  the  nineteenth  century,  cauls  were  preserved 
and  given  to  sea  captains  to  carry  on  their  ships  to  assure  a  safe  voyage. 
Today  hospital  authorities  save  the  cauls  and  turn  them  over  to  the 
parents  of  the  child,  if  requested. 

The  feudal  complex,  so  strong  in  the  past,  is  still  apparent  in  some  parts 
of  Rhode  Island.  Visitors  to  Block  Island  are  impressed  by  the  clannish 
spirit  of  the  natives  and  their  quick  resentment  of  any  attempt  to  en- 
croach upon  what  they  consider  their  rights.  Outside  interference  in  local 
affairs  or  business  competition  is  emphatically  denounced. 

Old-fashioned  social  affairs  are  still  in  vogue  both  in  the  rural  and 
metropolitan  districts  of  the  State.  New  Year's  Eve  Watch-Night  services 
are  held  in  many  churches,  and  May  breakfasts  are  served  by  many 
church  groups.  For  many  years  oyster-opening  contests  have  created 
interest  in  Warren  and  Wickford.  While  it  is  true  that  the  rural  husking 
bee  is  seldom  heard  of  these  days,  quilting  parties,  harvest  suppers,  and 
pound  parties  are  still  popular.  At  pound  parties,  pound  packages  of 
food  are  auctioned  off  to  the  highest  bidder  and  the  proceeds  used  to  aid 
the  sick  and  distressed.  This  method  of  raising  funds  has  been  used  during 
recent  years  to  pay  off  farm  mortgages.  These  affairs  are  usually  con- 
ducted by  the  local  Granges,  which  have  been  very  active  since  the  first 
Grange  was  organized  at  Kingston  in  1886.  Since  that  time  the  State 
Grange  movement  has  grown  rapidly  until  there  are  now  forty  organiza- 
tions throughout  Rhode  Island  that  act  in  co-operation  with  the  farmer 
and  give  strong  support  to  the  State  Board  of  Agriculture. 

The  Rhode  Island  clambake  is  famous,  and  no  visitor  to  the  State 
should  miss  one.  The  Rhode  Island  clam  has  a  shoft  shell,  and  is  quite 
different  in  shape  and  flavor  from  the  hard-shelled  bivalves  known  else- 
where as  clams,  but  which  are  really  quahaugs.  A  clambake  prepared  in 
the  fashion  taught  to  the  early  settlers  by  the  Indians,  especially  if 
accompanied  by  Rhode  Island  clam  chowder  and  johnnycake,  provides 
a  truly  delicious  repast.  Rhode  Island  johnnycake  is  still  made  with  white 
corn  meal,  slowly  ground  between  millstones  of  Narragansett  granite 
which  is  of  a  peculiarly  fine  grain.  During  the  milling,  the  upper  millstone 


H4  Rhode  Island:  The  General  Background 

is  frequently  raised  or  lowered,  with  a  nice  sense  of  adjustment,  to  insure 
the  meal  an  even  texture,  and  so  prevent  it  from  losing  its  life  and  sweet- 
ness. Large  quantities  of  meal  ground  in  this  manner  are  still  shipped 
all  over  the  country. 

The  original  name  of  this  famous  food  was  'journey-cake,'  so  called 
because  of  the  facility  with  which  it  could  be  prepared  while  on  long  trips. 
The  name  was  retained  until  the  close  of  the  War  of  Independence,  about 
which  time,  'in  compliance  with  the  prayers  of  memorials  from  the  women 
of  Connecticut  and  Rhode  Island  to  the  respective  Legislatures  of  these 
commonwealths/  the  term  'journey,'  as  applied  to  the  favorite  food  of  the 
gods  and  of  the  Yankee  nation,  was  abrogated  by  sovereign  authority, 
and  that  of  '  johnny '  substituted  in  its  place.  This  was  done  in  honor  of 
Governor  Jonathan  Trumbull,  the  honored  and  trusted  friend  of  George 
Washington,  who  always  addressed  that  sterling  patriot  with  the  affec- 
tionate name  of  Brother  Jonathan. 

There  are  still  descendants  of  a  well-known  Narragansett  Indian,  living 
in  South  County,  who  call  themselves  Noka,  but  the  name  was  originally 
No-cake.  This  old  Indian  was  very  lazy,  and  when  white  folks  went  to 
him  to  obtain  meal  for  johnny  cake  he  would  say  in  broken  English, 
'No-ka,'  and  he  became  known  as  'No-cake.' 

Many  of  the  ballads  sung  at  old-fashioned  parties  are  still  remembered. 
One  was  an  old  forecastle  ballad  of  a  very  sentimental  nature,  probably 
written  around  1840,  and  the  author  is  unknown  except  for  his  initials, 
G.  C.  W.  It  is  a  sad  tale  of  a  sailor's  sweetheart,  swept  out  to  sea  in 
a  small  boat  which  capsized,  and  her  body  was  borne  to  shore  by  the 
incoming  tide.  The  plaintive  chorus  runs: 

Toll,  toll  the  bell  at  early  dawn  of  day, 
For  lovely  Nell,  so  quickly  passed  away. 

Toll,  toll  the  bell  a  soft  and  mournful  lay, 

For  bright-eyed  laughing  little  Nell  of  Narragansett  Bay. 

Another  popular  ballad,  'Old  Grimes,'  was  written  by  Albert  Gorton 
Greene,  founder  of  the  Harris  Collection  of  American  Poetry  and  Plays, 
and  first  appeared  in  the  Providence  Gazette  on  January  1 6,  1822.  It  was 
about  a  wise  and  kindly  old  man  who  was  affectionately  known  as  'Old 
Grimes,'  for  - 

He  lived  in  peace  with  all  mankind, 

In  friendship  he  was  true: 

His  coat  had  pocket  holes  behind, 

His  pantaloons  were  blue. 


Folklore'  115 


His  knowledge,  hid  from  public  gaze, 
He  did  not  bring  to  view ; 
Nor  make  a  noise  town-meeting  days, 
As  many  people  do. 

Thus,  undisturbed  by  anxious  cares, 
His  peaceful  moments  ran; 
And  everybody  said  he  was 
A  fine  old  gentleman. 

A  very  interesting  and  successful  experiment  was  made  during  the  fall 
of  1936  in  the  town  of  Little  Compton  by  George  Hibbett,  of  Columbia 
College  English  faculty,  and  the  Little  Compton  Historical  Society.  The 
object  of  the  experiment  was  to  obtain  phonographic  records  of  the  man- 
ner of  speech,  vernacular,  and  tales  of  the  oldest  residents  of  the  town. 
With  this  end  in  view,  a  group  of  specially  selected  natives  was  invited 
to  an  old-fashioned  'story-swapping'  party  and  encouraged  to  make 
themselves  comfortable,  exchange  reminiscences,  and  renew  old  acquaint- 
ances. 

Unknown  to  the  guests,  phonographic  records  were  taken  of  everything 
said  during  the  length  of  the  party.  Little  Compton  is  situated  near  the 
State  Line  and  is  somewhat  isolated;  examination  of  the  records  after  the 
party  was  over  revealed  that  their  speech  was  clipped  and  sharply  stac- 
cato, with  no  trace  of  the  northern  New  England  drawl.  The  records  will 
be  preserved  by  the  American  Council  of  Learned  Societies  as  part  of  its 
Linguistic  Atlas  of  the  United  States  and  Canada. 

Examples  of  the  local  vernacular  were  the  use  of  'stoop'  for  porch, 
'helpkeeper'  for  housekeeper,  'showa'  for  shore,  'hahly'  for  hardly, 
'  krass-ligged '  for  cross-legged,  and  '  lodge '  for  large. 

Following  are  two  of  the  stories  told  at  the  party: 

There  was  a  woman  who  wouldn't  ride  in  a  buggy  during  a  rain  because 
she  feared  that  it  would  sink  into  a  rut  and  turn  over.  One  night  when  it 
was  raining  hard  she  went  to  church  with  her  husband.  She  held  on  to 
the  rear  of  the  buggy  and  walked  through  the  mud.  Her  husband  fell 
asleep  and  trusted  the  horse  to  take  them  home  safely,  but  the  horse  got 
thirsty  and  turned  off  the  road  at  his 'favorite  water-hole.  He  walked 
right  into  the  water  and  the  woman  followed  the  buggy  in  clear  up  to  her 
neck. 

When  Ephraim  Bailey's  wedding  day  came  round,  it  rained,  and 
Ephraim  didn't  show  up  at  the  church.  Some  of  his  friends  went  looking 
for  him  and  found  him  at  home.  They  asked  him  why  he  defaulted  his 
own  wedding  and  he  said, '  It  rained  so  hard,  I  didn't  think  they'd  hold  it.' 


EDUCATION 


IN  AUGUST,  1640,  the  town  of  Newport,  then  about  a  year  old,  granted 
Robert  Lenthal  four  acres  of  land  for  a  house  lot,  and  set  aside  two 
hundred  acres  to  support  a  school  and  to  provide  for  his  salary  as  school- 
master. Lenthal  was  a  Church  of  England  clergyman  from  Weymouth, 
Massachusetts,  where  he  had  encountered  ' ecclesiastical  trouble.'  A 
contemporary  reference  to  Lenthal's  stay  in  Newport  states  that  'this 
gentleman  did  not  tarry  very  long;  I  find  him  gone  to  England  the  next 
year  but  one.'  Hence  Rhode  Island's  first  school  was  not  a  long-lived  one. 
Before  1700,  there  are  records  of  schools,  or  of  lands  allotted  for  the  sup- 
port of  schools,  in  Warwick,  Barrington,  Bristol,  and  Providence;  the 
first  known  schoolmaster  in  the  latter  town,  a  William  Turpin,  was  teach- 
ing in  1684.  In  1698,  Judge  Samuel  Sewell  of  Boston  gave  the  income  of 
some  land  in  the  Pettaquamscutt  Purchase  (see  Tour  1)  to  Harvard  Col- 
lege for  'procuring,  settling,  supporting,  and  maintaining  a  learned,  sober 
and  orthodox  person  from  time  to  time,  and  at  all  times  forever  hereafter, 
to  instruct  the  children  and  youths  of  the  above  mentioned . . .  Petta- 
quamscutt ...  as  well  English  there  settled,  or  to  be  settled,  as  Indians, 
the  aboriginal  natives  and  proprietors  of  the  place,  to  read  and  write  the 
English  language  and  the  rules  of  Grammar.'  The  school  thus  established 
was  lodged  for  a  time  in  a  building  on  Tower  Hill,  South  Kingstown. 
These  early  efforts  on  behalf  of  formal  education  were  made  in  times 
troubled  by  Indian  wars  and  boundary  disputes,  and  were  supported  by 
a  Colony  population  so  small  that  it  had  scarcely  exceeded  seven  thousand 
by  1708. 

By  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century,  a  number  of  so-called  '  dame 
schools '  and  private  schools  were  flourishing  in  Newport  and  Providence. 
In  addition  to  instruction  in  elementary  subjects,  such  as  reading  and 
writing,  contemporary  newspapers  advertised  courses  in  French,  music, 
and  dancing.  Providence  gave  permission  to  one  George  Taylor  to  keep 
school  in  a  room  in  the  Colony  House  in  1735,  and  about  fifteen  years 
later  the  town  erected  a  regular  schoolhouse  on  Meeting  Street.  A  school 
for  Negro  children  was  endowed  by  a  number  of  Anglican  clergymen  in 
London.  This  school,  situated  in  Newport,  had  been  in  operation  for  some 
time  when  a  Mrs.  Mary  Brett  announced  in  the  Mercury  (1773)  that  it  was 


Education  117 


'open  to  all  societies  in  the  town,  to  send  their  young  blacks,  to  the  num- 
ber of  thirty.'  In  1765,  Thomas  Ninigret,  a  Narragansett  Indian,  peti- 
tioned the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel  to  found  a  school  for 
the  free  education  of  the  children  of  his  tribe. 

An  unsuccessful  movement  was  made  in  1768  to  establish  a  public 
school  system  in  Providence.  It  was  at  that  time  that  'Rev.  James 
Manning  did  great  things  in  the  way  of  enlightening  and  informing  the 
people.  Schools  revived  by  means  of  his  advice  and  assistance.  Previous 
to  him  it  was  not  uncommon  to  meet  with  those  who  could  not  write  their 
names.'  In  1769,  Rhode  Island  College,  which  had  been  founded  at 
Warren  in  1764  by  the  Reverend  Mr.  Manning  (1738-91),  simultaneously 
with  a  Latin  school,  held  its  first  Commencement  and  graduated  seven 
young  men.  For  the  Commencement  exercises,  Governor  Wanton  ordered 
such  a  large  puffed  wig  that  he  could  not  keep  his  hat  on  it,  and  was 
obliged  to  carry  the  hat  in  his  hand.  Apparently  the  men  appointed  to 
preserve  order  during  the  college  Commencements  had  some  trouble  with 
their  tasks,  for  in  1790  a  committee  of  the  college  corporation  applied  to 
the  General  Assembly  '  to  authorize  and  direct  the  Sheriff  of  Providence 
to  attend  on  this  corporation  on  Commencement  days,  in  future,  and  by 
himself  or  deputies,  to  preserve  the  peace,  good  order,  and  decorum,  on 
Commencement  days,  in,  and  about  the  Meeting  house,  in  which  the 
Public  Commencement  may  be  celebrated.'  The  corporation  moved  at 
the  same  time  '  that  it  be  recommended  to  the  Baptist  Society,  in  future, 
to  take  effectual  measures  to  prevent  the  erection  of  Booths,  or  receptacles 
for  liquors,  or  other  things  for  sale,  and  other  disorderly  practices  on  the 
Baptist  Mee ting-House  lot,  on  Commencement  days.'  The  sheriff  still 
marches  at  the  head  of  Brown  University's  Commencement  processions. 

The  college  and  the  Latin  school,  which  remained  closely  associated 
until  1896  when  the  latter  was  consolidated  with  an  English  and  Classical 
School  and  called  the  University  School,  moved  in  1770  to  Providence. 
The  Reverend  Morgan  Edwards  (1722-95),  who  had  been  on  a  trip  to 
England  to  raise  money  for  the  college,  reported  the  remarkable  contest 
that  decided  its  permanent  location:  'Some  who  were  unwilling  it  should 
be  there  in  Warren  and  some  who  were  unwilling  it  should  be  anywhere, 
did  so  far  agree  as  to  lay  aside  the  said  location  and  propose  that  the 
county  which  should  raise  the  most  money  should  have  the  college.' 
Providence  surpassed  ks  closest  competitor,  Newport,  by  £280  in  lawful 
money.  In  1804,  in  recognition  of  the  munificent  support  of  Nicholas 
Brown,  the  college  was  named  Brown  University. 

The  Revolution  disturbed  the  routine  of  education  in  Rhode  Island,  as 


1 1 8  Rhode  Island :  The  General  Background 

elsewhere.  Newport's  schoolhouse  was  burned  by  the  British,  and  in 
Providence  the  Meeting  Street  schoolhouse  was  turned  into  a  laboratory 
for  the  manufacture  of  explosives.  Also  in  the  latter  city,  Whipple  Hall, 
which  contained  a  graded  school,  became  a  powder  magazine  and  meeting- 
place  for  patriot  committees,  and  University  Hall,  which  had  been  built 
1770-72,  was  used  as  a  barracks.  The  college  remained  closed  during 
most  of  the  period  of  hostilities. 

One  of  the  first  Sunday  schools  in  America  was  fostered  by  Samuel 
Slater  of  Pawtucket.  In  1796-97,  he  provided  a  teacher  to  give  secular 
instruction  on  Sundays  to  children  who  worked  in  the  textile  mills  during 
the  week.  Originally  the  school  was  conducted  along  lines  similar  to  the 
schools  founded  by  Robert  Raikes  in  England  in  1781,  but  in  1805,  David 
Benedict,  a  Brown  University  student  and  a  licensed  Baptist  preacher, 
took  charge.  He  introduced  Bible  reading  and  religious  instruction,  and 
hence  transformed  the  institution  into  what  would  today  be  called  a 
Sunday  school. 

The  school  conducted  in  the  Potter  House  at  Newport,  1814-32,  owed 
its  origin  to  Simeon  Potter,  who  wrote  from  Swansea,  Massachusetts, 
in  1795,  to  the  trustees  of  a  lottery:  'Gentlemen:  I  saw  in  the  Boston 
Centinel,  a  scheme  of  a  lottery,  for  the  laudable  intention  of  rebuilding 
the  Long  Wharf  in  Newport,  the  building  a  hotel,  and  more  especially 
establishing  a  free  school,  which  has  determined  me  to  make  a  free  gift  of 
my  estate  on  the  point  called  Eas ton's  Point ...  if  you  will  accept  of  it  in 
trust  to  support  a  free  school  forever,  for  the  advantage  of  the  poor  chil- 
dren of  every  denomination.' 

In  1800,  the  first  free  public  school  law  of  State-wide  scope  was  passed. 
It  provided  for  teachers  and  a  school  in  each  town.  A  petition  for  this 
bill  had  been  submitted  to  the  General  Assembly  during  the  preceding 
year  by  the  Providence  Association  of  Mechanics  and  Manufacturers,  at 
the  urging  of  one  of  its  distinguished  members,  John  Howland,  who  not 
only  wrote  the  petition  but  was  largely  influential  in  interesting  members 
of  the  General  Assembly  in  public  education.  He  was  a  barber  by  profes- 
sion, and  a  Revolutionary  War  veteran  who  had  fought  under  Washing- 
ton at  Trenton.  The  law  of  1800  was  repealed  three  years  later,  but 
Providence  continued  to  build  a  public  school  system. 

In  1802,  Kent  Academy,  since  renamed  East  Greenwich  Academy,  was 
founded  by  prominent  citizens  of  the  town.  At  present  a  private  co- 
educational institution,  it  is  supervised  by  the  Providence  Conference  of 
the  Methodist  Church.  It  has  maintained  a  reputation  for  excellent 
preparatory  training.  Washington  Academy  in  North  Kingstown  was 


Education  119 


founded  two  years  before  Kent;  but  after  a  period  of  success,  it  lost  its 
charter,  land,  and  buildings  in  1848. 

In  1819,  the  Moses  Brown  School  opened  in  Providence  on  its  present 
site,  which  was  part  of  a  farm  donated  by  Moses  Brown  to  the  school. 
The  original  Quaker  School,  of  which  Moses  Brown  School  is  the  successor, 
was  opened  in  Portsmouth  in  1784;  but  because  of  the  post-Revolutionary 
depression,  paper  currency  inflation,  and  other  troubles,  this  Portsmouth 
school  closed  in  1788.  Until  after  the  Civil  War,  the  Moses  Brown  School 
was  strictly  administered  according  to  austere  Quaker  traditions;  boys 
and  girls  were  kept  apart,  and  there  was  little  social  intercourse.  Later 
in  the  century,  the  school  became  more  liberal  in  its  extra-curricular 
activities.  It  is  at  present  a  successful  preparatory  school  for  boys,  with 
both  day  pupils  and  boarding  students. 

In  addition  to  the  public  school  system  and  Brown  University,  Provi- 
dence could  claim  in  1828  six  academies  and  more  than  eighty  small 
private  schools.  At  that  time  there  were  one  hundred  and  ninety-three 
schoolhouses  in  the  State,  each  town  having  at  least  one.  In  the  same 
year  an  awakened  interest  in  education  caused  the  General  Assembly  to 
pass  a  number  of  new  education  laws,  the  most  important  feature  of 
which  was  a  provision  for  distributing  State  financial  assistance  to  local 
schools.  Soon  after  1828,  the  number  of  schoolhouses  doubled  and  the 
number  of  public  school  pupils  in  attendance  increased  tenfold. 

Between  1760  and  1830,  public  education  largely  depended  for  support 
on  the  proceeds  of  lotteries,  of  which  at  least  eighty  were  held  in  this 
period.  There  were  other  sources  of  income,  but  the  need  for  security  was 
recognized  by  law  when  a  permanent  school  fund  of  $5000  was  set  up  in 
1828.  In  1836,  this  fund  was  increased  by  the  State's  share  in  the  distribu- 
tion of  the  surplus  (Federal)  revenue;  this  share  amounted  to  $328,335.30, 
and  was  deposited  in  local  banks  at  five  per  cent  interest.  The  General 
Assembly  ordered  that  the  annual  income  from  the  deposits  be  paid  to 
the  towns,  for  support  of  the  public  schools.  In  1845,  the  State  increased 
its  annual  appropriation  for  schools  to  $25,000,  and  since  that  time  it  has 
periodically  increased  this  sum. 

The  slow  process  of  physical  improvement  in  schoolhouses,  of  increas- 
ing the  number  of  graded  schools,  and  of  reorganizing  and  centralizing  the 
control  of  the  educational  system,  was  paralleled  by  increased  attendance 
during  the  early  nineteenth  century.  Provision  was  made  for  annual 
compiliations  of  school  statistics,  and  in  1842  a  law  was  passed  requiring 
teachers  to  be  examined  on  their  qualifications  for  the  task. 

In  1842,  Wilkins  Updike  of  South  Kingstown  supported  a  bill  providing 


I2O  Rhode  Island:  The  General  Background 

for  a  State-wide  survey  of  the  public  schools.  Henry  Barnard  of  Connecti- 
cut, one  of  the  leading  educators  of  the  nineteenth  century,  was  chosen  to 
make  this  survey.  Barnard's  work  in  1843-44  resulted  in  the  considera- 
tion of  plans  for  further  improvement.  Barnard  had  considerable  success 
in  combating  the  popular  conception  that  education  was  not  a  civil  or 
governmental  concern  but  a  private  one.  The  Barnard  school  law  of  1845 
marked  the  beginning  of  Rhode  Island's  present  public  school  system. 
It  provided  for  the  organization  of  the  town  schools  into  a  semi-State 
system.  At  the  head  stood  the  Commissioner  of  Public  Schools,  who  was 
appointed  by  the  Governor.  He  was  empowered  to  apportion  the  annual 
State  appropriations,  to  adjust  and  decide  disputes  arising  from  the  school 
laws,  and  to  supervise  generally  such  matters  as  the  selection  of  texts, 
books  for  school  libraries,  and  the  conduct  of  teachers'  institutes.  The 
school  committees  of  the  various  townships  were  to  apportion  the  State 
money  among  the  town  districts,  to  report  to  the  Commissioner,  and  to 
supervise  the  town  schools  and  teachers.  Thus  the  Barnard  law  denned 
the  method  of  school  support;  it  obliged  the  towns  to  educate  the 
children,  and  helped  them  to  do  so;  it  set  the  minimum  school  'year'  at 
four  months,  and  restricted  classes  to  a  maximum  of  fifty  pupils  to  one 
teacher.  It  also  provided  for  the  certification  of  teachers  in  subjects  they 
were  qualified  to  teach;  these  certificates  were  good  throughout  the  State. 
Henry  Barnard  remained  in  Rhode  Island  only  long  enough  to  see  the 
early  functioning  of  l  one  of  the  best  systems  of  public  instruction  in  the 
world,'  as  Horace  Mann  declared  in  1845.  Barnard  was  also  influential 
in  establishing  teachers'  institutes,  high  schools,  and  school  libraries. 
His  great  interest  in  school  architecture,  in  lighting,  heating,  ventilating, 
and  furnishing  schools,  was  shown  in  the  hundreds  of  pages  devoted  to 
those  matters  in  his  reports.  Poor  health  caused  the  retirement,  in  1849, 
of  this  great  educator. 

The  Rhode  Island  Institute  of  Instruction  was  formed  at  Henry 
Barnard's  suggestion,  for  the  purpose  of  keeping  alive  a  public  interest  in 
education.  From  its  first  meeting  in  1844  it  has  been  influential  in  '  teach- 
ing how  to  teach.'  In  1850,  Brown  University  established  a  Didactic 
Department  to  function  as  a  normal  school;  and  two  years  later  a  separate 
normal  school  was  founded  in  Providence.  At  first  this  latter  was  a  private 
enterprise,  but  in  1854  it  became  a  State  institution.  The  Institute  for 
Instruction  was  influential  in  introducing  music  into  the  schools,  in  the 
opening  of  evening  schools  for  the  benefit  of  the  working  population,  and 
in  the  founding  of  public  libraries. 

During  the  nineteenth  century,  Rhode  Island  shared  with  other  parts 


Education  121 


of  New  England  an  unprecedented  interest  in  adult  education.  Ralph 
Waldo  Emerson  delivered  a  public  lecture  before  the  Franklin  Lyceum  in 
1838.  During  the  i86o's  and  1870*5  the  Lyceum  was  a  particularly  im- 
portant educational  influence  in  Providence.  After  a  series  of  meetings, 
seldom  interrupted  after  1831,  the  Franklin  Lyceum  convened  for  the 
last  time  in  January,  1906. 

In  1839,  the  Rhode  Island  Association  of  Free  Baptists  founded  Smith- 
field  Seminary,  in  North  Scituate,  for  the  liberal  education  of  the  youth 
of  both  sexes.  The  school  received  financial  aid  from  the  Hon.  Benedict 
Lapham  and  others  in  1863,  and  was  renamed  the  Lapham  Institute. 
The  Smithfield  Seminary  should  not  be  confused  with  the  Smithfield 
Academy  that  operated  from  1811  to  1853  in  Union  Village.  The  science 
courses  taught  at  Smithfield  Academy  gave  that  institution  a  reputation 
as  one  of  New  England's  foremost  schools. 

In  the  1 840*5,  several  important  innovations  in  Rhode  Island  educa- 
tional practice  were  made.  Funds  were  set  aside  for  educating  the  blind, 
the  deaf,  and  the  feeble-minded.  A  Catholic  school  was  opened  in  the 
basement  of  the  church  of  Saints  Peter  and  Paul  in  Providence.  The  first 
separate  building  housing  a  Catholic  school  was  opened  in  1855,  as  a  boys' 
academy  on  Lime  Street  in  Providence.  The  first  child  labor  law,  pro- 
hibiting children  under  twelve  from  working  in  mills,  was  passed.  Science 
and  nature  study  were  recognized  as  school  activities  in  all  grades.  Albert 
G.  Scholfield  founded  Scholfield's  Commercial  College,  to  teach  writing  and 
bookkeeping;  its  enrollment  in  the  first  year  increased  from  five  to  about 
five  hundred.  The  first  evening  school  (1840)  was  followed  by  the  found- 
ing of  two  more  at  the  end  of  the  decade,  and  by  1873  rnore  than  sixty 
were  operating. 

During  the  1850*5,  the  question  of  the  connection  between  religion  and 
public  education  threatened  to  become  acute.  Commissioner  Elisha 
R.  Potter  repressed  the  agitation  and,  with  the  support  of  the  Rhode 
Island  Institute  of  Instruction,  succeeded  in  averting  a  conflict.  In  his 
School  Report  for  October,  1854,  Judge  Potter  stated: ' But  if  anyone  does 
object,  the  majority  can  still  use  it  [the  Bible]  in  a  class  by  themselves, 
leaving  the  objector  out  of  the  class;  and  he  has  then  no  more  right  to 
object  to  their  reading  it,  than  he  has  to  their  using  any  other  book,  which 
he  does  not  wish,  or  is  not  required  to  use  himself.'  The  Institute  of 
Instruction  urged  the  creation  of  the  State  Board  of  Education  which, 
after  its  founding  in  1870,  has  contributed  to  the  separation  of  education 
from  politics  and  sectarian  prejudices.  The  Board  consisted  of  eight  men 
—  the  Governor,  the  Lieutenant-Governor,  and  six  others  elected  by  the 


122  Rhode  Island:  The  General  Background 

General  Assembly.  Its  primary  duties  were  the  general  supervision  of 
public,  high,  and  normal  schools.  The  Commissioner  of  public  schools, 
who  still  dispensed  the  State  school  money  and  held  judicial  powers  over 
school  controversies,  later  came  to  be  elected  by  the  Board  of  Education, 
and  to  make  his  reports  to  the  Board  instead  of  to  the  legislature. 

By  1870,  there  were  six  public  high  schools  in  Rhode  Island.  State  aid 
was  extended  to  the  teachers'  institutes,  evening  schools,  and  public 
libraries.  After  1883,  a  truancy  law  made  parents  responsible  for  sending 
their  children  to  school.  In  1877,  the  Rhode  Island  Institute  for  the  Deaf 
was  opened  with  five  pupils,  whose  parents  had  petitioned  the  General 
Assembly  to  aid  their  education.  The  Institute  was  reorganized  in  1892, 
and  housed  in  a  new  building  on  Hope  Street,  Providence.  In  1878,  the 
Rhode  Island  School  of  Design  was  opened;  at  the  present  time  it  offers 
specialized  training  in  the  fine  arts,  crafts,  design,  and  related  fields. 
Diplomas  are  granted  for  work  done  in  nine  separate  departments.  The 
School  of  Design  became  a  State  beneficiary,  partly  through  the  founding 
of  scholarships,  in  1882-83.  La  Salle  Academy  was  founded  in  Providence 
for  the  education  of  Catholic  boys  in  1871,  and  by  1880  the  education  of 
about  one-sixth  of  the  school  children  in  Rhode  Island  was  in  the  care  of 
the  parochial  schools.  The  Sockanosset  School  for  Boys,  opened  in  1850 
in  connection  with  the  Providence  Reform  School,  was  moved  to  Howard 
in  1882.  Both  the  Sockanosset  School  and  the  corresponding  Oaklawn 
School  for  Girls  seek  to  educate,  instruct  in  trades,  and  reclaim  juvenile 
offenders.  In  1885,  the  State  Home  and  School  was  opened,  on  Smith 
Street  in  Providence,  for  the  care  and  education  of  indigent  children. 
During  the  i88o's,  kindergartens  were  introduced  into  the  educational 
system.  Two  important  girls'  private  schools  were  also  founded  in  Provi- 
dence—  the  Lincoln  School  (1884)  and  the  Mary  C.  Wheeler  School 
(1889).  The  Lincoln  School  is  now  the  girls'  section  of  the  Moses  Brown 
School;  it  has  been  under  the  control  of  the  Yearly  Meeting  of  Friends  for 
New  England  since  1925. 

In  1887,  a  State  agricultural  school  and  experiment  station  was  opened 
in  Kingston^  It  was  chartered  as  the  Rhode  Island  College  of  Agriculture 
and  Mechanic  Arts  in  1892,  in  order  to  use  Rhode  Island's  share  of  the 
funds  released  by  the  United  States  Government  under  the  Morrill  Act  of 
1862.  Brown  University  had  originally  accepted  the  grant,  but  bad  re- 
linquished it.  In  1909,  the  new  institution  was  renamed  Rhode  Island 
State  College.  Several  times  since  its  founding,  the  college  has  revised  its 
curriculum  and  enlarged  its  facilities.  It  carries  on  a  great  deal  of  ex- 
perimental work,  much  of  which  is  closely  related  to  the  State's  agricul- 


Education  123 


tural  problems.  A  State-wide  extension  service  carries  the  results  of  its 
work  to  the  general  public. 

The  decade  of  the  iSpo's  was  notable  in  Rhode  Island  education  for 
several  additions  to  educational  facilities,  beside  the  chartering  of  State 
College.  The  Women's  College  in  Brown  University  was  opened  in  1892; 
after  rapid  growth  it  was  renamed,  in  1928,  Pembroke  College  in  Brown 
University.  St.  Andrew's  Industrial  School,  which  originated  in  the  labors 
of  the  Reverend  William  M.  Chapin,  Rector  of  St.  John's  Episcopal  Church 
in  Barrington,  was  opened  in  Barrington  in  1893.  In  1896,  St.  George's 
School  was  founded  in  Middletown  by  the  Reverend  John  Diman.  In 
1898,  the  Rhode  Island  Textile  School,  the  third  of  its  kind  in  the  United 
States,  was  established  along  the  lines  of  the  textile  schools  then  operating 
in  Philadelphia  and  Lowell.  In  1895,  a  plan  for  co-operation  between 
Brown  University  and  the  city  of  Providence,  making  possible  further 
training  for  school  teachers,  was  adopted.  At  present  the  State  offers 
a  number  of  scholarships  for  courses  in  education,  and  in  some  graduate 
studies,  at  the  University. 

The  laws  of  1894,  1905,  and  1906  providing  for  inspection  of  factories 
and  limiting  the  age  of  the  workers  were  closely  related  to  the  problem  of 
truancy  and  to  increasing  the  number  of  school  children  in  attendance. 
An  act  of  1898  provided  for  the  consolidation  of  small  ungraded  schools. 
Before  the  end  of  the  first  decade  of  the  twentieth  century,  all  school 
districts  had  been  abolished,  provision  for  high  school  instruction  was 
made  obligatory  on  the  towns,  pensions  for  teachers  more  than  60  years 
of  age  were  granted  by  the  State,  and  a  minimum  salary  law  for  teachers 
had  been  passed.  In  1935,  the  Board  and  the  Commissioner  of  Education 
were  replaced  by  a  Department  under  a  Director. 

Providence,  it  has  been  claimed,  was  the  first  city  to  offer  special 
educational  facilities  for  tubercular  children.  A  fresh  air  school  was 
opened  in  January,  1908,  in  the  Meeting  Street  schoolhouse.  The  Exeter 
School,  for  persons  of  idiot  and  imbecile  mentalities,  was  opened  in  1907 
at  Exeter.  In  the  following  year,  the  Board  of  Education  first  provided 
for  the  education  of  the  adult  blind  in  their  homes.  The  Rhode  Island 
College  of  Pharmacy  and  Allied  Sciences  was  chartered  by  the  legislature 
in  1902;  it  has  since  become  a  member  of  the  American  Association  of 
Colleges  of  Pharmacy. 

Provisions  for  the  health  and  safety  of  Rhode  Island  school  children 
were  increased  in  number  early  in  the  i9oo's.  Fire  drills,  building  inspec- 
tion, sight  and  hearing  tests,  physical  training,  and  medical  and  dental 
examinations  were  arranged  for  by  the  State.  Patriotic  instruction  and 


124  Rhode  Island:  The  General  Background 

vocational  guidance  were  introduced.  'The  broad  aim  and  recognized 
function  of  public  school  education,'  said  the  School  Commissioner  in 
1910,  'has  been  a  preparation  for  intelligent  citizenship,  such  education 
being  supported  by  government  as  the  safeguard  of  civil  rights  and 
political  institutions.' 

Providence  College  was  founded  in  1917,  and  was  opened  in  1919  upon 
the  completion  of  its  first  building,  Bishop  Harkins's  Hall.  The  faculty  of 
the  college  is  composed  largely  of  professors  who  are  members  of  the 
Dominican  Order  of  Preachers. 

Recent  educational  developments  in  Rhode  Island  have  been  for  the 
most  part  along  the  general  pattern  already  established.  In  1920,  an  act 
of  the  General  Assembly  provided  for  the  founding  of  the  Rhode  Island 
College  of  Education,  to  succeed  the  Rhode  Island  Normal  School.  This 
college,  with  more  than  two  thousand  students  in  attendance  at  present, 
also  develops  and  tests  methods  of  teaching  in  the  Henry  Barnard  School, 
a  sort  of  'educational  laboratory.'  Rhode  Island  is  probably  the  only 
State  which  selects  from  every  town  and  city  candidates  for  special 
training  to  meet  the  peculiar  needs  of  their  communities. 

The  buildings  of  the  old  Lapham  Institute  were  taken,  in  1923,  by  the 
Watchman  Industrial  School  and  Camp,  which  trains  Negro  boys  and 
girls  for  industrial  life.  The  Academy  of  Mount  Saint  Charles  (founded 
1928),  on  Bernon  Heights  overlooking  Woonsocket,  is  a  boarding  school 
conducted  by  the  Brothers  of  the  Sacred  Heart  and  attended  by  more  than 
300  boys.  Bryant  College,  founded  at  Providence  in  1863  by  H.  B.  Bryant 
and  H.  D.  Stratton,  was  joined  with  the  Rhode  Island  Commercial  School 
in  1915  as  the  Bryant  and  Stratton  Business  School.  The  Strayer  Act  of 
1926  provided  for  the  erection  of  junior  high  schools  in  cities  and  towns 
throughout  the  State.  Thus  has  Rhode  Island  continued  to  increase  its 
educational  facilities,  to  accommodate  a  growing  number  of  pupils  and 
to  meet  special  problems. 


RELIGION 


THE  Rhode  Island  Charter  of  1663,  procured  by  Doctor  John  Clarke, 
proclaimed  in  inspiring  words  the  ambition  of  Roger  Williams  'to  hold 
forth  a  lively  experiment  that  a  most  flourishing  civil  state  may  stand  and 
best  be  maintained  with  full  liberty  in  religious  concernments.'  In  the 
religious  history  of  the  United  States,  this  noble  r61e  has  been  consistently 
upheld  by  the  State  which  Williams  founded.  The  success  of  the  experi- 
ment —  an  experiment  with  but  one  rival,  Maryland,  in  seventeenth- 
century  America  —  became  evident  at  an  early  date.  In  the  compact  of 
1637,  the  inhabitants  of  Providence  agreed  to  be  bound  by  government 
'only  in  civil  things,'  and  about  three  years  later  a  similar  agreement 
was  entered  into  at  Newport.  Although  between  1664  and  1783  Roman 
Catholics,  then  few  in  number,  were  denied  the  right  to  vote,  it  may  be 
said  that  Rhode  Island  achieved  and  has  maintained  the  separation  of 
Church  and  State. 

The  earliest  settlers  of  Providence  were  Separatists,  those  who  had 
separated  themselves  from  the  Anglican  Church  of  England,  and  they 
were  religiously  minded  men.  The  first  written  evidence  of  organized 
worship  in  Rhode  Island  is  contained  in  the  entry  in  Winthrop's  '  Journal ' 
for  March  16,  1639,  which  tells  of  a  baptismal  ceremony.  Ezekiel  Holy- 
man  first  immersed  Roger  Williams,  and  was  in  turn  baptized  by  Wil- 
liams. After  three  or  four  months,  however,  Williams  left  the  society, 
because  he  felt  'that  their  baptism  could  not  be  right  since  it  was  not 
administered  by  an  apostle.'  He  became  a  'Seeker,'  accepting  no  organ- 
ized body  of  doctrine,  and  remained  one  to  his  death  in  1683. 

In  the  spring  of  1639,  therefore,  the  first  Baptist  Church  in  America 
was  established  in  Providence  by  Anabaptist  dissenters  from  the  Puritan 
Church  of  Massachusetts.  They  had  no  house  of  worship  until  1700,  when 
their  minister,  the  Reverend  Pardon  Tillinghast,  at  his  own  expense  built 
a  meeting-house  '  in  the  shape  of  a  haycap,  with  a  fireplace  in  the  middle, 
the  smoke  escaping  from  a  hole  in  the  roof.'  Five  of  the  seven  Baptist 
Churches  in  the  Colonies  during  the  seventeenth  century  were  in  Rhode 
Island.  During  the  next  century,  the  sect  made  significant  progress,  as 
marked  by  two  notable  events  —  the  founding  of  a  college  and  the  build- 
ing of  a  new  church.  The  college  was  founded  at  Warren  in  1764;  it  was 


126  Rhode  Island:  The  General  Background 

moved  to  Providence  in  1770;  and  there,  34  years  later,  its  name  was 
changed  from  Rhode  Island  College  to  Brown  University.  The  church 
was  the  present  First  Baptist  Church  of  Providence,  dedicated  in  May, 
1775.  The  inscription  on  its  bell  reads: 

For  freedom  of  conscience  the  town  was  first  planted, 
Persuasion  not  force  was  used  by  the  people; 
This  church  is  the  oldest  and  has  not  recanted, 
Enjoying  and  granting,  bell,  temple,  and  steeple. 

Baptist  encouragement  of  freedom  of  thought  and  conscience  led 
eventually  to  doctrinal  disputes  that  were  settled  only  by  the  founding  of 
separate  bodies,  such  as  the  Six  Principle  Baptists,  the  Seventh  Day 
Baptists,  and  the  Free  Will  Baptists.  The  hardy  and  independent  spirit 
which  kept  the  newly  founded  Baptist  Church  together  for  its  first  sixty 
years,  with  no  meeting  place  except  under  a  tree  or  in  a  member's  home, 
has  continued  to  have  a  broad  and  spreading  influence.  The  membership 
of  the  Baptist  Church  in  Rhode  Island  was  five  thousand  in  1813,  more 
than  twelve  thousand  in  1890,  and  more  than  twenty  thousand  in  1930. 

The  Congregationalists  who  were  among  the  early  settlers  of  Rhode 
Island  had  to  cross  the  Seekonk  River  to  worship  in  their  own  churches  in 
the  Massachusetts  towns  of  Rehoboth,  Barrington,  and  Bristol.  The 
latter  two  towns  became  part  of  Rhode  Island  in  1746-47.  The  Newman 
Congregational  Church,  now  in  Rumford,  was  founded  in  1643  by  the 
man  whose  name  it  bears.  The  Puritan  congregation  in  Barrington  be- 
came established  between  1650  and  1660.  Because  of  the  separation  of 
Church  from  State,  the  Congregationalists  secured  no  such  dominance 
for  themselves  as  they  held  in  Massachusetts  or  Connecticut.  Congrega- 
tional churches  were  established  in  Providence  and  Newport  about  1720, 
and  the  first  church  building  of  this  denomination  in  Providence  was 
erected  on  a  portion  of  the  orchard  of  Chad  Brown  in  1723.  During  the 
Revolutionary  period,  Congregationalism  suffered  a  temporary  decline, 
as  did  many  other  religious  sects  in  those  years  of  stress;  but  the  middle 
and  later  half  of  the  nineteenth  century  saw  a  conspicuous  revival  in 
strength  and  numbers.  In  1833  there  were  about  seventeen  hundred 
Congregationalists  in  Rhode  Island,  and  in  1869  more  than  four  thousand. 
In  1935  there  were  more  than  eleven  thousand  members  in  about  thirty- 
eight  churches  throughout  the  State. 

Several  months  before  Roger  Williams  arrived  on  the  site  of  Providence, 
the  Reverend  William  Blackstone,  an  ordained  Anglican  clergyman, 
settled  at '  Study  Hill,'  in  what  is  now  the  village  of  Lonsdale.  Although 


Religion  127 


somewhat  of  a  hermit  in  his  personal  habits,  Blackstone  preached  in 
Providence  many  times,  and  undoubtedly  conducted  services  while 
visiting  Richard  Smith's  home  in  Wickford.  The  Church  of  England  was 
established  on  a  permanent  basis  in  Newport  about  1700.  The  first 
Trinity  Church  was  built  in  the  city  in  1704,  and  the  present  edifice  was 
erected  in  1725.  It  is  said  that  Saint  Paul's  Church,  built  in  1707  in 
Kingston  and  moved  in  1800  to  Wickford,  is  the  oldest  Episcopal 
church  north  of  the  Potomac.  The  Reverend  James  MacSparran  came 
to  this  parish  hi  1721,  and  within  three  years  increased  his  congregation 
from  the  seven  persons  who  attended  his  first  Holy  Communion  to  more 
than  three  hundred.  Saint  Michael's  Church  in  Bristol  was  built  in  1719; 
and  a  year  later,  King's  Chapel,  renamed  Saint  John's  in  1810  on  the 
erection  of  a  new  edifice,  was  established  in  Providence.  All  four  of  these 
early  Episcopal  Churches  in  Rhode  Island  were  nourished,  and  all  except 
Trinity  Church  were  founded,  by  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the 
Gospel  in  Foreign  Parts,  organized  in  London  in  1701.  The  independence 
of  the  American  Episcopal  Church  followed  the  declaration  of  national 
independence,  but  the  end  of  the  Revolution  found  the  Episcopal  Church 
in  a  very  depressed  condition  in  Rhode  Island.  Some  of  the  churches 
were  closed,  and  Saint  Michael's  at  Bristol  had  been  burned.  The  nine- 
teenth century,  particularly  its  last  half,  saw  a  remarkable  recovery, 
however.  In  1829  there  were  fewer  than  six  hundred  Episcopal  com- 
municants in  Rhode  Island;  whereas  in  1900  there  were  more  than  twelve 
thousand,  and  in  1930  there  were  about  twenty- three  thousand  members 
in  the  State. 

Early  in  1657,  a  number  of  Friends,  or  Quakers,  seeking  refuge  from 
persecution  in  Massachusetts  and  Connecticut,  settled  in  Rhode  Island, 
particularly  on  the  Island  of  Aquidneck.  From  this  sect  came  a  number  of 
distinguished  officials:  William  Coddington,  Judge  and  Governor  (1640- 
47),  Nicholas  Easton,  Governor  (1672-74),  and  Nathanael  Greene,  the 
Revolutionary  general.  In  1672  George  Fox  himself  visited  Rhode  Island, 
and  occasioned  the  writing  of  the  pamphlet  in  which  Roger  Williams 
attempted  to  convince  the  Friends  that  their  religious  principles  were 
erroneous.  The  pamphlet  is  elaborately  entitled: 

George  Fox  digged  out  of  his  Burrowes,  or  an  offer  of  disputation  on 
fourteen  proposals  made  this  last  summer,  1672  (so  called)  unto  G.  Fox 
then  present  on  Rhode  Island  in  New  England  by  R.  W.  As  also  how 
(G.  Fox  slily  departing)  the  disputation  went  on,  being  managed  three 
days  at  Newport  on  Rhode  Island  and  one  day  at  Providence,  between 
John  Stubs,  John  Burnet  and  William  Edmundson  on  the  one  part,  and 


128  Rhode  Island:  The  General  Background 

R.  W.  on  the  other.  In  which  many  quotations  out  of  G.  Fox  and  Ed. 
Burrowes  Book  in  folio  are  alleged,  with  an  appendix  of  some  scores  of 
G.  F.,  his  simple  lame  answers  to  his  opposites  in  that  book,  quoted  and 
replied  to  by  R.  W.  of  Providence  in  N.E. 

The  first  steps  to  establish  a  Friends  school  were  taken  as  early  as 
1779,  and  in  1784  a  school  was  opened  in  one  of  the  rooms  of  the  Friends 
Meeting-House  in  Portsmouth.  The  institution  was  closed  after  four 
years,  however,  and  its  funds  were  left  to  the  astute  care  of  Moses  Brown 
who,  thirty-one  years  later,  donated  the  land  on  which  Moses  Brown 
School  in  Providence  now  stands.  Only  toward  the  end  of  the  nineteenth 
century  was  any  color,  painting,  or  music  allowed  in  the  school.  About 
1840,  there  were  some  thirteen  hundred  Quakers  in  Rhode  Island,  but  in 
1900  there  were  fewer  than  one  thousand.  Evidently  the  number  had 
started  to  decline  by  1842,  when  the  American  edition  of  the  Dublin 
University  Magazine  for  December  stated : '  Rhode  Island  had  been  urged 
by  the  other  States  to  co-operate  with  them  in  expelling  Quakerism. 
They  declined  on  the  following  grounds:  —  The  Quakers  were  a  people 
that  delighted  to  encounter  persecution,  and  quickly  sickened  of  a  patient 
audience;  and  had  already  begun  to  loathe  Rhode  Island  as  a  place  where 
their  talent  for  patient  suffering  was  completely  buried.' 

In  1658  about  fifteen  Sephardic  Jewish  families  arrived  in  Newport  from 
Holland.  Among  them  were  Mordecai  Campanal  and  Moses  Pacheckoe, 
who  are  said  to  have  brought  with  them  the  first  three  degrees  of  Free- 
masonry and  to  have  organized  the  first  Masonic  Lodge  in  America.  They 
immediately  formed  the  congregation  of  Jeshuath  Israel  (Salvation  of 
Israel).  Not  until  a  century  later,  however,  did  this  congregation  have 
a  resident  rabbi  —  Isaac  Touro  of  Jamaica,  later  a  close  friend  of  Doctor 
Ezra  Stiles.  Its  synagogue,  the  second  to  be  built  in  America,  was  dedi- 
cated in  1763.  Still  standing  on  Touro  Street,  Newport,  it  is  now  the 
oldest  in  the  country.  During  the  Revolution,  the  Jewish  community 
dwindled,  and  by  1818  there  remained  in  Newport  but  three  of  the  former 
sixty  or  more  families.  The  synagogue  was  closed  until  1883,  when  Doc- 
tor Abraham  Mendes  arrived  as  a  new  leader.  About  a  century  ago,  with 
the  industrial  expansion  of  Rhode  Island  and  the  consequent  rise  in 
population,  the  Jews  increased  in  number  until  at  present  they  total  more 
than  twenty-five  thousand,  about  twenty-two  thousand  of  whom  reside 
in  Providence. 

The  earliest  recorded  Mass  for  Roman  Catholics  in  Rhode  Island  was 
celebrated  in  Newport's  old  State  House  for  members  of  the  French  fleet, 
by  French  chaplains  during  the  Revolution.  In  1793  a  number  of  Roman 


Religion  129 


Catholic  refugees  arrived  from  the  French  colonies  of  Santo  Domingo  and 
Guadeloupe;  and  after  the  Emmet  Revolution  of  1798,  many  Irish  Cath- 
olics immigrated  to  Rhode  Island.  In  1811  Bishop  Cheverus  and  the 
Reverend  Doctor  Matignon  came  to  the  small  French  Catholic  com- 
munity in  Bristol  to  celebrate  Mass  and  baptize  children.  After  the 
United  States  Government  began  to  rebuild  the  works  of  Fort  Adams  in 
1825,  there  was  quite  an  influx  of  Roman  Catholics  into  Newport,  and  in 
1828  a  schoolhouse  was  purchased  and  remodeled  into  the  first  Catholic 
church  in  Rhode  Island.  The  Newport  parish  was  the  earliest  regular 
congregation,  and  its  church,  Saint  Joseph's,  was  completed  by  1836. 
The  Church  of  Saints  Peter  and  Paul  in  Providence  was  completed  the 
following  year.  Between  1850  and  1860  there  was  a  remarkable  growth 
in  the  number  of  Roman  Catholics,  and  today  there  are  more  than  350,000 
members  of  this  denomination  in  Rhode  Island. 

In  September,  1789,  Jesse  Lee,  a  Methodist  itinerant  minister,  arrived 
in  Charlestown  and  spoke  in  Mr.  Stan  ton's  coffee  house;  this  is  believed 
to  have  been  the  first  Methodist  sermon  in  Rhode  Island.  In  1792  the 
Methodist  Church  in  Bristol  had  a  regular  minister,  the  Reverend  Lemuel 
Smith,  who  held  services  in  the  Court  House  until  the  erection  of  a  church 
in  1805.  The  Methodist  Church  in  Warren  was  established  about  the 
same  time  as  that  in  Bristol,  but  Lee  dedicated  the  church  edifice  in 
Warren  on  September  24,  1794.  Shortly  before  the  opening  of  the  nine- 
teenth century,  there  were  about  one  hundred  and  sixty  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  the  Providence  district,  which  included 
some  parishioners  living  in  Massachusetts.  Kent  Academy,  founded  in 
1802,  was  purchased  by  the  Providence  Conference  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  in  1841,  and  has  since  continued  under  the  Confer- 
ence's management  as  East  Greenwich  Academy.  Between  1851  and 
1936,  the  number  of  Methodists  in  Rhode  Island  has  increased  from  three 
thousand  to  more  than  nineteen  thousand  members. 

There  are  about  four  thousand  Swedish  Lutherans  in  Rhode  Island,  and 
more  than  two  thousand  others  divided  among  a  variety  of  smaller 
Lutheran  groups.  There  are  about  fifteen  hundred  Presbyterians  and 
about  fourteen  hundred  Universalists  in  the  State.  Among  the  religious 
groups  with  fewer  than  one  thousand  members  are  the  Unitarians,  the 
Christian  Scientists,  the  Primitive  and  the  African  Methodists,  and  the 
Seventh-Day  Adventists. 


SPORTS,      RECREATION,      AND 
CONSERVATION 


Fishing.  Rhode  Island  has  246  miles  of  coastline,  including  Narragansett 
Bay  which  extends  twenty-eight  miles  inland  from  the  Atlantic  Ocean. 
The  comparative  proximity  of  all  parts  of  the  State  to  salt  water  makes 
for  unexcelled  fishing  opportunities.  Four  of  the  seven  cities  in  Rhode 
Island  have  water  frontage  on  Narragansett  Bay.  These  cities  are  Prov- 
idence, Newport,  Cranston,  and  Warwick.  Newport  is  also  skirted  on 
the  south  by  the  Atlantic  Ocean.  There  is  daily  boat  service,  in  sum- 
mer, between  Providence,  Newport,  and  Block  Island.  The  latter  lies  in 
the  Atlantic,  about  ten  miles  south  of  the  mainland  and  more  than 
twenty  miles  from  Newport.  Charter  craft  may  be  hired  for  any  desired 
length  of  time  in  Providence,  Pawtuxet,  Riverside,  Warwick,  East  Green- 
wich, Warren,  Bristol,  Wickford,  Point  Judith,  Newport,  and  Block 
Island.  Such  boats  are  usually  listed  with  the  nearest  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce. Dories,  skiffs,  and  rowboats  may  be  rented  from  individual  owners 
by  the  hour,  day,  week,  or  season,  by  those  who  prefer  fishing  in  the  more 
sheltered  waters.  The  lack  of  a  boat,  however,  need  not  preclude  anyone 
from  the  pleasure  of  the  sport.  Numerous  vantage-points  are  to  be 
found  where  one  may  drop  a  line  from  the  shore.  The  rocks  at  Beaver 
Tail  in  Jamestown  and  the  breakwater  at  Point  Judith  are  two  of  the 
best  places  for  such  fishing.  The  variety  of  fish  thus  caught,  however, 
is  small;  tautog  and  a  few  flatfish  generally  form  the  day's  catch.  Deep- 
sea  fish  sought  in  near-by  waters  include  swordfish,  tuna,  bluefish,  cod, 
and  haddock;  while  tautog,  hornpout,  small  bluefish,  flatfish,  eels,  sea 
and  rock  bass,  with  other  lesser  fish,  are  caught  farther  upstream. 

Narragansett  Bay  and  its  many  tributaries  offer  the  opportunity  to 
procure  all  sorts  of  shellfish.  Lobster,  crabs,  oysters,  scallops,  clams, 
and  quahaugs  are  found  in  great  quantities,  and  their  fine  flavor  has  been 
widely  heralded.  The  taking  of  shellfish  is  regulated  by  the  Division 
of  Fish  and  Game  to  prevent  a  possible  overdrain  on  the  supply  and  to 
protect  the  public  from  the  danger  of  stock  found  in  polluted  waters. 

Fresh-water  fishing  is  encouraged  by  the  Division  of  Fish  and  Game, 
and  the  accessibility  of  most  of  the  stocked  ponds  and  streams  makes 


Sports,  Recreation,  and  Conservation  131 

the  sport  popular.  Trout,  pickerel,  bass,  and  striped  and  white  perch 
provide  sport  in  the  catching.  Some  of  the  ponds  frequented  by  fisher- 
men are  Beach  Pond,  Exeter;  Waterman  Reservoir,  Glocester;  Worden 
Pond,  South  Kingstown;  Coventry  Center  Pond  and  Lake  Tiogue, 
Coventry;  Stafford  Pond,  Tiverton;  Oak  Swamp  Reservoir,  Johnston; 
Spring  Lake,  Burrillville.  Small  boats  may  be  hired  at  all  these  ponds. 
(See  General  Information  for  fishing  laws.) 

Boating.  The  diversity  of  craft  to  be  seen  in  Rhode  Island  waters  is 
of  great  interest  to  visitors.  Regular  steamer  schedules  are  maintained 
throughout  the  year  connecting  Providence  and  New  York  City.  In  the 
summer  months,  excursion  boats  provide  daily  service  between  Provi- 
dence, Newport,  Block  Island,  and  Martha's  Vineyard  in  Massachusetts. 
Regular  runs  are  also  made  daily  to  Block  Island  from  Newport,  Point 
Judith,  and  New  London  in  Connecticut.  Such  excursion  craft,  hi  addi- 
tion, often  make  nightly  trips  on  the  bay  generally  with  a  sail  around 
the  men-of-war  stationed  in  Newport  Harbor  as  the  objective.  Smaller 
boats  may  be  chartered  by  private  parties  or  persons  to  suit  individual 
needs. 

There  are  harbors  on  the  Atlantic  Ocean  at  Block  Island,  Sakonnet 
Point,  Point  Judith,  and  Little  Narragansett  Bay.  Outside  of  the  com- 
mercial ports  at  Newport  and  Providence,  there  are  inland  anchorages 
at  Tiverton,  Wickford,  East  Greenwich,  Warren,  Bristol,  and  Pawtuxet 
Cove.  Three  ship  channels  enter  Narragansett  Bay  from  the  ocean. 
The  east  passage  enters  the  bay  at  Brenton's  Point,  and  has  a  depth  to 
Providence  of  about  thirty  feet.  The  west  passage  runs  between  Beaver 
Tail  and  Whale  Rock,  and  has  a  channel  of  about  twenty-five  feet  in 
depth.  The  third  entrance  is  the  Sakonnet  River,  with  a  minimum  depth 
of  twenty-one  feet.  The  ship  channel  in  Mount  Hope  Bay  extends  to 
Fall  River,  Massachusetts.  All  ship  channels  in  the  State  are  clearly 
defined  by  regular  markings,  which  are  recorded  on  charts  issued  by  the 
Federal  Government. 

The  shores  of  the  State  are  lined  with  pleasure  boats,  ranging  from 
frail  homemade  affairs  to  palatial  seagoing  yachts.  Slow  chugging  power- 
boats, fleet  launches,  skiffs,  sea-sleds,  and  even  occasional  canoes  pro- 
pelled by  outboard  motors  combine  with  a  great  variety  of  sailboats  to 
make  an  ever-changing  panorama. 

During  the  racing  season,  events  are  held  for  all  types  of  sailing  boats, 
some  being  confined  to  club  membership  and  others  open  to  all  who  may 
wish  to  enter.  Competitive  classes  are  many,  and  their  appellations  are 
decidedly  interesting  to  the  uninitiated;  cruisers,  beetles,  snowbirds, 


132  Rhode  Island :  The  General  Background 

snipes,  dinghies,  stars,  pilots,  nimblets,  kittens,  and  comets  are  the  names 
of  some  types,  while  Warwick  Neckers,  Newport  dories,  and  Bristol 
twelve-and-a-half-footers  denote  certain  localized  classes.  Even  winter's 
icy  blasts  fail  to  discourage  a  few  of  the  more  hardy,  and  a  class  termed 
'frostbiters'  engages  in  competition  as  long  as  open  water  remains. 

Bathing.  With  the  approach  of  the  summer  months,  the  beaches  of 
the  State  take  on  an  appearance  of  activity.  Summer  residences  of 
mansion  proportions,  as  at  Newport  and  Narragansett  Pier,  as  well  as 
little  one  or  two-room  shacks,  thousands  of  which  are  to  be  found  nestling 
by  inland  waters  and  along  the  seaboard  —  all  shed  their  protective 
winter  coverings  in  anticipation  of  the  hot  weather.  Summer  colonies 
are  in  evidence  all  along  Narragansett  Bay,  offering  social  advantages 
in  addition  to  the  beach  and  its  enjoyments.  Some  of  the  better-known 
bathing  beaches  are  at  Block  Island,  Newport,  Jamestown,  Point  Judith, 
Narragansett  Pier,  and  Little  Compton.  Public  beaches  nearer  the  largest 
city,  Providence,  include  Barrington,  Riverside,  and  Crescent  Park  in 
East  Providence,  Gaspee  Point  and  Goddard  Memorial  Park  in  Warwick. 
Owners  of  property  fronting  on  navigable  water  have  State  permission 
to  erect  piers  or  other  structures  to  the  water,  even  though  these  prevent 
passage  along  the  shore.  The  public  has  free  access  to  the  tidal  shores 
of  the  State  below  high-water  line,  except  in  cases  where  owner's  riparian 
rights  are  exercised. 

Hunting.  Small  game  and  wild  fowl  are  found  in  certain  parts  of  Rhode 
Island.  Such  towns  as  North  Smithfield,  Smithneld,  Glocester,  South 
Kingstown,  Richmond,  and  Exeter  are  favorite  hunting  grounds.  A 
large  part  of  the  land  is  privately  owned  and  posted,  but  often  permission 
may  be  obtained  to  hunt.  Despite  the  high  percentage  of  population  to 
the  square  mile  in  the  State,  there  remain  extensive  tracts  of  unbroken 
woodland.  This  is  especially  true  of  South  County.  Muskrat,  mink, 
raccoon,  rabbits,  hare,  and  gray  squirrels  are  hunted  in  season,  as  are 
partridge,  quail,  woodcock,  rails,  Wilson  snipes,  pheasant,  and  wild  duck, 
swan,  and  geese.  (See  General  Information  for  hunting  laws.) 

Parks.  The  natural  beauties  of  Rhode  Island  are  emphasized  by  the 
many  city  and  State  parks,  where  walks  or  drives  through  scenes  of 
quiet  loveliness  and  facilities  for  more  active  recreational  pastimes  pro- 
vide opportunity  for  needed  relaxation.  Roger  Williams  Park  is  one  of 
the  largest  and  most  beautiful  in  New  England.  Owned  by  the  city  of 
Providence,  it  is  situated  two  and  one-half  miles  from  the  business  center. 
Nine  miles  of  drives  and  boulevards,  which  wind  gracefully  amid  gardens, 
rolling  lawns,  and  along  a  chain  of  lakes,  are  contained  in  its  452  acres. 


Sports,  Recreation,  and  Conservation  133 

Tennis  courts,  bridle  paths,  athletic  fields,  a  natural  history  museum  and 
a  zoo  help  to  enliven  public  interest. 

Lincoln  Woods  Reservation,  a  State-maintained  park  in  the  town  of 
Lincoln,  offers  an  appearance  of  being  the  untouched  handiwork  of  nature. 
An  exploratory  trip,  however,  reveals  ten  miles  of  good  roads  leading 
through  the  six  hundred  acres  of  wooded  hills.  It  is  a  favored  rendezvous 
for  picnic  parties,  more  than  fifty  fireplaces  being  provided  for  their  use. 
Several  camp  sites,  ten  miles  of  bridle  paths,  and  a  convenient  athletic 
field  are  additional  attractions. 

Goddard  Memorial  Park  in  Warwick,  originally  a  privately  owned 
estate  and  tree  reservation,  but  later  deeded  to  the  State,  comprises 
472  acres  devoted  to  public  use.  Broad  drives,  secluded  bridle  paths, 
salt-water  bathing,  picnic  groves  and  fireplaces,  golf,  and  a  recreational 
center  may  all  be  enjoyed  here.  The  better  State  parks  for  recreation 
include  also:  Beach  Pond  Park,  Exeter;  Burlingame  Reservation, 
Charlestown;  Ten  Mile  River  Reservation,  Pawtucket;  Scarborough 
Beach,  Narragansett;  George  Washington  Memorial  Forest,  Glocester; 
Dawley  Memorial  Park,  Richmond. 

Winter  Sports.  The  public  parks  in  the  State  are  also  utilized  for 
winter  sports,  affording  a  certain  degree  of  safety  over  unsupervised 
locations.  Skating  is  the  most  favored  of  such  sports,  while  skiing  and 
tobogganing  have  their  share  of  supporters.  The  number  of  ice  boats  to 
be  seen  skimming  over  the  frozen  surfaces  also  increases  each  year.  In 
Providence,  the  street  cars  and  busses  carry  signs  to  indicate  when  skating 
is  permissible  in  Roger  Williams  Park;  while  the  Rhode  Island  Audito- 
rium, on  North  Main  Street,  advertises  skating  on  artificial  ice.  At 
Meshanticut  Lake,  Cranston,  is  a  heated  log  cabin  for  the  comfort  of 
skaters,  and  flood  lights  illuminate  the  lake  at  night.  Most  of  the  skating 
is  done  on  inland  waters  similar  to  the  above,  as  Narragansett  Bay  re- 
mains free  of  ice  for  the  greater  part  of  each  winter.  Toboggan  slides  of 
note  are  the  ones  at  Neutaconkanut  Hill,  Providence,  and  Fairweather's 
slide  in  Cumberland.  The  New  York,  New  Haven  and  Hartford  Rail- 
way attracts  many  patrons  with  special  week-end  'snow  trains'  to  points 
north  during  the  winter  months. 

Golf.  The  public  and  private  golf  courses,  over  thirty  in  number,  are 
scattered  over  the  whole  State.  Many  of  the  clubs  and  courses  —  such 
as  Metacomet,  Pocasset,  and  Sachuest  —  derive  their  titles  from  our 
Indian  predecessors.  At  least  twelve  of  the  local  courses  are  open  to  the 
public  at  nominal  fees.  Tournaments  are  held  annually  to  decide  club, 
district,  junior,  and  State  championships. 


134  Rhode  Island:  The  General  Background 

Athletics.  Baseball  and  football  of  the  sand-lot  variety  flourish  within 
the  State,  although  there  are  no  organized  professional  teams  in  these 
sports.  Each  community  has  its  near-by  field,  to  which  hundreds  of 
spectators  are  attracted  by  amateur  contests.  Rhode  Island's  public  and 
private  schools  compete  in  different  divisions,  while  local  college  teams 
figure  prominently  in  intercollegiate  contests. 

Indoor  sports,  such  as  basketball,  track,  swimming,  boxing,  wrestling, 
etc.,  are  fostered  by  the  educational  institutions,  by  Y.M.C.A.  Boys' 
Clubs,  and  by  smaller  chartered  athletic  clubs.  Public  and  private  tennis 
courts  are  well  patronized,  and  tennis  players  of  national  ranking  partici- 
pate in  the  annual  Newport  Invitation  Tournament.  Professional  boxing 
and  wrestling  matches  are  common  in  Providence,  being  usually  held  at 
Infantry  Hall  on  South  Main  Street,  or  at  the  Rhode  Island  Auditorium. 
The  Auditorium  houses  an  organized  professional  team  in  the  Inter- 
national American  Hockey  League.  College,  schoolboy,  and  amateur 
teams  are  also  seen  in  action  as  part  of  this  rink's  activities. 

A  sport  of  long-standing  popularity  in  Rhode  Island  is  soccer  football. 
Each  year  new  leagues  and  new  teams  are  seen  in  competition.  Soccer 
is  included  among  college,  secondary,  and  schoolboy  athletic  sports,  while 
semi-professional  and  amateur  teams  receive  enthusiastic  support.  The 
larger  fields  devoted  to  soccer  are  in  Pawtucket,  Providence,  Thornton 
in  Johnston,  and  Westerly.  These  four  sections  are  represented  by  play- 
ing units  in  the  New  England  division  of  the  American  Soccer  League. 

Hiking.  Miles  of  quiet  country  roads  and  long  stretches  of  accessible 
shoreline  are  suitable  for  walks.  Most  of  the  State  reservations  afford 
the  advantages  of  forest  trails  and  paths.  Narragansett  Trail,  which 
extends  from  Worden's  Pond,  South  Kingstown,  to  Greenfalls  Pond, 
Connecticut,  is  the  longest  and  best  marked  route  for  hikers  within  the 
State.  This  trail  was  laid  out  by  the  Narragansett  Chapter  of  the  Ap- 
palachian Mountain  Club,  with  field  headquarters  at  Worden's  Pond, 
and  is  maintained  by  that  organization. 

Amusement  Parks.  During  the  summer  months,  amusement  resorts 
situated  on  the  shore  are  enjoyed  by  a  large  number  of  persons.  Offering 
all  types  of  amusements  and  concessions,  they  are  generally  open  from 
about  the  first  of  June  until  Labor  Day.  Such  resorts  are  found  at  Rocky 
Point  and  Oakland  Beach  in  Warwick,  Crescent  Park  in  East  Providence, 
Island  Park  at  Portsmouth,  Newport  Public  Baching  Beach  in  Newport, 
and  Atlantic  Beach  at  Westerly. 


Sports,  Recreation,  and  Conservation  135 


CONSERVATION 

The  State  is  now  engaged  in  an  extensive  park  program  designed  not 
only  to  offer  recreational  facilities  but  also  to  protect  its  plant  and 
animal  resources.  Rhode  Island  has  two  State  forests,  both  acquired  in 
1932  —  the  George  Washington  Memorial  Forest  in  northwestern  Gloces- 
ter,  and  Wickaboxet  State  Forest  in  West  Greenwich.  Both  of  these  are 
used  for  experimental  purposes,  and  for  the  breeding  and  protection  of 
birds  and  wild  animals.  Deer,  rabbits,  squirrels,  quail,  partridge,  and 
pheasants  may  be  found  there  in  abundance.  The  forests  are  game 
sanctuaries,  and  no  hunting  is  allowed. 

In  addition  to  its  State  forests,  Rhode  Island  owns  or  controls  41 
other  parks  and  reservations,  containing  nearly  six  thousand  acres  of  land, 
some  wooded,  some  open,  and  some  consisting  of  sandy  beach  areas. 
These  reservations  are  controlled  by  the  Division  of  Forests,  Parks  and 
Parkways,  in  the  Department  of  Agriculture  and  Conservation.  The 
present  State  park  system  is  the  outgrowth  of  a  movement  dating  back 
to  the  founding  of  the  Public  Park  Association  in  1883.  In  1900,  Henry 
A.  Barker  of  Providence  prepared  for  this  association  a  plan  of  a  park 
system  for  Providence  and  its  vicinity,  which  led  to  the  organization  in 
1904  of  the  Metropolitan  Park  Commission.  In  1922,  the  Commission 
was  enlarged  to  become  State-wide  in  scope,  and  in  1935  it  was  replaced 
by  the  above-mentioned  division.  In  addition  to  the  public  recreation 
facilities  supported  by  the  park  authority,  the  Division  of  Roads  and 
Bridges  maintains  a  number  of  picnic  groves  along  heavily  traveled  high- 
ways. 

Outside  of  the  reclamation  work  being  done  by  the  division  of  forests 
and  parks,  the  Federal  Government  has  established  and  financed  five 
Civilian  Conservation  Camps  on  State-owned  reservations.  At  the  close 
of  1935,  the  Federal  Government  was  employing  nine  hundred  men  in 
these  camps,  and  was  also  considering  the  development  of  about  13,800 
acres  in  the  western  part  of  the  State  as  national  forests  or  parks. 

In  connection  with  water  resources,  the  State  Planning  Board  in  1936 
recommended  some  thirty-two  projects  for  completion  at  various  dates 
before  1957.  These  plans  include  better  sewer  systems  in  the  Black- 
stone,  Pawtuxet,  Moshassuck,  and  Woonasquatucket  valleys;  harbor  im- 
provements at  Providence,  Newport,  and  Little  Narragansett  Bay;  and 
the  enlargement  of  ten  or  more  reservoirs  for  local  water  supply  systems. 


136  Rhode  Island:  The  General  Background 

The  board  has  also  recommended  several  flood  control  projects,  particu- 
larly in  the  Blackstone  Valley,  a  re-survey  of  oyster  beds,  starfish  control, 
and  the  elimination  of  pollution  in  State  waters.  The  establishment  of  a 
State  marine  biological  laboratory  has  recently  been  authorized. 

In  respect  to  recreation,  which  features  prominently  in  the  conserva- 
tion program,  the  board  reported  in  1936  that  to  the  5975  acres  of  State 
reservations  of  the  preceding  year  had  been  added  377  acres  hi  Cumber- 
land and  1 6  acres  at  Scarborough  Beach.  Two  projects  are  on  foot  for 
Federal  purchase  of  10,365  acres  as  State  forests,  and  4000  acres  for  the 
Beach  Pond  Reservation.  The  board  has  also  undertaken  a  careful  sur- 
vey of  transportation  facilities,  including  plans  for  improving  the  physical 
appearance  of  local  roadsides. 

Among  natural  forest  sanctuaries  for  birds  and  animals  are  the  Beach 
Pond  and  Dawley  Parks,  George  Washington  Memorial  Forest,  Wicka- 
boxet  and  Burlingame  Reservations.  In  these  reserves,  partridge  and 
quail  are  restocked,  alder,  dogwood,  willow,  and  highbush  blueberry  are 
planted  as  cover  for  birds,  and  food  is  scattered  when  the  natural  supplies 
are  snowed  under.  The  Kimball  Bird  Sanctuary,  consisting  of  twenty- 
nine  acres  in  Charlestown,  is  stocked  with  food  during  the  winter,  and 
there  are  a  few  other  reservations  throughout  the  State  which  feed  and 
protect  the  birds. 


ARCHITECTURE 


IT  IS  impossible  to  determine  exactly  the  sort  of  houses  that  Roger 
Williams  and  his  friends  built  in  1636,  when  they  settled  around  the  spring 
on  what  is  now  North  Main  Street,  Providence.  Scanty  documents  sug- 
gest that  they  were  very  crude  log  huts,  roofed  with  bark  or  thatch,  and 
plastered  with  clay.  If  chimneys  were  built,  they  too  were  of  plastered 
logs. 

Within  a  very  few  years,  as  carpenters  and  stone  masons  moved  in  to 
the  new  settlement  at  the  head  of  Narragansett  Bay,  these  temporary 
huts  were  replaced  by  larger  and  more  permanent  dwellings.  But  even 
these,  in  Providence  at  least,  were  more  picturesque  than  comfortable. 
All  the  houses  of  this  early  period  have  been  destroyed,  most  of  them  dur- 
ing King  Philip's  War  in  1675-76;  but  Norman  M.  Isham,  working  in  the 
final  years  of  the  nineteenth  century,  found  enough  remains  to  recon- 
struct their  original  appearance.  Houses  in  the  Providence  area  —  that 
is,  almost  the  entire  northern  half  of  the  Colony  —  were  derived  from  the 
simple  rugged  homes  of  the  medieval  English  yeoman.  They  had  usually 
one  lower  section  called  the  fire-room,  and  a  small  half-story  chamber 
above.  The  structures  were  framed  of  heavy  hand-hewn  timbers,  some- 
times vertically  boarded,  sometimes  studded  and  plastered  inside, 
covered  with  clapboards  and  roofed  with  shingles.  An  enormous  chimney 
occupied  nearly  an  entire  end  of  the  house.  Into  this,  in  the  lower  room 
only,  was  built  a  huge  fireplace,  usually  about  eight  feet  wide,  four  feet 
deep,  and  six  feet  high.  Inside  the  fireplace  were  cranes  on  which  pots 
might  be  hung,  and  in  one  end  was  an  oven  for  baking.  Alongside  the 
fireplace  was  a  stairway,  little  more  than  a  ladder,  which  led  to  the  cham- 
ber above.  At  first  the  few  windows  were  covered  with  paper  soaked  in 
linseed  oil,  and  protected  by  wooden  shutters.  Later  the  paper  was  re- 
placed by  glass,  usually  set  in  wood  with  square  panes,  sometimes  leaded 
with  diamond-shaped  panes.  These  houses  were  small,  with  very  little 
decoration  Inside  or  out. 

While  this  type  of  dwelling  was  being  built  in  the  Providence  area,  the 
settlers  of  Newport  and  South  County  were  building  houses  similar  to 
the  so-called  Connecticut  type.  These  had  a  central  chimney,  straddling 
the  roof  ridge  and  dividing  the  house  into  two  equal-sized  lower  rooms, 


138  Rhode  Island:  The  General  Background 

with  a  fireplace  in  each.  Two  half-story  upper  chambers  were  reached 
by  a  stairway  alongside  each  fireplace.  At  Wickford,  builders  employed 
both  the  South  County  and  the  Providence  modes  of  construction. 

As  mentioned  above,  none  of  these  earliest  houses  remain.  All  but 
five  were  burned  by  the  Indians,  and  the  rest  have  subsequently  disap- 
peared. A  copy  of  the  Roger  Mowry  House  of  Providence,  based  on  the 
measurements  made  by  John  Hutchins  Cady,  has  been  erected  in  recent 
years  on  the  estate  of  Albert  Lownes  in  South  Kingstown. 

As  the  settlers  rebuilt  their  homes  after  King  Philip's  War,  those  in 
Newport  and  South  County  appear  to  have  adhered  to  the  earlier  forms, 
but  the  Providence  builders  began  to  experiment.  Some  two-story  houses 
were  erected,  but  the  most  distinctive  innovation  was  to  build  two  fire- 
places in  the  large  end-chimney,  separating  them  by  a  wall  which  divided 
the  former  fire-room  into  two  equal-sized  rooms.  The  plan  was  still 
rectangular,  and  the  upper  floor  was  supported  partly  by  the  side  girts, 
or  wall  beams,  and  partly  by  a  large  center  'summer  beam'  ('summer,' 
from  Norman  French  sommier,  from  Low  Latin  sagmarius,  meaning 
'pack  horse').  At  the  rear  of  the  house,  a  lean-to  or  pent  was  sometimes 
added.  During  this  period,  which  extends  up  to  1700,  all  the  chimneys 
were  built  of  stone,  and  on  this  single  feature  nearly  all  efforts  at  decora- 
tion were  lavished.  The  stone  masons  were  either  from  England  or  had 
learned  their  trade  from  English  masters.  They  adorned  the  caps  of  the 
chimneys  by  laying  in  several  courses  of  flat  stones,  in  imitation  of  the 
ancient  chimneys  of  the  homeland.  Pilasters  added  to  the  monumental 
appearance  of  these  piles  of  masonry,  many  of  which  survive  today  with 
virtually  new  houses  built  around  them. 

The  interiors  of  this  time  have  been  pictorially  imagined  by  Mr.  Isham. 
'  Inside  the  house  the  sanded  floor,  the  blackened  fireplace  with  its  volume 
of  roaring  and  writhing  fire,  the  summer  and  joists,  the  posts  and  girts  all 
frankly  showing,  all  beautifully  planed  and  champfered  with  all  the  care 
the  ancient  craftsman  could  bestow,  must  have  had  a  fine  effect.'  A  few 
houses  of  this  period  survive,  although  most  have  been  greatly  altered: 
the  Thomas  Clemence  House  in  Man  ton  (see  Tour  11),  the  Thomas  Fen- 
ner  House  in  Cranston  (see  Tour  2),  and  the  Eleazer  Arnold  House  in 
Lincoln  (see  Tour  44).  These  houses  were  built  between  the  approxi- 
mate dates  of  1650  and  1690.  The  Eleazer  Arnold  House  (1687)  is  in  the 
most  nearly  original  state,  retaining  its  great  end  chimney  and  floor  plan. 
The  pitch  of  the  roof  in  back  has  been  raised  above  the  pitch  of  the  chim- 
ney wall;  the  original  high-peaked  gable  in  front,  and  the  small  casement 
windows,  have  been  replaced  by  an  ordinary  sloping  roof  and  sash  win- 


Architecture  139 


dows.  But  these  and  other  minor  alterations  are  not  recent.  The  house 
is  now  owned  by  the  Society  for  the  Preservation  of  New  England 
Antiquities. 

The  next  distinct  period  of  Rhode  Island  architecture  extended  from 
1700  to  approximately  1730.  It  was  marked  by  enlargement  of  the  former 
plans,  some  additional  experimentation  on  the  old  forms,  an  increased 
tendency  to  beautify  the  interior,  and  notably  by  the  introduction  of  brick 
chimneys.  The  beginnings  of  the  great  shipping  fortunes  of  the  later 
eighteenth  century  were  being  accumulated  at  this  time,  and  increased 
wealth  led  to  increased  outlay  for  homes.  Philip  Tillinghast,  on  lower 
Towne  Street  in  Providence,  had  a  house  30  by  40  feet  and  two  stories 
high,  with  five  handsomely  decorated  rooms  on  each  floor.  This  building 
has  disappeared,  but  surviving  houses  of  the  first  quarter  of  the  century 
are  the  Gushing  House,  formerly  the  White  Horse  Tavern,  in  North 
Providence  (before  1700)  (see  Tour  11);  the  Edward  Searle  House  in 
Cranston  (1671,  rebuilt  1728)  (see  Tour  2);  and  the  Tucker  House  on  the 
Lownes  estate  in  South  Kingstown  (1731)  (see  Tour  1). 

After  the  first  quarter  of  the  eighteenth  century,  Rhode  Island  archi- 
tecture, as  well  as  that  in  the  other  Colonies,  began  to  be  influenced  by 
the  classicism  of  the  English  Renaissance.  The  change  came  very  slowly. 
At  first  the  large  center  chimney  was  retained,  with  three  fireplaces  on 
each  floor.  Symmetry  of  fenestration,  or  window  arrangement,  was 
adopted,  the  usual  pattern  being  that  of  five  in  the  second  story  and  four 
on  the  first,  with  the  entrance  door  under  the  middle  window.  In  some 
of  the  houses,  such  as  that  of  Stephen  Hopkins  (see  PROVIDENCE, 
Foot  Tour  3),  only  three  windows  occurred  in  the  lower  tier,  the  door  be- 
ing placed  with  one  window  on  one  side  and  two  on  the  other.  The  houses 
had  projecting  gables.  Later,  chimneys  were  built  near  the  two  ends, 
straddling  the  roof  ridge  and  having  two  fireplaces  apiece  on  each  floor, 
thus  accommodating  all  eight  rooms.  With  the  introduction  of  end 
chimneys,  a  central  hall  could  extend  through  the  house.  At  this  time, 
also,  began  the  more  elaborate  decoration  of  doorways  with  pediments, 
transoms,  and  pilasters.  Many  excellent  examples  of  this  type  of  house 
can  be  found  throughout  the  State.  A  final  evolutionary  stage  in  what 
came  to  be  known  as  '  true  Providence  Colonial '  was  the  incorporation  of 
two  chimneys  at  each  end  of  the  house.  An  interesting  survival  of  this  re- 
mains in  the  end  of  the  old  Franklin  House,  which  has  been  incorporated 
in  the  new  School  of  Design  building  (see  PROVIDENCE,  Foot  Tour  1); 
and  an  adaptation  of  it  occurs  in  the  two  highest  outer  pediments  of  the 
Providence  County  Courthouse  (see  PROVIDENCE,  Foot  Tour  1). 


140  Rhode  Island:  The  General  Background 

The  use  of  wood  for  building  continued  until  after  the  first  half  of  the 
century,  when  the  greater  availability  of  brick  diminished  its  usefulness. 

American  Colonial  architecture  of  the  Georgian  period,  'the  flower 
of  American  classicism,'  was  never  subject  to  the  stylistic  excesses  that 
ran  through  England  in  the  later  eighteenth  century.  There  were  several 
causes  for  this  —  the  relatively  austere  simplicity  of  American  life  as  com- 
pared with  that  of  England  and  the  Continent,  the  non-professional  stand- 
ing and  the  fortunate  good  taste  of  American  designers  and  builders,  and 
the  wide  circulation  in  this  country  of  books  and  plans  by  certain  English 
architects.  These  latter  publications,  ranging  from  small  octavos  to 
large  folios,  contained  designs  for  public  buildings,  homes,  and  churches 
which  served  as  fundamental  plans  for  innumerable  Georgian  Colonial 
structures  all  along  the  north  Atlantic  seaboard.  Most  of  the  books  were 
issued  during  the  second  quarter  of  the  eighteenth  century,  when  English 
architecture  was  still  fairly  conservative,  and  American  builders  often 
simplified  and  refined  the  English  models.  The  largest,  most  famous,  and 
admittedly  the  best  of  these  publications  was  James  Gibbs's  'Book  of 
Architecture,  Designs,  and  Ornaments,'  first  issued  in  London  in  1728. 
Plate  30  in  this  volume  contains  three  designs  for  church  spires,  one  of 
which  was  used,  without  the  slightest  change  except  in  the  last  window 
stage  and  in  the  decoration  around  the  clock,  for  the  First  Baptist 
Mee ting-House,  erected  in  Providence  in  1775  (see  PROVIDENCE,  Foot 
Tour  1).  Adaptations  of  spire  designs  with  complex  and  delicate  ar- 
rangement of  stages  were  sometimes  unfortunate  in  America,  and  the 
ingenuity  of  the  Baptist  tower  and  steeple  lies  not  only  in  its  beautiful 
design  but  also  in  the  faithfulness  of  its  construction.  The  work  had  to  be 
projected  from  a  drawing,  a  horizontal  section,  and  the  scantiest  of  meas- 
urements and  specifications.  Much  credit  for  this  execution  goes  to 
James  Sumner,  a  'Master  Workman  of  Boston,'  who  supervised  the  con- 
struction. The  church  itself,  except  for  the  projecting  tower  on  the 
west  and  a  subsequently  added  baptistery  on  the  east,  is  of  square  de- 
sign (80  by  80  feet)  with  a  very  low-pitched  roof;  both  of  these  factors 
unite  to  give  it  an  expansive,  comfortable,  even  'domestic'  appearance. 
The  side  doors  recall  the  old  meeting-house  tradition  of  convenient  access 
to  all  citizens. 

The  architect  of  the  church  was  Joseph  Brown,  one  of  the  four  brothers 
who  figured  so  largely  in  Rhode  Island's  flourishing  eighteenth-century 
commerce.  He  was  not  only  an  amateur  architect  but  also  a  student  of 
mathematics  and  astronomy,  and  was  so  well  versed  in  philosophy  that 
he  became  a  professor  of  that  subject  in  Rhode  Island  College,  the  institu- 


Architecture  141 


tion  which  later  bore  his  family  name  as  Brown  University.  The  '  College 
edifice,'  where  he  taught,  was  of  his  own  design,  as  were  also  the  Market 
House  (with  Stephen  Hopkins  as  collaborator)  in  Market  Square,  the 
comfortable  residence  at  the  present  No.  50  South  Main  Street,  and  the 
beautiful  mansion  at  No.  52  Power  Street,  designed  for  his  brother  John. 
This  Power  Street  house  (see  PROVIDENCE,  Foot  Tour  3)  is  considered 
by  many  the  finest  of  its  kind  in  New  England,  and  John  Quincy  Adams 
once  declared  it  the  most  magnificent  and  elegant  mansion  he  had  seen 
on  this  continent.  The  house,  square  in  plan  and  three  stories  high,  is  of 
'late  Georgian'  character,  with  a  low-hipped  roof,  delicately  modeled 
parapet  rail,  and  third-story  windows  that  are  not  so  high  as  those  of  the 
first  and  second  floors.  The  dormers  are  embellished  with  elaborate  scroll 
pediments.  Admirable  in  elevation  and  mass,  this  brick  edifice  is  accented 
by  the  unusual  contrast  of  red  sandstone  and  white  wood  trim. 

Brown  was  less  famous  as  an  architect  than  his  older  contemporary, 
Peter  Harrison,  called  '  the  prince  of  amateurs '  and  considered  by  Fiske 
Kimball  to  be  the  most  notable  architect  of  Colonial  America.  Harrison 
was  born  at  York,  England,  in  1716,  and  came  to  Newport  in  1740, 
where  he  joined  his  brother  as  partner  in  a  mercantile  establishment. 
Unconfirmed  accounts  have  linked  his  name  with  that  of  Sir  John  Van- 
brugh  in  the  design  of  Blenheim  House  in  London;  but  his  work  on  the 
draughting  board  in  America  consisted  of  drawing  maps  of  Cape  Breton 
and  Newport  during  King  George's  War  in  1745,  and  assisting  in  the  plans 
of  Newport's  fortifications  the  following  year.  His  first  building  was  the 
Redwood  Library  at  Newport,  begun  in  1748.  In  1749,  he  was  invited  to 
Boston  by  the  congregation  that  commissioned  the  building  of  King's 
Chapel,  and  his  plans  for  the  edifice  were  accepted.  In  1761,  he  designed 
the  Brick  Market  in  Newport  and  Christ  Church  in  Cambridge,  the  latter 
being  the  only  edifice  for  which  he  collected  a  greater  fee  than  a  vote  of 
thanks  or  a  'piece  of  plate.'  His  last  building  was  the  Touro  Synagogue 
at  Newport,  begun  in  1762,  the  year  after  he  moved  to  New  Haven, 
Connecticut,  where  he  had  accepted  the  commission  of  Collector  of  Cus- 
toms. Harrison  died  at  New  Haven  in  1775. 

Rhode  Island's  third  amateur  architect,  though  chronologically  the 
first,  was  Richard  Munday,  of  Newport  and  Bristol,  who  appears  first  in 
the  Newport  civic  records  in  1713  as  an  innkeeper,  later  as  a  'House 
Carpenter,'  and  in  1722  as  a  freeman  (i.e.,  legal  voter).  His  two  great 
monuments  are  Trinity  Church  and  the  Old  Colony  House,  both  at 
Newport.  There  have  been  many  disputes  about  Trinity's  architect. 
Completely  erroneous  but  persistent  legends  attribute  the  building  to 


142  Rhode  Island :  The  General  Background 

Peter  Harrison,  who  did  not  arrive  in  Newport  until  fifteen  years  after 
the  church  was  erected.  The  resemblance  of  Trinity's  plan  and  spire  to 
that  of  Christ  (the '  Old  North ')  Church  in  Boston  has  led  to  an  assump- 
tion that  William  Price,  architect  of  the  latter,  influenced  if  not  devised 
Trinity's  plans.  Circumstantial  evidence  unearthed  by  Norman  M. 
Isham  reveals  beyond  reasonable  doubt,  however,  that  Munday  was  the 
architect,  and  that  Munday,  as  well  as  Price  and  many  others,  derived 
their  plans  from  Christopher  Wren  —  possibly  from  his  St.  James,  Picca- 
dilly, St.  Andrew  by  the  Wardrobe,  or  from  doubtfully  existent  plans  for 
a  new  St.  Anne's,  Blackfriars,  to  replace  the  church  destroyed  in  the 
Great  Fire.  Munday's  Old  Colony  House  is  a  remarkably  original  work 
for  its  day.  Georgian  in  mass  and  elevation,  it  has  a  gambrel  roof  sur- 
mounted by  a  deck  and  an  octagonal  cupola.  It  is  of  red  brick,  trimmed 
with  rusticated  sandstone  and  white  wood,  with  a  triple  belt-course  be- 
tween the  first  and  second  stories.  A  startling  feature  of  the  building  is  a 
truncated  gable  pediment  rising  from  the  roof  line  to  the  level  of  the  deck 
and  almost  encroaching  upon  the  inner  dormers.  The  beautifully  fash- 
ioned woodwork  of  the  doorway,  with  its  surmounting  balcony  and  win- 
dow, is  carried  out  in  the  interior,  being  especially  noteworthy  in  the 
balusters  and  rail  of  the  stairway,  the  wall  paneling,  and  the  benches  of 
the  old  legislative  chambers  (see  NEWPORT,  Foot  Tour  1). 

A  fourth  architect,  a  practical  builder  during  the  last  decade  of  the 
eighteenth  century  and  the  first  quarter  of  the  nineteenth,  was  John 
Holden  Greene.  Although  working  in  the  'Early  Republican'  period,  he 
clung  with  some  tenacity  to  the  Georgian  precedent  set  by  Joseph  Brown. 
His  earlier  houses  are  more  lavish  than  his  later  ones,  but  all  have  a  defi- 
nite air  of  solidity.  He  seems  to  have  been  more  successful  with  wood  than 
with  brick;  in  using  the  latter  material  he  was  sometimes  unable  to  avoid 
heaviness.  Among  the  homes  built  by  Greene  in  Providence  are  the 
Governor  Elisha  Dyer  House,  on  Power  Street,  which  he  built  for  his  own 
use;  the  Sullivan  Dorr  House,  on  lower  Benefit  Street;  the  Truman  Beck- 
with  House,  at  Benefit  Street  and  College  Hill,  now  occupied  by  the 
Handicraft  Club;  and  the  Crawford  Allen  House,  at  the  corner  of  Benevo- 
lent and  Megee  Streets. 

Greene  distinguished  himself  as  an  ecclesiastical  as  well  as  a  domestic 
architect,  for  he  designed  the  First  Congregational  Church  at  Benefit  and 
Benevolent  Streets,  Providence,  which  was  erected  in  1816.  The  steeple 
contains  the  largest  bell  cast  in  the  foundry  of  Paul  Revere  and  Son.  The 
church  is  a  free  copy  of  the  New  South  Church  in  Boston,  designed  by 
Bulfinch  and  since  destroyed.  The  tower,  resembling  that  of  the  First 


THE      BUILDERS      ART 


IN  THE  latter  half  of  the  seventeenth  century  the  staunch- 
est  part  of  a  Rhode  Island  house  was  its  end  chimney.  In 
surviving  structures  such  as  the  Clemence  House  (about  1650) 
and  the  Eleazer  Arnold  Tavern  (1687),  this  feature  is  well 
emphasized;  in  the  former  by  contrast  with  the  somewhat 
modernized  exterior  of  the  house,  and  in  the  latter  by  its  mag- 
nificence. 

Local  use  of  English  books  on  architecture  brought,  in  the 
eighteenth  century,  a  formality,  if  not  quite  a  standardization, 
to  American  design.  Rhode  Island  architects  adapted  the 
academic  style  according  to  their  own  individualities.  Thus 
the  body  of  the  First  Baptist  Meeting-House  has  a  distinctly 
American  character,  although  the  spire  was  copied  from  an 
English  design.  The  Old  Colony  House  at  Newport,  the  John 
Brown  House,  and  the  John  Carter  Brown  House  show 
similar  adaptations.  The  treatment  of  doorways,  although 
occasionally  ornate,  attained  a  fine  formal  beauty. 

The  Crawford  Allen  House,  Linden  Place,  and  'Hearthside* 
illustrate  early  nineteenth-century  developments  in  individual 
treatment.  The  doorway  of  the  Slatersville  house,  with  its 
winged  urn  decoration,  is  individual  to  the  point  of  being  sur- 
realistic. 


^ 


rs 

HOUSK,  JOHNSTON 
ELEAZRR  ARNOLD   TAVFRN,  OR    OLD    STONF    CHIMNFY    HOUSF,  LINCIOL. 

4     • 


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Ill 


rn 


FIRST   BAPTIST    MEETING-HOUSE,  PROVIDENCE 


OLD    COLONY    HOUSE,  NEWPORT 


JOHN    BROWN    HOUSE,  PROVIDENCE 


HEARTHSIDE,    LINCOLN 


OLD   BRICK    MARKET,  NEWPORT 


•     *'• ' 


, 


-    'v. 


^SE- 


ENTRANCE,  JOHN    CARTER    BROWN  (OR    NIGHTINGALE)  HOUSE,  PROVIDENCE 


LINDEN    PLACE,  BRISTOL 


I 


ENTRANCE,  CRAWFORD    ALLEN    HOUSE,  PROVIDENCE 

IM  MANUEL    C;ASE    HOUSE,  WICKFORD 


m 


DOORWAY,  SLATERSVILLE 


Architecture  143 


Baptist  Meeting-House  in  the  proportion  of  its  stages,  was  suggested  by 
the  work  of  James  Gibbs.  The  main  structure,  rectangular  in  plan,  is  a 
significant  fusion  of  both  classical  and  Gothic  motifs.  The  projecting 
tower  on  the  west  end  has  a  portico  supported  by  four  Roman  Doric 
columns.  A  portion  of  its  pediment  is  cut  away  to  allow  the  encroach- 
ment of  a  wide  arched  window  —  an  audacious  adaptation  executed  with 
a  nice  harmony.  This  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  finer  churches  surviving 
from  the  ' Early  Republican'  period. 

The  Nightingale-Brown  House,  at  No.  357  Benefit  St.,  is  one  of  Provi- 
dence's finest  architectural  monuments.  It  is  probably  the  work  of  Caleb 
Ormsbee,  whose  only  other  recorded  edifice  is  the  First  Congregational 
Church,  erected  in  1795,  destroyed  by  fire,  and  replaced  by  the  present 
structure  in  1816.  The  house,  magnificent  in  proportions,  is  three  stories 
high  and  square  in  plan,  with  a  pavilion  surmounted  by  a  pediment  and 
a  beautifully  wrought  balustrade  surrounding  the  roof.  The  structural 
decorations  are  remarkable  for  the  skill  with  which  they  have  been  exe- 
cuted —  the  quoins,  modillions,  and  dentils  have  all  been  spaced  and 
proportioned  with  great  care  and  precision.  The  mansion  stands  just  a 
block  south  of  the  John  Brown  House;  there  are  no  intervening  struc- 
tures, so  that  the  two  mansions  form  an  imposing  combination. 

Although  the  most  notable  architectural  monuments  of  the  eighteenth 
and  early  nineteenth  centuries  were  built  in  Providence  and  Newport, 
other  thriving  communities  expressed  their  wealth  and  love  of  good  living 
in  mansions  no  less  worthy.  Wickford,  busy  with  shipbuilding,  had  a 
Main  Street  lined  with  fine  homes.  The  Immanuel  Case  House,  at  No.  64, 
is  architecturally  the  best  of  these.  Built  in  1786,  it  is  two  and  a  half 
stories  in  height  and  has  a  gable  roof  with  two  chimneys,  thus  adhering 
to  an  earlier  Colonial  style.  Dignified  and  restrained  in  its  mass  and  ele- 
vation, it  has  a  beautiful  doorway  framed  by  Ionic  pilasters  and  a  pedi- 
ment, and  the  interior  woodwork  is  remarkable  for  its  originality.  The 
towns  of  Warren  and  Bristol  were  also  busy  with  shipping,  and  their 
prosperity  was  reflected  in  several  mansions  built  in  the  first  three  decades 
of  the  nineteenth  century.  In  Warren  were  the  Waterman  House  (about 
1820)  and  the  Bliss-Ruisden  House  (1825)  —  two  structures  which,  un- 
fortunately, have  suffered  from  Victorian  rebuilding  to  the  extent  that 
their  period  character  has  been  lost,  although  much  of  the  interior  wood- 
work was  retained.  The  Waterman  House  has  recently  been  demolished. 
The  mansions  in  Bristol,  however,  have  undergone  very  little  change,  and 
their  architecture  is  at  once  magnificent  and  fanciful,  especially  on  the 
exterior.  The  Howe-Churchill-Diman  House  (about  1809)  is  a  well- 


144  Rhode  Island :  The  General  Background 

proportioned  square  edifice  that  catches  the  eye  by  reason  of  the  eagles  on 
its  parapet.  Antoinette  F.  Downing,  author  of  a  forthcoming  book  on 
'Early  Homes  in  Rhode  Island,'  thus  characterizes  an  aspect  of  Bristol 
architecture  of  which  this  house  is  a  salient  example:  'Bristol  building  is 
especially  notable  for  the  variety  of  the  parapet  rails,  now  Chinese,  now 
academic,  now  fantastic  in  detail,  and  this  one  with  its  Chinese  Chippen- 
dale flavour  and  its  sections  raised  above  the  main  height  is  one  of  the 
best  of  many  delightful  examples.'  Another  mansion,  'Linden  Place' 
(1810),  is  distinguished  by  a  colossal  portico.  'Hearthside,'  in  Lincoln, 
built  in  1810  by  Stephen  Smith  (see  Tour  44),  is  another  good  example  of 
a  mansion  conceived  with  taste  and  originality.  It  is  built  of  cut  stone, 
with  a  rare  and  graceful  double-curved  gable  and  a  huge  portico  of  square 
piers. 

Russell  Warren,  a  native  of  Tiverton  who  had  come  to  Bristol  in  1800, 
was  the  architect  of  'Linden  Place'  and  probably  had  a  hand  in  the  design 
of  the  Howe-Churchill-Diman  House,  to  say  nothing  of  several  mansions 
that  have  since  been  destroyed.  Before  leaving  Bristol  for  Fall  River  and 
New  Bedford,  Massachusetts,  and  eventually  Charleston,  South  Carolina, 
he  collaborated  with  Major  James  C.  Bucklin  on  several  Providence 
buildings.  The  work  of  these  two  architects  represents  the  best  in  the  local 
transition  from  'Early  Republican'  to  the  'Neo-Classic'  or  'Greek 
Revival '  style.  They  collaborated  on  the  design  of  the  famous  Providence 
Arcade,  the  only  surviving  example  of  many  similar  structures  erected  in 
America  between  1820  and  1830.  A  pediment  at  the  Westminster  Street 
entrance,  and  an  attic  at  the  Weybosset  Street  end,  are  both  supported 
by  massive  Ionic  monoliths  weighing  thirteen  tons  each.  They  also  de- 
signed the  Providence  Athenaeum,  a  gray  stone  building  with  a  low- 
ridged  roof  and  a  plain  loggia  supported  by  two  Doric  columns  —  an 
altogether  simple  and  impressive  structure.  Bucklin  was  an  apprentice 
to  John  Holden  Greene,  and  among  his  individual  works  are  Manning  Hall 
at  Brown  University,  the  Butler  Hospital,  and  more  than  100  of  the  tex- 
tile mills  that  are  so  familiar  a  sight  to  the  New  England  traveler. 
Whether  or  not  Russell  Warren's  removal  to  Charleston  has  any  relation 
to  the  fact,  it  is  an  interesting  coincidence  that  South  Carolina  and  Rhode 
Island  simultaneously  saw  the  first  erection  of  mills  designed  by  a  pro- 
fessional architect. 

The  'Gothic  Revival'  in  America  gave  several  notable  churches  to 
Rhode  Island,  including  the  Cathedral  of  Saints  Peter  and  Paul,  Grace 
Church,  and  Saint  Stephen's  Church,  all  of  Providence,  not  to  mention 
several  later  churches  in  Pawtucket,  Woonsocket,  and  elsewhere.  At- 


Architecture  145 


tempts  to  adapt  Gothic  spires  and  pointed  arches  to  home  design  were 
eminently  unsuccessful,  and  the  movement  found  its  way  into  a  few 
office  buildings  and  schoolhouses,  with  an  effect  that  is  picayune  and 
strange. 

The  'Hudson  River  bracketed  style,'  marked  by  a  lavish  use  of  jigsaw 
ornaments,  had  its  day  in  Rhode  Island  as  elsewhere.  The  typical  house 
in  this  style  is  perfectly  square,  with  a  flat  roof  which  projects  beyond 
the  walls.  Below  the  projection,  as  well  as  below  the  cornices  on  windows 
and  doorways,  are  supporting  brackets  shaped  with  all  the  ingenuity  of 
a  mad  sawyer.  From  these  brackets,  which  first  prevailed  on  homes  along 
the  Hudson  River,  the  style  took  its  name.  Occasionally  the  style  is  varied 
by  the  use  of  the  mansard  roof  —  a  sort  of  cap,  added  where  the  top  of  a 
house  might  normally  end,  with  steeply  sloping  sides  broken  at  regular 
intervals  by  dormer  windows.  Examples  of  both  types  of  houses  are 
numerous  in  the  old  residential  section  paralleling  Broadway,  in  Provi- 
dence, and  on  the  city's  east  side,  in  the  region  of  upper  Williams,  Power, 
and  Charles  Field  Streets.  They  were  especially  popular  during  the 
years  just  following  the  Civil  War.  It  must  be  noted  that  very  often  the 
interiors  of  these  houses  were  decorated  in  good  though  somewhat  luxu- 
rious taste,  with  high  ceilings,  striking  mouldings,  decorated  chandelier 
outlets,  and  silvered  glass  door-knobs. 

Following  the  *  Hudson  River  style '  came  a  succession  of  Italian  villas, 
Swiss  chalets,  and  hybrid  houses  which  adapted  the  cupola  as  decoration 
rather  than  as  a  look-out  point,  the  result  being  to  make  the  cupola  an 
excrescence  rather  than  an  integral  part  of  the  structure.  These  may  be 
found  throughout  the  State,  but  especially  on  upper  Washington  Street 
and  Broadway  in  Providence. 

In  the  i88o's  a  Romanesque  influence  came  to  America.  Houses  which 
evidence  this  influence  are  frequent  and  unattractive.  Providence  offers 
a  few  public  buildings  of  Romanesque  design,  such  as  Memorial  Hall 
(Rhode  Island  School  of  Design)  on  Benefit  Street,  and  Sayles  Hall  on 
the  middle  campus  at  Brown  University.  These  buildings  enjoyed  a 
period  of  admiration,  but  attract  little  attention  today. 

At  the  turn  of  the  century,  Rhode  Island  began  to  witness  a  return  to 
the  Georgian  and  'Early  Republican'  modes  of  architectural  design. 
Many  of  the  palaces  on  Newport's  Ocean  Drive,  designed  by  McKim, 
Mead  and  White,  show  a  return  to  the  Italian  Renaissance,  which  in- 
directly influenced  the  Georgian;  but  the  firm's  Rhode  Isfemd  State  House 
is  much  less  extravagant  in  expression.  Following  the  classic  capitol 
style  with  its  peristyled  dome,  this  edifice  of  Georgia  marble  has  a  facade 


146  Rhode  Island:  The  General  Background 

in  which  ornamentation  has  been  reduced  to  a  simplicity  definitely  remi- 
niscent of  the  Georgian  and  'Early  Republican'  periods.  The  building 
has  been  criticized  because  of  a  slightly  overweighted  pavilion  and  the 
four  decorative  domes  at  the  base  of  the  large  one,  but  the  facade  repre- 
sents a  successful  version  of  Italian  Renaissance  and  American  influences. 
The  relation  of  window  space  to  mass,  and  the  absence  of  cornices,  pedi- 
ments, and  other  projections,  show  a  refinement  particularly  American. 
Pilasters,  keystone  ornaments  over  the  arches  in  the  panels  of  the  first 
tier  of  windows,  and  carved  festoons  between  the  second  and  third  tier, 
have  been  employed  with  pleasant  economy.  G.  H.  Edgell,  former  Dean 
of  the  Faculty  of  Architecture  at  Harvard  University,  has  commented 
thus :  '  For  a  civic  building,  America  —  both  lay  and  professional  —  de- 
manded not  only  power,  but  restraint.  The  Rhode  Island  State  House 
embodies  both/ 

The  Providence  County  Courthouse  (1933)  and  the  new  School  of 
Design  building  (1937),  rising  on  opposite  sides  of  College  Hill,  constitute 
an  impressive  and  well-integrated  group  of  modern  buildings  designed  in 
a  frankly  reminiscent  style.  Of  red  brick  with  limestone  trim,  these  steel- 
skeletoned  structures  have  the  familiar  fenestration  of  older  and  smaller 
Georgian  houses,  with  the  Palladian  windows,  sunken  arch  panels,  and 
restrained  decoration  of  the  'Early  Republican'  period.  The  tower  on 
the  Courthouse,  with  its  well-proportioned  stages,  is  appropriately 
suggestive  of  a  past  era,  but  is  actually  without  any  precedent.  The 
group  was  designed  by  Jackson,  Robertson  and  Adams  of  Providence. 
Another  modern  building  of  'Early  Republican'  style  is  the  Pawtucket 
High  School,  which  can  best  be  seen  from  the  west  end  of  the  High  Street 
Bridge. 

Two  other  derivative  modern  buildings,  smaller  in  scale,  deserve  men- 
tion —  that  of  the  Providence  National  Bank  (1929),  and  that  of  the 
Providence  Gas  Company  (1924).  The  former,  a  narrow  structure  three 
stories  high,  is  of  the  usual  red  brick  with  limestone  trim  and  white-ribbed 
windows.  Three  unassuming  Georgian  dormers  rise  above  the  roof  on 
the  third  floor;  the  single  windows  on  each  side  of  the  doorway  are  arched 
and  expansive,  while  the  middle  window  in  the  second  story  has  side 
lights  and  is  surmounted  by  an  elliptical  pediment  supported  by  pilasters 
and  generously  adorned  with  modillions  and  other  decorations.  Between 
the  first  and  second  stories  is  a  balcony  of  iron  grillwork.  The  Providence 
Gas  Company  building  is  notable  chiefly  for  its  double-curved  pediment 
reminiscent  of  the  Joseph  Brown  House.  Wallis  E.  Howe,  of  the  Provi- 
dence firm  of  Howe  and  Church,  designed  both  structures. 


Architecture  147 


Modern  domestic  architecture  in  Rhode  Island  has  shown  a  definite 
swing  toward  the  Georgian  and  'Early  Republican'  motifs.  Many  resi- 
dences along  Blackstone  Boulevard,  and  in  the  region  between  the  Boule- 
vard and  Morris  Avenue,  derive  their  proportions  and  essential  structure 
from  the  earlier  types,  but  refinement  of  design  and  material  prevents 
them  from  being  '  copies '  —  the  architects  have  bowed  to  the  past  only 
in  using  a  skeleton  that  has  stood  a  long  test. 

The  skyline  of  Providence  is  dominated  by  the  twenty-four-story  In- 
dustrial Trust  Building,  the  only  structure  in  the  city  with  an  avowed 
vertical  design.  Of  limestone  with  granite  base,  the  building  measures 
416  feet  from  the  sidewalk  level  to  the  top  of  its  lantern  on  the  central 
tower;  and  its  recessions  begin  at  the  height  of  fifty  feet,  repeating  at  the 
ninth,  fifteenth,  and  twenty-second  stories.  The  building's  ground  area, 
140  by  200  feet,  demanded  a  structure  sixty  feet  greater  in  length  than 
in  width,  so  that  it  has  two  silhouettes  —  broad  from  the  east  or  west, 
narrow  from  north  or  south.  Its  shape  is  like  a  broad  letter  H,  and  its 
units  consist  of  a  square  central  tower  with  rectangular  wings  on  the  north 
and  south  which  in  their  turn  have  projecting  square  wings  at  their  outer 
angles.  The  proportions  of  the  building,  the  relative  height  of  the  wings, 
and  the  judiciously  designed  setbacks  combine  to  make  the  building  a 
handsome  and  satisfying  structure,  whether  viewed  in  its  north-south  or 
its  east-west  character.  Verticality  is  emphasized  by  shallow  buttresses 
reaching  a  simple  peak  slightly  above  the  roof  lines  of  each  wing,  and  by 
the  broader  angle  piers.  The  piers  and  buttresses  are  channeled  at  the 
base  and  at  the  top,  forming  virtually  the  only  structural  decoration.  A 
wide  belt-course  encircling  the  building  beneath  the  first  stage,  or  fifty- 
foot  level,  contains  bas-reliefs  depicting  commercially  significant  inven- 
tions —  an  early  railroad  train,  the  first  steamboat,  and  so  on  —  carved 
in  a  naive  angular  style.  The  central  doorway  projects  slightly,  is  bor- 
dered by  two  wide  piers,  and  is  surmounted  by  an  arched  window  rising 
to  the  belt-course;  on  either  side  of  the  doorway  are  two  vertical  windows, 
rectangular  in  shape  and  rising  to  the  same  height.  The  lantern  sur- 
mounting the  central  tower  serves  as  a  beacon  at  night,  its  red  neon  glow 
being  visible  for  many  miles,  and  it  also  conceals  the  building's  chimney. 
Walker  and  Gillette,  of  New  York,  and  George  Frederic  Hall,  of  Provi- 
dence, were  the  architects.  The  building  was  opened  October  i,  1928. 

Several  monumental  works  recently  erected  in  Providence  are  worthy 
of  note.  The  Benedict  Monument  to  Music,  usually  known  as  the  Bene- 
dict Memorial,  was  dedicated  in  1924.  It  is  a  Greek  colonnade,  con- 
structed of  marble,  and  set  on  a  wide  marble  base  in  the  middle  of  a  natu- 


148  Rhode  Island :  The  General  Background 

ral  amphitheater  in  Roger  Williams  Park.  William  T.  Aldrich,  formerly 
of  Bellows  and  Aldrich,  New  York,  is  its  architect.  The  World  War 
Memorial,  at  Memorial  Square,  was  designed  by  Paul  Cret  of  Phila- 
delphia. This  massive  fluted  shaft,  set  on  a  polygonal  base,  rises  to  a 
height  of  115  feet,  and  is  surmounted  by  a  heroic  figure  of  Peace,  carved 
in  modern  style  with  economy  of  line  and  emphasis  on  mass.  The  Roger 
Williams  Memorial,  designed  by  Ralph  Walker,  once  a  resident  of  Rhode 
Island  and  now  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Voorhis,  Gmelin  and  Walker,  will 
be  constructed  on  Prospect  Terrace.  Walker's  design  was  chosen  in  a 
competition  conducted  in  1936  by  the  Rhode  Island  Roger  Williams 
Memorial  Association.  Horizontal  in  mass  and  severe  in  its  simplicity, 
the  monument  was  designed  not  only  as  a  fitting  memorial  to  the  founder 
of  the  State,  but  also  as  a  structure  appropriate  to  its  commanding  loca- 
tion above  the  city.  Leo  Friedlander  of  New  York  is  the  collaborating 
sculptor. 

The  architecture  of  Rhode  Island,  and  especially  that  of  Providence, 
clings  in  general  to  the  design  developed  in  the  late  eighteenth  and  early 
nineteenth  centuries.  Modern  means  of  construction  have  served  to 
amplify  and  enhance  these  styles,  rather  than  to  suggest  radical  depar- 
tures. This  may  signify  a  lack  of  progress,  but  at  the  same  time  it  is  a 
testimony  to  the  enduring  qualities  of  an  earlier  mode  of  expression. 


ART      AND      ARTISTS 


THE  early  history  of  the  arts  in  Rhode  Island  has  to  do  with  the  work  of 
craftsmen  —  silversmiths,  furniture-makers,  carpenter-architects,  and 
others  —  who  were  engaged  in  supplying  the  articles  needed  for  conven- 
ience and  comfort  or  desired  for  ostentation  in  the  home.  Aside  from 
a  relatively  small  number  of  existing  pieces  that  have  been  definitely 
ascribed  to  individual  makers,  it  is  difficult  to  ascertain  how  much  of  this 
early  output  was  produced  by  residents  of  the  Colony,  whether  trained 
workers  or  amateurs,  and  how  much  by  itinerant  craftsmen  from  other 
communities.  Nevertheless,  the  examples  that  have  lasted  through  the 
years  speak  more  eloquently  of  the  life  of  a  people  creating  a  new  society 
in  a  virgin  country  than  many  a  written  history.  The  early  colonists  of 
this  territory  were  of  course  English,  and  their  cultural  and  economic 
development  was  deeply  rooted  in  the  traditions  of  the  mother  country. 
Rhode  Island,  perhaps  more  definitely  than  any  of  the  other  New  England 
States,  is  even  at  the  present  time  extremely  conscious,  in  all  cultural 
matters,  of  the  Colonial  tradition. 

The  first  art  work  of  exceptional  quality  in  Rhode  Island  appears  in 
the  field  of  silver-smithing  and  furniture-making,  both  crafts  producing 
masterpieces  that  are  cherished  today  in  homes  and  museums  of  the 
State.  The  silver  craft  seems  to  have  had  more  practitioners,  and  is  of 
especial  significance  because  of  the  relation  of  its  early  development  to 
the  present-day  jewelry  and  silverware  industry  of  Rhode  Island.  In 
order  to  obtain  a  clearer  understanding  of  the  reasons  underlying  the  rise 
of  these  finer  crafts,  the  geographical  positions  of  the  communities  of 
Providence  and  Newport  must  be  taken  into  account  for  their  effect 
upon  commerce  and  the  resulting  distribution  of  wealth.  Providence, 
situated  at  the  head  of  Narragansett  Bay,  was  at  a  distinct  disadvantage 
in  bidding  for  the  sea  trade  that  found  Newport's  harbor  so  easily  acces- 
sible. The  former  community,  settled  for  the  attainment  of  religious 
liberty,  nevertheless  imposed  restrictions  on  its  inhabitants  that  did  not 
allow  the  latitude  of  thought  and  resultant  cultural  development  possible 
in  the  more  cosmopolitan  and  commercial  city  of  Newport.  It  naturally 
followed  that,  up  to  the  time  of  the  Revolutionary  War,  skilled  artisans 
found  the  atmosphere  of  the  seaport  and  of  the  neighboring  farming 


150  Rhode  Island:  The  General  Background 

community  of  Narragansett  more  favorable  than  Providence  for  the 
development  of  crafts.  Nevertheless,  Joshua  Doane,  who  died  in  1753, 
and  Saunders  Pitman  (1732-1808)  were  important  silversmiths  of  Provi- 
dence in  the  pre-Revolutionary  period.  Arnold  Collins  was  probably  the 
earliest  silversmith  of  importance  in  Newport;  he  executed  a  seal  for  the 
Colony  in  1690  and  later  a  beaker  which  was  bequeathed  by  Joseph 
Church  in  1711  to  the  United  Congregational  Church  in  Little  Compton. 
It  is  thought  that  Collins  may  have  been  the  instructor  of  Samuel  Vernon 
(1683-1737),  generally  considered  the  greatest  of  all  Newport  craftsmen, 
and  one  whose  work  exists  today  in  considerable  quantity.  Nathaniel 
Kay  seems  to  have  been  an  important  patron  of  Rhode  Island  silver- 
smiths in  the  late  seventeenth  and  early  eighteenth  centuries,  employing 
a  number  of  the  skilled  craftsmen  of  the  period.  Among  other  notable 
craftsmen  of  this  era  in  Rhode  Island,  mention  must  be  made  of  Jonathan 
Otis  of  Newport  and  Samuel  Casey  of  Narragansett.  The  former  moved 
to  Middletown,  Connecticut,  in  1778  because  of  conditions  arising  from 
the  war.  It  is  interesting  to  note  that  the  occupation  of  Newport  by  the 
British  at  this  time  abruptly  terminated  the  development  of  that  city  as 
the  foremost  community  in  the  Colony,  by  forcing  the  rich  sea  trade  and 
the  skilled  workers  to  Providence.  Among  Providence  silversmiths  of  the 
post-Revolutionary  period  was  Jabez  Gorham,  whose  son  established  the 
industry  that  has  given  Rhode  Island  so  prominent  a  place  in  the  manu- 
facture of  silverware. 

Although  the  furniture-makers  of  note  were  not  so  numerous  as  the 
silversmiths,  the  State  can  claim  with  pride  the  Townsends  of  Newport 
and  the  still  greater  Newport  craftsman,  John  Goddard,  who  is  believed 
to  have  developed  his  art  as  an  apprentice  to  the  Townsends.  As  with 
the  silversmiths,  the  favorable  conditions  for  the  growth  of  the  arts  in 
Newport  during  the  eighteenth  century  were  operative  among  the 
furniture-makers.  Mr.  Norman  Isham  hi  an  article  on  'John  Goddard 
and  his  Work,'  in  the  bulletin  of  the  Rhode  Island  School  of  Design  for 
April,  1927,  reprints  an  exchange  of  correspondence  between  John  Goddard 
and  Moses  Brown  of  Providence,  showing  that  in  1763  Goddard  was  en- 
gaged on  some  articles  of  furniture  for  Moses  Brown,  for  a  wife  of  one  of 
his  brothers,  for  Governor  Stephen  Hopkins,  and  for  Jabez  Bowen.  He 
indicates  that  the  British  occupation  probably  ruined  Goddard's  business, 
and  points  to  some  evidence  that  the  latter  attempted  to  open  a  branch 
shop  in  Providence  in  1782.  Although  a  considerable  variety  of  furniture 
came  out  of  his  shop,  he  is  considered  to  have  reached  his  peak  in  the 
making  of  secretaries  and  kneehole  desks,  with  block  front  and  shell 


Art  and  Artists  151 


carving.  His  work  has  a  distinctive  quality  that  leaves  no  doubt  as  to  its 
origin. 

In  the  profession  of  painting,  Rhode  Island  claims  several  illustrious 
figures  during  the  days  of  the  Colony.  John  Smibert,  one  of  the  earliest 
of  American  portrait  painters,  was  born  in  Scotland  in  1688.  He  was  at 
first  a  house  painter,  later  working  as  a  coach  painter  in  London  and 
making  copies  for  dealers  until  admitted  to  the  Art  Academy.  After  three 
years  of  copying  Raphael  and  other  old  masters  in  Italy,  he  came  to 
America  in  1729  with  the  Reverend  George  Berkeley.  His  painting  of  the 
Berkeley  family,  dated  1729,  is  now  at  Yale  University,  and  is  considered 
one  of  his  best  canvases.  It  is  thought  that  Smibert  did  most  of  his  work 
in  Providence,  moving  later  to  Boston,  where  he  died  in  1751. 

Robert  Feke  was  another  important  figure  among  the  early  painters 
of  Rhode  Island.  He  was  born  at  Oyster  Bay,  Long  Island,  and  in  1742 
married  Eleanor  Couzzens  at  Newport.  The  important  economic  and 
cultural  development  of  Newport  at  this  time  attracted  painters  as  well 
as  craftsmen.  Feke,  however,  worked  in  Boston,  New  York,  and  Phila- 
delphia, as  well  as  in  Newport,  although  his  period  of  painting  was  a  short 
one.  He  took  frequent  sea  voyages,  about  which  little  seems  to  be  known; 
and  while  the  quality  of  his  painting  is  rated  by  some  as  second  only  to 
the  work  of  Copley,  he  is  strangely  enough  listed  in  the  records  of  Newport 
as  a  mariner.  There  has  been  much  dispute  as  to  where  this  artist  received 
his  training.  One  of  the  best-known  accounts  states  that  Feke  was 
captured  by  Spaniards  during  one  of  his  sea  voyages,  and  during  his 
internment  in  Spain  studied  with  some  of  the  contemporary  Spanish 
painters.  This  has  never  been  proved,  however,  and  careful  research 
indicates  that  he  was  a  self-taught  genius.  Even  the  place  of  his  death  is 
in  dispute,  as  it  has  been  variously  reported  that  he  died  in  Bermuda  (in 
1750)  and  in  Barbados.  Fortunately,  there  is  no  mystery  about  the  fact 
that  there  are  in  existence  today  many  fine  examples  of  his  work,  includ- 
ing a  self-portrait  and  a  portrait  of  his  wife,  which  are  in  the  possession 
of  his  descendants  in  Providence,  and  portraits  in  the  Newport  Historical 
Society  and  the  Redwood  Library.  Portraits  of  the  Bowdoins  at  Bowdoin 
College,  Maine,  of  Pamela  Andrews  at  the  Rhode  Island  School  of  Design 
in  Providence,  and  of  Charles  Apthorpe  in  Cleveland  are  among  his  other 
important  works. 

Gilbert  Stuart,  of  course,  is  the  best  known  of  Rhode  Island  artists, 
because  of  the  distinctive  quality  of  his  work  and  the  impressive  number 
of  portraits  of  outstanding  personages  of  his  time  that  he  has  handed  down 
to  posterity.  He  was  born  in  the  rich  farming  district  of  Narragansett  in 


152  Rhode  Island:  The  General  Background 

1755,  the  son  of  a  Scotchman  who  operated  the  first  snuff  mill  in  America. 
Stuart  seems  to  have  begun  to  paint  at  an  early  age,  for  he  is  known  to 
have  executed  portraits  of  prominent  Newport  citizens  before  coming 
under  the  influence  of  Cosmo  Alexander  and  accompanying  the  latter  to 
Scotland.  Returning  to  America  two  years  later,  he  remained  until  the 
outbreak  of  the  war;  then,  because  of  his  Tory  sympathies,  he  departed 
once  more  for  England.  There  he  painted  for  several  years  in  the  studio 
of  Benjamin  West,  and  in  1788  had  become  so  much  sought  after  that  he 
opened  his  own  studio.  He  painted  many  notables  among  both  statesmen 
and  fellow  artists,  his  success  continuing  after  his  departure  for  Ireland. 
In  the  latter  country,  however,  he  seems  to  have  fallen  hopelessly  in  debt, 
and  he  returned  to  America  in  1792.  It  was  at  this  time  that  he  began  his 
long  series  of  portraits  of  George  Washington,  of  which  one  hundred  and 
twenty-four  are  listed  today.  It  is  estimated  that  he  painted  nearly 
a  thousand  portraits  before  his  death  in  1828.  The  finest  and  most  com- 
prehensive collection  of  these  may  be  seen  today  at  the  Pennsylvania 
Academy  of  Fine  Arts  in  Philadelphia.  Other  excellent  examples  will  be 
found  in  Providence  at  the  Rhode  Island  School  of  Design  and  in  private 
collections,  and  in  Newport  at  the  Redwood  Library. 

One  more  painter  of  the  Colony  should  be  mentioned  before  discussing 
the  later  development  of  Rhode  Island  art.  Edward  G.  Malbone,  minia- 
ture painter,  was  born  at  Newport  in  1777,  and  received  his  early  art 
training  from  a  local  scene-painter.  He  is  said  to  have  painted  a  portrait 
of  considerable  merit  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  and  to  have  gone  to  Boston 
at  nineteen,  where  he  became  the  close  friend  of  the  painter  Washington 
Allston.  He  worked  later  in  New  York  and  Philadelphia,  but  because  of 
failing  health  went  to  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  in  1800.  The  following 
year  in  London  he  painted  his  largest  and  most  celebrated  miniature, 
'The  Hours,'  now  part  of  the  collection  of  the  Providence  Athenaeum. 
Charleston  was  his  permanent  residence  for  several  years  before  his  death 
in  1807.  One  hundred  and  fifty-seven  miniatures  by  him  are  listed  in 
'Early  American  Portrait  Painters  in  Miniature,'  by  Theodore  Bolton. 
Five  small  portraits  are  included  in  the  collection  of  the  Rhode  Island 
School  of  Design,  and  one  is  in  the  possession  of  Senator  Theodore  Francis 
Green  of  Providence. 

It  will  be  seen  that  Rhode  Island  in  the  Colonial  period  was  not  a  center 
for  the  training  of  artists,  but  that  native  sons  left  their  local  environment 
to  seek  training  in  larger  American  cities  or  in  Europe,  and  the  few  self- 
taught  artists  sought  the  association  of  already  established  painters  and 
developed  their  skill  through  these  contacts.  They  drifted  back  to  Rhode 


Art  and  Artists  153 


Island  after  achieving  reputation  in  their  profession,  and  painted  im- 
portant figures  among  their  contemporaries.  With  the  decline  of  interest 
in  cultural  matters  that  accompanied  the  nineteenth-century  industrial 
development,  art  activity  in  Rhode  Island  became  more  local  in  char- 
acter; and  although  some  painters  still  went  to  Europe  to  study,  no  really 
notable  figures  were  produced  among  them.  Interest  increased  greatly 
in  the  latter  half  of  the  century,  as  indicated  by  the  founding  of  the  Rhode 
Island  School  of  Design  by  the  Metcalf  family  in  1877.  The  Providence 
Art  Club  was  founded  in  1880  by  a  group  of  landscape  and  portrait 
painters,  and  a  bond  of  mutual  understanding  existed  for  many  years 
between  the  artist  and  lay  members  of  the  organization. 

The  direction  of  Rhode  Island  painting  at  this  time  was  affected  by  the 
influence  of  the  Barbizon  School  in  landscape  work  and  to  a  great  extent 
by  the  Munich  school  in  portraiture.  Marcus  Waterman,  George  Whit- 
taker,  Thomas  Robinson,  Edward  Bannister,  Sidney  Burleigh,  Stacy 
Tolman,  and  Frank  Mathewson  were  among  the  prominent  artists  of  this 
period.  Of  the  specialists  in  portrait  painting,  James  S.  Lincoln  (1811- 
88),  a  native  of  Taunton  and  first  president  of  the  Providence  Art  Club, 
is  credited  with  more  than  four  thousand  portraits,  among  which  those 
of  eleven  Rhode  Island  governors  now  hang  in  the  State  House  at  Provi- 
dence. Hugo  Breul,  pupil  of  Lenbach,  was  a  less  prolific  painter,  but 
produced  some  of  the  strongest  portraits  of  this  period  in  Rhode  Island's 
art  history.  However,  the  nature  of  the  times  and  the  trend  of  American 
life  did  not  foster  a  virile  indigenous  art  in  Rhode  Island,  any  more  than 
it  did  in  other  regions.  Portraiture  became  too  objective,  too  matter  of 
fact  and  literal,  to  reach  the  plane  of  the  Colonial  painters,  and  landscape 
painting  went  to  the  other  extreme  in  a  too  direct  expression  of  sentiment. 
Among  artists  of  the  early  twentieth  century,  Charles  Walter  Stetson 
achieved  more  recognition  outside  the  State  than  any  other  of  his  group. 
His  painting  is  allegorical,  contrasting  sharply  with  the  work  of  his  Rhode 
Island  contemporaries  in  its  imaginative  quality  and  greater  richness  of 
color.  He  is  represented  in  the  Corcoran  Gallery  at  Washington,  D.C., 
the  Boston  Museum  of  Fine  Arts,  the  Pennsylvania  Academy,  and  the 
Rhode  Island  School  of  Design. 

The  founding  of  the  Rhode  Island  School  of  Design  was  one  of  the 
most  significant  events  in  the  record  of  Rhode  Island  art  activity  during 
the  nineteenth  century.  It  established  a  training  center  for  artists  and, 
with  a  fine  arts  department  as  a  nucleus,  developed  other  departments  to 
train  artisans  for  the  various  industries  of  the  State.  During  the  last 
twenty-five  years,  the  curriculum  of  the  school  has  been  reconstructed  in 


154  Rhode  Island:  The  General  Background 

order  to  give  students  of  the  fine  arts  a  deeper  understanding  of  the 
motives  and  procedures  of  their  creative  contemporaries.  Courses  in  the 
applied  arts  have  been  readjusted  to  the  changing  requirements  of  in- 
dustry. 

Among  the  independent  painters  in  Providence,  as  in  other  places,  there 
has  been  a  considerable  cleavage  of  viewpoint,  a  natural  result  of  the 
confusing  influences  that  have  affected  American  painting.  New  move- 
ments are  slow  to  penetrate  a  tradition-bound  community,  and  the  belated 
influence  of  Impressionism  coming  in  the  years  just  preceding  the  World 
War  resulted  in  a  poetic  and  colorful  type  of  landscape  painting  that  is 
characteristic  of  the  work  of  a  considerable  group  at  the  present  day.  The 
famous  New  York  Armory  Show  of  1913  went  almost  unnoticed  in  Rhode 
Island,  and  it  was  not  until  the  i92o's  that  broadened  instruction  at  the 
School  of  Design,  together  with  occasional  exhibitions  of  modern  painting 
in  Providence,  made  post-Impressionism  an  active  influence  and  stimu- 
lated a  group  of  young  painters  to  organize  under  the  name  of  the  Younger 
Rhode  Island  Artists.  Although  these  young  painters  have  not  found  wide 
favor  in  the  State,  their  work  has  been  sincere,  individual,  and  thoughtful, 
and  has  contributed  a  valuable  counter-balance  to  conservatism  in  the 
history  of  Rhode  Island  painting.  Among  artists  trained  at  the  School  of 
Design  who  have  left  the  State  and  attained  recognition  elsewhere  are 
Niles  Spencer  and  Mischa  Reznikoff,  painters,  Robert  Nisbet,  A.N.A., 
painter  and  etcher,  and  Arthur  W.  Heintzelman,  etcher. 

The  art  projects  developed  through  the  Federal  Works  Progress 
Administration  are  making  an  important  contribution  to  contemporary 
art  in  Rhode  Island.  A  mural  painting  was  executed  by  Edward  Dubuque 
for  the  children's  room  in  the  Providence  Public  Library;  historical  com- 
positions for  the  same  institution  were  painted  by  Waldo  Kaufer,  Albert 
Gold,  and  Joseph  McCarthy;  and  a  mural  was  completed  by  Gino  Conti 
at  the  Rhode  Island  State  College  in  Kingston.  Some  of  the  most  vital 
and  enduring  work  of  the  W.P.A.  group  has  consisted  of  independent 
creative  expression  in  the  mediums  of  painting,  etching,  wood  engraving, 
and  sculpture,  and  important  examples  of  this  work  have  appeared  in 
national  exhibitions  at  the  Modern  Museum  of  New  York,  in  Washing- 
ton, and  at  the  Federal  Art  Gallery  in  Boston.  The  work  in  Rhode  Island 
for  the  Index  of  American  Design  has  been  carried  on  under  careful 
supervision  in  a  well-organized  unit,  and  many  beautifully  executed  plates 
have  been  produced  that  constitute  a  valuable  record  of  the  early  crafts. 
Without  the  encouragement  of  the  W.P.A.,  it  is  doubtful  if  many  of  the 
younger  creative  artists  could  have  continued  in  their  profession. 


Art  and  Artists  155 


Among  the  State's  art  collections,  those  of  the  Museum  of  the  Rhode 
Island  School  of  Design  are  the  largest  and  most  comprehensive.  The 
Pendleton  House,  a  Georgian  building  erected  to  house  a  magnificent 
collection  of  early  furniture,  is  one  of  the  gems  of  the  Museum,  both  for 
the  rarity  and  quality  of  the  pieces  it  contains  and  for  the  perfect  harmony 
of  setting  and  arrangement.  The  main  building  of  the  Museum  also 
contains  valuable  collections  in  the  field  of  early  American  craftsmanship, 
with  rare  examples  of  silversmiths'  and  jewelers'  work,  furniture  by  the 
Goddards  and  Townsends,  as  well  as  interesting  and  often  unusual  pieces 
of  farmhouse  furniture.  In  early  American  painting,  Copley,  Stuart, 
Smibert,  and  Malbone  are  represented  by  fine  examples,  and  the  some- 
what more  primitive  art  of  the  period  is  shown  in  paintings  by  Baxter. 
Among  later  American  painters  represented  are  Homer,  Sargent,  Ryder, 
Thayer,  Cassatt,  Bellows,  Henri,  Luks,  Dewing,  Innis,  Davis,  Fromkes, 
Doris  Lee,  Millard  Sheets,  and  Burchfield.  The  French  gallery  contains 
a  comparatively  small  group  that  includes,  however,  some  very  choice 
canvases.  Among  the  earlier  items  are  works  by  Gericault  and  Delacroix; 
several  Monets  represent  the  Impressionist  school;  and  there  are  ex- 
amples of  Cezanne,  Van  Gogh,  Renoir,  Derain,  Gauguin,  Modigliani,  and 
Survage,  among  the  post-Impressionists. 

The  Oriental  collection  has  been  expanded  greatly  by  the  gift  by  Mrs. 
John  D.  Rockefeller,  Jr.,  of  eight  hundred  Japanese  prints,  and  the  more 
recent  gift  by  Lucy  Aldrich  of  a  rare  and  superb  collection  of  Japanese 
No  Drama  costumes  and  priests'  robes.  Miss  Aldrich  was  also  the  donor 
of  the  eighteenth-century  English  room,  paneled  in  pine.  Another  recent 
acquisition  is  the  great  wooden  Buddha,  now  enthroned  in  a  shrine  in  one 
of  the  corner  galleries.  Large  Chinese  paintings  on  silk  and  a  few  terra- 
cotta figures  form  one  of  the  most  impressive  groups  in  the  Oriental 
section;  while  the  adjoining  gallery  houses  a  magnificent  display  of 
Persian  miniatures  and  pottery  of  the  early  period.  In  the  center  of  the 
Persian  gallery  is  an  elaborately  carved  wooden  tomb  that  was  sent  to 
London  a  few  years  ago  for  the  great  Persian  exhibition.  Renaissance 
paintings  of  Italian  and  Spanish  origin  form  an  interesting  group;  an  El 
Greco  is  outstanding  in  the  small  Spanish  collection;  and  among  the 
Flemish  paintings,  a  canvas  of  'The  Money  Changers'  is  almost  identical 
with  one  owned  by  the  Museum  of  Antwerp,  Belgium.  Earlier  epochs  in 
art  history  are  represented  in  the  small  but  significant  Egyptian  section, 
with  notable  examples  of  Coptic  textiles,  jewelry,  glass,  and  encaustic 
painting,  in  the  gallery  of  Greek  and  Roman  sculpture,  and  in  the  glazed 
brick  lion  panel  from  the  walls  of  Babylon, 


156  Rhode  Island:  The  General  Background 

The  Annmary  Brown  Memorial  contains  a  considerable  collection  of 
paintings  that  vary  greatly  in  merit  and  style,  many  being  the  products 
of  a  nineteenth-century  school  of  Italian  painting  which,  however  techni- 
cally proficient,  was  more  literary  than  esthetic  in  content.  Among  the 
more  notable  items  to  be  found  here  are  portraits  of  the  Earl  of  Chatham 
by  Copley, '  An  English  Officer '  by  Sir  William  Beechey,  George  Washing- 
ton by  Trumbull,  Gilbert  Stuart  by  Benjamin  West,  and  John  Trumbull 
by  James  Frothingham,  a  small  allegorical  composition  and  a  large  full- 
length  portrait  of  the  Countess  de  Waldgrave  by  Sir  Thomas  Lawrence, 
a  copy  of  the  Velasquez  portrait  of  Innocent  X,  a  landscape  by  Hobbema, 
a  Holy  Family  attributed  to  Del  Sarto  and  one  of  the  same  subject 
attributed  to  Rubens,  a  canvas  by  Ribera,  a  portrait  by  Pourbus,  two 
very  interesting  portraits  of  the  German  School,  and  a  painting  by 
Thomas  Couture.  Among  later  American  artists  represented  are  Eastman 
Johnson,  Daniel  Garber,  and  Gari  Melchers. 

Art  interest  in  Westerly  centers  around  the  gallery  donated  by  the 
Wilcox  family  to  hold  their  private  collection  of  paintings.  This  gallery 
is  a  part  of  the  Westerly  Library  building.  The  collection  which  it  houses 
includes  family  portraits,  landscapes  and  genre  paintings  by  American 
and  European  artists,  and  a  portrait  attributed  to  Rembrandt.  The 
gallery  has  stimulated  community  interest  in  art  by  sponsoring  exhibitions 
from  time  to  time  of  work  by  artists  of  the  southwestern  part  of  the  State. 

Also  in  the  southern  section  of  the  State  is  the  Gilbert  Stuart  House, 
birthplace  of  the  artist,  now  maintained  as  a  museum;  and  the  South 
County  Museum  in  Wickford,  containing  examples  of  the  various  early 
American  crafts  and  folk  arts. 

In  Newport,  the  Redwood  Library  contains  items  of  historical  and 
esthetic  interest,  and  the  Art  Association  maintains  an  active  interest  in 
contemporary  art.  A  small  art  school  is  maintained  here,  and  the  gallery 
for  exhibition  purposes  is  the  largest  of  its  kind  in  the  State.  The  out- 
standing exhibitions  of  the  association  occur  during  the  summer  season. 

Although  the  activities  of  these  various  institutions  indicate  a  decided 
interest  in  the  arts  throughout  the  State,  this  interest  is  largely  conserva- 
tive ;  it  is  inclined  to  emphasize  achievements  of  the  past,  and  to  bestow 
credit  only  on  the  art  of  today  that  seems  outwardly  to  adhere  to  accepted 
traditions.  The  art  that  is  a  true  and  vigorous  expression  of  contemporary 
civilization  does  not  strongly  appeal  to  the  average  Rhode  Islander,  and 
its  infusion  into  the  local  cultural  picture  is  a  slow  process  —  though 
happily  one  that  is  making  definite  progress. 


LITERATURE      AND 
JOURNALISM 


LONG  before  any  local  press  was  established  in  Rhode  Island,  several 
of  the  more  prominent  colonists  were  writing  political  pamphlets  and 
sermons  which  were  published  in  England  and  Boston.  Many  of  these 
works  contain  illuminating  references  to  Colonial  customs  and  habits,  but 
for  the  most  part  their  contents  are  interesting  only  to  the  student  of 
history.  The  works  of  such  men  as  Coddington,  Gorton,  Clarke,  and 
William  Aspinwall  were  very  influential  in  their  own  day;  and  'The  New 
England  Almanac  for  1645,'  by  Christinas  Ludowic,  the  first  Rhode 
Islander  to  write  an  almanac,  undoubtedly  was  of  contemporary  im- 
portance. Outstanding  among  these  early  works  is  'The  Key  into  the 
Language  of  America,'  by  Roger  Williams,  which  is  still  valuable  as 
a  phrase  book  of  Indian  terms.  Each  one  of  its  thirty- two  chapters  is 
interspersed  with  the  author's  observations  on  conduct  and  morals,  and 
the  chapters  end  with  stanzas  of  quaint  verse.  The  following  lines  are 
typical  of  this  interesting  book,  which  is  the  most  good-natured  and  un- 
controversial  work  from  Williams'  pen: 

God  gives  them  sleep  on  Ground,  on  Straw,  on  Sedgie  Mats  or  Board 
When  English  Softest  Beds  of  Downe,  Sometimes  no  Sleep  Afford. 
I  have  Knowne  them  leave  their  House  and  Mat,  to  lodge  a  Friend  or  Stranger 
When  Jews  and  Christians  oft  have  sent  Christ  Jesus  to  the  Manger. 

The  next  important  literary  works  date  from  the  eighteenth  century. 
Dean  Berkeley  arrived  at  Newport  in  1729,  and  while  residing  in  Middle- 
town  wrote  his  famous  poem  ( On  the  Prospect  of  Planting  Arts  and  Learn- 
ing in  America,'  which  contains  the  oft-quoted  line,  *  Westward  the  course 
of  empire  takes  its  way!'  While  in  Middletown  the  worthy  Dean  also 
wrote  '  Alciphron,'  which  is  a  commentary  on  English  society,  the  customs 
of  the  mother  country  being  described  as  if  they  were  flourishing  in  the 
Rhode  Island  scene.  In  1726,  Benjamin  Franklin's  brother  James  sought 
refuge  in  Newport  from  religious  and  civil  persecution  in  Massachusetts. 
He  established  the  first  press  in  Rhode  Island,  and  in  the  year  of  his 
arrival  published  'Poor  Robin's  Almanac.'  The  first  newspaper  in  the 


158  Rhode  Island:  The  General  Background 

Colony,  the  Rhode  Island  Gazette,  came  from  his  press  on  September  27, 
1732;  it  failed  after  seven  months,  however,  because  of  lack  of  support. 
From  the  same  press  in  1758,  Franklin's  son,  also  named  James,  issued 
the  second  Rhode  Island  newspaper,  the  Newport  Mercury.  This  paper 
has  been  published  continuously  ever  since,  except  for  a  short  time  during 
the  Revolution  while  the  British  were  in  Newport.  The  type  for  the 
Mercury  was  a  gift  to  the  younger  James  Franklin  from  his  famous  uncle, 
Benjamin.  Besides  news  and  advertising,  the  Mercury  often  contained 
essays  and  poems. 

John  Maylem,  a  poet  often  confused  with  his  father  of  the  same  name, 
was  born  in  1739  and  spent  his  boyhood  in  Newport.  He  enlisted  in  the 
army  in  1756,  and  from  his  experiences  in  the  French  and  Indian  War  he 
drew  material  for  two  poems  published  in  Boston  in  1758,  'The  Conquest 
of  Louisburg'  and  'Gallic  Perfidy.'  The  former  was  reprinted  in  New- 
port in  1775;  and  Joseph  Brown  Ladd,  a  poet  of  the  next  generation, 
mentions  Maylem's  continued  popularity. 

The  Providence  Gazette  and  Country  Journal  was  first  published  in  1762 
by  William  Goddard,  who  had  established  in  that  year  the  pioneer  press 
of  Providence.  Stephen  Hopkins  often  contributed  to  the  Gazette,  which 
came  to  have  a  broad  influence  in  the  pre-Revolutionary  period.  Its 
publication  was  suspended  for  fifteen  months  from  May  n,  1765,  because 
of  the  Stamp  Act  and  poor  support.  John  Carter  took  over  the  Goddard 
press  and  the  Gazette  in  1 768.  The  typographical  accuracy  of  his  printing 
has  received  much  praise. 

The  presses  in  Newport  and  Providence  were  active  in  the  cause  of  the 
Revolution.  Solomon  Southwick,  who  took  over  the  Franklin  press  in 
Newport  in  1768,  wrote  and  published  'Join  or  Die,'  advocating  the  union 
of  the  American  Colonies.  He  continued  his  agitation  against  the  British 
in  the  Mercury  until,  on  the  approach  of  their  army  of  occupation,  he  had 
to  put  his  family  in  a  small  boat  and  flee  from  the  city.  For  the  most  part, 
the  Revolutionary  literature  in  Rhode  Island,  as  in  the  other  Colonies, 
was  of  a  political  nature  and  usually  in  pamphlet  form. 

The  next  important  newspaper  to  be  established  was  the  Providence 
Journal  (1820).  Its  conservative  and  well-balanced  editorials  have  since 
been  of  great  influence  on  the  social  and  civic  development  of  the  State. 
From  1820  to  the  end  of  the  nineteenth  century,  sixteen  other  papers  were 
founded  which  have  continued  to  the  present  time.  Among  these  the  more 
important  are:  the  Newport  News  (1846),  the  Narragansett  Times  (1855), 
the  Evening  Bulletin  (1863),  the  Pawtucket  Times  (1885),  the  Newport 
Herald  (1892),  the  Woonsocket  Call  (1892),  the  Pawtuxet  Valley  Times 


Literature  and  Journalism  159 

(1892),  the  Westerly  Sun  (1892),  and  the  Cranston  News  (1895).  Along 
with  the.  Providence  Journal  and  the  Evening  Bulletin,  the  Star-Tribune 
is  now  one  of  the  State's  outstanding  newspapers.  It  is  a  strongly  Demo- 
cratic organ.  The  Star-Tribune  is  the  result  of  several  mergers  and  changes 
in  management  dating  back  to  the  Providence  Evening  News  (1891).  In 
1929,  the  paper  became  the  News-Tribune ;  it  acquired  its  present  name  in 
March,  1937. 

Joseph  Brown  Ladd,  born  in  Newport  in  1764,  was  a  promising  romantic 
poet  when  he  lost  his  life  in  a  duel  in  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  at  the 
age  of  twenty-two.  As  a  ten-year-old  boy  in  Newport,  he  gained  public 
attention  by  satirizing  quack  doctors  in  humorous  verse.  His  father  felt 
obliged  to  stop  the  boy's  work  in  a  Newport  printing  office  when  he 
published  a  humorous  ballad  about  a  generally  respected  minister,  the 
Reverend  Doctor  Hopkins.  Ladd  depicted  many  Rhode  Island  scenes  in 
his  'Poems  of  Arouet,'  which  were  published  in  Charleston  in  1786.  His 
daring  criticism  of  Samuel  Johnson  and  his  work  on  Ossian  were  remark- 
able considering  his  youth. 

Rivaling  the  well-known  'Journey  from  Boston  to  New  York,'  by 
Madame  Knight,  is  the  story  told  in  the  journal  of  Patience  Greene  of 
North  Kingstown.  Her  account  begins  in  1771,  and  traces  the  course  of 
her  religiously  inspired  travels  throughout  the  Colonies,  Great  Britain, 
and  Ireland.  While  in  England  she  tried,  unsuccessfully,  to  secure  an 
audience  with  King  George  III,  whom  she  later  implored  by  letter  to  use 
his  influence  to  mitigate  the  sufferings  of  African  slaves  in  America. 

In  1 80 1,  Paul  Allen  of  Providence  published  a  volume  of  verse.  He 
edited  in  1814  the  'History  of  the  Expedition  under  the  Command  of 
Captains  Lewis  and  Clark.'  Allen's  long  poem,  'Noah,'  was  published 
in  1821  after  John  Neal  had  cut  it  to  about  one-fifth  its  original  length. 
It  has  been  said  that  'the  poem  in  its  primeval  proportions  must  have 
been  peculiarly  suggestive  in  quality  and  quantity,  as  well  as  title,  of 
the  events  it  celebrates.'  Allen's  short  poems  often  show  unusual  merit, 
as  in  the  case  of  his  lines  '  On  Seeing  a  Grave  Without  a  Stone ' : 

Alas!  no  scutcheon'd  marble  here  displays, 
In  long-drawn  eulogies,  thy  name  and  birth; 

Such  servile  homage,  adulation  pays 
To  a  moldering  clod  of  common  earth. 

The  yellow  cowslip  and  the  violet  blue, 

Pallid  daisy  growing  by  thy  side, 
Are  all,  poor  peasant,  that  remains  to  you; 

But  nature  gives  what  haughty  man  denied. 


160  Rhode  Island:  The  General  Background 

Albert  Gorton  Greene,  born  in  Providence  in  1802,  wrote  at  sixteen  the 
popular  humorous  poem  'Old  Grimes.'  He  also  edited  Captain  Thomas 
Dring's  *  Recollections  of  the  Jersey  Prison-Ship.'  His  large  collection  of 
literary  works  is  now  embodied  in  the  Harris  Collection  of  American 
Poetry  at  Brown  University. 

Hezekiah  Butterworth,  born  in  Warren  in  1839,  was  for  twenty-four 
years  editor  of  the  Youth's  Companion.  He  wrote  an  interesting  series  of 
travel  stories  for  young  people,  'Zigzag  Journeys,'  that  has  been  published 
in  seventeen  volumes. 

While  in  the  diplomatic  service  in  Berlin  in  1836,  Henry  Wheaton 
(1785-1848)  published  the  first  edition  of  his  famous  'Elements  of  Inter- 
national Law.'  Wheaton  was  born  in  Providence;  he  graduated  from 
Brown  University  at  sixteen  years  of  age,  and  three  years  later  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar.  His  works  on  Scandinavian  subjects,  particularly  his 
'History  of  the  Northmen,'  brought  him  international  fame,  and  in  1830 
he  was  elected  to  both  the  Scandinavian  and  the  Icelandic  Literary  So- 
cieties. As  a  younger  man,  he  was  reporter  for  the  United  States  Supreme 
Court  between  1816  and  1828,  and  his  notes  in  connection  with  that  work 
earned  the  praise  of  Daniel  Webster. 

Rhode  Island  historians  have,  for  the  most  part,  written  about  their 
own  State  rather  than  about  American  history  in  general.  Wilkins 
Updike's  'History  of  the  Episcopal  Church  in  Narragansett '  (1847)  is 
a  history  of  the  entire  Narragansett  Country;  and  his  'Memoirs  of  the 
Rhode  Island  Bar'  (1842)  is  recognized  as  a  valuable  contribution  to 
the  chronicles  of  the  State.  The  first  volume  of  Samuel  Greene  Arnold's 
'History  of  Rhode  Island  and  Providence  Plantations'  was  published  in 
1859,  and  was  followed  in  the  next  year  by  a  second  volume.  Arnold 
traces  the  development  of  Rhode  Island  from  its  founding  in  1636  to  its 
adoption  of  the  Federal  Constitution  in  1 790.  His  work  is  very  detailed, 
and  suffers  only  from  being  presented  entirely  in  chronological  order, 
without  separate  treatment  of  important  social  and  economic  topics. 

In  the  middle  decades  of  the  nineteenth  century,  a  number  of  impor- 
tant literary  persons,  not  native  to  Rhode  Island,  visited  the  State  and 
made  mention  of  it  in  their  work.  Early  in  his  career,  William  Cullen 
Bryant  wrote  a  humorous  'Meditation  on  Rhode  Island  Coal.'  John 
Greenleaf  Whittier  was  close  in  spirit  to  the  Rhode  Island  Quakers,  and 
he  assisted  the  Rhode  Island  abolitionists;  his  early  poems  'Mogg 
Megone'  and  'The  Bridal  of  Pennacook'  show  the  influence  of  Narra- 
gansett legends  and  tradition.  Henry  Wadsworth  Longfellow  spent 
several  summers  in  Rhode  Island,  and  one  of  his  poems  immortalizes  the 


Literature  and  Journalism  161 

skeleton  in  armor,  found  in  near-by  Massachusetts,  which  some  people  have 
associated  with  the  Norsemen  and  the  Old  Stone  Mill  at  Newport. 

Edgar  Allan  Poe  courted  the  Providence  poetess,  Sarah  Helen  Whit- 
man, in  her  mother's  house  on  Benefit  Street  and  in  the  shady  alcoves  of 
the  Athenaeum.  His  suit  was  not  successful,  however.  Some  critics  hold 
that  Poe's  famous  lyric  '  Annabel  Lee '  owes  its  inspiration  to  Mrs.  Whit- 
man. Her  document  defending  him,  'Edgar  Poe  and  His  Critics,'  created 
quite  a  controversy.  She  published  'Hours  of  Life  and  Other  Poems'  in 
1853,  and  another  volume,  'Poems,'  appeared  posthumously. 

While  living  in  Newport,  Julia  Ward  Howe  wrote  poetry  and  sermons, 
and  she  often  extended  her  hospitality  to  some  of  the  most  famous  authors 
of  the  day;  on  one  occasion,  Whittier  talked  himself  hoarse  at  her  dinner 
table,  and  was  obliged  to  spend  the  next  day  in  almost  complete  silence. 
Bret  Harte  maintained  a  summer  home  in  Rhode  Island  for  five  years, 
and  among  his  poems  on  Rhode  Island  subjects  are  '  A  Newport  Romance ' 
and  'A  Grey-port  Legend,  1797.'  In  'Ships'  he  revived  the  old  legend  of 
a  deserted  ship,  which  drifted  into  Newport  Harbor  and  then  was  blown 
out  to  sea,  never  to  be  heard  of  again. 

Early  in  the  nineteenth  century,  Mrs.  Catherine  R.  Williams,  a  native 
of  Providence,  returned  to  Rhode  Island  from  New  York.  Her  'Original 
Poems,'  published  in  1828,  were  immediately  successful,  and  she  wrote 
several  volumes  of  biographical  and  historical  fiction.  Most  of  the  ma- 
terial in  her  work  was  drawn  from  Rhode  Island,  and  she  was  a  well- 
known  literary  figure  until  she  died  in  1872,  at  more  than  eighty  years  of 
age. 

George  William  Curtis  was  born  in  1824  in  Providence.  Although  much 
of  his  writing  was  concerned  with  contemporary  problems  of  politics  and 
slavery,  the  essays  in  his  'Potiphar  Papers'  are  of  permanent  charm. 
'Prue  and  I,'  published  in  1855,  has  a  Rhode  Island  background,  and  was 
written  in  the  Irving  tradition.  Curtis  became  editor  of  Harper's  Weekly 
in  the  critical  Civil  War  period,  and  his  editorials  in  'The  Easy  Chair' 
department  were  a  notable  feature  of  that  magazine  for  many  years. 
Augustus  Hoppin  (1828-96),  writer  as  well  as  illustrator,  published 
'Hay  Fever'  and  'Two  Compton  Boys,'  both  dealing  with  Rhode  Island 
scenes. 

Three  descendants  of  Thomas  Hazard,  who  was  one  of  the  founders  of 
Newport,  have  been  prominent  for  their  writings  on  old  South  County. 
Thomas  Robinson  Hazard  (1797-1886),  known  as  'Shepherd  Tom'  be- 
cause of  his  interest  in  sheep-raising,  published  in  1879  his  'Recollections 
of  Olden  Times,'  and  in  1882  a  collection  of  discourses  called  the  '  Jonny 


162  Rhode  Island:  The  General  Background 

Cake  Papers,'  containing  some  delightful  pictures  of  Rhode  Island.  His 
brother,  Rowland  Gibson  Hazard  (1801-88),  wrote  on  philosophical 
subjects,  and  corresponded  with  John  Stuart  Mill  concerning  the  freedom 
of  the  will.  His  '  Language :  Its  Connexion  with  the  Present  Condition  and 
Future  Prospects  of  Man '  may  have  been  the  outcome  of  discussions  he 
had  with  Sarah  Helen  Whitman.  Caroline  Hazard,  president  of  Wellesley 
College  1899-1910,  has  written  biography  and  poetry,  and  she  still  con- 
tributes a  bi-weekly  column  to  the  Providence  Journal.  She  edited 
'Nailer  Tom's  Diary,'  or  the  journal  of  Thomas  Benjamin  Hazard  (1778- 
1840),  and  Esther  Bernon  Carpenter's  'South  County  Studies/  which 
were  first  printed  as  a  series  of  sketches  in  the  Providence  Journal. 

Harry  Lyman  Koopman  came  to  the  Brown  University  Library  in  1893 ; 
besides  establishing  a  reputation  as  one  of  the  foremost  bibliographers  of 
the  country,  he  has  written  a  number  of  poems.  Early  in  the  twentieth 
century,  Owen  Wister,  already  famous  for  his  Western  novel  'The  Vir- 
ginian' and  his  biography  of  Theodore  Roosevelt,  built  a  summer  home 
in  Saunderstown,  Rhode  Island,  and  continued  to  write  there.  Fanny 
Purdy  Palmer  (1839-1923)  revived  in  many  of  her  poems  old  legends  and 
traditions  of  the  State;  she  published  in  1893  a  bibliography  of  Rhode 
Island  literary  women,  starting  with  1720.  Sara  F.  Hopkins  was  a  pioneer 
newspaper  woman  who  did  her  first  work  for  the  Providence  Journal  in 
1885;  between  that  time  and  her  death  in  1928,  she  contributed  to 
Harper's,  the  Atlantic  Monthly,  and  other  leading  magazines.  Joseph 
B.  Bishop  (1847-1928),  born  in  East  Providence,  wrote  on  political  science 
and  economics;  in  addition,  he  was  the  author  of  an  excellent  biography 
of  Theodore  Roosevelt,  and  the  editor  of  'Theodore  Roosevelt's  Letters 
to  His  Children/  Edna  Adelaide  Brown  began  to  write  her  well-known 
books  for  children  after  1911.  Although  Annie  S.  Peck  (1850-1935)  won 
renown  in  1908  for  her  ascent  of  the  Peruvian  mountain  later  named  for 
her,  she  also  became  known  for  her  books  on  South  America,  particularly 
'The  South  American  Tour.'  Early  in  1924,  Percy  Marks  published  'The 
Plastic  Age,'  a  realistic  novel  of  American  college  life  which  created  a 
storm  of  criticism,  protest,  and  praise.  Although  Maud  Howe  Elliott 
has  published  a  number  of  other  books,  it  was  the  biography  of  her 
mother,  Julia  Ward  Howe,  written  in  collaboration  with  Laura  E. 
Richards,  which  brought  her  the  widest  renown.  The  book  was  awarded 
a  Pulitzer  Prize  in  1917.  Mrs.  Elliott  was  born  in  Boston  in  1854,  and  has 
lived  in  Newport  for  many  years. 

A  number  of  contemporary  Rhode  Islanders  have  done  distinguished 
work  in  various  fields.  Lawrence  C.  Wroth  has  given  new  life  to  such 


Literature  and  Journalism  163 

Colonial  figures  as  William  Parks,  Abel  Buell,  John  Maylem,  and  others. 
The  Reverend  Urban  Nagle  has  written  a  prize- winning  play,  '  Barter/ 
and  other  plays  on  religious  subjects.  In  1929,  Walter  S.  Ball,  of  the 
Providence  Journal,  won  a  prize  offered  by  Harper  and  Brothers  and  the 
American  Girl  magazine  for  the  best  book  of  fiction  for  girls;  this  book, 
'  Carmella  Commands,'  depicts  many  scenes  familiar  to  Providence  folk. 
Leonard  Bacon  has  written  some  fine  poetry,  has  collaborated  with  others 
in  a  number  of  distinguished  translations,  and  is  known  for  his  volumes  of 
satiric  verse,  'Ph.D.'s'  and  ' Guinea  Fowl.' 

At  least  three  authors  now  living  'down  shore'  in  Rhode  Island  have 
supplemented  distinguished  magazine  contributions  with  literary  work  in 
more  lasting  form.  Albert  Jay  Nock  has  published  several  volumes  of 
essays  and  a  sympathetic  biography  of  Thomas  Jefferson.  Henry  W. 
Boynton,  essayist  and  critic,  has  edited  a  number  of  English  classics. 
Richard  Washburn  Child,  ambassador  to  Italy  and  one-time  editor  of 
Cottier's  Weekly,  has  written  much  fiction  and  collaborated  with  Mussolini 
on  the  latter's  autobiography. 

Samuel  Rogers  (born  at  Newport  in  1894,  and  graduated  from  Brown 
University  in  1915)  achieved  fame  in  1934  with  the  publication  of  his 
Atlantic  Monthly  prize  novel,  'Dusk  at  the  Grove';  the  setting  of  this 
novel  is  Portsmouth,  Rhode  Island.  S.  Foster  Damon,  a  professor  in  the 
English  Department  of  Brown  University,  is  known  for  his  poetry, 
particularly  his  small  volume  'Astrolabe,'  and  for  his  biographies  of 
Thomas  Holley  Chivers,  William  Blake,  and  Amy  Lowell.  Christopher 
La  Farge's  'Hoxie  Sells  His  Acres'  is  a  novel  in  verse  which  attracted 
considerable  notice  in  1934;  and  Oliver  La  Farge,  Christopher's  younger 
brother,  won  the  Pulitzer  Prize  in  1929  for  his  novel,  'Laughing  Boy.' 
Oliver  La  Farge's  interest  in  Rhode  Island  and  the  sea  is  shown  in  'Long 
Pennant,'  a  novel  about  the  Rhode  Island  privateers  in  the  War  of  1812. 

Vincent  McHugh,  a  native  of  the  section  of  Providence  called  Fox 
Point,  has  received  widespread  acclaim  for  his  recent  novel  'Caleb 
Catlum's  America.'  His  first  novel  'Touch  Me  Not'  (1930),  was  auto- 
biographical, covering  his  experiences  while  working  at  Rocky  Point, 
a  local  summer  resort.  Winfield  Townley  Scott  and  Willis  H.  Gerry 
founded  in  1931  and  printed  in  Providence  the  poetry  magazine  Smoke. 
Scott  has  published  a  volume  of  verse,  'Biography  for  Traman.' 

Although  it  cannot  be  claimed  that  Rhode  Island  was  the  home  of  any 
great  school  of  authors,  the  State  has  nevertheless  been  the  birthplace  or 
the  adopted  residence  of  many  prominent  writers,  and  through  its  living 
tradition  of  liberty  of  thought  and  conscience  it  has  encouraged  and 
influenced  the  art  of  literature  in  the  United  States. 


MUSIC 


IN  THE  early  Colonial  days  there  was  virtually  no  music  in  the  modern 
sense.  All  of  New  England  felt  the  Puritan  tradition,  which  frowned  upon 
any  musical  expression  other  than  the  chanting  of  psalms  during  Sabbath 
services.  So  far  as  our  records  go,  it  was  not  until  1759,  when  Francis 
Hopkinson  of  Pennsylvania  wrote  'My  Days  Have  Been  so  Wondrous 
Free,'  that  an  original  piece  of  music  was  composed  by  an  American.  The 
first  evidence  of  musical  activity  in  Rhode  Island  is  an  advertisement  in 
the  Providence  Gazette  and  Country  Journal  of  July  30,  1768,  announcing 
a  concert  of  instrumental  music  'under  the  Direction  of  MR.  DAWSON, 
who,  by  particular  Desire,  will  present  the  Company  with  a  HORNPIPE ; 
and  MR.  TIOLI  will  perform  a  TAMBURIN  DANCE,  in  the  Italian 
Taste/  Another  advertisement,  appearing  September  16, 1769,  announces 
a  'reading'  of  'The  Beggar's  Opera'  in  which  'All  the  songs  will  be  sung.' 
Both  performances  were  held  in  'Mr.  Hacker's  public  room,'  and  the 
admission  fee  was  '$1.00  for  a  gentleman  with  lady.'  In  the  United  States 
Chronicle  (Providence)  of  May  27,  1784,  is  an  advertisement  in  which 
'  MR.  HIWILL  informs  the  young  Ladies  and  Gentlemen  of  this  Town, 
That  he  has  opened  a  SCHOOL  of  INSTRUMENTAL  MUSIC.'  The 
instruments  taught  were,  for  the  men,  '  the  German  Flute,  Clarinet,  Bas- 
soon, &"c.  &•(;.,'  and  for  the  ladies,  the  'Guittar.'  On  April  21,  1785,  John 
Graft  and  William  Owen  announced  the  opening  of  a  music  school  for 
gentlemen,  where  was  taught  the  violin,  German  flute,  hautboy,  clarinet, 
and  bassoon. 

The  first  composer  to  visit  Rhode  Island  was  a  Connecticut  man, 
Andrew  Law  (1748-1821),  who  came  here  as  a  student  at  Rhode  Island 
College  (later  Brown  University).  Before  entering  college  at  the  late  age 
of  twenty-four,  he  had  already  earned  a  reputation  in  New  England  as 
a  psalmodist,  having  compiled  '  A  Select  Number  of  Plain  Tunes  Adapted 
to  Congregational  Worship,'  which  included  some  of  his  own  composi- 
tions. He  was  active  in  promoting  church  music  during  his  three  years' 
stay  in  Providence.  His  subsequent  career,  in  Connecticut,  Pennsylvania, 
and  elsewhere,  was  devoted  to  the  church,  with  music  as  an  avocation. 
His  collection  of  '  Essays  on  Music '  was  the  first  critical  work  of  its  kind 
in  the  country,  and  in  1778-79  he  published  two  compilations  which  en- 


Music  165 


joyed  wide  usage  —  '  Select  Harmony '  and  '  Collection  of  Best  Tunes  and 
Anthems.'  Many  of  the  compositions  in  these  volumes  were  from  his  own 
pen,  and  his  '  Archdale '  was  one  of  the  popular  tunes  of  his  day. 

John  L.  Berkenhead  was  the  State's  first  resident  musician  of  any  im- 
portance. A  blind  Englishman  who  had  come  to  Boston  in  1795,  he  was 
the  organist  at  Newport's  Trinity  Church  from  1796  to  1804.  In  addition 
to  his  church  work,  he  gave  concerts  throughout  New  England  on  both 
organ  and  piano,  and  his  playing  of  his  own  composition,  'The  Demolition 
of  the  Bastile/  for  piano  forte  or  harpsichord,  was  a  musical  event.  Among 
his  other  compositions  were  a  number  of  instrumental  and  choral  works. 

Berkenhead  was  the  tutor  of  Oliver  Shaw  (1779-1848),  a  composer  of 
relatively  high  importance.  Shaw  had  been  blinded  in  one  eye  as  a  child, 
and  as  a  youth  pursuing  a  sailor's  career  he  ruined  the  sight  of  his  re- 
maining eye  (already  weakened  by  yellow  fever)  by  constant  use  of  the 
sextant.  Having  decided  upon  music  as  a  possible  career,  he  sought  out 
Berkenhead,  from  whom  he  took  lessons  in  piano  and  organ.  From  New- 
port he  went  to  Boston,  where  he  studied  the  oboe  with  the  famous 
Graupner,  and  the  clarinet  with  Granger.  Then,  in  1807,  he  came  to 
Providence,  remaining  there  until  his  death  forty-one  years  later.  His  first 
publication,  'For  the  Gentlemen:  A  favourite  selection  of  instrumental 
Music,'  was  issued  at  Dedham  in  the  year  of  his  arrival  in  Rhode  Island. 

Two  years  after  coming  to  Providence,  Shaw  was  appointed  organist 
of  the  First  Congregational  Church;  and  shortly  afterward,  he  worked 
with  a  group  of  interested  musicians  in  founding  the  Psallonian  Society 
'for  the  purpose  of  improving  themselves  in  the  knowledge  and  practice  of 
sacred  music  and  inculcating  a  more  correct  taste  in  the  choice  and  per- 
formance of  it.'  One  of  the  first  members  of  this  group  was  Thomas  Smith 
Webb,  a  famous  authority  on  Masonic  ritual,  who  later  went  to  Boston 
and  helped  to  found  the  Handel  and  Haydn  Society  there.  The  Psallonian 
group  lasted  for  twenty-three  years  and  gave  thirty-one  formal  concerts. 

Shaw's  compositions  were  numerous.  Rhode  Island  geography  and 
history,  and  even  some  of  the  Providence  streets,  are  celebrated  in  them. 
Many  of  his  sacred  songs  were  widely  acclaimed,  and  two  of  his  works, 
'  Mary's  Tears '  and  '  All  things  bright  and  fair  are  thine,'  were  included  in 
a  Handel  and  Haydn  Society  concert  in  Boston  on  July  5, 1817,  which  was 
attended  by  President  Monroe. 

In  the  year  of  Shaw's  death,  1848,  musical  education  was  introduced 
into  the  Providence  public  schools.  By  the  middle  nineteenth  century, 
music  had  become  a  popular  form  of  entertainment.  Shaw  was  an  im- 
portant figure,  but  he  was  still  only  part  of  a  movement.  He  had  his 


1 66  Rhode  Island:  The  General  Background 

contemporaries  and  his  successors.  During  the  late  i83o's,  when  his 
establishment  at  No.  70  Westminster  Street  was  thriving,  there  was  an- 
other publisher  diagonally  across  the  street,  at  No.  33.  This  was  the 
house  of  S.  T.  Thurber,  whose  publications  included  some  songs  by 
Richard  B.  Taylor,  the  organist  of  St.  John's  Episcopal  Church. 

There  was  also  a  prolific  composer  named  Francis  H.  Brown,  who 
advertised  himself  as  'Teacher  of  the  Piano  and  English  Ballad  Singing.' 
The  publication  dates  on  his  surviving  works  extended  from  1843  to  1866; 
but  since  the  earlier  date  occurs  on  two  second  editions,  he  must  at  that 
time  have  been  past  the  beginner's  stage.  A  cover  announcement  on  his 
'Barney  Greene  Quickstep*  (1849)  states  that  the  piece  was  played  in 
Providence  in  1842  by  the  Bristol  Band. 

Brown  was  not  outstandingly  important,  but  he  is  typical  of  the  middle 
years  of  the  nineteenth  century.  His  innumerable  works  were  published 
in  both  Providence  and  Boston.  Whatever  State  may  claim  him  as 
a  native  or  resident,  he  provided  Rhode  Islanders  with  a  great  deal  of 
sprightly  music  during  the  long  period  when  music,  having  stepped  outside 
the  church,  was  trying  to  find  itself. 

In  1851,  Jenny  Lind  gave  a  recital  in  Providence,  and  Colonel  William 
C.  Ross  earned  the  dubious  distinction  of  being  the  highest  bidder,  at 
$653,  for  the  best  seat  in  the  house. 

During  this  period  there  was  a  movement  toward  secular  choral  music. 
In  1856,  a  group  of  men  from  various  church  choirs  was  organized  by 
William  Whitaker  to  form  the  Central  Glee  Club,  for  the  purpose  of 
singing  at  political  meetings.  The  club  gained  a  wide  reputation,  and 
gave  many  local  and  out-of-State  concerts.  Some  of  the  members  lost 
their  lives  in  the  Civil  War,  and  in  1872  the  survivors  reorganized  as  the 
First  Light  Infantry  Glee  Club,  which  lasted  for  fifteen  years  and  gave 
concerts  as  far  distant  as  Albany,  New  York.  Connected  with  the  latter 
organization,  as  leader  or  accompanist,  was  Eben  Kelley,  organist  of  the 
First  Congregational  Church,  composer,  founder  of  the  Chopin  Club 
(1879),  and  an  active  sponsor  of  music  in  Providence  for  more  than 
thirty  years.  Another  musical  society,  known  as  the  Providence  Lieder- 
kranz,  was  founded  in  1857,  but  had  a  short  life  and  was  supplanted  by 
the  Einklang  Singing  Society,  which  lasted  well  into  the  twentieth 
century. 

The  brass  band  era  in  America  began  in  the  i86o's  and  culminated  in 
the  splendid  organization  formed  by  John  Philip  Sousa.  Rhode  Island, 
for  thirty-three  years  the  home  of  David  Wallis  Reeves,  can  claim  one  of 
the  best  bands  in  the  country,  for  Reeves  was  the  direct  precursor  of 


Music  167 


Sousa,  and  the  ' March  King'  has  said  of  him:  'He  made  me  everything 
I  am ...  I  would  gladly  give  up  all  I  have  won  if  only  I  might  have  written 
the  "Second  Regiment"  march.  I  well  may  call  him  the  father  of  band 
music  in  America.'  Reeves,  a  famous  young  cornet  virtuoso  and  con- 
ductor of  Owego,  New  York,  was  summoned  to  Providence  in  1866  to 
take  over  an  already  honorable  organization,  the  American  Brass  Band. 
This  group  had  been  founded  in  1825  as  the  Providence  Brass  Band,  had 
served  in  the  Civil  War,  and  had  entertained  the  people  of  Rhode  Island 
and  New  England  under  the  leadership  of  its  first  conductor,  Joseph  C. 
Greene,  for  nearly  forty  years. 

Reeves  had  been  exposed  to,  but  not  seriously  infected  with,  the  ex- 
travagant traditions  of  Patrick  Sarsfield  Gilmore,  whose  ideas  of  bigness 
would  have  staggered  Hollywood.  This  Barnum  of  band  music  had 
traveled  about  the  country  for  several  years  after  the  Civil  War  pre- 
senting 'Peace  Jubilees.'  He  once  fired  cannon  for  drum  beats;  and  in 
his  last  concert  on  the  grand  scale,  he  assembled  such  an  overwhelming 
horde  of  players  and  singers  that  the  music  collapsed  of  its  own  weight. 
Reeves  developed  Gilmore's  few  virtues.  He  retained  the  stirring  qual- 
ities of  band  music,  but  eliminated  its  sensationalism.  He  used  a  large 
group,  but  for  blaring  melody  and  rudimentary  accompaniment  he  sub- 
stituted orchestral  harmony  and  counterpoint,  adapting  them  to  the 
brass  instruments.  He  had  a  genius  for  the  march  tune,  a  form  as  difficult 
as  it  is  simple,  and  composed  more  than  a  hundred  of  them.  The  '  Sec- 
ond Connecticut,'  which  Sousa  envied,  is  still  famous  wherever  band 
music  is  played. 

Reeves'  American  Band,  as  it  was  called,  was  a  well-loved  Rhode 
Island  institution  for  more  than  thirty  years.  Its  repertoire  included  not 
only  marches,  but  also  quicksteps  and  dance  tunes.  At  the  opening  of 
the  Park  Garden  in  Providence,  on  June  24,  1878,  Reeves  presented 
Gilbert  and  Sullivan's  H.M.S.  Pinafore,  using  an  actual  boat  for  the 
stage.  The  performance  was  a  great  success,  and  Reeves  received  a  letter 
of  commendation  from  Sir  Arthur  Sullivan.  A  year  later  at  the  same 
place  he  presented  his  own  operetta,  The  Ambassador's  Daughter,  chang- 
ing the  ship  into  a  junk  to  fit  the  Chinese  locale.  During  1892-93  he  took 
a  leave  of  absence  from  Providence  and  conducted  Gilmore's  Twenty- 
Second  New  York  Regiment  Band  at  the  World's  Fair  in  Chicago  and 
the  expositions  at  Pittsburgh  and  Minneapolis.  The  tour  enhanced  his 
already  Nation-wide  reputation,  and  on  his  return  to  Providence  he  was 
given  a  great  official  reception,  led  by  Governor  D.  Russell  Brown  and 
Adjutant-General  Dyer.  On  March  8,  1900,  he  died  at  the  age  of  sixty- 


168  Rhode  Island :  The  General  Background 

two.   The  importance  of  his  band  has  overshadowed  the  fact  that  in  the 
iSyo's  he  helped  to  organize  the  first  Providence  Symphony  Orchestra. 

From  Reeves'  coming  to  the  end  of  the  century  there  was  a  great 
expansion  in  musical  activities  of  all  kinds.  In  1879  the  Chopin  Club 
and  the  Mendelssohn  Choral  Society  were  founded;  and  in  1881  Jules 
Jordan  founded  the  Arion  Club.  The  Boston  Symphony  Orchestra  began 
its  unbroken  series  of  Providence  concerts  in  1882.  In  1885,  the  Rhode 
Island  Music  Association  was  founded,  to  be  reorganized  in  1895  as  the 
Providence  Music  Teachers'  Association ;  and  the  following  year  saw  the 
formation  of  the  St.  Cecilia  Choral  Union  and  the  Rhode  Island  Choral 
Association,  the  latter  under  the  occasional  leadership  of  Carl  Zerrahn, 
the  famous  conductor  of  the  Worcester  County  Festivals.  At  this  time 
also  was  founded  the  short-lived  Providence  Singing  Society.  In  1895, 
Hans  Schneider,  who  had  already  founded  a  piano  school  in  Providence, 
began  a  series  of  popular  lectures  on  music,  and  in  the  same  year  Oscar 
Ekeburg  founded  the  Verdandi  Male  Chorus,  which  later  became  affiliated 
with  the  American  Union  of  Swedish  Singers  and  has  distinguished  itself 
in  concerts  throughout  the  country.  The  Providence  Symphony  Orches- 
tra, revived  for  a  short  period  in  the  early  i89o's,  was  supplanted  in 
1899  by  the  Providence  Philharmonic  Orchestra,  which  lasted  only  a 
year.  Of  the  above  groups,  the  Chopin  Club  and  the  Verdandi  Male 
Chorus  still  survive. 

A  younger  contemporary  and  one-time  pupil  of  Reeves,  who  survived 
him  by  twenty-seven  years,  was  Jules  Jordan.  Born  in  1850  of  Rhode 
Island  parents  who  had  moved  to  Willimantic,  Connecticut,  he  came  to 
Providence  at  the  age  of  eighteen.  Already  an  amateur  singer,  he  had  not 
yet  considered  music  as  a  career,  and  had  become  a  telegraph  operator.  At 
Rocky  Point,  his  first  station,  he  heard  the  nightly  concerts  of  Reeves' 
American  Band  and  became  so  interested  that  he  bought  a  cornet  and 
took  lessons  from  the  bandmaster.  Transferred  to  Providence  in  the  fall, 
he  was  discovered  as  a  promising  tenor  and  taken  into  Grace  Church 
choir,  where  he  remained  as  soloist  and  later  as  director,  for  more  than 
twenty  years.  During  the  first  winter  he  terminated  his  cornet  lessons, 
much  to  Reeves'  dismay,  and  took  up  the  piano.  In  1870  he  met  his 
future  vocal  teacher,  George  L.  Osgood,  at  a  summer  school  of  music 
held  in  East  Greenwich.  By  the  end  of  his  second  year  in  Providence, 
Jordan  was  able  to  earn  enough  through  his  music  to  give  up  telegraphy; 
and  thus  began  a  long  and  full  career  in  the  promotion  of  the  finest 
vocal  and  choral  music. 

Jordan  took  the  leading  part  in  two  important  American  premieres: 


Music  169 


Berlioz*  *  Damnation  of  Faust,'  produced  in  1880  at  Steinway  Hall,  New 
York,  under  the  direction  of  Leopold  Damrosch,  by  the  New  York 
Oratorio  Society  in  conjunction  with  the  New  York  Arion  Society  and 
the  Philharmonic  Orchestra;  and  Gounod's  'Redemption,'  produced  in 
Boston  in  1882  by  the  Boston  Oratorio  Society. 

In  a  historical  sense,  the  creation  of  the  Arion  Club  was  Jordan's  most 
important  contribution  to  Rhode  Island  music.  The  society  was  active  for 
more  than  forty  years,  and  its  concerts  numbered  well  over  one  hundred 
and  fifty.  It  performed  most  of  the  great  choral  works:  Haydn's  'Crea- 
tion/ Mendelssohn's  'Elijah/  Handel's  'Messiah/  Franck's  'The  Beati- 
tudes/ and  many  lesser  ones;  and  concert  arrangements  of  such  operas  as 
Gounod's  'Faust'  and  'Romeo  and  Juliet/  Verdi's  'Aida'  and  'Rigoletto/ 
Wagner's  'Flying  Dutchman/  'Tannhauser/  and  'Lohengrin/  and  Saint- 
Saens'  'Samson  and  Delilah.'  A  list  of  its  guest  artists  included  many 
of  the  famous  singers  of  the  day. 

Jordan  has  many  musical  works  to  his  credit,  published  by  Schirmer 
of  New  York  and  Arthur  P.  Schmidt  of  Boston.  He  was  largely  self- 
taught  as  a  composer,  but  in  later  years  studied  counterpoint  under 
Percy  Goetschius.  His  most  pretentious  work,  for  which  he  wrote  both 
music  and  libretto,  was  a  romantic  opera,  'Rip  Van  Winkle.'  Among  his 
better-known  choral  works  are  musical  settings  for  several  popular  poems 
—  'Barbara  Frietchie/  'Ring Out,  Wild  Bells/  and  the  'Battle  Hymn  of 
the  Republic.'  His  death  occurred  in  March,  1927. 

The  activities  of  Jordan  and  the  Arion  Club  cover  a  significant  period 
of  musical  development  in  America,  and  Rhode  Island  shared  in  this 
activity  with  great  interest.  In  1901  the  MacDowell  and  Schubert  Clubs 
were  founded  in  Providence,  and  the  St.  Cecilia  Opera  Company  in 
Woonsocket;  in  1903  Hans  Schneider  organized  his  Piano  Teachers' 
Institute.  The  Providence  Music  Association,  a  sponsoring  organization 
for  concerts  by  world-famous  artists,  was  formed  in  1904  —  the  same 
year  in  which  the  several  groups  joined  together  as  the  State  Federation 
of  Music  Clubs  and  became  affiliated  with  the  then  new  National  Federa- 
tion. The  founding  of  the  Monday  Morning  Musical  Club  took  place  in 
1905,  the  Chaminade  Club  was  organized  in  1906.  In  1911  the  University 
Glee  Club  was  founded  by  Berrick  Schloss,  its  present  director.  The 
Mendelssohn  Club  also  began  in  1911.  A  season's  tentative  program, 
picked  at  random  from  the  files  of  the  Providence  Journal  (October  20, 
1912),  contains  a  list  of  more  than  thirty  events:  concerts  and  recitals  by 
local  artists  and  organizations,  by  Zimbalist,  Schumann-Heink,  and 
Kreisler,  and  a  lecture  by  Mrs.  Edward  MacDowell. 


1 70  Rhode  Island :  The  General  Background 

No  broad  distinction  can  be  drawn  between  Rhode  Island's  musical 
activities  at  the  turn  of  the  century  and  at  the  present  time.  The  changes 
have  been  natural  developments.  Music  publishing,  which  had  been 
gravitating  toward  New  York  for  many  years,  virtually  ceased  here  after 
the  World  War.  Reeves'  American  Band  still  exists  as  a  chartered  organ- 
ization, but  it  did  not  long  remain  intact  after  the  leader's  death.  The 
present  group,  consisting  of  some  of  the  original  members,  under  the 
baton  of  Frank  Walberg,  still  plays  at  Brown  University  commencements 
and  on  other  occasions.  Though  the  faithful  still  look  forward  to  a  re- 
vived group  as  glorious  as  the  first,  the  day  of  a  possible  renascence  seems 
past,  for  the  brass  band  as  a  great  popular  institution  has  already  receded 
into  history. 

Interest  in  symphonic  music  has  produced  a  succession  of  Providence 
Symphony  Orchestras.  At  least  three  were  organized,  unsuccessfully,  in 
the  nineteenth  century.  The  present  orchestra,  founded  in  1932  with 
Wasili  Leps  as  conductor,  is  the  third  in  the  twentieth  century  and  its 
destiny  seems  well  favored.  Besides  the  credit  due  the  conductor,  the 
players,  and  the  guest  artists  (of  Rhode  Island  talent  only),  there  is  also 
the  factor  of  increased  public  acceptance  of  symphonic  music.  The 
orchestra,  now  in  its  fifth  year,  has  maintained  a  regular  schedule  of 
winter  concerts  in  Providence,  with  occasional  children's  concerts  and 
performances  elsewhere. 

Organizations  have  continued  to  increase,  many  with  an  eye  to  the 
younger  generation.  The  Chaminade  Club  has  created  three  satellites: 
the  Chaminade  Young  Artists'  Club,  the  Chaminade  Junior,  and  the 
Chaminade  Juvenile  Clubs;  the  Chopin  Club  has  created  two,  and  others 
are  the  Blackstone  Valley  Junior  Music  Club,  the  Newport  Junior  Music 
Club,  the  Mozart  Club  of  Newport,  the  Motus  Junior  Music  Club  of 
Providence,  and  the  Octave  Club.  There  is  an  orchestra  of  young  people 
at  Nickerson  House,  and  a  Crawford  Allen  Hospital  Junior  Club,  where 
music  is  taught  for  its  therapeutic  as  well  as  recreational  value. 

Other  adult  organizations  have  been  founded  —  the  Brahms  Club,  the 
Gould  wood  Choir,  the  Henschel  Club,  the  Mnemosyne  Society  of  Fine 
Arts,  the  Music  Club  of  Newport,  the  Rhode  Island  Music  Educators' 
Association,  the  Providence  Treble  Choral  Club,  the  Rhode  Island  Band- 
masters' Association,  and  the  Westerly  Music  Club.  There  are  alto- 
gether twenty-seven  musical  clubs  in  the  State,  with  an  aggregate  mem- 
bership (youngsters  included)  exceeding  1400.  Most  of  these  organiza- 
tions have  a  definite  and  constructive  policy.  The  Chaminade  and  Mon- 
day Morning  Clubs  both  have  special  funds  available  for  the  education 


Music  171 


of  deserving  students,  and  both  are  among  the  guarantors  of  the  Provi- 
dence and  Boston  Symphony  Orchestras.  The  Monday  Morning  Club 
also  supports  the  Elodie  Farnum  Memorial  Library  in  the  Rochambeau 
Branch  of  the  Providence  Public  Library,  the  Helen  Tyler  Grant  Lending 
Library  of  music  at  the  club's  studio,  and  the  Franklin  Holding  Memorial 
Collection  of  chamber  music.  To  the  Providence  Public  Library  it  has 
contributed  under  its  own  name  a  sound-proofed  alcove  and  a  piano. 
The  Henschel  Club,  in  its  seasonal  recitals,  affords  young  Rhode  Island 
artists  the  opportunity  to  appear  professionally.  All  of  the  clubs  con- 
tribute to  the  State  Federation's  funds  for  conducting  contests  and 
awarding  scholarships. 

The  federation's  membership,  relatively  small,  must  necessarily  ex- 
clude the  hundreds  of  grade  and  high  school  students  actively  engaged 
in  their  school  organizations.  Since  the  place  of  music  in  schools  is  de- 
termined by  the  separate  city  and  town  governments  rather  than  by  the 
State,  no  official  enrollment  figures  are  available.  It  may  be  stated 
generally,  however,  that  music  is  taught  in  every  school,  and  that  organ- 
izations exist  everywhere,  from  simple  choral  groups  to  large  bands  and 
orchestras.  The  Rhode  Island  High  School  Music  Festival,  combining 
performances  by  choral  groups,  bands,  and  orchestras,  has  been  an  annual 
spring  event  since  the  i92o's;  and  in  the  annual  contests  between  all  the 
high  school  bands  of  New  England,  the  first  prize  has  been  awarded 
several  times  to  the  Pawtucket  High  School. 

In  1935,  upon  the  recommendation  of  Governor  Green,  the  State 
granted  the  Department  of  Education  a  $10,000  appropriation  for  the 
purpose  of  giving  Rhode  Islanders  free  access  to  good  music.  This  is 
probably  the  only  fund  of  its  kind  in  the  United  States.  Owing  to  this 
fund,  well-received  summer  concerts  by  bands  and  by  the  Rhode  Island 
Civic  Symphony  Orchestra  have  been  given  at  Newport,  Providence, 
Warwick,  North  Kingstown,  Woonsocket,  and  Pawtucket. 

Many  substantial  names  appear  in  the  record  of  Rhode  Island's  later 
musical  activities.  George  Spink  (1873-1936),  a  native  of  Pawtucket, 
was  associated  in  New  York  with  Raymond  Hitchcock,  Blanche  Ring, 
Nora  Bayes,  and  Eva  Tanguay,  for  whom  he  wrote  many  songs.  During 
the  war  he  composed  two  musical  comedies  successfully  produced  in 
Europe  for  the  American  soldiers,  'Home  Again'  and  'Mopping  Up'; 
and  his  two-act  romantic  opera,  'The  Legend  of  Hannah  Robinson,'  was 
produced  in  1933  by  the  Gilbert  Stuart  Memorial  Association  at  the 
Robinson  homestead  in  North  Kingstown. 

Hugh  F.  MacColl  has  been  active  as  a  composer  and  sponsor  of  music 


172  Rhode  Island:  The  General  Background 

in  Rhode  Island  for  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century.  Bora  in  Pawtucket 
in  1879,  ne  attended  Harvard,  studying  composition  and  theory  under 
Converse  and  Spalding.  He  has  composed  music  for  solo  voice,  chorus, 
piano,  two  pianos,  piano  and  violin,  trio,  string  quartet,  piano  and 
orchestra,  and  orchestra.  Most  of  his  works  have  been  published,  and 
although  the  first  performances  usually  take  place  in  Providence,  his 
'Suite  for  Orchestra'  (in  the  form  of  variations)  was  introduced  at 
Rochester,  New  York,  in  1936,  by  Howard  Hanson  and  the  Rochester 
Civic  Orchestra.  His  'Arabs'  (1932)  has  been  played  by  the  Boston 
Symphony  Orchestra  both  in  Providence  and  in  New  York.  He  has 
written  original  works  for  the  Clavier  Ensemble  and  the  University  Glee 
Club. 

Elmer  S.  Hosmer,  professor  of  music  at  the  Rhode  Island  College  of 
Education  since  1924,  has  become  known  for  his  choral  works,  principally 
'Columbus'  and  'Pilgrims  of  1620.'  Born  in  Massachusetts  in  1862,  he 
has  spent  many  years  in  Rhode  Island,  having  been  principal  of  the 
Pawtucket  High  School  for  a  long  period  before  assuming  his  present 
position. 

The  name  of  John  B.  Archer  is  always  associated  with  the  Providence 
Festival  Chorus,  which  was  organized  in  1924  for  the  dedication  of  the 
Benedict  Monument  to  Music  at  Roger  Williams  Park.  After  long  ex- 
perience as  organist  and  choirmaster,  and  as  song-leader  during  the  war, 
Mr.  Archer  came  to  Providence  in  1920  as  organist  of  the  Beneficent 
Congregational  Church.  The  Festival  Chorus,  which  has  been  under  his 
direction  since  its  beginning,  has  given  more  than  24  semi-annual  concerts 
—  one  in  June  at  the  Benedict  Monument,  one  in  the  winter  at  a  Provi- 
dence theater  or  the  Rhode  Island  Auditorium.  The  Goldman  Band  of 
New  York  is  the  regular  accompanist  to  the  chorus  in  its  June  concerts, 
and  there  is  always  a  celebrated  guest  singer  or  instrumentalist. 

Local  church  organists,  past  and  present,  have  added  their  contribu- 
tions. Beside  those  already  mentioned,  there  have  been  J.  Sebastian 
Matthews,  English-born  composer  of  sacred  music  and  organist  of  Grace 
Church  from  1916  until  his  death  in  1934;  and  Helen  Hogan  (Mrs. 
Cecil  V.  Coome),  organist  for  many  years  at  the  Central  Congregational 
Church  until  her  marriage  in  1933,  when  she  returned  to  London,  the 
city  of  her  birth.  During  Mrs.  Coome's  life  in  Providence  she  won  inter- 
national fame  as  an  organist.  Walter  Williams,  former  organist  of  St. 
Stephen's  Episcopal  Church,  was  a  founder  and  director  of  the  St. 
Dunstan's  School  of  Music,  and  has  been  succeeded  by  Lawrence  Apgar. 
William  Smithson,  organist  of  the  Park  Place  Congregational  Church 


Music  173 


in  Pawtucket,  has  helped  to  promote  musical  activity  in  the  Blackstone 
Valley.  Rene  Viau,  formerly  of  St.  Ann's  Church  in  Woonsocket,  founded 
the  Beethoven  Club  there  in  1930;  Alfred  T.  Plante,  organist  of  the 
Precious  Blood  Church,  founded  the  Orpheon  Ste.  Cecile  in  1934.  These 
two  Woonsocket  organizations  are  both  active  and  successful.  Mr. 
Plante  is  also  director  of  the  Knights  of  Columbus  Glee  Club  and  the 
Hebrew  Choral  Society  of  that  city. 

Numberless  women  of  the  -State  have  contributed  their  artistic,  finan- 
cial, and  moral  support  to  music.  Among  composers  there  have  been 
Florence  Newell  Barbour,  widow  of  the  late  president  of  Brown  University, 
and  Florence  Goodrich  (died  May,  1928),  composer  of  many  children's 
pieces  and  instruction  books.  The  artists  include  Lucy  Marsh  Gordon, 
who  has  made  many  recordings  under  her  maiden  name  of  Lucy  Isabelle 
Marsh;  Avis  Bliven-Charbonnel,  pianist,  founder  of  the  Federal  Hill 
House  School  of  Music,  now  the  Community  Music  School;  Ruth  Chase 
and  Lucia  Chagnon,  concert  sopranos  and  teachers  of  voice;  Martha 
Baird  and  Lorette  Gagnon,  pianists;  and  many  others.  Organizations 
and  students  have  had  numerous  benefactresses.  Mrs.  Hezekiah  Martin 
was  known  for  many  years  as  'the  mother  of  the  Arion  Club'  because 
of  her  interest,  hospitality,  and  active  help.  Mrs.  George  St.  J.  Sheffield 
(died  February,  1937)  was  a  generous  donor  to  the  cause  of  music  and  to 
worthy  individual  students.  Mrs.  George  Hail,  who  founded  the  Chami- 
nade  Club  in  iqo6,  a  year  after  her  arrival  in  Providence,  has  been  an 
officer  in  the  National  Federation  of  Music  Clubs  and  has  devoted  a 
large  part  of  her  life  to  sponsoring  the  cultivation  of  music.  Largely 
through  the  efforts  of  Rhode  Island  women,  this  State  had  the  first 
Federation  of  Music  Clubs  in  the  country;  Miss  Ruth  Tripp,  of  Central 
Falls,  is  its  latest  president. 

Dr.  Wasili  Leps  came  to  Providence  in  1929  to  take  over  the  Providence 
College  of  Music,  an  outgrowth  of  the  Hans  Schneider  Conservatory. 
Of  Russian  birth,  he  had  had  an  active  career  in  Europe  as  pianist, 
violinist,  and  conductor  before  his  arrival  in  America  in  1906.  Before 
coming  to  Providence  he  was  a  resident  of  Philadelphia,  where  he  was 
associated  with  John  Philip  Sousa  and  Leopold  Stokowski.  To  the  Rhode 
Island  public  he  is  best  known  as  conductor  of  the  Providence  Symphony 
Orchestra  and  director  of  the  Providence  Symphony  Chorus.  His  activi- 
ties are  varied,  and  he  lends  willing  support  to  such  organizations  as  the 
Clavier  Ensemble,  the  Junior  League  Glee  Club  (the  State's  youngest 
music  club),  the  Brahms  Club,  and  others  more  firmly  established.  He 
has  written  many  works,  predominantly  choral  and  operatic,  his  best- 
known  opera  being  'Hoshi-San,'  produced  at  Philadelphia  in  1909. 


174  Rhode  Island:  The  General  Background 

The  latest  musical  activities  in  Rhode  Island  have  been  the  Federal 
Works  Progress  Administration  music  projects  and  a  Brahms  Festival 
—  the  latter  held  in  the  fall  of  1936,  sponsored  by  the  Rhode  Island 
School  of  Design,  with  the  Musical  Art  Quartette  and  the  pianist  Frank 
Sheridan  as  performers.  The  Works  Progress  Administration  project 
(July,  1937)  employs  seventy  musicians  and  consists  of  two  units:  the 
Rhode  Island  Concert  Orchestra,  under  the  baton  of  Edouard  Caffier, 
and  the  Rhode  Island  Concert  Band,  led  by  Charles  Butterfield.  Both 
groups  have  regular  schedules  of  engagements,  and  broadcast  regularly 
over  the  three  Providence  stations.  An  orchestra  of  twenty  pieces  has 
recently  been  organized  at  the  30  Benefit  Street  Art  Center  by  David  L. 
Stackhouse,  a  young  Providence  composer  and  conductor. 

Four  Rhode  Island  musicians  who  have  made  their  reputations  out- 
side the  State  are  Allan  Lincoln  Langley,  born  at  Newport  in  1892,  a 
composer  whose  works  have  been  played  by  the  MacDowell  Club  of  New 
York,  the  Rochester  Civic,  the  Boston  Symphony,  and  the  New  York 
Philharmonic  Symphony  Orchestras;  Theodore  Ward  Chanler  (born  1902) 
also  of  Newport,  whose  instrumental  works  have  been  played  in  Paris 
and  New  York;  George  M.  Cohan,  born  in  Providence  on  July  4,  1878, 
composer  of  many  nationally  known  songs;  and  Nelson  Eddy,  born  in 
Omeyville  on  June  29,  1901,  graduate  of  Grace  and  St.  Stephen's  Church 
choirs  and  the  Metropolitan  Opera  Company,  now  a  popular  soloist  and 
motion  picture  star. 


THE     THEATER 


THE  first  dramatic  performance  in  New  England  by  an  organized  com- 
pany of  professional  actors  took  place  in  Newport  on  September  7,  1761. 
In  spite  of  a  vote  of  the  freemen  to  the  contrary,  a  company  under  the 
direction  of  David  Douglass  acted  'The  Provoked  Husband'  by  Gibber 
and  Vanbrugh.  The  profits  from  the  performance  were  donated  to  the 
poor.  The  character  and  ability  of  Douglass's  company  had  been  re- 
commended by  the  Governor  of  Virginia.  A  number  of  wealthy  and  in- 
fluential Newport  folk  favored  dramatic  performances,  although  a 
majority  of  their  fellow  citizens  continued  to  condemn  them.  There  was 
at  that  time,  however,  no  Rhode  Island  law  prohibiting  the  drama. 
The  company  left  Newport  in  November  and  returned  early  the  following 
summer.  Tickets  for  a  performance  to  be  held  in  the  public  room  of  the 
King's  Arms  Tavern  were  advertised  at  six  shillings  each  in  a  handbill 
which  reads  in  part: 

On  Monday,  June  lo-th . . .  will  be  delivered  a  series  of  MORAL  DIA- 
LOGUES, in  five  parts,  Depicting  the  evil  effects  of  jealousy  and  other  bad 
passions,  and  proving  that  happiness  can  only  spring  from  the  pursuit  of 
virtue. 

Mr.  Douglas  —  will  represent  a  noble  and  magnanimous  Moor  called 
Othello,  who  loves  a  young  lady  named  Desdemona,  and  after  he  has 
married  her,  harbours  (as  in  too  many  cases)  the  dreadful  passion  of 
jealousy. 

Of  jealousy,  our  being's  bane, 

Mark  the  small  cause  and  the  most  dreadful  pain. 

Mr.  Allyn  —  will  depict  the  character  of  a  specious  villain,  in  the  regi- 
ment of  Othello,  who  is  so  base  as  to  hate  his  commander  on  mere  suspicion, 
and  to  impose  on  his  best  friend.  Of  such  characters,  it  is  to  be  feared,  there 
are  thousands  in  the  world,  and  the  one  in  question  may  present  to  us  a  salu- 
tary warning. 

The  man  that  wrongs  his  master  and  his  friend, 
What  can  he  come  to  but  a  shameful  end? 

Mr.  Douglass  took  care  to  conclude  his  'Moral  Dialogues'  by  10.30, 
'  in  order  that  every  spectator  may  go  home  at  a  sober  hour,  and  reflect 
upon  what  he  has  seen,  before  he  retires  to  rest.' 
About  the  first  of  July,  1762,  the  company  came  to  Providence,  avoiding 


176  Rhode  Island:  The  General  Background 

here,  as  in  Newport,  the  satanic  name  '  theater.'  It  opened '  The  Histrionic 
Academy '  in  a  barn-like  building  on  Meeting  Street,  east  of  Benefit  Street. 
On  July  19,  the  town  meeting  voted  against  the  dramatic  performances, 
which  nevertheless  continued.  More  than  four  hundred  male  citizens  of 
Providence  drew  up  a  petition  to  stop  the  actors.  This  document,  with 
all  the  signatures  in  one  handwriting,  was  submitted  to  the  General  As- 
sembly. The  town  was  so  strongly  divided  over  the  issue  that,  when  a 
number  of  citizens  threatened  to  halt  the  performances  by  force,  John 
Brown  procured  a  cannon  and,  stationing  himself  before  the  theater  door, 
swore  to  open  fire  on  anyone  who  interrupted  the  play.  Despite  this 
Napoleonic  defense  of  the  art,  and  despite  the  desire  of  many  fashionable 
patrons,  the  drama  was  outlawed  in  Rhode  Island  in  a  ridiculously  severe 
bill  passed  August  15,  1762. 

For  thirty  years  there  was  no  theater  in  the  State.  Then,  in  December, 
1792,  a  Mr.  Joseph  Harper,  after  trouble  with  a  similar  rigorous  law  in 
Massachusetts,  came  to  Providence  with  a  company  of  actors.  Harper 
took  care  to  learn  the  public  sentiment  toward  the  drama,  and  was  suc- 
cessful in  gaining  the  assent  of  the  Town  Council  to  a  performance.  In 
fact,  the  company  performed  'lectures'  to  large  audiences  in  the  Court 
House  itself.  The  February,  1793,  meeting  of  the  General  Assembly  gave 
permission  to  the  Newport  Town  Council  to  license  dramatic  companies, 
in  spite  of  the  standing  law  to  the  contrary.  The  Assembly,  however, 
made  the  provision  that  the  State  House  was  not  to  be  used  as  a  theater. 
Harper's  company  produced  plays  in  Newport  in  the  old  brick  market 
erected  in  1761  as  a  public  granary,  but  never  used  for  that  purpose. 

Harper's  company  opened  in  Providence  again  in  December,  1794,  and 
in  August  of  the  next  year  a  subscription  for  the  building  of  a  permanent 
theater  in  Providence  was  started.  John  Brown  donated  the  lot  on  the 
corner  of  Westminster  and  Mathewson  Streets  to  the  enterprise.  When  it 
seemed,  however,  that  the  theater  would  not  be  completed  by  the  time 
set  for  the  opening,  the  majority  of  the  carpenters  in  Providence  aban- 
doned their  jobs  and  finished  the  building  without  pay  so  that  it  might 
open  on  September  3, 1795.  Many  of  the  wealthy  supporters  of  the  drama 
in  Providence  bought  boxes  by  the  season  and  were  served  wines  and 
sherbets  between  the  acts.  Others  sent  their  Negro  servants  to  the  theater 
late  in  the  afternoon  to  purchase  tickets  and  sit  in  the  best  seats  in  the 
house  until  they  themselves  arrived. 

Interest  in  the  drama  lulled  about  1810,  but  was  revived  in  1812  by 
the  tremendous  success  of  George  Frederick  Cooke  as  Shylock  in  Shake- 
speare's 'Merchant  of  Venice.'  Cooke,  considered  by  some  critics  to  have 


The  Theater  177 


been  the  equal  of  Garrick,  stayed  at  the  famous  Golden  Ball  Inn  on  Bene- 
fit Street.  The  American  victories  over  the  British  in  the  War  of  1812 
were  the  themes  of  a  number  of  contemporary  plays;  'The  Heroes  of  the 
Lake,'  celebrating  Commodore  Perry's  victory  on  Lake  Erie,  was  very 
successful  in  Providence  in  1814. 

The  unprecedented  high  tide  accompanying  the  Great  Gale  of  Septem- 
ber 23,  1815,  which  carried  away  the  bridge  from  Weybosset  Point,  and 
the  emergency  ferry  established  there,  so  delighted  the  handsome  young 
actor,  Joseph  Legg,  that  he  spent  the  whole  first  day  of  the  ferry  service 
riding  back  and  forth.  Ten  years  later  the  actors  arose  to  meet  another 
civic  emergency,  in  greater  numbers,  however.  When  the  fire  on  May  23, 
1825,  destroyed  many  buildings  near  the  theater,  both  the  players  and 
their  audience  joined  in  the  fire-fighting.  The  theater  was  used  to  house 
rescued  goods,  which  included  one  hundred  bales  of  cotton  and  three 
hundred  barrels  of  whiskey  said  to  have  been  stored  in  the  basement 
beneath  the  Universalist  Chapel. 

The  decade  of  the  i82o's  brought  a  number  of  the  greatest  actors  of  the 
day  to  Providence.  Junius  Brutus  Booth  appeared  in  1822.  Edwin  For- 
rest and  William  Augustus  Conway,  the  noted  American  tragedians, 
played  at  Providence  in  1827.  Later  in  the  year,  Conway  retreated  as  a 
virtual  hermit  near  Newport,  and  early  in  1828,  he  was  drowned  at  sea. 
Clara  Fisher,  a  child  prodigy  in  England  ten  years  before,  took  Providence 
by  storm  in  March,  1828,  and  in  July  of  the  same  year,  Joseph  Cowell, 
the  comedian,  was  scheduled  to  give  one  performance  here  on  his  way  from 
Boston  to  New  York.  Cowell,  however,  fell  asleep  on  his  hotel  balcony 
during  the  hot  afternoon  and  did  not  wake  up  until  four  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  when  he  learned  that  a  number  of  the  citizens  of  Providence, 
thinking  he  had  fallen  from  the  dock,  were  dragging  the  river  to  gam  the 
ten-dollar  reward  posted  for  the  recovery  of  his  body. 

In  1832,  the  Providence  theater  building  was  sold  to  the  Grace  Church 
corporation,  and  for  a  time  was  used  as  a  house  of  worship  until  the  pre- 
sent church  building  was  erected  on  the  site.  Providence  was  then  tem- 
porarily without  a  theater  until  May,  1836,  when  the  Lion  Theater 
opened  in  a  brick  building  on  Fulton  Street.  Edward  L.  Davenport,  who 
later  gained  fame  for  his  interpretations  of  characters  from  Shakespeare 
and  Dickens,  appeared  during  the  summer  at  the  Lion.  In  September  of 
the  same  year,  the  building  burned  down,  and  again  there  was  a  gap  in 
the  drama  in  Providence,  this  time  for  about  two  years.  In  late  October 
of  1838,  Shakespeare  Hall,  a  beautifully  decorated  stone  building,  was 
opened.  Here  in  1840  the  great  Edwin  Booth  made  an  outstandingly 


178  Rhode  Island:  The  General  Background 

popular  success.  Booth's  eccentricities  caused  almost  as  much  comment 
in  Providence  as  his  acting.  It  is  said  that  he  used  to  sit  on  Peck's  Wharf 
and  feed  crackers  to  the  hogs.  It  was  also  reported  that  two  hunters, 
stopping  shortly  before  sunrise  in  a  tavern  on  the  outskirts  of  Providence, 
found  Booth  kneeling  before  a  portrait  of  George  Washington,  with  a  lit- 
tle boy  beside  him  whom  he  was  teaching  the  Lord's  Prayer  word  by  word. 

In  1848,  the  Providence  Museum  was  opened  for  dramatic  productions 
on  Westminster  Street.  Here,  early  in  1853,  *  Uncle  Tom's  Cabin'  ran 
for  more  than  four  weeks.  In  October,  the  Museum  burned  down  and  the 
Forbes  Theater  was  built  on  the  site.  The  Forbes  Theater  itself  was 
destroyed  by  fire  after  five  years. 

In  1861,  the  internationally  famous  Charlotte  Cushman  and,  later  in 
the  season,  Senora  Isabel  Cubas,  a  noted  Spanish  dancer,  appeared  on  the 
stage  in  the  appropriately  named  Phoenix  Building,  which  had  been 
erected  on  the  site  of  the  old  Museum  and  the  Forbes  Theater.  In  1863, 
John  Wilkes  Booth,  later  the  assassin  of  President  Lincoln,  played  in 
Providence.  The  City  Hall,  which  was  opened  in  Providence  on  January 
4,  1865,  was  used  for  more  than  civic  purposes  —  in  February  a  very 
popular  production  of  'Ten  Nights  in  a  Barroom'  opened  there. 

For  some  time  the  Academy  of  Music  had  been  offering  excellent  oper- 
atic and  dramatic  productions.  In  1866,  it  introduced  Adelaide  Ristori  as 
Mary  Stuart,  John  Brougham,  the  playwright  and  renowned  Irish  come- 
dian, and  Lotta,  who  had  been  showered  with  gold  and  silver  when  she  ap- 
peared in  minstrel  and  variety  shows  in  San  Francisco.  The  year  1867 
saw  Edwin  Booth's  magnificent  'Hamlet'  produced  at  the  Academy. 

In  1868,  Charles  Dickens  delighted  large  audiences  in  the  City  Hall 
with  readings  from  his  own  works.  In  the  same  year,  Mrs.  Scott  Siddons, 
great-granddaughter  of  the  immortal  Mrs.  Siddons  of  eighteenth-century 
London,  played  Shakespearean  roles  at  the  Academy. 

A  movement  had  been  afoot  for  a  number  of  years  to  provide  Providence 
with  a  suitable  opera  house.  In  1872,  Colonel  Henry  Lippitt  directed  his 
energies  toward  accomplishing  this  purpose.  Money  to  start  the  enter- 
prise was  raised  in  one  day.  The  structure  was  completed  in  ninety  work- 
ing days,  the  last  nail  being  driven  ten  minutes  before  the  curtain  first 
opened.  During  the  succeeding  years,  such  famous  persons  appeared  on 
the  stage  of  the  Providence  Opera  House  as  Fanny  Janauschek,  Edwin 
and  Junius  Booth,  Charlotte  Cushman,  Adelaide  Neilson,  Mary  Ander- 
son, and  Ada  Rehan. 

During  the  decade  of  the  i88o's,  Sarah  Bernhardt  played  'Camille'  in 
Low's  Opera  House,  which  had  opened  in  1878.  Henry  Irving  appeared  in 


The  Theater  179 


a  number  of  his  Shakespearean  roles  at  Low's;  and  in  1886,  Joseph  Ha- 
worth,  a  native  of  Providence,  played  Romeo  to  Mary  Anderson's  famed 
Juliet.  The  '  Mikado '  was  a  great  success  at  the  Providence  Opera  House 
and  was  recalled  twice.  Later  in  the  decade,  Julia  Marlowe,  Edward  H. 
Sothern,  Salvini,  Annie  Pixley,  and  Modjeska  made  individual  triumphs 
in  Providence. 

Records  of  many  of  the  semi-professional  or  amateur  dramatic  efforts 
in  Rhode  Island  have  been  lost,  or  remain  unpublished.  It  has  been  said 
that  students  in  Brown  University  produced  Otway's  'The  Cheats  of 
Scapin'  hi  April,  1785.  Some  idea  of  the  family  difficulties  which  Christo- 
pher R.  Greene  encountered  in  1807,  when  he  and  several  other  young 
men  organized  the  Thespian  Club,  may  be  obtained  from  a  letter  to  his 
father,  the  Honorable  Job  Greene  of  Greeneville,  Warwick.  'Can  the 
Art,'  wrote  young  Christopher,  'which  displays  the  beauty  of  virtue  and 
exposes  the  deformity  of  vice  in  a  manner  so  deeply  impressive,  be  produc- 
tive of  consequences  so  pernicious  and  destructive? '  In  1859,  the  Provi- 
dence Dramatic  Society  presented  Bulwer-Lytton's  'Richelieu'  with 
James  G.  Markland,  a  prominent  attorney,  in  the  title  role.  This  group, 
which  hired  its  female  members  to  insure  punctuality  and  regularity  of 
attendance  at  rehearsals,  was  virtually  broken  up  by  enlistments  for  serv- 
ice in  the  Civil  War.  In  the  late  i87o's  the  Amateur  Dramatic  Club 
played  before  members  and  their  subscribers;  and  in  the  i88o's  the  Ham- 
mer and  Tongs  Society  of  Brown  University  was  very  successful  with  its 
original  musical  operettas.  The  most  important  '  little  theater '  group  in 
Rhode  Island  was  organized  in  1887  as  the  Talma  Club.  Before  its  origi- 
nal production  the  club  had  dwindled  to  two  members,  but  its  member- 
ship in  1890  was  increased  from  thirty-five  to  almost  one  hundred  and 
forty  and  the  following  year  it  was  incorporated.  One  of  its  active  mem- 
bers, A.  E.  Thomas,  has  become  a  nationally  known  playwright.  Directly 
descended  from  the  Talma  Club  is  the  organization  called  The  Players, 
which  presented  its  first  play  in  the  Talma  Theater  in  1909.  The  theater 
building,  which  had  been  used  as  a  church  and  a  riding  school,  was 
abandoned  for  dramatic  purposes  in  1916,  and  at  present  houses  the 
Providence  Boys'  club.  Although  for  periods  of  a  few  years  they  played 
in  Infantry  Hall  and  in  the  Elks  Auditorium,  The  Players  were  without 
a  permanent  theater  until  they  secured  the  property  at  the  corner  of 
Benefit  and  Transit  Streets  where  the  Barker  Playhouse  now  stands. 
Henry  A.  Barker,  after  whom  the  Playhouse  is  named,  was  a  leading 
member  of  the  group  for  more  than  twenty  years,  and  he  left  funds  for 
its  permanent  support. 


l8o  Rhode  Island:  The  General  Background 

In  Rhode  Island  as  elsewhere,  the  interest  of  the  theater-going  public 
has  been  split  in  recent  years  between  the  legitimate  stage  drama  and  the 
moving  pictures.  When  in  1929,  after  twenty-eight  years  of  outstanding 
dramatic  work,  the  Albee  Stock  Company  discontinued  playing,  the 
moving  pictures  seemed  to  have  won  in  competition  with  the  stage.  The 
Albee  Stock  Company  had  earned  for  itself  a  broad  reputation,  and  had 
numbered  among  its  members  such  players  as  Henry  Hull,  Burton  Chur- 
chill, and  Chester  Morris.  When  its  last  curtain  fell  in  the  Providence 
Opera  House  on  March  14,  1931,  Rhode  Island  was  left  virtually  without 
legitimate  drama. 

At  the  present  time,  however,  traveling  companies  play  before  capacity 
audiences  in  Providence.  During  the  summer,  troupes  of  actors  present 
plays  at  Matunuck.  In  Newport,  the  Casino  Theater  has  presented  in 
recent  seasons  such  distinguished  artists  as  Ina  Claire,  Violet  Kemble 
Cooper,  Grace  George,  Henry  Hull,  and  Basil  Rathbone.  Although  the 
great  days  when  the  Providence  Opera  House  was  the  center  of  Rhode 
Island's  dramatic  activity  are  over,  it  seems  that,  with  the  revival  of  the 
drama  elsewhere  in  the  country,  Rhode  Island  is  also  discovering  new 
life  in  the  legitimate  stage. 


II.   MAIN   STREET   AND 
VILLAGE   GREEN 


BRISTOL 


Town:  Alt.  40,  pop.  11,953,  settled,  1669,  incorporated,  1681,  annexed  to  Rhode 
Island,  1746. 

Railroad  Station:  Providence,  Warren,  and  Bristol  R.R.,  Thames  and  Franklin 

Streets. 

Bus  Station:  New  England  Transportation  Co.,  cor.  Hope  and  Wood  Streets. 

Taxis:  35ff  fare  within  town  limits. 

Piers:  Ferry  to  Prudence  Island,  W.  end  of  Church  Street,  35£  one  way. 

Accommodations:  Limited. 

Information  Service:  Belvedere  Hotel,  Hope  Street. 

Fishing:  Salt-water  fishing  along  the  shores  of  the  town,  no  local  restrictions. 
Swimming:  Bristol  Town  Beach,  Mount  Hope  Bay. 

Yachting:  Bristol  Yacht  Club,  ft.  of  Constitution  St.  Harbor,  Narragansett 
Bay,  and  Mount  Hope  Bay  are  sheltered  waters. 

Annual  Events:  Feast  of  Our  Lady  of  Mt.  Carmel  (Italian)  on  July  16,  Feast 
of  Jesus  Christ  (Portuguese),  May,  church  services,  parades,  band  concerts, 
fireworks.  Water  carnivals  and  yacht  races  in  spring  and  summer. 

BRISTOL,  a  quiet  old  town  under  the  elms  on  the  shore  of  Narragansett 
Bay,  was  probably  named  for  Bristol,  England.  The  prevailing  atmos- 
phere is  old-fashioned  and  restful,  its  tone  is  quiet,  its  temper  conserva- 
tive. It  is  generally  known  as  the  place  where  international  racing  yachts 
are  built,  but  few  realize  that  this  was  once  the  fourth  busiest  seaport  in 
the  country.  Bristol  has  a  deep  harbor  used  by  coastwise  vessels,  fishing 
boats,  and  yachts. 

There  are  few  towns  in  America  that  surpass  Bristol  in  the  artistic  ex- 
cellence of  its  many  old  houses,  and  the  number  of  these  structures  is  so 
large  in  proportion  to  the  size  of  the  town  that  they  dominate  its  charac- 
ter. There  are  many  examples  of  architecture  with  carved  lintels,  Corin- 
thian columns,  glazed  side-lights,  and  other  forms  of  Colonial  detail. 

The  earliest  historical  reference  to  Bristol  (July,  1621)  shows  that  Mon- 
taup,  anglicized  to  Mount  Hope,  was  the  headquarters  of  Philip,  son  of 
Massasoit,  chief  of  the  Wampanoag  Indians.  Some  scholars  believe  that 
Bristol  was  visited  by  the  Norsemen  between  A.D.  1000  and  1008,  but  the 
claim  has  not  been  substantiated.  The  inscription  on  'Dighton  Rock' 
near  Taunton,  Massachusetts,  which  was  one  of  the  chief  points  put 
forth  in  favor  of  Norse  occupation  of  this  region,  has  been  shown  to  be  of 
Portuguese  origin  in  the  sixteenth  century.  About  A.D.  1000,  the  Norse- 
men touched  some  part  of  the  North  Atlantic  coast  between  Narragansett 
Bay  and  the  St.  Lawrence  River  in  Canada,  but  the  exact  spot  has  never 
been  satisfactorily  determined. 

Among  the  old  Indian  grants  conveying  lands  to  the  English  is  one  relat- 


184  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

ing  to  Sowams  (March,  1653),  wherein  Massasoit  and  his  eldest  son, 
Alexander,  agreed  to  remove  from  within  granted  premises  in  favor  of  the 
Plymouth  purchasers.  Soon  after  the  death  of  Massasoit  (1662)  and  Alex- 
ander (1663),  the  remnant  of  the  Wampanoags  under  Philip  gathered 
about  Mount  Hope.  A  fence  was  built  across  the  neck  from  the  Warren 
to  the  Kickemuit  River,  to  mark  the  line  between  the  Indians  and  the 
English.  In  1669,  Plymouth  Colony  granted  one  hundred  acres  of  land 
within  the  present  limits  of  Bristol  to  John  Gorham;  and  in  July,  1672, 
Gorham,  Constant  Smith,  and  James  Brown  were  appointed  by  the  Court 
'  to  purchase  a  certain  parcel  of  land  of  the  Indians,  granted  by  the  Court 
to  said  Gorham.'  John  Gorham  may  be  regarded  as  the  first  white  settler 
in  Bristol.  His  home  was  destroyed  in  June,  1675,  at  the  beginning  of 
King  Philip's  War. 

The  war  began  June  20, 1675,  on  Pokanoket  Neck.  The  Indians  plundered 
the  houses  of  the  settlers  on  the  Neck,  but  it  is  believed  that  they  offered 
no  violence  to  the  settlers  they  met  on  the  way  to  the  raid  because  of  their 
feeling  that  the  side  shedding  first  blood  would  be  conquered.  On  June 
29,  1675,  Philip,  fearing  he  might  be  hemmed  in  on  the  Mount  Hope 
peninsula,  fled  to  Tiverton.  Shortly  after  he  was  compelled  to  retire  to 
the  Nipmuck  country,  and  the  tide  of  war  rolled  away  from  the  Mount 
Hope  lands  to  the  settlements  between  New  York  and  Maine.  For  more 
than  a  year  the  combat  continued,  until  Philip,  deserted  by  his  followers, 
sought  refuge  at  Mount  Hope.  He  was  killed  by  a  renegade  Indian,  Al- 
derman, on  August  12,  1676. 

At  the  close  of  King  Philip's  War,  the  Bristol  lands  were  claimed  by  Ply- 
mouth by  right  of  conquest,  and  were  confirmed  to  that  Colony  by  royal 
decree,  January  12,  1680.  The  Plymouth  Colony  on  September  14, 
1680,  sold  to  John  Walley,  Nathaniel  Byfield,  Stephen  Burton,  and 
Nathaniel  Oliver  all  the  land  now  included  in  the  town  of  Bristol,  except 
that  section  previously  granted  to  John  Gorham.  Bristol  was  incorporated 
by  Plymouth  Colony  on  October  28,  1681.  By  royal  decree,  May  28, 
1746,  the  eastern  boundary  between  Rhode  Island  and  Massachusetts 
was  settled,  and  Bristol  was  annexed  to  Rhode  Island  and  reincorporated. 

Soon  after  its  settlement,  Bristol  people  began  to  engage  in  commerce  with 
the  West  Indies  and  the  Spanish  Main.  The  first  recorded  shipment  (No- 
vember 6,  1686),  consisting  of  a  number  of  horses,  was  consigned  to  the 
'Bristol  Merchant,'  bound  for  Surinam,  British  Guiana.  Slave  trade  was 
introduced  in  Rhode  Island  about  1700,  and  Bristol  was  not  slow  hi  join- 
ing Newport  and  Providence  in  this  highly  profitable  industry.  It  has 
been  estimated  that  over  a  fifth  of  the  total  number  of  slaves  crossed  the 
Atlantic  to  British  America  in  Rhode  Island  vessels,  and  that  of  this  fifth 
Bristol  slavers  carried  the  largest  share.  Shipping  steadily  increased  until, 
before  the  Revolution,  at  least  fifty  vessels  were  owned  and  manned  at 
this  port.  The  vessels  were  usually  of  small  size,  and  many  of  them  were 
sloops.  Horses,  sheep,  pickled  fish,  onions,  carrots,  etc.,  made  up  the  cargo 
on  the  outward  voyage,  and  coffee,  molasses,  sugar,  rum,  and  tropical 
fruits  were  imported.  The  outbreak  of  the  Revolution  struck  hard  at  the 
prosperity  of  this  flourishing  commercial  town. 


Bristol  185 


On  October  7,  1775,  a  British  commander,  Sir  James  Wallace,  sailed  his 
fleet  of  war  vessels  up  Narragansett  Bay  from  Newport,  and  bombarded 
the  town,  but  withdrew  after  levying  a  tribute  of  forty  sheep.  A  number 
of  houses  were  struck  during  the  bombardment,  yet  only  two  lives  were 
lost:  one  child  died  from  exposure,  and  the  Reverend  John  Burt  died  of 
fright. 

A  band  of  five  hundred  Hessian  and  British  troops  advanced  on  Bristol 
from  Warren  on  May  25,  1778.  American  forces  in  Bristol  numbered 
about  three  hundred  men.  The  number  of  the  attacking  party  was  grossly 
exaggerated,  and  the  American  commanders  marched  their  small  force 
out  of  town.  The  British,  finding  the  town  at  their  disposal,  marched 
down  the  main  street  burning  and  pillaging  the  homes.  About  thirty 
buildings,  including  the  Episcopal  Church,  were  destroyed,  and  thirty 
or  more  citizens  were  carried  away  prisoners.  The  town  continued  to 
suffer  from  the  threatening  attitude  of  the  British  troops  at  Newport 
during  the  period  of  their  stay,  1776-79.  After  the  war  the  people  of 
Bristol  rebuilt  the  town,  and  commerce  soon  revived,  especially  the  slave 
trade  with  Africa  and  molasses  and  rum  trade  with  Cuba.  The  first 
cargo,  chiefly  furs,  imported  from  China  was  landed  at  Bristol  in  May, 
1804,  by  the  'Juno,'  a  full-rigged  ship  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  tons,  cap- 
tained by  John  De  Wolfe.  Voyages  to  the  northwest  coast  followed  the 
trade  with  China,  and  a  large  and  profitable  business  was  also  established 
with  ports  in  northern  and  southern  Europe. 

Bristol  was  at  the  zenith  of  its  commercial  prosperity  when  the  second 
war  with  England  broke  out  in  1812.  The  town  sent  out  several  privateers 
during  this  war,  which  were  very  successful.  One  of  them,  the  'Yankee/ 
though  in  service  less  than  three  years,  captured  British  property  amount- 
ing to  about  a  million  pounds  sterling.  It  was  a  little  brigantine  owned 
by  James  De  Wolfe,  who  had  suffered  heavy  losses  from  the  constant 
harassing  of  his  merchantmen  by  English  war  vessels.  Though  privateer- 
ing prospered,  other  commerce  was  nearly  stopped,  and  it  was  with  relief 
that  the  town  received  the  news  of  peace  in  1815.  From  1825  to  1846, 
whale  fishing  was  carried  on  to  a  considerable  extent  by  ships  from 
Bristol.  At  one  time  nineteen  vessels  were  engaged  in  this  business. 
Whale  fishing  began  to  decline  before  the  discovery  of  gold  in  California 
(1849),  but  gold  fever  gave  it  the  death  blow.  Many  of  the  old  merchant 
vessels,  earlier  converted  into  whale  ships,  took  cargoes  of  gold  hunters 
safely  around  Cape  Horn,  and  were  then  suffered  to  go  to  pieces  on  the 
shoals  off  the  coast  of  California. 

Bristol  engaged  in  few  manufacturing  industries  during  the  early  period 
of  its  history.  Several  gristmills  were  established  soon  after  the  town  was 
settled.  Some  were  operated  by  tidal  dams  and  some  by  wind  power. 
The  first  of  these  mills,  operated  by  a  tidal  dam,  was  built  by  Joseph 
Reynolds,  prior  to  1700,  on  Bristol  Neck.  Distilleries  began  manu- 
facturing rum  that  was  shipped  to  Africa  and  bartered  for  slaves.  Rope- 
walks  —  long  sheds  for  spinning  rope-yarn  and  laying  rope  —  and  tan- 
neries were  opened,  but  slowly  passed  out  of  existence.  Shipbuilding 


i&6  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

occupied  a  prominent  place  among  the  early  industries  of  Bristol,  reaching- 
its  peak  about  1850.  Vessels  of  that  period  were  of  light  tonnage,  and 
were  built  for  speed  and  endurance,  rather  than  weight  and  capacity. 

The  nineteenth  century  saw  the  rise  of  many  new  industries  here.  Oil 
works  and  candle  factories  were  established  in  1830,  and  the  business 
was  continued  on  a  profitable  basis  for  more  than  thirty  years.  The 
Bristol  Steam  Mill  Company  erected  the  first  cotton  mill  in  1835.  It  is 
now  the  Namquit  Mill  and  has  changed  from  the  manufacture  of  cotton 
cloth  to  worsted  yarns.  A  sugar  refinery,  established  in  1849,  flourished 
for  a  while,  and  then  stopped.  The  Burnside  Rifle  Company  was  estab- 
lished in  1853  by  Colonel  Ambrose  E.  Burnside.  Colonel  Burnside  in- 
vented a  breech-loading  rifle  while  he  was  on  duty  in  Mexico.  The  Burn- 
side  Company  made  rifles  for  the  Government  until  1857,  when  the 
factory  closed.  The  Herreshoff  Manufacturing  Company,  designers  and 
builders  of  boats,  was  established  in  1863.  The  Cranston  Worsted  Mills, 
now  the  Collins-Aikman  Company,  manufacturers  of  automobile  up- 
holstery fabrics,  worsted  knitting  yarns  and  weaving  yarns,  was  founded 
in  1866.  The  establishing  of  these  and  other  manufactories  has  resulted 
in  a  great  influx  of  Italians  and  Portuguese,  but  Americanization  and 
intermarriage  have  obliterated  racial  differences  somewhat.  The  fish  and 
shellfish  industries  are  growing  enterprises  here,  and  in  them  many  town- 
folk  find  a  ready  source  of  revenue. 

Communication  with  Providence  was  maintained  by  means  of  packet 
sloops  and  stagecoaches,  until  1830;  in  that  year  a  line  of  steamers  was 
established  plying  between  Fall  River  and  Providence,  stopping  at 
Bristol.  In  1857,  the  first  railroad  between  Bristol  and  Providence  went 
into  operation,  and  in  1867  the  Narragansett  Steamship  Company  estab- 
lished steamers  plying  between  New  York  and  Bristol.  The  two  vessels 
built  for  this  company  were  transferred  to  the  Fall  River  Line  in  1869 
(see  Transportation). 


TOUR  1  —  1  m. 

N.  from  State  St.  on  Hope  St. 

i.  Bradford  House  (private),  NE.  cor.  of  Hope  and  State  Sts.,  was  built 
in  1792  on  the  site  of  Deputy-Governor  William  Bradford's  residence 
burned  by  the  British  in  May,  1778.  The  Bradfords  lived  here  in  the 
winter,  and  resided  in  their  home  at  Mount  Hope  during  the  summer 
season.  This  late  Georgian  Colonial  mansion,  a  three-story  frame  house, 
is  almost  square  in  plan,  and  has  a  one-story  portico  projecting  from  the 
west  side,  which  consists  of  six  Ionic  columns.  The  portico  is  surmounted 
by  a  white  parapet  rail.  There  are  white  wooden  quoins  at  the  corners 
of  the  building  which  contrast  sharply  with  the  rich  brown  siding.  A 
heavy  white  cornice  and  parapet  rail  encircle  the  house  above  the  second 


Bristol  187 


floor.  The  third  floor,  set  back  about  three  feet,  is  surmounted  by  a 
similar  cresting. 

2.  Linden  Place  (private),  or  the  De  Wolfe-Colt  Mansion,  cor.  of  Hope 
and  Ward  well  Sts.,  is  one  of  the  most  pretentious  white  frame  houses  of 
the  post-Colonial  period  in  Bristol.   Designed  by  Russell  Warren,  it  was 
built  in  1810  by  George  De  Wolfe,  but  because  of  the  many  alterations 
and  obvious  attempts  that  have  been  made  to  modernize  this  great  three- 
story  structure,  it  has  lost  much  of  its  dignity  and  charm.   Its  architec- 
tural detail  is  designed  in  the  bold  scale  of  the  Classic  Revival  along  with 
the  still  later  and  somewhat  questionable  taste  of  the  early  Victorian 
period.  The  massive  Corinthian  portico  on  the  front,  with  its  wide  three- 
story  gallery,  recalls  the  typical  Southern  manor  house.    The  charming 
parapet  rail  with  its  delicate  cornice-and-finial-cresting,  is  strikingly 
similar  to  that  of  the  De  Wolfe-Middleton  House.    Perhaps  the  most 
curious  feature  of  the  exterior  is  the  one-story  octagonal  wing  adjoining 
at  the  right.   Arcaded,  and  with  its  long  pointed  arch  windows  and  elab- 
orate cresting,  the  wing  resembles  a  tiny  chapel. 

The  spacious  lawn,  with  its  elms  and  bronze  statues,  is  enclosed  by  an 
elaborately  scrolled  wrought-iron  fence  with  three  beautiful  gates.  A 
graceful  gate  head  and  lantern  surmount  the  large  central  gateway,  and 
it  is  said  that  this  unusual  example  of  early  wrought-iron  work  was 
probably  brought  here  from  the  Jerathmael  Bowers  House  (1770)  in 
Somerset,  Massachusetts. 

It  was  from  Linden  Place  that  Rosalie  De  Wolfe,  a  daughter  of  George 
De  Wolfe,  made  her  runaway  match  with  John  Hopper,  son  of  a  Quaker 
philanthropist.  This  couple  later  became  the  parents  of  William  D'Wolf 
Hopper,  better  known  as  De  Wolf  Hopper,  noted  author  and  actor. 

3.  Rogers  Free  Library  (open  daily  3-6,  7-9;  Sat.  3-9),  Hope  St.  opposite 
Wardwell  St.,  was  founded  in  1877  by  Mrs.  Maria  De  Wolfe  Rogers, 
widow  of  a  banker.    The  two-story  building,  with  its  steep  slate  roof 
and  large  dormer  windows,  is  constructed  of  rough-faced  brownstone 
with  carved  trim  and  rich  cap  ornaments.   A  large  mullioned  window  in 
the  high  central  gable,  above  the  entrance  porch,  forms  the  dominant 
architectural  feature  of  the  exterior.    The  upper  part  of  this  window  is 
filled  with  tinted  cathedral  glass.   There  is  an  air  of  solid  dignity  about 
the  building,  befitting  its  purpose,  the  character  of  its  founder  and  its 
neighborhood.    The  library  proper,  housing  a  fine  collection  of  about 
24,000  volumes,  is  on  the  second  floor. 

4.  Colt  Memorial  High  School,  cor.  Hope  and  Bradford  Sts.,  is  a  two-and- 
one-half-story  marble  structure  (1906).    The  main  building  is  square  in 
plan,  with  a  green-tiled  hip  roof.    The  main  central  motif  consists  of  a 
pedimented  portico  with  fluted  Corinthian  columns.    The  building  is 
fronted  with  a  marble,  balustraded  terrace.    The  school  has  an  audito- 
rium seating  400  persons. 

5.  Site  of  Trinity  Church,  NE.  cor.  Hope  and  Bradford  Sts.    The  struc- 
ture was  razed  in  1937  after  more  than  a  half  century  of  service  to  a 


1 88  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

parish  that  owed  much  of  its  prosperity  to  the  beneficence  of  Mrs.  Ruth 
B.  De  Wolfe,  descendant  of  Dr.  Aaron  Bourne,  an  incorporator  of  the 
town  and  one  of  its  first  doctors.  Her  husband  was  a  grandson  of  Mark 
Anthony  De  Wolfe.  Mrs.  De  Wolfe,  who  died  in  1874,  directed  that  the 
greater  part  of  her  large  estate  be  given  to  the  parish  'next  and  first 
organized  according  to  the  usages,  principles  and  canons  of  the  Protes- 
tant Episcopal  Church  in  the  United  States  and  the  Diocese  of  Rhode 
Island/  One  condition  of  the  gift  was  that  the  pews  or  seats  of  the 
church  edifice  that  might  be  erected  should  not  be  sold  or  rented  for  a 
longer  time  than  one  year,  the  wish  of  the  testator  being  that  the  church 
might  be  'maintained  as  nearly  as  possible  on  the  "Free  Seat"  system'; 
another  was  that  the  parish  should  be  organized  and  admitted  to  the  con- 
vention of  the  diocese  before  any  real  estate  should  be  conveyed  to  it. 
The  building  was  completed  in  1878. 

6.  Captain  John  Collins  House  (private),  617  Hope  St.,  built  and  owned 
by  a  sea  captain,  is  a  two-story  white  frame  house  (1838)  of  Greek 
Revival  architecture,  rectangular  in  plan,  and  topped  with  a  gable  roof. 
The  front  gable  of  the  roof  extends  five  feet  from  the  front  wall  to  form  a 
pedimented  portico,  supported  by  four  Ionic  columns.  In  the  tympanum 
of  the  pediment  is  a  small  elliptical  arched  window.  The  main  entrance 
portal  consists  of  a  paneled  door,  surmounted  by  a  classic  entablature. 
There  are  two  red-brick  chimneys  in  the  rear. 

7.  The  Collins  House  (private),  620  Hope  St.,  was  built  (1785)  by  Charles 
Collins,  Collector  of  the  Port  of  Bristol.     Collins  succeeded  Samuel 
Bosworth  as  Collector  of  the  Port  of  Bristol  when,  in  1799,  Bosworth 
persisted  in  his  efforts  to  represent  the  United  States  Government  in 
bidding  for  a  De  Wolfe  vessel,  condemned  for  'a  breach  of  the  law  pro- 
hibiting traffic  in  slaves.'    Bosworth  was  kidnaped,  on  a  signal  from 
Collins,  by  a  company  of  fellow  townsmen  disguised  as  Indians.    They 
bundled  him  off  into  a  boat  and  landed  him  on  the  shore  of  Mount  Hope 
Bay,  more  than  two  miles  away  from  the  scene  of  the  auction  at  which 
he  was  at  that  moment  to  have  played  a  conspicuous  role.    The  house, 
of  Georgian  design,  is  a  two-story  yellow-brick  structure,  square  in  plan, 
and  topped  with  a  fine  cornice  and  low  hipped  roof.    The  windows  are 
surmounted  by  decorative  lintels. 

8.  The  Parker  Borden  House  (private)  (1799),  736  Hope  St.,  is  a  two-and- 
one-half-story  shingled  structure,  erected  for  Captain  Parker  Borden,  a 
wealthy  merchant  who  was  engaged  in  foreign  commerce.  The  house  has 
a  gable  roof,  quoined  corners,  and  an  ell  projecting  from  the  east  side. 
The  main  entrance  portal,  with  its  arched  fan-light,  Ionic  colonnettes, 
and  crowning  pediment,  is  approached  by  a  double  flight  of  brownstone 
steps,  with  an  iron  guard  rail.   The  window  on  the  second  floor,  over  the 
main  entrance,  is  in  the  form  of  a  small  Palladian  motif  which  seems 
rather  out  of  scale  with  the  general  proportion  of  the  exterior.  The  house 
has  never  been  painted;  its  sturdy  wood  exterior  has  long  withstood  the 
New  England  weather. 

9.  Quiteras  Junior  High  School  (1927),  cor.  Hope  and  Washington  Sts., 


THE       URBAN       AND       SUBURBAN 

SCENE 


THESE  glimpses  of  cities  and  towns  reveal  either  general 
characteristics  or  unique  features  not  readily  summarized 
under  specific  headings.  Providence  is  represented  by  a  har- 
bor scene,  decorative  detail  on  the  Fleur  de  Lys  Building,  and 
the  pergola  and  lawn  of  the  John  Brown  House.  Newport 
has  a  scene  of  the  harbor  and  the  well-preserved  Wanton- 
Lyman-Hazard  House.  Bristol  is  represented  by  two  houses, 
one  with  a  characteristically  fanciful  parapet;  and  Westerly 
by  a  small  eighteenth-century  house  typical  of  the  south- 
western part  of  the  State.  The  quiet  country  road  in  Potowo- 
mut  illustrates  the  rural  character  of  the  City  of  Warwick. 


BRADFORD    HOUSF,  HOPH    STRKET,  BRISTOL 


GOVERNOR   WILLIAM    GREENE    HOUSE,  DIVISION    STREET,  WARWICK. 


CAPTAIN    CARD    HOUSE,  WESTERLY 


HARBOR   SCENE,  NEWPORT 


WANTON-LYMAN-HAZARD   HOUSE,  NEWPORT 


TWO   VIEWS   OF    THE    FLEUR    DE    LYS   BUILDING,   7  THOMAS  STREET,  PROVIDENCE 


.1,- 


PROVIDENCE    HARBOR    FROM    FORT   HILL,  EAST    PROVIDENCE 


PERGOLA,  JOHN   BROWN    HOUSE,  PROVIDENCE 


. ii 


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. 


COUNTRY   ROAD,  POTOWOMUT    PENINSULA,  WARWICK 


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STAGE  COACH    INN     f 

AlX. 


REYNOLDS    HOUSE,  HOPE    STREET,  BRISTOL 


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A    PICTURESQUE    CORNER,  ANGELL    AND    BENEFIT    STREETS    PROVIDENCE 


Bristol  189 


was  the  gift  of  Dr.  Ramon  Guiteras  as  a  memorial  to  his  mother,  Elizabeth 
Wardwell  Guiteras.  The  building  is  planned  in  the  form  of  a  crescent. 
Facing  the  main  highway,  the  central  pedimented  portico  of  Indiana 
limestone  is  supported  by  six  Corinthian  columns  and  flanked  by  two- 
story  white-brick  wings. 

10.  Bosworth  House  (private}  ,814  Hope  St. ,  was  built  for  Deacon  Nathaniel 
Bosworth,  born  at  Hingham,  Massachusetts,  in  1651,  and  removed  to 
Bristol  by  way  of  Rehoboth,  Massachusetts,  where  he  lived  for  some 
time.   A  cooper  and  fisherman,  Bosworth  was  also  an  incorporator  of  the 
town  and  the  first  deacon  of  its  first  church  (Congregational),  the  organ- 
ization and  initial  services  taking  place  in  his  home.   The  house,  built  in 
1680,  is  believed  to  be  the  oldest  in  Bristol.   Only  the  southwest  portion 
of  the  present  structure  was  built  by  the  older  Bosworth,  but  his  suc- 
cessors, in  making  additions,  have  preserved  the  original  form,  so  that 
the  two-story,  hip-roof  mansion,  with  its  twelve-paned  windows  and  some- 
what dilapidated  Ionic  portico,  presents  an  air  of  quiet  comfort.   One  of 
its  nineteenth-century  owners  believed  that  several  cannon  balls,  shot 
from  British  vessels  during  the  bombardment  of  the  town  in  1775,  had 
pierced  the  walls  and  lodged  between  the  first-floor  ceiling  and  the  floor 
of  the  second  story.   Incredulous  listeners  smiled  with  disbelief  whenever 
the  story  was  told,  but  when  the  house  was  repaired  in  1863,  several 
large-sized  grapeshot  were  found. 

11.  Reynolds  House  (private],  956  Hope  St.,  was  built  in  1698  by  Joseph 
Reynolds,  and  is  of  an  earlier  Colonial  type  than  some  of  the  other 
prominent  mansions  in  town.  The  main  section  of  this  old  frame  structure, 
almost  square  in  plan,  is  three  stories  high  with  a  long  sharply  sloping 
roof.    The  main  door,  with  its  fan-lights,  pilasters  and  pediment,  is  on 
the  west  side  of  the  house.  On  the  south  side  is  a  small,  plain,  one-story 
portico,  surmounted  by  a  glassed-in  room  that  is  part  of  the  second  story. 
A  low,  two-story,  gable-roof  ell  with  a  tall  brick  chimney  projects  from 
the  house  on  the  east  side.   In  September,  1778,  General  Lafayette  made 
his  headquarters  in  this  house.   Mrs.  Reynolds  was  informed  of  the  ap- 
proach of  her  guest  and  made  suitable  preparation  for  his  reception. 
More  than  an  hour  before  the  time  appointed  for  Lafayette's  coming,  a 
young  Frenchman  rode  up  to  the  house  and,  dismounting,  tied  his  horse 
to  a  tree  which  stood  near-by.   Mrs.  Reynolds  thought  he  was  one  of  the 
general's  attendants,  so  she  sent  her  Negro  servant,  Cato,  to  conduct 
him  to  the  room  designed  for  the  subordinate  officers.   The  young  man 
expressed  a  desire  for  something  to  eat  and  was  seated  at  the  table  pre- 
pared for  his  commander,  though  his  hostess  wondered  that  he  could 
not  control  his  appetite  until  a  more  appropriate  hour.   The  officer  ate 
heartily  of  the  dinner  placed  before  him,  but  sat  so  long  at  the  table 
that  Mrs.  Reynolds  was  forced  to  remind  him  that  his  general  was  mo- 
mentarily expected.   To  her  amazement,  the  young  man  announced  that 
he  was  the  visitor  whose  arrival  the  household  was  awaiting. 


190  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 


TOUR  2  —  0.6  m. 

W.  from  Wood  St.  on  State  St. 

12.  Bristol  Common,  between   State,  Wood,  High,  and  Church  Sts.,  is 
an  eight-acre  tract  set  aside  by  the  town  proprietors  in  1781  for  public 
use.   The  Common,  now  a  park,  includes  an  athletic  field. 

13.  St.  Mary's  Church^  (R.C.),  SE.  cor.  Wood  and  State  Sts.,  is  a  white 
brick  edifice  of  Gothic  design  (1911).    It  has  imported,  hand-painted 
windows,  and  an  Italian  marble  altar  with  statues  on  either  side.   The 
first  St.  Mary's  Church,  a  plain  frame  building,  was  built  in  1855. 

14.  State  Armory  (not  open),  State  St.,  between  High  and  Wood  Sts.,  is 
the  home  of  the  Bristol  Train  of  Artillery,  chartered  in  June,  1794.   By 
the  charter  the  company  was  made  independent  of  all  other  regiments; 
when  in  active  service  it  was  to  be  under  the  command  of  the  Governor 
only.    Its  members  were  exempted  from  ordinary  militia  service.    Two 
brass  field  pieces,  believed  to  have  been  captured  from  the  British  at 
the  surrender  of  Burgoyne,  were  presented  to  the  company  by  the  State 
in  1797. 

15.  Russell  Warren  House  (private]  (about  1800),  86  State  St.,  was  designed 
and  occupied  by  Russell  Warren,  architect  of  many  Bristol  mansions. 
It  is  a  two-and-one-half-story  frame  structure  with  gabled  roof  from 
which  rise  two  cement-coated  chimneys.    The  design  of  the  exterior  is 
somewhat  debased  by  the  bizarre  detail  of  its  decoration.   The  recessed 
entrance  portal  with  its  green  paneled  door,  arched  fan-light,  and  splayed 
reveal,  is  framed  by  curious  angel-posts  and  an  elaborate  lintel.   Above 
the  entrance  is  a  32-pane  flat  window.    The  raked  corner  quoins  are  a 
departure  from  the  usual  form. 

R.  from  State  St.  on  High  St. 

1 6.  Congregational  Church,  cor.  High  and  Bradford  Sts.,  is  a  gray  stone 
edifice  with  granite  trim.   The  church  was  built  in  1855-56,  and  is  an 
example  of  Gothic  Revival  architecture.  A  tower  on  the  northwest  corner 
is  surmounted  with  belfry  and  turrets.    A  chapel,  dedicated  in  1870, 
adjoins  the  church  edifice.    The  first  Congregational  meeting-house  in 
Bristol  was  erected  in  1683,  on  the  site  where  the  Courthouse  now  stands. 
The  church  possesses  many  historic  treasures,  among  which  are  two  cups, 
dated  1693,  the  gift  of  Nathaniel  Byfield,  one  of  the  original  proprietors 
of  the  town  and  a  founder  of  the  church. 

17.  Baptist  Church,  High  St.,  between  State  and  Church  Sts.,  is  a  granite 
edifice  of  Gothic  design,  with  bell-tower.    The  First  Baptist  Church 
in  Bristol  was  founded  by  Dr.  Thomas  Nelson.    He  came  to  Bristol  in 
1801,  but  shortly  afterward  decided  to  continue  on  to  New  York.    A 
terrific  storm  arose,  the  ship  was  wrecked,  and  all  were  lost  except  Nelson 
and  one  other.   This  incident  made  him  feel  that  he  was  another  Jonah, 


Bristol  191 


who  had  attempted  to  flee  from  the  Lord.  Dr.  Nelson  returned  to 
Bristol  in  1811,  and  with  23  members  formed  the  church.  Arrangements 
were  made  to  build  a  substantial  edifice,  but  the  parishioners  were  too 
poor  to  bear  all  the  expense  of  its  erection,  although  the  town  had  granted 
them  a  portion  of  the  Common  as  a  site;  extra  funds  were  procured  by 
a  lottery.  The  Stone  Chapel,  as  the  church  building  was  called  for  many 
years,  was  completed  in  1814. 

18.  Bristol  County  Courthouse,  High  St.  opposite  Court  St.,  is  a  two- 
and-one-half-story,  cream-colored  building  of  Federal  architecture.    It 
was  built  about  1817,  and  has  been  recently  renovated.    The  structure 
is  adjoined  by  a  two-story  addition  in  the  rear,  and  surmounted  by  an 
octagonal  cupola.    Here  the  General  Assembly  met  occasionally  until 
1844.   The  building  houses  the  Superior  Court,  the  Fifth  District  Court, 
and  a  juvenile  court. 

R.  from  High  St.  on  Court  St. 

19.  Burnside  Memorial  Building  (open  9-12,  1-5),  SE.  cor.  Court  and 
Hope  Sts.,  was  built  in  1883-84,  and  named  in  honor  of  General  Burnside, 
of  Civil  War  fame.   The  building  is  constructed  of  granite,  with  brown- 
stone  trim.    It  houses  the  various  offices  of  the  town  government.    On 
the  south  side  of  the  hall  is  the  Soldiers'  and  Sailors1  Monument;  sur- 
mounting a  large  rock  is  the  bronze  figure  of  a  Union  soldier,  and  by 
his  side  a  sailor  with  the  flag  and  an  upraised  sword. 

Ambrose  E.  Burnside  (1824-81)  was  born  at  Liberty,  Indiana.  He  was 
graduated  from  West  Point  in  1847,  and  served  in  the  army  until  1852, 
when  he  resigned  to  manufacture  a  breech-loading  rifle  of  his  own  in- 
vention. The  factory  for  the  latter,  situated  in  Bristol,  was  later  incor- 
porated into  the  Herreshoff  plant.  After  a  few  years  in  the  rifle  business, 
Burnside  moved  to  Illinois,  where  he  became  (1858)  treasurer  of  the 
Illinois  Central  Railroad.  On  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War  he  entered 
the  Union  army  as  colonel  of  the  First  Regiment  of  Rhode  Island  Vol- 
unteer Infantry.  He  commanded  a  brigade  at  the  first  battle  of  Bull  Run; 
as  major-general  he  had  charge  of  the  left  wing  of  the  Union  army  at  the 
battle  of  Antietam.  In  November,  1862,  he  succeeded  McClellan  as 
commander  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  In  December,  he  crossed  the 
Rappahannock  River  to  attack  Lee  at  Fredericksburg,  where  he  was 
badly  repulsed.  He  conducted  lesser  commands  later  in  the  war  with 
competence;  his  services  elicited  formal  thanks  from  Congress,  President 
Lincoln,  General  Grant,  and  the  General  Assembly  of  Rhode  Island. 
Burnside  was  Governor  of  the  State  1866-69,  and  United  States  Senator 
from  1875  until  his  death  in  September,  1881.,  Aside  from  his  public 
career,  Burnside  is  remembered  for  the  kind  of  whiskers  he  popularized. 

L.  from  Court  St.  on  Hope  St. 

20.  Howe-Ckur  chill- Diman  House  (private)   (1809),  341  Hope  St.,  was 
built  by  the  grandfather  of  Mark  Anthony  De  Wolfe  Howe.    It  is  a 
yellow  clapboarded  structure  designed  in  the  early  Federal  style.    The 
house  is  two  stories  high,  with  a  small  colonnaded  portico  projecting 


192  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

from  the  front.  A  vestibule  with  blank  side  walls  encloses  more  than 
one-half  the  portico.  There  is  a  stately  entrance  portal  set  in  an  ellip- 
tical arch  with  fan-  and  side  lights.  The  delicately  corbeled  cornice  of  the 
house  is  surmounted  by  an  elaborate  white  railing  with  diamond  paneling, 
urn  finials,  and  white  spread  eagles  on  the  four  corner  posts.  Shortly 
after  the  War  of  1812,  this  house  was  the  home  of  one  of  Bristol's  out- 
standing privateersmen,  Captain  Benjamin  Churchill.  He  ornamented 
the  four  corner  posts  of  the  roof  railing  with  carved  eagles,  thereby 
replying  to  the  challenge  of  a  neighboring  privateersman  who  had  capped 
his  dwelling  with  a  pilot  house.  The  next  prominent  occupant  of  the 
house  was  Byron  Diman,  a  native  of  Bristol  and  a  business  associate  of 
James  De  Wolfe.  He  was  the  Lieutenant-Go vernor  of  the  State,  1840-42, 
1843-46,  and  Governor,  1846-47. 

21.  St.  Michael's  Church,  Hope  St.  between  Church  and  Constitution 
Sts.,  was  built  in  1 860-61.   It  is  of  Victorian  Gothic  design  constructed 
of  freestone,  with  a  steeple  on  the  southwest  corner.   The  Chapel  (1877) 
is  a  rough  brownstone  edifice  with  walls  laid  in  broken  ashlar.    The 
doors  and  inside  finish  are  of  ash,  and  most  of  the  floors  are  of  Southern 
hard  pine.    The  windows  on  the  south  side  are  glazed  with  decorated 
cathedral  glass,  those  on  the  north  side  have  plain  glass  with  tinted 
borders.    The  church  society  was  established  in  1721  by  the  Reverend 
James  Orem,  who  was  succeeded  in  1723  by  John  Usher.    During  the 
latter's  pastorate  a  town  law  was  passed  requiring  him  to  support  all 
the  widows  of  the  parish  out  of  his  salary.   In  May,  1778,  the  old  St. 
Michael's  Church  was  burned  by  a  raiding  band  of  British  soldiers  from 
Newport,  who  supposed  that  the  tombs  under  the  church  were  the  town's 
powder  magazines.    Until  the  close  of  the  Revolution,  anti-English  feel- 
ing caused  Episcopal  services  to  be  suspended.   Later  the  parish  experi- 
enced two  notable  revivals,  in  1812  and  1820,  the  latter  so  fervent  that 
shops  were  closed  and  business  came  to  a  standstill. 

R.  from  Hope  St.  on  Constitution  St. 

22.  The  Collins- Aikman  Company  (open  on  application  to  the  superin- 
tendent), 1 80  Thames  St.,  long  known  as  the  Cranston  Worsted  Mills, 
stands  as  a  substantial  expression  of  the  work  of  the  late  Charles  B. 
Rockwell,  who  made  a  close  study,  both  here  and  abroad,  of  the  sorting 
and  preparation  of  wool  and  the  art  of  converting  it  into  novelty  yarn. 
In  1886,  he  founded  the  Cranston  Worsted  Mills,  at  Cranston,  and  soon 
purchased  the  former  Pokanoket  Steam  Cotton  Mill,  in  Bristol.    The 
plant  has  since  been  much  enlarged.   In  1927,  the  business  was  merged 
with  the  Collins-Aikman  Corporation,  manufacturers  of  Ca-Vel  and  other 
plush  automobile  upholstery,  fabrics  for  which  about  80  per  cent  of  the 
Bristol  product  is  used;  the  remainder  of  the  output  is  yarn  for  weaving 
and  knitting. 

23.  From  Thames  St.,  looking  west,  is  a  broad  and  panoramic  View  of 
Bristol  Harbor,  Poppasquash  Neck,  and  Hog  and  Patience  Islands  (see 
Tour  5).   There  were  Revolutionary  Intrenchments  along  the  west  side  of 
Thames  St.  during  the  Revolution;  they  were  built  along  the  shore,  ex- 


Bristol 


193 


tending  south  from  the  foot  of  State  St.  to  the  foot  of  Burton  St.  They 
comprised  a  wall  five  feet  high,  built  of  turf  and  stones,  and  filled  on  the 
inside  with  loose  earth  and  small  stones;  nothing  remains  of  the  old  work. 


TOURS 

N.  from  the  town  center  on  Hope  St.  (State  114). 
Left  from  Hope  St.  on  Colt  Drive. 

On  either  side  of  the  entrance  to  the  Drive  is  a  capped  marble  pedestal, 
about  eight  feet  high,  on  which  stands  a  bronze  bull. 

24.  On  the  Drive,  between  Hope  St.  and  the  shore,  where  the  Drive 
enters  the  Colt  estate  proper,  is  the  Bristol  Poor  Farm,  a  spacious  estate 
with  a  plain  stone  house  standing  in  a  group  of  elm  trees.   The  property  was 
presented  to  the  town  by  Captain  James  De  Wolfe.    When  the  gift  was 
made,  a  fellow  citizen  is  said  to  have  remarked, '  Why,  Captain  De  Wolfe, 
there'll  never  be  need  for  so  large  a  poor  farm  in  this  small  town.'   The 
old  gentleman,  who  was  already  troubled  by  his  son's  tendency  to  ex- 
travagance, replied  with  a  smile,  'Oh,  my  grandchildren  will  be  coming 
to  live  on  that  farm  yet,  and  they  are  accustomed  to  plenty  of  room.' 

On  the  grounds  of  the  Colt  estate  itself,  the  Drive,  about  2  m.  long, 
winds  along  the  rock-strewn  shore  of  Narragansett  Bay  (R),  and  then 
turns  east  (L)  toward  the  built-up  section  of  Bristol. 

End  of  Colt  Drive  at  Poppasquash  Rd. 

A  short  distance  (R)  on  Poppasquash  Rd.  is  Point  Pleasant  Farm,  where  once  lived 
Nathaniel  Byfield.  He  was  the  youngest  of  21  children  in  a  family  prominent  in 
English  Church  and  Court;  he  landed  in  Boston  in  1674  from  England.  During 
a  period  of  six  years  in  Boston,  he  married  and  became  wealthy.  In  1680,  when 
the  deeds  for  Bristol  were  granted,  he  acquired  a  large  estate,  and  began  an  active 
life  on  behalf  of  the  town.  When  a  court  was  established  with  the  incorporation, 
he  became  chief  judge,  and  was  five  times  a  delegate  to  the  General  Court  in 
Boston.  He  held  the  position  of  Chief  Justice  in  the  Court  of  General  Sessions  of 
the  Peace  and  Common  Pleas  for  38  years.  In  1702,  Governor  Dudley  appointed 
him  Judge  of  Probate  for  the  County  of  Bristol.  In  1724,  feeling  that  he  deserved 
a  rest,  he  retired  to  Boston,  where  he  died  in  1733.  John  Brown  Herreshoff  of  the 
boat  yard  also  once  lived  on  this  farm. 

Left  from  Colt  Drive  on  Poppasquash  Rd. 

Poppasquash  Road  extends  along  the  west  shore  of  Bristol  Harbor  on 
Poppasquash  Neck.  There  is  a  view  to  the  eastward  (R)  of  the  harbor 
and  the  town  of  Bristol,  and  (L)  stretches  a  broad  landscape  dotted 
here  and  there  with  farmhouses  and  modest  estates.  Poppasquash  Neck, 
the  westernmost  promontory  of  the  township,  projects  into  Narragansett 
Bay.  Probably  the  first  settlers  on  the  Neck  were  a  small  group  of 
squatters  from  Providence,  who  found  it  a  convenient  fishing  ground. 

25.  Near  the  exit  of  Colt  Drive  is  the  De  Wolfe-Middleton  House  (1808), 
designed  by  Russell  Warren  and  built  by  William  De  Wolfe,  father  of 
Maria  De  Wolfe  Rogers.    The  house  is  sometimes  called  'Hey  Bonnie 


194  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

Hall.'  It  was  the  custom  of  Mrs.  Middleton,  his  granddaughter,  to  sing 
'Hey  the  Bonnie'  a  Scotch  ballad  of  which  Mr.  De  Wolfe  was  very  fond. 
When  approaching  his  end,  having  sunk  into  a  lethargy  from  which  no 
efforts  would  arouse  him,  after  a  long  time  of  unconsciousness  he  opened 
his  eyes  and  said, '  Where  is  my  little  "  Hey  the  Bonnie  "? '  These  were  his 
last  words,  and  from  them  Mrs.  Middleton  gave  the  name  to  this  old  home- 
stead. The  mansion,  a  Northern  house  with  a  Southern  plan,  is  an  excellent 
example  of  post-Colonial  architecture.  The  east  portico  is  supported  by 
two  Corinthian  columns  which  rise  to  the  roof,  and  the  smaller  columns 
at  either  side  of  the  entrance  door  support  a  balcony  protected  by  the 
porch  roof.  The  proportions  of  the  house  are  well  balanced  and  the  large 
wings  suggest  the  Virginia  plantation  house.  There  is  a  sense  of  dignity 
and  simplicity  of  design  in  the  detail  of  the  windows  and  the  pilasters, 
and  the  hand-carving  of  the  balusters  is  unusual.  Old-fashioned  flower- 
gardens  dot  the  lawns. 

Beyond  the  Middleton  House,  Poppasquash  Rd.  winds  around  the  west 
and  north  sides  of  Bristol  Harbor. 

26.  At  the  junction  of  Poppasquash  Rd.  and  Hope  St.  is  the  Site  of  a 
British  Encampment.  Here  a  band  of  Bristol  troops  were  stationed  on 
May  26,  1778,  while  scouts  were  sent  forward  to  reconnoiter.  The  scouts 
seized  an  aged  woman,  and  threatened  to  take  her  as  a  prisoner  to  New- 
port unless  she  informed  them  of  the  number  and  location  of  the  American 
troops  and  the  situation  of  the  leading  houses.  The  terrified  woman 
quickly  gave  the  desired  information,  and  the  British  soldiers  marched 
through  the  town.  As  the  soldiers  marched  along,  small  squads  were  sent 
out  from  time  to  time  to  visit  the  houses.  Many  of  the  homes  were 
plundered  and  many  persons  were  taken  prisoner.  It  is  related  that  when 
the  British  troops  reached  the  corner  of  Hope  and  State  Sts.,  their  com- 
mander was  addressed  in  a  pompous  manner  by  a  gentleman,  with  the 
salutation,  'I  am  a  friend  of  the  King.'  'You  are  just  the  man  we  want. 
Fall  in!'  was  the  reply,  and  he  was  carried  away  captive. 

R.  from  Poppasquash  Rd.  on  Hope  St.  to  center  of  town. 


TOUR  4 

S.  from  front  of  Burnside  Memorial  on  Hope  St. 

27.  Herreshoff  Manufacturing  Company  (open  on  application  to  superin- 
tendent), Hope  and  Burnside  Sts.,  was  established  in  1863.  When  John 
Brown  Herreshoff,  a  lover  of  boats  who  was  stricken  with  blindness  at 
the  age  of  18,  accepted  a  commission  to  design  and  build  a  yacht  for 
Thomas  Clopham,  he  began  an  industry  that  throve  beyond  all  expecta- 
tions and  brought  international  fame  and  honor  to  himself  and  to  Bristol. 
In  his  early  years,  Herreshoff  had  acquired  such  a  knowledge  and  'feel' 
of  boats  that  his  blindness  was  no  obstacle.  The  handwork,  however, 


Bristol  195 


was  done  by  his  brother,  Nathanael  Greene  Herreshoff,  called '  The  Wizard 
of  Bristol.'  John  had  an  exceptional  memory  and  a  photographic  mind. 
His  method  was  to  dictate  specifications  to  his  brother,  who  would 
construct  a  model;  then  by  feeling  of  the  model,  he  could  find 'defects  and 
suggest  improvements  with  uncanny  intuition.  A  secondary  faculty  was 
his  ability  to  estimate  the  cost  of  a  boat  down  to  the  last  dollar,  and 
no  one  was  ever  able  to  take  advantage  of  him. 

Though  the  name  Herreshoff  has  come  to  connote  a  long  list  of  successful 
America's  Cup  Defenders,  dating  back  to  1893  and  including  the  'Vigilant,' 
'Columbia,'  'Reliance,'  and  'Resolute,'  this  plant  has  designed  and  built 
hundreds  of  pleasure  craft  and  service  vessels.  In  beginning  his  work  in 
1863,  John  B.  Herreshoff,  then  only  22  years  old,  hired  a  crew  of  men, 
procured  supplies  of  seasoned  lumber,  and  fitted  up  an  old  tannery  as  a 
shop.  In  the  next  year,  nine  sailing  craft,  ranging  in  length  from  22  to 
35  feet,  were  launched.  As  the  business  grew,  the  old  Burnside  Rifle 
Factory  was  bought  and  converted  into  a  sawmill  for  producing  the 
plant's  own  lumber.  By  1868,  Herreshoff  had  built  his  first  steamer,  the 
'Annie  Morse,'  following  it  in  1870  with  the  'Seven  Brothers,'  a  pioneer 
fishing  steamer  on  the  Atlantic  coast. 

From  time  to  time  cup  defender  yachts  can  be  seen  at  the  Herreshoff 
Company's  dock.  The  'Resolute'  was  built  to  defend  America's  Cup 
against  Sir  Thomas  Lipton's  'Shamrock  IV  in  1914,  but  owing  to  the 
World  War,  the  race  was  postponed  until  1920  when  the  'Resolute'  was 
again  named  to  defend  the  Cup.  This  series  (1920)  was  the  first  in  which 
the  defender  and  challenger  were  sailed  by  amateur  crews.  In  the  first 
race  of  the  series,  the  'Resolute'  parted  the  throat  halyard  of  her  main- 
sail and  broke  the  gaff-jaws,  so  she  had  to  be  towed  back.  This  is  the 
first  instance  of  a  defender  failing  to  cross  the  finish  line.  The  second 
race  was  also  won  by  the  challenger,  but  the  '  Resolute '  won  the  remain- 
ing three  races,  and  retained  the  Cup. 

The  first  torpedo  boat  built  in  this  country  was  built  at  the  Herreshoff 
boat  yards  in  Bristol  in  1885.  This  boat,  named  'Stiletto/  was  originally 
a  yacht,  and  it  was  built  as  an  experiment.  It  was  sold  to  the  Govern- 
ment in  1887,  and  was  refitted  as  a  torpedo  boat.  According  to  the  meager 
records  at  the  Herreshoff  Company,  the  boat  was  94  feet  in  length,  with 
an  1 1 -foot  beam,  and  was  of  wooden  construction.  It  had  an  engine  and 
a  single  screw.  The  'Stiletto'  was  on  duty  in  Newport  until  after  the 
World  War. 

Along  this  elm-roofed  highway,  the  southern  end  of  Hope  St.,  lined  with 
palatial  residences  and  estates,  are  occasional  views  (R)  of  the  placid 
waters  of  Mount  Hope  Bay  and  numerous  yachts  lying  at  anchor. 

R.  from  Hope  St.  on  Ferry  Rd.;  L.  from  Ferry  Rd.  on  Griswold  Am.;  L. 
from  Griswold  Ave.  on  Metacom  Ave. 

28.  Mount  Hope  Farm  (open  by  appointment)  (R),  Metacom  Ave.,  is  on 
an  elevation  overlooking  Mount  Hope  Bay.  This  was  once  an  Indian 
village  and  the  home  of  the  noted  Indian  sachem,  King  Philip.  It  has 


196  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

recently  been  restored  to  its  natural  beauty  and  is  being  preserved  as  a 
reservation  reminiscent  of  Indian  life. 

King  Philip's  Chair,  a  group  of  stones  rolled  together  to  resemble  a  chair, 
is  a  little  north  of  the  top  of  the  mount.  It  was  from  this  chair  that 
Philip  addressed  his  men  and  other  tribesmen  during  his  reign. 

The  King  Philip  Museum  (open  by  appointment)  is  at  the  summit  of  the 
elevation.  It  was  established  in  1904,  and  occupies  the  probable  site  of 
the  home  of  King  Philip.  The  building  is  a  plain,  one-story  concrete 
structure,  and  it  houses  notable  collections  and  exhibits  of  about  75,000 
Indian  relics. 

On  the  side  of  the  road  leading  to  the  museum  is  a  granite  stone  that 
marks  the  spot  where  King  Philip  was  killed  (see  Indians).  Just  north 
of  this  marker  is  King  Philip's  Spring,  sometimes  called  Cold  Spring. 
According  to  tradition,  Philip  is  said  to  have  drunk  of  its  water  just 
before  he  was  ambushed  and  slain.  When  the  news  was  brought  to  Cap- 
tain Benjamin  Church  that  King  Philip  and  a  band  of  Pokanoket  Indians 
had  taken  refuge  in  the  swamp  at  the  foot  of  Mount  Hope,  he  immediately 
set  out  for  the  place  with  his  company,  made  up  of  Indians  and  English- 
men. Captain  Church  rightly  conjectured  that  the  hunted  band  would 
rush  into  the  swamp  as  soon  as  the  alarm  was  given,  and  therefore  placed 
a  part  of  his  company  in  ambush  behind  the  trees,  pairs  of  Englishmen 
and  Indians  being  placed  together.  Philip  was  relating  to  his  friend  a 
dream  which  had  disheartened  him  in  the  night;  the  dream  had  placed 
him  in  the  hands  of  his  foes,  and  it  seemed  to  him  to  presage  his  speedy 
end.  At  this  moment,  one  of  his  followers  happened  to  glance  toward 
the  spot  where  two  of  their  enemy  were  concealed.  The  Englishman  saw 
the  glance,  and,  thinking  himself  discovered,  fired  his  gun.  The  Poka- 
nokets,  without  resisting,  at  once  plunged  forward  to  escape,  and  Philip 
rushed  straight  upon  two  men  of  the  party  in  ambush.  An  Englishman 
first  aimed  at  the  chieftain,  but  his  gun  missed  fire;  his  companion, 
Alderman,  one  of  the  Sakonnet  tribe,  fired,  his  bullet  penetrated  the 
heart  of  Philip,  and  he  fell  forward  upon  his  face  in  the  mire.  Alderman 
was  given  the  head  and  the  scarred  hand  by  which  Philip's  corpse  was 
identified,  and  the  headless  trunk  was  quartered  and  left  unburied  on 
the  ground. 

Senator  Bradford  House  (private)  (about  1770),  on  Mount  Hope  Farm,  is 
a  dignified  mansion  of  Georgian  Colonial  architecture.  It  is  a  two-and- 
one-half-story  white  frame  house,  rectangular  in  plan,  with  two  squatty 
chimneys  rising  from  the  peak  of  its  gambrel  roof.  The  central  doorway 
consists  of  a  white  paneled  entrance  door  surmounted  by  a  classical 
pediment  supported  by  two  Ionic  pilasters.  Pedimented  dormer  windows 
project  from  the  roof  on  the  west  side.  The  windows  of  the  house  have 
very  small  panes,  and  are  topped  by  corniced  headings. 

It  was  once  occupied  by  Colonel  Isaac  Royall  of  Medford,  a  British 
Loyalist  and  a  member  of  the  King's  Provincial  Council  for  22  years. 
Royall  fled  to  England  in  1776,  where  he  died  in  1781.  He  bequeathed 


Bristol  197 


about  2000  acres  of  land  in  Worcester  County,  Massachusetts,  to  found 
the  first  Law  Professorship  of  Harvard  University.  The  Mount  Hope 
Farm  lands  were  confiscated  by  the  State  during  Revolutionary  days, 
were  sold,  and  the  proceeds  were  appropriated  to  help  support  the  militia. 
Later  it  became  the  home  of  William  Bradford,  Deputy-Governor  and 
later  United  States  Senator  from  Rhode  Island.  Bradford  died  in  July, 
1808,  and  the  property  was  inherited  by  his  son-in-law,  James  De  Wolfe, 
youngest  son  of  Mark  Anthony  De  Wolfe. 

During  the  War  of  1812,  Captain  James  De  Wolfe  sponsored  several 
privateers,  including  the  'Yankee.'  One  of  his  vessels  brought  into 
Bristol  a  prize  heavily  laden  with  gold,  and  the  captain  carried  the  gold 
to  his  home,  The  Mount,  where  he  spread  it  on  the  floor  and  then  lay 
down  in  it  exclaiming,  'I  have  always  meant  to  roll  in  wealth.'  After 
the  war,  James  De  Wolfe  appeared  as  a  man  of  affairs  extending  his 
shipping  ventures  into  whaling  and  commerce  with  China.  Foreseeing  the 
future  of  cotton  manufacturing,  he  established  the  Arkwright  Mills  in 
Coventry,  in  1812.  He  was  influential  in  local  politics,  was  United 
States  Senator  1821-25. 

R.  from  Metacom  Ave.  on  Town  Beach  Rd. 

29.  Bristol  Town  Beach,  at  the  end  of  this  road,  is  a  fine  sandy  beach  on 
the  west  shore  of  Mount  Hope  Bay.     Here  is  also  a  five-acre  picnic 
ground,  equipped  with  tables  and  fireplaces  (open;  free). 

30.  Near  the  end  of  Town  Beach  Rd.  is  the  Site  of  Narrows  Fort,  a 
small  fortification  built  in  1675  during  King  Philip's  War.    It  was  here 
that  Captain  Benjamin  Church,  when  on  his  singular  and  adventurous 
expedition  to  capture  Anawon,  one  of  Philip's  warriors,  roasted  horse- 
beef  for  his  men  in  August,  1676.    Here  also  Church  confined  several 
prisoners;  he  'had  catched  ten  Indians,'  and  guarded  them  all  night  in 
one  of  the  flankers  of  the  garrison. 

31.  On  the  shore  of  the  bay,  about  0.4  m.  north  (L)  from  the  end  of 
Town  Beach  Rd.  (reached  by  walking)  is  Northmen's  Rock.    It  is  about 
ten  feet  long  and  six  feet  wide;  popular  conjecture  associates  this  rock, 
upon  which  is  a  strange  inscription,  with  the  visit  of  the  Vikings.    It  is 
believed  that  as  the  boat  of  the  Northmen  approached  the  shore,  the 
broad  flat  surface  of  the  rock  presented  itself  invitingly  to  their  feet 
amid  the  huge  round  boulders  that  covered  most  of  the  shore.   When  the 
party  set  out  to  explore  the  surrounding  country,  so  the  story  goes,  one 
of  their  number  was  left  in  charge  of  the  boat.   He  seated  himself  upon 
the  rock  and  amused  himself  by  cutting  his  name  and  the  figure  'of  his 
boat  upon  its  surface. 

PRUDENCE  ISLAND,  in  Portsmouth  Township,  lying  about  four 
miles  SW.  of  Bristol,  is  reached  by  a  Ferry  from  Church  St.  Dock  (fare  35^ 
one  way) .  The  island  is  about  6  miles  long  and  i  mile  wide,  and  was  largely 
wooded  until  the  Revolution  when  much  of  the  natural  growth  was  used 
by  the  British  for  fuel.  There  are  a  few  permanent  residences  on  the 


198  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

island,  and  within  the  past  few  years  several  summer  places  have  been 
developed. 

The  island  was  purchased  from  the  Indians  soon  after  Roger  Williams 
settled  at  Providence  in  the  summer  of  1636.  In  the  i65o's  an  attempt 
was  made,  under  authority  of  the  Duke  of  York,  to  develop  it  into  a  feudal 
estate,  known  as  Topley  or  Sophy  Manor.  Two  small  engagements  were 
fought  on  the  island  during  1776. 


NEWPORT 


City:  Alt.  o-ioo,  pop.  27,612,  sett.  1639,  incorp.  1784-1853. 

Railroad  Station:  N.Y.,  N.H.  &  H.  R.R.,  foot  of  West  Marlborough  St. 

Airport:  Newport  Airport,  no  scheduled  service,  3.5  m.  north  of  Washington 

Square,  Broadway  and  State  114  to  Chase  Lane  turn-off. 

Information  Service:  Chamber  of  Commerce,   127  Thames  St.;  Automobile 

Club  of  Rhode  Island,  15  Pelham  St.;  Automobile  Liability  Association,  26 

Long  Wharf. 

Accommodations:  Six  hotels  and  numerous  inns,  boarding-houses,  restaurants, 
and  taverns. 

Piers:  Interstate  Navigation  Co.  to  Block  Island  from  June  i  to  September 
15  inclusive,  steamboat  leaves  Perry  Mill  Wharf  daily;  Jamestown  and  New- 
port Ferry  Co.,  Market  Square,  hourly  service;  U.S.  Government  Ferry  to 
Torpedo  Station,  Government  Landing. 

Theaters:  The  Newport  Casino  presents  a  series  of  stock  productions,  afternoon 
concerts,  and  other  entertainments  during  the  summer  season. 

Annual  Events:  Newport  Casino  Tennis  Tournament,  in  August;  New  York 
Yacht  Club  Annual  Cruise;  the  Astor,  King  and  Brenton  Cup  Races  held  an- 
nually in  August,  off  Brenton's  Reef  Course;  the  International  Cup  Races  off 
Brenton's  Reef  Course  in  September  of  the  challenge  year. 

Fishing:  Anywhere  along  the  coast  of  Newport,  in  its  harbor  or  off  the  rocks, 
salt-water  fishing  may  be  enjoyed  —  no  local  restrictions. 

Swimming:  Newport  Beach  Pool,  Bath  Road;  Y.M.C.A  Pool,  Mary  St.;  Army 
and  Navy  Y.M.C.A.  Pool,  Washington  Sq.;  Newport  Beach,  Bath  Road; 
Hazard's  Beach,  Ocean  Ave.;  Viking  Beach,  Ocean  Ave.;  Bailey's  Beach, 
Ocean  Ave. 

Yachting:  Ida  Lewis  Yacht  Club,  Wellington  Ave.;  Newport  Yacht  Club,  Swan 
Ave.;  N.Y.  Yacht  Club,  N.Y.Y.C.  Wharf.  Newport  has  a  sheltered  harbor  for 
yachts  of  all  sizes,  and  Narragansett  Bay  offers  the  yachting  enthusiast  great 
opportunities. 


Newport  199 


THE  City  of  Newport  covers  the  jagged  peninsula  on  the  southwestern 
end  of  the  Island  of  Rhode  Island  that  looks  like  a  crumpled  old  boot, 
with  its  toe  pointing  westward  into  Narragansett  Bay  and  its  sole  and 
rear  to  the  Atlantic  Ocean.  The  old  center  is,  roughly,  at  the  front  of  the 
ankle  on  sheltered  Newport  Harbor.  The  famous  Ten-Mile  Drive  con- 
necting great  estates  along  the  shore  is  a  loop  that  winds  nearly  straight 
south  from  the  center,  swings  west  along  the  sole  and  winds  back  over  the 
toe  to  the  center  again. 

There  are  three  distinct  Newports:  the  first  is  the  blunt  old  center,  now 
partly  dependent  on  the  army  and  navy  bases  and  the  summer  resort; 
the  second  is  the  military  and  naval  Newport,  which  lives  on  its  own 
reservations;  and  the  third  is  the  opulent  resort  Newport  behind  and 
below  the  old  center.  Each  of  the  three  Newports  ignores  the  others. 

Perhaps  fortunately,  the  representatives  of  the  Gilded  Age  who  pre- 
empted the  ocean  shores  of  the  city  and  built  the  palaces  that  at  one 
period  made  the  rest  of  the  country  bracket  Newport  with  Babylon, 
were  too  grandiose  in  their  tastes  to  be  interested  in  anything  as  unpre- 
tentious and  simple  as  the  houses  and  public  buildings  of  the  old  city; 
and  they  managed  to  impress  the  world  with  the  idea  that  the  ocean 
shore  was  the  only  desirable  place  to  live  or  visit.  Hence  the  old  town  has 
never  been  'restored'  to  that  state  of  professional  quaintness  character- 
istic of  other  seaboard  cities  that  have  attracted  summer  populations.  So 
detached  is  the  old  city  from  the  resort  area  that  its  business  district  has 
neither  the  militant  neon-signed  aggressiveness,  the  ultra-smart  branches 
of  New  York  shops,  nor  the  other  'shoppes'  of  the  usual  recreational 
centers. 

The  natural  attractions  of  Newport  are  great,  but  the  city  has  become 
even  better  known  for  the  achievements  or  activities  of  its  inhabitants, 
past  and  present.  On  every  hand  are  beautiful  country  seats  of  every 
known  style  and  order  of  architecture;  there  are  flourishing  old  churches 
and  new  ones;  good  libraries,  and  last  but  not  least  a  Society,  spelled 
with  a  large  capital  S. 

The  population  of  the  city  is  increased  in  summer  by  throngs  of  visitors 
and  semi-permanent  residents.  Many  of  the  summer  residents  stay  for  a 
long  season  of  four  months.  The  more  fashionable  season  is  shorter,  be- 
ginning about  the  middle  of  July  and  ending  the  first  of  September. 
During  this  season  the  '400'  fill  the  avenues  with  gorgeous  turnouts,  the 
harbor  with  yachts,  the  houses  and  clubs  with  elegantly  dressed  men  and 
women.  There  is  also  a  gay  winter  season  in  Newport,  when  families  of  the 
army  and  navy  officers  give  dinners,  balls,  and  impromptu  entertainments. 

The  main  section  of  the  city  is  built  on  a  gentle  slope,  so  that  the  houses 
and  churches  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  city  are  on  much  higher  ground 
than  those  close  to  the  harbor-front.  Many  of  these  streets  are  interesting 
in  themselves  because  the  old  portion  of  the  city,  near  the  wharves,  is  but 
little  changed  from  the  Newport  of  two  hundred  years  ago.  Here  are  the 
same  old-fashioned  houses,  the  same  crooked,  narrow  streets.  Here  and 


2OO  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

there  pretentious  new  structures  look  down  upon  their  older  neighbors 
with  a  disdainful  air,  but  they  are  not  numerous  enough  to  change  ma- 
terially the  face  of  things.  Running  parallel  with  the  wharves  is  Thames 
Street,  or  the  Strand  as  it  formerly  was  called.  It  is  a  narrow  street,  with 
narrow  sidewalks,  lined  by  old  high  gable-roofed  stores  and  warehouses. 
From  the  artery  of  the  business  section  branch  off  many  side  streets 
leading  to  another  long  thoroughfare,  Spring  Street,  which  is  also  parallel 
to  the  waterfront,  and  lined  with  close-set  frame  houses,  many  of  them 
preserving  their  eighteenth-century  doorways. 

The  climate  of  the  city  is  healthy  and  delightful;  the  proximity  of  the 
ocean  modifies  the  temperature  so  that  it  is  eight  to  ten  degrees  higher  in 
winter  and  about  the  same  amount  lower  in  summer  than  that  of  inland 
cities  on  the  same  latitude. 

Newport  was  probably  named  for  Newport,  the  capital  of  the  Isle  of 
Wight,  which  the  island  of  Aquidneck,  or  of  Rhode  Island,  somewhat 
resembles. 

Newport  was  founded  in  the  spring  of  1639  by  a  small  band  of  men  under 
the  leadership  of  John  Clarke  and  William  Coddington  (see  History). 
The  two  latter  had  earlier  resided  in  Boston,  where  their  sympathies  with 
the  Antinomian  movement  had  brought  them  into  disfavor  with  the 
Massachusetts  authorities.  With  about  fifteen  associates,  Clarke  and 
Coddington  left  Boston  for  Roger  Williams'  settlement  at  Providence 
in  March,  1638.  Williams  helped  them  to  purchase  Aquidneck,  or  the 
Island  of  Rhode  Island,  from  the  Indians,  whereupon  the  group  settled 
first  near  the  north  end  of  the  island,  in  what  is  now  Portsmouth  (see 
Tour  6).  With  the  subsequent  appearance  at  Portsmouth  of  other  and 
more  numerous  emigrants  from  Massachusetts,  who  succeeded  under 
their  leader,  Anne  Hutchinson,  in  gaining  political  control  of  the  settle- 
ment, some  of  the  first  comers  decided  to  locate  elsewhere. 

On  April  28,  1639,  William  Coddington,  Judge;  Nicholas  Easton,  John 
Coggeshall,  William  Brenton,  Elders;  John  Clarke,  Jeremy  Clarke, 
Thomas  Hazard,  Henry  Bull,  William  Dyer,  Clerk,  agreed  at  Pocasset 
[Portsmouth]  'to  propagate  a  plantation  in  the  midst  of  the  island,  or 
elsewhere,'  and  shortly  thereafter  they  removed  to  the  southern  end  of 
Aquidneck. 

Nicholas  Easton  and  his  two  sons,  Peter  and  John,  went  by  boat  to  an 
island  in  present  Newport  Harbor,  where  they  lodged;  naming  it  Coaster's 
Harbor  Island  (see  Motor  Tour  1).  The  other  members  of  the  company 
soon  arrived,  and  all  looked  about  for  the  best  site  of  a  permanent  settle- 
ment. There  was  a  swamp  where  Thames  Street  is  now,  so  the  settlers 
crossed  over  to  the  present  Newport  Beach.  Fearing  that  this  location 
would  be  unsafe  for  shipping,  they  returned  to  the  harbor  and  began  the 
town  near  the  junction  of  what  is  now  West  Broadway  and  Marlborough 
Street. 

On  May  16,  1639,  it  was  agreed  that  'the  plantation  now  begun  at  the 
s.w.  end  of  the  island  shall  be  called  Newport;  and  that  all  lands  lying 


Newport  201 


northward  and  eastward  from  said  town  towards  Pocasset  [Portsmouth], 
for  the  space  of  5  miles,  and  so  cross  from  sea  to  sea,  with  all  lands  s  and 
w,  bounded  with  the  main  sea  [Atlantic  Ocean],  together  with  the  small 
islands  and  the  grass  on  Conanicut,  is  appointed  for  the  accommodation 
of  said  town.  It  is  ordered  that  the  town  shall  be  built  upon  both  sides 
of  the  spring  [near  junction  of  Broadway  and  Spring  St.],  and  by  the 
sea-side,  southward.' 

On  July  n,  1639,  John  Clarke,  Robert  Jeffreys,  and  William  Dyer  were 
empowered  'to  lay  out  all  the  lands  for  the  town's  accommodation;  as 
also  all  highways,  with  house  allotments,  and  the  disposition  of  several 
farms  to  the  persons  inhabiting.'  Thames  Street  was  the  first  to  be 
planned  and  was  made  one  mile  long.  The  first  house  lots  were  laid  out 
on  the  north  side  of  Washington  Square :  four  acres  were  allotted  for  each 
house  lot. 

In  November,  1639,  commissioners  were  chosen  in  Newport  to  treat  with 
Portsmouth  regarding  a  union  of  the  two  towns  under  a  sort  of  federal 
government.  The  combination  was  effected  in  1640.  The  two  settlements 
agreed,  in  March,  1640,  to  be  ruled  by  a  governor,  deputy  governor,  and 
four  magistrates  called  assistants.  The  governor  and  two  assistants  were 
to  be  chosen  from  one  town,  and  the  deputy  governor  and  two  assistants 
from  the  other.  William  Coddington  was  elected  as  the  first  governor. 

On  August  6,  1640,  Robert  Lenthal  was  invited  to  take  up  his  abode  in 
the  town  '  to  keep  a  public  school  for  learning  of  the  youth.'  This  was  the 
first  school  established  in  Rhode  Island,  though  how  long  it  endured  is 
uncertain  (see  Education). 

On  September  17,  1641,  the  town  of  Newport  authorized  Robert  Jef- 
freys to  '  exercise  the  function  of  Chirurgerie '  which  at  the  time  included 
shaving. 

When  Rhode  Island  secured  its  first  English  charter  in  1644,  John  Cogges- 
hall  of  Newport  became  the  first  chief  executive  of  the  Colony;  he  was 
called  president  rather  than  governor,  and  his  assistants  were  William 
Coddington  of  Newport,  John  Sanford  of  Portsmouth,  Roger  Williams 
of  Providence,  and  Randall  Holden  of  Warwick. 

In  1651  the  people  of  Newport  were  astonished  to  learn  that  William 
Coddington  had  secured  an  English  patent  making  him  governor  of 
Aquidneck.  The  island  towns  reluctantly  submitted  to  his  authority,  but 
sent  John  Clarke  to  England,  with  Williams  from  Providence,  to  have  the 
Coddington  commission  revoked.  News  of  the  success  of  this  mission 
arrived  in  February,  1653,  and  soon  after  Newport  and  Portsmouth  re- 
sumed their  former  political  associations  with  the  rest  of  the  Colony  on 
the  mainland.  Ten  years  later,  John  Clarke  of  Newport  was  instrumental 
in  securing  the  second  Colonial  charter,  the  King  Charles  Charter  of  1663 
(see  History). 

John  Clarke  was  also  a  prominent  religious  leader,  who  assisted  in  found- 
ing the  Newport  Baptist  Church,  the  second  in  America. 


2O2  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

Shipbuilding  began  in  Newport  soon  after  the  town  was  founded.  A 
vessel  of  one  hundred  tons  burden  or  more  was  built  here  in  1646  for  the 
New  Haven  Colony.  In  1649,  Bluefield,  a  French  pirate,  came  into 
Newport  and  sold  a  prize,  but  the  authorities  would  not  allow  him  to 
purchase  a  frigate  he  desired,  fearing  that  he  would  attack  their  coastwise 
commerce  which  was  then  fairly  well  established. 

Less  than  twenty  years  after  the  founding  of  Newport,  William  Codding- 
ton  was  shipping  horses  to  the  Barbados,  where  some  were  used  to  furnish 
power  in  sugar  mills.  By  1675,  the  island  farms,  which  have  the  best  soil 
in  the  State,  were  furnishing  exports  for  the  middle  and  southern  Colonies, 
the  West  Indies,  and  Europe.  Wool  was  sent  to  France  in  exchange  for 
linen;  horses,  beef,  pork,  butter,  cheese,  and  flour  went  to  the  Barbados 
for  sugar,  molasses,  and  indigo ;  and  codfish,  haddock,  and  mackerel  were 
exported  to  the  West  Indies  and  southern  Europe  in  exchange  for  salt, 
rice,  and  wines. 

Newport  early  became,  as  did  other  Rhode  Island  towns,  a  haven  for 
those  who  left  the  Mother  Country  or  other  American  Colonies  for  re- 
ligion's sake.  To  Newport  in  particular  came  the  Quakers.  On  August  3, 
1657,  a  small  vessel,  the  'Woodhouse,'  entered  Newport  Harbor  bringing 
six  Friends  —  the  original  apostles  of  Quakerism  on  these  shores.  Many 
influential  and  wealthy  people  on  the  island  embraced  their  doctrines, 
among  whom  were  William  Coddington,  William  Brenton,  and  Nicholas 
Easton.  Quakers  came  to  hold  the  chief  offices  in  the  Colony;  for  two 
centuries,  at  least,  they  exerted  a  calm  and  restraining  influence  in  local 
affairs. 

Among  the  many  women  who  became  Friends  was  Mary  Dyer,  wife  of 
the  secretary  of  the  Colony.  In  1660  she  was  hanged  in  Boston,  Massa- 
chusetts, for  returning  to  that  Colony  after  having  been  warned  to 
keep  her  'pernicious  and  dangerous  doctrine  elsewhere.'  When  George 
Fox  came  to  New  England  in  1671,  he  made  Newport  his  headquarters. 
Another  of  the  early  Friends  was  Edward  Wanton,  who  came  to  Rhode 
Island  from  Scituate,  Massachusetts,  where  he  had  quarreled  with  the 
minister  over  the  obligatory  support  of  the  Congregational  church. 
Wanton's  two  sons,  and  two  later  descendants  (though  not  all  were 
Quakers,  since  the  later  generations  embraced  the  Episcopal  faith), 
became  governors  of  Rhode  Island. 

In  Colonial  days,  Newport  was  an  important  center  of  the  Jewish  people 
in  America.  The  first  Jews  to  settle  in  the  city  were  fifteen  families  who 
came  from  Holland  in  1658.  They  immediately  formed  a  religious  congre- 
gation, the  Jeshuat  Israel.  For  a  century  after  this  the  Jews  of  Newport 
worshiped  in  their  homes;  a  synagogue,  still  standing  at  72  Touro  Street, 
was  built  in  1763.  The  first  group  of  Newport  Jews  brought  with  them 
the  first  degrees  of  Masonry,  and  established  what  is  believed  to  be  the 
first  lodge  of  Freemasons  in  America. 

The  early  Hebrew  group  was  augmented  in  1694  by  several  families  from 
Curacao,  and  in  1755  by  many  who  were  driven  from  Portugal  by  earth- 


Newport  203 


quakes.  Jacob  Rodrigues  Rivera,  who  is  credited  with  introducing  the 
spermaceti  industry  to  the  Colonies,  arrived  in  1745  with  a  group  of 
refugees  from  the  Spanish  Inquisition,  and  Aaron  Lopez,  who  became 
his  business  partner  and  son-in-law,  arrived  in  1752.  These  names  are  out- 
standing in  the  history  of  Jewry  in  America.  The  early  Newport  Jews 
were  men  of  means  and  liberal  education;  they  became  prosperous  mer- 
chants and  flourished  until  the  Revolution,  with  its  British  occupation 
of  the  city,  nearly  destroyed  local  commerce.  The  original  Jewish  colony 
then  dispersed,  some  of  its  members  migrating  to  southern  States. 

When  news  of  the  restoration  of  Charles  II  to  the  English  throne  reached 
the  Colony  in  October,  1660,  Governor  William  Brenton  of  Newport 
ordered  a  day  of  thanksgiving  and  public  rejoicing  in  each  town.  In 
Newport  huge  bonfires  were  lighted  on  the  lime  rocks,  site  of  the  present 
Ida  Lewis  Yacht  Club;  the  townspeople  paraded  through  the  streets 
with  a  band.  A  figure  of  Oliver  Cromwell  was  followed  by  a  man  dressed 
as  Satan,  with  a  long  tail  that  he  used  to  prod  the  Lord-Protector  with,  to 
the  delight  of  the  crowd. 

Benedict  Arnold,  great-grandfather  of  the  Revolutionary  War  traitor, 
moved  from  Providence  to  Newport  in  1653.  He  was  the  first  governor 
of  Rhode  Island  under  the  charter  of  Charles  II,  and  is  believed  to  have 
built  the  Old  Stone  Mill  in  Touro  Park. 

In  1671,  a  Seventh  Day  Baptist  church  was  organized  in  Newport.  In 
1672,  George  Fox,  the  Quaker  leader,  preached  in  Newport,  and  Roger 
Williams,  then  seventy-three  years  old,  held  a  debate  with  three  Fox 
disciples  at  the  old  Quaker  meeting-house  in  Newport. 

Newport  was  little  touched  by  King  Philip's  War  of  1675-76,  save  that 
many  settlers  to  the  north  and  west  fled  to  the  island  for  greater  safety 
from  the  Indians. 

A  royal  custom-house  was  established  at  Newport  in  1681. 

In  1687,  Edmund  Andros,  Governor- General  of  the  Dominion  of  New 
England,  stopped  at  Newport  and  thereupon  demanded  the  Rhode  Island 
charter.  He  did  not  gain  physical  possession  of  the  document,  since 
Governor  Walter  Clarke  had  sent  it  to  his  brother  to  be  hidden,  but  the 
independent  government  of  the  Colony  was  declared  suspended  (see 
History).  Local  self-government  was  resumed  two  years  later  on  the 
collapse  of  the  Dominion. 

In  1726,  the  printer  James  Franklin,  brother  of  Benjamin,  left  Boston 
and  came  to  Newport,  where  he  sought  to  find  greater  freedom  of  the 
press.  He  did  not  revive  his  New  England  Courant,  which  had  caused  so 
much  trouble  in  Boston,  but  printed  a  few  pamphlets,  parts  of  the  Rhode 
Island  laws,  and  in  1730  issued  an  edition  of  Berkeley's  Alciphron.  He 
used  his  press  also  for  printing  designs  on  silks,  calicoes,  and  linens.  In 
1732,  he  founded  the  State's  first  newspaper,  the  Rhode  Island  Gazette. 
In  1758,  James  Franklin,  Jr.,  began  the  Newport  Mercury,  a  publication 
that  has,  with  one  brief  interruption  during  the  Revolution,  come  down 


2O4  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

to  the  present  day,  thus  establishing  a  venerable  record  for  continuous 
publication. 

John  Mumford  made  a  survey  of  Newport  in  1712,  with  a  map  showing 
the  streets  and  principal  buildings.  The  main  artery  was  Thames  Street. 
Spring  Street  began  at  Griffin,  now  Touro  Street,  and  stopped  a  little 
south  of  Mary  Street.  The  part  of  Spring  Street  from  Griffin,  northerly, 
was  called  Bull  Street,  and  it  stopped  at  Broad.  The  only  streets  which 
ran  easterly  to  the  crest  of  the  hill,  now  at  Bellevue  Avenue,  were  Griffin 
and  Mill  Streets.  The  compact  part  of  the  town  was  from  the  town 
pound,  at  the  head  of  Broad  Street,  to  Thames  Street.  The  public 
buildings  at  this  time  were  the  schoolhouse,  between  Queen  and  Ann 
Streets,  and  Governor  Bull's  house  (1693)  on  Spring  Street.  The  north- 
ern part  of  this  stone  building  was  used  as  a  jail.  The  only  meeting-house 
was  that  of  the  Friends,  erected  in  1700,  which  stands  at  30  Marlborough 
Street. 

The  General  Assembly  of  the  Colony,  in  1715,  appropriated  £289  for 
paving  the  streets  of  Newport. 

On  July  19,  1723,  twenty-six  pirates  were  convicted  and  hanged  at  a  spot 
a  little  south  of  Long  Wharf;  their  bodies  were  carried  to  Goat  Island  and 
buried  between  the  high  and  low  water  mark. 

The  arrival  in  1729  of  George  Berkeley,  Dean  of  Derry,  was  a  noteworthy 
event  in  the  history  of  Newport,  for  the  learned  doctor,  who  took  up 
residence  in  near-by  Middletown  (see  Tour  6),  sought  to  improve  local 
politics,  learning,  and  art.  He  brought  with  him  a  number  of  cultured 
gentlemen,  among  whom  was  Smibert  the  painter  (see  Art  and  Artists). 
Berkeley  is  also  supposed  to  have  suggested  the  formation  of  the  literary 
society  that  afterward  became  the  Redwood  Library  Company. 

Regarding  the  religious  atmosphere  of  Rhode  Island,  Berkeley  wrote  in 
1729  to  a  friend  in  Dublin:  'Here  are  four  sorts  of  Anabaptists,  besides 
Presbyterians,  Quakers,  Independents  and  many  of  no  profession  at  all. 
Notwithstanding  so  many  differences  here  are  fewer  quarrels  about  re- 
ligion than  elsewhere,  the  people  living  peaceable  with  their  neighbors  of 
whatsoever  permission.' 

It  was  about  this  time  that  Nathanael  Greene,  father  of  the  Revolutionary 
general,  caused  considerable  gossip.  While  passing  an  evening  at  the 
home  of  one  of  the  Wantons,  many  visitors  dropped  in,  including  every 
clergyman  in  town.  A  punch  was  prepared,  and  the  unity  of  spirit  which 
ensued  was  surprising.  The  Reverend  Honeyman  thought  there  was  not 
half  as  much  virtue  in  a  surplice  as  he  had  always  believed,  and  Parson 
Clapp  concluded  there  was  less  error  in  the  established  church  than  he 
had  supposed.  The  Jewish  Rabbi  agreed  that  if  the  Messiah  had  not 
already  come,  the  sound  of  His  chariot  wheels  was  in  the  air,  and  the 
Baptist  brethren  cheerfully  admitted  that  to  or  into  the  water  was  very 
much  the  same  thing.  When  the  party  sallied  into  the  street,  'the  He- 
brew and  the  Episcopalian  locked  arms,  and  abandoned  themselves  to 
a  contemplation  of  the  heavenly  bodies,'  and  th£  others  'betook  them- 


Newport  205 


selves  to  making  Virginia  fences  from  one  side  of  the  street  to  the  other.' 
Nathanael  Greene  had  been  '  seized  with  some  mild  affection  of  the  knees, 
which  made  the  assistance  of  a  negro  in  going  up-stairs  quite  convenient/ 
Next  morning  the  ministers  omitted  their  usual  services  in  order  to  at- 
tend the  Friends  meeting  at  which  Greene  was  to  speak.  The  meeting- 
house was  filled  to  capacity.  At  length,  Nathanael  Greene  arose,  and  in 
a  tremulous  voice,  counseled  all  his  hearers  to  be  temperate,  especially  in 
the  use  of  strong  drink. 

From  1647  to  1743,  the  majority  of  Rhode  Island  governors  were  New- 
port men.  The  general  elections  were  held  in  Newport,  although  freemen 
residing  elsewhere  were  allowed  to  vote  by  proxy.  Party  spirit  ran  as 
high  then  as  it  has  since,  and  the  guiding  maxim  was  'all  is  fair  in  love 
and  war  and  elections.'  It  was  a  common  practice  to  get  freemen  'half 
seas  over '  and  strand  them  on  Prudence  Island  far  distant  from  the  polls, 
and  on  one  occasion  it  is  reported  a  sloop  filled  with  voters  was  purposely 
run  on  the  harbor  rocks  'in  order  to  have  the  majority  on  the  right  side.' 

Between  the  years  1746-50  Newport  received  many  Scottish  immigrants, 
among  them  being  Edward  Scott,  grand-uncle  of  Sir  Walter  Scott.  He 
was  for  more  than  twenty  years  master  of  a  grammar  and  classical  school 
here,  and  was  an  active  member  of  the  Philosophical  Society  and  a  li- 
brarian of  the  Redwood  Library  Company. 

On  June  16, 1743,  the  northern  part  of  Newport  was  set  off  into  a  separate 
town,  and  named  Middletown. 

In  1756,  the  many  Negro  slaves  in  the  city,  who  had  observed  the  pride 
which  their  masters  took  in  their  government,  and  the  zest  with  which 
they  strove  for  office  and  preferment,  conceived  the  idea  of  imitating  the 
whites  by  establishing  a  government  of  their  own.  Their  election  took 
place  in  June,  and  every  Negro  who  had  a  pig  and  sty  was  allowed  to  vote. 
After  the  '  election '  the  Negroes  escorted  their  '  governor '  to  the  place  of 
inaugural,  at  the  corner  of  Thames  and  Farewell  Streets.  After  these 
elections  both  the  victors  and  vanquished  united  in  innocent  carousing. 

In  1761,  there  were  888  dwelling  houses  and  439  warehouses  and  stores  in 
Newport. 

As  noted  above,  the  early  industries  in  Newport  were  farming,  fishing, 
and  shipbuilding.  At  the  beginning  of  the  eighteenth  century  the  trade 
in  rum  and  molasses  brought  about  an  intense  local  activity;  distilling, 
sugar  refining,  brewing,  and  the  making  of  sperm  oil  and  spermaceti 
candles,  created  a  prosperous  Newport. 

The  one  shadow  on  this  happy  picture  was  the  African  slave  trade  in 
which  Rhode  Island  was  more  concerned  than  any  other  Colony,  with 
Newport  the  chief  Rhode  Island  slave  center.  In  1708,  the  British  Board 
of  Trade  addressed  a  circular  to  all  the  Colonies  relative  to  trade  in 
Negro  slaves,  which  read  in  part,  '  It  is  absolutely  necessary  that  a  trade 
so  beneficial  to  the  kingdom  should  be  carried  on  to  the  greatest  advan- 
tage.' In  1707-08,  the  Colony  laid  an  import  tax  of  £3  on  each  Negro 
imported.  The  proceeds  were  large;  in  1729,  some  of  the  money  was 


206  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

appropriated  for  paving  the  streets  of  Newport,  and  some  for  constructing 
bridges.  The  tax  was  repealed  in  1732. 

Many  fortunes  were  amassed  in  the  slave  trade.  Fifty  or  sixty  vessels 
were  engaged  in  this  traffic,  and  their  owners  were  among  the  leading 
merchants  of  the  city. 

Newport's  era  of  greatest  prosperity  was  from  1740  to  1775.  During 
King  George's  War,  many  privateers  were  fitted,  and  sent  back  to  this 
port  over  twenty  prizes,  some  of  them  very  valuable.  In  the  French  and 
Indian  War,  1754-63,  Newport  had  fifty  vessels  engaged  in  privateering; 
but  at  the  same  time  more  than  a  hundred  merchantmen  from  this  port 
were  captured  by  the  enemy.  In  spite  of  this,  182  vessels  cleared  from 
Newport  for  foreign  voyages,  and  352  for  coastwise  ports,  between 
January  i,  1763,  and  January  n,  1764. 

The  profits  from  commerce  not  only  made  profits  for  Newporters,  but 
laid  the  base  for  a  cultured  society.  The  Literary  and  Philosophical  So- 
ciety (1730)  and  the  Redwood  Library  were  notable  creations  of  an  in- 
tellectual sort.  In  the  mid-eighteenth  century,  Newport  became  a 
1  Mecca '  for  many  aristocratic  southern  families  who  came  here  to  spend 
the  summer.  These  early  summer  colonists  were  mainly  from  South 
Carolina,  Georgia,  and  Baltimore.  They  did  not,  like  their  modern  suc- 
cessors, build  palaces  on  the  open  shore  front;  rather  they  took  up  resi- 
dence in  the  compact  part  of  the  town  where  they  bought  or  rented 
rather  modest  houses  for  their  entertaining.  After  1750,  many  wealthy 
English  planters  from  the  West  Indies  found  their  way  here  for  extended 
visits. 

In  1761,  Newport  was  visited  by  a  theatrical  group  under  the  direction 
of  David  Douglass,  from  Williamsburg,  Virginia.  They  erected  a  tem- 
porary theater  near  Dyer's  Cove  and  gave  several  of  Shakespeare's  plays. 
At  this  time  the  young  ladies  of  Newport  were  said  to  be  especially  charm- 
ing for  the  color  of  their  cheeks,  lightness  of  foot,  and  grace  of  deportment. 
The  fact  that  many  of  them  were  from  Quaker  families  did  not  interfere 
with  their  participation  in  social  activities.  Besides  the  theater  and  teas, 
there  were  parties  at  Fort  George,  on  Goat  Island.  The  shops  offered  fine 
silks,  laces,  pottery,  tea,  and  objects  of  art  from  Europe  and  the  Orient. 

The  'first  families'  generally  ended  the  summer  season  with  autumn 
corn-husking  festivals.  Most  of  those  who  attended  brought  their  slaves 
to  do  the  real  work.  After  a  little  pretense  at  husking,  the  guests  would 
sit  down  to  a  magnificent  feast,  and  then  repair  to  the  ballroom  for  danc- 
ing. These  festivities  sometimes  continued  several  days,  and  while  the 
masters  made  merry  in  the  parlor,  the  slaves  disported  themselves  in  the 
kitchen  and  outhouses. 

Over  this  scene  of  commercial  activity  and  social  splendor  fell  the  shadow 
of  the  Revolution.  In  1769,  when  the  British  began  an  aggressive  policy 
of  law  enforcement  on  the  island,  Newport  was  in  the  zenith  of  its  glory; 
it  would  have  been  a  rash  prophet  who  would  then  have  asserted  that 
New  York  might  one  day  equal  Newport  as  a  commercial  city.  The 


.Newport  207 


townspeople  were  well  educated;  many  lived  in  substantial  and  hand- 
some houses;  and  the  wealthy  merchants  dispersed  generous  hospitality 
to  an  ever-changing  throng  of  visitors.  The  Newport  of  that  period 
lingered  in  the  visitors'  memory  as  a  place  of  gay  entertainment,  of  scarlet 
coats  and  brocade,  lace  ruffles  and  powdered  hair,  high-heeled  shoes  and 
gold  buckles,  delicate  fans  and  jeweled  swords,  delicately  bred  women  and 
cultured  men.  Even  in  Europe  the  town  was  noted  for  the  elegance  of  its 
society.  Every  indication  seemed  to  point  to  it  as  a  future  metropolis  of 
the  New  World. 

Few  people  had  greater  reason  to  fear  a  rupture  between  the  Colonies 
and  England  than  the  merchants  of  Newport,  though  many  of  them  were 
willing  to  adopt  strong  measures  to  secure  laws  more  favorable  to  their 
interests.  Trouble  began  in  the  summer  of  1764,  when  the  officer  on  the 
British  schooner  'St.  John'  seized  a  cargo  of  sugar  at  Rowland's  Ferry 
in  the  Sakonnet  River.  A  group  of  Newporters  stoned  the  schooner; 
and  when  she  attempted  to  get  under  the  protection  of  the  man-of-war 
'Squirrel,'  the  mob  went  to  a  battery  near-by  and  opened  fire  on  the 
vessels.  The  mob  dispersed  when  the  '  Squirrel '  brought  the  battery  under 
her  broadside.  In  May,  1765,  the  'Maidstone'  came  into  the  harbor  and 
impressed  several  seamen  from  ships  arriving  there.  One  day  when  a  brig 
from  Africa  was  seized  and  the  whole  crew  impressed  by  the  English,  an 
angry  mob  seized  one  of  the  '  Maidstone's '  boats  and  dragged  it  to  the 
Common,  where  it  was  burned. 

In  July,  1769,  the  '  Liberty '  brought  into  Newport  a  captured  Connecticut 
brig  and  sloop.  During  the  night  the  townspeople  cut  the  'Liberty's' 
cable,  and,  when  she  drifted  to  shore  near  Long  Wharf,  burned  her. 
Shortly  after  the  destruction  of  the  'Liberty/  a  number  of  British  ships 
in  command  of  Captain  James  Wallace  arrived  in  the  harbor,  to  remain 
until  after  the  outbreak  of  the  Revolution.  In  the  spring  of  1776,  the 
townspeople  opened  fire  on  Wallace's  ships  from  numerous  points  along 
the  shore  and  drove  the  fleet  out  of  the  harbor. 

On  December  7,  1776,  a  British  fleet  under  Sir  Peter  Parker  sailed  up  the 
Sakonnet  River  and  landed  about  9000  English  and  Hessian  troops  in 
Middletown.  The  following  day  the  soldiers  commanded  by  General 
Henry  Clinton  and  Lord  Percy  took  possession  of  Newport,  and  held  it 
for  three  years.  This  occupation  dealt  a  serious  blow  to  the  city;  some  of 
its  patriotic  citizens  fled  to  safety  on  the  mainland;  others,  of  royalist 
leanings,  left  with  the  British  in  1779.  The  population  declined  from 
9209  in  1774  to  5229  in  1776,  and  a  further  decrease  came  later. 

In  the  spring  of  1777,  Clinton  and  Lord  Percy  departed  with  a  part  of 
the  British  army  for  New  York,  and  General  Richard  Prescott  succeeded 
to  the  command.  During  the  summer  the  troops  lived  in  tents,  but  in  the 
winter  they  were  quartered  on  the  inhabitants.  The  town  suffered  the 
abuses  common  to  a  military  occupation;  the  old  Colony  House  was 
made  into  a  hospital;  all  the  churches,  except  Trinity  and  the  Seventh 
Day  Baptist,  were  turned  either  into  stables  or  barracks;  wharves  were 
ripped  up ;  trees  were  cut  down  for  fuel ;  and  nearly  five  hundred  buildings 


208  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

were  destroyed.  Newport  was  much  less  happily  treated  than  New  York 
under  similar  circumstances. 

In  July,  1778,  the  French  fleet  under  Count  D'Estaing  entered  Newport 
Harbor,  the  British  retiring  before  them.  Several  British  ships  were  run 
ashore  and  burned.  Presently  Lord  Howe  appeared  in  the  offing  with  a 
large  British  fleet,  and  D'Estaing  sailed  out  to  give  battle.  A  terrible 
storm  came  on,  which  dispersed  both  fleets.  After  several  days,  the 
French  squadron  returned  to  Newport,  but  instead  of  remaining  to  drive 
the  British  off  the  island,  D'Estaing  sailed  to  Boston  to  refit  his  ships. 
The  defection  of  the  French  disheartened  the  Americans  who  were  expect- 
ing to  make  a  joint  attack  from  the  northeast  by  land.  The  commanding 
officer,  General  John  Sullivan  of  New  Hampshire,  ordered  the  Americans 
to  fall  back  to  hills  in  northern  Portsmouth,  there  to  await  the  return  of 
the  French.  It  was  during  this  retreat,  August  29,  1778,  that  the  battle 
of  Rhode  Island  was  fought  (see  Tour  6). 

In  October,  1779,  the  British  troops  were  ordered  back  to  New  York. 
On  October  25,  the  troops  marched  out  of  the  city  to  Brenton's  Point  to 
embark.  The  inhabitants  of  the  town  were  warned  to  keep  inside  their 
houses  during  the  evacuation,  which  they  did,  but  the  moment  the  ships 
set  sail,  the  people  rushed  down  to  the  shore  and  bade  the  departing  red- 
coats no  very  complimentary  farewell.  Upon  their  departure  the  English 
took  with  them  the  town  records,  many  books  from  the  Redwood  Library, 
and  some  church  bells.  The  vessel  containing  the  records  sank  in  Hell 
Gate,  but  some  of  the  records  were  rescued.  American  troops  reoccupied 
Newport  on  October  26, 1779.  During  the  winter  of  1779-80  began,  under 
State  authority,  the  confiscation  of  Tory  estates.  This  winter  was  a 
severe  one;  Narragansett  Bay  was  frozen  over  for  six  weeks  and  pro- 
visions were  dear;  wood  sold  for  twenty  dollars  a  cord,  corn  at  four  dollars 
a  bushel,  and  potatoes  at  two  dollars. 

The  British  possession  of  Newport  was  followed  by  the  more  pleasant 
French  occupation.  A  fleet  under  the  Chevalier  de  Ternay  arrived  July 
12,  1780,  bringing  General  Rochambeau  and  5088  men  with  provisions. 
Count  D'Estaing  had  earlier  been  warmly  welcomed,  but  his  failure  to 
overpower  the  British  had  shaken  the  confidence  in  French  assistance,  so 
the  newcomers  were  received  with  some  misgivings.  The  tact  displayed 
by  Rochambeau  in  the  management  of  his  army,  however,  soon  dispelled 
all  doubts.  The  French  were  given  charge  of  the  local  fortifications,  which 
they  remodeled  and  restored.  The  fort  on  the  Dumplings  (Conanicut 
Island,  see  Tour  7 A)  and  the  first  fortifications  on  Brenton's  Point  (now 
Fort  Adams)  were  built  at  this  time. 

Many  of  the  visiting  officers  were  distinguished  members  of  the  French 
nobility,  who  had  come  to  America  in  search  of  fortune  or  excitement; 
they  found  at  Newport  charming  society,  graced  by  women  as  beautiful 
as  those  of  Versailles.  One  French  officer  described  Newport  as  the  '  only 
town  on  the  island,  with  but  two  principal  streets  but  still  a  pretty  town, 
three-fourths  of  the  houses  are  scattered  at  a  distance  and  are  in  them- 
selves small  farms.' 


Newport  209 


In  August,  1780,  nineteen  Iroquois  Indians  came  to  visit  the  French;  this 
deputation  had  been  arranged  by  General  Schuyler  as  a  means  of  detach- 
ing the  Iroquois  from  the  English  side.  Rochambeau  entertained  them  at 
dinner,  and  the  American  general  Heath  gave  them  a  'sumptuous  treat/ 
The  Indians  witnessed  a  grand  review  of  the  French  army,  preceded  by 
alternate  discharges  from  the  batteries  in  and  around  the  town.  On  the 
birthday  of  King  Louis  XVI,  the  flag  of  France  was  flung  to  the  breeze 
and  the  health  of  his  majesty  was  drunk  at  length.  The  Indians  were 
finally  entertained  on  board  the  '  Due  de  Burgogne,'  and  then  sent  away 
with  many  presents. 

On  March  6,  1781,  General  Washington  came  to  Newport  to  confer  with 
Rochambeau  about  plans  for  closer  co-operation  against  the  British.  The 
French  army  marched  out  to  receive  him;  never  had  the  people  of  New- 
port seen  such  an  array  of  military  splendor  as  appeared  on  the  Parade 
(now  Washington  Square),  and  Long  Wharf,  where  the  general  landed. 
As  he  stepped  on  shore  and  was  received  by  Rochambeau,  'Vive  1'Ame- 
rique,  vive  la  France,'  was  heard  on  all  sides.  Washington  wore  that  day 
the  uniform  of  a  marshal  of  France,  as  evidence  that  the  French  king  had 
authorized  his  own  army  to  act  under  the  orders  of  the  great  American. 
That  evening  all  the  houses  were  lighted  in  honor  of  the  commander-in- 
chief ,  candles  being  provided  at  public  expense  for  those  too  poor  to  buy 
them.  A  grand  ball  was  given  in  honor  of  Washington  and  Rochambeau 
the  following  evening.  Much  is  told  of  the  charm  of  Newport's  fair  daugh- 
ters during  the  sojourn  of  the  French.  It  is  said  that  sailors  stopped  in  the 
street  as  Miss  Redwood  passed,  and  gazed  long  after  she  had  gone. 

General  plans  for  the  Yorktown  campaign  were  agreed  upon  May  26, 
1781;  and  the  French  troops  began  to  leave  Newport  on  June  9. 

After  the  Revolution,  the  Newporters  turned  their  attention  to  improv- 
ing their  economic  condition.  On  June  i,  1784,  Newport  was  incorporated 
as  a  city,  George  Hazard  being  the  first  mayor.  Then  began,  however,  a 
financial  decline;  the  tide  of  commerce  was  turning  to  New  York.  Many 
were  impoverished  by  the  depreciation  in  paper  money  (see  History).  The 
population  decreased  to  4000,  and  many  families  '  had  emigrated  to  Provi- 
dence, retired  with  the  British  army,  or  remained  broken  in  fortune  and 
spirit.'  In  1787,  the  town  form  of  government  was  restored. 

In  the  early  part  of  the  nineteenth  century,  Newport  slowly  recovered 
from  the  effects  of  the  Revolution;  her  foreign  and  domestic  commerce 
revived  somewhat.  After  1791,  many  Irish  immigrants  came  to  the  town, 
and  were  employed  in  the  building  of  Fort  Adams  or  at  the  coal  mines  in 
near-by  Portsmouth. 

As  late  as  1793,  there  were  only  six  brick  buildings  in  the  town,  including 
the  Courthouse  and  the  Old  City  Hall.  The  reason  for  this  was  a  notion 
that  the  humidity  of  the  atmosphere  would  be  absorbed  by  the  brick, 
rendering  the  building  unhealthy.  It  behooved  householders  to  obey  the 
local  ordinances  requiring  that  chimneys  be  kept  clean,  and  to  use  every 
precaution  against  fire. 


2io  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

William  Ellery  Channing,  one  of  Newport's  illustrious  sons,  has  left  a 
good  account  of  local  society  between  1793  and  1811.  Townspeople  were 
seldom  moved  to  extravagant  demonstrations  of  hilarity,  he  said;  social 
intercourse  was  maintained  without  severely  taxing  the  purse,  as  'waste 
not,  want  not'  was  a  maxim  practically  enforced.  The  restraints  upon 
the  young,  except  on  'Lection  Day  and  July  Fourth,  kept  them  within 
bounds;  and  the  older  folks,  trained  in  their  youth  to  domestic  duties, 
seldom  sought  amusement  abroad. 

There  were  no  sidewalks,  and  the  owners  of  wharves  could  erect  posts 
on  the  street  to  keep  teams  from  damaging  their  warehouses. 

Funeral  notices  were  given  from  the  pulpits  of  all  churches  except  Trinity, 
where  they  were  announced  by  the  sexton  from  the  organ  loft.  Carriages 
were  not  used  at  funerals,  the  mourners  preferring  to  walk  to  the  cemetery. 
The  procession  formed  in  pairs  —  the  men  on  the  right,  the  women  on  the 
left.  Newly  married  couples  were  given  a  surprise  military  salute  if  the 
groom  was  a  member  of  the  artillery  company.  The  saluting  party  crept 
noiselessly  to  the  house  of  bride  and  groom,  and  suddenly  discharged 
firearms,  to  the  accompaniment  of  a  fife  and  drum  serenade.  The  salute 
often  occasioned  the  breaking  of  many  panes  of  glass,  which  the  honored 
groom  was  expected  to  replace. 

At  men's  clubs  a  favorite  drink  was  Newport  Punch,  composed  of  rum, 
lime  juice,  arrack,  and  loaf  sugar.  Refrigerators  were  wanting,  so  the 
recipe  said,  'cool  in  the  well.'  Tea  parties  were  common  in  the  winter. 
The  guests  met  about  seven  o'clock,  the  ladies  wearing  English  cotton 
cambrics,  with  very  short  sleeves,  and  by  way  of  ornament,  a  single 
flounce,  white  kid  gloves,  white  cord  stockings,  and  shoes  with  sharp- 
pointed  toes.  Fashion  required  the  suppression  of  all  naturalness  —  '  to 
walk  upright,  with  unbending  joints;  to  shake  hands  after  the  pump- 
handle  formula;  to  look  inexpressibly  indifferent  towards  everybody  and 
everything;  and  speak  only  in  a  mincing  voice  was  to  be  a  decorous  mem- 
ber of  society.'  At  these  gatherings,  high-backed  chairs  were  placed  like 
sentinels  around  the  room,  and  everyone  was  at  liberty  —  almost  the  only 
liberty  that  was  allowed  —  to  choose  a  seat.  No  one  was  expected  to 
speak,  but  after  a  little  interval  of  silence,  a  door  would  open  noiselessly, 
and  tea  and  cakes  would  be  brought  in.  During  this  repast,  subdued  con- 
versation was  in  order,  and  the  festivities  usually  closed  with  the  singing 
of  'In  the  Downhill  of  Life,'  then  'Erin  go  Bragh,'  'Fresh  and  Strong,' 
'Meeting  of  the  Waters,'  and  finally  'Adams  and  Liberty.'  Slightly  more 
lively  entertainments  were  the  'Assemblies,'  where  minuets,  contradances, 
and  reels  were  danced  with  subdued  enthusiasm. 

Gas  illumination  was  introduced  in  Newport  in  1806  by  David  Melville 
who  lighted  his  residence,  and  Pelham  Street  in  front  of  the  house,  in  this 
manner.  In  1813,  he  obtained  a  patent  for  the  invention,  and  in  1817,  a 
contract  from  the  United  States  Government  for  a  gas  light  at  Beavertail 
Lighthouse  on  Conanicut  Island.  Gas  lights  were  generally  placed  on  the 
streets  of  Newport  about  1852. 


Newport  211 


After  November,  1807,  Newport  was  much  bothered,  as  were  other  Atlan- 
tic harbors,  by  the  European  decrees  and  American  retaliatory  acts  which 
led  up  to  the  War  of  1812.  On  the  outbreak  of  war  in  June  of  the  latter 
year,  Newport  suffered  little  at  first  because  the  English  confined  their 
blockade  to  the  southern  New  England  coast  west  of  Narragansett  Bay. 
But  this  was  only  a  temporary  boon;  in  1813-14,  though  privateering 
flourished,  home  trade  so  languished  that  the  news  of  peace  in  1815  was 
received  with  thanksgiving. 

From  1815  to  1828,  Newport  was  in  a  state  of  suspended  animation; 
hardly  a  house  was  built  as  the  town  vainly  hoped  for  the  return  of  the 
commerce  that  had  been  its  glory.  In  1828,  much  ado  was  made  over 
the  erection  of  a  solitary  dwelling  on  Thames  Street;  even  school  classes 
were  dismissed  so  children  might  watch  the  'raising'  process.  About 
1825,  a  man  named  Windsor  opened  a  girls'  school  for  teaching  the  art 
of  knitting  lace,  but  the  little  interest  manifested  in  the  project  caused 
him  to  convert  it  into  a  boarding-house.  The  next  owner,  a  Mr.  William 
Porter,  named  the  place  Bellevue  Hotel;  it  was  the  first  regular  hotel 
for  summer  guests,  and  was  reckoned  quite  an  affair. 

About  1830,  Newport  began  to  come  into  some  notice  as  a  summer  resort. 
Accommodations  were  then  meager,  but  the  visitors,  principally  people 
from  the  southern  States  and  Cuba,  enjoyed  the  wholesome  air  and  fine 
bathing.  The  compact  part  of  the  town  looked  then  much  as  it  does  now, 
but  the  high  land  lying  a  half  mile  east  of  Thames  Street  presented  a  very 
different  appearance.  Most  of  the  gentle  slopes  now  occupied  by  cottages 
and  well-kept  grounds  were  pasture  or  meadow  lands.  A  few  crooked 
lanes  ran  where  broad  drives  extend,  and  ropewalks  and  carpenter  shops 
were  numerous.  By  1836,  some  far-sighted  men  realized  Newport  could 
become  a  great  watering  place.  It  is  said  that  a  visitor  who  could  not  get 
hotel  accommodations  went  out  and  bought  a  piece  of  land,  contracted 
for  a  cottage,  and  a  fortnight  later  was  living  in  it.  He  liked  the  cottage 
idea  so  well  that  he  recommended  it  to  friends,  who  soon  followed  his 
example.  These  early  houses  were  cheap  structures  intended  to  last  only 
for  a  season,  but  two  expensive  summer  homes  were  built  before  1840  at 
the  corner  of  Bowery  Street  and  Bellevue  Avenue. 

Some  attempts  were  made  to  turn  Newport  into  a  textile  town.  In  1837, 
the  Coddington  cotton  mill,  a  substantial  structure,  was  erected;  it  was 
destroyed  by  fire  in  1860.  Two  other  mills  built  in  the  thirties  also  burned 
in  the  sixties.  A  fourth  cotton  mill,  erected  in  1835  by  the  Perry  Manu- 
facturing Company,  is  still  standing,  but  is  not  used  for  its  original  pur- 
pose. The  Newport  Manufacturing  Company  mill,  erected  in  1871  on 
Marlborough  Street,  is  now  used  by  the  Newport  Water  Works.  The 
Newport  Association  of  Mechanics  and  Manufacturers  sponsored  lectures 
on  industrial  subjects  from  1848  to  1851,  but  the  upshot  was  the  conclu- 
sion that  Newport  could  only  achieve  prosperity  as  a  pleasure  resort. 

In  1845,  three  real  estate  men  purchased  300  acres  of  land  lying  south  and 
east  of  Touro  Street,  laid  out  streets,  and  planted  trees  for  house  lots. 
In  1851,  one  of  the  group,  Alfred  Smith,  purchased  140  acres  of  land 


212  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

lying  south  of  Dixon  Street,  and  asked  the  town  council  to  extend  Bellevue 
Avenue  into  the  plot.  After  considerable  opposition,  especially  from  the 
Hazard  family,  through  whose  land  the  extension  was  to  pass,  the  council 
ordered  the  roadway  built.  By  1852,  twelve  new  summer  residences  had 
been  erected;  four  of  them  were  owned  by  Boston  men  and  eight  by 
families  from  the  southern  and  middle  States.  During  the  next  two  or 
three  years  there  was  more  business  activity  in  Newport  than  there  had 
been  for  two  generations.  Land  values  trebled,  there  was  a  great  demand 
for  cottages  to  rent;  and  during  the  winter  of  1853-54,  over  sixty  houses 
were  built. 

In  May,  1853,  Newport  was  incorporated  as  a  city  for  the  second  time; 
the  city  had  three  successive  mayors  in  this  year.  In  1853-54  a  former 
Newport  boy,  Commodore  Matthew  C.  Perry,  opened  the  ports  of  Japan 
to  American  trade  (see  History) . 

In  1857,  when  building  activity  had  lessened,  the  city  fathers  sought  to 
advertise  their  town.  It  was  decided  to  hold  a  grand  fete  during  the  sum- 
mer of  1859,  to  which  a  great  number  of  people  would  be  invited,  including 
in  particular  former  residents  of  Newport  who  were  scattered  all  over  the 
United  States.  These  'Exiles  from  Eden'  were  requested  to  join  in  a 
great  reunion  on  August  23.  The  scheme  worked  very  successfully;  hun- 
dreds of  people  came  and  were  so  delighted  with  the  accommodations, 
the  scenery,  and  the  beaches,  that  many  kept  returning  yearly  thereafter. 

In  October,  1861,  the  Newport  City  Council  conveyed  land  to  the  Old 
Colony  and  Fall  River  Railroad  Company  for  the  construction  of  a  rail- 
road from  the  city  limits  to  the  Massachusetts  boundary  line;  the  first 
train  ran  over  the  road  in  February,  1864. 

Following  the  Civil  War  the  social  life  of  Newport,  which  had  been  rather 
simple  and  restrained  for  more  than  a  half  century,  suddenly  expanded 
and  became  much  more  sophisticated.  The  city  gradually  lost  much  of 
its  southern  clientele  and  became  the  summer  playground  for  wealthy 
northern  families.  The  gay  set  of  the  period  1865-80  owed  much  to 
Mrs.  Nicholas  Beach,  Mrs.  August  Belmont,  and  Ward  McAllister,  who 
were  for  many  years  untiring  in  their  efforts  in  promoting  the  amuse- 
ments for  the  summer  visitors.  Mrs.  Beach  inaugurated  dancing  recep- 
tions, Mrs.  Belmont  elaborate  dinners,  and  Mr.  McAllister  started  break- 
fasts and  picnics  on  a  scale  never  before  attempted.  The  latter  were 
planned  with  great  care.  Music,  flowers,  and  food  were  provided,  so 
when  the  guests  arrived  they  had  nothing  to  do  but  enjoy  themselves. 
For  many  years  these  picnics  were  well  attended,  and  when  enthusiasm 
waned,  McAllister  gave  cotillion  dinners  at  his  farm.  Dinner  was  served 
in  the  garden  or  on  the  lawn,  after  which  the  guests  danced  all  evening  in 
the  barn  that  was  decorated  with  pumpkins,  sheaves  of  wheat,  and  ears 
of  corn.  Another  form  of  entertainment  was  the  aquatic  picnics,  which 
were  held  at  the  yacht  club  station  and  sometimes  on  one  of  the  yachts 
anchored  in  the  bay. 

A  city  water  system  for  Newport  was  authorized  in  1881.  The  first 
National  Championship  tennis  matches  were  held  in  September,  1881,  at 


Newport  213 


the  Newport  Casino;  R.  D.  Sears  won  the  national  singles  championship. 
The  Newport  Skating  Rink,  Bellevue  Avenue,  was  opened  in  1881.  Roller 
skating,  or  parlor  skating  as  it  was  then  called,  had  been  introduced  in 
1866  by  the  New  York  Skating  Club,  that  hired  a  hall  in  the  Atlantic 
House  for  its  initial  exhibitions,  that  were  attended  by  crowds. 

Telephones  were  first  introduced  in  Newport  in  1882-83.  The  exchange 
was  owned  and  operated  by  Couzens  and  Bull,  a  local  company,  and  in 
the  summer  time  there  were  about  175  telephones  in  use.  There  were  no 
directories;  people  would  give  to  the  operator  the  name  of  the  person 
they  wanted  to  call.  The  telephone  was  at  first  used  largely  by  the 
summer  colonists. 

On  July  4,  1884,  the  second  Reunion  of  the  Sons  and  Daughters  of  New- 
port took  place.  The  legislature  authorized  the  city  council  to  expend 
$3000  for  the  celebration,  and  the  summer  residents  contributed  gener- 
ously. Nearly  4000  people  paraded  through  the  streets,  and  the  sidewalks 
along  the  route  of  march  were  thronged  with  onlookers.  In  a  history  of 
the  celebration,  by  Frank  G.  Harris,  is  a  review  of  the  twenty-five  years 
which  had  elapsed  since  the  first  reunion.  Whole  sections  of  the  city 
had  been  converted  from  field  land  into  summer  residence  lots,  and  the 
section  around  Broadway  and  the  contiguous  streets  built  up  with  com- 
fortable homes  for  the  permanent  population.  Manufacturing  interests 
had  largely  died  out,  yet  bank  deposits  had  increased. 

The  office  of  Town  Crier,  established  in  1681,  was  discontinued  in  1885. 
On  August  6,  1886,  the  first  International  Polo  match  was  held  in  New- 
port. Polo  had  been  introduced  here  in  1876  by  James  Gordon  Bennett. 
The  first  electric  trolley  car  in  Newport  ran  cross-town  from  Commercial 
Wharf  to  Easton's  Beach  on  July  30,  1889.  There  were  strenuous  objec- 
tions to  the  street-cars,  and  the  Newport  Improvement  Society  spent 
large  sums  in  trying  to  secure  an  injunction  against  the  road.  People 
feared  that  the  cars  would  frighten  horses  and  cause  runaways  in  the 
streets.  To  insure  safety  in  travel  it  was  for  a  time  required  that  street- 
cars, before  entering  an  intersection,  come  to  a  complete  stop.  The  con- 
ductor would  alight,  walk  to  the  opposite  side  of  the  crossways,  look  both 
ways,  and  if  the  streets  were  clear  of  traffic,  blow  a  whistle  three  times. 
Then  the  car  would  proceed  through  the  intersection. 

The  first  National  Open  Golf  Championship  Tournament  was  held  at  the 
Newport  Country  Club  on  September  30,  1895,  the  winner  in  this  tourna- 
ment being  Horace  Rawlins  of  England. 

Automobiles  were  introduced  in  Newport  about  1899.  An  automobile 
parade  given  on  September  7,  1899,  by  a  number  of  cottage  residents  is 
said  to  be  the  first  parade  of  horseless  carriages  in  the  country.  There 
were  nineteen  automobiles  in  the  parade,  prizes  being  won  by  Mrs. 
Herman  Oelrichs  and  Mrs.  Stuyvesant  Le  Roy.  Electric  runabouts  were 
the  most  useful  and  fashionable  cars  with  the  summer  residents,  for  they 
were  easily  managed  by  ladies.  The  society  women  gave  pet  names  to 
their  automobiles,  such  as  'Puff-puff,'  'Angelica,'  and  'Toby.' 


214  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

Probably  America  will  never  again  see  such  lavish  entertaining  as  took 
place  at  Newport  during  the  summer  seasons  of  the  'gilded  years,'  1890- 
1914.  Into  six  or  seven  weeks  of  each  season  were  crowded  balls,  dinners, 
parties  of  every  description,  each  host  or  hostess  striving  to  eclipse  the 
others  in  magnificence.  Huge  sums  were  spent  in  the  prevailing  spirit  of 
rivalry.  Mrs.  Pembroke  Jones  set  aside  $300,000  at  the  beginning  of 
every  Newport  season  for  entertaining,  and  some  hostesses  spent  even 
more.  Sometimes  a  single  ball  cost  more  than  $100,000.  So  much  prestige 
was  attached  to  spending  July  and  August  at  this  exclusive  resort  of  the 
period  that  to  have  neglected  to  do  so  would  have  exposed  a  definite  gap 
in  one's  social  armor.  Some  might  talk  of  the  charms  of  a  summer  spent 
in  Europe,  but  their  acquaintances  knew  that  they  stayed  away  from 
Newport  because  they  were  afraid  of  their  social  position;  for  Newport 
was  the  millionaires'  playground,  from  which  all  unacceptable  intruders 
were  excluded  by  a  set  of  ironclad  though  unwritten  rules. 

Newport's  most  exclusive  recreational  club  was  Bailey's  Beach.  Only  the 
elite  could  bathe  here,  and  they  disported  themselves  in  full-skirted 
costumes  and  long  black  stockings.  Mr.  Van  Alen  always  went  into  the 
sea  wearing  a  monocle  and  white  straw  hat,  and  Mrs.  Oliver  Belmont 
carried  a  green  umbrella  while  bathing.  A  watchman  protected  the  beach 
from  all  interlopers;  he  fixed  newcomers  with  an  eagle  eye,  swooped  down 
upon  them  and  demanded  their  names.  Unless  they  were  accompanied 
by  a  club  member,  or  bore  a  note  of  introduction,  they  were  ejected.  If 
they  wanted  to  bathe,  they  could  go  to  Easton's  Beach  —  the  common 
beach,  as  the  habitues  of  Bailey's  Beach  called  it.  There  they  could  share 
the  sea  with  the  townspeople,  referred  to  by  the  summer  colonists  as 
'our  footstools.' 

Between  the  '  footstools '  and  the  cottagers  there  waged  a  continual  war- 
fare. The  townspeople  despised  the  colonists,  and  boasted  of  their  ability 
to  make  them  toe  the  mark.  They  saw  no  harm  in  charging  the  idle  rich 
prohibitive  prices  for  luxuries  which  they  must  have,  and  then  living  in 
comfort  for  the  rest  of  the  year  on  the  proceeds.  The  millionaires  were 
only  concerned  in  excluding  the  townspeople  from  the  pastures  which 
they  considered  their  own.  They  themselves  might  wander  in  the  lovely 
old  town  with  its  quaint  little  streets,  but  the  inhabitants  must  not  dream 
of  venturing  down  Belle vue  Avenue  or  the  Ocean  Drive,  where  they 
might  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  forbidden  splendors  of  villas  which  were  only 
occupied  for  about  seven  weeks  in  the  year.  Even  the  street-car  was  not 
permitted  to  invade  the  privacy  of  the  Avenue,  for  after  two  attempts 
the  offending  lines  were  uprooted  at  the  instigation  of  William  K.  Vander- 
bilt,  John  Jacob  Astor,  and  others. 

Harry  Lehr  supplanted  Ward  McAllister  as  the  Four  Hundred's  playboy. 
He  became  the  Beau  Brummell  of  the  gay  nineties,  and  aligned  himself 
with  Mrs.  William  Astor,  the  leader  of  society.  They  were  dubbed  the 
'Queen  and  her  Jester.'  Mrs.  Astor  reigned  supreme  and  her  decisions 
as  to  things  social  were  final.  She  could  make  or  break  the  ambitious 
climber.  Much  has  been  written  about  the  exploits  of  Lehr,  whose  great 


Newport  215 


claim  to  fame  was  that  he  never  failed  to  find  ways  to  make  a  jaded  world 
laugh;  his  freak  parties  have  been  recounted  at  length,  his  social  triumphs 
commented  upon,  and  his  many  eccentricities  remembered.  The  greatest 
social  event  of  the  year  was  the  annual  ball  at  the  Astor  house.  Mrs.  Astor 
and  Harry  Lehr  scanned  the  Social  Register  and  decided  who  should 
be  invited;  since  the  Astor  ballroom  only  held  400,  the  invitations  were 
limited  to  that  magic  number. 

Newport  Society  was  composed  of  a  series  of  cliques,  presided  over  by 
reigning  queens,  and  to  offend  any  one  of  them  was  to  court  disaster. 
Harry  Lehr  was  the  most  popular  man  in  each  of  the  little  cliques,  and 
the  first  to  be  consulted  when  a  party  was  in  prospect.  One  day  Mrs. 
Stuyvesant  Fish  and  Lehr  announced  that  they  were  to  give  a  huge  dinner 
party  to  the  charming  Prince  del  Drago  from  Corsica.  On  the  night  of 
the  dinner  all  the  guests  assembled,  eagerly  expecting  a  thrill,  which  they 
certainly  received  when  at  eight  o'clock  in  walked  Lehr  holding  by  the 
hand  the  guest  of  honor,  a  small  monkey  correctly  attired  in  full  evening 
dress.  The  dinner  was  a  great  success,  but  newspaper  reporters  accused 
Lehr  and  Mrs.  Fish  of  having  held  up  American  society  to  ridicule. 

About  1895,  the  'hen'  dinner  was  introduced  into  Newport  summer  life 
and  proved  quite  popular.  Ladies'  luncheons  had  been  in  vogue  for  years, 
but  dinners  from  which  the  men  were  wholly  excluded  were  a  decided 
novelty.  When  life  at  Newport  was  more  informal,  afternoon  receptions, 
which  took  the  form  of  lawn  parties,  were  much  in  vogue,  but  men  finally 
abandoned  them  for  the  more  formal  evening  entertainments.  The  young 
officers  from  the  Naval  Training  Station  were  in  great  demand  when 
extra  men  were  required  for  dances  or  bridge  parties,  but  the  elite  saw  to 
it  that  they  were  never  invited  to  a  dinner  party. 

Another  of  the  decidedly  'different'  entertainments  was  the  'Dogs' 
Dinner,'  to  which  Harry  Lehr  invited  about  a  hundred  dogs  and  their 
masters.  The  menu  was  stewed  liver  and  rice,  fricassee  of  bones,  and 
shredded  dog  biscuit.  The  dinner  was  greatly  appreciated;  the  guests 
ate  until  they  could  eat  no  more,  and  Elisha  Dyer's  dachshund  so  over- 
taxed its  capacities  that  it  fell  unconscious  by  its  plate  and  had  to  be 
carried  home.  A  reporter  happened  to  crash  the  party  and  the  next  day 
scathing  columns  appeared  in  the  newspapers.  Preachers  throughout  the 
country  denounced  Lehr  for  wasting  on  dog  food  money  that  would  have 
fed  hundreds  of  starving  people.  After  this  episode,  the  keynote  of  din- 
ners was  originality,  not  extravagance. 

The  World  War  brought  about  a  decided  change  in  the  character  of 
Newport's  summer  colony.  The  older  group  of  society  leaders  who  had 
set  the  pace  for  the  gayer  life  had  been  dispersed  or  had  died.  The  splen- 
did dinner  parties  of  eighty  or  ninety  guests,  elaborate  cotillions,  and 
the  magnificent  fashion  parades  were  gone  and  with  them  passed  the 
Gilded  Age.  A  new  set  then  sprang  up,  of  people  who  had  become  rich 
largely  through  current  manipulations  of  securities  on  the  stock  exchange. 
This  society  was  less  stable  because  their  spending  generally  depended 
on  the  ups  and  downs  of  the  ticker-tape.  With  the  stock-market  crash  of 


2i6  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

1929,  this  group  also  dispersed,  to  be  followed  by  the  present-day  groups, 
the  majority  of  whom  keep  their  expenses  within  much  more  limited 
budgets. 

The  degree  in  which  the  life  of  many  of  the  summer  residents  of  Newport 
was,  to  outward  appearance,  given  to  the  pursuits  of  social  enjoyments 
and  ruled  by  fashion,  tended  to  distract  attention  from  the  real  basis  of 
the  city's  prosperity.  It  was  not  fashion  that  first  brought  people  of  ex- 
pensive tastes  to  Newport,  it  was  the  solid  satisfaction  to  be  gained  from 
its  scenery,  shores,  and  beaches.  The  bizarre  activities  of  a  minority 
among  the  summer  colonists  have  tended  to  crowd  more  normal  pursuits 
from  the  front  pages  of  the  press.  Hence  a  legend  has  grown  up  that 
Newport  is  suited  only  to  the  fancies  and  caprices  of  unwise  spenders. 
This  misconception  has  wrought  injury  to  the  city  itself. 

After  the  beginning  of  the  depression  in  1929,  the  city  officials  realized 
that  continued  prosperity  for  Newport  depended  upon  the  influx  of  sum- 
mer visitors  who  would  not  antagonize  permanent  residents,  and  on  the 
improving  of  year-round  residential  conditions,  especially  for  the  families 
of  Army  and  Navy  officers  and  men.  Building  activities  for  1936  indicate 
that  this  development  is  well  under  way ;  sixty-three  new  homes,  business, 
and  semi-public  structures  were  erected,  a  figure  that  does  not  include 
camps  and  small  cottages,  unsuitable  to  year-round  occupancy.  At  least 
a  third  of  the  new  homes  were  built  for  the  families  of  men  employed  at 
the  Government  stations.  Since  1918  the  great  expansion  in  the  United 
States  naval  base  has  brought  about  a  decided  change  in  the  character  of 
Newport.  Many  natives  who  formerly  worked  on  the  large  estates  during 
the  summer  months,  and  were  unemployed  in  the  winter,  found  year- 
round  employment  in  the  naval  units.  During  the  year  1936  the  naval 
stations  expended  $7,500,000  and  employed  over  3500  civilians,  of  which 
about  75  per  cent  reside  in  Newport  and  about  50  per  cent  are  home- 
owners. The  Navy  has  more  than  counteracted  the  decline  in  the  very 
wealthy  summer  trade. 

The  older  part  of  the  city  is  best  seen  on  foot  because  points  of  interest 
are  close  together  and  the  streets  are  so  narrow  that  it  is  difficult  to  find 
parking  places.  In  addition  to  the  buildings  named  below  there  are  many 
others  with  details  well  worth  attention.  Few  other  small  cities  have  as 
many  fine  old  doorways  handled  with  such  originality  and  inventiveness 
—  in  many  cases  all  that  remains  after  alterations  and  additions  to  testify 
to  the  skill  of  the  old  builders. 

All  but  the  earliest  of  Newport's  social,  economic,  political,  and  religious 
history  is  mirrored  in  the  architecture  of  its  buildings.  The  dwellings 
built  during  260  years  show  clearly  the  shifts  in  wealth  and  social  stand- 
ards; the  public  structures  register  the  political  fluctuations;  the  churches 
make  clear  the  religious  toleration  of  earlier  days  and  the  more  recent 
decline  of  religious  prestige;  the  Redwood  Library  is  a  monument  to  the 
days  when  Newport  was  one  of  the  most  important  cultural  centers  on 
the  seaboard. 


Newport  217 


POINTS  OF  INTEREST 

FOOT  TOUR  1  —  1  m. 

1.  Triangular  Washington  Square,  sloping  down  in  front  of  the  new  court- 
house and  bounded  by  Touro  St.  and  Broadway,  is  in  the  heart  of  the  old 
city.  The  smooth  lawn  and  tall  trees  are  now  enclosed  by  an  iron  fence; 
in  the  center  is  a  little  frame  summerhouse  or  bandstand,  and  at  the  foot 
is  a  windblown  bronze  Statue  of  Commodore  Oliver  Hazard  Perry,  looking 
toward  the  harbor. 

2.  Facing  the  sharp  bottom  of  the  Square  from  Thames  St.  is  the  Old  City 
Hall  (open  weekdays  9-5),  an  exceptionally  well-designed  structure.    It 
was  erected  by  the  town  in  1761,  on  a  lot  given  by  the  proprietors  of  Long 
Wharf,  as  a  public  granary,  though  it  was  never  used  for  that  purpose. 
Funds  were  raised  for  the  structure  by  a  lottery,  and  Peter  Harrison  was 
the  architect.  The  red-brick  building,  recently  restored  and  now  occupied 
by  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  has  three  bays  on  the  front  and  on  the 
rear  and  seven  on  each  side.  The  bays  of  the  first  story  consist  of  arched 
openings  separated  by  vigorously  proportioned  piers.    Some  of  the  side 
arches  have  been  bricked  up;  others  have  recessed  windows  and  doors. 
Above  a  brick  belt-course  rise  two  more  stories,  with  the  bays  separated 
by  wooden  pilasters,  their  Ionic  capitals  supporting  a  simple  entablature 
with  modillioned  cornice.    The  pilasters  are  coupled  on  the  corners. 
Treatment  of  the  second-story  windows  consists  of  triangular  and  seg- 
mental  pediments  with  classic  architraves. 

Almost  from  the  beginning  the  first  floor  was  used  as  a  market  and  the 
upper  floors  were  rented  as  offices.  One  stall,  erected  on  the  south  end, 
was  set  aside  for  the  country  people.  About  1761  the  upper  part  was  used 
as  a  printing  office,  and  in  1793  Alexander  Placide  remodeled  the  upper 
stories  and  opened  a  theater.  In  1842  the  theater  was  renovated  for  use 
as  a  town  hall.  From  1853  to  1900  it  was  used  as  a  City  Hall,  and  then 
passed  into  disuse  until  1930,  when  the  interior  was  restored. 

E.  from  Thames  St.  on  Touro  St.  along  the  Square. 

3.  Oliver  Hazard  Perry  House,  29  Touro  St.,  is  a  plain  frame  building,  two 
and  a  half  stories  high,  built  about  1755  and  now  much  altered.  During 
the  French  occupation  of  Newport  (1780-81)  it  housed  the  French 
quartermaster-general,  M.  de  Beville,  and  a  number  of  his  subordinates. 
In  1795,  Moses  Seixas  established  the  Bank  of  Rhode  Island  in  it,  using 
it  until  1818.  In  that  year  it  was  purchased  by  Commodore  Oliver  Hazard 
Perry  (see  Tour  1),  but  he  resided  here  only  a  few  months.  It  is  now  oc- 
cupied by  the  Salvation  Army. 

4.  Across  the  square  (L)  is  the  Abram  Rivera  House  (1793),  now  the 
Newport  National  Bank,  a  three-story  gambrel-roof  house,  with  three 
dormers,  the  central  one  topped  by  a  broken  pediment.  The  third  story 
overhangs  on  the  front  of  the  structure.   Its  brick  chimneys  are  modern. 


CITY  OF  NEWPORT 


POINTS  OF  INTEREST 


1937 


Washington  Square 
Old  Colony  House 
Touro  Synagogue 
Historical  Society 
Jewish  Cemetery 
Redwood  Library 
Old  Stone  Mill 
Prescott  House 
Maudsley  House 
Trinity  Church 
Vernon  House 
City  Hall 

Friends  Meeting  House 
Common  Ground 
Simeon  Potter  House 
Hunter  House 
Robinson  House 
Battery  Park 
United    States    Naval 
Hospital 


54 


United     States     Naval 

Training  Station 
Ogden  Goelet  Estate 
The  Breakers 
Marble  Palace 
Land's  End 
Bailey's  Beach 
Crossways 
Brenton's  Point 
Fort  Adams 
Surprise  Valley 
Ida  Lewis  Lighthouse 
King  Park 

Government  Landing 
Malbone  Town  House 
Aquidneck  Park 
Miantonomi  Park 
Cliff  Walk 
Newport  Casino 
Newport  Beach 


NA 


JAMESTOWN 


218  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

5.  Si.  Joseph's  High  School,  33  Touro  St.,  a  Catholic  high  school  for  girls 
opened  as  a  parish  school  in  1889,  is  housed  in  a  structure  built  before 
1775;  the  building  has  been  completely  modernized  except  for  the  door- 
way, which  is  beautifully  designed  with  a  fan-light  surmounted  by  a 
pediment.   Corinthian  capitals  top  the  engaged  fluted  columns. 

6.  Former  Zion  Episcopal  Church,  now  a  movie  theater,  at  the  corner  of 
Touro  and  Clarke  Sts.,  is  a  large  red-brick  building  with  Greek-pillared 
portico;  it  was  erected  in  1834.    In  1885,  the  property  was  sold  to  St. 
Joseph's  Church,  and  Zion  Church  ceased  to  exist;  the  congregation  of 
St.  Joseph's  moved  to  a  new  building  in  1912. 

7.  The  new  Courthouse  on  Washington  Square  is  a  two-and-a-half-story 
structure,  built  in  1926  from  a  design  by  W.  Cornell  Appleton.  The  brick 
exterior  with  white  limestone  trim  conforms  in  architectural  style  to  the 
old  Colony  House  next  door.   The  porticoed  entrance  is  flanked  by  two 
guns  that  were  used  at  the  battle  of  Bull  Run,  July  21,  1861,  and  later 
were  used  as  saluting  guns  by  the  Newport  Artillery.    A  full-length  Gil- 
bert Stuart  portrait  of  George  Washington  hangs  between  the  first-  and 
second-floor  landings.    Stuart,  a  resident  of  Newport  for  a  few  years, 
was  in  1800  commissioned  by  the  General  Assembly  to  paint  two  such 
portraits  of  Washington  at  the  expense  of  the  State;  $1200  was  appropri- 
ated to  pay  him  and  $200  for  the  frames.   The  pictures  were  placed  in 
the  Senate  Chambers  of  the  State  Houses  in  Newport  and  Providence. 
The  Newport  picture  was  removed  without  authority  from  its  place  in 
the  local  State  House  about  1926,  and  hung  in  the  new  structure. 


8.  The  Old  Colony  House,  or  Old  State  House  (open  daily  9-4;  adm. 
also  at  the  head  of  Washington  Square,  was  built  in  1739  from  a  design 
by  Richard  Munday  and  has  in  recent  years  been  carefully  restored.  The 
gracious  two-and-a-half-story  structure  has  an  imposing  facade  with  two 
rows  of  six  small-paned  windows  framed  on  the  first  floor  with  brown- 
stone  quoins.  The  facade  is  accented  by  a  rusticated  belt-course,  by  the 
double-doored  entrance  and,  above  it,  by  a  pedimented  window  with 
balcony.  The  broken  pediment  is  adorned  with  a  naturalistic  gilded 
pineapple  and  elaborate  scrolls.  The  gambrel  roof  has  four  dormers 
separated  by  a  truncated  gable  pediment  containing  a  clock  and  two 
round  windows.  Inside  the  delicate  balustrade  rising  above  the  dormers 
is  a  lantern  cupola.  The  paneled  woodwork  of  the  interior  is  notable  for 
its  free  and  vigorous  handling. 

The  building  was  erected  to  house  the  deliberations  of  the  General  Assem- 
bly, but  it  was  also  used  for  public  meetings,  and  religious  and  social  func- 
tions. From  its  handsome  second-floor  balcony  were  officially  proclaimed 
the  death  of  George  II,  the  ascendancy  of  George  III,  and  the  acceptance 
of  the  Declaration  of  Independence.  During  the  Revolution,  the  British 
and  then  the  French  used  the  building  as  a  hospital.  French  chaplains 
read  Mass  in  the  South  Chamber.  The  first  lectures  in  America  on  medi- 
cine and  dentistry  were  delivered  in  the  council  room  by  Dr.  William 
Hunter  in  1756.  From  the  adoption  of  the  Constitution  in  1790  until 


Newport  219 


the  dedication  of  the  New  State  House  in  Providence  in  1900,  the  May 
sessions  of  the  State  Legislature  were  held  here. 

9.  Polly  Lawton  House,  67  Touro  St.,  an  old  frame  structure  the  first 
floor  of  which  is  occupied  by  a  store,  was  the  home  of  Polly  Lawton,  a 
beautiful  Newport  girl  who  was  much  admired  by  the  French  officers  in 
Rochambeau's  army  during  the  Revolution.    Count  de  Segur  regarded 
Polly  Lawton  as  '  a  celestial  being,  and  certain  it  is  that  if  I  had  not  been 
married  and  happy,  I  should,  while  coming  to  defend  the  liberty  of  the 
Americans,  have  lost  my  own  at  [her]  feet.' 

10.  Temple  Jeshuat  Israel,  72  Touro  St.,  is  probably  the  oldest  synagogue 
in  America.   The  congregation  was  organized  in  1658  and  construction 
was  begun  in  1759,  the  building  being  completed  and  dedicated  in  the 
year  5523  of  the  Jewish  calendar  (1763).   Peter  Harrison  was  the  archi- 
tect and  he  combined  his  particular  architectural  style,  the  'Georgian 
Colonial,'  with  the  traditional  synagogue  architecture  of  the  Spanish- 
Portuguese  Jews. 

The  brick  structure,  about  40  feet  by  30,  was  built  at  an  acute  angle  with 
the  street,  so  that  the  Ark  should  face  directly  east.  The  exterior  is 
severely  plain  except  for  the  one-story  entrance  portico.  A  gallery  for 
women  extends  around  three  sides,  supported  by  columns  of  the  Ionic 
order;  Corinthian  columns  in  turn  support  the  roof.  In  the  middle  of  the 
north  side  and  affixed  to  the  wall  is  a  raised  seat  for  the  ruler  and  elders, 
the  back  inlaid  with  mosaic  work.  Wainscoted  seats  extend  around  the 
sides  on  both  levels.  Five  candelabra  adorn  the  synagogue,  blending 
harmoniously  with  the  perpetually  burning  lamp.  Of  the  five  candelabra 
made  of  brass,  one  has  twelve  branches,  two  have  eight,  and  two  have  six. 
The  most  venerable  object  of  the  synagogue  is  the  Scroll  of  the  Sun,  which 
is  deposited  in  the  Ark  and  contains  the  Five  Books  of  Moses,  written 
by  hand  and  beautifully  illuminated  with  silver  and  washed  gold.  By 
1769  there  were  six  Scrolls  of  the  Holy  Law  deposited  in  the  Ark  of  the 
Newport  synagogue;  four  of  these  are  still  preserved  and  in  use. 

11.  On  Touro  St.,  opposite  the  synagogue,  is  the  two-and-one-half  story 
Sheffield  House,  now  the  Jewish  Community  Center.   It  is  an  unusually 
good  example  of  the  type  of  structure  built  in  the  decadent  stage  of  the 
Greek  Revival,  with  elaborately  carved  Corinthian  capitals  on  its  pillared 
porticoes  and  a  general  lack  of  restraint  in  detail  and  proportion. 

12.  Newport  Historical  Society  Museum  (open  weekdays  9.30-4.30,  Sat. 
9.30-12),  82  Touro  St.,  a  plain  brick  structure  built  in  1902,  houses  many 
relics  and  records,  including  the  society's  fine  collection  of  more  than  7000 
volumes  and  pamphlets. 

The  Sabbatarian  Meeting-House,  or  Seventh  Day  Baptist  Church,  now 
incorporated  in  the  rear  of  the  museum,  was  erected  in  1729  under  the 
direction  of  Jonathan  Sabin  and  Henry  Collins,  a  founder  of  the  Redwood 
Library.  The  meeting-room  is  36  feet  long  and  26  feet  wide;  the  molding 
and  paneling  is  hand-wrought,  and  the  carving  of  the  railing  on  the  curved 
flight  of  steps  leading  up  to  the  pulpit  is  of  exquisite  workmanship.  The 


220  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

pulpit  and  the  sounding  board  are  beautifully  designed  and  executed,  as 
is  the  clock  that  hangs  opposite  them  in  the  gallery;  this  clock,  made  by 
William  Claggett  in  1731,  has  the  original  works  and  is  still  keeping  time 
correctly.  The  tablets  on  the  wall  were  presented  to  the  church  by  John 
Tanner  and  others  in  1773. 

The  first  Sabbatarian  congregation  in  America  was  formed  in  Newport  in 
1671  by  Stephen  Mumford,  and  this  edifice  is  the  oldest  meeting-house 
of  the  sect  in  this  country.  Records  of  the  church  terminated  about  1839. 
R.from  Touro  St.  on  Bellevue  Ave. 

Bellevue  Avenue,  farther  south,  is  the  main  thoroughfare  leading  through 
the  estates  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  peninsula  (see  Motor  Tour  2).  Origi- 
nally the  northern  end  was  a  lane  called  Jew  St.,  running  from  Mill  St. 
to  the  Jewish  cemetery.  This  was  gradually  extended  southward,  at  first 
being  lined  with  fairly  simple  frame  summer  homes.  It  was  carried  to 
Bailey's  Beach  in  1851,  when  the  flimsy  houses  began  to  give  way  to  the 
ornate  palaces  of  stone  arid  brick. 

13.  The  Jewish  Cemetery,  2  Bellevue  Ave.,  purchased  in  1677,  originally 
contained  only  about  1200  square  feet,  but  it  was  gradually  enlarged  to 
more  than  double  that  size.   Forty-two  tombstones  are  scattered  along 
what  seems  to  have  been  originally  four  rows  of  graves,  within  an  iron  and 
stone  fence  built  in  recent  years.  Three  of  these  stones  have  no  inscrip- 
tion at  all;  on  the  others  the  lettering  is  still  visible,  though  in  many  cases 
the  characters  are  so  worn  that  it  is  impossible  to  read  the  inscriptions, 
which  are  in  Hebrew,  English,  Spanish,  Portuguese,  and  Latin.   Many 
stones  have  been  lost  or  destroyed  during  the  years  and  the  oldest  that 
remains  dates  from  1761.  The  cemetery  is  now  well  cared  for  and  in  the 
summer  has  the  appearance  of  a  beautiful  garden. 

14.  The  Redwood  Library  and  Athenczum  (open  weekdays  10-6;  reading 
room  open  to  members  only),  50  Bellevue  Ave.,  is  the  property  of  a  corpora- 
tion organized  as  a  philosophical  society  in  1730,  and  incorporated  in 
1743.  In  1747,  Abraham  Redwood  gave  £500  to  the  society  for  the  pur- 
chase of  books  in  London  and  these  form  the  nucleus  of  the  present  col- 
lection. The  inhabitants  of  the  town  subscribed  £5000  to  erect  a  building; 
Henry  Collins  presented  the  society  with  land;  and  in  1750  the  original 
structure  was  completed.   In  time  the  society  received  84  volumes  from 
the  English  Crown  and  many  more  from  Dean  Berkeley;  Judah  Touro 
bequeathed  it  $3000  for  the  purchase  of  books  and  gave  $1000  for  repairs. 
In  1862,  Charles  B.  King  willed  all  his  books,  engravings  and  over  200 
paintings  to  the  organization.  During  the  Revolutionary  War,  the  British 
General,  Richard  Prescott,  on  hearing  of  the  exposed  state  of  the  library, 
stationed  a  guard  to  protect  it  from  injury  and  depredation  but  on  the 
evacuation  by  the  British  in  1779  the  building  was  sacked,  many  valuable 
books  being  carried  away.    The  society  now  has  a  fine  collection  con- 
taining 87,674  volumes.  In  the  library  is  a  Bible  printed  by  Christopher 
Plan  tin  of  Antwerp  in  1487.  Leaves  were  stolen  from  the  Bible  in  1848, 
but  the  conscience-stricken  thief  —  or  his  heirs  —  returned  them  in  1880. 
There  is  a  notable  exhibit  of  paintings  and  statuary. 


Newport  221 


The  original  frame  building  is  the  front  central  part  of  the  present  struc- 
ture; two  small  wings  with  roofs  rising  to  the  eaves  of  the  main  structure 
and  following  the  line  of  its  pediment  were  added  early;  other  and  larger 
additions  in  the  rear  were  made  during  the  igth  century.  Peter  Harrison 
was  the  original  architect  and  the  additions  have  in  general  followed  his 
treatment.  The  original  building  has  the  lines  of  a  Greek  temple,  with 
the  roof  extending  forward  to  form  a  portico  supported  by  four  Doric 
columns  17  feet  high;  the  tympanum  is  severely  plain.  The  rusticated 
entrance  wall  is  broken  by  a  central  doorway  and  two  small  paned  double- 
sashed  windows,  which  are  duplicated  in  the  fronts  of  the  early  wings. 
Above  the  door  and  the  two  central  windows  are  three  smaller  windows 
with  only  two  rows  of  panes,  designed  to  increase  the  light  in  the  interior. 
This  early  building  had  been  altered  during  its  long  years  but  was  restored 
to  its  original  form  in  1928. 

The  grounds  around  the  building  form  a  charming  park  with  paths  and 
seats;  on  the  south  are  botanical  gardens  of  considerable  fame,  containing 
foreign  and  indigenous  plants  that  were  transplanted  from  the  Abraham 
Redwood  estate  in  Portsmouth.  An  unusually  fine  beech  stands  near  the 
entrance. 

15.  The  Art  Association  Building  (open  weekdays  9^),  76  Bellevue  Ave. 
a  large,  rambling  frame  structure,  is  used  to  exhibit  the  works  of  artists, 
sculptors,  and  workers  in  metal  and  other  materials.  During  the  summer, 
classes  are  held  in  painting,  modeling  and  decorative  design.   There  are 
also  junior  art  classes  on  Saturdays.  The  Art  Association  was  organized 
in  1912  by  eight  local  artists. 

The  Gushing  Memorial  Building,  adjacent  to  the  Art  Association,  houses 
a  permanent  collection  of  the  works  of  Howard  Gardiner  Gushing,  a 
Newport  artist. 

R.from  Bellevue  Ave.  on  Mill  St. 

1 6.  Touro  Park  (L)  on  Mill  St.  just  off  of  Bellevue,  is  named  in  memory  of 
Judah  Touro  who  gave  the  city  $10,000  to  buy  and  improve  the  grounds 
and  land  around  the  Old  Stone  Mill.  Judah  Touro  (1775-1854)  was  the 
second  son  of  Rabbi  Touro  who  came  to  Newport  about  1760  and  was 
the  first  regular  rabbi  of  the  congregation  of  Jeshuat  Israel  (see  above}] 
he  had  lived  and  made  a  fortune  in  New  Orleans,  and  served  under  Gen- 
eral Jackson  in  the  defense  of  that  city  in  the  War  of  1812.  When  he  died 
he  bequeathed  approximately  $500,000  to  churches  and  other  institutions 
of  many  faiths  in  the  United  States,  and  to  others  in  Europe. 

On  the  north  side  of  the  park  is  the  roofless  Old  Stone  Mill,  a  circular  stone 
tower  with  open  arches  below;  the  supporting  pillars  are  composed  of 
flat,  irregularly  shaped  stones,  carefully  laid  with  mortar  joints.  The  old 
structure  has  been  the  subject  of  sporadic  controversy  for  over  a  hundred 
years,  many  persons  choosing  to  believe  it  a  relic  of  the  Norsemen;  but  it 
is  now  generally  accepted  as  being  the  ruin  of  a  windmill  built  by  Benedict 
Arnold,  Governor  of  the  Colony  (1663-66,  1669-72).  James  Fenimore 
Cooper  in  his  '  Red  Rover '  referred  to  it  as  the  remains  of  a  windmill,  but 


222  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

when  Henry  Wadsworth  Longfellow  heard  of  a  skeleton's  being  dug  up  at 
Fall  River,  clad  in  broken  and  corroded  armor,  he  connected  it  with  this 
tower  in  his  poem  'The  Skeleton  in  Armor.' 

On  the  east  side  of  the  park  is  a  bronze  Statue  of  Matthew  C.  Perry,  who 
negotiated  the  Japanese  treaty  of  1854.  At  the  west  end  is  a  bronze 
Statue  of  William  Ellery  Channing  (1780-1842),  the  divine  and  scholar 
who  was  born  in  Newport  and  became  known  as  the  apostle  of  Uni- 
tarianism.  He  was  the  son  of  William  Channing,  who  was  appointed  a 
United  States  Attorney  by  Washington  in  1791,  and  of  Lucy,  daughter  of 
William  Ellery,  one  of  the  signers  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence. 

During  the  Civil  War,  the  midshipmen  from  the  United  States  Naval 
Academy  trained  in  this  park. 

17.  Tillinghast  House  (not  open),  142  Mill  St.,  a  three-story  frame  dwell- 
ing, was  built  in  1760  by  John  Tillinghast,  a  wealthy  merchant.   It  is  a 
fine  example  of  Colonial  architecture  with  wide  central  hall  and  a  stair- 
case enriched  by  spiral  balusters  and  an  open  spiral  newel.   The  wain- 
scoting is  enlivened  by  pilasters.   In  1780-81,  it  was  used  by  a  French 
regiment  of  engineers,  and  it  is  reported  that  the  Marquis  of  Chastelleux 
here  wrote  his  impressions  of  Newport  during  the  French  occupation. 
Gen.  Nathanael  Greene  rented  the  house  in  1783,  and  was  here  visited 
by  Lafayette  in  1784;  also  by  Kosciusko,  Baron  Steuben  and  other  distin- 
guished persons.  The  place  was  for  a  time  the  home  of  Colonel  Archibald 
Crary,  commander  (1821-24)  of  the  Second  Rhode  Island  Regiment. 

L.  from  Mill  St.  on  Touro  Park  to  Pelham  St.;  R.  on  Pelham  St. 

18.  The  Channing  Memorial  Church,  131  Pelham  St.,  erected  in  1880  in 
the  English  Gothic  style,  is  constructed  of  rose  granite  with  light  trim 
and  has  a  high  spire.   The  stained-glass  windows  are  the  work  of  John 
La  Farge. 

The  Unitarians  of  Newport  organized  on  October  24,  1835,  and  in  the 
following  January  their  society  was  incorporated  as  the  Unitarian  Con- 
gregational Church  of  Newport.  In  January,  1889,  the  society  assumed 
its  present  name,  honoring  William  Ellery  Channing  (see  above). 

19.  The  Van  Zandt  House  (not  open),  70  Pelham  St.,  built  1846,  is  a  two- 
and-a-half -story  white  frame  Greek  Revival  structure.     The  shallow 
pedimented  entrance  portico  has  four  tall  Corinthian  columns.  This  was 
the  home  of  Charles  Van  Zandt,  Governor  of  Rhode  Island  (1877-80). 

The  body  of  Governor  Benedict  Arnold,  who  died  in  1678,  is  buried  in  the 
rear  of  the  house,  along  with  members  of  the  Pelham  and  Bannister 
families.  (Graves  may  be  visited  by  permission  of  occupant  of  house.) 

20.  Prescott  House  (not  open),  56  Pelham  St.,  is  a  three-story,  frame  build- 
ing of  rather  fine  proportions,  topped  by  a  gambrel  roof  with  three  well- 
designed  dormers;  it  was  built  before  1767  by  John  Bannister,  a  wealthy 
citizen,  whose  portrait,  painted  by  Gilbert  Stuart,  is  in  the  Redwood 
Library.  Bannister  and  his  family  left  town  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Revo- 
lutionary War  and  General  Richard  Prescott  of  the  British  army  in  1777 
established  his  headquarters  here. 


Newport  223 


Prescott  was  a  haughty  and  tyrannical  officer  who  treated  the  inhabitants 
with  cruelty  and  disdain.  It  was  his  habit,  when  during  his  daily  walks 
he  saw  people  standing  together  or  talking  and  laughing,  to  shake  his  cane 
at  them  and  cry  out,  '  Disperse,  ye  rebels ! '  Every  woman  was  told  that 
when  she  met  the  General,  she  should  bow  low,  and  every  man  that  he 
should  remove  his  hat  entirely  from  his  head  and  stand  bareheaded  so 
long  as  the  officer  was  in  sight.  Failure  to  comply  with  this  unwritten 
law  would  cause  the  General  to  strike  the  offender,  or  thrust  at  him  with 
his  cane. 

21.  The  Langley  House,  43  Pelham  St.,  is  a  little  one-and-a-half -story, 
frame  gambrel-roof  dwelling,  built  before  the  Revolutionary  War.    It 
was  used  by  the  British  during  their  occupation  of  Newport.   A  poem 
entitled  '  Little  Old  Woman  in  Grey  House,'  has  given  it  some  literary 
interest: 

'There's  a  little  old  woman  lives  over  the  way 
In  a  gambrel  roof  cottage  unpainted  and  grey 
And  where  the  brown  grape  vine  is  clambering  across 
The  shingles  are  covered  with  patches  of  moss.' 

The  vines  long  ago  disappeared  and  the  house  has  become  a  shop. 
L.  from  Pelham  on  Thames  St. 

22.  At  3  Pelham  St.,  cor.  of  Thames  St.,  is  a  marker  indicating  the  house 
in  front  of  which  David  Melville  placed  gas  lights  in  1806,  the  first  in- 
stallation of  the  kind  in  the  country. 

23.  Bannister's  Wharf,  off  Thames  St.,  opposite  Pelham,  was  a  famous 
spot  for  many  years.    Fishermen  always  came  here  at  dawn  to  peddle 
their  catch  of  the  day  before,  pushing  it  before  them  in  wheelbarrows. 
Pitching  pennies  was  the  favorite  pastime  of  those  who  frequented  the 
wharf,  and  nothing  would  interrupt  the  game  except  a  dog  fight.   Pero 
Bannister's  oyster  house  was  here;  when  Pero  died,  though  he  was  meas- 
ured for  a  coffin,  it  happened  that  the  box  was  too  shallow  and  the  lid 
would  not  come  down  on  account  of  his  nose.  There  was  no  time  to  make 
another  coffin,  so  the  maker  cut  a  hole  in  the  lid  and  Pero  went  to  his 
grave  with  his  nose  poking  through. 

24.  The  Champlin-Mason  House  (not  open),  274  Thames  St.,  a  two-story 
frame  structure,  now  greatly  altered,  was  built  by  Philip  Robinson  prior 
to  1760.  The  lower  floor  is  used  for  a  store  and  the  second  for  offices  and 
storerooms.  In  1791,  it  came  into  the  possession  of  Christopher  Champlin, 
whose  daughter  Peggy  had  the  honor  of  being  George  Washington's 
dancing  partner  at  the  French  Ball,  March  7,  1781.  The  beautiful  Miss 
Champlin  chose  for  the  opening  number,  'A  Successful  Campaign,'  for 
which  the  French  officers  'with  the  most  graceful  courtesy,  took  the 
instruments  from  the  musicians,  and  played  while  the  couple  stepped 
through  the  minuet.'   The  Prince  de  Broglie  said,  'Miss  Champlin  had 
beautiful  eyes,  a  sweet  mouth  and  perfectly  shaped  face,  fine  figure, 
pretty  foot,  and  an  air  altogether  attractive.'    The  house  was  later 
occupied  by  Doctor  Benjamin  Mason,  who  married  the  popular  young 


224  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

woman.  Doctor  Mason  was  director  and  purveyor-general  of  the  Military 
Hospital  in  Rhode  Island.  In  this  house  Oliver  Hazard  Perry  courted 
Dr.  Mason's  daughter  Elizabeth,  who  became  his  wife,  and  here  he  was 
greeted  upon  his  triumphant  return  from  the  Battle  of  Lake  Erie  (1813). 
Several  years  later  the  funeral  cortege  bearing  the  remains  of  Commodore 
Perry  paused  at  the  door  for  the  family  to  take  its  place  in  the  procession 
behind  the  boat-shaped  hearse. 

L.  from  Thames  on  Franklin  St.  to  Spring  St.;  L.  on  Spring  St. 

25.  The  Maudsley  House,  228  Spring  St.,  is  one  of  the  finest  Georgian 
Colonial  houses  in  Newport.   It  is  distinguished  by  its  pleasing  propor- 
tions, sensitively  executed  exterior  detail  and  its  broad  gable-on-hip 
roof  broken  by  the  characteristic  three  front  dormers  and  two  lofty 
chimneys.   It  is  situated  on  a  sloping  corner  lot,  now  much  smaller  than 
formerly.  The  fenestration  along  the  John  Street  facade  reveals  that  its 
ground  floor  is  planned  on  two  levels,  the  windows  being  stepped  up  with 
the  grade  of  the  side  street.   The  exterior  of  this  two-and-a-half  story 
structure  has  bead-edged  clapboards,  painted  white,  with  narrow  paneled 
pilasters  at  the  corners.  The  most  notable  feature  of  the  facade  is  the  fine 
pedimented  doorway;  the  paneled  door  is  flanked  by  engaged,  delicately 
fluted,  Corinthian  columns.   The  crowning  pediment  and  entablature  is 
embellished  with  modillions  and  rosettes.    Perhaps  the  most  unusual 
features  of  its  design  are  the  delicately  molded  transom  rail,  which  carries 
the  lines  of  the  abacus  of  the  caps,  the  narrow  fluted  trim  around  the  door, 
and  the  semicircular  fan-light. 

Captain  John  Maudsley  was  an  eighteenth-century  merchant  and 
privateersman,  noted  for  his  hospitality.  Strangers  participated  of  his 
bounty  and  the  blessings  of  the  poor  rested  on  his  head.  In  1795  the 
house  was  purchased  by  Caleb  Gardner,  who  had  a  Negro  slave  named 
Newport,  a  remarkable  character  who  organized  a  sort  of  church  known 
as  the  'Union  Society  for  General  Improvement.' 

26.  The   United  Congregational  Church,   198  Spring  St.,  is  a  spacious 
brownstone  edifice,  erected  in  1857.   The  First  Congregational  Society 
was  organized  in  Newport  in  1720;  after  dissension  a  second  congregation 
was  organized  eight  years  later.  In  1833  the  two  societies  reunited  and  in 
1857  dedicated  this  building  to  the  worship  of  the  Triune  God. 

27.  Trinity  Church  (open;  apply  to  sexton),  141  Spring  St.,  is  a  frame 
edifice  built  in  1725  under  the  supervision  of  Richard  Munday.   It  re- 
sembles the  Old  North  Church  in  Boston,  Mass.,  being  a  simple  high 
rectangular  structure  with  two  tiers  of  circular-headed  windows  with 
blinds.  The  square  steeple  consists  of  a  tower,  an  arcaded  belfry,  a  lan- 
tern, and  a  slender  white  spire,  surmounted  by  a  gilded  crown  that  Revo- 
lutionary patriots  forgot  to  remove.  A  bell,  the  first  church  bell  to  ring 
out  in  New  England,  is  preserved  in  the  church;  it  was  given  to  the  con- 
gregation in  1709  by  Queen  Anne  but  was  injured  in  1805  and  the  metal 
was  recast.   Queen  Anne  also  donated  the  communion  service.  The  rear 
of  the  church  is  on  Spring  St.  and  the  steeple  end  is  in  the  rear  of  the 


Newport  225 


present  yard;  the  church  formerly  faced  a  long  open  sweep  of  greensward 
running  down  to  the  harbor. 

Inside,  the  square,  old-fashioned  box-pews  face  a  'wine-glass,'  or  three- 
deck,  pulpit,  the  only  one  of  its  kind  in  New  England  and  the  only  remain- 
ing pulpit  used  by  Bishop  Berkeley.  The  top  is  reached  by  a  winding 
staircase  that  brings  the  preacher  almost  on  a  level  with  the  galleries 
running  around  three  sides  of  the  structure.  The  lesson-desk  is  on  the 
second  level  and  the  bottom  desk  is  used  by  the  clerk  when  giving  out 
the  hymns  and  psalters.  In  early  times  officers  sat  in  the  rear  of  the 
church,  those  of  higher  rank  on  one  side  and  the  subordinates  on  the 
other;  sections  of  the  gallery  were  reserved  for  slaves  and  prisoners. 

The  interior  is  liberally  paneled.  Beautiful  brass  chandeliers  hang  from 
the  ceiling,  one  of  them  bearing  the  inscription  'Thomas  Dres,  Exeu. 
1723';  they  still  carry  candles.  Memorials  have  recently  been  placed  on 
the  walls,  many  of  them  to  Revolutionary  soldiers. 

The  central  part  of  the  organ,  now  added  to  and  renovated,  was  pre- 
sented to  the  church  by  Bishop  Berkeley  in  1733;  he  had  first  offered  it 
to  the  town  of  Berkeley,  Mass.,  but  the  selectmen  there  had  voted  that 
'  an  organ  is  an  instrument  of  the  devil  for  the  entrapping  of  men's  souls ' 
and  had  refused  the  gift.  The  organ  is  still  surmounted  by  the  crown  of 
England,  with  a  bishop's  mitre  on  either  side. 

The  date  of  the  organization  of  the  Trinity  congregation  is  uncertain. 
It  was  from  the  first,  however,  under  the  jurisdiction  of  royal  authorities 
and  it  is  known  that  Colonel  Francis  Nicholson,  a  zealous  churchman, 
former  Lieutenant  Governor  of  New  York,  and  later  Royal  Governor  in 
several  American  Colonies,  came  to  Newport  in  1694  and  assisted  in 
securing  a  rector  for  the  flock.  A  petition  was  forwarded  to  the  Board  of 
Trade  by  Lord  Bellomont  in  1699  asking  for  assistance  in  maintaining  a 
clergyman;  Bellomont  added  that  he  hoped  this  would  be  'the  means  to 
reform  the  lives  of  the  people  in  that  Island  and  make  good  Christians 
of  'em.' 

During  the  Revolution  local  feeling  here,  as  elsewhere,  ran  high  against 
the  Established  Church;  many  of  the  members  of  the  congregation  had 
been  Tories,  or  were  lukewarm  to  the  Revolution.  Soon  after  the  British 
evacuation,  two  American  officers,  followed  by  some  young  men  of  the 
town,  entered  the  church  and  tore  down  the  king's  arms,  supported  by  the 
lion  and  the  unicorn,  that  had  stood  before  the  east  window;  handsomely 
painted  and  gilded,  they  had  been  considered  the  most  important  decora- 
tion of  the  church.  The  hotheads  carried  them  publicly  and  with  great 
ceremony  through  the  town  to  the  North  Battery,  where  they  first  set 
them  up  as  a  target  for  the  crowd  to  fire  at  and  then  threw  them  on  a 
huge  bonfire. 

In  the  ancient  burial  place  adjoining  Trinity  Church  are  the  graves  of 
the  French  Admiral  de  Ternay,  who  died  in  1780,  and  of  Chevalier  de 
Fayelle,  aide-de-camp  to  Lafayette.  Here  also  lies  Lucia,  daughter  of 
Bishop  Berkeley.  On  eight  stones  are  the  arms  of  five  families;  Gidley, 


226  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

Wanton,  Bell,  Goulding,  and  Gibbs,  representing  a  few  of  the  wealthy 
merchants  of  Newport  in  the  i8th  century.  The  oldest  stone  is  that  of 
Thomas  Fox,  who  died  in  1707. 

L.  from  Spring  on  Mary  St.;  R.  from  Mary  on  Clarke  St. 

28.  The  Vernon  House  (open  weekdays  9-5),  46  Clarke  St.,  now  occupied 
by  the  Family  Welfare  Society,  is  a  two-and-one-half-story  frame  struc- 
ture of  Georgian  type  with  rusticated  wood-block  treatment.  It  is  circled 
with  two  rows  of  windows,  and  has  ten  dormers  projecting  from  the  gable 
roof.  The  details  of  the  front  door  and  cornice  are  authentically  Georgian. 
The  rear  approach  is  as  interesting  as  the  front,  with  its  low  door  under 
the  stair  landing  and  the  finely  proportioned  arched  window  looking  out 
upon  a  former  garden.  It  is  impossible  to  know  how  much  of  the  interior 
is  in  its  original  state  as  it  has  been  altered  from  time  to  time.  Recently 
some  very  old  murals  of  Oriental  design  were  uncovered  when  the  panel- 
ing in  the  north  room  was  removed. 

The  house  was  built  in  1756  by  Metcalf  Bowler,  later  Chief  Justice  of 
the  State  Supreme  Court,  and  came  into  the  possession  of  William  Vernon 
in  1773,  remaining  in  the  family  until  1872,  which  accounts  for  its  excel- 
lent condition.  Vernon  (1719-1806),  a  wealthy  merchant  and  ship  owner, 
was  president  of  the  Eastern  Navy  Board  during  the  Revolutionary  War 
and  rendered  invaluable  service  in  organizing  the  American  Navy. 
Count  de  Rochambeau  and  a  brilliant  group  of  Frenchmen  occupied  the 
house  in  1780-81,  among  them  Count  de  Fersen,  a  lover  of  Marie  An- 
toinette. George  Washington  visited  Rochambeau  here  on  March  6,  1781, 
to  discuss  future  campaigns  against  the  English.  As  Washington  was 
about  to  enter  the  house  a  little  fellow  held  in  his  father's  arms  called 
out,  'Why,  father,  General  Washington  is  a  man.'  Overhearing  the  re- 
mark the  general  replied,  *  Yes,  my  son,  only  a  man.' 

29.  The  Washington  Allston  House  (private),  31  Clarke  St.,  is  a  two- 
story  frame  structure  built  prior  to  1800.  Allston  (1779-1843)  the  artist, 
though  not  a  native  of  the  State,  lived  here  for  several  years. 

30.  Newport  Artillery  Armory  (open  on  application  to  commanding  officer 
on  premises),  23  Clarke  St.,  a  large  granite  structure,  erected  in  1836,  is 
the  home  of  the  Newport  Artillery  Company;  chartered  in  1741.   It  was 
the  second  artillery  company  organized  in  the  New  England  Colonies  and 
was  modeled  on  the  plan  of  the  Ancient  and  Honorable  Artillery  Com- 
pany of  Boston,  which  was  established  in  1638.   The  Newport  Artillery 
has  seen  service  in  all  wars  of  the  country  since  it  was  organized.   The 
old  armory  contains  many  historical  papers  and  guns,  a  painting  of 
George  Washington  by  Jane  Stuart,  locks  of  hair  from  both  General 
Washington  and  the  Duke  of  Wellington,  and  the  flag  that  was  flown  by 
Oliver  Hazard  Perry  at  the  Battle  of  Lake  Erie. 

31.  The  Central  Baptist  Church,  15  Clarke  St.,  a  frame  structure  sur- 
mounted by  a  steeple,  was  erected  in  1733  by  the  Second  Congregational 
Society.    When  the  church  was  used  for  barracks  during  the  British 
occupation  of  Newport,  the  pews,  pulpit  and  fixtures  were  destroyed. 


Newport  227 


In  the  early  days  of  the  church  it  was  customary  for  merchants  to  gather 
outside  to  discuss  business  affairs  until  the  introductory  prayer  had  been 
offered;  then  they  would  scuffle  up  the  aisles  to  their  seats,  unaware  of 
having  caused  any  disturbance.  As  these  were  the  influential  men  who 
held  the  purse-strings  of  the  church,  the  minister  did  not  find  a  way  of 
rebuking  them;  however,  William  Ellery,  an  old  member  of  the  parish, 
said  to  them  one  day  in  a  bland  voice,  '  Gentlemen,  I  perceive  that  you 
do  not  like  short  prayers.'  They  replied,  'Oh  yes,  we  prefer  such.'  'Well,' 
said  Ellery,  '  I  cannot  understand  how  that  can  be,  when  you  never  come 
in  time  to  hear  one.'  His  rebuke  was  effective. 

In  September,  1847,  the  structure  was  purchased  and  dedicated  by  the 
Baptists  who  added  a  then-fashionable  adornment  to  the  simple  facade  — 
appliques  of  jigsaw  work  in  a  design  reminiscent  of  the  paper  lace  on 
valentines. 

32.  The  Henderson  Home,  31  Clarke  St.,  a  two-and-a-half-story  frame 
structure  with  gambrel  roof  and  two  dormers,  was  erected  about  1 733  and 
since  then  has  been  considerably  altered.  It  was  used  as  the  parsonage 
of  the  Second  Congregational  Church.  It  was  the  home  of  the  Reverend 
Ezra  Stiles,  one  of  the  most  learned  men  of  his  time,  who  lived  here  from 
1755  to  1776,  taking  a  leading  part  in  the  cultural  activities  of  the  town. 
He  left  Newport  for  a  brief  pastorate  at  Portsmouth,  N.H.,  and  became 
President  of  Yale  College  in  1777.  The  house,  which  has  nearly  its  original 
lines,  is  now  a  home  for  the  aged. 

L.  from  Clarke  on  Touro  St.  to  Washington  Square. 


FOOT  TOUR  2  — 1.2  m. 


N.  from  Washington  Square  on  Broadway. 

33.  The  Wanton-Ly man-Hazard  House  (open  daily  on  application  to 
Newport  Historical  Society,  82  Touro  St.;  adm.  25^f),  13  Broadway,  is  a 
two-and-a-half-story  frame  house,  almost  square  in  plan,  with  a  broken 
gabled  roof  and  in  the  rear  a  two-story  lean-to.  A  heavy  plain  cornice 
extends  the  length  of  the  house  on  the  front,  and  a  central  capped  and 
pilastered  chimney  rises  from  the  center  of  the  ridge.  The  main  entrance, 
approached  by  double  brownstone  steps  guarded  by  an  iron  rail,  consists 
of  a  dark,  paneled  door  that  is  surmounted  by  a  plain  pediment  supported 
by  two  plain  pilasters.  Two  tiers  of  windows  with  shutters  encircle1  the 
house,  and  three  pedimented  dormer  windows  ornament  the  front  of  the 
roof.  This  dwelling,  built  about  1675,  or  somewhat  later,  is  the  oldest 
house  in  Newport.  The  general  appearance  and  especially  the  huge  pi- 
lastered chimney  suggest  that  it  was  a  place  of  considerable  pretentious- 
ness at  the  time  it  was  erected.  Within  are  curious  twisting  staircases, 
and  an  old  kitchen  fireplace  with  crane  still  in  position. 

Joseph  Wanton  was  governor  of  Rhode  Island,  1769-75,  when  he  was 


228  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

deposed  because  of  Royalist  leanings  (see  History).  When  he  died  in 
1781,  this  house,  along  with  his  other  property,  was  confiscated.  Later 
the  house  was  restored  to  those  of  his  descendants  who  had  been  faithful 
to  the  cause  of  independence.  Daniel  Lyman,  Chief  Justice  of  the  State 
Supreme  Court,  married  a  daughter  of  John  Wanton,  a  wealthy  merchant 
and  son  of  Governor  Gideon  Wanton.  A  daughter  of  Daniel  Lyman 
married  Benjamin  Hazard,  a  prominent  member  of  the  Rhode  Island  bar. 
Dr.  Thomas  Moffat,  a  Scotch  physician,  resided  here  in  1765,  when  feeling 
was  strong  against  the  Stamp  Act.  On  August  26,  effigies  of  Moffat,  of 
Augustus  Johnstone,  a  stamp  distributor,  and  of  Martin  Howard,  a 
lawyer,  all  of  whom  had  incurred  popular  odium  by  supporting  Parliamen- 
tary measures,  were  drawn  through  the  streets,  hung  on  a  gallows  in  front 
of  the  Court  House,  and  in  the  evening  were  cut  down  and  burned  by  a 
mob.  The  next  day  the  homes  of  the  three  men  were  plundered,  and  they 
fled  on  board  the  British  sloop  'Cygnet.'  Revenue  officers,  fearing  for 
their  lives,  closed  the  custom  house  and  took  refuge  on  the  same  ship. 
R.  from  Broadway  on  Stone  St.;  L.  from  Stone  St.  on  Spring  St. 

34.  The  First  Baptist  John  Clarke  Memorial  Church,  30  Spring  St., 
built  in  1846,  is  a  spacious  frame  edifice,  square  in  plan,  with  a  tower  that 
rises  about  20  feet  above  the  peak  of  the  roof.   The  congregation,  the 
second  Baptist  society  organized  in  America,  was  established  by  John 
Clarke,  one  of  the  founders  of  Newport,  in  1644.    The  doctrines  that 
John  Clarke  expounded  were  those  of  the  English  Particular  Baptists,  who 
believed  that  atonement  was  'particular,'  or  individual.   There  is  little 
doubt  that  he  was  author  of  the  confession  of  faith  and  purpose  that  was 
the  foundation,  not  only  of  the  Baptist  Church  of  Newport,  but  of  the 
civil  government  of  the  Colony.  John  Clarke  continued  to  minister  to  the 
Newport  congregation  until  his  death  in  1676,  when  he  was  succeeded  by 
Obadiah  Holmes  (see  Tour  5).    The  great-granddaughter  of  Obadiah 
Holmes  was  the  great-grandmother  of  Abraham  Lincoln. 

Continue  from  end  of  Spring  St.  on  Broadway. 

35.  City  Hall,  47  Broadway,  a  four-story  granite  structure,  was  built  in 
1900.  In  1925  it  was  partly  destroyed  by  fire,  but  was  soon  restored  and 
it  is  now  one  of  the  most  imposing  public  buildings  in  the  city. 

36.  Townsend  Industrial  School,  59  Broadway,  a  two-and-a-half-story 
brick  building,  was  erected  in  1894,  and  named  in  memory  of  Ella  Town- 
send  who  bequeathed  the  city  the  lot  on  which  the  school  stands.   It  is 
the  outgrowth  of  the  Katherine  Wormely  Industrial  School  for  Girls, 
established  in  1847,  which,  since  1894,  has  served  as  an  industrial  school 
for  the  public  school  children  of  the  city. 

37.  Saint  Joseph's  Church,  77  Broadway,  was  dedicated  on  September  8, 
1912.    This  Romanesque  edifice  is  of  cream-colored  brick,  with  terra- 
cotta trim,  and  a  foundation  of  granite.    The  three  fine  altars  are  of 
Carrara  marble;  the  main  altar  consists  of  a  high  dome  surmounted  by 
a  Celtic  cross;  beneath  this  and  above  the  tabernacle  is  another  dome. 
The  reredos  is  done  in  panel  work;  above  it,  at  either  end,  stands  the 


Newport  229 


figure  of  an  angel  trumpeter.  Below  the  table  is  a  sculptured  stone  repre- 
sentation of  the  Last  Supper.  The  floor  of  the  sanctuary  is  of  marble  and 
the  altar  rail  of  bronze.  Beneath  each  wooden  cross  on  the  side  is  a  mosaic 
portraying  an  event  in  the  passion  and  death  of  Jesus  Christ.  Stained- 
glass  windows  from  Munich  present  events  in  the  life  of  Christ  and  the 
saints. 

38.  The  First  Presbyterian  Church,  151  Broadway,  a  brownstone  edifice 
of  Romanesque  architecture,  was  built  in  1892.   The  congregation  was 
organized  as  a  branch  of  the  United  Congregational  Church  in  1884,  but 
in  1888  turned  Presbyterian.  In  front  of  the  church  and  in  the  center  of  a 
triangular  grass  plot  is  a  Civil  War  Memorial  —  a  soldier  and  a  kneeling 
sailor. 

39.  The  Count  de  Rochambeau  Monument,  155  Broadway,  dedicated  July 
13,  1934,  is  a  life-size  bronze  statue  of  Rochambeau  set  on  a  granite  base. 
Bronze  tablets  on  the  base  describe  highlights  in  Rochambeau's  life  while 
in  Newport.  The  figure  is  a  replica  of  Fernand  Hamer's  statue  of  Rocham- 
beau in  Vendome,  France. 

L.  sharply  from  Broadway  doubling  back  on  West  Broadway. 

40.  Equality  Park,  in  the  junction  of  these  highways,  is  a  small  triangular 
grass  plot  in  which  boats  of  the  British  sloop  'Liberty'  were  burned  in 
July,  1769.   In  the  center  of  the  park  is  the  Spanish- American  War  Me- 
morial, a  bronze  statue  of  Victory  with  sword  in  hand. 

41.  The  John  Clarke  Family  Cemetery,  62  West  Broadway,  a  small  burial 
ground  surrounded  by  a  high  cement-block  wall,  holds  the  grave  of  John 
Clarke  (see  above). 

R.  from  dead-end  of  West  Broadway  on  Marlborough  St. 
This  is  the  oldest  section  of  Newport. 

42.  The  Friends  Meeting-House,  30  Marlborough  St.,  now  a  dilapidated 
recreation  hall,  was  built  in  1700  and  subsequently  enlarged.  The  old 
part,  the  middle  section,  is  about  45  feet  square  and  has  two  galleries, 
one  above  the  other.   The  builder's  name  is  found  in  many  places  under 
the  shingles,  and  reads:  'John  Jones,  the  King's  own,  in  the  year  of  Our 
Lord,  1700.' 

There  was  a  Friends  Meeting-House  before  this  one,  built  probably 
about  1658,  on  the  east  side  of  Farewell  Street,  opposite  the  Coddington 
burial  place.  It  was  torn  down  in  1705,  and  some  of  the  material  was 
worked  into  what  is  the  north  room  of  the  present  meeting-house. 

43.  The  Jonathan  Nichols  House  (not  open),  42  Marlborough  St.,  cor.  of 
Farewell  St.,  is  a  two-story  frame  structure  built  in  1730,  and  known  as 
the  White  Horse  Tavern.  The  General  Assembly  of  the  State  of  Rhode 
Island  is  said  to  have  met  in  its  parlors  at  times  for  the  convenience  of 
the  legislators.  Little  changed  in  form,  it  is  now  a  private  residence. 

R.  from  Marlborough  St.  on  Farewell  St. 

44.  The  Governor's  Cemetery,  50  Farewell  St.,  a  small  shallow  plot  of 


230  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

ground  in  front  of  buildings,  contains  the  graves  of  several  early  colonists 
of  Rhode  Island,  including  Henry  Bull,  Nicholas  Easton,  John  Easton, 
and  William  Coddington. 

45.  Farewell  St.  passes  the  Site  of  a  Liberty  Tree  (L),  used  as  a  rallying 
spot  for  pre-Revolutionary  demonstrations.    The  site  is  now  a  small, 
nearly  bare  triangle. 

R.  from  Farewell  St.  on  Warner  St. 

46.  The  Common  Ground,  24  Warner  St.,  oldest  public  cemetery  in  New- 
port, was  laid  out  about  1660.   The  slate  headstones  with  their  rudely 
carved  inscriptions  are  to  the  rear,  behind  more  modern  stones.   Many 
stones  here  are  memorials  to  sailors  lost  at  sea.   The  cemetery  contains 
20  stones  with  family  armorial  designs;  these  lie  flat  on  the  ground,  and 
have  suffered  considerable  mutilation. 

47.  The  Island  Cemetery,  30  Warner  St.,  was  laid  out  and  landscaped, 
1836-44.  Here  are  memorial  monuments  to  Oliver  Hazard  Perry  and 
Matthew  Calbraith  Perry. 


MOTOR  TOUR  1  —  3.5  m. 

W.  from  Thames  St.  on  Long  Wharf. 

Thames  Street,  or  Main  Street  as  it  formerly  was  and  is  sometimes  even 
now  called,  is  a  straight,  narrow  thoroughfare.  In  1699  the  street  was 
known  as  the  Strand,  the  general  name  for  the  waterfront.  It  is  the  main 
artery  of  the  village,  extending  through  the  business  center  of  the  city. 

Long  Wharf  was  in  existence  as  early  as  1685;  on  the  Mumford  Map  of 
Newport  it  is  called  Queenhithe,  an  old  English  name  for  a  haven  for 
boats.  Here  the  French  troops  were  reviewed  by  General  Washington 
and  Count  Rochambeau,  and  along  this  narrow  highway  the  funeral 
cortege  of  Admiral  de  Ternay  slowly  wended  its  way  in  1780.  In  the  early 
days  of  the  Colony  it  was  customary  for  butchers  to  drive  steers  to  this 
wharf,  where  the  townspeople  would  cluster  around  and,  with  a  piece  of 
chalk,  mark  on  the  steers  the  portions  of  meat  they  desired.  When  a 
steer  was  well  marked  up  he  was  killed  and  the  buyers  bore  their  pur- 
chases away.  This  roadway  offers  a  broad  view  of  the  inner  harbor  and  the 
waterfront  of  the  city. 

R.  from  Long  Wharf  on  Washington  St. 

48.  The  Simeon  Potter  House  (not  open),  31  Washington  St.,  is  a  large 
frame  gambrel-roof  building,  two-and-a-half  stories  high.  In  this  house 
was  held  Newport's  first  free  school,  founded  in  1815  by  the  Trustees  of 
Long  Wharf.  It  was  financed  by  the  proceeds  of  a  $25,000  lottery,  part 
of  which  was  used  to  rebuild  Long  Wharf.  When  the  purpose  of  the 
lottery  came  to  the  attention  of  Simeon  Potter  he  donated  the  house  and 
some  other  property  to  the  school.  Accommodations  were  provided  for 


Newport  231 


about  50  pupils,  and  the  school  was  opened  with  Captain  Joseph  Finch 
and  his  wife  in  charge.  The  Potter  School  was  discontinued  in  1834. 

49.  The  Hunter  House  (open  by  permission),  54  Washington  St.,  one  of 
the  most  celebrated  residences  in  Newport  and  since  1917  a  convent  of  the 
Sisters  of  St.  Joseph,  was  built  in  1757  by  Deputy-Governor  Jonathan 
Nichols.   It  had  a  beautiful,  broken-pedimented  doorway,  with  a  pine- 
apple motif,  designed  by  Peter  Harrison,  but  this  has  been  taken  to 
St.  John's  Rectory  a  short  distance  north  on  Washington  St. 

Joseph  Wanton,  Jr.,  deputy-Governor,  1764-65,  was  the  next  to  own  this 
house,  but  being  a  Loyalist  he  fled  to  New  York  during  the  Revolution, 
where  he  died  in  1781.  In  the  summer  of  1780,  Admiral  Chevalier  de 
Ternay  of  the  French  fleet  made  his  headquarters  here.  The  house  has  a 
staircase,  going  through  three  stories,  that  has  figured  in  several  novels. 
According  to  one  story,  it  was  built  so  that  the  owner  could  easily  reach 
his  liquor  supply  in  the  attic.  Another  tale  has  a  clandestine  love  affair 
depend  on  the  staircase.  The  interior  is  beautifully  paneled  and  contains 
a  marble  fireplace  and  several  with  Dutch  tiles. 

50.  The  Henry  Collins  House  (not  open),  62  Washington  St.,  a  two-and- 
a-half-story  frame  structure  with  gambrel  roof,  was  built  in  1750;  it 
later  came  into  the  possession  of  George  Rome,  a  wealthy  Tory  whose 
property  was  confiscated  during  the  Revolution,  and  it  was  for  a  time 
occupied  by  Jane,  daughter  of  Gilbert  Stuart,  who  lived  here  with  her 
mother.   In  1780-81  the  house  was  used  as  headquarters  of  the  French 
Artillery. 

51.  Robinson  House  (private),  64  Washington  St.,  a  very  simple  two-and- 
a-half-story  frame  structure,  was  built  about  1760  by  Tom  Robinson,  a 
Friend.  Viscount  De  Noailles  was  quartered  here  when  he  visited  New- 
port in  1780,  and  upon  his  return  to  France  sent  to  Mrs.  Robinson  a 
beautiful  Sevres  tea  set  that  is  in  the  possession  of  the  present  occupant, 
a  great-granddaughter  of  Mrs.  Robinson. 

52.  Narrow  Battery  Park,  which  runs  along  the  harbor  (L),  was  the  site 
of  Fort  Greene  during  the  Revolutionary  campaign,  and  is  an  ideal  spot 
from  which  to  view  the  bay  and  the  numerous  yachts  and  warships  lying 
at  anchor  offshore. 

To  the  north  is  seen  Gould  Island  and  to  the  west  Rose  Island  (Govern- 
ment reservations,  not  open  to  public).  Gould  Island  is  a  U.S.  Navy  seaplane 
base,  and  Rose  Island  is  used  for  storage  purposes.  On  Rose  Island  are 
the  remains  of  earthworks  thrown  up  in  Revolutionary  days,  and  kept  in 
condition  until  1801.  These  old  earthworks,  called  Fort  Hamilton,  are 
visible  from  the  Newport- Jamestown  Ferry  (see  Tour  7). 

Many  of  the  Washington  St.  houses  belong  to  the  day  when  every  New- 
port matron  had  India  shawls,  Turkey  carpets,  China  silks,  and  sandal- 
wood  boxes,  and  fortunate  Newport  children  had  monkeys  and  parrots 
for  pets,  gifts  brought  home  by  the  captains  and  crews  of  Newport-owned 
ships.  These  houses  were  the  homes  of  people  who  lived  comfortably  and 
entertained  freely,  cosmopolitans  who  were  free  from  the  provincial  preju- 


232  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

dices  found  in  American  communities  with  less  contact  with  the  world 
far  beyond  their  doors. 

R.  from  Washington  St.  on  Cypress  St. 

53.  Left  is  the  United  States  Naval  Hospital  (open  to  visitors  8-4.30),  one 
of  three  hospitals  on  the  Atlantic  coast  provided  for  by  Congress  in  1910; 
it  was  opened  April,  1913.  Thanks  to  its  situation,  the  hospital  provides 
the  sick  with  a  quiet  environment,  healthful  climate,  and  when  the 
patients  are  well  enough  to  appreciate  it,  a  delightful  view.  The  hospital 
building,  which  fronts  on  Narragansett  Bay,  has  walls  of  tapestry  brick 
with  terra-cotta  trim,  and  stands  on  15  acres  of  beautiful,  well-kept  land. 
The  hospital  also  cares  for  sick  and  disabled  ex-servicemen. 

L.  from  Cypress  St.  on  Third  St.,  which  becomes  Training  Station  Rd.  and 
crosses  a  causeway  to  Coaster's  Harbor  Island. 

54.  United  States  Naval  Training  Station  (open;  no  cameras  permitted; 
drill  on  parade  ground  Thurs.  2.15),  1.9  m.,  on  Coaster's  Harbor  Island, 
is  the  birthplace  of  the  naval  training  system  of  this  country.   In  1863, 
Lieutenant  Stephen  B.  Luce  (1827-1917),  later  a  Rear  Admiral,  became 
a  strong  advocate  of  a  naval  training  system,  and  his  enthusiasm  for 
British  training  methods  resulted  in  the  establishment  of  an  American 
training  service  for  enlisted  men  that  at  first  employed  a  squadron  of 
three  vessels;  a  second  move  was  the  securing  of  a  shore  headquarters. 
During  the  Civil  War  the  United  States  Naval  Academy  had  been  tem- 
porarily transferred  to  Newport.  In  December,  1880,  the  citizens  of  New- 
port voted  to  cede  Coaster's  Harbor  Island  to  the  Federal  Government, 
an  action  ratified  by  the  State  in  the  following  year,  and  in  1883  the  island 
was  designated  as  a  Naval  Training  Station  by  the  Navy  Department. 
The  station  has  over  100  buildings,  most  of  them  substantial  and  im- 
pressive structures. 

The  U.S.S.  Constellation,  attached  to  the  Training  Station,  is  a  36-gun 
frigate  authorized  by  Congress  in  1794.  This  full-rigged  vessel,  161  feet 
in  length  and  carrying  a  i67-foot  mainmast,  saw  initial  service  in  the 
unofficial  war  with  France,  1798-1800,  and  next  took  part  in  the  Medi- 
terranean operations,  1801-05,  against  the  Barbary  pirates.  In  1840 
the  '  Constellation '  was  sent  out  to  the  Far  East  to  protect  United  States 
interests  in  China.  After  long  service  in  many  parts  of  the  world  it  be- 
came a  receiving  ship,  being  stationed  at  Norfolk  and  Philadelphia,  and 
then  at  Annapolis  as  a  practice  ship  for  midshipmen  in  the  U.S.  Naval 
Academy.  One  hundred  years  after  her  keel  was  laid,  the  historic  frigate 
arrived  at  Newport. 

The  Naval  War  College  on  Coaster's  Harbor  Island  owes  its  founding 
largely  to  the  efforts  of  Lieutenant  Stephen  B.  Luce,  who  became  its  first 
superintendent.  About  1877,  when  the  Civil  War  navy  had  been  per- 
mitted to  disintegrate,  Luce  began  urging  a  postgraduate  course  for  com- 
missioned officers  in  order  that  they  might  become  acquainted  with 
strategy  and  the  higher  branches  of  their  profession.  His  views  received 
little  sympathy,  but  the  War  College  was  opened  in  1884,  in  the  building 


OLD      AND      NEW      CHURCHES 


RHODE  ISLAND  was  settled  by  religious  non-conformists 
of  all  sorts;  five  sects  had  become  prominent  by  the  end  of  the 
Colonial  period,  and  another,  Roman  Catholicism,  grew  to 
strength  in  the  nineteenth  century.  The  Baptist  faith,  which 
should  be  given  first  place  in  this  group  for  chronological  rea- 
sons, is  represented  by  a  photo  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  at 
Providence,  in  the  architectural  section  of  our  illustrations. 

The  Congregational  Church  at  Slatersville  is  an  excellent  ex- 
ample of  the  simple  but  impressive  structures  to  be  seen  in 
countless  New  England  villages.  The  Friends  Meeting-House 
at  Newport  is  a  symbol  of  the  influence  of  Quakerism  in  early 
Rhode  Island.  Newport's  old  Jewish  Cemetery  stands  a  short 
distance  from  Temple  Jeshuat  Israel,  or  the  Touro  Syna- 
gogue, housing  a  congregation  organized  in  1658.  The  Roman 
Catholic  church  shown  is  in  the  predominantly  French-Cana- 
dian city  of  Woonsocket. 


SLATERSVILLE   CONGRECATIONAL    CHURCH,  NORTH    SM1THFIELD 


QUAKER    MEETING-HOUSE,  NEWPORT 


._     _. 


OLD     JEWISH    CKMKTFRY,  NFWPORT 


HOLY   TRINITY    CHURCH,  TIVERTON 


CHURCH    OF   THE    PRECIOUS   BLOOD 
WOONSOCKET 


TRINITY   CHURCH,  NEWPORT 


Newport  233 


that  is  fiow  the  administrative  office  of  the  Training  Station.  The  college 
was  housed  in  the  Torpedo  Station  until  1889,  when  a  new  building  was 
erected,  an  imposing  granite  structure  on  the  brow  of  the  hill  on  Coaster's 
Harbor  Island,  overlooking  Narragansett  Bay.  This  building,  now 
weathered,  is  known  as  Luce  Hall;  two  wings  have  since  been  added,  one 
called  Pringle  Hall,  honoring  a  former  president  of  the  college,  and  the 
other  a  library.  Officers  of  the  teaching  staff  are  selected  from  the  gradu- 
ates of  the  college,  from  officers  of  the  line,  and  from  the  Army  and 
Marine  Corps.  The  duration  of  the  course  is  eleven  months. 


MOTOR  TOUR  2  — 11  m. 


E.  from  Bellevue  Ave.  on  Narragansett  Ave.;  R.  from  Narragansett  Ave.  on 
Ochre  Point  Ave. 

This  1 1 -mile  highway  loop  connects  up  the  estates  of  the  area  that  in  the 
last  half  of  the  igth  century  shared  with  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York  City, 
the  scenes  of  that  spectacular  effort  of  America's  first  big  crop  of  million- 
aires to  establish  themselves  as  the  top  crust  of  the  social  pie.  Just  as  the 
returning  generals  and  colonial  administrators  of  ancient  Rome,  the  new- 
rich  of  the  Roman  Empire,  spent  fabulous  sums  reproducing  the  art  works 
of  the  older  Greek  civilization  and  sent  their  antique-dealers  scurrying  to 
the  older  cities  to  buy  up  statues  by  Praxiteles  and  other  choice  bits  to 
adorn  their  show-places,  so  the  new  American  millionaires  built  elegant 
copies  of  the  chateaux  and  palaces  of  Europe,  or,  more  often,  grotesque 
combinations  of  the  most  expensive  and  ornate  features  of  half  a  dozen 
of  them,  and  raided  Europe  for  ornaments  and  furnishings.  Many  of  these 
structures  remain  along  the  drive,  weathered  now  and  softened  by  thick 
shrubbery. 

Unable  to  buy  titles  in  a  democracy,  the  new  social  leaders  did  the  next 
best  thing  —  married  their  daughters  to  European  peers  and  noblemen. 
Newport  was  the  scene  of  many  of  the  lavish  events  in  these  international 
courtings  and  marriages  that  made  daily  wonder-stories  for  an  admiring 
hinterland. 

In  1649  the  discovery  of  iron  pyrite  on  Ochre  Point,  then  called  Taylor's 
Point,  made  a  sensation  among  the  colonists,  who  thought  they  had 
discovered  gold  and  dreamed  happily  until  samples  sent  to  England  were 
analyzed  as  valueless.  Later  yellow  ochre  was  discovered,  and  experi- 
menters tried  unsuccessfully  to  make  paint  out  of  it. 

55.  At  0.5  m.  (L)  is  the  Ogden  Goelet  Estate,  in  French  chateau  style, 
with  a  mansard  roof,  and  a  formal  wrought  iron  gate. 

56.  The  Breakers,  0.8  m.  (L),  or  the  Countess  Szechenyi  Estate,  is  a 
pretentious  palace  of  Caen  stone  with  red  tiled  roof.  The  original  house, 
owned  by  Cornelius  Vanderbilt,  was  burned  in  1893.    Soon  afterward 
$3,000,000  was  spent  to  make  the  present  mansion  the  most  striking  and 


234  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

magnificently  appointed  of  Newport  'cottages.'  This  three-and-a-half- 
story  stone  structure,  of  which  R.  M.  Hunt  was  the  architect,  has  on  one 
side  a  semicircular  porch  resembling  the  apse  of  a  cathedral.  The  center 
of  the  house  has  a  two-story  loggia  facing  the  garden.  The  interior  is 
embellished  with  mosaic  work  and  carved  stone.  Some  of  the  interior 
walls  are  finished  in  light-green  Cipollino  marble.  A  mosaic  in  one  of  the 
ceilings  portrays  a  bathing  chamber  in  ancient  Pompeii.  The  loggias  and 
the  tympani  of  the  arches  are  decorated  in  Italian  Renaissance  designs. 
The  estate  was  bequeathed  by  Mrs.  Cornelius  Vanderbilt  to  her  niece, 
the  Countess  Szechenyi,  wife  of  the  Austro-Hungarian  charge  d'affaires 
to  the  United  States  in  1906. 

Among  the  most  famous  entertainments  of  the  iSgo's  was  Grace  Vander- 
bilt's  'Fete  des  Roses.'  The  lawns  of  Beaulieu,  the  Cornelius  Vanderbilt, 
Jr.,  estate,  were  lighted  by  myriads  of  shaded  fairy  lamps,  and  red  roses 
were  everywhere,  massed  in  gigantic  baskets  or  hanging  in  festoons.  The 
entire  theatrical  company  of  '  Red  Rose  Inn '  which  was  having  an  enor- 
mous success  in  New  York  was  engaged  on  a  request  performance.  This 
involved  closing  the  theater  in  New  York  for  two  nights,  but  the  Vander- 
bilts  could  afford  to  entertain  royally. 

R.  from  the  end  of  Ochre  Point  Ave.  on  Ruggles  Ave.;  L.  from  Ruggles  Ave. 
on  Bellevue  Ave. 

57.  The  Marble  Palace,  1.7  m.  (L),  the  home  of  Frederick  Prince,  was 
designed  by  Richard  M.  Hunt,  who  also  designed  Biltmore,  the  Vander- 
bilt palace  in  Asheville,  N.C.   It  is  in  the  Renaissance  vernacular.   An 
imposing  Corinthian  portico,  extending  to  the  roof,  dominates  the  front. 
The  exterior  is  of  white  Rutland  marble  and  stone  from  Caen,  France. 
A  curved  balustraded  driveway  hides  the  base  of  the  portico.  The  front 
doors  are  protected  by  ornate  Louis  XIV  metal  gates  that  cost  more  than 
$50,000,  and  required  the  labor  of  50  men  for  more  than  a  year.  They  are 
25  feet  wide  by  16  feet  high  and  are  of  bronze  and  iron,  with  gold  leaf  on 
the  inside.  The  vestibule  of  the  house  has  walls  and  floor  of  yellow  French 
marble,  with  a  paneled  ceiling  60  feet  high  supported  by  heavy  columns. 
The  dining-room  from  floor  to  ceiling  is  finished  in  different  shades  of 
Numidian  marble,  carved  with  figures  in  bas-relief.    The  walls  of  the 
drawing  room  blaze  with  crystal  and  gold.   The  walls  and  ceiling  of  the 
mistress'  chamber  are  of  carved  black  walnut  with  padded  silk  panels. 
The  master's  chamber  is  finished  in  light  woods.  The  portable  furnishings 
of  the  house  are  worth  more  than  a  million  dollars. 

At  2.3  m.  L.  from  Bellevue  Ave.  on  Ledge  Rd.  0.3  m. 

58.  CoggeshalVs  Ledge,  or  Land's  End,  at  the  end  of  the  road,  is  a  spot 
that  can  scarcely  be  surpassed  for  sea-views.  To  the  right,  weather  per- 
mitting, is  seen  the  west  shore  of  Rhode  Island  and  in  the  distance  is 
Block  Island;  on  the  left  the  sea  is  bounded  by  a  long  cliff.  The  blue  ocean 
is  usually  dotted  with  steamers  and  white  sails. 

Retrace  on  Ledge  Rd.;  L.  on  Bellevue  Ave.  and  at  2.4  m.,  L.  from  the  end  of 
Bellevue  Ave.  on  Ocean  Ave. 


Newport  235 


59.  At  2.5  m.  (L)  is  the  exclusive  Bailey1  s  Beach  (not  open  to  public). 

60.  Crossways,  or  the  Stuyvesant  Fish  House,  2.8  m.  (R),  is  a  large, 
white  Colonial-style  mansion,  designed  and  built  by  Stuyvesant  Fish  in 
1898.  This  house  was  the  center  of  gaiety  at  the  turn  of  the  century,  its 
mistress  being  one  of  the  most  ingenious  hostesses  of  the  Four  Hundred. 
The  spacious  dining-room,  which  seats  200  guests,  and  the  enormous 
ballroom  were  the  scene  of  Mrs.  Fish's  Harvest  Festival  Ball,  the  annual 
entertainment  ending  the  Newport  social  season.    When  Grand  Duke 
Boris  of  Russia  visited  Newport,  Mrs.  Fish  issued  invitations  for  a  dinner 
and  ball  in  his  honor;  the  night  of  the  ball  the  Duke  was  detained  by  Mrs. 
Ogden  Goelet,  Mrs.  Fish's  rival  as  social  leader,  at  whose  home  he  was 
staying.   About  200  guests  had  assembled  in  the  hall  at  Crossways,  and 
when  the  hour  for  dinner  approached  and  there  was  no  sign  of  the  Duke, 
Mrs.  Fish  announced  that  the  Duke  was  unable  to  come,  but  the  Czar 
of  Russia  had  agreed  to  be  her  guest.  Suddenly  the  doors  of  the  room  were 
flung  open  and  in  walked  His  Imperial  Majesty,  dressed  in  his  royal 
robes,  wearing  the  Imperial  Crown  and  carrying  a  scepter.    The  guests, 
including  Senator  Chauncey  Depew,  Pierpont  Morgan,  and  Lord  Charles 
Beresford,  sank  in  a  court  curtsy,  only  to  recover  themselves  with  shrieks 
of  laughter  when  they  realized  they  were  paying  homage  to  Harry  Lehr. 
The  next  day  Grand  Duke  Boris  accosted  Lehr  on  the  beach  and  con- 
ferred upon  him  the  title  of  '  King ' ;  the  title  clung  to  him  for  the  rest  of 
his  life. 

At  4.2  m.  is  a  dangerous  double  curve  (drive  slowly). 

At  4.5  m.  L.  a  short  distance  to  PRICE'S  NECK.  This  United  States  Coast 
Guard  Station  (open  to  visitors  8^.30)  is  the  headquarters  for  the  Watch 
Hill,  Quonochontaug,  Block  Island,  Green  Hill,  Point  Judith,  and  Narra- 
gansett  Pier  Coast  Guard  Stations.  It  has  a  personnel  of  fourteen  men 
and  one  commander,  who  are  quartered  in  a  modern,  well-equipped 
building,  with  several  single  and  double  rooms,  a  large  kitchen,  showers, 
lavatories,  individual  lockers,  and  a  store  room.  The  interior  is  finished 
in  eggshell  white,  the  floors  are  covered  with  linoleum  and  cork  tile.  Men 
are  stationed  in  the  watch-tower  here  24  hours  a  day.  The-  boathouse 
holds  modern  motor  lifeboats,  which  are  launched  from  a  runway.  The 
shore  is  patrolled  at  regular  intervals  for  a  distance  of  about  four  miles 
along  the  coast. 

United  States  Naval  Radio  Station,  Price's  Neck,  was  put  in  commission 
in  May,  1920,  to  aid  commercial  navigation  as  well  as  the  Navy.  The 
station  gives  bearings  in  response  to  calls,  and  is  of  great  service  to  sea- 
farers within  a  radius  of  100  miles. 

61.  Brenton's  Point,  5.5  m.  (L),  is  the  extreme  southern  point  of  the 
Island  of  Rhode  Island.   To  the  west  Beavertail,  southernmost  point  of 
Conanicut  Island,  Narragansett  Pier,  and  Point  Judith,  are  visible.   Off 
shore  is  the  Brenton's  Reef  Lightship,  warning  of  the  dangerous  shoals 
and  hidden  reefs. 

The  road  here  is  lined  with  fragrant  hedge  roses  in  summer. 


236  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

At  6.4  m.  L.from  Ocean  Ave.  on  Ridge  Rd.;  at  7.1  m.  L.from  Ridge  Rd.  on 
Harrison  Ave.;  at  7.5  m.  L.  is  the  entrance  to  Fort  Adams. 

62.  Fort  Adams  (open  8-4.30)  has  massive  masonry  walls,  with  case- 
ment ports  for  500  guns  of  the  type  used  for  coast  defense  in  the  middle 
i  gth  century. 

In  May,  1776,  a  large  body  of  men  from  Newport  repaired  to  Bren  ton's 
Point  and  there  began  the  construction  of  a  fort  to  command  the  entrance 
to  the  harbor.  When  the  British  approached  in  December  of  that  year, 
the  position  was  abandoned  because  of  the  overwhelming  odds  in  favor 
of  the  enemy.  Newport  was  occupied  by  the  British  from  December,  1776, 
to  October,  1779.  When  the  British  left  they  burned  the  barracks  on 
Brenton's  Point,  and  the  site  was  not  used  for  military  purposes  for 
several  years.  After  1793,  however,  in  anticipation  of  war  with  France, 
Congress  took  measures  looking  toward  the  construction  of  permanent 
works  to  defend  the  entrance  to  Narragansett  Bay.  The  building  of  a  new 
fort  was  entrusted  to  Major  Louis  Tousard.  Fort  Adams,  named  for 
President  John  Adams,  was  dedicated  July  4,  1799;  it  then  consisted  of 
an  enclosed  indented  work  of  masonry  for  guns,  with  a  brick  magazine, 
and  barracks  for  one  company.  Some  additional  guns  were  mounted 
during  the  War  of  1812,  but  otherwise,  the  fort  was  neglected  for  the  first 
quarter-century  of  its  existence.  In  1824,  however,  after  a  board  of  engi- 
neers had  condemned  the  old  fort  as  useless,  Lieutenant  Colonel  Joseph 
G.  Totten  undertook  its  reconstruction;  provision  was  made  for  nearly 
500  pieces  of  various  calibers,  which  afforded  ample  defense  against  the 
war  vessels  of  that  time.  A  permanent  garrison  was  established  at  the 
fort  in  1842,  and  has  been  maintained  there  ever  since. 

The  present  fort  covers  a  little  over  138  acres.  The  modern  fortification 
was  begun  in  1896.  About  400  men  are  quartered  in  the  fort  itself  and  in 
several  outlying  barracks;  the  commandant's  residence  and  headquarters 
is  a  large,  homelike  building  standing  on  top  of  the  highest  point  of  land 
in  the  fort. 

At  7.6  m.  R.  from  Harrison  Ave.  on  Hammersmith  Rd. 

63.  A  short  distance  from  Harrison  Ave.  is  visible  (R)  on  a  rocky  hill,  the 
Arthur  Curtiss  James  House,  an  imposing  three-story  structure  of  gray 
stone  in  English  medieval  style  (1912)  with  a  Blue  Garden  (open  last 
week  in  June;  adm. 


L.from  Hammersmith  Rd.  on  Beacon  Hill  Rd.  to  a  private  driveway;  L.  here 
into  the  James  estate. 

64.  Surprise  Valley  (open  8-6.30)  is  an  extraordinary  collection  of  stone 
buildings  with  tile  roofs  that  is  supposed  to  represent  an  Alpine  village; 
it  was  built  by  Mr.  James  in  1914-16.  The  road  winds  down  into  a  hollow 
where  most  of  the  buildings  are,  passing  cottages,  a  carpenter  shop, 
hen  yards,  stock  pastures,  and  an  animal  hospital  (visitors  must  not  stop 
their  cars  or  alight  on  the  estate}.  The  buildings  are  marked  with  wooden 
signs  painted  in  bright  blues,  greens,  and  reds,  with  playful  admonitions 
and  scenes. 


Newport  237 


The  exit  from  Surprise  Valley  is  on  Harrison  Ave.  at  7.8  m.,  main  route 
mileage. 

L.from  Harrison  Ave.  at  8.4  m.  on  Halidon  Ave.;  R.from  Halidon  Ave.  on 
Wellington  Ave. 

65.  Ida  Lewis  Lighthouse,  8.7  m.  (L),  off  Wellington  Ave.,  connected  with 
the  mainland  by  a  short  pier,  is  no  longer  maintained  as  an  aid  to  navi- 
gation.  It  was  for  57  years  the  home  of  Ida  Lewis,  who  succeeded  her 
father  as  keeper  of  the  lighthouse,  serving  for  32  years.   A  number  of 
articles  connected  with  her  life  are  preserved  in  the  museum  of  the  New- 
port Historical  Society.    At  present  the  lighthouse  is  used  by  the  Ida 
Lewis  Yacht  Club. 

66.  King  Park  (L),  Wellington  Ave.,  a  small  attractive  tract  of  ground, 
was  acquired  by  the  city  on  March  3,  1897.   It  has  paths,  seats,  a  fine 
sandy  beach  (public),  and  numerous  facilities  for  children's  recreation, 
such  as  swings,  sliding  boards,  and  other  equipment.  A  plain  truncated 
pyramid  at  the  west  end  of  the  park  is  a  Memorial  marking  the  landing 
site  of  the  French  troops  under  the  command  of  Count  de  Rochambeau  on 
July  12,  1780. 

At  9.2  m.  L.from  Wellington  Ave.  on  Thames  St.  to  Washington  Sq.  11  m. 


SCATTERED  POINTS  OF  INTEREST 


67.  The  Government  Landing,  running  from  215  Thames  St.  to  the  water- 
front, is  a  concrete  wharf  extending  from  the  Torpedo  Station  landing 
to  the  Jamestown  Ferry  slip.   The  landing  is  well  kept,  and  is  usually 
the  center  of  much  activity,  because  of  the  constant  ferrying  of  workers 
between  the  mainland  and  the  Navy-owned  islands.  At  the  east  approach 
to  the  landing  is  the  U.S.  Torpedo  Station  Memorial,  a  granite  monument 
to  those  who  have  lost  their  lives  in  the  service. 

United  States  Naval  Torpedo  Station,  on  Goat  Island  (not  open),  is  viewed 
from  the  Government  Landing.  Goat  Island  has  had  a  long  history; 
it  was  probably  the  home,  and  certainly  the  final  resting  place  of  26 
pirates  who  were  hanged  at  Gravelly  Point  in  1723.  The  British  used 
Fort  George  on  the  island  to  bombard  Count  D'Estaing's  fleet  in  1778. 
For  about  70  years  after  the  Revolution  the  island  was  used  for  military 
purposes  by  the  Federal  Government;  it  was  taken  over  by  the  Navy 
Department  in  1869  and  became  a  torpedo  station.  Experiments  with 
torpedoes  were  conducted  in  1870;  the  first  large  factory  for  the  manu- 
facture of  torpedoes  was  erected  in  1907;  new  buildings  were  added  after 
1910.  During  the  World  War  the  station  was  used  for  chemical  and 
electrical  experiments.  Since  the  war  a  large  concrete  storehouse  and  a 
new  machine  shop  have  been  added. 

68.  The  State  Armory  (open),  371  Thames  St.,  erected  in  1894,  is  a  two- 
story  granite  structure  with  two  large  circular  towers  that  rise  above 


238  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

the  front.  The  building  is  used  by  the  National  Guard  and  the  Naval 
Reserve  as  a  training  quarters,  and  also  for  some  civic  events  and  enter- 
tainments. 

69.  The  Malbone  Town  Home  (not  open),  382  Thames  St.,  a  two-and-a- 
half-story  brick  structure  built  about  1744  by  Godfrey  Malbone,  was 
used  as  a  treasure  depot  for  prizes  of  war  by  the  British  during  their 
occupation  of  Newport  in  1776-79.    It  is  now  the  St.  Claire  Home  for 
Aged  Ladies.   Malbone,  who  settled  in  Newport  about  1700,  was  one  of 
the  most  successful  eighteenth-century  merchants.  He  was  very  generous 
in  his  public  acts,  and  once  remarked  in  connection  with  something  that 
he  had  done,  'What  will  not  money  buy?'   Somebody  overhearing  the 
remark,  posted  the  couplet: 

'All  the  money  in  the  place, 
Won't  buy  old  Malbone  a  handsome  face.' 

Malbone  was  exasperated,  and  offered  10  guineas  to  learn  the  identity 
of  the  author.  The  writer  of  the  lines,  thinking  he  could  earn  10  guineas 
in  no  easier  way,  acknowledged  his  production.  Malbone  proved  that 
'commerce  expands  the  mind  and  liberalizes  the  heart,'  when  he  not  only 
paid  the  reward  but  treated  the  crowd  who  had  gathered  to  see  what 
would  happen.  He  used  to  give  a  great  dinner  party  to  his  ship  captains 
each  time  they  returned  from  successful  slave  trips  in  Africa,  and  so  care- 
less was  he  of  his  possessions  that  at  the  close  of  each  of  the  dinners,  the 
hilarious  guests  were  allowed  to  smash  every  dish  and  plate  on  the  table. 
Needless  to  say  Mrs.  Malbone  saw  to  it  that  none  of  her  precious  china 
was  in  evidence  on  these  occasions. 

70.  Aguidneck  Park,  268-334  Spring  St.,  is  a  large  well-equipped  play- 
ground.   The  southeast  section  is  set  aside  for  small  children,  and  has 
swings,  sliding  boards,  sandboxes,  etc.   The  northeast  section  is  laid  out 
with  four  public  tennis  courts.  On  the  north  side  of  the  park  is  a  recrea- 
tion hut,  in  which  classes  in  gymnastics  are  held  and  entertainments  take 
place  from  time  to  time. 

71.  The  People's  Library  (open  1-6,  children's  room  3-6),  on  the  east  side 
of  Aquidneck  Park,  is  a  two-and-a-half-story,  red-brick  structure,  with 
about  25,000  volumes.  It  was  the  home  of  George  Gordon  King,  who  in 
1912  offered  it  to  the  trustees  of  the  People's  Library,  which  was  founded 
in  1870  by  Christopher  Townsend. 

72.  Saint  Mary's  Roman  Catholic  Church,  250  Spring  St.,  is  a  brownstone 
edifice  of  the  Gothic  Revival  period,  construction  of  which  was  begun  in 
1849.  It  was  constructed  with  the  assistance  of  Lieutenant,  later  General, 
Rosecrans  of  Civil  War  fame.   Troublemakers  insinuated  that  he  used 
Federal  property  in  the  construction,  but  he  cleared  himself  of  the  charges. 
The  nave  has  a  clerestory;  at  the  angles  on  the  tower  are  four  carved 
figures  of  the  evangelists,  and  surmounting  the  tower  is  a  large  bronze 
cross.   The  main  altar  of  Carrara  marble,  with  two  smaller  side  altars, 
was  made  in  Florence,  Italy,  by  Angelo  Lualdi.   Behind  the  altars  is  an 
elaborately  carved  oak  reredos. 


Newport  239 


Many  Catholics  were  in  Newport  during  the  French  occupation  (1780- 
81),  and  in  1793  the  city  became  a  refuge  for  ^Catholics  fleeing  from  the 
revolutionary  struggles  in  the  French  West  Indies.  The  building  of  Fort 
Adams  and  work  in  the  coal  mines  at  Portsmouth,  attracted  many  Irish 
Catholic  laborers  after  1795.  A  schoolhouse  bought  in  1828  by  the 
Reverend  Robert  Woodley  for  use  as  a  church  and  Sunday  school  was 
the  first  Catholic-owned  property  in  the  State. 

73.  Miantonomi  Park,  off  Hillside  Ave.  on  the  extreme  northern  edge  of 
the  city,  is  the  largest  of  the  city's  parks,  comprising  30  acres  of  land, 
including  Miantonomi  Hill  with  broad  fields  on  either  side.  Miantonomi 
Hill,  the  supposed  seat  of  the  famous  Indian  chieftain,  Wanumetonomu, 
sachem  of  Aquidneck  Island,  contains  the  remains  of  the  left  end  of  the 
fortifications  thrown  up  by  the  British  during  their  occupation  of  New- 
port. 

Newport's  War  Memorial  (open  8-4.30),  an  8o-foot  tower  built  of  field 
stone,  stands  on  top  of  the  hill;  from  the  top  is  a  beautiful  and  extensive 
view  in  all  directions. 

74.  Clifton  Cemetery,  42  Golden  Hill  St.,  was  appropriated  as  a  burial 
ground  in  1671  by  Thomas  Clifton,  a  member  of  the  society  of  Friends. 
Mary,  daughter  of  Roger  Williams,  is  believed  to  be  buried  here. 

75.  Cliff  Walk,  reached  from  Bath  Rd.,  off  Belle vue  Ave.,  is  a  footpath 
of  unusual  beauty,  extending  south  from  Bath  Road  for  about  3  miles. 
The  walk  runs  over  a  broken  wall  of  rock  that  overhangs  or  retreats  from 
its  base,  but  always  rises  high  above  the  water.  Masses  of  fallen  rock  lie 
below  along  the  shore  with  the  sea  seething  and  foaming  over  them. 
The  Cliff  Walk  follows  the  ocean-shore  at  the  foot  of  velvety  green  lawns 
belonging  to  the  sumptuous  estates,  and  offers  beautiful  views  at  every 
point.    A  sheet  of  water,  known  as  Easton's  Pond,  mirroring  the  sur- 
roundings in  its  glassy  depths,  is  a  distinguishing  feature  of  the  landscape. 

The  walk  was  at  first  a  fisherman's  trail,  but  the  wealthy  estate  owners 
begrudged  the  use  of  it  by  natives  and  erected  barriers  and  iron  gateways 
to  bar  them.  This  action  outraged  the  Newporters,  who  went  to  court 
about  it;  the  court  decided  that  the  fishermen's  shore  rights  entitled  them 
to  an  unobstructed  way  around  the  island.  The  'cottagers'  made  the 
best  of  it  by  opening  the  gates,  removing  the  barriers  they  had  erected, 
and  laying  out  this  beautiful  path. 

76.  The  Forty  Steps,  on  the  Cliff  Walk,  was  once  a  natural  stairway  of 
stone,  leading  to  the  ocean's  edge.    The  stone  steps  wore  away  and  a 
stairway  of  wood  was  built.  At  the  head  of  the  steps  is  a  square  cement 
landing,  where  the  townspeople  and  servants  of  the  estate  dance  in  the 
summer  evenings  to  the  strains  of  fiddles  and  guitars. 

77.  The  Newport  Casino  (open  to  public;  adm.  price  varies),  194  Bellevue 
Ave.,  is  a  commodious  place  of  summer  meeting  and  amusement  for 
fashionable  society.  It  was  built  for  James  Gordon  Bennett,  who  in  1880 
sold  it  to  the  Newport  Casino  Association.  Seen  from  the  Avenue,  it  is  a 


240  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

simple,  unpretentious-looking  building  of  brick  and  English  half -timber 
construction,  with  the  ground  floor  occupied  by  smart  stores.  The  building 
is  admirably  designed  for  its  uses.  The  inner  court,  with  its  low  balconies, 
latticed  windows,  and  ivy-covered  brick  and  shingled  walls,  is  now  quite 
attractive.  There  are  two  quadrangles;  the  smaller  one  is  planted  with 
flower  beds,  the  larger  holds  tennis  courts  where  championship  matches 
are  held  in  August.  The  large  ballroom,  decorated  with  restraint,  has  a 
stage  at  one  end,  and  is  sometimes  used  as  a  theater. 

78.  The  Stone  Villa,  on  Bellevue  Ave.  opposite  the  Casino,  built  for 
James  Gordon  Bennett  before  1880,  is  a  large,  granite  building  standing 
back  from  the  street,  with  bronze  owls  on  each  of  its  four  granite  entrance 
gateposts.  Bennett  was  a  lover  of  birds,  particularly  owls.  He  had  owls 
engraved  on  his  cuff  links,  live  owls  in  the  garden,  and  painted  owls  on 
the  panels  of  his  home  in  Versailles,  France.   Even  the  bathroom  of  his 
yacht,  the  'Lysistrata,'  was  decorated  with  scenes  from  the  romance  of 
two  owls. 

79.  De  La  Salle  Academy,  356  Bellevue  Ave.,  a  semi-private  high  school 
for  boys,  under  the  supervision  of  the  Brothers  of  the  Christian  School, 
was  established  in  1925.   The  stone  and  brick  buildings  have  an  audi- 
torium, a  gymnasium,  and  classrooms.    This  was  formerly  the  Weld 
Estate,  noted  for  its  beautiful  lawn,  rare  plants,  and  fine  shrubbery. 

80.  The  Elms,  or  the  Edward  T.  Berwind  Estate,  corner  of   Bellevue 
Ave.  and  Dixon  St.  opposite  La  Salle  Academy,  embraces  the  whole 
square  from  the  avenue  to  Spring  St.   The  house,  a  magnificent  square 
stone  mansion,  is  well  arranged  for  entertainments.    The  grounds  are 
landscaped  with  shrubbery,  flower  beds  and  gardens,  but  the  public  can 
only  peep  at  them  through  the  iron  fence  that  surrounds  the  estate.  The 
place  was  once  owned  by  Mrs.  Bruen,  and  the  handsome  elms,  that  give 
the  place  its  name,  were  planted  by  her. 

81.  Newport  Beach  (bathing  suits  and  bathhouses  for  hire),  Bath  Rd.,  a 
smooth,  sandy  beach  about  a  mile  long,  affords  an  opportunity  for  safe 
surf  bathing,  while  the  modern  Roman  pools  are  available  for  those  who 
prefer  something  less  strenuous  than  the  Atlantic.  On  the  north  side,  the 
boardwalk  is  lined  with  concessions  and  amusements. 

82.  Dr.  Hopkins'  Meeting-House  (Congregational),  83  Mill  St.,  a  large 
frame  structure  built  about  1727,  is  now  a  Knights  of  Columbus  hall. 
The  parish  was  established  in  1720,  with  the  Reverend  Nathaniel  Clap 
as  pastor.   In  1725  a  schism  arose  that  Dr.  Clap  ignored  until  an  influ- 
ential committee  waited  upon  him  and  requested  that  he  comply  with 
the  wishes  of  the  congregation.   After  listening  to  their  plea  the  minister 
produced  a  plate  of  figs,  handed  each  committee  member  one,  then 
stalked  from  the  room  shouting,  'A  fig  for  you  all.'   If,  during  his  daily 
walk,  he  met  any  children  flying  kites,  playing  marbles,  or  whirling  peg 
tops,  he  would  buy  the  toys  from  them  and  exhort  them  not  to  gamble  or 
indulge  in  vain  sport. 


Pawtucket  241 


In  1755,  the  Reverend  Samuel  Hopkins  was  installed  here  as  pastor.  He 
delivered  the  first  of  a  number  of  addresses  on  the  evils  of  slavery  about 
1770. 

83.  Corne  House  (not  open),  cor.  Hill  and  Corne  Sts.,  a  two-and-a-half- 
story  frame  structure  with  a  gable  roof,  was  built  about  1822,  and  takes 
its  name  from  Michael  Felix  Corne,  an  Italian  engraver  who  arrived  here 
in  that  year.  It  is  a  local  tradition  that  Corne,  in  1833,  proved  that 
tomatoes,  then  called  'love  apples,'  were  edible;  they  were  thought  to  be 
poisonous.  They  were  brought  here  from  South  Carolina  in  1819,  looked 
upon  as  curiosities,  and  prized  for  their  beauty. 


PAWTUCKET 


City:  Alt.  25,  pop.  77,149,  sett.  1671,  incorp.  as  town  1862,  incorp.  as  city  1885. 

Railroad  Station:  N.Y.,  N.H.  &  H.,  Broad  St.  at  city  line  between  Pawtucket 
and  Central  Falls. 

Bus  Stations:  Quaker  Stage,  Greyhound,  Great  Eastern,  Grey,  and  New  Eng- 
land Transportation  lines,  all  from  Goff  Ave.  near  Broad  St. 
Airport:  American  Airlines,   Inc.,   Rhode  Island  State  Airport,  Hillsgrove, 
6.5  m.  south  of  Providence  on  US  1  (see  Tour  1).    Tickets  and  information  at 
N.Y.,  N.H.  &  H.  R.R.  Station,  Pawtucket. 

Accommodations:  Two  principal  hotels.  Numerous  restaurants. 

Amusements  and  Recreation:  Seven  concerts  annually  in  Senior  High  School 
Auditorium,  Exchange  St.,  sponsored  by  Pawtucket  Civic  Music  Association. 

Swimming:  Senior  High  School.  Various  beaches  on  both  sides  of  Narragansett 
Bay  within  easy  driving  distance. 

Annual  Events:  Novelty  Park  Marathon,  May  30,  participants  from  all  over 
New  England.  Annual  All-Star  baseball  game  around  Labor  Day,  players 
chosen  from  Intercity  Baseball  League.  Narragansett  Park  Racing  Associa- 
tion meets:  spring,  summer,  and  fall. 

PAWTUCKET  is  situated  on  a  number  of  small  hills  that  slope  gently 
toward  three  rivers  —  the  Ten  Mile,  the  Moshassuck,  and  the  Blackstone. 
The  first  two  form  approximately  the  eastern  and  western  boundaries  of 
the  city.  The  Blackstone  enters  from  the  north,  runs  through  the  center 
of  the  city,  and  tumbles  over  Pawtucket  Falls,  where  it  becomes  the 
Seekonk  River.  This  is  the  most  northerly  point  of  Narragansett  Bay 
tidewater.  For  many  years  the  channel  of  the  Seekonk  was  unsuitable  for 
shipping,  but  improvements  undertaken  after  1850  made  commerce 
profitable  (see  Transportation).  The  falls,  once  an  important  factor  in 


242  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

the  city's  development,  are  at  the  narrowest  point  of  the  river  in  the 
center  of  the  city,  but  are  now  obscured  by  the  Main  St.  bridge. 

Like  its  neighbor,  Providence,  Pawtucket  has  a  highly  concentrated 
nucleus  of  activity.  This  region  extends  a  few  blocks  on  Main  St.  west  of 
the  intersection  with  East  St.,  where  the  principal  stores  and  banks  are 
closely  aligned  along  the  rising  curve  of  a  hill.  The  compactness  of  the 
region  is  emphasized  by  the  narrowness  of  the  street,  the  lack  of  open 
space  because  of  its  curve,  and  the  random  way  in  which  the  side  streets 
branch  off.  It  is  an  unusually  active  district,  for  here  the  great  laboring 
population  of  Pawtucket  and  outlying  districts  comes  to  do  its  shopping. 
Busses  from  all  parts  of  the  city  and  outlying  districts  converge  on  this 
street  as  a  terminus,  and  it  is  the  center  not  only  for  the  laboring  popula- 
tion but  also  for  the  farmers  of  Rhode  Island  and  adjacent  Massachusetts. 
The  city  has  a  varied  character.  On  Park  Place  and  along  Summit  St. 
there  are  a  few  magnificent  old  homes.  At  the  southern  boundary  of  the 
city,  which  touches  Providence  on  two  main  thoroughfares  and  East 
Providence  on  two  others,  the  neighboring  districts  are  indistinguishable 
—  the  transition  from  Providence's  North  Main  St.  to  Pawtucket's  Main 
St.  shows  no  break  in  the  random  arrangement  of  houses,  small  stores, 
and  other  business  establishments;  the  residential  sections  at  the  Hope 
St.-East  St.  transition  merge  into  one  another,  and  the  city  line  in  East 
Providence  traverses  several  open  fields.  To  the  northwest  Pawtucket 
partly  surrounds  the  city  of  Central  Falls,  and  here  again  the  city  lines, 
closely  built  up  with  mills,  factories,  and  homes,  are  indistinguishable. 
An  unusually  large  area  of  the  city  is  occupied  by  residences,  most  of 
which  are  of  a  modest  character.  Double-  and  triple-decked  tenements 
are  numerous  in  some  districts,  but  the  city  is  free  from  grimy,  sunless 
slums  and  barren  regions  where  sand  or  acid  soil  smothers  the  grass  and 
stunts  the  trees.  For  a  city  so  completely  industrial,  there  is  a  minimum 
of  squalor. 

The  first  recorded  mention  of  Pawtucket  is  contained  in  a  deed  dated 
1638,  the  formal  grant  of  land  that  Roger  Williams  had  secured  by  oral 
agreement  in  1636  from  the  Narragansett  Indians  for  the  founding  of 
Providence  (see  History}.  The  rocks  and  timber  in  this  wilderness  were 
so  profuse  that  Williams  and  his  companions,  who  sought  tillable  land, 
were  content  to  name  the  '  woods  and  fields  of  Pawtucket '  as  the  northern 
boundary  of  the  plot  they  desired.  In  Indian  dialect,  Pawtucket  means 
'the  place  by  the  waterfall.'  The  area  around  the  falls  was  a  favorite 
fishing  and  camping  ground  for  the  natives. 

Joseph  Jencks,  Jr.,  a  blacksmith,  was  Pawtucket's  first  white  settler;  in 
1671  he  set  up  a  forge  where  he  could  utilize  the  abundant  water  power 
of  the  falls.  The  heavy  stand  of  timber  that  had  repelled  Williams  and 
his  associates  served  Jencks  as  a  source  of  fuel.  He  manufactured  plows, 
scythes,  household  utensils,  and  other  commodities  for  the  farmers  of 
Providence.  Other  smiths  soon  moved  in.  The  community  was  virtually 
destroyed  by  the  Indians  in  March,  1676,  during  King  Philip's  War,  but 
this  was  only  a  temporary  interruption.  After  the  smoke  of  their  burning 


Pawtucket  243 


dwellings  died  away,  the  inhabitants  returned  from  their  refuge  in  the 
woods,  rebuilt  their  homes  and  forges,  and  resumed  the  leisurely  tenor  of 
their  lives.  For  more  than  a  hundred  years  thereafter,  until  the  beginning 
of  the  textile  industry,  Pawtucket  continued  as  a  small  community 
engaged  exclusively  in  supplying  the  neighboring  town  of  Providence 
first  with  farm  utensils  and  later  with  the  metal  parts  —  keel  plates, 
anchors,  bells,  etc.  —  for  the  sailing  ships  that  moved  in  and  out  of 
Providence  harbor  in  the  eighteenth  century.  During  this  period  nearly 
all  the  records  of  the  General  Assembly  pertaining  to  Pawtucket  are 
concerned  with  disputes  that  arose  over  the  building  of  dams  in  the  area 
of  the  falls.  Settlers  farther  up  the  Blackstone  River  discovered  that  these 
obstructions  interfered  with  their  fishing  privileges.  In  1761  the  General 
Assembly  authorized  a  lottery  for  the  purpose  of  'building  a  passage 
around  Pawtucket  Falls  so  that  fish  of  almost  every  kind,  who  choose 
fresh  water  at  certain  seasons  of  the  year,  may  pass  with  ease.'  This  legis- 
lation apparently  failed  to  gain  its  end  as  a  little  later  the  legislature 
passed  another  act  making  it  lawful  for  anyone  to  blow  up  the  rocks 
to  'let  fish  pass  up.'  There  is  no  record  that  this  expedient  was  ever 
resorted  to. 

During  the  Revolution,  Pawtucket  supplied  the  Colonial  army  with  both 
money  and  men,  but  her  chief  contribution  was  the  manufacture  of  am- 
munition and  firearms.  The  iron  industry,  more  than  a  hundred  years 
old,  was  quickly  adapted  to  the  purpose,  and  the  manufacture  of  ammu- 
nition continued,  for  it  is  on  record  that  in  1810  Stephen  Jencks  made 
10,000  muskets  for  the  Government. 

Being  on  the  Boston  Post  Road,  Pawtucket  became  a  favorite  stopping- 
place  for  travelers  in  Colonial  days.  Several  notable  taverns  were  erected. 
In  1776,  Colonel  Eliphalet  Slack  built  one  on  the  east  side  of  the  river 
opposite  the  present  Trinity  Church.  On  the  west  side,  Constant  Martin 
had  an  inn  during  Revolutionary  times  on  a  site  now  bordered  by  Main 
and  Broad  Streets,  and  a  later  one  at  the  corner  of  Commerce  and  Main 
Sts.  Farther  out  on  the  west  side  near  the  Providence  line  was  built  the 
celebrated  Pidge  Tavern,  still  standing,  where  Lafayette  lodged  on  two 
occasions.  All  of  these  Pawtucket  taverns  were  favorite  meeting-places 
for  the  gay  French  officers  billeted  in  Providence  during  the  Revolution. 

In  1800  there  were  about  thirty-five  houses  on  the  west  side  of  the  river, 
and  half  that  number  on  the  east.  That  these  were  widely  scattered  is 
attested  by  the  story  that  Mollie  Bowers,  who  lived  near  the  river,  was 
accustomed  to  carry  a  bag  of  asafoetida  as  protection  against  wolves 
when  she  went  on  horseback  after  dark  to  visit  friends  on  a  country  road 
now  represented  by  North  and  South  Bond  Sts. 

Several  ephemeral  newspapers  appeared  in  the  early  part  of  the  nine- 
teenth century,  but  it  was  not  until  1825  that  a  journal  of  promise  ap- 
peared. It  was  a  weekly,  called  at  first  the  Pawtucket  Chronicle  and  Manu- 
facturers' and  Artisans'  Gazette  and  later  the  Pawtucket  Gazette  and  Chron- 
icle. This  paper  continued  until  1885,  the  date  of  Pawtucket's  incorpora- 
tion as  a  city.  In  that  year  two  dailies  appeared,  one  of  them  the  successor 


244  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

of  the  former  weekly.  The  latter  was  short-lived,  but  the  new  paper 
flourished  and  became  the  Pawtucket  Times  which  at  the  present  time  has 
a  circulation  of  30,000. 

From  the  time  of  its  settlement  until  its  incorporation  as  a  city  in  1885, 
Pawtucket  has  had  an  unusual  number  of  changes  in  legal  status.  Be- 
cause the  Blackstone  River  was  the  boundary  line  between  Rhode  Island 
and  Massachusetts  until  1862,  the  community  grew  up  as  two  different 
units.  That  on  the  west  side  of  the  river  became  a  part  of  North  Provi- 
dence when  the  latter  town  was  set  aside  from  Providence  in  1765.  That 
on  the  east  side  belonged  to  Rehoboth,  Massachusetts,  until  1812,  when 
the  area  was  included  in  the  new  town  of  Seekonk.  In  1828  the  town  of 
Pawtucket,  Massachusetts,  was  established  in  the  Seekonk  area.  Ironi- 
cally, the  one  man  shot  in  the  Dorr  Rebellion  (1842)  was  a  citizen  of 
Massachusetts;  in  a  fracas  on  Pawtucket's  Main  St.  bridge,  a  Kentish 
Guardsman's  bullet  crossed  the  State  line  (see  History).  The  boundary 
dispute  between  Rhode  Island  and  its  neighboring  State,  having  lasted 
for  two  centuries,  was  finally  settled  in  1899.  Part  of  the  settlement  in- 
cluded cession  of  the  Pawtucket  area  to  Rhode  Island,  and  in  1874  the 
Pawtucket  section  of  North  Providence  was  set  aside  and  the  two  com- 
munities at  last  became  a  unit.  Eleven  years  later  Pawtucket,  with  a 
population  of  22,906,  became  incorporated  as  a  city  and  elected  Frederick 
Clark  Sayles  as  its  first  mayor. 

Pawtucket's  most  important  development  has  been  industrial.  This  was 
indicated  even  before  the  Revolution,  but  in  1789  a  series  of  occurrences 
made  Pawtucket  famous  as  '  the  cradle  of  the  American  textile  industry ' 
and  determined  the  lasting  character  of  the  city.  In  this  year  Moses 
Brown  took  steps  to  finance  machine  manufacture  of  thread  and  chose 
Pawtucket  as  the  site  for  the  first  mill.  Brown,  like  many  capitalists  in 
Rhode  Island  and  other  coastal  States,  had  made  his  fortune  in  shipping, 
but  conditions  after  the  Revolution  were  hazardous.  English  restrictions 
on  the  free  transit  of  certain  goods  overseas,  domestic  monetary  evils,  and 
other  difficulties,  forced  the  men  of  wealth  to  look  elsewhere  for  invest- 
ment of  their  money.  The  power  spinning-frame  had  been  invented  in 
England  by  Arkwright  some  years  before,  with  profitable  results,  and  the 
power  manufacture  of  thread  had  already  been  attempted  in  New  York. 
England,  anxious  to  keep  the  Arkwright  process  within  her  own  shores, 
passed  laws  rendering  divulgence  of  its  secrets  almost  on  a  par  with  trea- 
son. However,  young  Samuel  Slater,  a  master  mechanic  of  Nottingham, 
shipped  off  to  America  as  a  farmer  with  a  full  knowledge  of  the  spinning- 
frame  stowed  away  in  his  head.  After  some  discouraging  attempts  with 
the  struggling  industry  in  New  York,  he  heard  of  Moses  Brown,  got  in 
touch  with  him,  and  was  soon  off  to  Pawtucket.  His  work,  begun  with  a 
reconstruction  of  the  mill's  crude  equipment,  was  successful  (see  Industry 
and  Commerce,  and  Labor).  The  first  mill,  constructed  in  the  late  i78o's, 
stood  at  the  west  abutment  of  a  bridge  spanning  the  Seekonk.  It  was 
swept  away  by  a  freshet  in  1807,  but  a  second  mill  had  been  constructed 
in  1 793  and  is  now  maintained  as  a  memorial  to  Slater  and  his  works. 


Pawtucket  245 


The  early  years  were  full  of  problems.  Thread  imported  from  England 
was  favored  in  the  American  market.  Domestic  competition  arose. 
Within  twenty  months  after  the  mill  was  started,  several  thousand  pounds 
of  yarn  had  accumulated  in  the  warehouse,  and  Moses  Brown  wrote  to 
Slater,  his  partner-manager,  saying,  'Thee  must  shut  down  thy  gates, 
or  thee  will  spin  up  all  my  farms  into  cotton  yarn.'  In  1809,  President 
Madison,  at  his  inauguration,  gave  prestige  to  American  cloth  by  wearing 
a  suit  of  woolen  material  made  at  Pawtucket;  his  act  was  a  boon  to  the 
Pawtucket  industry. 

Some  time  after  1800,  Slater  withdrew  from  the  original  firm  and  went 
into  partnership  with  his  father-in-law,  a  machinist  named  Oziel  Wilkin- 
son, and  two  brothers-in-law.  This  was  the  firm  of  Samuel  Slater  and 
Company.  About  1829,  Slater  left  Pawtucket  for  Webster,  Massachu- 
setts, where  he  had  acquired  large  mill  interests. 

The  early  mills  were  occupied  primarily  with  spinning  thread,  which  was 
then  let  out  to  private  individuals  to  be  put  through  the  processes  of 
bleaching,  weaving,  and  the  like.  In  the  former  capacity,  one  Mother 
Cole  achieved  distinction.  She  supervised  a  large  corps  of  women  whose 
duty  it  was  to  suspend  skeins  of  yarn  on  stakes  driven  into  a  great  meadow 
between  the  present  Roosevelt  Avenue  and  the  Blackstone  River.  The 
skeins  were  sprinkled  with  water  and  then  rubbed  in  the  sun  with  drying 
sticks.  A  spell  of  rainy  weather  would  delay  this  process  and  cause  con- 
sternation in  the  trade. 

Power  was  first  applied  to  weaving  about  1815.  Like  spinning,  hand 
weaving  had  remained  practically  unchanged  for  centuries.  The  first 
power  loom  merely  supplanted  with  machinery  the  hand  motions  of 
passing  the  shuttle  and  securing  the  weft.  There  are  conflicting  records 
of  its  introduction.  The  so-called  Scotch  power  loom  is  supposed  to  have 
been  introduced  at  Pawtucket  by  David  Gilmour  with  the  assistance  of 
David  Wilkinson.  At  the  same  time  John  Thorpe,  a  highly  skilled 
machinist  who  spent  much  of  his  life  in  Pawtucket,  is  credited  with 
patents  of  a  hand  and  water  loom  (1812)  and  a  power  loom  (1816),  the 
latter  being  granted  jointly  to  Thorpe  and  Silas  Shepard  of  Taunton, 
Massachusetts. 

Whatever  conflict  there  might  have  been  in  their  connections  with  the 
power  loom,  David  Wilkinson  and  John  Thorpe  both  possessed  a  kind  of 
genius  and  their  activities  were  economically  important.  Wilkinson,  in 
the  late  years  of  the  eighteenth  century,  had  helped  Elijah  Ormsbee  equip 
a  twelve-ton  boat  with  an  engine,  and  the  craft  had  steamed  along  the 
Seekonk  to  Providence  and  back.  Regarding  the  affair  as  a  lark,  the 
young  mechanics  allowed  the  boat  to  rot  along  the  shore.  Some  time 
later  Daniel  French,  from  whom  Robert  Fulton  is  said  to  have  secured 
many  ideas  for  the  manufacture  of  his  first  steamboat,  came  to  Pawtucket 
and  pumped  Wilkinson  for  the  principles  on  which  the  earlier  boat  had 
functioned  (see  Transportation).  Wilkinson  was  either  indifferent  to  or 
greatly  underestimated  the  value  of  his  achievements.  As  a  young  man 
he  had  also  invented  the  slide  lathe,  but  allowed  the  patent  to  lapse.  In 


246  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

the  i84o's  Congress  voted  him  $10,000  'for  the  benefits  accruing  to  the 
public  service  from  the  use  of  the  principle  of  the  gauge  and  sliding  lathe, 
of  which  he  was  the  inventor,  now  in  use  in  the  workshops  of  the  Govern- 
ment at  the  different  national  arsenals  and  armories.'  Thorpe,  however, 
renewed  his  patent  on  the  hand  and  water  loom  in  1843  and  meanwhile, 
between  1812  and  1829,  had  taken  out  at  least  six  patents,  of  which  three 
were  vitally  important  in  the  development  of  the  textile  industry.  The 
latter  were  taken  out  in  1828  and  included  basic  principles  for  'ring- 
spinning/  a  method  now  used  on  over  100,000,000  of  the  160,000,000 
cotton  spindles' now  operating  throughout  the  world. 

By  1840,  when  New  England  shipping  was  rapidly  declining  and  Provi- 
dence merchants  were  turning  all  their  attention  to  industry,  Pawtucket 
was  established  as  a  manufactory  of  textile  and  metal  goods  for  the 
entire  country,  and  was  no  longer  dependent  for  patronage  upon  her  sister 
community,  Providence. 

The  history  of  Pawtucket  in  the  nineteenth  and  early  twentieth  centuries 
was  not  greatly  different  from  that  of  many  similar  industrial  com- 
munities. Social  conditions  resulting  from  the  nature  of  mill  employment 
became  a  problem.  As  the  available  labor  from  surrounding  farms  was 
used  up,  drifting  workmen  moved  in.  The  practices  of  these  unattached 
laborers  earned  for  the  town  derisive  names  such  as  Pilfershire,  Bung- 
town,  Bang-all,  and  Hard-scrabble.  Child  labor  was  freely  used  in  the 
mills  for  many  years.  In  1826  the  superintendent  of  the  Pawtucket 
Thread  Company  was  a  lad  of  nineteen  with  eleven  years'  experience  in 
the  mills.  Children  were  hired  for  about  a  dollar  a  week  and  were  re- 
quired to  work  from  12  to  14  hours  a  day.  Lighting  and  ventilation  were 
poor;  education  fared  badly.  In  1793,  at  the  suggestion  of  Samuel  Slater, 
a  school  was  started  with  sessions  on  Sundays,  but  it  had  little  success, 
and  even  by  1840,  when  an  elementary  education  law  was  passed,  little 
had  been  accomplished  toward  improvement  of  the  child  labor  situation 
(see  Education,  and  Labor). 

In  the  first  half  of  the  nineteenth  century  there  was  a  large  Irish,  English, 
and  Scottish  immigration  into  Pawtucket,  drawn  there  by  the  textile 
industry.  From  1860  on,  the  most  extensive  immigration  was  that  of  the 
French-Canadians.  The  present  population  of  the  city  is  77,149  of  which 
70  per  cent  is  either  foreign-born,  or  born  of  foreign  stock.  Of  this  per- 
centage, about  half  are  Irish,  English  and  Scottish  peoples.  The  Irish 
are  scattered  throughout  the  city,  whereas  the  English  and  Scots  have 
concentrated  largely  in  Fairlawn.  The  next  largest  group  is  the  French- 
Canadian,  making  up  about  20  per  cent  of  the  foreign  population.  Mem- 
bers of  this  group  are  found  mostly  in  Darlington,  Pleasant  View,  and 
Woodlawn.  By  speech,  origin,  and  religion  (Roman  Catholic),  the  latter 
group  is  the  most  closely  integrated  of  the  foreign-born.  The  remaining 
15  per  cent  of  the  city's  foreign  stock  is  made  up  largely  of  Germans, 
Italians,  Slavs,  and  Portuguese. 

Pawtucket  remains  primarily  an  industrial  city  and  has  been  susceptible 
to  the  fortunes  and  misfortunes  of  the  textile  industry  as  a  whole.  Having 


Pawtucket  247 


enjoyed  steady  expansion  and  development,  the  city  has  also  had  its  in- 
dustrial strife.  The  nine-months'  national  textile  strike  of  1922  had  its 
genesis  here  (see  Labor),  and  the  Moshassuck  Cemetery  in  Central  Falls 
was  the  scene  of  some  unfortunate  skirmishing  between  workers  and  the 
National  Guard  during  the  protest  strike  of  1934.  General  factories  now 
exceed  the  textile  mills  in  quantity  if  not  in  numbers  of  employees  — 
there  are  more  than  sixty  that  send  machines,  machine  parts,  and  other 
metal  goods  to  all  countries  of  the  world.  There  are,  however,  more  than 
fifty  textile  mills.  So  much  thread  is  manufactured  in  these  plants  that  it 
has  been  said  that  if  every  stitch  of  it  were  suddenly  to  loosen,  the  entire 
country  would  be  obliged  to  run  for  cover. 


TOUR  1  — 1.5  m 

N.  from  Main  St.  on  Roosevelt  Ave. 

1.  The  Old  Slater  Mill  (open  Tues.,  Thur.,  and  Fri.  eve.,  7-9.30;  free), 
SE.  cor.  Roosevelt  and  Slater  Aves.,  on  the  Blackstone  River.   In  1793, 
the  firm  of  Almy,  Brown  and  Slater,  first  successful  manufacturers  of 
cotton  thread  in  America,  built  this  two-and-a-half-story  frame  building 
to  house  machinery  formerly  used  in  a  mill  farther  down  the  river.  The 
cupola  on  top  of  the  building  contains  the  bell  once  rung  to  summon  the 
workers  in  days  when  the  mill  was  active.  A  trench  for  developing  water- 
power  runs  underneath  the  building.   Within  the  mill  are  several  pieces 
of  Arkwright  machinery  that  Samuel  Slater  built  when  he  came  to  Paw- 
tucket  from  England  in  1789.   These  and  other  Colonial  relics  are  pre- 
served by  the  Pawtucket  Chamber  of  Commerce  as  a  memorial  to  the 
founder  of  the  cotton  textile  industry  in  America. 

2.  The  Pawtucket  City  Hall  (open  weekdays  9-5,  Sat.  9-12),  NE.  cor. 
Roosevelt  and  Leather  Aves.  The  main  body  of  the  structure,  dedicated 
in  1936,  is  four  stories  high,  built  of  yellow  brick  and  stone  in  modern 
design.  The  whole  is  surmounted  by  a  high  tower,  an  imposing  mass  of 
vertical  lines,  topped  by  a  stepped  pyramid  of  stainless  steel.  Across  the 
front  of  the  building  is  a  series  of  plaques  symbolizing  various  events  in 
the  history  of  the  city.  The  interior  decorations  combine  simple,  graceful 
lines  with  harmonious  color  effects.  On  the  ground  floor  is  an  auditorium 
extending  the  width  of  the  building.    The  lobby  is  of  marble,  with  a 
bronze  copy  of  the  city  seal  set  in  the  mosaic  floor.   The  architect  was 
John  F.  O'Malley. 

R.from  Roosevelt  Ave.  on  Exchange  St.  across  bridge. 

3.  The  Pawtucket  Senior  High  School,  N.  side  of  Exchange  St.  on  the 
Blackstone  River,  is  a  large  four-story  building  of  red  brick  with  lime- 
stone trim,  handsomely  designed  along  Colonial  lines.    There  are  two 
large  end  pavilions  with  Corinthian  pilasters,  pediments,  and  ornamental 
balustrades.   The  central  section  with  its  graceful  tower  is  approached 


248  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

by  a  flight  of  steps  which  lead  up  to  a  Corinthian  portico.  The  architects 
of  the  building  were  Monahan  and  Meikle  of  Pawtucket.  Erected  in 
1926  at  a  cost  of  $1,500,000  to  accommodate  1500  pupils,  the  school  at 
present,  by  use  of  the  double  session,  has  an  enrollment  of  2250 

R.  from  Exchange  St.  on  Broadway. 

4.  The  Pawtucket  Congregational  Church  (open  weekdays  9-5,  Sat.  9-12: 
parish  house  entrance),  junction  of  Broadway  and  Walcott  St.   Whereas 
the  early  citizens  on  the  west  side  of  the  river  were  Baptists  and  attended 
meetings  in  Providence,  those  on. the  east  were  communicants  of  the 
Congregational  society.    For  many  years  they  attended  the  Newman 
Church  in  Rehoboth,  three  miles  away  (see  Tour  5).   On  April  17,  1829, 
the  Pawtucket  Congregational  Society  was  organized,  with  a  membership 
of  eight  women  and  one  man.  A  small  church  was  erected  on  the  site  of 
the  present  building,  but  this  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1864.   Four  years 
later  the  present  building  of  Romanesque  motif,  with  gable  roof  and 
three-staged  spire,  was  completed.   Broadway,  which  bounds  the  church 
lot  on  the  north  side,  was  formerly  the  route  of  the  Boston  Post  Road. 

Sharp  L.  from  Broadway  on  Walcott  St.;  R.  on  Summit  St. 

5.  The  Oliver  Starkweather  House,  57  Summit  St.,  was  regarded  in  the 
early  i9th  century  as  one  of  the  two  finest  homes  in  the  city,  the  other 
being  that  of  Colonel  Slack.  Records  of  its  construction  are  unavailable, 
but  it  was  probably  built  near  the  turn  of  the  century.  It  is  a  frame  house 
of  large  proportions,  five  windows  in  width  and  two-and-a-half  stories 
in  height,  with  a  low-hipped  monitor  roof  surrounded  by  a  balustrade. 
On  the  Summit  St.  facade  are  two  triangular-pedimented  dormers  and  a 
portico  supported  by  two  slender  Roman  Doric  columns.   A  side  door- 
way, with  Ionic  pilasters  supporting  a  pediment  pierced  by  a  semicircular 
fan-light,  is  a  well-executed  copy  of  a  type  of  doorway  designed  by  Eng- 
lish architects  and  circulated  in  America  during  the  late  i8th  and  early 
1 9th  centuries.  The  windqws  on  the  lower  floor  are  decorated  in  an  un- 
usual manner,  being  surmounted  by  wooden  angle  rustications  which  in 
turn  are  surmounted  by  large  cornices.  The  house  formerly  stood  on  the 
vacant  corner  lot  on  the  north,  and  the  st.eps  to  its  entrance  can  still  be 
seen.  At  some  time  in  its  history  it  was  moved  to  gratify  the  whim  of  a 
woman  who  could  not  get  along  with  her  neighbors. 

Oliver  Starkweather,  son  of  Ephraim  Starkweather  who  came  to  Paw- 
tucket in  1776,  was  an  outstanding  figure  in  the  village.  Dr.  David 
Benedict,  who  wrote  his  'Reminiscences  of  Pawtucket'  in  this  house 
about  1850,  related  that  Starkweather  drove  a  chaise  which  had  'a  pink 
stern,  flat  top,  and  was  very  ugly  looking.'  The  same  writer  tells  an 
anecdote  connected  with  Starkweather's  term  in  the  Massachusetts 
legislature.  When  the  town  of  Seekonk  was  established  in  1812,  Stark- 
weather became  its  first  representative.  The  name  Seekonk  was  regarded 
by  many  as  offensively  uneuphonious,  and  one  who  considered  it  such 
was  the  Speaker  of  the  House.  On  several  occasions  when  he  had  begun 
an  address  by  saying, '  The  member  from  — '  he  would  check  himself  as  if 


Pawtucket  249 

[shrinking  from  an  unpronounceable  name,  and  continue,  'Mr.  Stark- 
weather,' etc. 
Retrace  on  Summit  St.  to  Walcott  St.;  L.  on  Walcott  St.  to  Main  St.;  L. 
on  Main  St. 

6.  The  Colonel  Slack  Mansion,  50  Main  St.    Opposite  his  first  tavern, 
since  destroyed,  Colonel  Eliphalet  Slack  built  this  three-story  brick  house 
in  1815.    Except  for  the  bracketed  cornice  on  its  low-hipped  roof,  the 
style  of  the  house  is  that  of  an  earlier  period.   Its  proportions  are  sug- 
gestive of  the  reputation  for  magnificence  that  it  once  enjoyed,  but  the 
fan-light  over  the  door  and  the  Palladian  windows  in  both  the  second  and 
third  tiers  fall  short  of  the  standard  upheld  in  other  parts  of  the  State: 
the  semi-ellipse  of  the  fan-light  is  flattened  and  the  windows  are  out  of 
proportion.    The  house  has  served  for  many  years  as  the  rectory  of 
Trinity  Episcopal  Church. 

Colonel  Slack  was  a  capable  and  well-to-do  business  man.  He  was 
considered  eccentric,  largely  because  of  his  habit  of  attending  auctions  — 
vendues  as  they  were  called  —  and  purchasing  all  sorts  of  odds  and  ends, 
old  and  new,  which  he  stored  in  one  of  his  buildings  called  'the  museum.' 
The  collection  has  unfortunately  been  dispersed.  The  tavern  that  stood 
opposite  this  house  was  used  by  General  Washington  and  his  corps,  and 
later  by  Lafayette. 

7.  The  Site  of  the  Joseph  Jencks  Forge  is  at  the  southwest  corner  of  Main 
St.  bridge  and  is  indicated  by  a  marker. 


OTHER  POINTS  OF  INTEREST 


8.  The  First  Baptist  Church,  SW.  cor.  High  and  Summer  Sts.,  was  erected 
in  1842  and  enlarged  in  1870.    In  the  early  history  of  Pawtucket,  the 
Baptists  attended  meetings  in  Providence.    In  1793,  a  group  of  them 
established  the  Catholic  Baptist  Society.     A  meeting-house  was  soon 
begun  but  not  finished  until  1800.   In  1804,  David  Benedict,  then  a  stu- 
dent at  Brown  University,  began  preaching  to  the  congregation,  and 
largely  through  his  efforts  the  society  expanded.  The  meeting-house  was 
enlarged  in  1813  and  1823,  and  was  finally  moved  away  in  1842  to  make 
room  for  the  present  building.  In  1841  the  original  name  of  the  congrega- 
tion was  changed  to  the  First  Baptist  Society.   The  main  body  of  the 
church  is  rectangular  in  form  with  a  low-pitched  gable  roof.  The  project- 
ing entry  has  a  triangular  pediment  supported  by  two  large  fluted  col- 
umns, and  is  crowned  by  a  domed  belfry.  A  tall  spire  formerly  atop  the 
tower  was  removed  shortly  after  the  turn  of  the  century.   The  decora- 
tions within  are  designed  with  charm  and  restraint. 

9.  The  Deborah  Cook  Sayles  Public  Library  (open  9-8  except  Sun.  and 
hoi.;  reading  room  open  Sun.  2-6  except  from  July  1  to  Labor  Day),  Sum- 
mer St.,  between  High  and  Exchange  Sts.  A  private  charter  was  granted 


250  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

to  the  Pawtucket  Library  Association  in  1852  and  transferred  to  the  town 
in  1876  under  the  name  of  the  Pawtucket  Free  Library.  In  1898,  Freder- 
ick Clark  Sayles,  first  mayor  of  the  city,  donated  this  building  in  memory 
of  his  wife,  Deborah  Cook  Sayles.  It  was  designed  by  Cram,  Goodhue 
and  Ferguson  and  dedicated  in  1902.  The  open  shelf  system,  one  of  the 
first  in  the  country,  was  installed  at  this  time.  There  are  two  branch 
offices,  and  the  catalogue  lists  about  50,000  volumes,  with  an  average 
yearly  circulation  of  about  300,000.  The  building  has  a  square  central 
portion  with  an  Ionic  portico  approached  by  a  broad  flight  of  steps. 
The  wings  flanking  each  side  of  the  square  center  are  pierced  by  three 
windows  framed  by  Roman  Doric  pilasters  and  surmounted  by  sculptured 
panels.  Antefixes  in  a  double  row  decorate  the  cornices  of  the  wings. 

10.  Pawtucket  Boys1  Club,  53  East  Ave.   This  three-story  brick  building 
was  erected  in  1902  to  serve  the  recreational  needs  of  boys  in  the  crowded 
area  of  the  Blackstone  Valley.  The  club  was  one  of  the  first  organizations 
of  its  kind  in  the  country,  and  the  building  contains  a  large  gymnasium, 
swimming  pool,  auditorium,  and  several  smaller  rooms  for  educational 
and  recreational  purposes.  The  membership  is  about  3800.  The  building 
stands  on  the  site  formerly  occupied  by  the  home  of  Joseph  Jencks,  Jr. 

11.  Wilkinson  Park,  Park  Place,  contains  a  memorial  dedicated  in  1897 
to  the  soldiers  and  sailors  of  the  Civil  War.  The  monument,  executed  by 
W.  Granville  Hastings,  is  named  '  Liberty  Arming  the  Patriot '  and  repre- 
sents the  figure  of  Liberty  leaning  on  a  spear  and  handing  a  sword  to  the 
patriot  about  to  leave  his  plow. 

12.  Saint  Paul's  Episcopal  Church  (open  weekdays  9-12;  parish  house 
entrance),  50  Park  Place,  stands  on  the  site  of  a  small  church  built  in 
1816  at  the  instigation  of  Samuel  Slater,  David  Wilkinson,  and  others. 
This  was  enlarged  several  times  and  finally  replaced  in  1902  by  the  present 
stone  edifice,  English  Gothic  in  style  with  a  square,  angle-buttressed 
tower.  A  large  bell  in  the  tower,  used  in  the  former  building  throughout 
its  entire  history,  was  cast  by  Paul  Revere;  there  is  also  a  ten-bell  carillon. 
In  the  church  is  a  large  marble  tablet  erected  in  memory  of  Samuel 
Slater,  and  an  exquisite  cut-glass  chandelier,  imported  from  England  and 
presented  by  Slater's  wife. 

13.  The  Church  of  the  Immaculate  Conception  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  Mary 
(Saint  Mary's  Church),  cor.  Grace  and  Pine  Sts.,  stands  on  the  site  of  the 
second  Roman  Catholic  church  in  Rhode  Island,  erected  in  1829.   It  was 
a  simple  frame  structure  occupying  125  square  feet  of  land  donated  by 
David  Wilkinson;  the  Rev.  Robert  Woodley  was  the  first  priest.    Fre- 
quent additions  were  made  as  the  industrial  life  of  Pawtucket  attracted 
new  residents.  In  1885,  the  old  church  was  torn  down  to  make  room  for 
the  present  structure,  consecrated  in  1887.  Victorian  Gothic  in  style,  the 
church  has  an  octagonal  spire  on  the  southeast  corner  and  two  extended 
piers  topped  with  spires  and  finials.  A  large  rose  window  is  set  in  the  east 
end  of  the  clerestory.   The  pentagonal  apse  is  separated  from  the  nave 
by  a  richly  molded  chancel  arch.  Beautiful  stained-glass  windows  are  set 
in  the  five  sections  of  the  apsidal  wall. 


Pawtucket  251 


14.  The  Church  of  Saint  John  the  Baptist,  Slater  St.  between  Capital  St. 
and  Quincy  Ave.,  was  consecrated  December  17,  1927.  Of  limestone  and 
brick,  it  is  built  in  the  style  of  the  Florentine  Renaissance.  The  decora- 
tions are  particularly  notable.    Four  ceiling  panels  by  Jean  Desauliers 
represent  the  Ascension  of  Christ.  The  windows  are  executed  by  Maume- 
jean  Brothers  of  Paris,  and  the  stations  of  the  cross,  by  Vignali  and 
Company,  Florence,  are  in  imitation  of  the  Cross  of  Tiepolo  (1696-170x3) 
in  the  Church  of  the  Frari,  Venice.    The  bronze  doors  were  cast  by 
Brandt,  of  Paris. 

15.  The  Old  Pidge  Tavern,  586  Pawtucket  Ave.,  is  traditionally  supposed 
to  have  been  built  by  the  Sayles  family  about  1640.   If  true,  this  legend 
makes  it  the  oldest  house  in  the  State.   Frequent  remodeling  in  the  first 
hundred  years  of  its  existence  has  changed  its  appearance  to  that  of  a 
mid- 18th-century  structure.  Two-and-a-half  stories  high,  it  is  rectangular 
in  plan  with  a  red-brick  chimney,  off-center,  straddling  the  roof  ridge. 
The  chimney  is  dated  1767.  It  is  supposed  that  the  tavern  had  previously 
been  square  with  a  stone  chimney,  and  that  in  1767  it  was  lengthened  to 
its  present  dimensions. 

Whatever  the  facts  of  its  early  history  may  have  been,  the  Pidge  House 
has  a  rich  store  of  authenticated  tradition.  During  the  Revolution,  when 
the  French  troops  were  encamped  near-by,  General  Lafayette  occupied 
two  rooms  on  the  second  floor.  On  his  return  to  America  in  1824,  he 
stopped  here  again  on  his  way  to  Boston.  The  place  was  licensed  as  a 
tavern  in  1783  and  remained  active  in  that  capacity  for  many  years. 

The  building  contains  many  Colonial  relics.  A  large  beam  runs  length- 
wise through  the  house,  a  feature  of  Colonial  construction  known  as  the 
summer  tree.  In  the  corner  of  the  old  common  or  bar  room  is  a  closet  used 
for  serving  ales  and  liquors.  It  has  a  half-door,  a  narrow  serving  shelf, 
and  a  broader  shelf  within.  In  the  latter  is  a  slot  through  which  coins 
were  dropped,  supposedly  into  a  half-bushel  basket.  Behind  the  bar 
room  is  the  kitchen  with  a  well-preserved  old  oven.  The  house  also  con- 
tains some  of  the  furniture  of  its  halcyon  days.  In  the  yard  is  an  old 
well  and  a  large  flat  boulder  used  by  Lafayette  as  a  mounting  block. 

1 6.  Narragansett  Park  (adm.  $1),  Newport  Ave.,  contains  a  new  race 
track;  the  grandstand  seating  capacity  is  20,000.  Built  in  1934  at  the  cost 
of  $1,000,000,  it  is  reputed  to  be  one  of  the  best,  though  not  one  of  the 
swankiest,  race  tracks  in  the  country.    There  are  more  than  1000  stalls 
in  the  stables.  Meets  are  held  in  spring,  summer,  and  fall,  seven  or  eight 
races  daily  except  Sunday.  There  is  pari-mutuel  betting. 

17.  Slater  Park,  between  Newport  Ave.  and  the  Ten  Mile  River,  has  its 
main  entrance  on  Newport  Ave.  and  another  on  Brook  St.   Comprising 
193  acres,  it  is  the  largest  of  Pawtucket's  recreational  areas.   The  plot 
has  winding  drives,  a  profusion  of  flower  gardens,  and  amply  wooded 
sections.    Its  lake  is  used  for  skating;  rowboats  are  for  hire  in  season. 
Other  recreational  features  include  an  athletic  field,  children's  amuse- 
ments, a  small  zoo,  and  open  fireplaces. 


252  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

The  Daggett  House  (open  Wed.  from  mid-July  through  September;  adm. 
25^;  other  times  by  appointment),  in  the  Park,  is  a  two-and-a-half -story 
frame  Colonial  house  built  in  1685  to  replace  an  earlier  structure,  erected 
by  John  Daggett  in  1644,  that  was  burned  during  King  Philip's  War  in 
1676.  The  house  has  a  gable  roof  and  central  chimney  and  doorway,  with 
two  windows  on  the  right  but  only  one  on  the  left.  The  enclosed  entry  and 
the  one-story  addition  are  of  a  later  date.  On  display  in  the  house  are 
many  historic  items,  including  a  blanket  woven  by  Samuel  Slater.  The 
Daggetts  were  slave-holders,  and  in  one  of  the  center  beams  may  be  seen 
rings  from  which  Prince,  one  of  the  slaves,  swung  his  hammock.  In  the 
attic  is  a  secret  closet  where  valuables  were  stored,  and  where  the  occu- 
pants could  hide  from  the  Indians.  In  each  generation,  only  one  member 
of  the  family  is  supposed  to  have  known  the  existence  of  the  closet.  The 
house  was  remodeled  in  1790;  in  1902,  restoration  was  begun,  and  was 
completed  in  1905,  under  the  auspices  of  the  Pawtucket  Chapter,  Daugh- 
ters of  the  American  Revolution.  This  organization  holds  the  responsibil- 
ity of  the  house's  upkeep. 

Friendship  Garden,  in  Slater  Park,  is  an  area  set  aside  and  developed  by 
the  Pawtucket  Rotary  Club.  There  is  a  grove  of  67  trees  symbolizing 
the  countries  in  which  Rotary  Clubs  have  been  established.  Between 
two  lagoons  is  a  chain  of  small,  artificial  islands  called  the  Shakespearean 
Garden,  planted  with  many  of  the  flowers  and  plants  mentioned  by  Shake- 
speare in  his  works. 


PROVIDENCE 


City:  Alt.  12,  pop.  252,981,  set.  1636,  incorp.  1831. 
Railroad  Station:  N.Y.,  N.H.  &  H.  R.R.,  Union  Station,  Exchange  Place. 
Bus  Stations:  Greyhound,  Great  Eastern,  New  England  Lines,  and  others, 
Fountain  St.  between  Eddy  and  Mathewson  Sts. 

Airport:  American  Airlines,  R.I.  State  Airport,  6.5  miles  south  of  Providence 
on  Route  US  1.  City  ticket  office,  Turks  Head  Bldg.  Taxis  from  Baltimore 
Hotel  and  Turks  Head  Bldg.,  50?f,  time  30  min. 

Piers:  Colonial  Line  (to  New  York),  Point  St.  Bridge;  Steamer  to  Newport  and 
Block  Island,  185  S.  Water  St.;  Steamer  to  Newport  and  Block  Island  (sum- 
mer only),  foot  of  Orange  St.;  Moonlight  Sails,  foot  of  Orange  St.,  and  185 
S.  Water  St. 

Traffic  Regulations:  Turns  may  be  made  in  either  direction  at  intersections, 
except  where  officers  or  traffic  lights  direct  otherwise;  vehicle  to  right  always  has 
right  of  way.  Watch  street  signs  for  parking  limitations;  commercial  parking 
lots  at  usual  rates  on  Pine  St.  and  vicinity.  Watch  signs  for  numerous  one-way 


Providence  253 


streets  in  downtown  area  and  on  College  Hill.  Watch  for  rotary  traffic  systems 
throughout  city.  Speed  limits  depending  on  congestion  strictly  enforced. 

Information  Service:  Chamber  of  Commerce,  Old  Market  House,  Market  Square. 

Amusements  and  Recreation:  Occasional  legitimate  plays  at  rented  theaters;  5 
principal  downtown  movie  houses. 

Concerts:  Metropolitan  Theater,  9  Chestnut  St.  Providence  Symphony  Or- 
chestra, 4  annual  concerts;  Boston  Symphony  Orchestra,  5  annual  concerts; 
Providence  Community  Concert  Association,  5  annual  concerts. 
Athletics:  Roger  Williams  Park,  between  Elm  wood  Ave.  and  Broad  St.,  and  at 
other  municipal  parks  throughout  the  city. 

Amateur  Sports:  Boxing,  regular  schedule,  Infantry  Hall,  144  So.  Main  St.; 
Baseball,  'Sandlot'  and  'Twilight'  Leagues,  municipal  parks;  Hockey,  regular 
schedule,  R.I.  Auditorium,  mi  No.  Main  St.  College  and  Scholastic  Sports: 
Football,  Baseball,  Track,  at  fields  connected  with  the  institutions. 
Professional  Sports:  Boxing,  regular  schedule,  Infantry  Hall,  144  S.  Main  St.; 
Hockey,  regular  schedule,  'The  Rhode  Island  Reds,'  R.I.  Auditorium,  mi  No. 
Main  St. ;  Wrestling,  Heavy  Weight  Division,  regular  schedule,  R.I.  Auditorium, 
i in  No.  Main  St.;  Light  Weight  Division,  Infantry  Hall,  144  S.  Main  St. 
Swimming:  Various  beaches  on  both  sides  of  Narragansett  Bay  within  easy 
driving  distance. 

Golf:  Municipal  course,  Triggs  Memorial  Park,  Chalkstone  Ave.,  18  holes, 
green  fees  50p  weekdays,  75ff  Sat.,  Sun.,  and  holidays. 

Bridle  paths:  Blackstone  Park,  west  side  of  Seekonk  River;  Obadiah  Brown 
Playground,  Chalkstone  Ave.;  Canada  Pond  Reservation;  Roger  Williams 
Park. 
Boating:  Roger  Williams  Park. 

Annual  Events:  Inter  scholastic  Sports:  Annual  interscholastic  track  and  field 

meet,  Memorial  Day,  Brown  University  stadium. 

Golf:  Course  tournament  in  June,  R.I.  Public  Links  tournament  in  July,  Triggs 

Memorial  Park,  Chalkstone  Ave. 

Music:  Providence  Festival  Chorus,  one  concert  in  December  at  Metropolitan 

Theater,  9  Chestnut  St.,  one  concert  in  June  at  Benedict  Memorial,  Roger 

Williams  Park. 

Guides  to  Current  Events:  Brown  University  Bulletin,  published  weekly  by  the 
University  during  the  school  year.  All  University  and  major  civic  events. 
Calendar  of  Art  Events,  published  monthly  except  July,  August,  and  September 
by  the  Community  Art  Projects,  44  Benevolent  St.  Lists  all  significant  art 
events  in  Providence  and  throughout  New  England.  June  issue  includes  all 
summer  exhibits.  Providence  Public  Library,  Information  Desk,  corner  Wash- 
ington and  Greene  Sts.,  keeps  file  of  all  coming  and  current  events.  What's 
Going  on  Today,  daily  in  Providence  Journal.  What's  Going  on  Tonight,  daily 
in  Providence  Evening  Bulletin. 

PROVIDENCE  today  is  an  agglomeration  of  contrasting  and  often 
antagonistic  regions  and  influences.  Compact  to  the  point  of  overcrowd- 
ing in  the  business  section  and  to  the  east  a  short  distance  over  College 
Hill,  the  city  sprawls  without  apparent  logic  or  plan  to  the  west,  north, 
and  south;  yet  no  region  is  more  than  fifteen  minutes'  ride  from  the 
center,  and  '  to  go  into  the  city '  means  to  everyone  —  whatever  his 
neighborhood,  occupation,  or  interests  —  to  go  into  the  district  radiating 


METROPOLITAN    PROVIDENCE    POINTS  OF  INTEREST          1937 


Caleb  Arnold  House  A  4 
Bishop  House  E  2 
Bradley  Hospital  D  4 
Bullock's  Tavern  D  5 
Butler  Hospital  D  2 
Charles  V.  Chapin  Hospital 

City  Hall  B5 

•Clemence  House  A  1 

Cranston  Print  Works  A  4 

Cushing  Homestead  B  1 

Daggett  House  E  1 

Dyerville  Reservation  A  2 

Grace  Church  B  3 

High  School  D  3 

Ide  House  D  4 

Indian  Soapstone  Quarry  A  2 


King  Homestead  A  2 
Knight  Memorial  Library 

B  3 

La  Salle  Academy  B  2 
Metacomet  Golf  Club  D  4 
Narragansett  Race  Track 

E  1 

Neutaconkanut  Hill  Reser- 
vation A  3 

Neutaconkanut  Park  A  3 
Newman  Church  E  2 
North  Burial  Ground  C  1 
Old  Stone  House  D  4 
Captain     Stephen     Olney 

House  B  1 

Pawtuxet    River   Reserva- 
tion C5 


Pidge  Tavern  D  1 
Providence  College  B  1 
Providence    Country    Day 

School  E3 

Rhode  Island  Hospital  C  3 
Rhode  Island  Yacht  Club 

C  5 

Rhodes-on-the-Pawtuxet  C5 
Roger  Williams  Park  C  5 
Slater  Park  El 
Swan  Point  Cemetery  D  1 
Town  Hall  D  3 
Walker  House  E  2 
Wannamoisett  Country 

Club  E  2 
Whitcomb  Farm  D  5 


254  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

a  few  blocks  from  the  intersection  of  Westminster  and  Dorrance  Streets. 
This  region  is  without  definitely  segregated  districts  devoted  to  special 
activities.  There  is  no  real  financial  district,  although  most  of  the  banks, 
brokers'  offices,  and  insurance  companies  lie  east  of  Dorrance  Street.  The 
larger  area  to  the  west  of  Dorrance  Street  is  known  as  the  shopping 
district.  The  city  is  not  large  enough  to  support  'exclusive'  blocks;  the 
entire  shopping  area  contains  perhaps  three  or  four  high-priced  establish- 
ments, but  otherwise  a  great  number  of  one-price  and  cut-rate  stores. 
The  department  stores  cater  to  all  conditions  of  purse,  striking  a  broad 
middle  average  in  quality  and  price. 

An  area  so  concentrated  as  this  one  is  filled  during  the  business  day  with 
a  great  variety  of  peoples.  A  random  stroll  up  Westminster  Street  — 
past  the  principal  banks,  a  bookstore,  an  elaborate  pharmacy  and  two 
chain  drugstores,  a  haberdashery,  a  'five  and  ten'  block,  past  restaurants, 
shoe  stores,  dress  shops,  and  the  department  store  whose  sidewalk  clock 
is  a  popular  rendezvous  —  presents  an  indescribable  mixture  of  faces, 
complexions,  attires,  and  manners  of  speech.  Two  solid-looking  men 
may  be  overheard  conversing  in  a  pure  Lancashire  dialect,  and  two  young 
ladies  behind  them  may  be  speaking  in  Canadian-French.  One  may 
overhear  the  accent  of  a  Boston  Brahmin,  or  of  a  New  Yorker;  but  it  is 
unlikely  that  a  'pure  Providence'  tongue  will  be  encountered,  because 
there  'ain't  no  such  animal.' 

Gradations  of  wealth  are  common  in  all  large  cities;  in  this  respect  Provi- 
dence is  a  little  unusual  because  it  contains  the  widespread  wealth  of  a 
diversified-industry  city  plus  the  concentrated  wealth  of  a  single-industry 
town.  It  is  both  mid-western  and  feudal.  Its  industries  include  the  manu- 
facture of  machine  tools,  wire,  boilers,  files,  screws,  mechanical  pencils, 
ring  travelers,  precision  instruments,  toys,  mattresses,  underwear,  and 
jewelry  —  but  there  remains  the  textile  dynasty,  which  still  holds  ascen- 
dancy. Tangible  evidence  of  the  dynasty  lies  in  the  magnificent  palaces 
on  the  city's  East  Side;  the  intangible  evidence  lies  in  a  spirit  of  conserva- 
tism which,  to  visitors  from  more  venturesome  parts  of  the  Union,  is  a 
noticeable  characteristic  of  the  city  and  its  people. 

Providence  is  built  on  three  hills.  The  most  important  of  these  is  Prospect 
or  College  Hill,  rising  steeply  from  the  eastern  border  of  the  business 
district.  Around  the  foot  and  along  the  sides  of  this  hill  the  early  settle- 
ment of  Providence  was  made,  and  here  today  are  the  city's  most  mem- 
orable historic  sites  and  houses. 

The  old  city  began  at  the  confluence  of  the  Woonasquatucket  and  Moshas- 
suck  Rivers,  the  former  flowing  from  the  west,  the  latter  from  the  north. 
Their  combined  waters  are  called  the  Providence  River,  which  flows  di- 
rectly into  the  head  of  Narragansett  Bay.  That  part  of  the  river  along 
the  foot  of  College  Hill  is  now  so  walled  up  and  covered  over  as  to  be  an 
undergound  canal,  with  a  sluggish  and  very  odorous  current.  There  is 
little  about  this  south  end  of  the  Moshassuck  to  suggest  to  the  uninitiated 
that  here  once  flowed  'The  Great  Salt  River,'  a  waterway  of  prime  im- 
portance in  the  Commercial  development  of  Providence. 


Providence  255 


The  appearance  of  the  city  today  is  that  of  a  community  which  has 
undergone  three  successive  stages  of  development.  The  agricultural 
character  of  the  early  settlement  gave  way  in  the  eighteenth  century  to 
shipping  enterprises  which  filled  the  waterways  with  tall-masted  India- 
men.  By  the  middle  of  the  nineteenth  century  the  eminent  position  of 
shipping  was  usurped  by  the  industrialism  characteristic  of  modern  Provi- 
dence. In  like  manner  the  simple  homes  of  the  first  settlers  were  nearly 
all  torn  down  to  make  room  for  the  mansions  of  the  shipping  merchants. 
Many  of  the  latter,  in  turn,  were  converted  into  offices  for  industrial 
enterprise  or  supplanted  by  modern  buildings.  Here  and  there,  however, 
fascinating  relics  of  the  early  settlement  survive,  especially  along  old 
Towne  Street,  now  Main  Street,  which  runs  along  the  east  bank  of  the 
river,  from  Rosemary  Lane,  now  College  Street,  to  the  North  Burial 
Ground.  From  the  hill  above,  many  stately  Colonial  dwellings  look  out 
over  the  rush  and  excitement  of  the  modern  city;  and  many  of  the  down- 
town streets,  following  their  ancient  courses,  express  the  leisure  and  in- 
timacy of  earlier  centuries,  when  the  curve  was  not  an  impediment  to 
traffic  and  great  spaces  were  not  necessary.  The  present-day  visitor  to 
Providence  cannot  fail  to  notice  the  short  streets  that  can  be  taken  in 
at  a  glance,  and  whose  ends  frame  a  glimpse  of  another  street,  or  of  an 
obliquely  placed  building  on  another  lane. 

The  early  history  of  Providence  is  so  closely  allied  to  the  early  history  of 
Rhode  Island  that  this  article  should  be  read  in  conjunction  with  that  on 
Colonial  settlement  (see  History).  The  city  was  founded  in  1636  by 
Roger  Williams.  The  misadventures  that  he  had  experienced  in  search- 
ing for  a  place  where  he  could  practice  his  religious  and  civil  convictions 
were  nearly  at  an  end  when  in  June  of  that  year  he  abandoned  the  abor- 
tive settlement  in  the  present  East  Providence  and  started  paddling  a 
canoe  down  the  Seekonk  River.  As  the  canoe  passed  along,  an  Indian 
standing  on  a  large  rock  on  the  west  bank  hailed  the  pioneer  with  the  now 
famous  greeting,  'What  cheer,  Netop  [friend]?'  There  is  a  tradition  that 
Williams  landed  at  this  point,  but  it  is  more  likely  that  he  merely  ex- 
changed greetings  with  the  friendly  native,  moved  on  around  Fox  Point, 
and  paddled  up  Great  Salt  River  to  the  junction  of  the  Woonasquatucket 
and  the  Moshassuck.  It  was  around  this  point,  near  a  fresh  and  copious 
spring,  that  Williams  founded  the  new  settlement.  With  him  in  his  ven- 
ture were  five  companions,  William  Harris,  John  Smith,  Francis  Wickes, 
Joshua  Verein,  and  Thomas  Angell,  all  of  them,  like  Williams,  dissenters 
from  the  strict  churchly  practices  of  Massachusetts  Bay. 

Availing  himself  of  a  knowledge  of  the  Indian  tongue,  and  relying  on  his 
previous  reputation  for  friendliness,  Williams  secured  from  Canonicus 
and  Miantonomi,  chiefs  of  the  Narragansett  tribe,  an  oral  grant  of  '  the 
lands  and  meadows  along  the  two  fresh  rivers  called  Moshassuck  and 
Woonasquatucket.'  A  formal  deed  to  this  plot  was  gained  in  March,  1638. 
The  name  chosen  for  the  settlement,  as  well  as  an  expression  of  the  funda- 
mental social  principle  on  which  it  was  founded,  is  contained  in  a  state- 
ment by  Roger  Williams;  he  wrote,  'Having  of  a  sense  of  God's  merciful 


256  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

providence  unto  me  called  this  place  Providence,  I  desired  it  might  be 
for  a  shelter  for  persons  distressed  for  conscience.'  The  piety  expressed 
in  the  naming  of  the  settlement  has  been  carried  on  in  many  of  the  street 
names,  such  as  Hope,  Benevolent,  Benefit,  Peace,  Faith,  and  Friendship. 
Home  lots  were  laid  out,  and  as  new  arrivals  came  to  the  settlement  at 
the  head  of  Narragansett  Bay,  a  lot  was  granted  to  each  one  provided 
that  he  met  with  the  approval  of  the  community  at  large.  The  home  lots 
extended  from  Towne  Street  up  and  over  Prospect  or  College  Hill  and 
back  to  the  road  then  known  as  'the  highway,'  now  Hope  Street.  The 
early  buildings  were  one-room  structures  of  rough-hewn  timbers,  having 
an  end  chimney  and  thatched  or  shingled  roofs.  Interior  conveniences 
such  as  chairs  and  cooking  utensils  were  few  and  crude.  Food  was  none 
too  plentiful  at  first;  tradition  relates  that  a  boiled  bass  served  without 
trimmings  of  any  kind  was  often  considered  a  feast.  Wells  were  dug  in 
the  street,  any  one  of  which  might  be  used  by  several  families.  Orchards 
were  planted  and  in  the  middle  of  them  was  later  placed  the  family  burial 
plot.  In  1664  there  were  about  fifty  of  these  homesteads  extending  along 
Towne  Street  from  present  Olney  Street  to  Fox  Point. 

In  addition  to  a  home  lot,  each  townsman  was  granted  an  acreage  of 
pasture.  There  was  some  fishing  and  fur-trading,  but  agriculture  was 
the  chief  pursuit.  In  1646  a  sort  of  communal  gristmill  was  established 
by  John  Smith ;  on  certain  days  of  the  week  Smith  was  obliged  to  receive 
and  grind  grain  for  his  fellow  townsmen,  one-sixteenth  of  which  became 
his  own.  His  mill  stood  near  the  present  intersection  of  Mill  and  North 
Main  Streets,  and  near-by  sprang  up  a  tannery,  a  cattle  pound,  the  first 
bridge,  a  jail,  and  the  inevitable  tavern. 

The  inns  or  taverns,  of  which  there  came  to  be  a  good  number,  were  very 
important  in  the  life  of  the  early  community,  and  they  offered  an  air  of 
exhilarating  conviviality  that  occasionally  led  to  ill  repute.  Townsmen 
convened  at  the  inns  to  conduct  business,  to  exchange  news,  to  gossip, 
and  to  hold  public  meetings.  Listed  among  the  proprietors  of  these 
establishments  are  men  who  were  serving  simultaneously  as  justices, 
tax-collectors,  and  the  like,  some  of  whom  gained  eminent  reputations  in 
Colonial  politics  and  society.  During  the  Revolution  the  taverns  were 
meeting-places  for  organizations  such  as  the  Sons  of  Liberty  when  they 
convened  to  hatch  up  the  plots  against  British  law,  which  gave  Provi- 
dence an  enviable  reputation  in  the  history  of  American  independence. 

At  the  time  of  King  Philip's  War,  in  1676,  the  town  of  Providence  had 
grown  to  a  population  of  1000.  Many  citizens  engaged  in  the  fighting, 
while  Roger  Williams  barricaded  the  home  of  William  Field  for  the  pro- 
tection of  women  and  children.  In  March,  1676,  a  band  of  Indians  de- 
scended on  the  town  and  twenty-nine  of  its  seventy-five  houses  were 
burned  (see  Indians).  Among  these  was  the  home  of  John  Smith,  the 
miller,  and  town  clerk.  In  order  to  save  the  town  records  from  burning, 
he  threw  them  into  the  Moshassuck  River  by  his  mill.  All  but  eighty-five 
pages  were  preserved,  and  are  now  stored  in  a  vault  in  the  Providence 
City  Hall. 


Providence  257 


In  1680  occurred  an  event  that  heralded  the  great  period  of  commercial 
prosperity  into  which  the  city  was  about  to  enter.  In  that  year  Pardon 
Tillinghast  built  the  first  Providence  wharf,  a  small  beginning  but  one 
destined  to  convert  the  city  from  a  simple  agrarian  hamlet  to  a  com- 
mercial center  of  first  rank.  The  rum-slave-molasses  trade,  privateering, 
and  miscellaneous  traffic  with  remote  ports-of-call,  brought  great  wealth 
to  Providence  merchants  and  romantic  adventures  to  her  seagoing  sons. 
When  commercial  prosperity  reached  its  peak  in  the  late  eighteenth  and 
early  nineteenth  centuries,  Providence  flourished  socially  and  culturally 
as  well  as  economically.  The  four  Brown  brothers,  John,  Joseph,  Nicholas, 
and  Moses,  were  the  town's  leading  merchants  and  citizens.  They,  in 
company  with  such  men  as  Colonel  Joseph  Nightingale,  Thomas  Poynton 
Ives,  and  John  Corlis,  built  magnificent  mansions  on  the  hill  and  filled 
them  with  art  treasures  from  the  far-flung  ports  to  which  their  vessels 
penetrated.  They  took  part  in  the  establishment  of  schools  and  churches. 
Joseph  Brown  was  not  only  an  amateur  architect  of  remarkable  ability 
but  also  a  professor  of  Experimental  Philosophy  at  the  college  crowning 
the  hill,  where  his  brother  Nicholas  endowed  a  chair  of  Oratory  and 
Belles-Lettres  in  1804.  Moses  Brown  donated  land  to  a  Quaker  school 
that  later  adopted  his  name. 

The  years  just  prior  to  the  Revolution  were  full  of  excitement,  social  as 
well  as  political.  In  1762,  William  Goddard  established  the  first  news- 
paper, the  Providence  Gazette  and  Country  Journal.  Stephen  Hopkins, 
ten  times  chief  executive  of  the  Colony  and  one  of  its  most  distinguished 
citizens,  published  in  Goddard's  paper  in  1764  the  '  Right  of  Colonies 
Examined.'  In  the'i76o's  an  attempt  was  made  to  establish  a  theater, 
but  after  a  brief  life  the  'Histrionic  Academy'  was  forced  to  close  its 
doors.  A  permanent  theater  was  finally  established  in  1790  at  the  corner 
of  Westminster  and  Mathewson  Streets,  where  Grace  Church  now 
stands.  On  its  curtain,  now  preserved  in  the  museum  of  the  Rhode 
Island  Historical  Society,  was  painted  the  legend,  'Pleasure  the  means; 
the  end  virtue.' 

In  1770,  Rhode  Island  College  (Brown  University),  established  at  Warren 
in  1765,  moved  to  Providence  (see  Education).  It  is  said  that  prior  to 
this  time,  few  people  in  Providence  were  able  to  read  and  write.  Teachers 
were  few.  There  were  a  few  private  schools  where  sons  of  the  elect  could 
go,  but  as  soon  as  they  could  read  the  Bible,  write,  and  do  a  sum  in  three, 
they  were  prepared  to  enter  business,  and  usually  did. 

The  Market  House,  which  stands  in  Market  Square  and  is  at  present 
used  by  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  was  built  in  1773.  Two  years  later 
the  First  Baptist  Meeting-House  was  erected,  part  of  the  cost  being 
defrayed  by  a  lottery. 

During  the  pre-Revolutionary  period,  when  England's  policies  were 
threatening  the  prosperity  of  the  Colonies  and  interfering  with  their 
commercial  and  political  freedom,  Providence  had  much  at  stake,  and 
she  engaged  in  several  acts  of  rebellion.  In  1772,  a  group  of  leading  citi- 
zens, including  John  Brown  and  Samuel  Whipple,  plotted  the  burning  of 


258  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

the  'Gaspee,'  a  British  revenue  vessel  which  had  run  aground  in  Narra- 
gansett  Bay  off  the  present  Gaspee  Point  in  Warwick  (see  Tour  1).  On 
March  2,  1775,  the  city  followed  Boston's  example  and  held  its  own  tea 
party.  The  Providence  event  was  not  a  closed  affair  as  Boston's  had 
been  —  the  whole  town  was  invited  to  attend.  A  large  pile  of  tea  was 
heaped  up  in  Market  Square,  a  barrel  of  tar  was  poured  over  it  to  insure 
a  good  blaze,  and  the  pyre  was  crowned  with  a  copy  of  one  of  Lord  North's 
speeches.  One  patriot  went  up  and  down  Towne  Street  painting  out  the 
word  '  tea '  from  shop  signs,  and  housewives  who  persisted  in  their  favorite 
tipple  were  compelled  to  take  it  in  secret  to  avoid  estrangement  from 
their  husbands.  On  May  4,  1776,  the  Rhode  Island  Independence  Act 
(see  History)  was  signed  in  the  Old  State  House  and  read  to  the  townsmen 
from  Jabez  Bowen's  balcony  on  Market  Square  —  a  point  from  which, 
sixteen  years  before,  the  accession  of  George  III  had  been  proclaimed. 

During  the  Revolution,  Providence  contributed  to  the  common  cause 
money,  ships,  and  men  —  there  were  2000  under  arms  in  1775  —  but  no 
fighting  took  place  here.  Forts  were  erected  in  the  vicinity  of  Robin  Hill, 
and  at  the  highest  point  on  Prospect  Hill  a  beacon  was  posted  to  warn  of 
British  approach.  Before  and  after  the  siege  of  York  town,  French  troops 
under  command  of  Count  de  Rochambeau  were  quartered  in  the  '  College 
Edifice,'  now  University  Hall  of  Brown  University. 

Among  the  gala  occasions  enjoyed  by  the  Providence  citizens  during 
this  period  were  two  visits  from  George  Washington,  one  during  the 
Revolution  and  one  in  1790,  when  he  was  President  of  the  United  States 
and  was  given  an  honorary  degree  at  Rhode  Island  College.  The  second 
visit  marked  a  diplomatic  ending  to  Rhode  Island's  perverse  conduct  in 
long  refusing  to  ratify  the  Federal  Constitution.  In  1824,  the  city  turned 
out  to  greet  General  Lafayette  on  his  sentimental  journey  through  the 
nation  he  had  done  so  much  for  in  its  war  for  independence. 

After  the  Revolution  and  the  eventual  return  of  prosperity,  Providence 
commercial  enterprises  expanded.  British  occupation  had  left  Newport 
crippled.  In  1790,  it  became  necessary  to  dredge  the  Providence  harbor 
to  accommodate  vessels  of  larger  draft,  and  despite  the  difficulties  en- 
countered because  of  decreased  revenue  and  an  embargo,  commercial 
development  reached  its  peak.  A  record  of  March  4,  1814,  states  that 
there  were  approximately  140  vessels  tied  up  at  the  wharves.  Because 
the  War  of  1812  was  still  being  waged,  this  figure  approximately  repre- 
sents the  number  of  vessels  which  made  Providence  their  home  port. 

In  1815  occurred  'the  Great  Gale,'  a  storm  and  flood  that  devastated 
much  property  and  cost  the  town  more  than  a  million  dollars.  At  that 
time  the  Moshassuck  River  was  much  wider  than  it  is  now,  and  the  land 
lying  approximately  between  present  Exchange  Place  and  the  new  State 
House  was  a  great  cove  where  the  townspeople  fished  and  sailed.  In 
September,  just  after  the  sun  crossed  the  line  of  the  autumnal  equinox,  a 
wind  from  the  southwest  blew  up  with  such  violence  that  the  tide  rose 
ten  or  twelve  feet  higher  than  the  spring  tide  peak.  The  lower  streets  of 
the  town  were  flooded,  and  the  rush  of  water  demolished  houses  and  other 


Providence  259 


buildings.  According  to  a  contemporary  report,  thirty-five  sail  piled  up 
at  the  head  of  the  Cove.  Ships  anchored  below  Weybosset  Bridge  broke 
their  moorings  and  carried  the  bridge  away  as  they  rushed  in  on  the  tide. 
Vessels  invaded  the  streets,  and  the  third-story  wall  of  a  building  on  the 
west  side  of  Market  Square  was  pushed  in  by  the  bowsprit  of  the  ship 
' Ganges.'  Pleasant  Street  in  North  Providence  became  'the  anchorage 
of  a  burthensome  sloop.'  After  the  storm  had  subsided,  citizens  returning 
to  their  homes  on  Westminster  and  Weybosset  Streets  found  furniture 
and  other  property  swept  away,  and  in  their  stead  '  a  deposit  of  filth  and 
fish.' 

Providence  recovered  quickly  from  this  catastrophe.  The  industrial  era, 
instituted  by  Samuel  Slater's  textile  mill  a  few  miles  north  in  Pawtucket, 
had  already  begun  in  1790.  Between  that  year  and  1820  the  city's  popu- 
lation increased  from  6380  to  11,745  —  an  increase  that  was  to  pyramid 
itself  later  in  the  nineteenth  century  when  industrialism  reached  its  full- 
grown  stride. 

In  1828,  the  Arcade  was  built.  This  was  an  imposing  addition  to  the  grow- 
ing city  and  a  forerunner  of  the  many  large  buildings  that  have  taken 
the  place  of  former  homes  along  Westminster  and  Weybosset  Streets. 
Three  years  later,  in  November,  1831,  the  city  was  incorporated.  Ac- 
cording to  the  charter  adopted  at  that  time,  the  government  of  the  City  of 
Providence  was  to  consist  of  a  Mayor,  a  Board  of  Aldermen,  and  a  Com- 
mon Council.  This  is  substantially  the  same  as  the  present  government, 
although  the  original  six  wards  have  increased  to  thirteen.  Each  ward  is 
entitled  to  one  alderman  and  three  councilmen. 

With  the  exception  of  a  few  riots  between  sailors  and  Negroes,  nothing 
occurred  to  disturb  the  peace  of  the  new  city  until  the  Dorr  Rebellion  in 
1842  (see  History),  and  the  Civil  War  in  1861.  In  the  latter,  Providence 
was  enthusiastically  in  favor  of  the  Union.  Her  most  distinguished  soldier 
in  the  conflict  was  Ambrose  E.  Burnside  (see  BRISTOL). 

By  the  time  of  the  Civil  War,  commerce  had  been  almost  completely  dis- 
placed by  the  industrialism  that  constitutes  the  city's  present  economic 
foundation.  Textile  and  jewelry  industries,  with  their  affiliates,  played 
the  most  outstanding  roles  in  this  change  (see  Industry).  As  early  as  1835 
a  factory-mutual  insurance  system  had  been  established,  the  first  of  its 
kind  in  the  country.  In  1856,  Cullen  Whipple,  of  Providence,  obtained 
a  patent  for  the  first  machine  to  make  pointed  screws.  Banks,  insurance 
companies,  and  improved  transportation  facilities  supported  industrial 
development.  Large  numbers  of  foreign-born  immigrants,  chiefly  Italian, 
Swedish,  Portuguese,  and  French- Canadian,  moved  in  to  supply  labor 
for  shop  and  mill  (see  Foreign  Groups).  These  and  other  incoming  na- 
tionalities have  usually  grouped  themselves  in  special  sections  of  the  city 
from  which  each  has  offered  its  own  distinctive  contributions  to  the  life 
of  the  community  at  large.  For  a  long  time  nearly  all  these  groups  were 
unassimilated,  but  now  that  the  older  generations  are  being  supplanted 
by  their  native-born  progeny,  an  increasing  homogeneity  is  apparent. 
Notable  exceptions  to  this  are  the  Portuguese,  who  are  divided  among 


260  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

themselves  into  groups  which  do  not  intermingle,  and  the  French- 
Canadians  who,  by  virtue  of  their  speech,  religion,  and  sense  of  racial 
solidarity,  are  inclined  to  resist  Americanization  as  they  for  so  many  years 
resisted  Anglicization. 

The  Italians  —  there  are  over  50,000  either  foreign-born  or  second- 
generation  Italians  —  stand  out  notably  both  by  number  and  activity 
in  city  affairs.  The  largest  settlement  is  in  the  Federal  Hill  area,  bounded 
approximately  by  Broadway,  Tobey,  West  Exchange  and  Aborn  Streets, 
where  at  least  half  of  the  Italian  population  lives  and  works.  They  have 
functioned  as  laborers,  shop  and  stand  keepers,  cobblers,  barbers,  and  the 
like.  At  present  there  is  an  increasing  number  graduating  from  colleges 
and  entering  professions.  All  but  about  2  per  cent  are  of  the  Catholic 
faith.  It  is  estimated  that  Italians  have  about  $20,000,000  in  Providence 
banks.  The  Federal  Hill  Market  area  around  Balbo  Avenue  offers  an 
Old  World  atmosphere,  especially  at  night.  Along  the  streets  are  carts 
piled  high  with  fruits  and  vegetables.  Indoors  are  displays  of  cheeses, 
meat  and  fish  cured  in  the  Italian  manner,  olive  oil,  a  wide  variety  of 
typical  farinaceous  products,  and  all  manner  of  other  foodstuffs  pleas- 
ing to  the  Italian  palate.  Shrill  cries,  excited  crowds,  mingled  odors  and 
color,  above  which  occasionally  arises  the  whine  of  a  grind  organ,  render 
this  gustatory  paradise  an  exciting  experience  for  those  who  enjoy  the 
more  vivid  aspects  of  human  activity. 

As  Providence  industrialism  progressed,  greater  attention  to  social  con- 
ditions became  imperative.  Hospitals  were  established,  and  agencies  for 
the  promotion  of  education  and  health  were  set  in  motion.  In  1934  more 
than  $8,000,000  was  spent  on  social  service  in  the  city,  51  per  cent  for 
family  welfare  and  relief,  10  per  cent  for  child  care,  33  per  cent  for  public 
health  and  the  organized  care  of  the  sick,  including  mental  hygiene,  and 
about  6  per  cent  for  recreational  and  group  work.  Governmentally  sup- 
ported services  contributed  68  per  cent  of  the  grand  total,  the  balance 
being  supplied  chiefly  through  private  donations. 

With  the  influx  of  foreign  elements,  the  population  of  Providence  in- 
creased rapidly,  from  11,767  in  1820  to  50,666  in  1860,  to  175,597  in  1900, 
and  to  252,981  in  1930.  Extensive  alterations  took  place  in  the  physical 
appearance  of  the  city.  The  new  State  House  on  Smith  Hill,  completed 
in  1900,  not  only  changed  the  city's  aspect,  but  signified  that  Providence, 
by  a  constitutional  amendment  adopted  in  November  of  that  year,  had 
become  capital  of  the  State.  By  this  time  the  Cove  had  been  filled  in  and 
had  disappeared.  Residential  sections  spread  out  to  the  farthest  limits 
of  the  city  and  surrounding  areas.  Large  office  buildings  were  erected, 
the  latest  and  finest  being  the  New  Industrial  Trust  Building  which  at 
night  sends  a  beam  of  light  far  out  over  the  waters  of  Narragansett  Bay 
where  H.M.S.  'Gaspee'  once  went  disastrously  aground,  and  where  the 
roadstead  was  formerly  full  of  tall  sailing  ships  returning  with  wealth 
from  Honduras,  Guadaloupe,  and  Canton. 


Providence  261 


TOUR  1  —  1  m. 


PROVIDENCE,  because  its  historic  and  business  districts  are  so  com- 
pact, is  most  conveniently  seen  on  foot.  This  tour  covers  the  historic 
northeastern  region,  including  the  oldest  part  of  the  city;  it  begins  at  the 
Providence  County  Courthouse,  whose  S.  Main  St.  entrance  is  on  the  site 
of  the  city's  iSth-century  shipping  center.  The  river  bank  was  once 
much  closer  to  this  point  than  it  is  now,  and  when  sea  trade  was  at  its 
height  this  region  was  a  ' forest  of  masts.' 

For  convenience  the  tour  begins  at  narrow  Hopkins  St.  which  descends 
the  hill  by  the  south  side  of  the  Courthouse. 

N.  from  Hopkins  St.  on  S.  Main  St. 

i.  The  Providence  County  Courthouse,  30  S.  Main  St.,  was  dedicated  in 
1933.  It  houses  the  State  Supreme  Court  as  well  as  six  Superior  Courts, 
and  the  offices  of  the  Attorney-General  and  other  legal  functionaries. 
The  northeast  section  of  the  site  was  occupied  by  the  former  Superior 
Courthouse  and,  still  earlier  (1723-1860),  by  the  old  'Towne  House.' 
When  construction  was  begun  on  the  present  building  in  1927,  this  part 
of  S.  Main  St.  was  a  narrow  one-way  thoroughfare  and  the  space  now 
covered  with  a  broad  lawn  was  occupied  by  a  row  of  three-and-a-half- 
story  buildings  containing  wholesale  fruit  markets. 

The  Courthouse  is  constructed  of  red  brick  with  limestone  trim,  and  is  a 
modern  adaptation  of  Early  Republican  architecture.  In  the  late  eight- 
eenth century  no  building  of  such  tremendous  size  as  this  would  have  been 
considered  practical,  nor  could  an  eight-story  building  have  been  con- 
structed in  the  days  of  wooden  beams  and  framework.  Designed  by 
Jackson,  Robertson  and  Adams  of  Providence,  this  towered  and  gabled 
structure  covers  an  entire  city  block,  and  its  plan  is  well  adapted  to  a 
steep  hillside  plot.  A  secondary  entrance,  on  Benefit  St.,  is  at  the  fifth 
floor  level.  Projecting  wings  at  each  end,  connected  by  two  arcaded  en- 
trances and  a  Corinthian  colonnade,  form  a  forecourt.  Pediments  on  the 
wings,  suggestive  of  gable  ends,  rise  in  three  successive  stages  —  a  motif 
that  is  repeated  in  the  central  section  in  front  of  the  tower.  The  building 
not  only  rises  with  the  hill,  but  its  entire  mass  is  given  a  sense  of  balance 
by  the  lofty  square  tower  which,  rising  in  four  square  stages  to  a  slender 
octagonal  cupola,  is  the  dominant  feature  of  the  exterior.  The  third 
stage,  surrounded  by  a  balustrade,  has  a  clock  on  each  side.  The  formal 
arrangement  of  windows  in  the  gable  ends  is  monumental  in  effect.  The 
large  central  windows,  flanked  by  slender  pilasters  and  crowned  with  a 
semicircular  heading,  are  further  emphasized  by  projecting  balconies. 
The  uppermost  tier  of  windows  in  the  facade,  for  the  sake  of  lightness 
and  balance,  is  doubled  in  height,  the  windows  being  arched  at  the  top 
and  divided  in  the  middle  by  pediments  set  in  panels.  The  fine  central 
doorway,  with  its  segmental  pediment  supported  by  engaged  Roman 


262  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

Doric  columns,  is  unfortunately  obscured  by  the  front  colonnade.  The 
interior  is  modern  and  furnished  in  tasteful  simplicity. 

North  of  the  Courthouse,  S.  Main  St.  becomes,  for  about  a  block  and  a 
half,  Market  Square.  The  name  not  only  applies  to  this  small  section  of 
the  street,  but  to  the  area  on  its  west  side,  extending  to  Canal  St.,  and  to 
the  short  street  just  north  of  the  Old  Market  House  (see  below). 

2.  Abutting  Market  Square  on  the  east,  with  its  main  entrance  at  14 
College  St.,  is  the  Rhode  Island  School  of  Design.  The  high  caliber  of  the 
work  of  this  school  is  recognized  throughout  the  world  of  art  and  handi- 
craft.  It  was  incorporated  in  1877  and  classes  were  begun  in  1878,  with 
its  first  quarters  in  the  Hoppin-Homestead  Building  at  357  Westminster 
St.   In  1895  the  school  was  moved  to  a  new  building  on  Waterman  St., 
and  its  quarters  have  since  been  substantially  enlarged.   Except  for  the 
Providence  Washington  Insurance  and  People's  Bank  buildings,   the 
school  and  its  museums  occupy  the  entire  block  bounded  by  N.  Main, 
Benefit,  College,  and  Waterman  Streets.   The  Helen  Adelia  Rowe  Met- 
calf  Building,  which  flanks  the  entire  lower  half  of  College  Hill,  was  com- 
pleted in  1937.   Designed  by  Jackson,  Robertson  and  Adams,  who  also 
designed  the  Providence  County  Courthouse  across  the  street,  its  archi- 
tecture harmonizes  with  that  of  the  other  structure.    The  School  of 
Design  Building,  unlike  the  Courthouse,  rises  on  the  hill  in  a  number 
of  separate  units,  and  its  decoration  is  more  conservative. 

Originally  founded  for  the  teaching  of  textile  design,  the  school  still  offers 
courses  pertaining  to  Rhode  Island  industry,  covering  the  entire  fields  of 
textile,  jewelry,  and  machinery  design.  The  curriculum  also  includes 
complete  courses  in  the  fine  and  graphic  arts,  costume  design,  interior 
decorating,  and  similar  subjects;  evening  extension  courses  are  offered 
throughout  the  school  year. 

The  western  end  of  the  building  is  part  of  the  Old  Franklin  House,  a  four- 
story  brick  structure  erected  in  1823,  that  for  many  years  served  as  a 
famous  hostelry;  the  lower  floors  were  later  converted  into  stores  while 
the  upper  fulfilled  various  functions,  at  one  time  being  a  dormitory  for 
Brown  University  students.  The  original  west  end,  as  well  as  the  old 
entrance  to  the  stable  yard  a  short  distance  up  College  St.  hill,  have  been 
incorporated  in  the  new  school  building. 

3.  The  Old  Market  House  (L),  center  of  Market  Square,  was  begun  in 
1 7 73  to  provide  a  place  for  farmers  to  congregate  and  sell  their  products. 
The  arched  windows  on  the  first  floor  once  formed  an  open  arcade  where 
teams  could  drive  in.  The  second  floor  has  served  variously  as  a  banquet 
hall,  sleeping  quarters  for  French  soldiers,  and  as  the  office  of  Samuel 
W.  Bridgham,  first  Mayor  of  Providence.  Tablets  on  the  building  com- 
memorate two  historic  events:  the  Providence  Tea  Party  on  March  2, 
1775,  when  the  townspeople  burned  a  large  consignment  of  English  tea, 
and  the  Great  Gale  of  1815,  the  September  'line  storm'  that  hoisted  the 
river  above  the  first  floor. 

The  third  story  was  added  in  1797  by  the  St.  John's  Lodge  of  Free  and 


Providence  263 


Accepted  Masons,  which  had  been  established  at  Providence  in  1757  and 
held  its  meetings  at  various  taverns,  private  homes,  and  in  the  Council 
Chamber  of  the  old  State  House  on  N.  Main  St.  (see  No.  17).  In  ac- 
cordance with  provisions  of  the  original  deed,  the  premises  were  sold  to 
the  City  of  Providence  in  1853  at  the  'then  value'  of  $3550.  Members  of 
the  lodge  included  many  of  the  town's  leading  citizens,  such  as  John 
Brown,  Jabez  Bowen,  William  Barton,  and  others.  Thomas  Smith  Webb, 
famous  as  the  author  of  'The  Freemason's  Monitor,  or  Illustrations  of 
Masonry,'  and  founder  of  the  American  system  of  chapter  and  encamp- 
ment Masonry,  was  a  member  of  the  lodge  during  his  residence  in  Provi- 
dence; after  his  death  in  1819  at  Cleveland,  Ohio,  his  remains  were 
brought  here  and  given  a  Masonic  ceremony  in  the  North  Burial  Ground 
on  N.  Main  St. 

Joseph  Brown,  who  designed  many  Providence  buildings  and  con- 
tributed to  others,  collaborated  on  the  design  of  this  structure  with 
Stephen  Hopkins.  It  is  severely  simple  in  line  and  mass,  having  a  nicely 
proportioned  parapet  with  balustraded  openings  over  the  windows,  and 
an  unusual  use  of  brick  in  the  cornice  for  a  double  dentil  course. 

4.  At  20  Market  Square  is  the  Site  of  the  Jabez  Bowen  House.   Built  in 
1745  by  Daniel  Abbott,  it  later  became  the  property  of  Jabez  Bowen,  a 
native  of  Providence  who  took  a  remarkably  active  part  in  city  and  State 
affairs  from  his  graduation  at  Yale  in  1757  to  his  death  in  1815.  An  origi- 
nal member  of  the  Board  of  Fellows  of  Rhode  Island  College,  he  suc- 
ceeded Stephen  Hopkins  as  Chancellor  in  1785.  He  was  one  of  the  three 
amateur  astronomers  who  observed  the  transit  of  Venus  in  1769  (see 
No.  81).   His  public  career  included  membership  in  the  Town  Council, 
1773-75,  service  as  Major  and  later  Colonel  in  the  State  militia,  1774-77, 
as  a  Justice  of  the  Superior  Court  in  1776  and  Chief  Justice  in  1781;  with 
the  exception  of  one  year  he  was  Deputy  Governor  from  1778  to  1786, 
a  delegate  to  the  Annapolis  convention  in  1786,  a  member  of  the  State 
Convention  which  ratified  the  Federal  Constitution  in  1790,  and  Loan 
Commissioner  during  Washington's  two  terms. 

From  the  balcony  of  this  house  were  proclaimed  the  accession  of  George 
III  and  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  and  George  Washington  was 
entertained  here  March  13-14,  1781.  The  house  became  the  Manu- 
facturers' Hotel  after  Bowen's  death  and  was  replaced  by  the  present 
building  in  1850. 

At  NE.  corner  of  Market  Square,  N.  Main  St.  begins. 

5.  Cheapside,  28-32  N.  Main  St.,  a  four-story  brick  building  containing 
stores  and  offices,  was  erected  in  the  late  i87o's.  Its  name  is  the  last  sur- 
vival of  the  fashionable  Colonial  shopping  district  on  North  Main  St. 
between  Market  Square  and  Waterman  St.  The  name  was  derived  from 
the  section  by  that  name  in  London. 

6.  East  Side  Electric  Car  Tunnel,  cor.  N.  Main  and  Waterman  Sts.,  was 
completed  in  1914  to  replace  the  counter- weighted  'grip'  cars  which  ran 
up  and  down  College  Hill. 


264  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

7.  The  Site  of  the  Roger  Williams  Meeting-Place,  N.  Main  St.  at  entrance 
to  street-car  tunnel,  where  Roger  Williams  was  accustomed  to  address 
his  fellow  townsmen,  is  indicated  by  a  bronze  tablet. 

8.  The  First  Baptist  Meeting-House,  N.  Main  St.  bet.  Waterman  and 
Thomas  Sts.,  is  architecturally  and  historically  one  of  the  most  famous 
buildings  in  New  England.    Its  tall,  white  spire  rises  now  amid  a  con- 
glomeration of  later  structures,  but  its  wide  lawns  and  elevated  site  still 
suggest  the  crowning  position  it  held  in  early  Providence.  Joseph  Brown 

—  merchant,  astronomer,  philosopher,  and  one  of  Rhode  Island's  famous 
amateur  architects  —  designed  the  building,  and  the  construction  was 
supervised  by  James  Sumner  of  Boston.  The  spire,  rising  from  its  base 
above  the  clock  tower,  is  the  only  part  of  the  building  not  original,  for  its 
design  was  copied  from  a  plan  made  by  James  Gibbs,  an  English  architect 
whose  'Book  of  Architecture  . . .,  Designs . . .  Ornaments'  was  in  the  pos- 
session of  Joseph  Brown.  It  remains  a  remarkable  piece  of  workmanship, 
a  tribute  to  Brown's  taste  and  Sumner's  ability.  The  first  stage  is  square 
and  open,  adorned  with  coupled  Ionic  pilasters  with  arched  opening, 
entablature,  and  pediment  on  each  side  while  the  octagonal  second  and 
third  stages  have  arched  windows  and  are  adorned  with  Corinthian 
pilasters.  Vase  ornaments  at  the  angles,  proportionally  smaller  at  each 
stage,  minimize  the  effect  of  the  set-backs.  The  proportionate  height  of 
the  stages  and  their  transition  from  square  to  octagon  is  very  ably 
treated. 

The  spire  rests  on  a  projecting  square  tower  with  a  modillioned  cornice 
and  wooden  quoins  at  the  corners  like  those  of  the  main  structure.  A 
slightly  projecting  pedimented  pavilion,  at  the  base  of  the  tower,  with 
a  small  pedimented  portico,  forms  the  entrance  motif  in  the  west  end,  the 
principal  facade.  Above  the  Doric  portico  is  a  palladian  window  of  rather 
stilted  proportions.  The  body  of  the  building  is  80  feet  square,  and  has 
the  unusual  feature  of  two  tiers  of  round-headed  windows.  The  roof  is 
low-pitched  and  the  aspect  of  the  building,  because  of  its  squareness,  is 
one  of  comfort,  spaciousness,  and  great  dignity.  The  all-white  interior  is 
trimmed  in  wood.  The  vaulted  ceiling,  five  bays  in  length,  is  supported 
by  two  rows  of  fluted  Tuscan  columns. 

The  church  was  built  by  the  first  Baptist  society  in  America  (founded  in 
1639).  In  1775  the  Reverend  James  Manning,  lately  come  to  Providence 
as  head  of  the  institution  later  to  be  called  Brown  University,  consented 
to  preach  to  this  congregation  and  plans  were  immediately  set  afoot  to 
erect  a  building  'for  the  publick  worship  of  Almighty  God;  and  also  for 
holding  Commencement  in,'  a  dual  function  which  it  has  fulfilled  ever 
since.  Steeples  with  bells  were  frowned  upon  by  the  Baptist  fellowship 
in  1775,  but  the  Providence  congregation  erected  one  nevertheless.  In 
the  steeple  hung  a  bell  bearing  this  inscription: 

1  For  freedom  of  conscience  the  town  was  first  planted, 
Persuasion  not  force,  was  used  by  the  people: 
This  church  is  the  eldest  and  has  not  recanted, 
Enjoying  and  granting  bell,  temple  and  steeple.' 


Providence  265 


The  original  bell,  four  inches  thick,  is  still  in  use  although  it  has  been 
recast  several  times. 

During  the  Great  Gale  of  1815,  when  lesser  structures  were  swept  away, 
this  sturdy  church  edifice  held  firm;  the  tall  spire  'wavered  and  bent  to 
the  blast,  but  it  fell  not.'  Some  modifications  have  been  made,  such  as  the 
installation  of  an  organ  in  a  rear  balcony  formerly  occupied  by  slaves,  but 
such  changes  are  few  and  great  care  has  been  taken  in  the  building's 
preservation. 

R.from  N.  Main  St.  on  Thomas  St. 

This  street,  one  block  long,  can  be  considered  the  artistic  center  of 
Providence. 

9.  The  Fleur  de  Lys  Building,  7  Thomas  St.,  was  erected  in  1886  by 
Sidney  R.  Burleigh,  known  as  the  'Dean  of  Rhode  Island  Artists'  until 
his  death  in  1929;  it  was  designed  by  Edmund  R.  Willson,  one  of  the 
city's  leading  architects.    Its  design  is  freely  adapted  from  the  lyth- 
century  Norman  and  Breton  style  of  architecture,  and  is  a  good  example 
of  the  half-timbered  type.  The  unique  decorations  in  the  wood  and  stucco 
are  the  work  of  Mr.  Burleigh.   The  building  is  given  over  entirely  to 
studios. 

10.  The  Deacon  Edward  Taylor  House,  9  Thomas  St.,  was  built  about 
1790  by  Edward  Taylor,  a  deacon  of  the  First  Congregational  Church. 
It  is  a  three-and-a-half  story  structure  with  interior  end  chimneys  and  an 
exceptionally  steep  gable  roof  that  emphasizes  the  building's  height.   It 
remained  in  the  family  for  many  years  and  was  later  used  by  the  Pen  and 
Pencil  Club  of  Rhode  Island.    Workmen  making  alterations  in  the  late 
1 9th  century  declared  that  it  contained  the  finest  Colonial  carpentry 
they  had  ever  seen.  It  is  now  the  headquarters  for  the  Community  School 
of  Music. 

11.  The  Providence  Art  Club  (open  weekdays  10-6,  Sun.   12-6,  free), 
ii  Thomas  St.,  occupies  this  brick  house,  its  quarters  extending  across 
the  Palladian-windowed  archway  to  the  upper  stories  of  the  adjoining 
frame  house.  The  latter,  with  a  market  now  on  its  lower  floor,  was  built 
by  Seril  Dodge  in  1787  and  sold  shortly  thereafter  to  John  and  Nicholas 
Brown.  Dodge  then  built  the  three-story  brick  structure  on  the  adjoining 
lot  in  1793.  It  is  much  less  pretentious  in  size  than  the  earlier  house.  The 
hip  roof,  broken  by  a  four-sided  tier  of  full-length  windows,  was  con- 
structed in  the  i88o's  to  allow  sufficient  light  for  the  club's  gallery.   Or- 
ganized in  1880,  the  club  has  two  kinds  of  membership,  lay  and  artist, 
the  former  being  limited  to  400,  the  latter  unlimited  but  contingent  upon 
ability.  In  the  same  building  is  the  headquarters  of  the  Providence  Water 
Color  Club,  organized  in  1896,  a  group  interested  in  water  colors,  pastels, 
drawings,  and  prints.    In  addition  to  having  a  permanent  display  of 
paintings,  the  club  opens  its  galleries  from  October  to  June  for  exhibitions 
by  its  members  and  others.   In  this  house  Seril  Dodge,  and  his  brother, 
Nehemiah,   began   the  great  Rhode   Island   silverware  industry   (see 
Industry). 


266  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

Retrace  on  Thomas  St.,  crossing  N.  Main  St.  into  Steeple  St. 

12.  At  the  corner  of  Steeple  and  Canal  Sts.  is  the  Site  of  the  Clarke  and 
Nightingale  Dock,  from  which  point  the  famous  ship  *  Providence'  sailed 
for  China  and  the  East  Indies  in  1773. 

Retrace  on  Steeple  St.,  L.  on  N.  Main  St. 

13.  The  Joseph  Russell  House,  116  N.  Main  St.,  was  originally  three 
stories  high  but  has  been  raised  to  admit  a  store  on  the  ground  floor. 
The  original  structure  is  virtually  intact,  with  none  of  its  features  dis- 
turbed.   It  is  of  brick,  square  in  plan  with  a  low-hipped  early  monitor 
roof  and  a  doorway  with  segmental  pediment  supported  by  engaged 
Corinthian  columns.    On  the  south  side  is  a  semicircular  bay,  a  later 
addition.   The  present  color  scheme,  yellow  with  brown  trim,  does  not 
set  the  house  off  to  advantage.  It  was  erected  in  1773  by  Joseph  Russell, 
a  merchant  later  engaged  in  the  China  trade.    During  the  stay  of  the 
French  army  in  Providence,  Count  de  Chastellux  was  billeted  here. 
Washington  gave  him  permission  to  travel  at  will  through  the  Colonies, 
and  he  later  wrote  a  book  called  'Travels  in  North  America,'  recording 
his  observations. 

R.  from  N.  Main  St.  on  Meeting  St. 

14.  The  'Shakespeare's  Head'  House,  21  Meeting  St.,  offers  little  at 
present  to  indicate  that  it  was  once  one  of  the  most  important  buildings 
in  Providence.   Square  in  plan,  three  stories  in  height  with  a  low-hipped 
roof  and  a  large  square  central  chimney,  the  structure  retains  its  grandeur 
of  dimension,  but  is  otherwise  in  disrepair.  Built  in  1763,  it  was  used  by 
William  Goddard  as  the  print  shop  for  the  Providence  Gazette  and  Country 
Journal,  the  first  Providence  newspaper.    John  Carter,  who  came  to 
Providence  in  1767  after  serving  an  apprenticeship  in  printing  under 
Benjamin  Franklin,  took  over  the  paper.   When  Franklin  became  Post- 
master-General he  appointed  Carter  as  the  postmaster  of  Providence,  a 
position  which  he  filled  for  20  years,  using  this  house  as  the  post  office. 
Stationery  and  books  were  on  sale  as  well,  and  the  sign  of '  Shakespeare's 
Head'  atop  a  pole  advertised  this  latter  function.    The  house  was  a 
favorite  meeting-place  for  influential  citizens  of  the  early  town.  There  is 
also  a  tradition  that  it  was  once  an  'underground  station'  for  runaway 
slaves. 

15.  The  Brick  School  House,  24  Meeting  St.,  was  erected  in  1769;  during 
the  Revolution  it  was  used  as  a  storage  place  for  munitions.  In  1800  one 
of  the  first  free  public  schools  in  the  United  States  was  instituted  in  this 
building.  It  was  enlarged  in  1850,  and  for  many  years  was  used  as  a  school 
for  Negroes.   In  1908  it  housed  the  activities  of  the  first  fresh  air  school 
in  the  country,  a  function  which  it  continues  to  fulfill. 

Retrace  to  N.  Main  St.,  R.  on  N.  Main  St. 

16.  The  Friends  Meeting-House  (not  open),  cor.  of  N.  Main  and  Meeting 
Sts.,  was  erected  in  1844-45  to  replace  the  older  Friends  Meeting-House 
which  was  moved  at  that  time  to  Hope  St.  (see  No.  98).  The  stables  at 


Providence  267 


the  side  of  the  present  building  are  a  relic  of  the  time  when  members  came 
to  church  in  carriages. 

17.  The  Old  State  House  overlooks  N.  Main  St.  above  a  broad  lawn  be- 
tween N.  and  S.  Court  Sts.  When  the  Old  Colony  House  burned  down  in 
1758,  this  famous  building  was  erected  to  take  its  place  and  from  its 
opening  in  1762  until  1900,  when  the  New  State  House  was  dedicated,  it 
was  used  as  a  meeting-place  for  the  General  Assembly.  Here  on  May  4, 
1776,  the  Rhode  Island  Independence  Act  was  passed  which  declared  the 
Colony  free  from  English  dominion  two  months  before  the  Declaration 
of  Independence  in  Philadelphia.  Many  famous  people,  including  Wash- 
ington, Jefferson,  Lafayette,  and  John  Adams,  were  received  in  this 
building.  On  the  front  lawn,  formerly  known  as  the  Mall,  once  stood  a 
whipping  post. 

The  old  part  of  the  structure  is  of  brick  with  a  peculiar  dark  brown 
*  weathered '  hue,  laid  in  Flemish  bond.  The  extreme  angles  of  the  rusti- 
cated stones  over  the  windows  are  unusual.  The  building  is  trimmed  in 
sandstone,  and  the  projecting  front  entrance  and  tower,  built  in  1850-51 
(the  same  year  in  which  the  rear  wing  was  added),  have  stone  corner 
quoins;  the  pediment  of  the  doorway  is  supported  by  two  rusticated  sand- 
stone columns. 

1 8.  The  Site  of  the  Pillory,  is  near  the  SW.  cor.  of  N.  Main  and  Hay- 
market  Sts.    Although  the  use  of  the  pillory  as  punishment  for  civil 
offenses  was  discontinued  early  in  Colonial  history,  one  stood  here  as  late 
as  1837. 

R.from  N.  Main  St.  on  N.  Court  St. 

19.  The  Samuel  Bridgham  House,  42  N.  Court  St.,  is  a  two-and-a-half- 
story  Georgian  Colonial  house  once  occupied  by  Samuel  W.  Bridgham, 
the  first  mayor  of  Providence,  and  it  was  here  that  his  inauguration  took 
place  in  1832.   Of  the  usual  five-bay  width,  it  has  a  gable  roof  and  two 
end  chimneys.    The  doorway  has  a  triangular  pediment  supported  by 
Ionic  pilasters.    A  two-bayed  addition  on  the  east  end  has  spoiled  the 
symmetry  of  the  house.  It  was  built  about  1790,  and  originally  stood  at 
the  corner  of  N.  Main  and  N.  Court  Sts. 

Retrace  on  N.  Court  St.}  R.  on  N.  Main  St. 

20.  The  Site  of  the  Roger  Williams  House  is  at  the  rear  of  235  N.  Main  St. 
At  the  time  of  its  founding,  the  town  of  Providence  extended  from  Wil- 
liam Arnold's  house,  a  little  north  of  the  present  corner  of  N.  Main  and 
Star  Streets,  south  to  William  Harris'  house,  near  the  present  corner  of 
N.  Main  and  Cady  Streets.  Roger  Williams'  house  was  near  the  center. 
The  cellar  of  the  house  was  excavated,  measured  and  photographed  in 
1906,  and  on  the  house  at  the  corner  of  North  Main  and  Howard  Streets 
the  State  has  erected  a  tablet  reading,  'A  few  rods  east  of  this  spot  stood 
the  house  of  Roger  Williams,  founder  of  Providence,  1636.' 

21.  The  Roger  Williams  Spring,  242  N.  Main  St.,  is  memorialized  by  the 
tradition  that  Roger  Williams  and  his  followers  landed  here  in  June,  1636, 
to  utilize  its  fresh  and  clear  water.   According  to  a  Proprietors*  Grant 


268  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

of  1721  'liberty  is  reserved  for  the  inhabitants  to  fetch  water  at  this 
spring  forever.'  In  1869  the  spring  was  walled  up  and  a  pump  placed  on 
Canal  St.  A  building  was  erected  over  the  site  but  was  torn  down  in  1928 
when  Justice  J.  Jerome  Hahn  donated  the  land  as  a  public  park  in  memory 
of  his  father.  The  present  terrace,  well-curb,  and  steps  were  designed  by 
Norman  M.  Isham,  F.A.I. A.,  of  Wickford. 

22.  St.  John's  Episcopal  Church  (Cathedral  of  St.  John;  known  also  as 
the  Pro- Cathedral),  271  N.  Main  St.,  was  founded  by  Gabriel  Bernon,  a 
Huguenot  refugee,  and  Nathaniel  Brown,  in  the  early  i8th  century.  The 
present  building  has  lancet  windows,  colonnettes  supporting  a  crown- 
roofed  portico,  and  two  multi-columned  piers  at  the  west  end  of  the  in- 
terior —  features  containing  an  early  suggestion  of  Gothic,  visually  if  not 
structurally,  for  the  building  is  a  simple  rectangle  in  shape  with  a  gable 
roof  and  a  domed  ceiling  that  obscures  all  posts  and  beams.   It  was  de- 
signed by  John  Holden  Greene,  built  in  1810,  and  dedicated  the  following 
year  to  replace  an  earlier  church,  known  as  King's  Chapel  (1722).   The 
burial  ground  (open  to  the  public  via  the  parish  house  beside  the  cathedral  or 
from  the  Bishop  McVickar  House  at  66  Benefit  St.)  has  existed  since  the 
early  i8th  century  and  contains  the  graves  of  many  famous  Rhode 
Islanders. 

The  Gabriel  Bernon  Grave  is  in  the  crypt  of  St.  John's  Church,  271  N.  Main 
St.  Bernon,  a  French  Huguenot,  was  instrumental  in  establishing  the 
Episcopal  Church  in  America.  He  donated  the  land,  part  of  his  home  lot, 
on  which  St.  John's  is  built. 

23.  On  N.  Main  St.  near  Mill  St.  is  the  Site  of  the  First  Mill,  owned  by 
John  Smith.   The  grant  for  this  mill,  issued  on  March  i,  1646,  was  the 
first  in  Rhode  Island.  The  miller's  name  has  been  perpetuated  in  Smith 
Hill  and  Smith  St. 

At  the  junction  with  Mill  St.,  N.  Main  St.  bears  right  and  goes  uphill. 
Benefit  St.  begins  at  the  summit. 

Sharp  R.  from  N.  Main  St.  on  Benefit  St. 

24.  30  Benefit  St.,  Inc.  (open  weekdays  9-9),  30  Benefit  St.  Once  known 
as  the  'old  Angell  house,'  this  three-story  brick  mansion  is  now  head- 
quarters for  an  art  center  operated  by  Leisure  Time  Activities,  Inc. 
Instruction  and  materials  are  provided  here,  at  a  nominal  fee,  for»a  great 
diversity  of  arts  and  crafts,  and  the  large  stable  in  the  rear  has  been  con- 
verted into  a  theater.    The  registered  weekly  attendance  at  the  center 
is  between  400  and  500. 

25.  The  Bishop  McVickar  House  (private),  66  Benefit  St.,  once  owned  by 
the  Slater  family,  was  given  to  Brown  University  in  1900  as  a  dormitory 
for  the  Women's  (later  Pembroke)  College.   It  was  purchased  by  Bishop 
McVickar's  sister  shortly  after  his  death  in  1910,  and  after  being  properly 
fitted  out  was  presented  by  Miss  McVickar  to  the  Episcopal  diocesevof 
Rhode  Island  in  memory  of  her  brother.   It  now  serves  as  headquarters 
for  diocesan  missions  and  other  activities.    The  burial  ground  of  St. 
John's  Cathedral  can  be  reached  from  the  property. 


Providence  269 


26.  The  Sarah  Helen  Whitman  House  (private),  88  Benefit  St.,  a  two-and- 
a-half-story,  gable-roof,  late  Colonial  structure  (about  1790),  was  once 
the  home  of  the  young  widow  courted  by  Edgar  Allan  Poe  in  1845.   For 
her  he  wrote  two  of  his  famous  poems,  'To  Helen'  and  'Annabel  Lee.' 
They  become  affianced,  but  the  engagement  was  broken  because  of  family 
objections  to  Poe's  dissolute  habits.   Mrs.  Whitman  was  a  poet  in  her 
own  right  (see  Literature). 

27.  The  Sullivan  Dorr  House  (private),  109  Benefit  St.,  was  designed  and 
built  about  1810  by  John  Holden  Greene  for  Sullivan  Dorr,  father  of 
Thomas  Wilson  Dorr  (see  History).  A  three-story  late  Georgian  Colonial 
frame  dwelling,  suggestive  of  Alexander  Pope's  villa  at  Twickenham,  the 
house  has  one  of  the  last  Palladian  windows  of  the  period. 

28.  Behind  the  Sullivan  Dorr  House  is  the  Roger  Williams  Grave,  which 
is  on  part  of  the  founder's  original  property.  In  the  i86o's  the  grave  was 
opened  and  an  apple  tree  root  was  found  to  have  invaded  the  tomb.  Some 
loam  from  the  grave  was  placed  in  the  Stephen  Randall  tomb  in  the 
North  Burial  Ground,  later  being  transferred  to  an  inscribed  metal  con- 
tainer and  placed  in  the  main  cemetery  vault.  The  grave  is  marked  with 
the  base  of  a  column  broken  in  the  construction  of  the  Arcade  (see  No.  67). 

29.  The  Seagrave  Mansion  (private},  119  Benefit  St.,  was  for  many  years 
the  home  of  George  A.  Seagrave,  textile  merchant  and  banker,  and  of  his 
son,  Frank  E.  Seagrave  (1859-1934),  world-famed  astronomer.    In  the 
rear  is  a  brick  and  wood  cylindrical  structure  built  by  the  latter  in  1878 
as  an  observatory.   At  that  time  it  housed  one  of  the  largest  telescopes 
in  the  country.  The  house  is  now  used  as  an  apartment  building. 

30.  The  Golden  Ball  Inn,  159  Benefit  St.,  was  erected  by  Frank  Rice  in 
1784.   A  very  large  structure  for  its  time,  it  is  four-and-a-half  stories  in 
height,  with  a  gable  roof  and  simple  triangular-pedimented  dormers  above 
all  the  windows.  Originally  it  had  the  usual  five-window  width,  but  had 
a  subsequent  addition  built  on  the  south  end.  The  central  balcony  shows 
evidence  of  having  been  raised  and  the  double  doorway  is  obviously  of  a 
later  date,  although  the  central  pedimented  window  is  probably  original. 
Known  at  various  times  as  the  Daggett  Tavern,  Mansion  House,  and 
Roger  Williams  House,  it  was  for  many  years  a  social  center  of  the  town. 
Among  distinguished  guests  at  dinners  and  balls  held  here  were  Washing- 
ton, John  Adams,  Jefferson,  Lafayette,  Monroe,  Madison,  and  James 
Russell  Lowell.  At  present  the  old  inn  rents  rooms  for  light  housekeeping. 

31.  The  Old  Arsenal  (or  Armory)  (open),  176  Benefit  St.,  is  a  fortress-like 
structure  with  white  concrete  veneer,  two  square  towers,  and  a  great 
studded  door.   It  was  erected  in  1840  and  almost  immediately  put  into 
service  to  house  the  State  troops  when  the  procession  of  the  Dorrites  was 
directed  against  it  (see  History).   It  was  used  by  the  State  troops  during 
the  Civil  War  and  is  now  an  armory  for  the  Providence  Marine  Corps  of 
Artillery  and  the  Machine  Gun  Battery.    Offices  of  District  I  of  the 
Providence  Department  of  Public  Welfare  are  also  housed  here. 


270  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

L.  from  Benefit  St.  on  Meeting  St.,  up  the  steps  to  Congdon  St.,  L.  on  Cong- 
don  St. 

32.  Prospect  Terrace,  Congdon  St.  at  foot  of  Gushing  St.  This  small  park 
was  established  about  the  middle  of  the  igth  century,  largely  through  the 
efforts  of  Isaac  Hale,  a  merchant  of  Cheapside,  who  particularly  enjoyed 
the  panorama  of  the  city  from  this  spot.   Grading  on  a  northern  addition 
was  begun  in  1935  as  a  site  for  the  new  Roger  Williams  Memorial  Monu- 
ment.  The  magnificent  elm  on  the  Congdon  Street  sidewalk  is  over  200 
years  old. 

R.  from  Congdon  St.  on  Cushing  St.  to  Prospect  St.,  R.  on  Prospect  St. 

33.  The  First  Church  of  Christ,  Scientist  (not  open),  cor.  Prospect  and 
Meeting  Sts.,  has  a  high  green  dome  that  can  be  seen  from  many  points 
in  the  city.   Designed  in  the  Neo-Classic  style  by  Hoppin  and  Ely,  the 
building  was  begun  in  1906  and  completed  in  1913. 

Because  it  was  one  of  the  highest  points  in  the  city,  this  site  was  used  for 
a  beacon  during  two  important  periods  in  Providence  history.  The  first 
beacon,  erected  in  1667,  served  to  warn  of  Indian  attack;  the  second,  in 
1775,  to  herald  the  approach  of  the  British.  Smoke  was  used  by  day  and 
fire  by  night.  Joseph  Brown  (see  Industry)  was  master  of  the  beacon  in 
pre-Revolutionary  days,  and  four  wardens  were  appointed  to  'rig  the 
kettle.'  It  is  said  that  once  when  this  second  beacon  was  tested,  it  was 
seen  as  far  away  as  Cambridge,  Mass. 

R.from  Prospect  St.  on  Angell  St. 

34.  The  Benson  House  (private),  64  Angell  St.,  was  once  the  property  of 
Captain  George  Benson,  a  well-known  shipping  merchant  whose  trade 
was  chiefly  with  South  America  and  China.  Built  in  1796,  it  is  a  square 
frame  structure  of  conservative  Georgian  Colonial  design,  with  a  parapet 
rail  and  deck  on  the  roof  and  a  porch  with  a  finely  carved  segmental 
pediment  supported  by  two  Roman  Doric  columns. 

L.  from  Angell  St.  on  Benefit  St. 

35.  The  Rhode  Island  School  of  Design  Museum  of  Art  (open  weekdays 
10-5,  Sun.  2-5,  adm.  25£  Mon.,  Wed.,  Fri.,  other  days  free),  224  Benefit 
St.,  contains  41  galleries,  13  of  which  display  water  colors  and  oils  by  such 
well-known  artists  as  Whistler,  Manet,  Copley,  Sargent,  and  Winslow 
Homer.  In  addition  to  its  permanent  collections  it  also  affords  space  for 
traveling  exhibits  of  famous  modern  and  ancient  paintings.  Two  galleries 
display  plaster  casts  of  the  masterpieces  of  classic  and  Renaissance  sculp- 
ture. Elsewhere  are  to  be  found  examples  of  Classic,  Renaissance,  Gothic, 
Chinese,  Japanese,  and  Persian  art;  there  are  also  galleries  devoted  to  the 
exhibition   of   fine   laces,  embroideries,  textiles,  pottery,  and  jewelry. 
The  museum  was  designed  by  William  T.  Aldrich  and  built  in  1920. 
Adjoining  it  is  the  Colonial  House  containing  the  famous  Pendleton  Col- 
lection of  antique  furniture,  china,  textiles,  and  paintings.    It  was  do- 
nated by  Stephen  O.  Metcalf,  designed  by  Stone,  Carpenter,  and  Willson, 
and  opened  in  1906. 


Providence  271 


36.  Memorial  Hall  (not  open),  Benefit  St.  between  Waterman  and  College 
Sts.,  is  a  brownstone  two- towered  Romanesque  structure  belonging  to 
the  Rhode  Island  School  of  Design  and  containing  classrooms  and  an 
auditorium.  Begun  in  1851,  the  building  was  the  property  of  the  Benefit 
Street  Congregational  Society)  an  organization  originally  chartered  in 
1836.  The  building  was  used  as  their  house  of  worship  until  1893,  when 
a  new  and  larger  structure,  at  296  Angell  St.,  was  completed. 


TOUR  2  — 0.5m. 

E.  from  NE.  corner  College  and  Benefit  Sts. 

This  point  offers  an  excellent  view  of  the  buildings  in  the  center  of  modern 
Providence,  framed  in  the  foreground  by  the  northern  end  of  the  Provi- 
dence County  Courthouse  (L)  and  the  Helen  Adelia  Rowe  Metcalf  Build- 
ing of  the  Rhode  Island  School  of  Design. 

College  St.  is  one  of  the  main  arteries  over  College  Hill  to  the  east  side 
residential  section  and  tributary  highways  into  Massachusetts.  This 
street,  and  all  the  others  going  over  the  hill,  become  perilous  with  the  first 
snowfall  and  are  immediately  sanded,  day  or  night,  by  men  in  huge  trucks 
that  back  up  the  hill  to  be  sure  of  traction. 

37.  The  Site  of  the  Old  Town  House  is  now  occupied  by  the  northeast 
corner  of  the  Providence  County  Court  House.   There  is  no  marker  to 
indicate  the  site.  Here  the  First  Congregational  Society  built  a  meeting- 
house in  1723.    It  became  the  property  of  the  town  in  1794  when  the 
society  moved  to  new  quarters.    The  original  building  was  demolished 
in  1860  to  make  way  for  the  Superior  Courthouse,  which  in  turn  was 
razed  in  1929  prior  to  erection  of  the  present  structure.  The  land  was  part 
of  the  home  lot  of  Chad  Brown,  one  of  the  original  settlers  of  Providence. 

38.  The  Providence  Athen&um  (open  weekdays  9-5),  SE.  cor.  College  and 
Benefit  Sts.,  was  incorporated  in  1831.    Five  years  later  it  was  joined 
with  the  older  Providence  Library  Association,  founded  in  1753,  by  virtue 
of  which  the  Athenaeum  lays  just  claim  to  being  one  of  the  oldest  libraries 
in  the  country.  At  the  time  of  incorporation  the  combined  libraries  were 
installed  on  the  second  floor  of  the  Arcade,  but  in  July,  1838,  they  were 
moved  to  the  present  quarters  on  College  Hill.  This  building  was  designed 
by  Russell  Warren  and  James  C.  Bucklin,  and  upholds  with  taste  and 
restraint  the  traditions  of  the  Greek  Revival.   Although  its  appearance 
is  marred  by  a  series  of  skylights  on  the  low  roof  ridge,  the  facade,  with 
its  deep  rectangular  loggia  supported  by  two  fluted  Doric  columns,  and 
its  well-proportioned  pedimented  gable,  presents  a  broad,  solid,  forth- 
right appearance. 

At  first  the  Athenaeum  shared  space  with  the  Franklin  Society  and  the 
Rhode  Island  Historical  Society,  but  in  1849,  the  library  was  left  in  full 
possession  of  its  ivy-covered  building.  The  institution  is  controlled  by 


272  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

over  1000  shareholders  and  its  aim  is  to  furnish  a  home  library  'larger, 
better  arranged,  more  useful  and  more  attractive  than  that  within  the 
means  of  any  individual  shareholder.'  Loan  privileges  are  reserved  for 
shareholders,  with  special  rates  for  students  and  teachers.  Among  the 
many  treasures  preserved  here  are  about  50  books  from  the  original 
library  of  1753  which  survived  a  fire  by  being  out  on  loan.  Some  of  these 
were  purchased  by  Stephen  Hopkins  and  Moses  Brown.  The  literary 
courtship  of  Edgar  Allan  Poe  and  Sarah  Helen  Whitman  was  very  largely 
conducted  within  the  corridors  of  this  venerable  building.  The  library 
preserves  a  December  issue  of  Colton's  American  Review  for  1847  con- 
taining the  anonymous  poem  '  Ulalume, '  below  which  Poe  inscribed  his 
author's  signature  when  Mrs.  Whitman  showed  it  to  him  admiringly. 
The  Athenaeum  houses  about  121,000  volumes,  and  its  Art  Room  con- 
tains a  Van  Dyke,  a  Reynolds,  and  'The  Hours,'  perhaps  the  most  noted 
work  of  America's  celebrated  miniature  painter,  Edward  G.  Malbone. 

39.  The  Truman  Beckwith  House  (private),  42  College  St.,  was  designed 
in  1820  by  John  Holden  Greene  for  Truman  Beckwith,  banker  and  cotton 
merchant.   The  house  itself,  including  the  L-shaped  east  wing,  is  charac- 
teristic of  Greene's  brick  structures.  The  windows,  surmounted  by  heavy 
stone  lintels,  are  large  in  proportion  to  the  wall  space.  The  window  above 
the  doorway,  with  its  sidelights  and  elliptical  fan-light,  may  be  found  in 
many  of  Greene's  houses  of  this  period.   It  corresponds  to  the  shape  of 
the  doorway  and  supplants  the  Palladian  window  of  the  strictly  Georgian 
Colonial  houses.    The  monitor  roof,  incorporating  a  cupola,  is  one  of 
the  period's  typical  structural  features.  The  design  has  been  used  on 
the  easternmost  unit  of  the  Helen  Adelia  Rowe  Metcalf  Building  of  the 
School  of  Design,  directly  across  Benefit  St.   The  house  now  serves  as 
headquarters  for  the  Handicraft  Club,  Inc.,  and  the  laundry  and  stables 
once  occupying  the  east  wing  have  been  converted  into  club  rooms  and  a 
tea  room,  with  appropriate  Colonial  furnishings. 

40.  At  the  SW.  cor.  of  Prospect  and  College  Sts.  is  the  Site  of  the  Uni- 
versity Grammar  School.    When  Rhode  Island  College  was  moved  from 
Warren  to  Providence  in  1770,  Dr.  Manning,  its  first  president,  brought 
with  him  a  'feeder'  school  which  he  had  previously  started.   A  building 
was  erected  here  in  1809  and  housed  the  school  until  1898,  when  it  was 
replaced  by  the  present  Brown  University  Administration  Building. 

41.  The  John  Hay  Library,  NW.  cor.  College  and  Prospect  Sts.,  serves 
as  the  main  library  of  Brown  University.    An  impressive  four-story 
marble  edifice  in  monumental  Georgian  Colonial  style,  it  was  designed 
by  Shepley,  Rutan  and  Coolidge,  erected  in  1910,  and  named  for  John 
Hay  (Brown,  1858),  distinguished  Secretary  of  State  under  Presidents 
McKinley  and  Theodore  Roosevelt. 

The  library  of  Rhode  Island  College  (now  Brown  University)  was  founded 
in  1767.  In  1770,  containing  about  250  volumes,  it  was  transferred  from 
Warren  to  the  new  University  Hall  in  Providence.  During  the  Revolution 
when  University  Hall  was  commandeered  for  the  use  of  troops,  the  library 
was  moved  to  Wrentham,  Mass.,  for  safe  keeping.  Some  of  these  books, 


Providence  273 


as  well  as  the  old  deal  table  in  whose  drawer  some  of  them  were  kept,  are 
still  preserved.  When  a  battered  University  Hall  was  returned  to  the 
authorities  of  the  school  in  1782  the  books  were  brought  back  from 
Wrentham  unharmed.  Since  that  time  the  library  has  outgrown  its  first 
home,  a  larger  repository  in  Manning  Hall  (1834),  and  the  building 
erected  for  the  purpose  in  1878  at  the  SE.  cor.  of  Prospect  and  Waterman 
Sts.,  occupied  by  the  Department  of  Economics.  Already  the  present 
building  is  overtaxed  for  space  for  the  University's  500,000  volumes. 
Vacant  ground  to  the  north  of  the  present  library  will  eventually  be 
occupied  by  an  addition. 

The  John  Hay  Library  houses  several  collections  of  more  than  average 
interest,  among  them  the  Harris  Collection  of  American  poetry  and  plays, 
and  the  Rider  Collection  of  Rhode  Island  history.  Messrs.  Harris  and 
Rider  were  among  the  group  which  50  years  ago  made  Providence  re- 
nowned as  a  center  for  fine  private  libraries.  The  Lincoln  Collection,  the 
most  complete  in  the  world,  contains  over  700  of  the  President's  manu- 
scripts. Among  students  of  the  life  of  Lincoln  who  use  this  collection, 
the  poet  Edgar  Lee  Masters  has  been  a  familiar  figure  for  several  years. 
The  Hoffman  Collection  contains  many  valuable  prints,  contemporary 
miniatures  and  other  relics  of  the  era  of  Napoleon. 

42.  Brown  University,  on  the  summit  of  College  Hill,  is  the  oldest  college 
in  Rhode  Island  and  the  seventh  oldest  in  the  United  States.  In  1764  a 
charter,  providing  for  a  majority  of  Baptists  on  the  Boards  of  Trustee  and 
Fellows,  was  granted  by  the  Colonial  legislature  for  the  founding  of  Rhode 
Island  College.  Among  other  provisions  there  was  one  stipulating  'into 
this  Liberal  and  Catholic  Institution  shall  never  be  admitted  any  Re- 
ligious Tests  but  on  the  Contrary  all  the  Members  Hereof  shall  forever 
enjoy  full  free  Absolute  and  uninterrupted  Liberty  of  Conscience.'  The 
college  was  founded  at  Warren  in  the  following  year  with  the  Reverend 
James  Manning  as  first  president.  In  1770,  as  the  result  of  a  popular 
subscription  endowment  of  $15,000,  the  institution  was  moved  to  Provi- 
dence to  occupy  an  eight-acre  tract  of  land  on  College  Hill.  In  the  same 
year  the  '  College  Edifice,'  now  University  Hall,  was  erected.  In  1775  the 
First  Baptist  Meeting-House  was  made  available  for  commencements. 
During  the  Revolution,  from  1776  to  1782,  college  exercises  were  sus- 
pended and  the  College  Edifice  was  converted  into  barracks  for  French 
and  American  troops.  Following  the  war,  teaching  activities  were  re- 
sumed and  in  1804  the  name  was  changed  to  Brown  University  in  recog- 
nition of  a  gift  from  Nicholas  Brown  for  the  endowment  of  a  chair  of 
Oratory  and  Belles-Lettres. 

From  these  beginnings  the  University  has  grown  to  an  institution  num- 
bering approximately  1250  men  undergraduates,  460  women  under- 
graduates, and  280  graduate  students.  (A  separate  college  called  Pem- 
broke is  maintained  for  women  undergraduates  with  a  campus  of  its  own, 
but  which  offers  substantially  the  same  curriculum  as  Brown  and  employs 
the  same  faculty.)  There  are  nine  laboratories,  three  libraries,  and  a  social 
headquarters  and  theater  called  Faunce  House  in  honor  of  the  late  Presi- 


274  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

dent  William  H.  P.  Faunce.  The  Ladd  Astronomical  Library  is  about 
a  mile  from  the  campus,  and  in  it  is  preserved  the  instrument  used  by 
Joseph  Brown,  Jabez  Bowen,  and  Stephen  Hopkins  in  observing  the 
transit  of  Venus  in  1769.  Also  about  a  mile  from  the  campus  is  the  new 
athletic  equipment  comprising  a  stadium  which  seats  25,000  people,  four 
baseball  diamonds  and  other  playing  fields,  and  a  large,  fully  equipped 
gymnasium.  Elsewhere  a  number  of  tennis  courts  are  maintained.  A 
swimming  pool  is  located  on  the  campus.  There  are  nine  residence  halls 
for  men  and  five  for  women.  The  total  area  occupied  at  present  is  about 
40  acres. 

The  most  substantial  growth  of  the  University  took  place  under  the 
administrations  of  Presidents  Elisha  B.  Andrews  (1889-98)  and  William 
H.  P.  Faunce  (1899-1929),  when  enrollment,  faculty,  and  endowment 
were  greatly  increased,  and  most  of  the  buildings  in  the  middle  and  back 
campuses  (see  No.  42B,  42C)  were  erected.  The  University  offers  a  wide 
variety  of  courses  in  the  liberal  arts  and  sciences,  and  maintains  an  active 
place  in  the  roster  of  higher  educational  institutions  in  the  United  States. 
Its  history  is  very  closely  allied  to  the  cultural  development  of  Providence. 

At  the  entrance  to  the  University  grounds  are  the  Van  Wickle  Memorial 
Gates,  designed  by  Hoppin  and  Koen,  of  New  York,  and  Hoppin  and  Ely, 
of  Providence.  Erected  in  1901,  their  over-all  length,  including  the  walls, 
is  80  feet.  The  large  central  portal  is  flanked  by  two  smaller  portals. 
Each  has  a  canopy  and  gate  of  wrought  iron.  The  center  portal  is  used 
only  on  Commencement  morning  when  the  graduating  class  makes  its 
exit,  and  on  special  ceremonial  occasions. 

42A.  Directly  inside  the  Van  Wickle  Gates  is  the  Front  Campus,  which 
contains,  left  to  right,  the  following  buildings:  Came  Tower  is  a  tall  square 
structure  of  red  brick  with  vertical  .channeling,  surmounted  by  a  gold- 
domed  cupola.  The  black-faced  clock,  with  its  gold  hands  and  numerals, 
strikes  the  hours  and  is  a  convenient  time-piece  for  the  students  except  in 
early  fall  and  late  spring,  when  it  is  obscured  by  the  elms.  It  was  designed 
by  Guy  Lowell  and  erected  in  1904  as  a  memorial,  donated  by  her  husband, 
to  Carrie  Mathilde  Brown  Bajnotti,  daughter  of  '  the  late  Nicholas  Brown 
of  Providence.'  Hope  College,  1822,  the  second  building  of  the  University, 
now  is  used  as  a  dormitory.  Manning  Hall,  1835,  which  once  housed  the 
library  on  the  first  floor  (see  No.  41)  and  the  chapel  on  the  second,  was 
designed  by  Major  James  C.  Bucklin,  a  prominent  early  nineteenth- 
century  Rhode  Island  architect,  as  a  simplified  version  of  a  prostyle 
Doric  temple.  It  is  an  excellent  example  of  the  Greek  revival  in  American 
architecture.  Today  the  building  is  used  as  a  lecture  hall.  The  lower  floor 
contains  many  statues  and  models  belonging  to  a  former  Classical  Mu- 
seum. University  Hall,  the  original '  college  edifice '  until  given  its  present 
name  in  1823,  was  built  in  1770  from  a  design  supervised  by  Joseph 
Brown  and  suggested  by  that  of  Nassau  Hall  at  Princeton  University. 
It  is  a  long  four-story  structure  with  a  central  pedimented  pavilion,  a 
low  hipped  roof  surmounted  by  a  deck  and  a  cupola.  The  last  contains 
the  bell  by  which  classes  are  summoned  and  dismissed.  The  building, 


Providence  275 


long  used  as  a  dormitory,  now  houses  many  administrative  and  faculty 
offices  and  the  Departments  of  English,  History,  and  Greek  and  Latin 
Classics.  Slater  Hall,  1879,  *s  a  four-story  red-brick  dormitory.  Rhode 
Island  Hall  was  built  in  1840  for  the  Departments  of  Geology  and  Philos- 
ophy, which  it  still  contains.  Classes  in  Mineralogy,  the  first  in  the  coun- 
try, had  been  begun  at  Brown  University  in  1837,  and  the  new  building 
housed  a  rare  collection  of  minerals  for  its  time. 

L.  from  Van  Wickle  Gates,  across  campus  past  Manning  Hall  and  Hope 
College,  through  gate  to  Waterman  St. 

At  the  NE.  cor.  of  Waterman  and  Prospect  Streets  is  a  Venetian  Gothic 
structure  built  in  1878  as  the  college  library.  It  now  contains  the  library 
and  headquarters  of  the  Department  of  Economics. 

43.  The  Rhode  Island  Historical  Society  (open  weekdays  9-4,  Sun.  3-5, 
Tues.  eve.  7-9;  during  Aug.,  weekdays  only  9-1),  68  Waterman  St.,  was 
founded  in  1822.  Its  building  opposite  the  Brown  campus  was  erected  in 
1844,  with  an  addition  built  in  1890.   It  contains  over  100,000  volumes 
dealing  with  Rhode  Island  history,  genealogy,  and  kindred  matters. 
There  are  also  more  than  200,000  leaflets,  manuscripts,  early  newspaper 
clippings  and  pamphlets. 

The  society  maintains  in  the  same  building  a  museum  of  memorabilia 
pertaining  to  Rhode  Island's  past.  There  is  an  exhibit  of  Indian  stone 
implements  and  weapons,  a  primitive  basket,  a  large  log  canoe,  and  bones 
from  Indian  graves.  Among  the  many  Colonial  and  early  Federal  relics 
are  a  drum  carried  at  Bunker  Hill,  a  pair  of  rubbers  belonging  to  the 
Marquis  de  Lafayette,  the  famous  apple  tree  root  which  is  said  to  have 
consumed  the  phosphates  from  the  bones  of  Roger  Williams,  and  Oliver 
Hazard  Perry's  brave  flag  with  its  exhortation:  'Don't  give  up  the  ship.' 

44.  The  Edward  Dexter  House  (private),  72  Waterman  St.,  was  erected  in 
1799,  probably  by  Edward  Dexter,  on  the  approximate  site  of  Brown 
University's  present  Rhode  Island  Hall.  It  is  a  house  gay  with  structural 
decoration.    Rising  two  and  a  half  stories  from  its  elevated  site,  it  is 
rectangular  in  plan  with  a  hip  roof  surrounded  by  a  parapet  and  sur- 
mounted by  a  deck.  The  parapet  is  balustraded  over  the  windows.  Posts 
with  urn  finials  stand  between  each  alternation  of  balustrade  and  panel; 
their  frequent  recurrence  is  extravagant  in  effect.  The  balustraded  porch 
has  a  Greek  entablature,  with  well-defined  metopes  and  triglyphs,  and  is 
supported  by  slender  Roman  Doric  columns.   Above  the  porch  is  a  Pal- 
ladian  window.  The  roof  line  is  broken  by  a  pediment  surmounting  a  cen- 
tral portion  flanked  by  colossal  fluted  Tuscan  pilasters.  Under  the  modil- 
lions  of  the  cornice  and  pediment,  is  a  simple,  delicately  wrought  fret 
course.   The  entire  facade  is  painted  white.   At  some  time  in  its  history 
the  house  was  sawed  in  halves  and  moved,  a  half  at  a  time,  to  its  present 
site.  The  saw  mark  is  still  visible  in  the  entablature  of  the  porch. 

45.  Faunce  House  (R),  whose  archway  is  opposite  the  end  of  Brown  St., 
extends  across  the  north  end  of  the  Brown  University  Middle  Campus 
and  has  entrances  on  both  the  campus  and  Waterman  St.  The  old  portion 


276  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

of  the  building,  to  the  right  of  the  archway,  was  erected  in  1904  and  called 
Rockefeller  Hall.  The  name  was  changed  in  1931,  when  the  archway  and 
addition  were  built,  to  Faunce  House,  in  memory  of  former  President 
William  H.  P.  Faunce.  The  building  contains  a  completely  equipped 
theater,  dining-rooms,  recreation  rooms,  a  store,  an  art  gallery,  an  exhibi- 
tion room,  and  offices  for  student  activities. 
R.  from  Waterman  St.  through  Faunce  House  Archway. 
426,  420.  Middle  and  Back  Campuses  of  Brown  University.  The  first 
building  (L)  on  the  walk  through  the  Middle  Campus  is  Rogers  Hall, 
erected  in  1872.  It  has  always  contained  classrooms  and  laboratories,  and 
at  present  it  also  houses  the  Department  of  Political  Science.  The  rear 
part  of  the  building,  known  as  the  Newport-Rogers  Laboratory,  is  occu- 
pied by  the  Graduate  School  of  Chemistry.  The  next  building  is  Sayles 
Hall,  the  college  chapel,  in  which  is  a  portrait  gallery  (open  weekdays 
9.30-5,  or  on  application  to  caretaker,  free)  of  former  presidents,  professors, 
and  others  important  in  the  history  of  Brown  University.  The  building 
also  contains  classrooms  and  the  headquarters,  including  library,  of  the 
Department  of  Biblical  Literature.  Wilson  Hall,  erected  in  1891,  is  de- 
voted to  mathematics,  containing  classrooms,  departmental  headquarters, 
and  library. 

The  last  building  on  the  Middle  Campus  is  the  John  Carter  Brown  Library 
(open  weekdays  9-5,  Sat.  9-1),  a  one-story  stone  building  of  Greek  Neo- 
Classic  design,  with  many  antefixes  along  the  eaves;  it  was  designed  by 
Shepley,  Rutan  and  Coolidge  and  completed  in  1904.  It  contains  the 
world's  most  famous  collection  of  Americana  and  is  visited  yearly  by 
hundreds  of  scholars  in  search  of  old  maps,  books  on  Spanish  America,  on 
the  Indians,  and  on  Colonial  history  in  general.  The  main  reading  room 
is  constructed  and  furnished  as  a  'gentleman's  library,'  and  its  fireplace, 
glass-windowed  bookcases,  high  ceiling,  and  carpeted  floors  provide  a 
tranquil,  studious  atmosphere.  The  collection  was  begun  by  John  Carter 
Brown  (1797-1874),  the  youngest  son  of  Nicholas  Brown  and  a  grandson 
of  John  Carter,  the  second  printer  in  Providence  (see  Literature).  Very 
early  in  his  career  as  a  collector,  Brown  began  to  concentrate  on  what  may 
be  described  generally  as  printed  books  dealing  with  the  Western  Hemi- 
sphere from  its  discovery  to  the  year  1801.  His  collection  was  already  far- 
famed  in  1865  when  the  first  printed  catalogue  was  compiled  by  John  R. 
Bartlett.  At  Brown's  death  the  collection,  then  numbering  about  7500 
volumes,  came  into  possession  of  his  son,  John  Nicholas  Brown  (1861- 
1900),  by  whose  will  in  turn  the  books  were  transferred,  in  1904,  to  the 
University,  with  a  $500,000  endowment  for  its  upkeep.  The  librarian, 
Dr.  Lawrence  C.  Wroth,  is  one  of  the  country's  leading  authorities  and 
writers  on  American  Colonial  history. 

The  Back  Campus  can  be  reached  on  the  walk  between  Sayles  and  Wilson 
Halls.  The  first  building  (R)  is  Maxcy  Hall,  erected  in  1895,  which  now 
serves  as  a  dormitory  for  the  Graduate  School.  Its  first  floor  and  basement 
accommodate  the  Department  of  Botany.  The  Georgian  building  directly 
behind  Maxcy  Hall  is  Littlefield  Hall,  a  dormitory  completed  in  1926. 


Providence  277 


From  the  top  of  the  steps,  east  of  Maxcy  Hall,  can  be  seen  the  following 
buildings  (L  to  R):  Lyman  Gymnasium  (with  turret),  once  used  for  all 
indoor  athletic  and  physical  training  purposes  from  its  completion  in  1891 
until  1927,  when  it  was  superseded  by  the  new  building  at  Aldrich  Field, 
Elmgrove  Avenue;  Colgate  Hoyt  Pool,  the  skylighted  annex  to  the  gym- 
nasium, built  in  1904;  Arnold  Biological  Laboratory^,  a  four-story  building 
devoted  to  the  Department  of  Biology,  completed  in  1914;  M etcalf  Chem- 
istry Laboratory,  dedicated  in  1923,  containing  a  library,  auditorium,  and 
laboratories;  Memorial  Arch,  erected  in  memory  of  Brown  men  who  lost 
their  lives  in  the  World  War;  Caswell  Hall,  a  dormitory,  built  in  1904; 
Engineering  Building,  erected  1903,  housing  the  Department  of  Engineer- 
ing, classrooms,  laboratories,  and  the  Corthell  Engineering  Library;  the 
department  has  two  overflow  buildings  outside  the  campus.  The  small 
building  between  Caswell  Hall  and  the  Engineering  Building  is  Hegeman 
Cottage,  an  annex  to  Hegeman  Hall,  a  dormitory  built  in  1926. 

Retrace  to  Middle  Campus;  L.  through  John  Nicholas  Brown  Gate  to  George 
St. 


TOUR  3  —  1  m. 


S.  from  George  St.  on  Brown  St. 

This  tour  covers  the  part  of  the  East  Side  residential  section  in  which  are 
the  city's  finest  old  mansions. 

46.  Annmary  Brown  Memorial  (open  weekdays  except  Mon.  and  Sat. 
10-5;  free),  21  Brown  St.,  houses  a  fine  collection  of  early  specimens  of 
printing  and  illustration,  which  has  been  described  by  A.  W.  Pollard  of 
the  British  Museum  as  'the  history  of  the  first  fifty  years  of  printing.' 
The  memorial  was  erected  in  1907  by  General  Rush  Hawkins  in  memory 
of  his  wife,  Annmary  Brown,  and  a  crypt  within  the  building  contains 
their  tombs.   Designed  by  Norman  M.  Isham  in  simple  classical  style, 
the  facade  of  this  rectangular  granite  structure  has  only  a  simple  cornice 
over  the  doorway.    Two  wrought  bronze  doors  symbolizing  Art  and 
Learning  are  at  the  entrance.   In  addition  to  the  library,  the  memorial 
contains  a  collection  of  portraits,  paintings,  family  heirlooms,  and  Civil 
War  relics. 

47.  The  Faculty  Club  (not  open),  13  Brown  St.,  once  a  private  residence, 
is  the  social  headquarters  for  the  faculty  of  Brown  University.   On  the 
first  floor  are  dining,  recreation,  and  lounging  rooms;  on  the  second  and 
third  are  rooms  and  apartments  for  unmarried  faculty  members. 

L.  from  Brown  St.  on  Power  St. 

48.  Thomas  Poynton  Ives  House  (private),  66  Power  St.,  was  built  in  1811 
for  Thomas  Poynton  Ives,  an  original  member  of  the  firm  of  Brown  and 
Ives.  It  is  one  of  the  largest  and  most  handsome  of  Providence  mansions 
of  the  Georgian  Colonial  style.  Its  plans  originated  in  England,  probably 


278  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

in  one  of  the  architectural  books  widely  circulated  in  America  during  the 
late  1 8th  century  (see  Architecture}.  Its  brick,  an  unusual  shade  of  red, 
was  also  imported  from  England.  The  mass  of  the  house,  set  off  to  advan- 
tage by  its  location  on  an  open  corner,  is  impressive,  and  the  workmanship, 
noticeable  especially  in  the  beautiful  elliptical-arched  window  over  the 
doorway  and  the  parapet  rail  on  the  roof,  is  flawless.  The  semicircular 
portico  was  designed  by  Stone,  Carpenter  and  Willson,  and  added  to 
the  house  in  the  i88o's. 

R.  from  Power  St.  on  Thayer  St. 

The  area  at  the  northwest  corner  of  Power  and  Thayer  Streets  is  the 
Thayer  Street  Field,  owned  by  Brown  University  and  used  for  football  and 
baseball.  Diagonally  across  the  corner  from  the  field  are  the  Brown  Uni- 
versity Tennis  Courts  (open  to  the  public  in  summer  at  a  nominal  hourly 
fee}. 

R.  from  Thayer  St.  on  Williams  St. 

49.  The  Edward  Carrington  House  (open  weekdays  except  Mon.   1-5. 
Free  to  faculty  and  students  of  Rhode  Island  School  of  Design;  adm.  50f£, 
children,  25£),  66  Williams  St.,  is  a  three-story,  gray-brown  brick  man- 
sion, of  Early  Republican  design,  built  in  1813  by  John  Corlis  and  shortly 
thereafter  purchased  by  Edward  Carrington,  a  prominent  shipping  mer- 
chant of  the  period.   Architectural  records  are  scarce,  but  it  is  believed 
that  the  third  story  was  a  later  addition.  The  two-story  porch,  with  its 
superimposed  orders  and  elaborate  jigsaw  work,  is  obviously  of  later 
date.   Having  a  facade  similar  to  many  of  the  other  Colonial  mansions, 
it  is  notable  for  its  stone  corner  quoins  and  the  rustications  around  the 
window  openings  and  around  the  elliptical  fan-lights  over  the  doorway 
and  central  second-story  window.  The  house  remained  in  the  Carrington 
family  until  June,  1936,  when  it  was  given  to  the  Rhode  Island  School  of 
Design  as  a  memorial  to  the  Carrington  family  and  as  a  '  lasting  illustra- 
tion to  future  generations  of  a  Providence  homestead  of  the  beginning 
of  the  1 9th  century.'  The  house  contains,  in  addition  to  many  fine  Colo- 
nial  furnishings,  some  rare  examples  of  Chinese  handiwork  collected  by 
the  elder  Carrington,  whose  trade  was  largely  with  the  Orient. 

R.from  Williams  St.  on  Benefit  St. 

50.  The  John  Carter  Brown  House  (Nightingale-Brown  House)  (private), 
357  Benefit  St.,  is  one  of  the  largest  frame  Colonial  houses  in  existence. 
It  was  built  in  1792  by  Colonel  Joseph  Nightingale  and  purchased  by 
Nicholas  Brown  in  1814.   Its  design,  of  English  influence,  is  attributed 
to  Caleb  Ormsbee.  The  house  is  square  in  plan,  having  a  low  hipped  roof 
with  balustrade,  surmounted  by  a  deck.   The  pediment  of  the  central 
pavilion  interrupts  the  roof  line  and  is  repeated  by  a  higher  pediment 
rising  to  the  deckrail.  The  tympanum  of  each  pediment  is  of  glass  with 
splay  ribs,  an  unusual  treatment.  The  structural  decoration  of  the  house 
is  lavish,  with  large  quoins  at  the  angles  of  walls  and  pavilion,  a  dentil 
course  and  modillions  beneath  the  cornice.  A  beautiful  Palladian  window 
is  set  above  the  entrance.  In  this  house  John  Carter  Brown  gathered  the 


Providence  279 


famous  collection  of  Americana  now  housed  in  the  John  Carter  Brown 
Library  on  the  Brown  University  campus. 
R.  from  Benefit  St.  on  Power  St. 

51.  The  John  Brown  House  (private),  52  Power  St.,  was  described  by 
John  Quincy  Adams  in  1789  as  the  most  magnificent  and  elegant  mansion 
he  had  seen  in  this  country,  and  it  remains  today  as  one  of  the  finest 
examples  of  late  Georgian  Colonial  architecture.    Designed  by  Joseph 
Brown  for  his  brother  John,  the  house  was  begun  in  1786  and  was  more 
than  two  years  in  construction.  Almost  square  in  plan,  this  three-story 
edifice,  with  its  central  pavilion  and  pediment,  is  built  of  red  brick  and 
has  an  exquisite  balustraded  parapet  above  the  cornice.  Its  trim  is  white 
wood  and  sandstone,  the  stone  being  used  for  lintels  over  the  windows  and 
columns  of  the  porch.   There  is  a  marked  contrast  between  the  red  col- 
umns of  the  porch  and  its  white  classical  entablature  and  balustrade. 
Above  the  doorway  is  a  Palladian  window  with  elaborately  leaded  side- 
lights. The  doorway  itself  is  of  exquisite  design,  bordered  by  panels  and 
side-lights  and  surmounted  by  an  elliptical  fan-light;  a  delicately  carved 
transom  rail,  in  the  form  of  a  modillioned  cornice,  extends  between  the 
fan-light  and  the  door.  The  interior  is  extraordinarily  rich  in  decoration. 
'The  stairs,'  according  to  Antoinette  Downing  in  her  authoritative  'Early 
Homes  in  Rhode  Island,'  'with  twisted  balusters  and  ramped  rail,  take 
their  traditional  place  at  the  back  of  the  hall.  Their  decoration,  however, 
as  well  as  the  decoration  of  the  hallway  itself,  is  elaborate  and  formal  in 
a  manner  new  to  domestic  buildings  in  Rhode  Island.'  Varied  pediments 
surmount  the  interior  doorways. 

In  Colonial  days  the  house  was  the  scene  of  many  fashionable  balls,  and 
for  a  long  time  the  annual  commencement  dinners  of  Brown  University 
were  held  in  the  dining-salon.  In  the  year  of  the  Rhode  Island  Tercen- 
tenary (1936)  the  house  was  opened  to  the  public  for  inspection  of  its 
design  and  its  many  priceless  art  treasures.  By  gift  of  the  present  owner, 
the  mansion  will  eventually  become  the  property  of  the  Rhode  Island 
School  of  Design. 

Retrace  on  Power  St.;  R.  on  Benefit  St. 

52.  The  Burnside  House  (private),  314  Benefit  St.,  is  of  red  brick  with  a 
corner  turret  and  was  built  by  Nicholas  Brown  about  1850.   For  a  time 
it  was  the  home  of  General  Ambrose  E.  Burnside,  Colonel  of  the  First 
Rhode  Island  Regiment  during  the  Civil  War,  later  Major-General  in 
command  of  the  Ninth  Army  Corps,  and  for  a  time  head  of  the  Army  of 
the  Potomac.  After  the  war  he  was  Governor  of  Rhode  Island  and  later 
United  States  Senator  (see  BRISTOL). 

53.  The  Unitarian  Church  (not  open),  cor.  Benefit  and  Benevolent  Sts., 
originally  the  First  Congregational  Church,  though  old,  is  the  congrega- 
tion's third  edifice.  The  first  home  of  this  parish  was  erected  in  1723  at 
Benefit  and  College  Streets,  where  the  new  Courthouse  stands.  In  1795  a 
new  building  with  two  towers  was  erected  on  the  present  site,  destroyed 
by  fire  in  1814,  and  replaced  by  the  present  building  in  1816.   It  is  dis- 


280  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

tinguished  by  having  in  its  steeple  the  largest  bell  cast  in  the  foundry  of 
Paul  Revere  and  Son.  The  structure,  designed  by  John  Holden  Greene,  is 
a  fine  example  of  early  19th-century  ecclesiastical  architecture.  Rec- 
tangular in  plan,  with  a  projecting  tower  and  portico  on  the  west  end,  a 
well-proportioned  steeple  and  a  great  arched  window  over  the  entrance, 
the  building  has  incorporated  the  refinements  of  the  Early  Republican 
period.  It  is  very  well  proportioned  and  somewhat  urbane  in  its  assimi- 
lation of  classical  motifs.  The  pediment  over  the  three  doors,  enframing 
the  arch  of  the  central  window,  is  a  bold  and  unusual  departure,  yet  so 
well  executed  that  it  attracts  little  notice.  The  interior  has  a  domed  ceil- 
ing similar  to  that  of  St.  John's  Church. 

54.  The  Colonel  Shepley  Library  (private),  292  Benefit  St.,  a  one-story 
stucco  and  limestone  structure,  was  erected  in  1921  by  the  late  Colonel 
Shepley  to  house  his  private  library  containing  over  30,000  Rhode  Island 
historical  items.    It  is  kept  intact  by  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Ernest  T.  H. 
Metcalf,  and  is  opened  only  to  research  students  upon  request. 

R.  from  Benefit  St.  on  Benevolent  St. 

55.  The  Crawford  Allen  House  (private),  12  Benevolent  St.,  was  designed 
in  1820  by  John  Holden  Greene  and  is  one  of  his  finest  brick  houses. 
Larger  in  scale  than  many  of  his  others,  it  is  distinguished  by  its  excellent 
proportion  of  window  to  wall  space.  The  house  has  a  low  hip  roof  with 
balustraded  parapet,  and  a  typical  central  window  and  doorway  with 
elliptical  fan-light  and  side-lights. 

L.  from  Benevolent  St.  on  Megee  St.,  L.  on  George  St.  across  Benefit  St.  to 
Hopkins  St. 

56.  The  Stephen  Hopkins  House,  corner  of  Benefit  and  Hopkins  Sts. 
(open  Tues.,  Thur.  2-5,/ree),  was  completed  in  1755  and  is  a  good  example 
of  a  moderate-sized  Colonial  dwelling.   The  doorway  is  asymmetrically 
disposed  because  of  the  four-bay  treatment  of  the  facade.   It  is  framed 
by  pilasters  and  a  pediment,  and  has  a  typical  mid-century  rectangular 
transom.  Originally  the  house  stood  on  the  northeast  corner  of  Hopkins 
and  S.  Main  Streets,  but  in  1804  it  was  moved  halfway  up  Hopkins  Street. 
In  1927,  to  make  way  for  the  new  Court  House,  it  was  taken  over  by  the 
State,  moved  to  its  present  location,  and  restored  by  Norman  M.  Isham. 
It  was  built  as  the  home  of  Stephen  Hopkins,  10  times  Governor  of  the 
State,  member  of  the  Colonial  Congress,  Chief  Justice  of  the  Superior 
Court,  and  first  Chancellor  of  Brown  University.    General  Washington 
was  a  guest  here  in  1776  and  again  in  1781.    One  of  the  many  well- 
preserved  relics  is  the  bed  in  which  Washington  slept.  The  house  is  kept 
in  repair  by  the  Rhode  Island  Branch  of  the  National  Society  of  Colonial 
Dames. 


Providence  281 


TOUR  4  —  1.5  m. 

This  tour,  beginning  with  a  circuit  of  Exchange  Place,  the  civic  center  of 
modern  Providence,  covers  the  downtown  business  and  shopping  district. 
E.  from  Dorrance  St.  on  Exchange  Place. 

This  site,  in  addition  to  the  railroad  station  and  yards  and  a  further  area 
to  the  north  and  west,  was  once  covered  by  water  and  known  as  the 
'Cove.'  In  the  iS/jo's  much  of  the  southern  portion  was  filled  in  and  the 
'Cove  Basin'  was  formed,  which  became  a  favorite  fishing  and  sailing 
spot  for  the  townspeople.  Additional  filling  in  as  the  demand  for  land 
increased  finally  eliminated  the  cove  basin  by  the  end  of  the  igth  century. 

57.  In  the  middle  of  Exchange  Place  is  The  Mall,  distinguished  for  its 
well-kept  lawns  and  shrubbery.    It  contains  the  Soldiers'  and  Sailors' 
Monument,  a  Civil  War  memorial  designed  by  Randolph  Rogers,  cast 
in  Munich,  and  dedicated  in  1871;  and  at  the  eastern  end  a  Spanish  War 
Memorial  called  'The  Hiker,'  designed  by  T.  A.  R.  Kitson,  cast  by  the 
Gorham  Co.  of  Providence,  and  dedicated  in  1925. 

58.  The  New  Industrial  Trust  Building,  55  Exchange  Place  through  to 
in  Westminster  St.,  is  26  stories  high  and  dominates  the  Providence 
skyline,  standing  far  above  the  other  buildings.    It  attains  an  over-all 
height  of  416  feet  and  is  surmounted  by  a  lantern  visible  for  many  miles 
at  night.    Designed  by  Walker  and  Gillette  of  New  York,  and  George 
Frederic  Hall  of  Providence,  the  building  is  distinguished  for  the  manner 
in  which  the  architects  have  handled  the  rectangular  plan,  with  its  central 
tower  and  grouping  of  six  wings.   The  bas-reliefs,  by  Charles  H.  Hum- 
phries, on  the  belt-course  beneath  the  first  set-back,  with  their  representa- 
tions of  historic  events,  form  an  acknowledgment  of  the  past  which  lends 
to  the  building  a  New  England  kinship  (see  Architecture).  The  site  was 
once  a  farmers'  exchange,  and  in  1872  Cyrus  Butler  erected  here  the  once- 
famous  Butler  Exchange,  a  six-story  office  and  studio  building  with  four 
corner  towers  in  the  style  of  the  French  Renaissance.  It  was  demolished 
in  1926  to  make  way  for  the  present  building,  which  opened  for  business 
October  i,  1928. 

L.  across  E.  end  of  Exchange  Place. 

59.  The  Federal  Building,  at  east  end  of  Exchange  PL,  is  a  four-story 
building  of  Italian  Renaissance  style,  designed  by  Clarke  and  Howe  of 
Providence  and  dedicated  in  1908. 

60.  City  Hall  Park  lies  in  front  of  the  railway  station  and  extends  from 
Exchange  Terrace  to  Dorrance  St.,  being  divided  in  the  middle  by 
Francis  St.,  which  runs  beneath  the  station.  Like  the  Mall,  it  has  well- 
kept  lawns,  walks,  and  seasonal  flower  gardens.   In  the  eastern  section  is 
the  Burnside  Equestrian  Statue,  executed  by  Launt  Thompson  and  dedi- 
cated in  1887  to  General  Ambrose  E.  Burnside,  the  only  New  England 


PROVIDENCE  CIVIC  CENTER 


POINTS  OF  INTEREST 


1937 

1.  Providence     County       51. 


John  Brown  House 
Unitarian  Church 
Stephen  Hopkins  House 
The  Mall 
New    Industrial   Trust 

Building 

Federal  Building 
City  Hall 
Providence   Public    Li- 

Drary 

Beneficent      Congrega- 
tional Church 
Grace  Church 
The  Arcade 
Providence       National 

Bank  Building 
Memorial  Square 
Joseph  Brown  House 
Point  Street  Bridge 
State  House 
Moses  Brown  School 
Dexter  Asylum 
Cathedral  of  SS.  Peter 

and  Paul 


Court  House 

2.  Rhode  Island  School  of 

Design 

3.  Old  Market  House 

8.  First   Baptist  Meeting 
House 

16.  Friends  Meeting  House 

17.  Old  State  House 

38.  The    Providence    Ath- 

enaeum 

39.  The  Truman  Beckwith 

House 

41.  John  Hay  Library 

42.  Brown  University 

43.  Rhode  Island  Historical 

Society 

48.  Thomas  Poynton  Ives 

House 

49.  Edward    Carrington 

House 

50.  John      Carter      Brown 

(Nightingale-  Brown) 
House 


282  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

officer  of  the  first  rank  in  the  Civil  War  (see  Bristol}.  Also  in  the  E.  section 
of  the  park  is  the  Carrie  Brown  Memorial  Fountain,  designed  by  Enid 
Yandell  and  erected  in  1901.  At  night  it  is  illuminated  with  lights  of 
changing  colors.  It  was  the  gift  of  Paul  Bajnotti  of  Turin,  Italy,  in  mem- 
ory of  his  wife,  Carrie  Mathilde  Brown.  The  '  Struggle  of  Life '  is  depicted 
in  the  figures  around  the  fountain.  In  the  western  section  of  the  park, 
facing  the  Biltmore  Hotel,  is  the  Major  Henry  II.  Young  Monument,  also 
known  as  The  Scout.  The  monument  was  erected  in  1911  and  its  sculptor 
was  Henri  Schonhardt.  Major  Young  was  Chief  of  Scouts  under  Major- 
General, Sheridan  in  the  Civil  War. 

61.  The  City  Hall  faces  the  west  end  of  Exchange  Place.   Designed  by 
Samuel  J.  F.  Thayer  and  dedicated  in  1878,  the  building  has  a  central 
portion  and  tower  similar  to  that  of  the  Pavilion  d'Horloge  of  the  Palais 
du  Louvre. 

Straight  ahead  from  Exchange  Place  on  Washington  St. 

The  street  forming  the  northern  boundary  of  Exchange  Place  becomes 
Washington  St.  at  Dorrance  St. 

62.  The  Providence  Public  Library  (open  weekdays  9-9,  Sun.  2-9),  NW. 
cor.  of  Washington  and  Empire  Sts.,  was  designed  by  Stone,  Carpenter 
and  Willson  and  completed  in  1900.    The  library,  with  its  affiliated 
branches,  owns  and  circulates  about  450,000  volumes,  including  several 
notable  collections  pertaining  to  the  Civil  War,  art,  music,  drama,  science 
and  industry,  architecture,  and  folklore.   The  building  is  of  brick,  lime- 
stone, and  granite,  designed  in  the  Italian  Renaissance  style.    Its  con- 
struction was  made  possible  chiefly  through  a  gift  of  the  late  John  Nicho- 
las Brown. 

L.  on  Empire  St.  to  Weybosset  St.;  L.  on  Weybosset  St. 

Weybosset  St.  follows  the  line  of  an  arc,  leaving  Westminster  St.  near  the 
river  and  joining  it  again  at  Cathedral  Square,  west  of  this  point. 

63.  The  Beneficent  Congregational  Church  (not  open},  300  Weybosset  St. 
In  1743  half  of  the  membership  of  the  First  Congregational  Church  '  with- 
drew and  set  up  a  separate  meeting.'    Under  the  leadership  of  Joseph 
Snow,  a  carpenter  who  later  came  to  be  known  as  'Father'  or  'Elder 
Snow,'  they  went  into  the  woods,  felled  trees,  and  in  1750  erected  a  small 
building  thenceforth  known  as  'Mr.  Snow's  Mee ting-House.'   The  con- 
gregation grew,  necessitating  several  additions,  until  in  1808-09  it  was 
replaced  by  the  present  two-story  brick  building.   A  large  gilded  dome, 
one  of  the  conspicuous  features  of  the  Providence  skyline,  was  added 
when  the  church  was  remodeled  in  1836.    The  influence  of  the  Greek 
Revival  is  notable  here  in  the  Doric  portico,  the  Ionic  columns  in  the 
interior,  and  the  lantern  surmounting  the  dome  which  is  copied  after  the 
ancient  choragic  monument  to  Lysicrates,  in  Athens,  considered  one  of 
the  finest  remaining  examples  of  Corinthian  architecture.   The  church 
is  known  locally  as  'Old  Round  Top.' 

64.  Abbott  Park  Place,  280  Weybosset  St.,  adjoins  the  Beneficent  Congre- 
gational Church.   Daniel  Abbott  in  1746  made  this  property  available 


Providence  283 


'  for  public  use,  passing  and  repassing,  training  and  the  like,  always  to  be 
kept  free  from  any  buildings  forever,  or  any  other  encumbrance,  to  the 
prejudice  of  the  public  forever.'  Prior  to  that  time  it  had  been  the  front 
yard  of  his  home  which  was  situated  where  the  Plantations  Club  now 
stands.  The  estate  was  known  as  'Daniel  Abbott's  Paradise.'  At  one 
time  it  was  called  the  'Old  Common,'  and  was  used  for  drill  once  a  year 
by  the  Sixth  Company  of  Militia.  The  fountain,  the  first  in  Providence 
for  public  use,  was  erected  in  1875. 

L.  from  Weybosset  St.  on  Mathewson  St. 

65.  Grace  Church  (Episcopal),  cor.  of  Mathewson  and  Westminster  Sts., 
a  brownstone  Victorian  Gothic  church  with  octagonal  spire,  was  designed 
by  the  famous  Richard  Upjohn  of  New  York  and  consecrated  in  1846. 
It  is  in  the  heart  of  the  city  on  the  site  of  Providence's  first  theater,  built 
here  in  1790.  The  chimes  in  the  tower  can  be  heard  throughout  the  center 
of  the  city. 

R.  from  Mathewson  St.  on  Westminster  St. 

The  center  of  the  shopping  district  lies  between  Mathewson  and  Dorrance 
Sts.  on  Washington,  Westminster,  and  Weybosset  Sts.  Many  of  the  old 
turn-of-the-century  buildings  have  one-story  modern  store  fronts.  Some 
of  these  architectural  anachronisms  are  astonishing.  On  the  south  facade 
of  the  French  Renaissance  building  at  the  corner  of  Westminster  and 
Eddy  Sts.,  the  lower  two- thirds  of  an  engaged  Corinthian  column  has 
been  removed  to  accommodate  a  store  window,  thus  giving  the  impression 
that  the  column  is  hanging  in  mid-air. 

66.  The  Site  of  Howard  Hall  is  occupied  by  the  Howard  Building,  at  the 
northeast  corner  of  Westminster  and  Dorrance  Sts.  The  old  hall  was  used 
for  concerts  and  lectures,  and  among  its  famous  visitors  were  Abraham 
Lincoln,  Jenny  Lind,  Thackeray,  Henry  Ward  Beecher,  George  William 
Curtis,  and  Artemus  Ward. 

67.  The  Arcade,  traversing  the  block  from  130  Westminster  St.  to  65 
Weybosset  St.,  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  remains  of  the  Greek 
Revival  period  in  America.    Ionic  columns  support  a  pediment  at  the 
Westminster  Street  entrance  and  an  attic  at  the  Weybosset  Street  end. 
It  was  designed  by  J.  C.  Bucklin  and  Russell  Warren,  and  built  in  1828, 
the  columns  having  been  cut  from  a  granite  quarry  in  Johnston  and 
hauled  here  on  specially  constructed  gear  by  15  yoke  of  oxen.   Each  of 
these  columns  weighs  13  tons,  and  with  the  exception  of  some  recently 
erected  in  the  Cathedral  of  St.  John  the  Divine  in  New  York  they  are 
the  largest  monolithic  columns  in  America.  One  was  broken  in  the  haul- 
ing.  Its  base  marks  Roger  Williams'  Grave,  and  the  remainder  is  on  the 
Field  lot  in  the  North  Burial  Ground.  The  erection  of  this  building  fore- 
shadowed the  removal  of  the  Providence  business  district  from  Cheapside 
to  its  present  location.   In  1828  new  and  attractive  merchandise  offered 
in  this  three-floor  bank  of  shops  was  the  delight  of  the  fashionable  folk 
of  the  town. 

68.  The  Providence  National  Bank  Building,  100  Westminster  St.,  was 


284  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

erected  in  1929  when  the  bank  moved  from  its  old  quarters  in  the  Joseph 
Brown  House  (see  No.  73)  at  50  S.  Main  St.  Designed  by  Wallis  E. 
Howe  of  Providence,  the  building  is  a  free  adaptation  of  the  Early  Re- 
publican style  and  its  interior,  with  murals,  open  counters,  and  rich 
woodwork,  is  reminiscent  of  Colonial  days  (see  Architecture). 

69.  The  Turk's  Head  Building,  junction  of  Westminster  and  Weybosset 
Sts.,  stands  on  the  site  of  an  early  Providence  shop  that  displayed  the 
sign  of  a  Turk's  head,  formerly  a  figurehead  on  the  ship  'Sultan,'  that 
has  been  replaced  several  times,  once  during  the  Great  Gale  of  1815.   A 
duplicate  is  to  be  seen  in  the  museum  of  the  Rhode  Island  Historical 
Society.   The  present  V-shaped  building  displays  a  granite  Turk's  head 
on  the  belt  course  between  the  third  and  fourth  floors. 

70.  The  Rhode  Island  Hospital  National  Bank  Building,  cor.  Westminster 
St.  and  Washington  Row,  was  erected  in  1917.   On  the  same  site  once 
stood  the  Washington  Insurance  Building  which  was  wrecked  by  the  ship 
'  Ganges'  in  the  Great  Gale  of  1815.    On  the  corner  of  the  building  is  a 
marker  indicating  the  height  of  the  water  on  the  occasion. 

71.  The  Bridge,  or  Weybosset  Bridge,  extends  from  the  railroad  yards  on 
the  north  to  Crawford  St.  on  the  south.   The  area  has  been  the  site  of 
many  bridges  since  the  construction  of  the  original  Weybosset  Bridge  in 
1660.   The  Crawford  St.  end  of  the  bridge  is  equipped  with  gates  and 
sloping  curbs  for  the  huge  trucks  that  dump  the  city  snow  here  during 
the  winter. 

L.  from  Westminster  St.  on  Washington  Row. 

72.  Memorial  Square  contains  the  World  War  Memorial,  an  impressive 
shaft  designed  by  Paul  Cret  of  Philadelphia.  The  polygonal  base,  fluted 
shaft,  and  surmounting  figure  are  of  Rockport  granite  and  reach  an  over- 
all height  of  115  feet.  The  figure,  symbolizing  Peace,  is  simple  and  mas- 
sive in  execution.   The  devices  on  the  base  and  shaft  represent  various 
patriotic  State  and  national  emblems. 


TOUR  5  — 0.8m. 

This  tour  covers  S.  Main  St.,  a  region  more  interesting  historically  than 
visually  because  most  of  the  old  buildings  have  suffered  from  lack  of  care. 

The  address  of  the  first  point  of  interest,  50  S.  Main  St.,  follows  66-68 
and  72,  and  the  logical  number  should  be  76,  but  the  occupants  have  re- 
tained the  address  of  their  old  headquarters  on  the  site  of  the  southwest 
corner  of  the  Courthouse. 

73.  The  Joseph  Brown  House,  50  S.  Main  St.,  is  occupied  by  the  historic 
firm  of  Brown  and  Ives  and  its  affiliated  interests.  Built  in  1774,  it  was 
the  residence  of  Joseph  Brown,  one  of  the  four  famous  brothers  who 
figured  so  largely  in  the  late  18th-century  commercial  prosperity  of  Provi- 


Providence  285 


dence.  Brown,  a  merchant  whose  avocations  included  astronomy,  phi- 
losophy, and  architecture,  designed  this  comfortable  mansion  for  himself. 
Like  the  First  Baptist  Meeting-House,  which  Brown  also  designed,  this 
dwelling  is  remarkable  for  its  spaciousness.  Of  red  brick  with  sandstone 
base,  the  building  has  a  broad  facade  emphasized  by  a  skillful  placing 
of  windows.  It  is  three  stories  in  height,  with  a  parapet  broken  by  a 
graceful  double-curved  or  ogee  pediment;  and  has  a  'Captain's  walk'  on 
the  roof  ridge.  The  heavy  modillions  and  dentils  of  the  pediment  are  no- 
table for  their  excellent  workmanship.  The  doorway  is  recessed  a  few 
inches,  and  its  pediment,  supported  by  fluted  Ionic  pilasters  and  Ionic 
columns,  is  of  sandstone.  The  original  doorway  was  in  the  second  story; 
the  present  one  was  probably  inserted  shortly  after  1801,  when  the  house 
became  the  home  of  the  'Providence  Bank,'  the  second  oldest  in  the 
United  States,  which  for  the  ten  years  from  its  founding  in  1791  had 
occupied  two  upper-story  rooms  at  8  Hopkins  St.  The  Providence  Bank, 
later  consolidated  with  the  Merchants'  National  and  now  known  as  the 
Providence  National  Bank,  occupied  the  Joseph  Brown  House  until 
1929,  when  it  moved  to  its  new  building  at  100  Westminster  St. 

74.  The  Providence  Institution  for  Savings,  86  S.  Main  St.,  was  the  first 
savings  bank  in  Providence  and  one  of  the  oldest  in  the  country.   It  was 
originally  located  on  ihe  first  floor  of  the  Providence  Bank  building  at 
50  S.  Main  St.  In  1854  the  Institution  was  moved  to  its  own  building  on 
the  present  site,  a  building  which  came  to  be  known  as  the  'Old  Stone 
Bank.'   The  present  structure  with  its  gold-ribbed  dome  was  erected  in 
1898. 

It  occupies  the  approximate  Site  of  the  Field  Garrison  House,  named  after 
William  Field,  erected  as  a  fortification  on  advice  of  Roger  Williams,  and 
by  direction  of  the  Town  Council,  during  King  Philip's  War. 

75.  The  Cooke  House   (private),  112-14  S.  Main  St.,  with  its  monitor 
roof,  stone  lintels  over  the  windows,  and  elliptical-arched  window  over  the 
doorway,  is  another  good  example  of  John  Holden  Greene's  work.  The 
house,  once  facing  an  identical  structure  across  a  gangway  or  courtyard, 
was  built  about  1825.    It  was  occupied  from  1825-39  by  Benoni  Cooke, 
grandson  of  Governor  Nicholas  Cooke,  with  whose  name  the  house  has 
become  erroneously  associated. 

76.  Infantry  Hall,  128-60  S.  Main  St.  Designed  by  George  W.  Cady  and 
erected  in  1875  by  the  Providence  Light  Infantry  Association,  this  huge 
Victorian  Gothic  building  was  for  many  years  the  scene  of  concerts  by 
world-famous  instrumentalists  and  singers;  here  the  Boston  Symphony 
Orchestra  gave  its  regular  concerts,  the  Arion  Club  held  its  recitals,  and 
the  Players'  Club  presented  its  plays.  Today  it  is  used  principally  as  an 
arena  for  boxing  and  wrestling  events. 

77.  The  Site  of  the  Sabin  Tavern  is  at  the  NE.  corner  of  S.  Main  and 
Planet  Sts.    A  tavern  was  built  on  this  spot  about  1763,  probably  by 
Capt.  Woodbury  Morris.   Joseph  Sabin  occupied  it  from  1765  to  1773, 
during  which  time  it  was  used  as  a  place  of  meeting  when  the  burning  of 


286  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

the  'Gaspee'  was  planned.  The  meeting  is  commemorated  by  a  tablet 
on  a  new  building  which  occupies  the  site.  When  the  old  building  was 
torn  down  in  1891,  the  southeast  room,  in  which  the  'Gaspee'  meeting 
took  place,  was  joined  to  the  house  at  209  Williams  St.,  now  owned  by 
the  Gaspee  chapter  of  the  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution.  This 
old  tavern  was  the  Providence  depot  of  the  first  stagecoach  line  to  Boston. 

L.  from  S.  Main  St.  on  Planet  St. 

78.  The  Brown  House  (private),  17  Planet  St.,  was  a  tavern  at  Pawtuxet 
Neck  in  the  late  i8th  century.   It  was  attached  for  debt  by  John  Brown 
and  moved  across  the  river  on  scows.  In  the  process  half  of  it  fell  off  and 
was  lost.  The  old  tavern  bar  still  remains. 

Retrace  on  Planet  St.;  L.  on  S.  Main  St. 

79.  The  Talma  Theater,  cor.  of  S.  Main  and  Power  Sts.,  a  two-story  brick 
building  with  a  semicircular  portico,  was  erected  as  a  church  in  1833. 
During  the  Civil  War  it  served  as  a  morgue.  Thereafter,  for  many  years, 
it  was  a  theater  used  by  various  amateur  dramatic  organizations.    In 
1916  it  became  the  Providence  Boys'  Club. 

80.  The  De  Fersen  House  (private),  312  S.  Main  St.,  is  an  old  structure, 
unimportant   architecturally,   named   after  Axel  de   Fersen,   a  young 
Swedish  nobleman  attached  to  the  French  court,  and  Rochambeau's 
aide-de-camp,  who  was  billeted  here  during  the  stay  of  the  French  troops 
in  Providence.    De  Fersen,  a  lover  of  Marie  Antoinette,  had  come  to 
America  hoping  to  terminate  his  unpropitious  attachment;  he  later  drove 
the  carriage  in  which  Marie  Antoinette  and  the  royal  family  attempted 
escape  from  France,  June  10,  1791.  He  is  said  never  to  have  smiled  after 
her  execution. 

81.  The  Dolphin  House  (private),  403  S.  Main  St.,  is  a  two-story  frame 
structure  built  by  Joseph  Tillinghast,  a  sailing  captain,  about  1770.   The 
origin  of  its  name  is  uncertain,  but  the  house  is  thought  to  have  been  a 
tavern  frequented  by  sailors  in  the  time  of  the  China  trade  and  to  have 
derived  its  name  in  that  way.   At  one  time  it  was  the  home  of  Albert 
Collins  Greene,  nephew  of  General  Nathanael  Greene.   It  is  also  known 
as  the  James-or  Gladding  House. 

L.  from  S.  Main  St.  on  Transit  St. 

Transit  Street  received  its  name  from  the  transit  of  Venus,  which  was 
observed  in  1769  by  Joseph  Brown,  Jabez  Bowen,  and  Stephen  Hopkins 
through  an  instrument  set  up  about  100  feet  east  of  the  northeast  corner 
of  Benefit  and  Transit  Streets.  Planet  Street  also  received  its  name  from 
this  episode. 

In  this  region  there  are  several  narrow  streets  running  westward  from 
S.  Main  to  S.  Water  Streets.  These  lanes  have  been  given  such  names  as 
Doubloon,  Sovereign,  Bullion,  Guilder,  and  so  on.  Unfortunately  for  the 
romantic  associations  implied,  the  names  were  bestowed  in  the  i86o's 
by  an  imaginative  city  official. 

82.  The  Lightning  Splitter  House,  is  so  called  because  of  the  very  steep 


Providence  287 


pitch  of  the  gables,  not  unlike  the  steep  roofs  of  medieval  architecture. 
The  early  history  of  the  house  is  unrecorded. 

Retrace  on  Transit  St.;  L.  on  S.  Main  St. 

83.  From  the  Point  Street  Bridge  (R)  can  be  had  an  excellent  view  of 
the  harbor  and  downtown  Providence. 


OTHER  POINTS  OF  INTEREST 

Northern  Part  of  City 

84.  Providence  College,  Eaton  St.  and  River  Ave.,  the  youngest  of  Rhode 
Island's  schools  for  higher  education,  was  organized  in  1917  by  the  Right 
Reverend  Matthew  Harkins,  D.D.   Its  faculty  is  drawn  largely  from  the 
Order  of  Friar  Preachers  (Dominicans)  under  whose  auspices  the  college 
is  conducted.   Guzman  and  Harkins  Halls  are  the  two  college  buildings. 
Hendricken  Field,  with  a  seating  capacity  of  10,000,  has  recently  been 
established.  The  enrollment  is  about  700. 

85.  The  State  House,  bounded  by  Francis,  Gaspee,  and  Smith  Sts.,  was 
designed  by  McKim,  Mead  and  White  of  New  York.   It  overlooks  a  14- 
acre  lawn.   Ground  was  broken  for  the  building  in  1895,  the  cornerstone 
was  laid  13  months  later,  and  the  building  was  officially  occupied  by  the 
General  Assembly  on  January  i,   1901,  after  which  date  Providence 
became  the  State's  only  capital.  Of  white  Georgia  marble,  it  is  333  feet 
in  length,  180  feet  across  the  central  portion,  and  280  feet  in  height,  from 
the  terrace  level  to  the  top  of  the  statue  on  the  dome.  Its  style  is  that  of 
the  Early  Republican  period,  and  the  building  is  distinguished  for  its 
architectural  power  and  simplicity  (see  Architecture). 

86.  The  Brigham  Young  House  (private),  1240  Smith  St.,  a  small  brown 
cottage  that  has  become  a  shrine  to  people  of  Mormon  faith,  was  the 
birthplace  of  Mary  Ann  Angell  in  1804.   She  married  Brigham  Young  in 
1834,  having  met  him  in  the  Mormon  colony  at  Kirtland,  Ohio.  She  was 
his  second  wife,  the  first,  Miriam  Works,  having  died  in  1832.  When  the 
practice  of  polygamy  was  incorporated  in  the  Mormon  religion  about 
1842,  Mary  Ann  Young  apparently  acquiesced  but  was  given  a  separate 
house  for  herself.  Because  of  her  piety  she  gained  great  respect  from  her 
husband's  followers  and  came  to  be  known  as  'Mother  Young.'    It  is 
likely  that  the  house  on  Smith  Street  was  used  by  Brigham  Young  during 
some  of  his  later  visits  to  Rhode  Island. 


Southern  Part  of  City,  on  East  Side  of  Providence  River 

87.  The  Site  of  Fox  Hill  Fort  is  bounded  by  Fox  Point  Blvd.,  Thompson, 
Brook,  and  Wickenden  Sts.  There  was  a  fort  here  during  the  Revolution, 
Esek  Hopkins  commanding  the  battery.  In  1775  there  were  six  18- 
pound  cannon  and  four  smaller  ones. 


288  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

88.  At  Tockwotton  Park,  bounded  by  Fox  Point  Blvd.,  Ives,  East,  and 
Wickenden  Sts.,  once  stood  the  famous  Tockwotton  Hall,  an  inn  patron- 
ized by  travelers  on  the  Boston  and  Providence  Railroad  after  its  estab- 
lishment in  1835.  The  rail  terminal  was  located  at  near-by  India  Point. 

89.  The  Washington  Bridge  crosses  the  Seekonk  River  from  Fox  Point 
Blvd.   The  present  structure,  erected  in  1930,  is  approximately  on  the 
site  of  the  ferry  landings  which  were  used  from  1739  to  1793.  In  the  latter 
year  the  first  bridge  was  erected  here  by  John  Brown. 

90.  Roger  Williams  Square,  bounded  by  Williams,  Gano,  Power,  and 
Roger  Sts.,  occupies  the  site  from  which  Roger  Williams  was  greeted  by 
friendly  Indians  in  1636.    Subsequent  filling  has  placed  the  shore  line 
beyond  where  it  was  at  that  time,  and  the  actual  '  What  Cheer  Rock '  is 
buried  beneath  the  park.  A  monument  in  the  park  records  the  landing  of 
WiHiams,  the  founding  of  the  city,  and  the  establishment  of  the  principle 
of  religious  liberty. 

Southern  Part  of  City,  on  West  Side  of  Providence  River 

91.  Field's  Point,  at  east  end  of  New  York  Ave.,  marks  the  mouth  of  the 
Providence  River.    This  land,  much  of  which  was  cut  away  when  the 
municipal  dock  was  built,  originally  belonged  to  William  Field.    The 
town  acquired  it  in  1825  and  built  a  'pest  house '  or  smallpox  hospital  on  it. 
During  the  late  igth  century  a  shore  resort  famous  for  its  clambakes  was 
located  on  the  point.  Today,  occupied  by  a  lumber  yard  and  the  munici- 
pal dock,  it  is  the  mooring  place  for  virtually  all  of  the  foreign  cargo  ships 
that  enter  Providence  Harbor. 

92.  Fort  Independence,  New  York  Ave.  and  Georgia  St.,  has  now  been 
converted  into  a  park.  In  1775  Robin  Hill  and  Sassafras  Point  were  forti- 
fied and  connected  by  earthworks.  In  1812  these  forts  were  strengthened 
and  a  third,  Fort  William  Henry,  was  added  at  the  southeastern  ex- 
tremity of  Field's  Point.    These  have  all  disappeared  except  that  on 
Robin  Hill,  now  called  Fort  Independence.    The  State  has  erected  a 
marker  at  the  top  of  the  hill,  and  the  Works  Progress  Administration  has 
restored  the  old  fort,  graded  the  land,  and  converted  it  into  a  park.    Its 
high  location,  once  used  for  spying  on  enemy  ships,  affords  a  fine  view  of 
Narragansett  Bay. 

93.  The  Gorham  Manufacturing  Company  (open  weekdays  9-4;  guides 
available),  Earl  St.  near  Reservoir  Ave.,  manufactures  more  sterling 
silverware  and  more  ecclesiastical  articles  than  any  other  plant  in  the 
world,  and  it  has  the  largest  foundry  for  the  casting  of  bronze  statues, 
memorial  tablets,  and  wrought  metal  doors.    Silver  plate  is  extensively 
manufactured.  Every  process  in  the  production  of  fine  metal  ware,  from 
the  artist's  design  to  the  finished  product,  is  carried  on.   It  is  especially 
interesting  to  watch  the  master  craftsmen  at  their  benches  as  they  work 
at  a  craft  which  antedates  recorded  history  and  has  numbered  among  its 
practitioners  such  outstanding  artists  as  Benvenuto  Cellini.   The  com- 
pany was  founded  in  1831  by  Jabez  Gorham,  an  apprentice  to  Nehemiah 


Providence  289 


Dodge,  the  first  fine  metal  artisan  in  Providence.  New  methods  such  as 
electrolytic  plating  have  revolutionized  the  technique  of  manufacture 
since  that  time,  but  the  spirit  of  master  craftsmanship  remains  the  same. 

Eastern  Part  of  City 

94.  Moses  Brown  School,  257  Hope  St.,  occupies  a  large  tract  of  land 
flanked  by  Hope  St.  and  Lloyd  Ave.   It  is  an  outgrowth  of  a  short-lived 
Quaker  school  in  session  at  Portsmouth  from  1784  to  1788.  Moses  Brown 
donated  the  present  site,  a  part  of  his  farm,  for  re -establishment  of  the 
school  in  1819.  The  campus  contains  a  large  main  building,  several  smaller 
ones,  and  complete  athletic  equipment.  Much  of  its  acreage  is  shaded  by 
beautiful  old  elms.   Activity  has  been  uninterrupted  since  1819,  and  it 
enjoys  high  standing  among  American  preparatory  schools  (see  Edu- 
cation} . 

95.  The  Dexter  Asylum,  bounded  by  Angell  and  Hope  Sts.,  was  left  by 
Ebenezer  Knight  Dexter  to  the  town  in  1824  to  be  used  as  a  poor  farm. 
Dexter's  will  stipulated  that  a  high  stone  wall  should  always  enclose  the 
ground,  and  the  story  is  that  the  height  was  supposed  to  be  nine  feet,  but 
the  objecting  neighbors  managed  to  effect  a  compromise  with  the  builders 
by  having  three  feet  of  the  wall  put  under  ground.  The  will  also  demanded 
that  the  superintendent  of  the  asylum  give  an  accounting  to  the  freemen 
of  Providence  once  a  year,  and  provided  a  sum  for  the  ringing  of  church 
bells  on  the  occasion.  This  ceremony  is  still  performed  every  year. 

96.  The  Ebenezer  Knight  Dexter  House  (Stimson-Diman  House,  Diman 
House)  (private),  300  Angell  St.,  is  a  frame  Georgian  Colonial  structure 
erected  about  1800  either  by  Knight  Dexter  or  by  his  son,  Ebenezer 
Knight  Dexter.   It  was  purchased  in  1811  by  Alexander  Jones  who  ar- 
ranged the  roof  with  balustrade  and  chairs  in  order  to  enjoy  the  fine  view 
of  the  bay  on  clear  days.    In  1837  John  J.  Stimson  added  the  eastern 
wing. 

97.  The  Governor  Elisha  Dyer  House  (private),  154  Power  St.,  is  one  of  the 
finer  examples  of  John  Holden  Greene's  frame  houses,  and  was  built  in 
1818  for  his  own  use.  It  was  later  occupied  by  Elisha  Dyer,  Governor  of 
Rhode  Island  from  1857  to  1859,  and  by  his  son,  Elisha,  who  was  Gover- 
nor from  1897  to  1900. 

98.  The  Old  Friends  Meeting-House  (not  open),  77-79  Hope  St.,  is  a 
severely  plain  structure  recalling  the  austerity  of  the  early  Quakers. 
Built  in  1723,  it  was  originally  located  on  Stampers  Hill  near  the  foot  of 
Olney  Street.    In  1784  it  was  moved  to  the  corner  of  North  Main  and 
Meeting  Sts.,  the  site  of  the  present  Friends  Mee ting-House.   When  the 
latter  structure  was  erected  in  1844-45,  the  °ld  building  was  moved  to 
the  location  it  now  occupies. 

99.  The  Gaspee  Room,  where  the  burning  of  H.M.S. '  Gaspee '  was  plotted, 
is  an  addition  to  the  house  at  209  Williams  St.   It  was  taken  from  the 
Sabin  Tavern  (see  No.  77),  and  moved  to  this  spot  in  1891. 


290  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

100.  The  Halsey  Mansion  (private),  140  Prospect  St.,  was  built  in  1801 
by  Thomas  Lloyd  Halsey,  'away  out  on  his  farm.'  He  was  a  famous  bon 
vivant  in  Colonial  days,  and  there  is  a  legend  that  he  kept  live  terrapins 
in  his  cellar.    For  many  years  during  which  the  mansion  was  empty, 
Negroes  in  the  vicinity  were  convinced  that  a  piano-playing  ghost  haunted 
the  property.  They  would  not  enter  the  house  under  any  circumstances, 
and  at  night  always  gave  it  a  wide  berth.  It  is  also  said  that  a  blood-stain 
on  the  floor  has  defied  many  years  of  scrubbing. 

101.  St.  Joseph's  Church,  cor.  Hope  and  Arnold  Sts.,  a  granite  Victorian 
Gothic  edifice,  is  the  oldest  Catholic  church  in  Providence.  The  corner- 
stone was  laid  in  1850  and  the  completed  church  consecrated  in  1855. 
Some  additions  and  alterations  have  been  made  since  that  time.   The 
architect  was  P.  C.  Keeley  of  Brooklyn.    Its  high,  solidly  built  tower 
stands  out  boldly  against  the  sky  in  the  vicinity  of  Fox  Point.  The  chapel 
seats  about  1300  people,  and  is  lighted  by  16  attractive  stained-glass 
windows.  Bishop  O'Reilly  was  the  founder. 

102.  The  Tillinghast  Burial  Ground,  400  Benefit  St.,  is  named  for  Pardon 
Tillinghast,  who  came  to  Providence  in  1645,  built  the  city's  first  wharf 
in  1680,  became  a  Baptist  pastor  and  built  the  first  church  in  1700,  and 
established  this  as  his  private  burial  ground.    He  died  in  1717  and  is 
buried  here  with  members  of  his  family. 

Western  Part  of  City 

103.  The  Burrington  Anthony  House  (private),  138  Atwells  Ave.,  was 
owned  by  a  faithful  follower  of  Thomas  Dorr  to  whom  he  turned  over  the 
house  as  headquarters  during  the  Dorr  Rebellion.   Cannon  commanding 
the  city  below  were  placed  in  front  of  the  house  at  that  time.  It  is  a  two- 
story  frame  Georgian  Colonial  house  built  about  1780. 

104.  The  Cathedral  of  SS.  Peter  and  Paul  (Roman  Catholic),  Weybosset 
St.  at  western  junction  with  Westminster  St.,  was  dedicated  in  1889, 
replacing  a  former  structure  built  in  1878.    Built  of  brownstone,  the 
cathedral  is  cruciform  and  faces  north  and  south  with  two  high  square 
towers  at  the  north  entrance.  The  aisle  walls,  with  buttresses  and  spired 
corner  piers,  support  a  gable  roof.  There  is  no  clerestory  wall;  the  interior 
consists  of  a  nave  and  single  aisles,  but  the  clerestory  has  become  virtually 
dissolved  in  the  proportioning  demanded  by  the  gable  roof.  The  nave  is 
five  bays  in  length.   The  chancel  and  east  and  west  transepts  consist  of 
one  bay  apiece.  Many  collaborators  worked  on  the  edifice.  The  architect 
was  P.  C.  Keeley,  the  decorator,  Bodes;  the  excellent  stained-glass  win- 
dows were  executed  by  Pustato  of  Imsbruch,  the  cartoons  by  Kline,  the 
ceiling  paintings  by  Lamprecht,  the  piers  by  Theis  and  Trueg,  and  the 
statuary  by  Sibyl  and  Birk.  The  piers,  ribs,  and  arches  are  gilded. 

The  small  square  at  this  junction  is  known  as  Cathedral  Square.  In  the 
center  is  a  statue  to  Thomas  A.  Doyle  who,  with  the  exception  of  four 
years,  was  Mayor  of  Providence  from  1864  to  1886.  Doyle  Avenue,  on  the 
east  side  of  the  city,  was  named  for  him,  and  the  statue  was  dedicated  in 


Providence  291 


1889.  On  this  site,  in  the  i8th  century,  were  scales  where  farmers  weighed 
their  hay. 

105.  The  Dexter  Training  Ground,  bounded  by  Dexter,  Cranston,  Parade, 
and  Hollywood  Sts.,  covers  nine  acres  and  was  donated  to  the  town  by 
Ebenezer  Knight  Dexter  in  1824.   It  served  as  a  training  ground  during 
the  Dorr  Rebellion,  the  Civil  War,  and  the  Great  War.  At  the  north  end 
is  a  statue  of  the  donor,  erected  in  1893,  the  gift  of  the  late  Henry  C. 
Clark.    Just  to  the  south  of  the  training  grounds  is  the  State  Armory, 
built  in  1906. 

106.  Gasometer,  82  Crary  St.,  is  a  peculiar  round  structure  with  a  black 
dome  looking  like  an  old  derby  hat.  It  is  a  relic  of  the  gas-holders  or  gaso- 
meters used  by  the  Providence  Gas  Company  in  earlier  days. 

107.  Hayward  Park,  bounded  by  Friendship,  Plain,  and  Maple  Sts.  and 
Beacon  Ave.,  was  in  Colonial  times  divided  into  two  parts,  one  being  used 
as  the  Proprietors'  Burying  Ground  and  the  other  as  a  parade  and  training 
ground.   Near-by,  where  the  Point  Street  School  now  stands,-  were  Ro- 
chambeau's  headquarters  prior  to  the  Yorktown  campaign.   In  1786  the 
West  Burying  Ground  was  established  adjacent  to  that  of  the  Proprietors'. 
The  bodies  from  both  burying  grounds  were  removed  to  Swan  Point 
Cemetery  subsequent  to  its  establishment  in  1847,  and  by  1876  both 
were  vacated.    A  fountain  was  erected  as  a  gift  of  Mayor  William  S. 
Hayward  (1881-83),  in  whose  honor  the  park  was  named. 

108.  The  Site  of  the  Hoyle  Tavern  is  at  the  junction  of  Westminster  and 
Cranston  Sts.  On  this  spot,  now  occupied  by  the  Citizens'  Savings  Bank, 
a  tavern  was  built  in  1782.  It  was  a  favorite  stopping  place  for  travelers, 
and  it  was  here  that  a  group  of  prominent  citizens  met  Lafayette  when  he 
came  to  Providence  in  1824.  The  procession  of  the  Dorrites  began  here 
on  the  occasion  when  they  marched  through  the  town  in  the  hope  of 
taking  the  arsenal. 


ROGER  WILLIAMS  PARK 


Roger  Williams  Park  can  be  reached  from  Broad  St.,  at  approximately 
No.  1224,  opposite  Cass  St.,  or  from  Elmwood  Ave.  near  the  Providence- 
Cranston  city  line.  This  park  is  well  known  throughout  the  country  for 
its  flower  gardens  and  the  beauty  of  its  setting.  With  an  area  of  453 
acres,  140  of  which  are  occupied  by  lakes  and  lagoons,  the  park  is  an 
expanse  of  gently  rolling  hills  and  woodland.  The  flower  gardens,  aston- 
ishing in  their  color  and  variety,  are  taken  care  of  by  a  large  staff  of 
experts,  and  the  lawns  and  other  cultivated  grounds  are  well  tended.  In 
addition  to  the  floral  displays  there  is  an  English  Garden  and  a  Dutch 
Garden. 

Its  recreational  facilities  include  a  number  of  clay  tennis  courts  (10^  per 
hour  per  person),  horseshoe  courts,  and  skiffs  for  hire  (25^  per  hour,  $1 


292  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 


deposit  required}.  Launch  rides  (10£)  are  also  available.  A  merry-go- 
round,  a  toy  gasoline  automobile  track,  and  pony  rides  are  greatly  patron- 
ized by  the  children. 

Special  features  of  the  zoo  are  an  aviary,  a  deer  park,  and  a  monkey 
island. 

The  park  con  tains  'two  museums:  the  Betsey  Williams  Cottage  (open),  a 
frame  gambrel-roofed  Georgian  Colonial  house  built  in  1773  and  last 
occupied  by  Betsey  Williams,  a  descendant  of  Roger  Williams  and  donor 
of  the  original  park  property.  The  house  is  now  used  as  a  museum  for 
Colonial  furniture  and  items  of  Rhode  Island  historical  interest.  The 
Museum  of  Natural  History  (open  weekdays  9-5;  Sun.  2.30-5.30;  free),  is 
the  only  one  in  the  State.  Besides  the  usual  zoological  and  botanical 
exhibits,  it  contains  mineralogical  and  ethnological  material,  a  note- 
worthy collection  being  that  of  Indian  relics  from  many  tribes  in  North 
and  South  America,  as  well  as  from  the  Narragansetts  of  Rhode  Island. 

The  Benedict  Memorial  (Benedict  Monument  to  Music)  is  a  marble  Ionic 
colonnade  set  in  a  natural  amphitheater.  Dedicated  in  1924,  it  forms  the 
setting  for  the  Festival  of  Music  held  every  June  by  the  Providence 
Festival  Chorus,  the  Goldman  Band,  and  assisting  artists. 


WARWICK 


City:  Alt.  0-348;  pop.  23,196,  sett.  1643,  incorporated  1931. 

Bus  Lines:  Providence  to  Warwick  Neck  Station,  serving  Pawtuxet,  Gaspee 
Plateau,  Palace  Gardens,  Spring  Green,  Hoxsie,  Conimicut,  Shawomet,  River- 
view,  Old  Warwick,  Highland  Beach,  Bayside,  Warwick  Neck.  Full  fare  24ff. 
Providence  to  Oakland  Beach,  serving  Silver  Hook,  Dryden  Heights,  Lakewood, 
Spring  Green,  Hoxsie,  Conimicut,  Oakland  Beach.  Full  fare  32^f.  Providence  to 
East  Greenwich,  serving  Norwood,  Lincoln  Park,  Hillsgrove,  Greenwood, 
Apponaug,  Cowesett.  Full  fare  32ff.  Providence  to  Arctic,  serving  Natick  and 
Centerville.  Full  fare  30?f.  Oakland  Beach  to  Arctic.  Full  fare  20ff. 
Airport:  State-owned,  cor.  US  1  and  Occupassatuxet  Road,  Hillsgrove.  Located 
&l/2  m.  south  of  the  center  of  Providence.  American  Airlines,  Inc.,  transport 
and  commercial.  Waco  Distributors  Flying  Service,  transport  and  chartered. 
E.  W.  Wiggins  Airways,  Inc.,  transport  and  chartered. 

Railroads:  There  are  no  railway  stations  in  use.  The  N.Y.,  N.H.  &  H.  R.R. 
Company's  tracks  pass  through  the  center  of  the  city,  but  stops  are  confined  to 
freight  service.  The  nearest  passenger  stations  are  in  the  City  of  Providence  and 
the  town  of  East  Greenwich. 

Tourist  Accommodations:  Complete  hotel  service  is  lacking.  Numerous  tourist 
overnight  houses  are  located  on  all  main  highways,  and  south  of  Apponaug,  on 
US  1,  is  a  group  of  tourist  cabins. 


Warwick  293 


Streets:  Duplication  of  street  names  throughout  the  city  is  common,  but  is 
being  gradually  eliminated;  the  section  of  the  city  should  always  be  designated 
on  correspondence. 

Beaches:  Salt  Water:  Warwick  Downs,  Gaspee  Point,  Rocky  Point,  Oakland 
Beach,  Button  woods,  Nausauket,  Cedar  Tree  Point  and  Goddard  Memorial 
Park.  Fresh  Water:  Little  Pond,  Norwood;  Gorton  Pond,  Apponaug;  Little 
Pond,  Oakland  Beach;  Warwick  Pond,  Hoxsie;  Arnold  Pond,  Lakewood. 

WARWICK,  although  controlled  by  a  city  form  of  government,  is  com- 
posed of  many  scattered  villages.  The  term  'city'  usually  conveys  an 
impression  of  hurrying  crowds,  active  business  centers,  and  crowded  liv- 
ing conditions.  This  is  not  true  of  Warwick.  There  are  no  large  shopping 
or  business  districts,  and  the  widely  spaced  homes  throughout  the  city 
present  an  appearance  of  quiet  suburban  life.  Previous  to  1931,  Warwick 
was  directed  by  the  town  meeting  form  of  government.  It  was  felt, 
however,  that  the  town  council,  consisting  of  five  members  elected  at 
large,  was  not  representative  of  the  varied  political,  geographical,  and 
economic  interests  of  the  town.  With  the  steady  upward  trend  in  popula- 
tion, the  amount  of  administrative  matters,  too,  increased  to  an  extent 
where  it  could  not  be  handled  successfully  by  the  five-member  council, 
nor  could  important  questions  be  properly  discussed  in  a  town  meeting 
which  seven  thousand  voters  were  privileged  to  attend.  Warwick  was 
incorporated,  as  Rhode  Island's  seventh  city,  on  March  13,  1931,  and 
the  City  Charter  was  accepted  by  the  citizens  at  the  polls  April  21,  1931. 
A  mayor  and  nine-member  city  council  were  elected  November  8,  1932. 

The  city  of  Warwick  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Cranston,  on  the  south 
by  East  Greenwich  and  North  Kingstown,  on  the  east  by  Narragansett 
Bay,  and  on  the  west  by  West  Warwick.  Coventry  was  set  apart  as  an 
independent  township  in  1741,  while  West  Warwick  became  a  separate 
body  in  1913.  The  southernmost  section  of  Warwick,  or  Potowomut,  is 
isolated  from  the  rest  of  the  city  by  the  town  of  East  Greenwich  and  East 
Greenwich  Bay.  The  landscape  of  the  city  consists  mainly  of  rolling 
hilly  regions  and  of  several  valleys,  running  from  north  to  south.  The 
highest  point,  Rocky  Hill  in  Cowesett,  is  348  feet  above  sea  level.  The 
soil  is  suitable  for  the  cultivation  of  many  species  of  vegetables,  plants, 
grains,  and  fruit  trees.  Truck  gardens,  orchards,  and  dairies  are  profitable. 

The  proximity  to  Providence  accounts  for  most  of  the  yearly  increase  in 
Warwick's  population.  Construction  work  in  1936  was  largely  confined 
to  the  erection  of  homes  for  newly  arrived  inhabitants.  Between  1920 
and  1930,  Warwick  was  the  fastest  growing  town  in  New  England.  The 
population  increased  from  13,481  to  23,196  in  those  years.  The  present 
estimated  population  of  this,  the  youngest  city  in  the  State,  is  over 
27,000  with  a  greater  number  expected  by  1940. 

Native  Americans  predominate  among  Warwick  residents.  The  greater 
part  are  of  British  ancestry,  in  numerous  cases  dating  back  to  the  found- 
ing of  the  country.  Racial  segregation,  while  evident  in  places,  is  much 
less  prominent  than  in  former  years  due  to  the  city's  growth.  The  village 


294  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

of  Natick  is  an  outstanding  exception.  In  that  community  people  of 
Italian  origin  and  parentage  are  found  living  in  a  decidedly  Old  World 
atmosphere.  The  Italian  language  is  in  general  use,  while  the  gardens 
and  arbors  dotting  the  landscape  are  reminiscent  of  the  mother  country. 
Economic  conditions  of  the  entire  nation  in  the  last  few  years,  however, 
have  tended  to  break  the  community-consciousness  of  these  people,  and 
their  participation  in  city  affairs  is  becoming  more  marked.  Only  about 
two  per  cent  of  the  population  is  Negro. 

Six  local  mills,  the  largest  ones  engaged  in  dyeing,  bleaching,  and  finish- 
ing, employ  the  major  portion  of  the  city's  workers,  while  farms  and  small 
businesses  provide  a  small  percentage  with  employment.  Many  residents 
commute  daily  to  neighboring  cities.  Some  farm  produce  finds  a  market 
within  the  city,  but  a  larger  amount  is  trucked  away.  Clams,  quahaugs, 
little  necks,  oysters,  and  scallops  are  taken  from  the  water  in  great 
numbers,  and  local  dealers  ship  shellfish  daily  to  New  York  and  else- 
where. There  are  several  mushroom  farms. 

The  charm  of  Warwick,  which  is  a  city  in  law  but  not  one  by  nature, 
lies  in  its  attractive  residential  suburbs,  opportunities  for  bayshore  re- 
creation, and  visits  to  historic  sites.  With  its  entire  eastern  boundary 
on  Narragansett  Bay,  Warwick  has  many  salt-water  beaches.  The  popu- 
lation is  swelled  each  summer  by  inland  residents  who  have  summer 
homes  in  the  bay  communities.  Day  visitors,  too,  in  great  numbers, 
take  advantage  of  the  easy  access  to  Warwick's  beaches  and  resorts. 
At  low  tide  scores  of  people  may  be  seen  digging  for  clams  and  quahaugs 
for  home  consumption.  Fresh-water  ponds  also  popular  for  swimming 
are  in  Lakewood,  Norwood,  Hoxsie,  Oakland  Beach,  and  Apponaug.  Ice- 
boating  on  the  ponds  is  becoming  more  prominent  with  each  season, 
while  the  hills  of  the  city  make  possible  excellent  tobogganing  and  skiing. 
Fowl  and  small  game  are  found  in  the  wooded  and  sparsely  settled 
districts,  but  not  in  great  amount. 

Samuel  Gorton,  founder  of  Warwick,  arrived  at  Boston,  Massachusetts, 
from  England  in  March,  1636.  A  man  of  rugged  individualism  and  a 
strict  believer  in  legal  formalities,  Gorton's  first  few  years  in  this  country 
proved  troublous.  Forsaking  Boston  after  a  short  time,  he  established 
residence  at  Plymouth  and  later  at  Pocasset,  or  Portsmouth,  Rhode 
Island.  The  non-conformist  Gorton  was  expelled  from  both  these  settle- 
ments for  contempt  of  the  civil  authorities.  On  one  occasion  in  Plymouth 
he  was  disciplined  for  daring  to  defend  his  maidservant  who  was  censured 
for  smiling  in  church.  Journeying  to  Providence  after  a  brief  residence  in 
Portsmouth,  Samuel  Gorton  was  denied  freemanship  in  Roger  Williams' 
town  unless  he  retracted  his  outspoken  opinion  in  regard  to  the  authority 
of  the  Colonial  Governments.  Gorton  held  that  no  group  of  colonists 
could  set  up  or  maintain  a  government  without  royal  sanction,  and  since 
no  settlement  in  Rhode  Island  at  this  time  had  any  such  sanction,  the 
opinion  was  a  dangerous  one.  However,  Gorton  was  permitted  to  stay 
in  Providence  if  he  would  conduct  himself  in  a  peaceful  and  orderly 
manner.  He  was  constitutionally  unable  to  do  this;  he  gathered  a  group 


Warwick  295 


of  partisans,  other  men  who  liked  to  fight  the  ruling  clique.  After  a 
street  riot  in  which  blood  was  shed,  November  15,  1641,  the  Gortonists 
fled  from  Providence  to  escape  reprisals,  and  sought  refuge  at  Pawtuxet. 
Their  arrival  caused  a  flurry  of  dissent  among  the  inhabitants  at  Paw- 
tuxet, and  four  of  the  previous  settlers  there  applied  for  admittance  to 
the  jurisdiction  of  Massachusetts  (see  History). 

Seeking  to  evade  the  authority  both  of  Massachusetts  Bay  and  of 
Providence,  Samuel  Gorton  and  others  purchased  lands  at  Shawomet 
from  Miantonomi,  a  sachem  of  the  Narragansetts,  on  January  12,  1643. 
The  price  paid  was  144  fathoms  of  wampum,  or  about  $175  in  our  present 
currency.  Gorton  and  his  followers  built  their  first  homes  in  the  section  of 
the  present  city  still  known  as  Shawomet,  to  the  north  of  the  Warwick 
Neck  lighthouse.  The  small  company  was  destined,  however,  to  be  the 
object  of  continued  persecution  even  in  this  wilderness. 

Pomham  and  Sacononoco,  subordinate  Narragansett  sachems,  were  in- 
duced by  some  white  settlers  at  Pawtuxet,  who  were  antagonistic  toward 
the  Shawomet  colony,  to  submit  themselves  and  their  lands  to  the  juris- 
diction of  Massachusetts.  In  addition,  the  two  sachems  denied  having 
assented  to  the  sale  of  Shawomet  to  Gorton.  The  Massachusetts  Bay 
Colony  summoned  the  purchasers  to  appear  in  Boston  to  answer  the 
charges  pressed  against  them.  Gorton  and  his  band  refused  to  comply 
and  heated  letters  were  exchanged  by  the  two  parties,  which  further 
heightened  ill  feeling.  The  opposition  in  Massachusetts  toward  the  re- 
ligious views  of  the  Gortonites  was  also  a  factor  in  the  controversy.  The 
religious  views  of  Gorton  defy  description;  it  may  only  be  said  that  he  was 
a  strong  individualist,  opposed  to  any  form  of  churchly  restraint.  Samuel 
Gorton  revealed  what  he  thought  of  the  Massachusetts  Church  when  he 
wrote,  'The  scope  of  their  doctrines  was  bent  only  to  maintain  that 
outward  form  of  worship  which  they  had  erected  to  themselves,  leaving 
those  principles  of  divinity  wherein  we  had  been  instructed  in  our 
native  country,  tending  to  faith  toward  God  in  Christ/ 

Since  several  demands  for  the  Shawomet  leaders  to  appear  in  Boston 
met  with  absolute  refusal,  Massachusetts  became  exasperated  and  dis- 
patched three  commissioners  and  forty  men  in  September,  1643,  to  com- 
pel compliance  by  armed  force.  A  short,  bloodless  siege  followed,  and 
upon  the  capitulation  of  Shawomet,  Gorton  and  six  other  purchasers 
were  taken,  in  October,  1643,  as  prisoners  to  Boston.  Confiscating  live- 
stock, and  scattering  the  remaining  inhabitants  to  various  points  of  refuge, 
the  victorious  party  left  behind  a  scene  of  desolation. 

In  Boston,  Gorton  and  the  other  purchasers  were  immediately  arraigned 
before  a  tribunal.  The  inconsistency  of  the  whole  affair  became  apparent 
by  the  trial  proceedings.  No  one  appeared  to  protest  of  injury  or  wrong 
committed  by  the  defendants,  the  charges  of  blasphemous  opinions  and 
utterances  being  preferred  by  the  ministers  and  magistrates.  Samuel 
Gorton  denied  the  construction  placed  upon  his  writings,  and  four 
theological  questions  were  propounded  by  the  court  to  which  he  returned 
written  replies.  Blasphemy  was  punishable  by  death,  and  all  but  three 


296  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

of  the  magistrates  condemned  Gorton  to  die.  The  Elders  were  in  full 
accord  with  this  verdict,  but  the  deputies,  by  a  majority  of  two,  refused 
the  death  penalty.  The  men  on  trial  suffered  imprisonment  until  the 
next  spring,  and  upon  their  release  were  banished  from  Massachusetts 
with  the  threat  of  death  if  they  should  return.  Back  again  in  Rhode 
Island  the  Shawomet  purchasers  found  a  temporary  haven  of  safety  on 
the  island  of  Aquidneck  where  they  remained  until  1644. 

In  the  latter  year,  Samuel  Gorton  and  Randall  Holden  went  to  England, 
as  emissaries  from  the  harassed  occupants  of  the  Shawomet  lands,  to 
gain  protection  from  Massachusetts.  The  two  colonists  were  befriended 
by  Robert,  Earl  of  Warwick,  chief  member  of  the  Parliamentary  Com- 
mittee of  Foreign  Plantations  during  the  Commonwealth  period  in  Eng- 
land, who  was  instrumental  in  obtaining  the  guaranty  of  protection  they 
sought.  The  town  fathers  subsequently  bestowed  the  name  Warwick 
upon  the  Colony  in  appreciation  of  this  kindness.  Thus  shielded  by  the 
Mother  Country,  the  settlers  reopened  their  homes  in  Shawomet  and 
started  anew  the  developments  they  had  been  forced  to  abandon. 

The  first  meeting  of  the  Rhode  Island  General  Assembly  was  held  in 
Portsmouth  in  May,  1647,  to  organize  a  government  under  the  Com- 
monwealth charter.  The  charter  mentioned  only  Providence,  Portsmouth, 
and  Newport,  but  the  delegates  from  those  towns  agreed  that  Warwick 
should  have  the  same  privileges  as  Providence. 

In  1647,  the  first  local  town  officers  of  Warwick  were  selected.  Town 
meetings  were  held  in  taverns,  or  in  the  private  homes  of  the  various 
officials.  The  date  of  the  first  town  house  is  uncertain,  but  it  is  believed 
that  one  was  not  erected  until  1676.  In  contrast  to  the  enthusiasm  of 
present-day  political  campaigns,  we  learn  that  the  town  fathers  were 
sometimes  forced  to  hold  the  threat  of  a  fine  over  the  heads  of  many 
prospective  incumbents  to  insure  their  induction  into  office. 

King  Philip's  War,  1675-76,  caused  an  abrupt  pause  in  the  growth  of 
Warwick.  Beset  by  danger  on  all  sides,  most  of  the  settlers  evacuated 
the  township  and  once  again  found  safety  on  the  island  of  Aquidneck. 
During  this  period  of  exile  every  home  in  the  town  was  destroyed,  with 
the  exception  of  one  built  of  heavy  stone.  The  end  of  the  war  saw  the 
townsmen  returning  again  to  rebuild  on  the  sites  of  ruined  homesteads. 
One  real  benefit  accruing  from  the  hostilities  was  the  knowledge  that  the 
defeated  Indians  were  beyond  the  power  to  endanger  them  further. 

The  years  that  followed  the  close  of  King  Philip's  War  found  a  new 
zest  applied  to  commercial  enterprises  in  the  Colony.  The  added  sense 
of  security  from  the  Indians  induced  many  families  to  settle  farther  west 
in  the  township.  Soon  gristmills,  fulling  mills,  and  other  establishments 
were  operating  on  the  banks  of  the  Pawtuxet  River.  The  first  mill  had 
been  erected  at  Old  Mill  Cove,  Conimicut,  as  early  as  1651.  This  was 
followed  by  one  at  Tuscatucket,  1677,  and  a  sawmill  and  gristmill  at 
Centerville,  in  1677.  The  fulling  mill  constructed  at  Apponaug  in  1696 
gave  the  name  Fulling  Mill  to  that  hamlet  for  a  period  of  time. 


Warwick  297 


Gorton,  Holden,  John  Warner,  and  most  of  the  other  leaders  in  the 
early  years  had  had  some  formal  education.  But  hardships  and  privations 
delayed  the  local  development  of  public  education.  Prior  to  1716,  school- 
ing was  considered  a  private  concern.  In  that  year  a  Proprietors'  School 
was  established  in  the  Old  Warwick  section  of  the  township.  The  struc- 
ture served  also  as  a  meeting-place  for  public  gatherings.  At  the  close  of 
the  eighteenth  century,  local  interest  had  increased  so  that  school  com- 
mittees were  organized,  and  the  town  was  divided  into  districts.  State 
and  town  appropriated  annual  sums  for  the  maintenance  of  the  schools. 
The  Reverend  Zalmon  Toby  of  Apponaug  was  appointed,  in  1845,  to 
serve  as  the  first  superintendent  of  schools,  receiving  a  yearly  stipend 
of  fifty  dollars.  As  the  town  grew  during  the  nineteenth  century,  more 
schools  were  erected. 

The  Revolutionary  War  did  not  affect  Warwick  as  directly  as  it  did 
many  other  New  England  towns,  but  it  brought  military  fame  to  several 
inhabitants.  The  Kentish  Guards  sent  to  the  war  General  Nathanael 
Greene,  second  in  command  of  the  Continental  forces  serving  under 
Washington;  Colonel  Christopher  Greene,  an  able  militarist  who  was 
captured  and  killed  by  his  enemies  in  a  night  attack  while  in  command 
of  troops  on  the  Croton  River  in  1781;  and  Colonel  Christopher  Lippitt, 
in  command  of  a  Rhode  Island  regiment. 

With  the  rise  of  the  textile  industry  in  Rhode  Island,  Warwick  became 
active  along  that  line.  The  value  of  the  Pawtuxet  River  as  a  source  of 
water-power,  flowing  as  it  does  through  many  miles  of  the  township,  is 
plainly  evident.  The  first  mill  to  manufacture  cotton  goods  by  machinery 
in  WTarwick  was  founded  by  Job  Greene  in  Centerville,  in  1794.  This  was 
four  years  after  Samuel  Slater  had  started  the  first  mill  in  Pawtucket. 
The  advent  of  textile  manufacturing  brought  a  rapid  increase  in  the 
population,"  as  people  moved  in  from  rural  areas,  and  mill  villages  soon 
were  scattered  over  western  Warwick.  There  were  textile  mills  in 
Anthony  and  Hope  by  1806,  in  Natick  and  Crompton  by  1807,  in  Lippitt 
and  Phenix  by  1810,  at  Riverpoint  in  1813,  and  at  Arctic  in  1834.  Many 
more  plants  were  established  later.  The  B.  B.  &  R.  Knight  Corporation 
secured  large  mill  holdings  in  the  western  part  of  the  township  after 
1870,  later  disposing  of  them  to  various  concerns.  The  Pontiac  Finishing 
Plant,  located  in  Warwick,  was  the  only  mill  running  in  the  formerly 
huge  chain  of  Knight  mills  in  this  section  in  1936.  Many  of  these  mills 
are  now  in  the  towns  of  West  Warwick  and  Coventry,  originally  part 
of  Warwick.  (For  points  of  interest  in  WARWICK  see  Tour  1.) 


WESTERLY 


Town:  Alt.  15,  township  pop.  10,997,  sett.  1648,  incorp.  1669. 
Railroad  Station:  N.Y.,  N.H.  &  H.  R.R.,  Railroad  Ave. 

Accommodations:  Five  hotels  situated  within  the  limits;  many  hotels  and  cabins 
at  or  near  the  various  beaches  in  the  township. 

Theater:  The  Westerly  Players,  in  old  Lyric  Theatre,  occasional  performances. 

Fishing:  Watch  Hill  to  Quonochontaug.  Clams  and  quahaugs  in  Little  Narra- 
gansett  Bay.  Lobsters. 

Swimming:  Watch  Hill,  Misquamicut,  Weekapaug  and  Quonochontaug. 

Annual  Events:  Carnivals  sponsored  by  the  Society  of  Elks  at  Dixon  St.  and  the 
Fireman's  Organization  at  Main  St.,  during  the  later  summer  months. 

WESTERLY,  its  name  derived  from  its  westerly  position  in  the  State, 
is  a  town  with  no  great  pretensions  to  wealth,  and  only  a  few  traces  of  its 
historic  heritage.  These  examples  of  early  architectural  trends  are  found 
principally  among  the  outlying  farms,  though  a  few  old  homes  remain, 
tucked  between  modern  structures  along  the  elm-shaded  streets.  De- 
scendants of  many  of  the  families  whose  names  are  found  in  the  records 
previous  to  1700  still  live  in  Westerly. 

Today  Westerly  appears  as  a  typical  New  England  town;  its  atmosphere 
of  culture  is  blended  with  the  successful  air  of  a  progressive  industrial 
center.  The  town  produces  woolens,  elastic  webbing,  silk,  novelty  cur- 
tains, and  granite.  Wilcox  Park,  in  the  center  of  the  town,  is  a  spacious 
green  flanked  on  one  side  by  public  buildings  of  granite,  and  on  the 
other  side  by  residences.  The  near-by  summer  resorts  give  a  festive  and 
holiday  spirit  to  the  village  streets. 

The  mills  are  clustered  around  the  falls  of  the  Pawcatuck  River,  the 
western  limit  of  the  town  and  the  State  boundary  separating  Westerly 
from  the  neighboring  village  of  Pawcatuck  in  Stonington  Township, 
Connecticut.  Other  mills  are  in  separate  villages,  such  as  Bradford  to 
the  east.  The  resort  beaches  are  strung  along  the  south  shore,  on  Long 
Island  Sound,  where  large  estates  are  interspersed  with  colonies  of  small 
cottages. 

The  township,  which  includes  at  least  nine  villages  in  addition  to  Westerly 
itself,  covers  about  thirty-six  square  miles.  The  surface  of  the  township 
is  rough  and  considerably  broken,  especially  in  the  northeast  and  the 
southeast.  A  considerable  part  of  the  soil  is  Glocester  stony  loam.  The 
sandy  beaches  of  the  coast  alternate  with  sections  of  large  rocks  and 
outlying  reefs  that  have  caused  many  shipwrecks.  The  land  on  both  sides 
of  the  Pawcatuck  River  near  the  ford  (see  below)  was  formerly  known  as 
Pawcatuck  Bridge.  The  two  settlements,  Westerly  and  Pawcatuck, 


Westerly  299 


although  lying  in  different  States,  are  served  by  the  same  post  office, 
railroad  depot,  express  companies,  public  utilities,  and  wharves. 

The  Indian  name  for  the  area  extending  approximately  four  miles  to 
either  side  of  the  lower  Pawcatuck  River  was  Misquamicut,  '  a  place  for 
catching  salmon.'  Prior  to  the  arrival  of  the  whites  it  was  disputed 
ground,  claimed  by  the  Niantics,  Pequots,  and  Narragansetts,  and  per- 
manently occupied  by  none  of  them,  although  they  left  their  traces  in 
present-day  place  names:  Mastuxet,  Misquamicut,  Pawcatuck,  Powaget, 
Shannock,  Watchaug,  Yawgoog,  and  the  like. 

When  the  English  settlers  came,  the  Niantics  were  in  power  under  Nini- 
gret,  a  sachem  of  considerable  military  reputation,  craft,  and  pride. 
In  1664-65  he  turned  back  several  attacks  of  rival  Indian  tribes  and  one 
invasion  by  white  troops  from  Connecticut. 

The  first  Europeans  to  visit  the  shores  of  Westerly  were  probably  Dutch 
traders  who  came  to  exchange  cloth  and  metal  instruments  for  furs. 
Captain  Adriaen  Block  (for  whom  Block  Island,  off  Point  Judith,  is 
named)  explored  the  coast  in  the  'Onrust'  in  1614,  and  recorded  his 
observations  in  a  journal,  in  which  the  present  Pawcatuck  is  called  the 
East  River,  which  empties  out  past  'a  crooked  point,  in  the  shape  of  a 
sickle.'  The  early  Dutch  explorers,  who  made  no  permanent  settlement, 
evidently  ascended  the  river  as  far  as  Pawcatuck  Rock,  opposite  the 
present  Westerly  Yacht  Club.  The  first  record  of  Englishmen  on  Westerly 
soil  relates  to  Captain  John  Mason  of  Connecticut,  who  camped  the  night 
of  May  24,  1637,  on  Fort  Neck,  in  what  is  now  Charlestown,  then  next 
day  led  his  company  of  white  soldiers  and  Indian  allies  through  what  is 
Westerly  enroute  to  attack  the  stronghold  of  the  Pequot  Indians. 

The  first  permanent  settlers  were  probably  John  and  Mary  Babcock 
(1648).  John  Babcock  was  a  Plymouth  man  who  moved  to  Newport 
where  he  worked  for  a  Thomas  Lawton.  John  fell  in  love  with  his  em- 
ployer's daughter  Mary;  after  several  ' delightful  trysts . . .  about  Aquid- 
neck's  ancient  trees,'  they  eloped  from  Newport  in  a  small  open  boat. 
They  built  their  home  near  Mastuxet  Brook  (see  Tour  1A). 

John  Babcock  and  one  or  two  others  attempted  unsuccessfully  to  pur- 
chase land  from  the  Indians  in  Misquamicut  in  1658.  Two  years  later  a 
private  company  was  formed  in  Newport  for  the  purchase  of  the  Mis- 
quamicut tract,  as  the  Westerly  region  was  then  called.  June  29,  1660, 
this  group  secured  a  deed  from  a  renegade  Pequot  named  Sosoa,  who 
claimed  title  to  the  tract  from  Miantonomi  (then  deceased)  and  Ninigret. 
The  claim  was  disputed.  Massachusetts  claimed  jurisdiction  by  right  of 
conquest,  because  of  the  aid  given  Connecticut  in  the  Pequot  War. 
After  Stonington,  Connecticut,  was  settled  the  people  of  that  town  also 
claimed  some  Rhode  Island  territory  on  the  east  side  of  the  Pawcatuck. 
Under  a  Connecticut  grant,  in  fact,  a  Thomas  Stan  ton  had  built,  in  1649, 
a  trading  post  within  the  present  Westerly.  To  clear  up  part  of  these 
difficulties,  the  Newport  company  secured,  June  25,  1661,  a  confirma- 
tion of  Sosoa's  deed  from  Wawaloam,  the  widow  of  Miantonomi;  and 


3OO  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

August  27,  the  Newport  speculators,  including  John  Coggeshall,  John 
Crandall,  William  Vaughan,  and  Hugh  Mosher,  petitioned  the  Rhode 
Island  Assembly  to  help  them  take  possession  of  their  claim.  The  com- 
pany, of  eighty-six  members,  had  previously  subscribed  (March  21,  1661) 
to  'Articles  of  Agreement'  under  which,  with  amendments,  subsequent 
individual  land  grants  were  made.  Shares  were  sold  to  residents  of 
Newport,  Providence,  and  Warwick. 

The  first  newcomers  to  Westerly  entered  upon  their  land  about  the  first 
of  September,  1661.  Almost  immediately  they  became  involved  in  the 
Rhode  Island-Connecticut  boundary  dispute  (see  Boundaries).  In  1663, 
Westerly  men  tore  down  a  house  held  by  a  Connecticut  man  on  the  east 
side  of  the  Pawcatuck,  and  in  1671,  Connecticut  authorities  arrested  and 
took  off  to  a  Hartford  jail  John  Crandall  and  several  others.  Arrests, 
fines,  imprisonments,  and  disorders  continued  until  the  boundary  line 
was  settled  in  1728. 

Shortly  after  Westerly  was  incorporated  (1669),  as  the  fifth 'town  in  the 
Colony,  with  only  about  thirty  families  and  twenty-four  freemen  (legal 
voters),  the  threat  of  King  Philip's  War  drove  many  to  Newport.  Through 
the  partially  abandoned  town  (it  had  no  representation  in  the  General 
Assembly  for  five  years)  marched  the  Colonial  troops,  among  them  Major 
Robert  Treat's  company,  on  the  way  to  attack  the  Narragansetts  at 
North  Kingstown  (see  Tour  3).  From  1686  to  1689,  when  Rhode  Island 
was  a  part  of  the  Dominion  of  New  England,  the  name  of  the  town  was 
Haversham.  The  sites  of  the  present  towns  of  Richmond,  Charlestown, 
and  Hopkinton  were  originally  part  of  the  township,  so  that  Old  Westerly 
had  an  area  of  153  square  miles. 

For  many  years  after  the  founding  of  the  maritime  and  agricultural  com- 
munity of  Westerly,  life  was  very  simple.  An  extract  from  the  journal 
kept  by  the  Colonial  traveler,  Madam  Knight,  on  a  journey  from  Boston 
to  New  York  in  1704,  describes  Westerly  in  an  unfavorable  light.  The 
house  at  which  she  stopped  near  the  old  ford  was  *  enclosed  with  clap- 
boards laid  on  lengthwise,  and  so  much  asunder  that  the  light  came 
through  everywhere;  the  doore  tyed  on  with  a  cord  in  ye  place  of  hinges; 
the  floor  the  bear  earth;  no  windows  but  such  as  the  thin  covering  af- 
forded; nor  any  furniture  but  a  bed,  with  a  glass  bottle  hanging  at  ye 
head  on't;  an  earthern  cup;  a  small  pewter  basin;  a  box  with  sticks  to 
stand  on  instead  of  a  table;  and  a  block  or  two  in  ye  corner  instead  of 
chairs.  The  family  were  the  old  man,  his  wife,  and  two  children;  —  all 
and  every  part  being  the  picture  of  poverty.  Notwithstanding,  both  the 

hutt  and  its  inhabitants  were  very  clean  and  tydee An  Indian  like 

animal  came  to  the  door  on  a  creature  very  much  like  himselfe  in  mien 
and  feature,  as  well  as  ragged  cloa thing.' 

A  road,  known  later  as  Queen  Anne's  Road,  was  begun  in  1667  to  connect 
New  London,  Connecticut,  with  the  Pawcatuck  River.  This  highway 
was  extended  eastward  about  1703  through  the  Narragansett  country 
to  the  shore  of  Narragansett  Bay,  whence  access  to  Newport  was  gained 
by  boat.  Cattle  and  horses,  so  important  to  the  early  settlers,  were  im- 


Westerly  301 


ported  from  abroad  at  great  expense  and  trouble.  Sheep-raising  in  the 
early  community  was  impractical  because  packs  of  wolves  ranged  the 
countryside.  Bounties  were  paid  by  the  Colony  for  wildcats,  foxes, 
blackbirds,  wolves,  and  other  destructive  wild  life. 

The  first  bridge  across  the  Pawcatuck  at  the  old  ford  on  the  Indian  trail 
was  built  about  1712  by  private  subscription.  Distant  travel  was  slight. 
The  New  England  mail  route  was  established  about  this  time,  bringing 
Westerly  into  closer  contact  with  its  Colonial  neighbors.  The  mail  was 
carried  on  horseback.  In  1735,  a  second  bridge  was  built  to  replace  the 
first,  its  cost  shared  by  Connecticut  and  Rhode  Island  (see  Foot  Tour  2, 
item  10). 

In  1740-41  occurred  the  'hard  winter.'  Dr.  MacSparran,  the  Episcopal 
minister  in  Narragansett,  stated  that  the  cold  was  so  intense  during  this 
winter  that  'a  man  drove  a  horse  and  sleigh  on  the  ice  from  Hurlgate, 
near  New  York,  to  Cape  Cod.'  It  is  certain  that  persons  'passed  and 
repassed  from  Providence  to  Newport  on  the  ice,  and  from  the  main  shore 
of  Connecticut  to  Montauk  Point.'  There  were  more  than  thirty  snow- 
storms, besides  small  flurries.  On  the  loth  of  March  the  snow  was  three 
feet  deep;  in  the  middle  of  April  it  was  still  lying  in  drifts  by  the  fences. 
The  intense  cold  caused  a  great  loss  of  cattle  and  sheep  and  was  especially 
destructive  to  game. 

Perhaps  the  first  Rhode  Island  shipwright  on  the  Pawcatuck  River  was 
Joseph  Wells,  who  built  in  1681  the  'Alexander  and  Martha,'  a  forty-foot 
vessel  for  which  he  received  an  eighth  share  in  ownership,  and  £165, 
partly  paid  in  goods.  From  eighteenth-century  docks  along  the  river 
front,  schooners  and  sloops  made  regular  trips  to  New  York  and  Provi- 
dence. Local  merchants  took  passage  on  these  packet  ships,  and  lived 
aboard  while  doing  their  business  in  the  distant  city.  The  river  in  those 
days  was  shallow  and  vessels  were  poled  down  the  stream  against  head 
winds.  In  season  great  pyramids  of  scup  or  porgies  were  landed.  These 
sold  at  one  cent  apiece  as  long  as  fit,  but  most  of  the  pile  passed  on  for 
fertilizer.  Eelgrass  was  brought  in  later  for  bedding  for  the  oxen  used  at 
the  near-by  stone  quarries. 

Shipbuilding  continued  well  into  the  nineteenth  century;  many  fishing 
vessels  were  outfitted  for  the  Newfoundland  and  Labrador  coasts  until 
as  late  as  1836.  In  the  i84o's  several  whaling  vessels  were  also  built  in 
the  yards  along  Margin  Street  (see  Foot  Tour  2,  item  15).  In  the  active 
days  of  the  shipyards,  Margin  Street  was  only  a  cart  path  lined  with 
buttonwood  trees. 

The  military  history  of  Westerly  began  in  1710,  when  the  town  sent 
twenty  men,  four  of  them  Indians,  to  assist  in  the  capture  of  Port  Royal, 
Nova  Scotia.  A  few  Westerly  men  took  part  in  the  earlier  King  Philip's 
War,  but  the  town  was  not  subject  to  direct  attack  by  the  Indians.  In 
April,  1745,  troops  from  this  part  of  the  Rhode  Island  coast  left  New 
London  for  Louisburg,  Cape  Breton  Island.  During  the  period  of  King 
George's  War,  Westerly  had  four  companies  of  militia  under  the  command 


302  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

of  Captain  J.  Wells,  Jr.,  Lieutenant  Matthew  Greene,  and  Ensign  Ed- 
ward Robinson. 

According  to  tradition,  one  'Nanny  Sims,'  whose  husband  was  fighting 
with  the  English  in  the  French  and  Indian  War  (1754-63),  single- 
handed  fought  off  three  savages  who  attacked  her  house;  one  started  to 
climb  through  a  window,  and  two  to  climb  down  the  chimney.  Nanny 
threw  her  straw  bed  in  the  fireplace,  smoking  out  the  two  redmen  in  the 
chimney,  and  then  chopped  off  the  head  of  the  third  with  an  axe. 

Before  the  Revolution  the  poorer  class  of  European  immigrants  secured 
passage  to  this  country  through  indenture,  whereby  they  were  bound  to 
service  for  a  term  of  years  after  their  arrival.  One  of  these  '  redemptioners ' 
worked  for  a  farmer  in  Westerly.  After  a  season  of  willing  service  the 
laborer  intimated  that  he  should  like  to  continue  the  arrangement  per- 
manently. He  seemed  depressed  by  the  idea  that  on  the  expiration  of 
his  contract  he  would  be  obliged  to  toil  for  himself.  Papers  for  life  service 
were  hence  made  out.  On  taking  the  pen  to  sign  the  instrument,  the 
redemptioner  hesitated,  saying  that  he  did  not  understand  how  the  obli- 
gations of  the  old  and  new  papers  harmonized,  since  they  overlapped  in 
time.  Explanations  were  in  vain,  so  the  two  agreed  to  destroy  the  old 
paper.  When  the  redemptioner  raised  his  pen  to  sign  the  new  paper,  he 
again  hesitated.  The  employer  inquired  the  reason,  since  the  laborer 
himself  had  proposed  the  life  service.  The  latter  replied :  '  I  was  thinking 
of  some  advice  that  my  father  once  gave  me.  He  gave  me  good  counsel, 
and  I  only  wish  I  had  followed  it  more  closely.  He  once  said  to  me,  "My 
son,  never  sign  your  name  to  a  paper  of  any  kind."  As  I  have  signed  one 
paper,  but  have  just  got  rid  of  it,  I  think  I  shall  not  sign  another.  So,  sir, 
I  kindly  bid  you  a  good-bye.'  The  redemptioner  walked  away  a  free 
man,  much  to  the  chagrin  of  his  erstwhile  employer. 

Westerly  people  sympathized  generally  with  the  Colonial  side  of  the 
controversy  that  led  to  the  war  with  Great  Britain.  In  September,  1776, 
fifty  men  were  enlisted  to  serve  with  the  Revolutionary  forces.  Three 
companies  of  militia  were  furnished  early  in  the  war,  beside  recruits  for 
the  coast  guard  and  the  artillery;  in  1781,  four  companies  of  militia  were 
enrolled.  In  1777,  a  party  set  out  in  three  large  boats,  and  in  rounding 
Point  Judith  two  of  the  boats  were  swamped  and  eight  men  were  drowned. 
Throughout  the  Revolution  the  coast  in  this  vicinity  was  much  subjected 
to  marauding  expeditions  by  the  British,  so  that  a  careful  coast  guard  had 
to  be  maintained.  It  was  at  this  time  the  French  and  Indian  War  signal 
stationed  on  Watch  Hill  was  re-established  as  a  lookout  for  British  priva- 
teers. 

The  War  of  1812  gave  Westerly  people  a  real  scare  when  in  August  of 
1814  a  British  fleet  bombarded  the  near-by  town  of  Stonington,  Con- 
necticut. A  full  regiment  of  Rhode  Island  militia  was  stationed  near 
Watch  Hill.  Shortly  before  the  war  broke  out,  a  special  artillery  com- 
pany was  formed  in  Westerly,  and  placed  in  command  of  Captain  Joshua 
Hazard.  The  company  kept  a  brass  field  piece  ready  for  use  on  lower  Main 
Street. 


Westerly  303 


After  the  War  of  1812  there  were  no  calls  for  active  military  service  until 
the  Dorr  Rebellion  of  1842  (see  History).  To  cope  with  this  uprising 
Washington  County  sent  noo  men  under  command  of  General  John  B. 
Stedman  of  Westerly.  During  the  period  of  the  uprising,  Westerly  was 
under  martial  law.  There  was  no  bloodshed,  but  it  is  reported  that  Gen- 
eral Stedman  issued  the  following  order:  'Boys,  when  you  see  the  enemy, 
fire  and  then  run,  and  as  I  am  a  little  lame,  I  will  run  now.' 

In  May,  1806,  the  Federal  Government  purchased  a  tract  of  land  at 
Watch  Hill  for  a  lighthouse;  the  first  keeper  served  twenty-seven  years. 
A  major  disaster  off  this  point  occurred  in  1872  when  the  steamer  'Metis,' 
bound  from  New  York  to  Providence,  collided  with  the  schooner  '  Nettie 
Gushing '  and  sank  within  three-quarters  of  an  hour.  A  government  life- 
boat, which  had  been  at  the  lighthouse  for  twenty-three  years  but  never 
used,  was  manned  by  Westerly  men  who  saved  thirty-three  persons  of 
the  hundred  or  so  on  board.  The  lack  of  adequate  life-saving  equipment 
near  Westerly  caused  the  Government  to  erect,  in  1879,  a  life-saving 
station  at  Watch  Hill. 

At  some  time  in  the  late  eighteenth  century,  a  section  of  the  village  of 
Westerly  along  Main  Street,  between  Beach  and  School  Streets,  became 
known  as  Bungtown.  The  name  seems  to  have  come  directly  from  the 
prevailing  liquor  business.  Gin,  rum,  and  molasses  were  the  stock  in 
trade  along  the  waterfront,  and  there  were  many  bungs  in  the  cellars  of 
the  buildings  here. 

On  the  west  side  of  Main  Street  by  the  upper  Wells  Brook,  Abial  Sherman 
built  a  tannery;  on  the  east  side  by  the  lower  Cross  Brook  was  the  Cross 
tanyard,  destroyed  by  fire  in  1851.  These  tanyards  not  only  used  native 
hides,  but  also  ground  the  native  bark  used  in  tanning  them,  and  at  times 
when  the  mud  was  too  deep  on  Main  Street,  tanbark  served  for  side- 
walks. Westerly's  first  newspaper,  though  not  a  printed  one,  was  the 
'Bungtown  Patriot,'  a  single  hand-written  sheet  brought  out  March  i, 
1825,  by  Charles  Perry.  A  copy  of  this  paper  is  in  the  possession  of  the 
Westerly  Library. 

The  industrial  history  of  Westerly  dates  from  the  nineteenth  century. 
Little  mill  manufacture  was  carried  on  prior  to  1800,  although  the  early 
settlers  had  used  some  water-power  in  the  Pawcatuck  River  before  1750. 
In  1814,  the  Pawcatuck  Manufacturing  Company  established  on  Main 
Street  the  Old  Stone  Mill,  razed  in  1935.  At  first  woolens  were  manu- 
factured here,  and  then  cotton  goods.  In  1814,  also,  a  cloth-shearing 
machine  was  invented  by  Deacon  William  Stillman  and  used  in  his  mill 
at  Stillmanville.  A  canal  was  dug  from  Westerly  to  Stillmanville  in  1827. 
Blodgett,  Stafford  and  Simmons  succeeded  the  Pawcatuck  Manufactur- 
ing Company  and  later  purchased  other  water  privileges  at  Stillmanville 
and  White  Rock. 

In  1806,  Joseph  Barton  Stillman,  silversmith,  began  business  in  Westerly, 
and  this  concern,  after  several  changes  in  ownership,  is  conducted  by 
William  H.  Goodgeon. 


304  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

Westerly's  main  industry  is  the  granite  business.  The  granite  resources 
of  the  township  were  discovered  in  1846  by  Orlando  Smith,  who  founded 
in  the  following  year  the  first  quarry  company.  Since  that  time  several 
other  granite  companies  have  been  organized  in  various  places  throughout 
the  township.  Westerly  granite  is  fine-grained,  susceptible  to  delicate 
carving,  and  hence  particularly  suitable  for  memorial  purposes.  The 
local  quarries  yield  four  varieties  of  stone :  a  red  variety  commonly  used 
for  building  blocks,  and  white,  blue,  and  pink  granite  usually  employed 
for  monuments.  Since  the  middle  of  the  nineteenth  century  the  Westerly 
granite  quarries  have  held  a  position  of  national  repute. 

Westerly's  first  printed  newspaper,  the  Literary  Echo,  was  published  in 
1851;  it  became  the  Westerly  Echo  and  Pawcatuck  Advertiser  in  1856,  and 
the  Narragansett  Weekly  in  1858,  when  the  paper  was  acquired  by  the 
Utter  family.  The  Sabbath  Recorder,  owned  and  published  by  George 
B.  Utter  and  previously  published  in  New  York,  was  issued  from  this 
establishment  1861-72.  The  Westerly  Daily  Sun  was  established  as  a 
daily  in  1893  by  George  B.  Utter.  Because  there  are  many  Seventh  Day 
Baptists  in  Westerly,  to  whom  Saturday  is  the  Sabbath,  the  Sun  has  no 
Saturday  edition,  but  a  Sunday  evening  number  instead. 

The  first  call  to  arms  in  Westerly  in  the  Civil  War  was  made  on  April 
1 6, 1 86 1.  The  Westerly  Rifles,  consisting  of  107  men  and  officers,  marched 
immediately  thereafter  with  the  First  Rhode  Island  Regiment.  Westerly 
lost  about  62  men  in  the  war.  When  the  Spanish- American  Wrar  broke 
out  in  1898,  Westerly  again  sent  a  company  of  men.  When  the  United 
States  entered  the  World  War  in  April,  1917,  Westerly  sent  at  once  a 
company  of  109  men  who,  after  two  weeks'  extensive  training,  went  on 
guard  duty  in  this  country.  Subsequent  enlistments,  or  enrollments 
under  the  draft  acts,  swelled  this  total.  From  April,  1917,  to  May,  1918, 
a  special  organization  was  established  to  preserve  the  public  peace  in  the 
absence  of  the  National  Guard. 

The  population  of  Westerly  consists  largely  of  people  who  are  American- 
born  and  of  English  ancestry.  The  following  countries  have  contributed 
to  the  town's  foreign-born  population:  Italy,  England,  Scotland,  Ireland, 
France,  Germany,  and  Poland.  The  Italians  predominate  and  are  inclined 
to  group  together  in  districts,  some  in  the  northern  section  and  others  in 
the  northeastern,  and  here  the  native  tongue  is  frequently  spoken,  al- 
though today  a  large  percentage  speak  English  as  well  as  Italian.  At  one 
time  these  Italians  were  confined  entirely  to  the  northern  part  of  the 
town,  but  of  late  years,  due  to  intermarriage  and  other  reasons,  they  have 
become  scattered  throughout  the  township. 

Westerly  has  about  eighteen  churches,  several  of  which  were  founded 
very  early.  The  first  organized  parish  in  Old  Westerly  was  that  of  the 
Sabbatarians,  that  came  into  being  about  1671.  The  first  Sabbatarian 
meeting-house  was  built  about  1680,  and  its  regular  minister  was  John 
Maxson,  ordained  Elder  in  1708.  He  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  who  died 
in  1747.  A  Presbyterian  minister,  Joseph  Park,  was  sent  to  Westerly  in 
1733  by  the  New  England  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel. 


Westerly  305 


He  was  given  a  twenty-acre  lot  by  the  Indian  chief,  George  Ninigret. 
The  evangelist,  George  Whiteneld,  visited  Westerly  in  the  i74o's,  and 
it  is  said  that  Park's  church  benefited  particularly  from  the  subsequent 
revival  movement.  There  was  a  Quaker  meeting-house  in  Westerly  in 
1744,  and  an  Episcopal  church  by  1746. 


FOOT  TOUR  1  —  1.1  m. 


1.  The  United  States  Post  Office  (1914),  cor.  Broad  and  High  Sts.,  is  out- 
standing among  the  few  large  buildings  in  Westerly;  its  most  striking 
feature  is  the  curved  white  marble  facade  which  follows  the  line  of  the  lot. 
The  building,  designed  by  James  Knox  Taylor,  is  so  placed  upon  an  ir- 
regular piece  of  land  that  it  can  be  seen  from  nearly  any  angle.    The 
circular  facade  with  wide  pavilions  at  either  end,  is  adorned  with  a  central 
colonnade  of  fluted  Doric  columns.    The  main  cornice  is  ornamented 
with  lions'  heads,  and  the  roof,  of  green  dull-glazed  tile,  is  designed  in 
Greek  face  pattern.  The  side  walls  of  the  building  are  relieved  by  pilasters 
and  windows.    The  lobby  has  a  terrazzo  and  marble  floor  with  cream 
marble  wainscoting.   Much  of  the  interior  detail  is  set  off  by  bronze  or 
cast-iron  ornamentation. 

E.  from  High  St.  on  Broad  St. 

2.  Westerly  Memorial  Building  and  Library  (open  weekdays  9-9,  Sun.  2-6), 
Broad  St.,  was  erected  in  1894  as  a  memorial  to  the  veterans  of  the  Civil 
War;  it  serves  both  as  a  library  and  social  center.   The  main  section  of 
the  buff  brick  and  red  granite  structure  is  two  stories  high  with  a  tower 
and  red  tile  roof  trimmed  with  terra-cotta.   The  Broad  Street  entrance 
has  massive  oak  doors  beneath  a  stone  arch.   A  recent  addition  to  the 
east  end  of  the  original  building,  a  children's  library,  is  known  as  the 
William  D.  Hoxie  Memorial.    It  is  a  yellow  brick  structure  with  red 
granite  trim  and  red  tile  roof,  similar  in  line  to  the  older  structure.  The 
people  of  Westerly  subscribed  $25,000  to  the  original  building  fund  and 
larger  amounts  were  donated  by  the  late  Stephen  Wilcox  and  his  widow, 
Harriet  Wilcox.  Mrs.  Wilcox  (d.  1901)  made  provision  in  her  will  for  the 
perpetual  support  of  the  library,  which  contains  at  present  more  than 
53,000  volumes,  including  many  important  works  on  local  history.   The 
building  also  houses  an  assembly  hall,  art  gallery,  gymnasium,  special 
children's  library,  and  a  museum.   In  the  museum  is  a  good  mineral  col- 
lection. The  Art  Gallery  (open  weekdays  9-5),  opened  in  1902,  usually  has 
on  display  about  twenty-five  paintings  and  several  pieces  of  statuary. 
Among  the  latter  are  busts  of  William  McKinley  and  Harriet  Beecher 
Stowe  by  Edward  Pausch,  who  maintained  a  studio  in  Westerly  for  fifteen 
years.   There  is  also  a  bronze  bust  of  Stephen  Wilcox  by  John  Quincy 
Adams  Ward. 

3.  Union  Street,  opposite  the  Library,  was  formerly  called  Cooky  Hill, 
though  the  reason  is  uncertain.   According  to  one  tale  a  Captain  Lan- 


306  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

phear,  who  was  engaged  in  fishing  about  1838,  named  the  spot  because 
of  its  similarity  to  another  Cooky  Hill  near  New  York  where  he  used  to 
land  to  clean  fish.  On  this  short  street,  or  Cooky  Hill,  were  formerly  three 
school  buildings  and  a  meeting-house.  The  old  Red  Schoolhouse,  now  at 
ii  Union  St.,  is  used  as  a  dwelling.  Pawcatuck  Academy  was  razed  in 
1892,  and  the  third  school,  Union  Academy,  has  been  moved,  as  a  dwelling- 
house,  to  27  Granite  St.  The  Union  Meeting-House  (1822),  which  stood 
on  the  site  of  the  present  Old  Town  Hall,  was  what  its  name  implies,  a 
house  for  church  meetings  regardless  of  creed.  From  its  steeple  in  1823 
was  rung  the  first  bell  used  to  call  the  people  of  Westerly  to  worship;  the 
old  bell  now  stands  on  the  grounds  of  Christ  Church.  On  the  site  of  the 
Union  Church  the  present  Old  Town  Hall  was  erected  (1874)  (open 
weekdays  8.3CM.30;  Sat.  8.30-12).  It  is  a  two-story  brick  building  with 
a  tower.  After  the  erection  of  the  New  Town  Hall,  in  1912,  this  building 
was  used  as  a  manual  training  school,  until  the  Junior  High  School  was 
completed  in  1931.  Since  then  it  has  been  headquarters  of  the  Director 
of  Public  Aid,  State  Unemployment  Relief,  and  the  local  chapter  of  the 
American  Red  Cross.  Union  Street  has  been  graded  so  that  the  old  build- 
ings stand  high  in  the  air. 

4.  Westerly  Town  Hall  and  Courthouse  (open  weekdays  9-4,  Sat.  9-12), 
cor.  Union  and  Broad  Sts.,  is  a  two-story  granite  structure  designed  by 
William  R.  Walker  and  Son  of  Providence.   It  is  stately  in  appearance 
with  a  pedimented  Ionic  entrance  portico.   On  the  first  floor  are  suites, 
finished  in  quartered  oak,  for  the  town  officers,  and  on  the  second  floor  is 
a  large  assembly  hall.  The  south  end  of  the  building,  owned  by  the  State, 
is  occupied  by  the  Third  District  Court,  and  the  Superior  Court  for 
Washington  County. 

5.  Wilcox  Park,  opposite  the  Town  Hall  on  Broad  St.,  in  the  center  of 
Westerly,  is  the  gift  of  Harriet  Hoxie  Wilcox.  It  is  laid  out  in  a  natural 
informal  plan.    Among  the  many  species  of  trees  represented  are  the 
Scotch  elm,  umbrella,  Nordman  fir,  black  walnut,  buttonwood,  gum, 
ginkgo,  and  basswood.  The  spacious  lawns  of  velvety  green,  and  various 
kinds  of  shrubbery,  artistically  arranged,  make  this  park  a  restful  re- 
treat.  There  is  also  a  small  pond  where  children  sail  boats,  or  skate  in 
season.  Near  the  Broad  St.  entrance  is  an  illuminated  Fountain  erected 
recently  to  the  memory  of  Stephen  and  Harriet  Wilcox,  benefactors  of 
the  town.    The  park,  though  controlled  by  a  private  corporation,  is 
liberally  endowed  for  public  use. 

6.  Christ  Church  (open),  cor.  of  Broad  and  Elm  Sts.  The  society  of  this 
Episcopal  church  was  organized  by  Westerly  people  in  1833-34.    Two 
years  later  the  society  erected  its  first  church  building,  on  the  first  site 
of  the  old  Red  School;  this  church  burned  in  1872,  and  only  the  organ,  the 
first  in  Westerly,  was  saved.   In  the  fall  of  the  same  year  a  temporary 
frame  church  was  built.  In  1891,  the  Rev.  E.  W.  Babcock  gave  the  parish 
the  lot  on  which  the  church  now  stands.   The  present  granite  structure, 
erected  in  1894,  is  designed  in  a  modified  English  Gothic  style.   On  the 
east  side  of  the  building  is  a  tower  and  spire,  erected  in  1905,  containing 


Westerly  307 


chimes.  The  church  is  ivy-covered.  To  the  rear,  standing  on  the  ground, 
is  the  first  church  bell  used  in  Westerly. 
E.from  Elm  St.  on  Granite  St.  to  Highland  Ave. 

7.  Westerly  Junior  High  School  (1931),  Highland  Ave.,  is  a  two-story 
building  of  red  brick  with  gray  granite  trim,  designed  in  the  Georgian 
style.  The  cornice  and  front  pediment  are  of  wood  painted  to  match  the 
granite  trim.  The  auditorium  seats  725;  an  athletic  field  to  the  rear  is 
used  for  a  public  playground  during  the  summer. 

8.  The  Smith  Granite  Quarry  (open),  116  Granite  St.,  was  established  in 
1847,  the  oldest  in  Westerly.  A  marker  near  the  quarry  reads  'Near  this 
spot  in  1846  ORLANDO  SMITH  Stone  mason  from  the  neighboring 
State  of  Connecticut,  searching  for  Stone  of  Superior  Quality,  discovered 
the  hidden  Deposit  of  WESTERLY  GRANITE  and  founded  here  a 
Granite  Industry.'   In  the  office  are  pictures  showing  the  history  of  the 
granite  industry  from  the  time  oxen  were  used  to  draw  away  the  stone, 
cut  out  by  hand  drills,  down  to  the  modern  times  when  trucks  do  the 
hauling  and  boom  derricks  and  compressed  air  drills  do  the  hoisting  and 
drilling.   Gilman  air  drills  cut  away  the  first  large  blocks.  The  pieces  to 
be  worked  are  taken  to  a  finishing  shed,  where  they  are  polished  and  in- 
scribed. The  Rhode  Island  block  in  the  National  Monument  at  Washing- 
ton was  taken  from  this  quarry,  as  was  the  stone  for  the  Roger  Williams 
Monument  in  Roger  Williams  Park,  Providence.    Perhaps  the  most 
famous  work  done  here  was  the  *  Antietam  Soldier '  for  the  battlefield  of 
Antietam.  It  was  cut  from  a  single  block  that  weighed  60  tons. 

9.  The  Joshua  Babcock  House  (private),  124  Granite  St.,  was  built  about 
1750.   It  is  a  fine  two-story,  white  frame,  gambrel-roof  structure  with  a 
central  stone  chimney.  The  heavy  well-proportioned  door  is  flanked  by 
hand-carved  pilasters,  and  is  surmounted  by  a  broken-scroll  pediment. 
In  the  interior  a  fine  stair  rail  is  designed  with  twisted  balusters.   The 
parlor,  with  its  corner  cupboard,  has  wooden  shutters  and  paneled  walls. 
The  original  kitchen,  now  a  living-room,  contains  a  huge  fireplace  and 
oven  with  appropriate  fittings  for  open-fire  cooking.   Wide  plank  floors 
and  corner  posts  in  many  of  the  rooms  reflect  the  sturdy  construction  of 
the  frame.  Dr.  Babcock  (1707-83),  a  physician  and  town  leader,  was  also 
Chief  Justice  of  Rhode  Island  (1749-51,  1763-64),  a  major  general  in  the 
Revolution,  and  a  Baptist  member  of  the  first  board  of  trustees  (1764) 
of  Rhode  Island  College.  Benjamin  Franklin  was  a  frequent  visitor  here, 
and  he  is  said  to  have  put  lightning  rods  on  the  house.    In  the  ell  off  the 
main  house  was  the  first  post  office  for  Westerly  (1776).  For  several  years 
after  1848  the  house  was  occupied  by  Otlando  Smith,  founder  of  the 
granite  quarry;  it  is  still  owned  by  one  of  his  descendants. 


308  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 


FOOT  TOUR  2  —  0.7  m. 


South  from  Broad  St.  on  Main  St. 

10.  Pawcatuck  Bridge,  over  the  Pawcatuck  River,  was  built  jointly  by 
Rhode  Island  and  Connecticut  in  1932.  The  span  is  a  'T  beam'  slab  type 
of  reinforced  concrete,  115  feet  long,  which  rests  on  two  concrete  piers 
rising  about  10  feet  above  high  water.  At  both  ends  of  the  bridge,  on  the 
south  side,  are  small  parks,  beautifully  landscaped  with  shrubbery,  main- 
tained by  the  separate  States.   An  old  Indian  Ford  over  the  Pawcatuck 
River  south  of  this  bridge  was  used  until  1712,  when  the  first  bridge  was 
built  across  the  river.  A  second  bridge  was  erected  in  1 734,  Rhode  Island 
building  the  east  and  Connecticut  the  west  half.   Across  this  ford,  and 
over  the  bridges  which  succeeded  it,  passed  the  east  and  west  traffic  be- 
tween New  London  and  Providence.   The  Boston  Post  Road  from  New 
York  to  Eastport,  Maine,  which  in  many  places  followed  Indian  trails, 
was  laid  through  Westerly  in  1727,  and  through  the  town  still  passes  the 
great  bulk  of  the  east  and  west  coastal  traffic  in  southern  New  England. 

11.  Washington  Trust  Company  Building,  cor.  of  Main  and  Broad  Sts., 
is  an  attractive  four-story  structure  of  Indiana  limestone  with  Westerly 
granite  trim,  designed  in  the  modified  Italian  Renaissance  style.    The 
high  rusticated  first  story  is  pierced  by  three  large  arched  windows.  The 
facade  is  adorned  with  Ionic  pilasters,  a  simple  dentiled  cornice,  orna- 
mental balustrades,  and  is  crowned  by  an  overhanging  tile  roof.   This 
building,  designed  by  York  and  Sawyer  of  New  York,  was  opened  in  1925. 
The  Washington  Trust  Company,  the  oldest  bank  in  Westerly  and  the 
third  oldest  in  Rhode  Island,  dates  from  August  22,  1800,  when  the 
Washington  Bank  first  opened  its  doors  for  business.    In  1836  a  new 
building  of  Greek  Revival  design  was  erected  for  this  bank,  the  first  large 
building  in  Westerly  to  be  made  of  local  granite.  The  Westerly  Savings 
Bank,  organized  in  1854,  shared  quarters  with  the  Washington  Bank, 
which  became  the  Washington  National  Bank  in  1865;  the  two  united  in 
1904  to  form  the  Washington  Trust  Company. 

12.  Pawcatuck  Seventh  Day  Baptist  Church  (open  on  application  at  118 
Main  St.),  120  Main  St.,  is  a  white  frame  structure,  rectangular  in  plan, 
with  a  gable  roof  and  tall  front  steeple.  The  main  floor  is  raised  on  a  high 
basement  story.  The  entrance  portal,  protected  by  a  pedimented  Doric 
portico,  is  approached  by  a  twin  flight  of  steps.  A  minor  central  entrance 
at  the  ground  level  leads  to  the  basement.   The  design  of  the  church  is 
distinctly  of  the  southern  type. 

In  1840,  the  Westerly  Sabbatarians  who  had  attended  the  Hopkinton 
Seventh  Day  Baptist  Church  formed  the  Pawcatuck  Seventh  Day  Bap- 
tist parish.  At  that  time  Westerly  with  a  population  of  1912  had  two 
churches  —  Baptist  and  Episcopal.  The  Seventh  Day  Society  at  first 
held  meetings  in  the  Union  Mee ting-House;  eight  years  later  the  parish 


Westerly  309 


built  the  present  church.  The  Bible  which  was  used  at  the  dedication  of 
the  church  is  still  in  service. 

13.  The  Lucy  Carpenter  House  (private),  or  the  Hickox  House,  196  Main 
St.,  was  standing  in  1730;  the  date  of  its  erection  is  uncertain.  The  house 
has  been  remodeled  but  it  retains  most  of  its  original  features.   It  is  a 
one-and-a-half-story  white  frame  structure  with  a  gambrel  roof,  central 
brick  chimney,  dormer  windows,  and  a  small  ell  in  the  rear.  The  great  oak 
beams  and  corner  posts  are  put  together  with  wooden  pegs  and  hand-made 
nails.  The  corner  posts  are  of  the  '  gun-stock '  variety,  larger  at  the  top 
than  at  the  base.  The  house  is  named  for  Lucy  Carpenter  who  lived  here 
for  68  years  in  the  igth  century.    She  is  remembered  as  being  a  very 
keen  and  able  woman  and  her  opinions  were  much  respected  by  the  promi- 
nent citizens  of  the  town. 

Continue  S.  from  Main  St.  on  Margin  St. 

14.  The  Captain  Card  House  (private),  12  Margin  St.,  is  a  one-story  white 
frame  building  facing  the  Pawcatuck  River  (about  1750).  It  has  two  ells, 
one  on  the  south  side  and  one  at  the  rear,  a  gable  roof,  small-paned  win- 
dows, a  central  and  an  end  stone  chimney.  Local  tradition  attributes  the 
building  of  this  house  to  John  Lewis,  one  of  the  original  settlers  in  Wes- 
terly. The  house  has  been  known  as  the  Card  House  for  Captain  William 
H.  Card,  who  bought  it  from  Maria  Gavitt  in  1868.  Captain  Card  owned 
a  small  merchant  vessel  that  sailed  between  Westerly  and  Block  Island. 
In  1929-30  the  owner  had  the  house  thoroughly  restored  under  the 
direction  of  Norman  M.  Isham,  the  State's  eminent  authority  on  Colonial 
architecture. 

15.  Site  of  Old  Shipyard,  Margin  St.,  near  the  Captain  Card  House.   In 
1834,  Silas  Greenman  came  here  from  Mystic,  Conn.,  to  establish  a 
shipyard.  The  earliest  vessel  of  any  note  to  be  built  along  this  street  was 
the  'Charles  Phelps,'  a  whaling  vessel  which  cost  $3250.   She  sailed  on 
her  maiden  voyage  August  29,  1842,  and  continued  whaling  operations 
from  Stonington,  Conn.,  until  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War,  when  she 
was  attached  to  the  North  Atlantic  squadron  as  a  coal  supply  vessel  and 
stationed  off  Virginia.    In  1865  she  was  rechristened  'Progress'  and 
started  in  pursuit  of  whales  again,  this  time  from  New  Bedford.  The  old 
whaler  was  sent  in  1892  to  Chicago,  where  she  was  exhibited  at  the 
World's  Fair.   Afterward  she  was  stripped  and  allowed  to  fall  to  pieces 
and  sink  from  sight  in  the  mud  somewhere  on  the  shores  of  Lake  Michi- 
gan. Earl  Greenman  of  Chicago,  a  former  Westerly  boy,  the  grandson  of 
Captain  Silas  Greenman  who  built  the  ship,  cut  the  figurehead  from  the 
prow  and  sent  it  to  the  Westerly  Library,  where  it  is  stored  on  the  top 
floor.    The  old  shipyard  has  given  way  to  a  quiet  tree-lined  street  of 
modest  residences. 

Continue  S.  on  Margin  St.  to  Greenman  Am.;  L.  on  Greenman  Ave.  to 
Beach  St. 

16.  Munro,  Inc.,  Greenhouse  (open),  55  Beach  St.,  was  established  in  1882 
by  S.  J.  Reuter,  with  two  houses  and  2500  square  feet  of  glass;  it  was  for 


3io  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

a  time  the  largest  greenhouse  in  New  England.  Munro,  Inc.,  took  over 
the  plant  in  1918  and  at  present  the  firm  has  30  houses  from  150  to  500 
feet  in  length,  with  250,000  square  feet  of  glass  area.  In  size  it  ranks  fifth 
in  New  England  and  second  in  Rhode  Island.  The  main  crop  is  roses,  but 
at  least  17  other  varieties  of  cut  flowers  and  potted  plants  are  raised. 
Shipments  are  made  to  near-by  Rhode  Island  cities,  also  to  New  York, 
Boston,  Albany,  Baltimore,  and  Washington.  In  winter  over  a  carload 
of  coal  is  used  weekly  for  heating  purposes. 

L.  from  Greenman  Ave.  on  Beach  St.  to  Elm  St. 

17.  Friends  Meeting-House  (not  open),  opp.  58  Elm  St.,  was  erected  in 
1876.  It  is  a  one-story  white  frame  building  with  a  gable  roof.  The  New 
England  Yearly  Meeting  of  Friends,  organized  at  Newport  in  1661,  the 
oldest  yearly  meeting  in  the  world,  meets  here  annually  in  September. 
Regular  services  are  held  Sundays  at  1 1  A.M. 

Continue  N.  on  Elm  St.  to  center. 


MISCELLANEOUS  POINTS  OF  INTEREST 


1 8.  Westerly  Railroad  Station,  Railroad  Ave.,  was  completed  in  1912. 
It  is  a  low  rambling  building  constructed  of  granite  and  stucco-covered 
brick  with  a  red  tile  roof.   Westerly  is  one  of  the  few  stops  made  by  the 
Boston-New  York  expresses. 

19.  Westerly  Armory,  cor.  of  Railroad  Ave.  and  Dixon  St.,  was  erected  in 
1902.   The  main  body  of  this  two-story  structure,  designed  in  Norman 
style,  is  of  red  brick  and  white  granite.    A  one-story  wing  in  the  rear 
houses  a  large  drill  shed.  At  each  corner  of  the  main  building  is  a  small 
octagonal  tower  topped  with  battlements.   The  Armory  serves  as  head- 
quarters for  the  National  Guard  and  an  auditorium  for  social  events.  An 
older  Armory,  which  stood  on  Main  St.,  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1899. 

20.  White  Rock  (alt.  20),  a  mill  village  about  1.8  miles  north  of  Westerly 
on  White  Rock  Rd.,  came  into  existence  in  1833,  when  Christopher  R. 
Stafford  and  others,  owners  of  the  old  stone  mill  (1814)  in  Westerly,  were 
granted  a  charter  as  the  White  Rock  Manufacturing  Company.  Perhaps 
the  name  was  derived  from  some  light-colored  rock  in  the  river  near-by. 
One  of  the  first  dams  constructed  across  the  Pawcatuck  River,  probably 
about  1700,  was  a  little  below  the  present  village  of  White  Rock  and  was 
known  as  Briggs  Jefford's  Dam.   Early  in  the  i8th  century  the  village 
which  grew  up  there  was  known  as  Crumb's  Neck,  so  called  because  a 
portion  of  land  which  juts  out  into  the  river  was  owned  by  Sylvester 
Crumb.   In  1849,  the  proprietors  of  the  White  Rock  Company  built  a 
large  cotton  mill,  and  also  a  village  of  12  double  houses,  or  24  identical 
tenements,  which  stood  in  a  row  on  the  east  side  of  Main  St.  At  this  time 
White  Rock  was  considered  a  model  mill  village.    Literally  the  entire 
village  changed  owners  in  1875,  when  Messrs.  B.  B.  &  R.  Knight  of 


Woonsocket  311 


Providence  bought  the  mill  and  began  the  manufacture  of  the  cloth 
known  as  '  Fruit  of  the  Loom.'  The  firm  is  managed  by  the  Narragansett 
Finishing  Company.  In  this  small  village  is  also  the  pumping  station 
connected  with  the  Westerly  town  waterworks. 


WOONSOCKET 


City:  Alt.  122,  pop.  49,376,  sett.  1666,  incorporated  1888. 

Railroad  Station:  Depot  Square,  for  Providence-Worcester  Division  of  N.Y., 

N.H.  &  H.  R.R. 

Swimming  Pools:  Y.M.C.A.,  Cass  Park,  Edna  Dunn  Memorial  Park  (formerly 

Fainnount),  Globe  Park. 

Annual  Events:  One  opera  performance  given  by  a  local  French  Opera  Company. 

Accommodations:  Four  hotels. 

WOONSOCKET,  the  northern  metropolis  of  Rhode  Island  and  one  of 
the  leading  woolen  manufacturing  centers  of  the  United  States,  is  situ- 
ated on  the  Blackstone  River.  This  8.8  square-mile  city  contains  about 
ninety  manufacturing  plants  making  more  than  fifty  different  products, 
the  most  important  besides  cotton  and  woolen  goods  being  rubber  rolls 
and  textile  machinery.  The  shopping  center  is  concentrated  on  Main 
Street  near  Flynn  Square,  which  assumes  on  Saturdays  a  carnival  spirit 
as  families  from  many  neighboring  villages  come  in  to  the  city. 

The  city  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Massachusetts,  and  on  the  west, 
south,  and  east  by  Cumberland  and  North  Smithfield.  The  Blackstone 
River  flows  in  at  the  northwest  corner  of  the  city,  executes  two  bends 
in  the  shape  of  a  'W,'  is  joined  at  the  top  of  the  second  loop  by  the  Mill 
and  Peters  Rivers,  and  flows  out  at  the  southeast  corner.  The  name 
Woonsocket  derives  from  the  Indian  word  Miswosakit,  which  means  'at 
the  very  steep  hill.'  The  hill  referred  to  is  now  called  Woonsocket  Hill 
and  lies  in  North  Smithfield. 

To  the  visitor  the  most  striking  aspect  of  modern  Woonsocket  is  the 
French  character  of  the  city  which  makes  it  different  from  most  com- 
munities south  of  the  Canadian  border.  People  of  French-Canadian  ex- 
traction make  up  three-quarters  of  the  population.  A  great  many  of 
these  are  bi-lingual,  but  Fiench  is  the  prevailing  tongue.  It  is  heard  in 
the  streets,  shops,  mills,  and  parks.  There  are  French  newspapers,  French 
'  talkies '  in  the  theaters,  and  French  radio  programs.  Americanisms  are 
often  admitted,  so  that  at  a  baseball  game  one  may  sometimes  hear 


312  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

such  expressions  as,  'Frappe  un  home-run,  Joe!'  or,  'Attende  un  base 
on  balls ! '  In  general,  however,  the  speech  of  the  French  has  been  re- 
markably persistent. 

The  first  white  settlers  in  this  region  were  Richard  and  John  Arnold, 
sons  of  Thomas  Arnold,  a  companion  in  exile  of  Roger  Williams.  The 
North  Smithfield  lands  were  bought  from  the  Nipmuck  Indians  by  a 
committee  from  Providence  in  1662,  the  deed  being  given  by  Wesauomog, 
'  sachem  and  inhabitant  of  Miswosakit.' 

In  1666,  Richard  Arnold  built  a  sawmill  on  the  Blackstone  River  near 
the  present  Woonsocket  Falls.  His  house  was  at  the  'Cross  Roads'  in 
what  is  now  Union  Village  (see  Tour  4).  For  about  thirty  years  this 
sawmill  was  the  only  structure  within  the  present  limits  of  Woonsocket. 
In  1695,  John  Arnold  built  a  simple,  one-and-one-half -story  cabin  near 
the  present  intersection  of  Coe  and  Providence  Streets.  It  had  a  large 
stone  chimney,  and  the  only  access  to  the  attic  was  a  flight  of  steps 
leading  up  the  outside  of  the  structure.  In  1712,  he  built  a  larger  house 
beside  the  former.  The  original  cabin  has  disappeared,  but  the  1712 
house  is  standing. 

In  1720,  a  group  of  Quakers  from  the  'Cross  Roads'  banded  together 
and  built  a  forge  or  'bloomery'  near  the  falls.  They  probably  secured 
ore  from  Iron  Mine  Hill  in  Cumberland.  The  establishment  operated 
until  the  early  years  of  the  nineteenth  century,  manufacturing  scythes, 
axes,  and  plowshares  for  the  neighboring  farmers. 

The  early  inhabitants  of  Woonsocket  were  of  Colonial  stock  and  in  the 
agricultural  and  formative  period  of  the  community  they  instituted  the 
first  small  commercial  and  industrial  ventures.  The  earliest  foreign  ele- 
ments began  to  arrive  in  response  to  the  growing  need  for  labor  in  the 
mills.  In  the  early  part  of  the  nineteenth  century,  Irish  and  English 
immigration  was  predominant.  As  the  century  wore  on,  labor  was  re- 
cruited from  among  the  French  people  of  Quebec  and  Three  Rivers. 
These  moved  in  and  multiplied  so  rapidly  that  they  soon  outstripped  all 
other  groups,  giving  the  present  character  to  the  city.  The  French- 
Canadian  people  are  very  proud  of  their  racial  heritage  and  tend  to 
discourage  the  loss  of  its  distinctive  elements. 

The  foundation  of  Woonsocket's  eminence  in  the  textile  industry  was 
laid  in  1810  with  the  organization  of  the  Social  Manufacturing  Company. 
Attracted  by  the  success  of  Samuel  Slater's  cotton  spinning  venture  in 
Pawtucket  (see  PAWTUCKET),  Ariel,  Abner,  and  Nathan  Ballou,  Luke 
and  Job  Jenckes,  Eben  Bartlett  and  Joseph  Arnold  formed  the  corpora- 
tion. A  small  frame  mill,  known  locally  as  'the  pistareen'  (a  small 
Portuguese  coin),  was  erected  on  a  plot  of  land  adjacent  to  the  Mill 
River.  The  plant  contained  two  thousand  spindles,  as  well  as  carding 
and  repairing  machinery. 

Other  cotton  mills  were  soon  erected  along  the  Blackstone  and  its  trib- 
utaries. Until  1901  this  branch  of  the  textile  industry  superseded  all 
others  in  Woonsocket.  In  that  year  the  manufacture  of  woolen  yarns 


Woonsocket  313 


and  fabrics  outstripped  its  predecessor.  At  the  present  time  most  cotton 
operations  have  been  suspended. 

Until  1826  Woonsocket's  only  connection  with  the  outside  world  was  by 
stagecoach  and  other  horse-drawn  vehicles.  In  that  year  the  Blackstone 
Canal  (see  Transportation)  was  opened  and  functioned  with  moderate 
success  until  1848,  when  it  was  supplanted  by  rail  connections  with 
Providence  and  Worcester.  A  contemporary  editorial  writer  objected 
vainly  to  the  laying  of  the  railroad  because  it  would  eliminate  the  revenue 
the  town  enjoyed  in  feeding  some  two  hundred  horses  daily.  Rail  con- 
nection with  Boston  was  accomplished  in  1863. 

The  preparation,  spinning,  and  weaving  of  wool  became  the  second  im- 
portant Woonsocket  industry  in  1840,  when  Edward  Harris  erected  a 
factory  for  the  manufacture  of  fancy,  all-wool  cassimeres.  The  venture 
was  successful,  due  largely  to  the  use  of  power  carders.  In  1860,  Harris 
supervised  the  construction  of  a  woolen  factory  completed  during  the 
Civil  War  and  which  was  regarded  as  the  finest  mill  of  its  kind  in  America. 
The  success  of  Harris  stimulated  other  woolen  and  worsted  enterprises 
until,  about  1890,  Woonsocket  was  looked  upon  as  the  heart  of  the  woolen 
textile  trade  in  this  country.  Such  was  its  reputation  that  several  leading 
yarn  concerns  in  France  negotiated  for  the  construction  of  large  plants 
in  the  city.  These  mills  were  erected  about  the  close  of  the  century, 
and  by  1901  the  fabrication  of  woolen  products  had  taken  the  leading 
industrial  position  in  this  section. 

Machine  and  tool  manufacture,  the  third  chief  industry  of  Woonsocket, 
was  an  offshoot  of  the  first  two.  Originally  all  machine  work  necessary 
in  the  textile  business  was  maintained  by  the  industries  themselves.  As 
the  factory  system  expanded,  such  operations  were  no  longer  feasible, 
and  the  manufacture  of  machines  and  machine  parts  grew  up  as  a  separate 
industry.  Several  concerns  of  this  kind  were  established,  the  most  no- 
table being  the  Woonsocket  Machine  and  Press  Company  and  the  Taft 
and  Pierce  Manufacturing  Company,  both  of  which  gained  international 
distribution  for  their  products. 

Two  other  firms  had  their  origins  in  Woonsocket.  The  present  American 
Wringer  is  the  outgrowth  of  the  older  Bailey  Washing  Machine  and 
Wringer  Company.  Selden  A.  Bailey  of  Wrentham,  Massachusetts,  just 
north  of  Woonsocket,  was  the  inventor  of  the  clothes  wringer.  The 
Woonsocket  Rubber  Company  operated  on  a  meager  basis  for  many 
years  until  John  F.  Holt  invented  a  rubber  varnish  for  boots  and  shoes. 
This  development  made  the  old  gum-shoe  rubbers  obsolete,  and  Woon- 
socket rubber  became  known  throughout  the  world.  The  present  United 
States  Rubber  Company  is  the  successor  of  the  earlier  firm. 

Special  sections  of  the  city  have  acquired  distinctive  names.  The  Globe 
and  the  Hamlet  derive  from  two  small  villages  which  were  at  one  time 
part  of  the  general  community  of  Woonsocket.  The  Social,  Privilege, 
and  Bernon  sections  have  acquired  their  names  from  early  mills  and  the 
community  houses  which  surrounded  them.  These  sections  are  referred 


314  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

to  as  'The  Privilege,'  'The  Bernon,'  and  so  on.  The  Social  district  has 
the  most  intensely  French  aspect,  while  the  industrial  section,  with  more 
than  twenty-five  plants  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  woolen  products, 
is  most  representative  of  the  city. 

The  first  church  in  this  district  was  a  Quaker  meeting-house  at  the 
'Cross  Roads'  (see  Tour  4).  Between  1830  and  1840  several  Protestant 
societies  were  organized  and  built  churches  within  the  present  limits  of 
the  city.  French-Canadian  immigration  stimulated  the  growth  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  congregation,  and  today  there  are  several  large  churches 
in  the  city  where  services  are  given  in  French.  Nearly  one-half  of  the 
children  of  the  city  attend  parochial  schools,  of  which  there  are  nine  of 
elementary  and  two  of 'high  school  rank.  The  public  school  system  in- 
cludes eighteen  elementary  schools  and  one  high  school. 

Woonsocket  did  not  attain  corporate  identity  until  the  last  quarter  of 
the  nineteenth  century.  Prior  to  that  time  it  lay  within  the  agricultural 
towns  of  Cumberland  and  North  Smithfield.  Each  was  reluctant  to 
forego  the  tax  revenues  of  the  thriving  textile  center  that  had  developed 
along  their  northern  boundaries.  Local  agitation  was  finally  successful, 
and  the  General  Assembly  divorced  Woonsocket  from  Cumberland  in 
1867  and  from  North  Smithfield  in  1871.  The  city  was  incorporated  in 
1888. 


TOUR  1.5  m. 


W.  from  corner  of  Park  Ave.  on  Carnngton  Ave. 

1.  Church  of  the  Precious  Blood  (Precieux  Sang;  French  R.C.),  NE.  cor. 
of  Park  and  Carrington  Aves.,  a  red-brick,  gable-roofed  structure  of 
Victorian  Gothic  design,  with  a  buttressed  and  pinnacled  tower  rising 
from  the  left  front  corner,  was  dedicated  in  July,  1880,  after  the  design 
of  W.  F.  Fontaine  and  Sons  of  Woonsocket.   The  belfry,  with  openings 
on  each  of  its  four  sides,  is  surmounted  by  a  small  octagonal  clock-tower 
which  in  turn  is  topped  with  a  small  ribbed  dome.   On  the  front  facade 
with  its  spotty  white  trim  is  a  slightly  projecting  gable  over  the  paneled 
entrance  door,  and  a  small  rose  window  is  placed  in  the  gable  end  above 
the  two  stained-glass  windows  of  the  second  story.   The  vaulted  ceiling 
and  stained-glass  windows  of  the  interior  provide  an  appropriate  setting 
for  religious  services. 

2.  Jesus  Marie  Convent,  SW.  cor.  Park  and  Carrington  Aves.,  houses  an 
order  that  was  founded  in  connection  with  the  Precious  Blood  Church 
in  1874,  by  the  Religieuses  de  Jesus  Marie.    Ten  years  later,  land  was 
purchased  across  from  the  church,  and  construction  of  a  convent  begun. 
The  first  mass  was  celebrated  in  1885.   This  three-  and  four-story  struc- 
ture was  completed  in  1889;  two  additions  were  dedicated  in   1927. 
In  the  chapel  of  Gothic  design  are  side  stalls  for  the  Sisters,  while  pews 
for  other  attendants  are  in  the  center. 


Woonsocket 


3.  St.  James  Episcopal  Church  (1833),  cor.  Carrington  and  Hamlet  Aves., 
is  a  large  frame  structure,  of  little  architectural  distinction,  which  has 
been  much  enlarged  and  remodeled  since  its  first  erection.    The  parish 
was  organized  in  April,  1832;  the  first  rector,  Dr.  Crocker,  used  to  walk 
from  Providence,  16  m.  distant,  to  hold  services  in  Woonsocket.   During 
the  Dorr  War  of  1842  (see  History),  soldiers  were  quartered  in  the  church. 

L.  from  Carrington  Ave.  on  Front  St. 

4.  Courthouse  (1896)  (open  9-5  weekdays;  Sat.  9-12),  Court  Square,  facing 
Court  St.  Bridge,  a  two-story  granite  building,  houses  the  i2th  District 
Court  on  the  first  floor,  while  the  second  floor  is  used  by  the  Superior 
C9urt  for  its  quarterly  circuit.    In  the  square  in  front  of  the  building 
is 'a  bronze  Statue  (1925),  mounted  on  a  rough  boulder,  erected  in  honor 
of  Woonsocket  men  who  fought  in  the  war  with  Spain  and  the  Philippine 
Insurrection  (1898-1902).  Designed  by  Allen  Newman  of  New  York,  it 
represents  an  American  soldier  hiking  along  with  a  devil-may-care  atti- 
tude. 

R.  across  Court  St.  Bridge  to  Depot  Square;  L.  at  Depot  Square  on  Main  St. 

5.  City  Hall  and  Harris  Institute  Library  (City  Hall  open  9-5  weekdays; 
Sat.  9-12:  Library  open  weekdays  12.30-8.30,  Sat.  12  noon-9),  157  Main 
St.,  a  four-story  granite  building,  is  in  the  center  of  the  business  district. 
It  was  originally  founded  (1856)  as  the  Harris  Institute  by  Edward  Harris, 
a  prominent  woolen  manufacturer  of  the  i9th  century.  Abraham  Lincoln 
spoke  here  during  his  first  Presidential  campaign.  The  building  was  taken 
over  by  the  city  to  serve  as  an  administrative  center.  It  houses  the  city's 
only  public  library,  which  has  about  37,000  books,  1600  being  in  French. 
Yearly  circulation  varies  between  190,000  and  200,000.   The  library  has 
substantially  complete  files  of  the  Woonsocket  Weekly  and  Daily  Patriot. 
Portraits  of  the  founder,  Edward  Harris,  and  of  an  early  trustee,  Samuel 
Foss,  are  in  the  main  reading-room. 

From  the  Main  St.  bridge  over  the  Blackstone  River,  Woonsocket  Falls 
(R)  can  be  seen,  and  the  landscape  of  the  center  of  the  city  (L). 

6.  Globe  Congregational  Church  (1900),  cor.  S.  Main  and  Providence 
Sts.,  a  brick  structure  with  granite  trim,  houses  a  parish  that  was  organ- 
ized in  December,  1834. 

L.  from  S.  Main  St.  on  Providence  St. 

7.  John  Arnold  House  (1712)  (private),  NW.  cor.  Coe  and  Providence 
Sts.,  marks  the  site  of  the  first  house  in  Woonsocket  built  by  John  Arnold 
in  1695.   This  larger  house  was  built  by  Arnold  alongside  of  the  former. 
So  many  alterations  have  been  made  since  its  original  erection  that  prob- 
ably nothing  but  rafters  and  beams  remain  from  the  early  structure. 
In  a  ceiling  rafter  is  carved  the  date  1712. 

8.  Willing  Vose  House  (private),  NE.  cor.  Providence  and  E.  Orchard 
Sts.,  looks  much  older  than  the  renovated  John  Arnold  House,  but  is 
actually  of  later  date,  although  the  year  of  its  construction  is  not  known. 
The  house  is  a  long  two-story  clapboarded  structure,  with  two  chimneys 


316  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

rising  from  the  gable  roof.  It  has  been  made  into  two  separate  tenements, 
owned  by  different  landlords,  and  the  discrepancy  in  the  care  of  the  two 
halves  gives  the  house  a  curious  appearance.  The  house  was  at  one  time 
the  principal  dwelling  on  the  Vose  Farm,  and  in  the  rear,  enclosed  by  a 
wire  fence,  is  the  old  Vose  private  burial  ground.  In  this  cemetery  lie  the 
remains  of  John  Arnold,  first  white  settler  in  Woonsocket. 


OTHER  POINTS  OF  INTEREST 


9.  St.  Charks'  Church  (R.C.),  cor.  N.  Main  and  Daniel  Sts.,  is  the  mother 
parish  of  the  Roman  Catholic  congregation  in  northern  Rhode  Island. 
The  first  church  in  this  area  was  built  on  this  site  in  1844,  a  small  wooden 
structure  that  burned  in  1868.  In  the  same  year,  the  present  building  was 
erected.  Many  changes  have  been  made  in  its  structure  since  that  time. 
The  building  is  of  granite  in  Gothic  perpendicular  style.    The  main 
entrance,  approached  by  granite  steps,  consists  of  a  paneled  door  recessed 
into  an  arched  opening.   At  the  corner  of  the  church  is  a  square  tower 
rising  well  above  the  church  proper.  Within  this  tower  are  musical  chimes. 
The  stained-glass  windows  over  the  choir  loft  were  designed  by  Joseph 
Gardiner  Reynolds,  Jr.,  formerly  of  Wickford.   The  architect  was  P.  C. 
Keeley,  who  designed  the  Cathedral  of  SS.  Peter  and  Paul  in  Providence. 

10.  St.  Anne's  Church  (R.C.),  122  Cumberland  St.,  originally  an  offshoot 
of  the  Precieux  Sang  Parish,  is  itself  the  mother  church  of  three  other 
churches  in  the  predominantly  French  Social  district.   It  was  dedicated 
in  1891.   The  architects  were  W.  F.  Fontaine  and  Sons  of  Woonsocket. 
The  church,  a  large  buff-colored  stone  structure  with  both  Romanesque 
and  Renaissance  architectural  features,  is  rectangular  in  plan,  with  two 
high  towers  at  the  front  corners.  These  towers  have  large  openings  at  the 
top,  and  are  surmounted  by  classic  cornices  supported  by  columns.  The 
towers  are  surmounted  by  cupolas  with  arched  openings  and  pointed 
domes.  The  front  facade  with  its  portico,  pedimented  door,  large  arched 
window  over  the  entrance,  and  its  parapet  along  the  gable  end,  appears 
impressive  below  the  soaring  corner  towers. 

11.  Holy  Family  Church  (Sainte  Famille,  French  R.C.),  414-420  S.  Main 
St.,  is  a  structure  of  brick  with  white  trim.    Romanesque  in  design,  it 
is  rectangular  in  plan  and  has  a  large  well-proportioned  arcaded  porch; 
the  three  white  trimmed  arches  of  the  porch  are  flanked  by  columns  and 
lead  to  the  entrance  doors.   Surmounting  the  entrance  porch  and  some- 
what overpowering  in  scale  is  a  tower  of  two  stages    The  first  stage,  rising 
to  the  level  of  the  roof  ridge,  is  square  in  plan  and  has  tall  arched  windows 
on  three  sides;  the  upper  stage  of  the  tower  has  corner  turrets  and  a 
louvered  arched  opening  on  each  side  of  the  belfry.  Terminating  the  whole 
is  a  dormered  spire  topped  with  a  cross. 

12.  First  Baptist  Church,  298  Blackstone  St.,  a  large  brick  edifice  with 
a  square  clock-tower,  is  the  only  Baptist  church  in  the  city.  The  Baptists 


Woonsocket  317 


organized  at  a  meeting  held  in  May,  1833,  at  the  home  of  Philip  Bryant, 
now  the  site  of  the  Globe  Congregational  Church.  Previous  to  that 
preaching  services  were  held  in  the  Ballou  School  and  the  first  prayer  was 
held  at  the  home  of  Mrs.  Eliza  Voss. 

Incorporated  under  the  name  of  the  Woonsocket  Falls  Baptist  Church, 
the  first  church  was  located  on  what  is  now  High  St.,  but  was  then  called 
Baptist  Hill.  Forest  stumps  stood  like  sentinels  around  it.  The  literary 
exercises  of  the  first  observance  of  the  Fourth  of  July  took  place  in  this 
meeting-house  in  1833.  About  ten  years  later,  the  members  who  embraced 
Millerism  (advocates  of  the  sudden  coming  of  the  Day  of  Judgment) 
were  excluded  from  the  church  because  they  sat  on  house-tops,  robed  in 
white,  waiting  to  be  taken  to  heaven. 

The  Rev.  Frederick  Denison,  who  resigned  as  minister  in  December,  1875, 
after  serving  18  months,  wrote  in  his  diary:  'Closed  my  labors  at  the 
Woonsocket  Church  today.  Hard  church  in  hard  place.  Want  of  intel- 
lectuality and  character.  Have  always  misused  ministers.  Name  in  bad 
repute  far  and  wide.  Finis.'  The  cornerstone  of  the  present  church,  the 
third,  was  laid  in  1891.  In  1911,  the  church  and  society  were  incorporated 
under  the  name  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  of  Woonsocket. 

Woonsocket  has  also,  in  addition  to  several  other  Catholic  churches 
than  those  mentioned  above,  a  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  (Federal  St.), 
a  Universalist  Church  (cor.  Snow  and  Carle  Sts.),  a  Polish  church,  St. 
Stanislas  (cor.  Harris  Ave.  and  Blackstone  St.),  and  a  Ukranian  Orthodox 
church,  St.  Michael's  (Blackstone  St.  near  Harris  Ave.). 

13.  Cold  Spring  Park,  between  Harris  Ave.  and  Blackstone  River,  is  a 
25-acre  park  along  the  shore  of  the  river  offering  opportunities  for  relaxa- 
tion and  scenic  enjoyment.   The  plot  is  laid  out  with  walks  and  settees, 
and  is  planted  with  grass  and  trees.  It  derives  its  name  from  a  spring  of 
clear  water  where  near-by  residents  come  for  refreshment  in  preference 
to  the  city  water  supply.  The  spring  has  been  confined  within  a  tower-like 
structure  of  cobblestones. 

14.  Edna  Dunn  Park,  Asylum  St.,  in  the  western,  or  Fairmount  section 
of  the  city,  is  named  in  memory  of  a  nurse  who  died  in  service  during  the 
World  War.  It  contains  a  baseball  diamond  and  other  sporting  facilities. 

15.  Globe  Park,  Smithfield  Rd.  between  Providence  and  Coe  Sts.,  a  31- 
acre  park  on  the  southern  boundary  of  Woonsocket,  has  swings,  slides, 
and  other  juvenile  recreational  facilities.    There  is  also  a  dammed-up 
pond  for  swimming  in  summer  and  skating  in  winter. 

1 6.  Barry  Memorial  Field,  Smithfield  Rd.  between  Providence  St.  and 
Park  Ave.,  is  a  22-acre  athletic  field  that  was  taken  over  by  the  city  about 
1925.   Baseball,  football,  tennis,  and  track  facilities,  as  well  as  a  club- 
house, are  maintained.    The  area  is  named  in  memory  of  Dr.  William 
Barry,  a  physician  who,  before  his  death,  was  an  enthusiastic  supporter 
of  local  athletics.  This  area  was  formerly  called  Agricultural  Park,  a  name 
that  harks  back  to  the  founding,  in  1867,  of  an  association  for  the  promo- 


31 B  Main  Street  and  Village  Green 

tion  of  annual  fairs  and  race  meetings.  It  served  this  purpose  for  many 
years,  and  was  then,  as  now,  a  popular  resort  for  the  local  citizens. 

17.  Central  Park,  Cass  Ave.,  comprises  about  45  acres  devoted  to  chil- 
dren's amusements.  A  swimming  pool  is  provided,  as  well  as  a  pond  for 
skating.  The  area  is  convenient  for  the  many  French  children  of  the 
Social  district. 


III.   HIGH   ROADS   AND 
LOW   ROADS 


TOUR     1  :     From  MASSACHUSETTS  LINE  (North  Attteboro) 
to  CONNECTICUT  LINE  (New  London),  60  m.,  US  1. 


Via  Pawtucket,  Providence,  Warwick,  Narragansett  Pier,  Westerly 
Good  hard-surfaced  road,  mostly  three-  and  four-lane. 

Tourist  accommodations  of  all  kinds  in  Providence;  limited  accommodations 
elsewhere. 

State  Police  Barracks  at  Wickford  (Phone,  Wickford  12). 
Shore  Line  of  the  N.Y.,  N.H.  &  H.  R.R.  parallels  this  route. 

RHODE  ISLAND  'towns'  would  in  most  other  parts  of  the  Union  be 
called '  townships ' ;  either  term  designates  an  area  incorporated  as  a  unit  of 
local  government,  whether  containing  one  center  of  population  or  several. 
In  Rhode  Island  the  towns  vary  in  area  from  about  6  square  miles  to  more 
than  60.  The  town  hall  may  be  situated  in  the  largest  center  of  popula- 
tion, or  it  may  be  located  in  an  open  countryside  where  originally  placed 
for  reasons  that  are  now  past  history.  Some  towns  (i.e.,  townships)  con- 
tain a  population  center,  or  village,  that  bears  the  same  name  as  the  town, 
and  some  do  not.  In  the  town  of  Burrillville,  for  example,  there  is  no 
village  of  the  same  name,  the  town  hall  being  located  in  Harrisville. 
Westerly,  on  the  other  hand,  is  both  the  name  of  a  town  and  of  its  chief 
village.  For  the  convenience  of  visitors  from  outside  New  England  we 
have,  in  our  Tour  descriptions,  often  violated  local  tradition  by  calling  the 
towns  townships. 

US  1,  the  most  traveled  though  not  the  shortest  route  between  Boston, 
Massachusetts,  and  New  London,  Connecticut,  enters  Rhode  Island  in  an 
industrial  and  commercial  area.  It  passes  through  Providence,  the  capital 
city,  and  its  thickly  populated  environs  of  Pawtucket  and  Cranston. 
South  of  the  latter  city  the  route  passes  through  a  less  densely  settled  sec- 
tion of  the  State,  through  the  coastal  townships  of  Warwick,  East  Green- 
wich, Narragansett,  and  the  Kingstowns  which  are  rich  in  historic  sites. 
The  road  in  many  places  affords  pleasant  views  of  a  prosperous  farming 
country  and  of  the  waters  of  Narragansett  Bay  and  the  Atlantic  Ocean. 

US  1  crosses  the  Rhode  Island  Line  40  m.  south  of  Boston,  Massachu- 
setts, and  runs  for  about  three  miles  through  the  eastern  section  of  Paw- 
tucket. 

PAWTUCKET,  1.5  m.  (alt.  25,  pop.  77,149,  sett.  1671,  incorp.  1885),  textile  and 
machinery  manufacturing  city  (see  PAWTUCKET). 

Points  of  Interest:  Old  Slater  Mill;  Oliver  Starkweather  House;  Old  Pidge  Tavern; 
Daggett  House;  Narragansett  Race  Track. 

Unfortunately  US  1  by-passes  many  of  the  historic  sites  of  this  old  city  to 
run  on  Broadway  past  small  stores  and  tenements. 

At  1.7  m.  is  the  Division  Street  Bridge  over  the  Pawtucket  River,  which 
once  provided  water-power  for  the  Slater  cotton  mill  and  other  early  tex- 


322  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

tile  factories.  At  the  west  end  of  the  bridge,  the  road  bears  left  onto  Paw- 
tucket  Ave.,  where  is  the  Pidge  Tavern,  3.1  m.  (L),  said  to  be  the  oldest 
house  in  Rhode  Island.  The  right  end  of  this  substantial  two-and-one- 
half-story  building  faces  the  street. 

At  3.2  m.  is  the  Pawtucket-Providence  boundary  line. 

PROVIDENCE,  5.7  m.  (alt.  12,  pop.  252,981),  State  capital,  jewelry  manufacturing 
center,  seaport  (see  PROVIDENCE). 

Points  of  Interest:  State  House;  Brown  University;  Rhode  Island  School  of  Design 
(arts  and  crafts) ;  and  many  historic  and  architecturally  important  houses. 

Other  Tours  leading  out  of  Providence,  see  Tours  2,  4,  4A,  4C,  10,  and  11. 

The  city,  second  largest  in  New  England,  is  entered  from  the  north  on 
Main  Street,  once  an  Indian  trail.  Opposite  the  old  Jeremiah  Dexter 
House,  957  N.  Main  St.,  is  the  North  Burial  Ground,  originally  set  aside 
in  1700  for  a  'training  field,  burying  ground,  and  other  public  uses.' 
Many  famous  Rhode  Islanders  are  interred  here. 

Leaving  N.  Main  St.  at  4.3  m.  on  Smith  St.  (US  44,  see  Tour  11),  the  high- 
way twists  deviously  through  a  number  of  side  streets  lying  a  short  dis- 
tance west  of  the  center  of  the  city.  From  State  St.,  beside  the  main  line 
of  the  railroad  (L),  can  be  seen  St.  Patrick's  Church  (R),  the  State  Office 
Building  and  State  House  (R).  The  latter,  first  occupied  in  1901,  is  a  long 
marble  building  designed  in  classic  style.  On  Gaspee  St.,  just  west  of  the 
State  House,  is  the  Rhode  Island  College  of  Education  (R) .  Gaspee  St. 
crosses  the  Woonasquatucket  River  and  passes  underneath  the  railroad 
tracks  leading  to  the  Union  Station  (L),  in  order  to  reach  Exchange 
Place,  in  the  center  of  the  city. 

Thence  by  Fountain  St.  US  1  passes  the  rear  of  the  Public  Library,  veers 
(L)  into  Franklin  St.,  crossing  Westminster  St.  (US  6,  see  Tour  10),  on 
which  is  Sts.  Peter  and  Paul  Cathedral  (L),  the  administrative  center  of 
the  Roman  Catholic  Diocese  of  Rhode  Island. 

At  6.9  m.  is  a  junction  with  Elm  wood  Ave.,  at  which  stands  Grace  Church 
Cemetery  (L).  US  1  bears  right  on  Elm  wood  Ave.  to  pass  the  Elmwood 
Public  Library  (R),  275  Elmwood  Ave.,  and  Locust  Grove  Cemetery  (L). 

At  the  junction  with  Reservoir  Ave.,  8  m.  (State  3,  see  Tour  2),  is  a  bronze 
Statue  of  Columbus  (R),  modeled  by  Bartholdi,  the  sculptor  of  New 
York's  Statue  of  Liberty,  and  originally  cast  in  silver  for  the  1893  World's 
Fair  in  Chicago. 

At  8.8  m.  is  an  entrance  to  beautiful  Roger  Williams  Park  (L),  a  recrea- 
tional development  containing  lakes,  gardens,  shady  drives,  tennis  courts, 
a  zoo,  and  the  Benedict  Memorial  to  Music. 

At  9.6  m.,  the  intersection  of  Elmwood  (US  1)  and  Park  Aves.,  is  the 
Providence-Cranston  boundary  line.  US  1  runs  for  about  1  m.  through  the 
eastern  outskirts  of  Cranston  (see  Tour  2),  an  industrial  city  famous  for 
its  textile  and  wire  mills. 

Left  on  Park  Ave.  1.3  m.  to  the  junction  with  Broad  St. 

Left  0.2  m.  from  Park  Ave.  is  the  William  H.  Hall  Memorial  Library  (open),  1825 


From  North  Attleboro  to  New  London  323 

Broad  St.,  the  largest  of  six  public  libraries  in  the  city.  It  is  a  three-story  granite 
structure  (1927),  with  attractively  landscaped  grounds.  It  was  named  for  the 
donor  of  funds  for  its  erection,  William  H.  Hall,  a  19th-century  town  official  and 
member  of  the  State  Legislature. 

Right  on  Broad  St.  to  the  picturesque  little  village  of  PAWTUXET,  2  m.  (Cranston 
City),  built  around  the  edge  of  Pawtuxet  Cove,  the  mouth  of  the  Pawtuxet  River. 
For  the  last  three  miles  of  its  length  the  Pawtuxet  River,  which  forms  the  boundary 
line  between  Cranston  and  Warwick,  winds  in  and  out  past  fern-lined  banks  and 
birch  groves.  The  Cove  itself  is  crowded  with  boats  of  all  sizes  (boats  with  fishing 
equipment  for  charter  from  docks  at  foot  of  Aborn  St.).  In  the  early  igth  century  the 
village  of  Pawtuxet  was  the  home  of  several  whaling  captains. 

In  the  village  of  Pawtuxet  are  many  opportunities  for  recreation;  among  the  out- 
standing centers  is  Rhodes  on  the  Pawtuxet  (open),  near  the  south  end  of  Broad  St. 
This  i4-acre  development  was  begun  by  Thomas  H.  Rhodes  in  1872,  as  a  site  for 
clambakes.  Other  facilities  have  been  added  so  that  the  institution,  now  controlled 
by  a  corporation,  can  care  for  several  thousand  persons  at  one  time.  The  center  of 
attraction  is  a  huge  casino  with  two  large  dance  floors,  and  an  annex  for  small 
private  parties.  Opposite  the  main  entrance  to  the  casino  is  a  large  mural  of  a 
Venetian  fishing  fleet  by  H.  Anthony  Dyer  of  Providence.  Three  private  canoe 
clubs  have  quarters  here.  (Canoes  and  rowboats  for  hire  25£  per  hour.) 

Adjoining  Rhodes  on  the  west  is  the  Pawtuxet  River  Reservation,  a  State  park;  on 
the  eastern  edge  of  the  village  are  two  smaller  State  parks  offering  bathing  facili- 
ties —  Edgewood  Beach  of  about  10  acres,  and  Stillhouse  Cove  Reservation. 

The  Edgewood  Yacht  Club  (private),  foot  of  Shaw  Ave.,  was  founded  in  1908.  It 
is  very  active  socially  as  well  as  nautically.  An  annual  cruise  is  held  July  4,  from 
the  club  anchorage  to  Portsmouth.  'Snipe'  races  for  1 6-foot  boats  are  held  each 
autumn,  the  winner  being  given  possession  of  the  trophy  for  a  year.  The  first  trophy 
for  this  race  was  donated  by  Henry  Ford  in  1910. 

Rhode  Island  Yacht  Club  (private),  foot  of  Ocean  Ave.,  founded  1882,  is  the  oldest 
yacht  club  in  the  State.  Weekly  races  for  small  craft  are  held  in  summer.  About 
125  boats  of  various  sizes  fly  the  club  flag.  The  two  largest  are  the  '  Felicia,'  148- 
foot  twin-screw  yacht,  owned  by  a  former  commodore  of  the  club,  Jesse  H.  Met- 
calf  (U.S.  Senator  1924-36) ;  and  the  '  Paragon,'  formerly  owned  by  the  late  Charles 
Davol  of  the  Davol  Rubber  Co.,  Providence. 

At  52  Fort  Ave.  is  the  Site  of  Revolutionary  Fort,  erected  in  1775  to  protect  lower 
Providence  harbor;  it  was  manned  by  the  Pawtuxet  Rangers. 

On  the  south  side  of  the  Pawtuxet  Bridge  is  a  section  of  the  village  of  Pawtuxet 
that  lies  in  the  city  of  Warwick.  At  26  Main  St.  is  the  Bank  Cafe,  a  three-story 
yellow  brick  building  that  was  used  as  a  bank  about  1800.  The  present  owner,  Mr. 
Waiter  Arnold,  gladly  displays  to  curious  visitors  a  collection  of  old  notes,  checks, 
and  scrip  money.  Mr.  Arnold  also  has  lottery  tickets  issued  in  1761  to  raise  money 
for  paving  the  streets  of  Providence;  and  others  issued  later  for  building  the 
Crawford  Street  Bridge,  and  repairing  the  Congregational  meeting-house.  The 
vault  is  used  to  store  wines  and  liquors. 

South  on  the  Narragansett  Parkway,  at  3.3  m.  (L)  is  Gaspee  Point,  formerly 
Namquit  Point,  where  the  British  revenue  sloop '  Gaspee'  ran  aground  June  9, 1772, 
and  was  that  night  burned  by  a  group  of  Providence  patriots  who  rowed  down  to 
the  stranded  vessel.  Overlooked  by  high  bluffs  that  are  dotted  by  tents  and  cot- 
tages, Gaspee  Point  offers  over  a  mile  of  sandy  beach  favorable  for  bathing.  In 
mid-stream,  Bullocks  Point  Light  stands  out  against  the  background  formed  by 
the  opposite  shore.  In  a  northeasterly  direction  are  seen  protruding  piers  at 
Riverside  and  Crescent  Park,  while  farther  north  are  the  tanks  and  docked  tankers 
of  the  Standard  Oil  Co.  In  the  southeast  the  now  abandoned  Nayatt  Light  stands 
at  the  entrance  to  Barrington  River,  opposite  the  long  low  line  of  Conimicut  Point. 
The  web-like  structure  of  the  Mount  Hope  Bridge  crosses  the  skyline  far  to  the 
south. 


324  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

At  3.8  m.  the  Narragansett  Parkway  becomes  Spring  Green  Ave.;  at  4.4  m.  left 
on  Warwick  Ave. 

The  Site  of  Camp  Ames,  4.9  m.  (L)  indicated  by  a  bronze  tablet,  was  the  camping 
ground  of  the  Third  Rhode  Island  Volunteers  previous  to  their  departure  for  the 
Civil  War,  in  September,  1861. 

At  5.1  m.  on  Warwick  Ave.  is  the  junction  with  a  side  road  that  leads  0.2  m.  left 
to  the  Governor  Francis  House  (1708),  a  large  yellow  frame  structure  with  green- 
and-white  trim.  The  building,  fronting  on  Narragansett  Bay,  is  surmounted  by 
a  roof  railing,  or  imitation  'captain's  walk'  of  modern  construction.  The  spacious 
dimensions  of  the  original  structure  can  still  be  noted  despite  additions,  particularly 
to  the  rear  ell,  which  itself  appears  to  be  a  composite  of  an  old  section  and  a  newer 
one.  A  relic  on  the  farm  is  a  coach  purchased  by  Governor  Francis  in  1781;  it  is 
the  coach  used  by  George  Washington  during  a  sojourn  in  Providence. 

HOXSIE,  5.3  m.  (Warwick  city),  is  a  residential  community  of  one-family  homes, 
most  of  which  have  ample  grounds.  The  uncrowded  conditions  enable  home- 
owners to  have  flower  and  vegetable  gardens,  and  to  keep  flocks  of  chickens. 
Warwick  Pond,  a  little  south  of  the  village  center,  affords  fishing  and  boating.  On 
the  shore  of  the  pond  is  the  Lakeside  Preventorium,  conducted  by  the  Providence 
Tuberculosis  League,  with  beds  for  56  child  patients. 

At  the  foot  of  Rock  Ave.  near  the  village  center  is  Mark  Rock,  a  ledge  of  many 
fragments  with  surface  markings.  Some  of  the  latter  are  said  to  have  been  made 
by  the  Indians.  Decomposition  is  rapidly  obliterating  the  inscriptions. 

Near  the  northern  edge  of  the  village  is  the  Site  of  the  Major  Job  Greene  Homestead. 
Here  formerly  stood  a  ten-room  structure  that  was  the  birthplace  of  Colonel 
Christopher  Greene,  the  gallant  Revolutionary  soldier  who  was  killed  in  a  night 
attack  at  Points  Bridge  on  the  Croton  River  in  New  York  in  May,  1781.  A  grave 
in  the  small  family  cemetery  on  this  estate  is  marked,  '  Here  lies  the  bodie  of  Sara 
Tefft,  interred  1642,  age  67.' 

In  the  southern  part  of  Cranston  US  1  traverses  a  fairly  open  countryside, 
dotted  here  and  there  with  large  factories  manufacturing  wire  goods, 
textile  machinery,  and  fire  extinguishers. 

At  10.6  m.  is  the  Cranston- Warwick  boundary  line.  The  4 2 -square-mile 
city  of  Warwick  has  no  metropolitan  center;  within  its  limits  are  more 
than  a  dozen  villages  separated  by  large  tracts  of  woodland  and  open 
fields.  At  11.5  m.  US  1  bears  right  on  the  old  Boston  Post  Road,  the 
route  between  New  York  and  Boston,  which  has  been  heavily  traveled 
since  Colonial  days.  In  this  flat  and  sparsely  forested  section  is  the  State 
Airport,  12.9  m.  (L),  opened  in  the  spring  of  1936. 

In  the  village  of  HILLSGROVE,  13.2  m.  (Warwick  City,  alt.  49),  are 
malleable  iron  works  and  a  large  brewing  company.  Rows  of  tenements 
and  two-family  houses  testify  to  an  active  industrial  life. 

South  of  Greenwood  Bridge,  14.5  m.,  is  the  attractive  residential  village  of 
GREENWOOD  (Warwick  City,  alt.  50). 

At  15.1  m.  on  the  outskirts  of  Apponaug,  Gorton  Pond  (R)  provides  good 
fresh-water  fishing  and  bathing.  On  the  sandy  plains  around  Apponaug 
are  trailing  blackberries  and  a  little  wild  indigo. 

At  William's  Corner,  15.3  m.,  is  the  intersection  with  Apponaug  Rd., 
State  117;  US  1  bears  right  onto  Main  St.  of  Apponaug,  the  administra- 
tive center  of  the  city  of  Warwick.   (For  city  history  see  WARWICK.) 
Left  at  the  intersection  on  State  117  is  the  historic  east  coast  of  Warwick. 


From  North  Attleboro  to  New  London  325 

At  1.2  m.  is  the  junction  with  Buttonwoods  Ave.;  right  0.9  m.  on  this  avenue  is  the 
James  Fones  Greene  Homestead  (about  1715),  a  two-story  frame  house  with  gable 
roof  and  two  flat-roofed  ells.  At  one  time  the  large  Greene  estate,  on  which  the 
first  house,  now  gone,  was  built  in  1687,  included  all  the  land  south  of  this  point 
to  the  shore.  A  large  part  was  sold  in  1868  to  an  association  that  developed  the 
present  community  of  BUTTONWOODS,  1.5  m,,  where  are  many  well-kept  sum- 
mer homes,  and  a  camp  ground  for  vacationists. 

On  State  117  at  2.4  m.  is  (L)  the  entrance  to  Sandy  Beach  on  Little  Pond  (bathing; 
small  parking  fee}. 

At  2.9  m.  is  the  junction  with  Oakland  Beach  Ave.;  right  here  1  m.  to  Oakland 
Beach  on  the  shore  of  Greenwich  Bay.  Once  a  famous  resort,  this  village  retains 
but  a  trace  of  its  former  smartness;  the  old  summer  homes  have  been  made  into 
permanent  residences,  and  small  cottages  and  stores  have  been  wedged  in  at 
random. 

At  the  corner  of  Chiswick  Rd.,  3.4  m.  (R),  is  the  much-remodeled  Daniel  Arnold 
Tavern  (1769)  a  two-story,  shingled,  gable-roofed  structure.  Two  porches  have 
been  added;  the  small  front  porch,  with  side  seats,  gives  access  to  a  window  instead 
of  a  door.  In  the  second  story  are  two  dormer  windows.  When  a  company  of 
American  soldiers  under  Colonel  Barton  captured  the  British  General  Prescott  in 
Portsmouth,  in  July,  1777  (see  Tour  5),  the  expedition  began  at  Warwick  Neck, 
went  to  and  returned  from  Portsmouth  in  boats,  and  quartered  the  captured 
general  in  this  tavern  for  a  night.  This  house,  similar  to  several  others  in  southern 
Rhode  Island,  shows  the  influence  of  the  Connecticut  style  of  i&th -century  farm- 
house architecture. 

At  3.6  m.  is  the  junction  with  Warwick  Neck  Ave.  The  Centennial  Elm  (L)  at  this 
corner  was  planted  in  1876;  it  was  taken  from  the  Governor  Francis  Farm. 

Right  0.5  m.  on  Warwick  Neck  Ave.  to  the  Site  of  the  Samuel  Gorton  House  (L), 
marked  by  a  boulder.  Gorton  was  the  founder  of  Warwick  in  1643. 

At  1.9  m.  on  Warwick  Neck  Ave.  is  the  intersection  with  Narragansett  Ave.,  on 
which  is  (R)  Warwick  Country  Club,  which  offers  to  a  restricted  membership  a  large 
clubhouse,  golf  links,  tennis  courts,  and  boating  facilities.  In  this  vicinity,  near 
Tiffany  Ave.,  is  the  Site  of  Pomham  Fort.  Pomham,  subordinate  sachem  of  the 
Narragansetts,  who  had  submitted  to  the  jurisdiction  of  Massachusetts,  applied 
to  that  Colony  for  protection  from  the  early  settlers  of  Shawomet.  An  officer 
and  ten  men  were  sent  from  Massachusetts  in  response  to  this  entreaty  to  assist 
in  the  building  of  a  fort  at  this  point.  On  the  shore  of  Warwick  Cove,  it  commanded 
the  entrance  to  the  cove  while  an  almost  impenetrable  marshy  thicket  protected  it 
from  the  rear.  At  the  southern  tip  of  the  peninsula,  2.5  m.,  is  the  Warwick  Neck 
Lighthouse. 

East  of  the  junction  with  Warwick  Neck  Ave.  State  117  becomes  West  Shore  Rd. 
The  part  of  the  present  city  around  this  intersection  is  referred  to  as  Old  Warwick. 
Near  the  corner  of  West  Shore  Rd.  and  Church  Ave.,  4.4  m.,  is  Buckets  Brook, 
formerly  known  as  Warner's  Brook.  The  Site  of  the  House  of  John  Warner,  named 
as  the  first  town  clerk  of  Warwick  in  1647,  has  been  indicated  on  its  banks  by  the 
Warwick  Historical  Society.  The  burial  place  of  Ezekiel  Holliman,  who  baptized 
Roger  Williams  (see  History),  is  a  short  distance  from  the  Warner  marker.  A  short 
distance  right  is  the  village  of  CONIMICUT,  one  of  the  more  compact  settle- 
ments of  Warwick.  In  past  years  it  was  a  summer  resort  only,  but  temporary 
residences  have  given  way  to  substantial  and  permanently  occupied  homes. 

On  West  Shore  Rd.  at  4.7  m.  is  the  Peter  Greene  House,  or  Old  Gate  House  (R), 
built  in  1751,  the  second  oldest  house  now  standing  in  the  Old  Warwick  section  of 
the  city.  The  appellation  '  Gate '  as  applied  to  the  house  has  been  traced  back  to 
a  fence  once  enclosing  Conimicut  Point,  then  used  as  a  cow  pasture,  which  had 
a  gate  near  this  structure.  It  is  a  two-story  frame  building  with  unpainted  shingle 
siding  and  a  gable  roof.  The  essential  features  of  this  house  —  central  chimney, 
central  doorway,  and  symmetrical  window  arrangement  —  have  been  preserved, 
but  the  door,  window-panes,  and  side  porch  on  the  rear  ell  are  of  later  date  than 
the  main  house. 


326  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

APPONAUG,  15.7  m.  (alt.  20),  is  also  the  shopping  center  for  the  ex- 
tensive area  comprised  in  Warwick  city;  stores,  markets,  and  public 
buildings  line  US  1  on  Main  Street. 

The  Armory  of  the  Kentish  Artillery  (R)  on  Main  St.,  is  a  red-brick  build- 
ing with  turrets.  The  Kentish  Artillery,  chartered  in  1797,  was  founded 
during  the  Revolution;  first  known  as  the  Kentish  Light  Infantry,  the 
company  assumed  its  present  name  in  1804.  General  Nathanael  Greene 
was  once  a  member  of  this  organization. 

Near  the  Armory  is  the  Warwick  City  Hall  (R),  a  vine-covered  red-brick 
building,  with  clock- tower,  built  in  1835. 

On  Centerville  Rd.  a  little  west  of  the  village  center  is  the  Apponaug 
Company,  a  textile  bleaching  and  printing  mill  with  over  500  employees. 

Drum  Rock,  in  a  field  at  the  end  of  Drum  Rock  Rd.,  is  a  huge  boulder 
weighing  about  two  and  one-half  tons.  By  rocking  this  boulder  on  its 
base  the  Indians  made  a  drumming  sound  that  was  used  as  a  signal  in 
case  of  trouble. 

In  the  center  of  Apponaug,  US  1  bears  left  and  passes  through  the  attrac- 
tive residential  village  of  COWESETT,  17  m.  (Warwick  City,  alt.  20). 
The  large  estates  on  the  ridge  (R)  command  an  extensive  view  of  East 
Greenwich  Bay  (L). 

At  18.3  m.  is  the  Warwick-East  Greenwich  boundary  line. 

EAST  GREENWICH,  18.5  m.  (alt.  40,  township  pop.  3666),  is  a  village 
that  is  the  center  of  the  township  of  the  same  name.  The  latter,  incorpo- 
rated 1677,  was  a  Part  of  Providence  County  until  Kent  County  was 
formed  in  1750.  Many  of  the  first  settlers  were  veterans  of  King  Philip's 
War.  In  pre-Revolutionary  days  the  community  produced  pottery  of 
coarse  red  clay  dug  from  the  near-by  vicinity  of  Quidnesset  and  fired  in 
local  kilns.  The  resulting  product  was  of  inferior  grade,  but  pride  in  local 
industry  gave  it  preference  over  English  pottery.  At  the  present  time  East 
Greenwich  manufactures  textiles  and  textile  machinery,  and  ships  tons 
of  Rhode  Island  shellfish  to  the  States.  Though  much  of  the  township 
land  is  stony,  truck  gardens  cover  the  more  fertile  acres. 

In  the  village,  which  is  built  on  the  side  of  a  long  hill  (R)  facing  Green- 
wich Bay,  are  many  early  American  houses.  On  the  southeast  corner  of 
Division  and  Pierce  Sts.,  is  the  Captain  John  Congdon  House  (1711),  a 
two-story  frame  structure  with  a  gambrel  roof.  On  the  southwest  corner 
of  the  same  intersection  is  the  Eldredge  House,  a  large  white  frame  house 
(about  1757).  This  house  was  bought  in  1788  by  Nathan  Greene,  who 
opened  the  first  tannery  in  town.  West  is  the  Saltpetre  Lot  (L),  where 
Richard  Mathewson  and  Earl  Mowry  manufactured  gunpowder  for  the 
Continental  Army. 

Windmill  Cottage  (L),  at  Division  and  West  Sts.,  is  so  called  because  of 
the  four-story  hexagonal  windmill  attached  to  its  west  side.  This  house 
(about  1818)  was  bought  in  1866  by  the  poet,  Henry  Wadsworth  Long- 
fellow, for  his  friend,  George  Washington  Greene,  diplomat,  historian, 


From  North  Attleboro  to  New  London  327 

and  professor.  This  Dr.  Greene  was  a  grandson  of  General  Nathanael 
Greene  of  Revolutionary  fame. 

Nearly  opposite  Windmill  Cottage  on  the  Warwick  side  of  Division  St. 
is  (R)  the  Governor  William  Greene  Homestead,  or  Samuel  Gorton  Jr. 
House  (about  1680),  a  fine  substantial  frame  structure  two  and  one-half 
stories  high,  with  a  gable  roof.  The  1680  structure  was  evidently  the 
west  end  of  the  present  house;  it  was  built  as  a  three- windowed  house 
with  doorway  and  pilastered  stone  chimney  on  the  right.  The  placing 
of  a  single  chimney  at  one  end  of  a  house,  instead  of  the  middle,  was  a 
characteristic  of  early  Rhode  Island  architecture  (see  Eleazer  Arnold 
House,  Tour  4 A).  The  ell  on  the  north  side  of  the  house  has  a  beautiful 
pedimented  doorway,  with  tracery  and  other  decoration.  William  Greene 
was  governor  of  the  State  from  1778  to  1786.  It  was  in  this  house  that 
Nathanael  Greene  met  and  married  Catherine  Littlefield  in  1774.  The 
future  general  was  remarkably  fond  of  dancing  with  his  fiancee, '  notwith- 
standing his  father's  [a  Quaker]  efforts  to  whip  him  out  of  such  idle 
propensities.'  The  Greene  house  is  the  outstanding  Colonial  relic  in  this 
part  of  the  State. 

At  the  junction  of  Division  St.  and  Rowland  Rd.  a  marker  states  that 
in  September,  1774,  a  Tory  mob  gathered  to  destroy  the  village  of  East 
Greenwich.  On  Howland  Rd.  is  the  Daniel  Howland  House  (1677),  a 
typical  small  New  England  farmhouse. 

On  Main  St.  (L)  near  the  town  boundary  line  is  the  Varnum  Memorial 
Armory  (1914)  erected  in  honor  of  General  James  Mitchell  Varnum.  This 
brick  building,  having  a  castellated  roof,  holds  interesting  historical 
relics  in  its  museum. 

In  this  same  closely  built  section  is  another  Greene  House,  86  Main  St. 
(L),  a  two-story  frame  building  (1724).  In  the  addition  on  the  north  end 
was  located  (1804)  the  first  bank  in  East  Greenwich.  Albert  C.  Greene, 
U.S.  Senator  (1845-51),  once  lived  here. 

On  Pierce  St.  near  the  First  Baptist  Church  is  the  General  Varnum  House 
(1773),  a  handsome,  square,  two-story  frame  house  with  nearly  flat  roof. 
The  front  door  opens  onto  a  small  porch,  its  roof  supported  by  Ionic 
columns.  The  interior  woodwork  is  so  fine  that  the  northeast  parlor  was 
copied  by  Stanford  White  for  the  Women's  Building  of  the  Jamestown 
Exposition.  Varnum  was  the  first  Colonel  of  the  Kentish  Guards,  formed 
during  the  Revolution.  Later  he  was  Brigadier  General  in  the  Con- 
tinental Army  and  judge  for  the  Northwest  Territory.  Washington, 
Lafayette,  and  Thomas  Paine  were  guests  in  this  old  mansion. 

Near-by  is  the  Armory  of  the  Kentish  Guards,  a  small  frame  structure 
with  Doric  pillars  framing  the  central  doorway.  In  the  summer  of  1774, 
56  citizens  of  Kent  County  met  to  establish  a  military  company.  At  the 
October  session  of  the  General  Assembly  they  were  granted  the  right  to 
incorporate  as  an  independent  company  under  the  name  of  the  Kentish 
Guards.  The  company  was,  and  still  is,  subject  only  to  the  orders  of  the 
State  Governor. 


328  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

Opposite  the  Armory  is  the  East  Greenwich  Academy,  a  private  co-educa- 
tional school,  founded  in  1802  and  first  known  as  Kent  Academy.  In 
1841,  it  was  sold  to  the  Providence  Conference  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  Dr.  Eben  Tourjee,  who  founded  the  New  England  Conservatory 
of  Music  in  Boston,  established  the  music  department  of  this  school.  The 
original  Academy  building  was  moved  to  Spring  St.  and  is  now  occupied 
by  the  East  Greenwich  Historical  Society. 

Also  on  Pierce  St.  is  the  Friends  Meeting-House  (about  1804)  where  the 
many  Friends  in  this  section,  among  them  the  prominent  Greene  family, 
gathered.  Since  the  Quaker  sect  has  nearly  died  out  in  this  neighborhood, 
the  old  church  is  seldom  opened  except  on  Quarterly  Meeting  Day  when 
members  gather  from  all  over  the  State  to  transact  the  business  of  the 
society. 

Another  historic  building  is  the  Captain  Thomas  Arnold  House  (about 
1735),  28  King  St.,  where  lived  the  first  Federal  Collector  of  Customs  for 
the  Port  of  East  Greenwich.  At  the  foot  of  this  short  street  is  the  Second 
Kent  County  Jail,  built  in  1804  and  still  in  use,  though  much  enlarged. 
Over  the  door  of  the  old  house  formerly  stood  two  painted  wooden  figures, 
chained  together,  one  of  a  white  man,  the  other  of  a  Negro.  They  signified 
that  justice  would  be  meted  impartially  to  black  and  white  alike.  These 
figures  are  now  in  possession  of  the  Rhode  Island  Historical  Society.  On 
a  hill  at  the  end  of  Wine  St.,  near  King  St.,  is  the  Old  Baptist  Burial 
Ground,  dating  back  to  1729. 

On  the  corner  of  Main  and  Court  Sts.  is  the  Kent  County  Court  House  (R) 
constructed  in  1750.  This  rectangular,  three-and-one-half-story  frame 
structure  with  its  square  tower  is  Georgian  in  character.  Here  the  Con- 
vention for  the  framing  of  the  Rhode  Island  Constitution  met  in  Septem- 
ber, 1842.  The  exterior  of  this  beautiful  Colonial  building  has  remained 
unchanged,  but  the  interior  has  been  entirely  remodeled.  In  the  early 
days  the  courtyard  had  on  one  side  of  its  walk  a  liberty  pole  and  on  the 
other  side  the  pillory  or  whipping  post.  The  Eldredge  Memorial  Fountain 
now  stands  in  the  courtyard  where  once  was  the  town  pump  and  horse 
trough.  At  the  end  of  Court  St.  is  the  Dr.  Peter  Turner  House  (about 
1774),  fyome  of  a  Revolutionary  army  surgeon. 

Diagonally  across  Main  St.  from  the  Court  House  is  the  Greenwich  Inn 
(L)  on  the  site  of  the  Colonel  William  Arnold  Tavern  (1770),  later  called 
the  Updike  Tavern.  Abraham  Lincoln  stopped  here  overnight  in  1860. 
The  old  tavern,  scene  of  the  organization  of  the  Kentish  Guards,  was 
razed  in  1896  to  make  way  for  the  present  hotel  known  as  the  Greenwich 
Inn. 

A  few  yards  south  of  the  Inn  is  the  Methodist  Church  (L)  (1833).  In  1850 
the  old  church  became  too  small  for  the  growing  congregation.  Accord- 
ingly the  church  was  cut  in  two,  the  sections  moved  apart  to  make  way 
for  a  new  central  section.  In  this  meeting  house  on  November  5,  1842,  the 
Constitution  of  the  State  of  Rhode  Island  and  Providence  Plantations 
was  adopted. 


From  North  Attleboro  to  New  London  329 

At  1 01  Marlborough  St.  stands  an  old  three-story  frame  structure  on 
a  stone  foundation,  the  first  Kent  County  Jail  (1780).  Now  a  dwelling 
house,  it  still  contains  in  the  cellar  two  of  the  original  prison  cells. 

The  East  Greenwich  Fire  Engine  Company  (L),  a  short  distance  south  on 
Main  St.,  was  chartered  in  1797.  Near-by  is  the  Old  Brick  House  (L),  the 
first  brick  house  to  be  built  (1767)  in  East  Greenwich. 

At  19.4  m.,  near  the  southern  edge  of  the  village  of  East  Greenwich,  is 
the  junction  with  Forge  Rd.,  which  leads  to  the  peninsula  of  POTOWO- 
MUT,  a  part  of  Warwick,  though  separated  from  the  rest  of  that  city  by 
East  Greenwich.  It  is  said  that  the  residents  of  Potowomut  peninsula,  a 
charming  spot  with  its  tree-shaded  lanes,  realize  they  belong  to  Warwick 
only  when  their  annual  tax  bills  arrive.  Fire  protection  for  the  area 
once  provided  a  continual  topic  of  controversy. 

Left  on  Forge  Rd.,  0.2.  m.,  is  (L)  a  spring  on  a  trail  frequently  taken  by  Roger 
Williams,  founder  of  the  Colony.  He  named  it  Elizabeth  Spring  for  the  wife  of  his 
friend  John  Winthrop,  Jr.  After  Mrs.  Winthrop's  death,  some  time  previous  to 
1675,  Williams  wrote  to  Winthrop  of  his  stopping  at  this  place  on  a  trip  to  the 
Narragansett  country,  saying:  'Here  is  the  spring,  I  say  with  a  sigh,  but  where  is 
Elizabeth?  My  charity  answers,  "  She  is  gone  to  the  Eternal  Spring  and  Fountain 
of  Living  Waters.'"  A  small  marker  at  the  bottom  of  a  path  descending  from 
Forge  Rd.  bears  the  spring's  name  and  the  date  1645.  At  present  the  spring  is  dry. 

At  the  end  of  Forge  Rd.,  about  1  m.,  is  the  Site  of  an  Old  Forge,  and  the  Nathanael 
Greene  Birthplace.  A  granite  monument  near  the  shore  of  the  Potowomut  River 
marks  the  location  of  the  old  forge  and  blacksmith  shop,  which  belonged  to  the 
Greene  family.  The  birthplace  of  Nathanael  Greene,  brilliant  Revolutionary 
General,  is  high  on  a  hillside  above  the  Forge  site.  This  large  white  frame  house 
(1684)  suffered  from  remodeling  in  several  styles  of  architecture.  Nine  generations 
of  the  Greene  family  have  lived  here.  Massive  specimens  of  the  anchors  made  at 
the  Greene  forge  are  in  the  yard.  One  anchor  is  held  fast  in  a  tree  which  has  grown 
around  it. 

On  Ives  St.,  which  runs  north  from  Forge  Rd.,  is  Goddard  Memorial  Park,  a  gift 
to  the  State  in  1927  from  Robert  H.  Ives  Goddard  of  Providence,  and  his  sister  the 
Marquise  Madeleine  D'Andigne  of  Paris.  Planned  by  the  original  owners  as  a 
forest  reservation,  this  470-acre  State  park  contains  many  rare  species  of  trees. 
The  park  has  facilities  for  swimming,  baseball,  tennis,  golf,  and  riding.  Picnic  tables 
and  fireplaces  are  in  groves  of  white  pine  trees.  In  1936,  in  connection  with  the 
.  State  Tercentenary,  several  structures  were  erected  to  illustrate  the  village  life  of 
the  Narragansett  Indians.  The  reconstructions  show  a  typical  round  house,  and 
a  long  house,  with  its  imitation  birch  bark  fastened  to  the  roof  poles  by  vines. 
A  circular  stockade  was  also  built,  with  poles  extending  9  feet  above  ground,  and 
tied  together  at  the  top  by  vines. 

On  US  1  at  20  m.  is  the  junction  with  Pierce  Rd.  (unpaved).  On  this 
road,  and  visible  (R)  from  the  main  highway  is  the  Coggeshall  House 
(about  1715),  a  two-and-one-half-story  structure,  with  a  large  pilastered 
stone  chimney.  It  is  now  known  as  Spring  Brook  Farm. 

Hunt's  River  Bridge,  20.7  m.,  marks  the  East  Greenwich-North  Kings- 
town boundary  line. 

In  the  open,  rolling  country  of  this  section  of  North  Kingstown,  is  the 
junction  with  Frenchtown  Rd.  (paved). 

Right  2.5  m.  on  Frenchtown  Rd.  is  the  village  of  FRENCHTOWN,  on  the  site  of 
a  lyth-century  Huguenot  settlement  that  was  broken  up  by  boundary  controversies 


330  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

between  Rhode  Islanders  and  the  owners  of  the  Atherton  Purchase,  who  en- 
deavored (1659-71)  to  keep  this  part  of  the  Colony  under  the  jurisdiction  of 
Connecticut. 

At  about  21.5  m.  is  the  section  known  as  QUIDNESSET,  a  flat  but 
pleasant  residential  area  dotted  with  groups  of  evergreen  trees.  It  was 
here  that  clay  was  secured  for  the  Colonial  pottery  works  in  East  Green- 
wich. 

At  22.7  m.  is  the  junction  with  paved  Newcomb's  Rd. 

Left  2  m.  on  this  road  is  NORTH  KINGSTOWN  BEACH,  a  large  summer  colony 
where  one  may  enjoy  swimming,  boating,  and  fishing.  There  are  good  accommoda- 
tions in  season. 

Opposite  the  junction  with  Newcomb's  Rd.,  on  an  old  piece  of  the  high- 
way which  has  been  left  as  a  side  street,  is  the  Daniel  Fones  House  (R). 
Captain  Fones  commanded  the  Colony  sloop  'Tartar'  in  the  1745  expedi- 
tion against  Louisburg.  This  land  had  been  held  in  the  family  since  1680, 
and  was  part  of  the  Atherton  Purchase,  bought  from  John  Winthrop,  Jr., 
about  1669.  The  Indians  had  sold  it  to  Winthrop  and  others  in  1659. 
The  present  house  has  been  much  modernized;  its  porch  and  ell  are  of 
recent  date,  and  even  the  gambrel  roof  on  the  main  section,  which  has 
a  central  chimney  bearing  the  date  1644,  is  a  style  much  later  than  the 
year  indicated. 

Near  this  house,  but  a  little  farther  (R)  from  US  1,  is  another  Daniel 
Fones  House  (about  1690),  in  more  conventional  Colonial  style,  with  a 
central  chimney  and  peaked  roof.  After  living  in  this  part  of  North 
Kingstown  for  some  time,  Fones  moved  south  to  the  village  of  Wickford. 

Devil's  Fool  Rock,  22.9  m.  (R),  is  a  large  flat  rock  with  a  curious  depression 

which  has  traditionally  been  considered  as  an  imprint  of  the  Devil's  foot. 

The  footprint,  close  to  the  road,  according  to  legend  marks  the  spot  where 

the  Evil  One  stepped  when  he  came  over  to  the  mainland  from  Conanicut 

Island. 

At  23.3  m.  is  the  junction  with  Camp  Ave. 

Left  2.5  m.  on  the  latter  is  QUONSET  POINT,  a  summer  colony  with  a  good 
beach. 

The  Richard  Smith  House,  24.3  m.  (L),  known  also  as  the  Updike  House, 
and  as  Cocumcussoc,  is  scarcely  visible  from  the  highway  because  of 
surrounding  trees.  This  two-and-one-half-story  frame  structure  has 
a  central  brick  chimney.  The  modern  vine-covered  piazza  along  front 
and  sides  disguises  the  old  lines  so  that  the  house  does  not  appear  to  be 
of  late  17th-century  type.  In  1639,  Richard  Smith  built  here  his  first 
trading  post  in  the  Narragansett  Indian  territory;  its  garrison  house 
served  as  headquarters  for  the  Colonial  troops  during  the  campaign  which 
ended  in  the  Swamp  Fight  in  1675.  A  few  rods  in  front  of  the  house  is 
a  tablet  marking  the  grave  of  40  men  who  fell  in  this  engagement.  The 
house  was  burned  in  1676  by  Indians,  but  a  few  of  its  beams  are  said  to 
be  contained  in  the  present  house,  erected  by  Richard,  Jr.,  about  1680. 
Richard,  Sr.'s  wife,  according  to  tradition,  brought  from  England  a  recipe 


From  North  Attleboro  to  New  London  331 

for  cheese  that  became  so  popular  that  the  local  product  was  shipped  to 
the  southern  Colonies  and  to  the  West  Indies. 

At  the  edge  of  the  highway,  24.4  m.  (R),  is  a  stone  marker  stating  that 
near  here  was  situated  the  Roger  Williams  Trading  Post,  established  in 
1637.  Williams  spent  much  of  his  time  here  bartering  with  the  Indians. 
In  1651,  he  sold  his  post  to  Richard  Smith,  whose  trading  house  was  only 
a  few  rods  distant,  in  order  to  obtain  money  for  his  journey  to  England  to 
seek  the  annulment  of  the  patent  (165 1-5  2)  under  which  William  Codding- 
ton  had  established  a  separate  government  for  Newport  and  Portsmouth. 
A  little  farther  back  from  the  highway  near  the  Trading  Post  marker  is 
the  Palmer  Northup  House,  an  unusual  small  structure,  high  for  its 
horizontal  dimensions,  with  a  large  stone  chimney  on  the  north  end.  The 
unevenly  spaced  windows  (those  on  the  second  floor  have  modern  panes) 
suggest  an  amateurish  adaptation  of  some  more  conventional  design. 
The  house  bears  some  resemblance  to  a  mid-seventeenth-century  type, 
but  the  porch  is  undoubtedly  of  more  recent  date, 
At  25  m.  is  the  junction  with  paved  Tower  Hill  Rd.,  or  US  IB,  a  slightly 
shorter  route  than  US  1  into  South  Kingstown. 

Right  on  US  IB,  at  0.6  m.,  is  the  junction  with  State  102,  part  of  which  is  still 
called  the  Ten  Rod  Road.  It  was  originally  laid  out  165  feet  wide  so  that  herds  of 
cattle  could  easily  be  driven  from  western  Rhode  Island,  and  from  eastern  Con- 
necticut, to  Wickford  for  shipment  by  sea. 

The  Phillips  House,  0.9  m.  on  US  IB  (R),  in  the  small  village  of  BELLEVILLE 
(Town  of  North  Kingstown,  alt.  55)  is  sometimes  called  Mowbra  Castle.  The  origi- 
nal house  (about  1700)  consisted  of  the  ell  and  a  part  of  the  present  main  building. 
The  chief  architectural  feature  of  the  exterior  is  a  stone  pilastered  chimney.  During 
the  Revolution,  Samuel  Phillips  was  a  lieutenant  in  the  Continental  Navy.  He 
commanded  one  of  the  five  boats  in  the  daring  expedition  that  captured  General 
Prescott  in  Portsmouth  in  July,  1777. 

At  3.9  m.  is  the  junction  with  unpaved  Shermantown  Rd.  Right  0.7  m.  on  this  road 
is  Congdon  Hill,  the  Site  of  St.  Paul's,  or  the  Old  Narragansett  Church,  now  in 
Wickford  (see  below").  The  church  was  founded  through  the  efforts  of  the  English 
Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel  in  Foreign  Parts.  Dr.  James  MacSparran 
was  appointed  minister  of  this  church  in  1721,  and  served  until  1757.  The  church 
-was  built  in  1707,  and  was  moved  to  Wickford  in  1800.  Dr.  MacSparran  is  buried 
in  the  cemetery  that  adjoined  the  church. 

At  4.9  m.  on  US  IB  is  the  Hazard  Carson  House  (R),  a  two-story  frame  structure 
(about  1775).  The  living-room  in  this  house,  now  called  Hazeldeane  Farm,  has 
a  fine  Colonial  mantel  and  wainscoting. 

At  5.5  m.  is  the  North  Kingstown-South  Kingstown  boundary  line.  As  the  high- 
way passes  over  the  high  rolling  country  in  this  vicinity  are  good  distant  views 
of  the  Pettaquamscutt  River,  or  Narrow  River,  and  Narragansett  Bay  (L).  In  the 
little  settlement  of  BRIDGETOWN,  at  the  head  of  the  Pettaquamscutt  River,  the^ 
inhabitants  smoke  the  herrings  they  catch  in  the  annual  runs. 

In  a  field  (L)  at  5.6  m.  is  an  unmarked  stone  known  as  Hannah  Robinson's  Rock. 
According  to  tradition  Hannah  Robinson,  on  her  return  to  her  father's  house  after 
having  been  deserted  by  her  husband,  asked  the  servants  who  were  carrying  her 
litter  to  stop  that  she  might  get  a  last  look  at  her  beloved  Narragansett  Country 
(see  below). 

At  5.8  m.  is  the  junction  with  paved  Bridgetown  Rd.  and  left  0.6  m.  on  the  latter 
is  the  junction  with  Narrow  River  Rd.  (dirt). 

i.  Left  about  0.5  m.  on  Narrow  River  Rd.  is  The  Glebe,  a  dilapidated  gable-roofed 


332  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

frame  building.  Here  dwelt  James  MacSparran,  rector  of  St.  Paul's  Church, 
with  his  wife  Hannah  (Gardiner),  whose  family  built  the  house  (about  1690). 
Notable  are  the  hand-hewn  beams  and  paneled  walls.  MacSparran's  home  was 
a  center  of  lavish  hospitality;  here  were  often  entertained  Dean  Berkeley,  and 
John  Smibert.  the  artist.  The  only  thing  about  South  County  that  this  famous 
Episcopal  clergyman  disliked  was  the  climate  which  he  found  'either  frying  or 
freezing.' 

2.  Right  on  Narrow  River  Rd.  is  the  Thomas  G.  Hazard  Farm  on  which  is  the 
Coojoot  Black  Lead  Mine  {unsafe  to  visit).  The  Indians  of  this  region  used  to  smear 
their  faces  with  the  lead  as  a  sign  of  mourning. 

At  7.45  m.  on  US  IB  are  stone  gateposts  (L)  through  which  can  be  reached,  by 
a  footpath  which  begins  at  the  top  of  a  hill  0.2  m.  inside  the  entrance,  Pettaquam- 
scutt  Rock,  or  Treaty  Rock.  On  this  spot  was  negotiated  the  Pettaquamscutt 
Purchase  of  1658,  by  which  a  group  of  white  settlers  acquired  from  the  Indians 
a  large  tract  of  land,  the  boundaries  of  which  were  not  quite  clear,  but  that  may 
have  been  144  sq.  mi.  in  area.  The  rock  is  now  on  private  land  (visit  by  consent 
of  owners). 

At  7.7  m  on  US  IB  is  the  junction  with  the  dirt  Middle  Bridge  Rd.  At  the  junction 
is  a  tablet  (L)  inscribed:  'This  Acre  of  Land  was  given  by  Samuel  Sewall  and 
Hannah  His  Wife,  September  23,  1707,  "To  build  a  Public  Meeting  House  for  the 
Solemn  Worship  of  God."  Doctor  Joseph  Torrey,  Minister  of  this  Church,  1732  to 
1791,  Lies  Buried  Here.' 

Left  0.1  m.  on  Middle  Bridge  Rd.  is  the  Helme  House  (L),  built  before  the  Revolu- 
tion, the  last  remaining  house  of  what  was  known  as  Tower  Hill,  the  capital  of 
South  Kingstown.  In  Revolutionary  days,  a  small  boy  would  be  sent  to  the  roof 
of  this  house  to  watch  the  coming  and  going  of  the  fleet  off  Newport.  Here  Ben- 
jamin Franklin  was  frequently  entertained  on  his  journeys  between  Boston  and 
Philadelphia.  The  present  owner  is  a  descendant  of  Chief  Justice  Helme,  whose 
name  the  house  bears.  Samuel  Casey,  the  silversmith  who  turned  counterfeiter, 
carried  on  his  business  in  the  attic  of  this  house,  between  the  time  his  own  house 
burned  and  the  night  when  he  left  Rhode  Island  for  a  safer  clime.  He  was  arrested 
for  his  illegal  activities  in  the  summer  of  1770,  and  subsequently  confined  in  a  jail 
in  the  village  (not  extant,  and  even  its  location  is  uncertain)  of  LITTLE  REST. 
Casey  escaped  as  the  result  of  a  jail  delivery  the  night  of  November  3,  1770,  when 
'a  considerable  Number  of  People  riotously  assembled  in  King's  County,  and  with 
their  faces  blacked  proceeded  to  his  Majesty's  Gaol,  there,  the  outer  door  of  which 
they  broke  open  with  Iron-bars  and  Pick -Axes.' 

At  1.1  m.  on  Middle  Bridge  Rd.  is  a  marker  near  the  Site  of  the  Jirch  Bull  Garrison 
House  (R);  the  house  was  burned  by  the  Indians  December  15,  1675,  during  King 
Philip's  War. 

The  Carter- Jackson  Monument  (R),  9  m.  on  US  IB,  is  a  low  stone  pillar,  easily 
overlooked,  which  is  completely  covered  by  a  lengthy  inscription.  The  story  con- 
nected with  this  spot  is,  in  brief,  that  William  Jackson  of  Virginia  was  murdered 
here  by  Thomas  Carter  of  Newport.  The  latter,  renderedPpenniless  by  a  shipwreck, 
killed  Jackson  for  his  money.  The  deed  was  done  by  a  dagger,  about  midnight  on 
January  i,  1751.  Carter  was  hanged  for  the  crime,  on  Tower  Hill,  the  following 
May.  The  clanking  of  the  gibbet  chains,  as  the  felon's  body  remained  hanging 
there,  often  terrified  persons  who  passed  by.  Thomas  R.  Hazard  wrote  that  as 
a  boy  he  heard  'ever  and  anon,  one  of  Carter's  bones  fall  cajunk  to  the  ground.' 

As  the  highway  passes  over  the  brow  of  a  hill  near  the  Carter- Jackson  Monument, 
a  panorama  of  the  whole  country  to  the  south  comes  into  view.  A  little  to  the  east 
(L)  is  NARRAGANSETT  PIER,  directly  south  is  POINT  JUDITH,  and  slightly 
to  the  west  (R)  is  the  village  of  WAKEFIELD  nestling  in  a  valley.  Much  of 
South  Kingstown's  rolling  acres  are  covered  with  Miami  stony  loam,  a  strong  soil, 
mellow  brown  in  color,  which  holds  moisture  well,  and  is  good  for  crops  of  corn, 
potatoes,  and  onions. 
At  10  m.  is  the  junction  with  US  1. 


From  North  Attleboro  to  New  London  333 

At  25.4  m.  on  US  1  is  the  old  village  of  WICKFORD  (Town  of  North 
Kingstown;  sea  level),  which  takes  pride  in  having  more  well-preserved 
18th-century  houses  than  has  any  other  village  of  its  size  in  New  England. 
Along  West  Main  St.,  between  this  point  and  the  village  center,  are 
eleven  old  buildings;  but  since  only  three  date  from  before  1800  this  may 
be  considered  one  of  the  newer  sections  of  Old  Wickford.  Much  of  the 
original  village  was  laid  out  as  a  real  estate  development  by  Lodowick 
Updike,  grandson  of  Richard  Smith,  the  trader  at  Cocumcussoc  (see  above). 
Updike  began  selling  lots  in  1709.  The  first  house  in  the  village  was 
probably  erected  in  1711,  on  the  south  side  of  present  Washington  St. 

A  little  to  the  south  of  the  village  center,  on  US  1,  is  the  Town  Hall  (L), 
the  administrative  center  of  the  township  of  NORTH  KINGSTOWN 
(alt.  200,  pop.  4297),  which  was  incorporated  as  King's  Towne  in  1674. 
In  1686,  the  name  of  the  town  was  changed  to  Rochester,  but  in  1689 
the  old  name  was  restored.  The  town  was  divided  into  North  and  South 
Kingstown  in  1722-23.  The  act  of  separation  stipulated  that  North 
Kingstown  should  be  regarded  as  the  older  town.  In  1842,  the  western 
portion  of  North  Kingstown  was  set  apart  and  incorporated  as  the  town 
of  Exeter. 

The  first  academy  in  Rhode  Island  was  established  here  in  1800,  as 
the  Washington  Academy.  Educational  endeavors  were  unstable,  the 
new  public  school  lasting  but  a  few  years.  This  was  28  years  before 
appropriations  were  made  by  the  State  for  the  establishment  of  public 
schools. 

About  a  half  mile  east  of  the  Town  Hall  is  Poplar  Point.  The  old 
Lighthouse,  built  here  in  1831,  is  now  used  as  a  dwelling-house.  A  new 
harbor  light  has  been  built  out  in  the  bay.  On  Poplar  Point  a  company 
of  American  soldiers,  the  Newtown  Rangers,  was  captured  during  the 
Revolution.  From  the  Point,  in  1777,  the  Americans  forced  back  a  barge- 
load  of  British  soldiers  who  were  attempting  to  make  a  landing. 

On  West  Main  St.  west  of  the  center  of  the  village,  is  the  Old  Town 
House  (R),  a  small  one-story  frame  structure  (1807).  This  plain  building, 
reminiscent  of  countless  New  England  schoolhouses,  is  now  an  American 
Legion  Hall. 

Near  the  village  center,  a  few  yards  west  of  Bridge  St.,  is  the  Stephen 
Cooper  House  (1728),  probably  the  oldest  house  now  standing  in  Wickford. 
It  is  a  gambrel-roofed  house,  painted  gray  with  brown  trimmings. 

In  the  center  of  the  village,  US  1  turns  right,  but  Main  St.,  straight 
ahead,  is  a  rich  field  for  students  of  early  American  architecture.  On 
this  short  street  are  no  less  than  20  houses,  built  between  1728  and  1804. 
On  adjoining  or  near-by  streets  are  more  than  40  other  old  houses,  most 
of  them  dating  from  the  i8th  century. 

The  Immanuel  Case  House,  64  Main  St.,  probably  built  in  1786,  is  an 
outstanding  example  of  a  late  18th-century  home.  It  is  a  large  two- 
and-one-half -story  house,  rectangular  in  plan,  with  two  large  brick 
chimneys  rising  from  the  ridge  of  its  gable  roof.  The  massive  chimneys 


334  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

taper.  Interesting  features  are  the  corniced  windows  and  the  paneled 
door;  Ionic  pilasters  support  the  latter's  entablature  which  has  a  decorated 
frieze;  the  entablature  is  topped  by  a  pediment.  The  simple  lines  of  the 
structure  and  the  interesting  details  combine  to  give  an  impression  of 
dignity  and  affluence.  Immanuel  Case  was  tavern-keeper  in  the  old 
village  of  Tower  Hill;  he  moved  to  Wickford  in  1786. 

Branching  from  Main  St.  east  of  the  Case  House  is  Church  Lane,  which 
leads  around  a  corner  to  the  Old  N arragansett  Church  (open  in  summer; 
in  winter  on  application  to  the  Wickford  House  on  Main  St.).  This  church 
was  built  on  Congdon  Hill  and  moved  to  Wickford  in  1800.  According 
to  old  records  it  was  moved  *  between  Tuesdays.'  It  is  an  exceptionally 
fine  example  of  an  iSth-century  church.  The  building  is  severely  plain 
in  outline,  without  a  tower  or  other  external  decoration,  except  a  beauti- 
ful doorway  surmounted  by  a  large,  curved,  broken  pediment,  supported 
by  two  plain  capped  pilasters.  A  small  dark  tablet  is  in  the  pedimented 
field.  The  church  is  used  for  summer  services;  slave  pews  are  still  visible 
in  the  gallery. 

Ye  Old  N  arragansett  Bank  House  (1768),  on  the  southwest  corner  of  Main 
and  Fountain  Sts.,  was  once  used  by  Deborah  Whitford  as  a  bakery. 
About  1805  it  was  remodeled  by  Benjamin  Fowler,  a  merchant,  land- 
holder, and  financier,  to  serve  as  a  bank;  since  1853  the  building  has  been 
used  for  residential  purposes.  In  appearance  it  is  much  like  the  Case 
House  (see  above). 

On  the  east  side  of  Pleasant  St.,  a  few  yards  north  of  Main  St.,  is  the 
John  Updike  House  (1745),  one  of  the  largest  and  best-furnished  homes 
of  old  Wickford.  The  building  is  two-and-a-half  stories  high,  with  a 
gable  roof  and  central  chimney.  It  was  confiscated  from  a  Tory  owner 
during  the  Revolution. 

At  the  east  end  of  Main  St.,  0.3  m.  from  US  1,  is  a  pleasant  view  of 
Wickford  Harbor. 

From  Main  St.  a  marked  side  road  runs  about  0.5  m.  to  the  State  Lobster 
Hatchery  (visitors  welcome),  where  lobsters  are  raised  from  eggs.  The 
Wickford  Hatchery  released  about  1,500,000  lobsters  in  1935.  All  egg 
lobsters  taken  from  Rhode  Island  waters  must  be  turned  over  to  State 
agents,  who  send  them  to  this  hatchery.  The  young  lobsters  that  sub- 
sequently appear  are  cared  for  until  they  reach  the  '  bottom-seeking ' 
stage  in  which,  when  released  from  the  hatchery,  they  go  to  the  bottom 
of  the  ocean  until  they  become  large  enough  to  protect  themselves.  The 
hatchery  has  on  hand  at  one  time  about  10,000  baby  lobsters. 

At  25.9  m.  (R)  is  the  South  County  Barn  Museum  (open  Sat.,  Sun.  aft. 
in  summer;  at  other  times  by  arrangement;  adm.  25 fi,  containing  a  fine 
collection  of  the  implements  used  in  early  times  by  farmers,  mechanics, 
and  housewives.  The  tools  and  products  of  the  various  craftsmen  and 
artisans  are  gathered  into  small  shop  units  to  present  an  interesting  and 
accurate  picture  of  Colonial  life.  Here  the  visitor  sees  the  tools  with 
which  the  colonist  tilled  his  fields;  how  he  kept  his  livestock;  how  he 


From  North  Attleboro  to  New  London  335 

spun  yarn,  wove  cloth,  and  made  clothing;  what  he  used  in  caring  for 
the  sick;  what  he  used  when  he  hunted  and  fished,  and  traveled  and 
traded  by  land  and  sea. 

At  27.2  m.  is  the  small  residential  village  of  HAMILTON  (Town  of 
North  Kingstown,  alt.  20).  At  29.1  m.  is  the  junction  with  a  paved  side 
road.  From  the  junction  can  be  clearly  seen  (L)  Conanicut  Island  in  the 
middle  of  Narragansett  Bay,  and  in  front  of  it  the  smaller  Dutch  Island, 
site  of  Fort  Greble.  Fort  Greble,  constructed  during  the  Civil  War,  is 
now  garrisoned  by  a  skeleton  force.  South  of  this  point  US  1  runs  close 
to  the  Bay  so  that  there  are  many  attractive  views  to  the  eastward. 

.Left  0.5  m.  on  the  side  road  is  Plum  Beach,  a  small  but  excellent  bathing  beach 
Here  also  at  Barbour's  Heights  the  town  maintained  a  coast  guard  and  breastworks 
during  the  Revolution. 

At  29.4  m.  is  the  junction  with  a  side  road  (dirt). 

Right  1  m.  on  the  latter,  in  a  little  brook  valley  among  low  rolling  hills,  is  the 
Gilbert  Stuart  House  (open  May-October).  In  this  large  barn-like  structure  (1751), 
painted  a  dark  red,  was  born  Gilbert  Stuart,  son  of  a  Scottish  snuff-grinder,  who 
became  America's  great  portrait  painter.  As  a  young  boy  Stuart  went  to  school  in 
Newport  where  he  attracted  attention  by  painting  dogs  and  copying  other  pictures. 
He  spent  two  years  abroad  in  the  early  i77o's,  painted  a  short  while  in  Newport  in 
1775,  went  to  the  British  Isles  again  1775-93,  and  after  that  lived  and  worked  in 
New  York  or  Boston.  For  a  hundred  years  after  Gilbert  Stuart's  time  a  gristmill 
was  operated  in  this  building.  The  old  structure  has  recently  been  restored  by  the 
Gilbert  Stuart  Memorial,  Incorporated,  and  snuff  is  once  more  being  made. 

The  Casey  House,  30.1  m.  (R),  was  the  scene  of  several  Revolutionary 
skirmishes.  The  original  floor  (about  1725)  of  the  dining-room,  which 
has  been  overlaid,  is  riddled  with  holes,  as  are  three  of  its  doors.  A  closet 
at  the  right  of  the  stairway  served  as  a  safe  hiding-place  for  the  American 
minutemen. 

At  31.7  m.  is  the  junction  with  paved  Old  South  Ferry  Rd.  in  the  north- 
ern part  of  the  township  of  Narragansett. 

Left  0.5  m.  on  South  Ferry  Rd.  is  the  Franklin  Ferry  House  (L),  a  rambling  yellow 
farmhouse,  used  as  joint  dwelling  and  business  office  for  a  ferry  which  began  run- 
ning shortly  before  1 70x3,  and  was  the  only  means  of  connection  between  Newport 
and  the  mainland. 

In  front  of  the  Franklin  House  the  paved  section  of  the  highway  turns  left,  and  on 
this  road,  at  1  m.  (L)  is  the  large,  well-preserved  Hannah  Robinson  House  (about 
1710).  This  large  two-and-one-half-story  gambrel-roofed  house  was  remodeled  in 
1755  by  Rowland  Robinson,  a  wealthy  Narragansett  planter,  grandson  of  the 
builder,  and  father  of  Hannah.  The  house  was  once  105  feet  long,  but  the  old 
kitchen  and  Negro  quarters  have  been  demolished,  reducing  the  length  to  about 
60  feet.  The  central  chimney  and  straight-roof  line  are  of  early  Colonial  style;  the 
pedimented  doorway  and  gambrel  roof  are  Georgian.  The  doorway,  with  fluted 
pilasters  and  broken  pediment,  would  appear  to  date  from  later  than  1755.  The 
general  appearance  of  the  house  is  one  of  dignity  and  restraint.  The  west  bedroom, 
known  as  the  Lafayette  Chamber,  since  it  was  occupied  by  the  Marquis  de  La- 
fayette during  the  Revolutionary  War,  contains  the  names  of  French  officers 
scratched  on  the  window-panes.  In  this  house,  Hannah  Robinson  met  the  French- 
man with  whom  she  later  eloped.  The  story  of  her  desertion,  of  her  poverty  and 
illness  and  her  father's  unrelenting  anger,  of  the  too  late  reunion  of  father  and 
daughter,  and  of  the  return  of  the  girl  on  a  litter  borne  by  slaves  to  this  house  to 
die,  is  well  told  by  Alice  Morse  Earle  in  'Old  Narragansett.' 


336  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

Straight  ahead  on  the  unpaved  section  of  South  Ferry  Rd.  at  0.7  m.  is  the  Narra- 
gansett Baptist  Church  (L),  a  simple,  white  frame  building  visible  for  miles  around 
because  of  its  location  on  a  treeless  hilltop.  No  regular  services  are  now  held  here; 
the  building  serves  as  a  social  center. 

At  0.8  m.  (R)  on  South  Ferry  Rd.,  on  the  east  slopes  of  a  hill  overlooking  the  bay, 
is  Fort  Philip  Kearney,  which  was  built  on  the  site  of  the  former  village  of  South 
Ferry.  During  the  Civil  War  the  village  consisted  of  eight  or  nine  tenement  houses, 
an  inn  and  a  mill  that  manufactured  jean  cloth.  At  the  present  time  the  mill 
engine  room  and  dye  house  are  still  standing.  In  1905,  the  Government  bought 
twenty-five  acres  of  this  land  from  the  Davis  Pain  Killer  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany and  built  Fort  Kearney.  Two  companies  were  stationed  here  during  the 
World  War,  to  help  Forts  Greble  and  Getty  prevent  enemy  boats  from  passing  up 
Narragansett  Bay  to  Providence  and  towns  en  route.  Mines  were  laid,  and  a  net 
was  strung  across  the  bay  to  prevent  the  entrance  of  enemy  submarines. 

At  32.3  m.  is  the  junction  with  a  paved  side  road  marked  'Bonnet  Point.' 

From  this  junction  is  clearly  visible  Beaver  Tail  Light  at  the  south  end 
of  Conanicut  Island  (see  Tour  7 A). 

Left  on  this  road  0.5  m.  is,  standing  a  little  to  the  north,  the  William  Gardiner 
House  (L),  gable-roofed  with  a  central  chimney,  the  home  of  a  wealthy  18th-century 
farmer,  whose  daughter,  Hannah,  married  Dr.  James  MacSparran,  pastor  of  St. 
Paul's  Church.  Mrs.  MacSparran  died  in  London  during  a  plague. 

On  BONNET  POINT,  1  m.,  which  is  now  a  summer  colony,  was  a  Revolutionary 
Fort,  erected  in  1777,  but  twice  rebuilt.  During  the  Revolution,  it  was  used  con- 
tinuously, and  again,  during  the  War  of  181 2,  a  battery  was  stationed  here.  During 
the  Civil  War  it  was  rumored  that  the  Confederate  cruiser  '  Alabama '  was  anchored 
in  the  bay  and  once  again  the  fort  was  strengthened  and  a  battery  put  on  duty. 
The  fortifications  have  since  been  demolished. 

At  34.5  m.  is  the  junction  with  a  paved  side  road. 

Left  0.2  m.  on  this  road  is  the  Hazard  House  (L).  It  is  a  large,  square,  white  frame 
house  (about  1740),  with  a  front  lawn  sloping  gently  down  toward  the  bay.  From 
the  front  of  the  house  can  be  seen  Whale  Rock  Light,  between  the  mainland  and 
Conanicut  Island.  The  lighthouse  was  completed  in  1872. 

The  Hazard  House  is  on  the  northern  edge  of  the  village  of  Narragansett, 
which  is  the  administrative  center  for  the  township  of  the  same  name. 

NARRAGANSETT,  36.1  m.  (alt.  15,  town  pop.  1258).  The  township 
has  been  a  separate  political  entity  hardly  more  than  a  quarter-century, 
since  it  was  incorporated  in  1901,  though  in  1888  it  was  set  aside  as  a 
special  district  in  the  township  of  South  Kingstown.  Narragansett  per- 
petuates the  name  of  the  great  tribe  of  Indians  which  at  one  time  roamed 
over  this  territory.  The  Narragansett  Indians  were  killed  or  driven  away 
at  the  time  of  King  Philip's  War,  1675-76.  The  19th-century  mansion 
of  Governor  William  Sprague  (1860-63),  which  burned  in  1909,  was  built 
on  the  site  of  one  of  the  camping  grounds  of  Canonchet,  last  notable 
sachem  of  the  tribe. 

The  town  is  situated  in  the  southeastern  part  of  Washington  County 
about  30  m.  from  Providence.  Narragansett  is  a  long  narrow  strip  of 
land  with  a  very  irregular  coastline.  The  surface  is  fairly  level  with 
several  low  rolling  hills,  the  soil  of  which  is  well  adapted  to  general 
farming.  The  Pettaquamscutt  River  forms  the  western  boundary  of 
the  town.  There  are  several  salt-water  inland  ponds  throughout  Narra- 


HERE       AND      THERE 


last;  the  roadway  of  the  slender  and  graceful  Mount  Hope 
Bridge ;  and  a  view  of  Watch  Hill,  one  of  the  State's  best-known 
summer  resorts.  The  Wickford  street  scene  symbolizes  the 
restful  old  age  of  a  town  once  thriving  with  shipyards. 


LIGHTNING   SPLITTER   HOUSE,  EAST    PROVIDENCE 


HANNAH    ROBINSON    HOUSE,  NARRAGANSFTl 


DOORWAY,  NARRAGANSETT    CHURCH,  WICK.FORD 


*JKS&. 


HANNAH    ROBINSON    HOUSE,  NARRAGANSETT 


STREET   SCENE,  WJCKFORD 


l  ->          v~ '       .; 


DOORWAY,  BISHOP    HOUSE,  RU-MFORD 


WINDMILL,  PORTSMOUTH 


MOUNT    HOPE   BRIDGE,  BRISTOL-PORTSMOUTH 


AMOS    CX)OK    HOUSE,  CUMBERLAND    HILL 

FIREPLACE    HOUSE,  LINCOLN    WOODS,  I.INC'OLN 


'   —  *      *'- 


A    SOUTH    COUNTY    FARMYARD,  NARRAGANSETT 


WATCH    HILL,  BLOCK   ISLAND    SOUND 


From  North  Attleboro  to  New  London  337 

gansett,  the  largest  being  Point  Judith  Pond.  As  a  farming  community 
in  Colonial  days,  this  section  of  the  State,  referred  to  as  South  County 
or  the  Narragansett  Country,  was  lorded  over  by  slave-owners  who 
managed  large  tracts  of  land,  and  who,  as  wealthy  proprietors,  led  a 
life  of  comparative  leisure. 

Narragansett  is  best  known  as  a  summer  resort  today,  although  some 
farming  and  fishing  are  carried  on  here.  Many  years  ago  a  long  pier 
jutted  out  into  the  water  just  below  the  largest  bathing  beach,  and  here 
vessels  of  all  descriptions  landed  passengers  and  cargoes.  The  heavy 
surf  tore  the  pier  away,  but  today  this  part  of  Narragansett  is  still  known 
as  Narragansett  Pier.  The  beaches  above  and  below  the  Pier  continue 
to  attract  thousands  during  the  summer  months. 

Gossip  records  a  tale  about  an  old  woman  who  would  sit  for  hours  motion- 
less at  her  loom.  After  she  had  gone  home  at  night,  the  family  for  whom 
she  worked  would  wake  and  hear  the  half- toned  clapping  of  the  loom, 
run  perhaps  by  the  Devil  himself  in  his  zeal  to  help  the  witch  with  her 
stint.  At  the  end  of  the  week  more  cloth  appeared  on  the  cloth  beam, 
more  linen  was  ready  for  bleaching,  and  more  reels  of  carpet  were  woven 
than  could  be  turned  out  by  any  man-weaver  in  the  province.  After 
the  old  woman's  death,  the  windows  in  her  house  were  broken  by  witch- 
hating  passers-by,  and  the  spring  rains  and  the  summer  suns  freely  en- 
tered the  rooms.  The  bed  on  which  she  died,  a  sack  full  of  barley  straw 
with  occasional  spikes  of  grains  attached,  sprouted  and  grew  through 
the  coarse  hempen  bedtick,  and  became  as  green  and  flourishing  as  the 
grass  on  her  unmarked  grave. 

About  a  half-mile  north  of  the  center  of  the  village,  and  visible  from 
US  1,  is  the  well-equipped  Dunes  Club  (L),  aptly  named  for  its  sur- 
roundings. The  club  is  for  members  and  their  guests.  The  main  club- 
house is  a  low  rambling  stucco  structure  300  feet  long,  and  two  stories 
high  with  an  impressive  clock-tower.  The  club  is  near  the  north  end  of 
Narragansett  Pier  beach,  a  crescent-shaped  strip  of  sand  about  a  half- 
mile  in  length. 

Near  the  village  center  is  Sherry' 's  Bathing  Pavilion. 

At  36.1  m.  in  the  center  of  Narragansett,  US  1  turns  right  on  Narragansett 
Ave. 

Straight  ahead  at  the  intersection  is  the  route  to  Point  Judith,  5.7  m. 

At  0.1  m.  turn  left  on  Beach  St.,  past  Pettaquamscutt  Park  on  the  site  of  the  former 
Hotel  de  la  Plage,  between  the  Casino  Theater  and  the  Narragansett  Beach  Corpo- 
ration. The  park  serves  as  a  convenient  passageway  to  the  beach  walk  and  is 
a  pleasant  place  to  rest.  Band  concerts  are  held  here  during  the  summer  months. 
Just  beyond  the  park  the  highway  bears  right  on  Ocean  Rd.  Near  the  turn  is 
The  Towers.  This  was  originally  the  home  of  the  old  Narragansett  Casino.  Only 
a  stone  arch  across  the  road,  with  two  large  towers  at  either  end,  is  left  of  the  old 
Casino  which  was  burned  some  time  ago.  This  building  is  now  used  as  a  store. 
Near-by  is  the  Coast  Guard  Station  (L),  a  two-story  stone  building  with  a  slate 
roof  (1887).  At  about  1  m.  the  built-up  section  of  the  village  of  Narragansett 
gives  way  to  the  large  estates  of  summer  colonists,  which  line  both  sides  of  the 
highway. 


338  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

Hazard  Castle,  1.3  m.  (R),  almost  hidden  from  the  road  by  trees,  is  a  large  building 
of  rough  stone,  with  two  large  granite  towers.  The  house  was  begun  in  1846,  as  an 
imitation  of  an  English  abbey,  by  Joseph  Peace  Hazard,  but  he  soon  abandoned  it 
in  an  unfinished  condition,  and  vegetation  grew  up  in  wild  confusion.  The  house 
was  then  given  the  name  of  the  'Haunted  Castle.'  In  1883,  a  nephew  of  the  original 
builder  bought  the  place  and  completed  it.  A  view  from  the  top  of  the  square 
to-wer  (the  other  is  hexagonal),  165  feet  above  sea  level,  includes  from  the  northeast 
to  the  southwest  every  point  from  Newport  to  Block  Island,  while  to  the  northwest 
may  be  seen  Wakefield  and  Peace  Dale.  In  this  building,  some  years  ago,  Mr. 
Dwight  W.  Tryon,  the  New  York  artist,  had  a  studio. 

The  entrance  to  the  Point  Judith  Country  Club,  for  members  and  their  guests,  is  at 
1.8  m.  (R).  The  club  maintains  a  golf  course,  tennis  courts,  and  polo  grounds.  The 
polo  games  are  held  the  last  week  in  July  and  the  first  two  weeks  in  August  (open; 
adm.  55{f). 

Scarborough  Beach,  3.5  m.  (L),  is  a  State  reservation  with  a  fine  beach.  A  large 
pavilion  is  now  being  constructed  on  the  reservation. 

At  4.7  m.  is  the  junction  with  a  paved  side  road. 

Right  0.7  m.  on  this  road  is  Sand  Hill  Cove,  another  State  reservation.  The  bathing 
beach  is  enclosed  by  the  Point  Judith  Breakwater.  GALILEE,  1.7  m.,  is  an  old- 
fashioned  little  fishing  village. 

Ocean  Rd.  ends  5.7  m.  at  POINT  JUDITH.  Many  stories  are  told  about  the  origin 
of  the  name.  Some  say  the  Point  was  named  for  the  wife  of  John  Hull,  Boston 
goldsmith  and  mintmaster,  while  others  claim  that  it  was  named  for  Judith  Stod- 
dard,  his  mother-in-law.  Also,  there  is  the  legend  that  the  name  was  given  by  some 
churchman  from  Boston,  who  took  the  name  from  the  Bible.  On  some  of  the  earliest 
maps  the  name  is  printed  '  Point  Juda  Neck.'  Another  story  goes  that  a  Nantucket 
captain  was  lost  in  the  fog  and  did  not  know  in  which  direction  to  steer.  His 
daughter,  in  the  boat  with  him,  presently  cried  out  that  she  spied  land.  The  old 
captain,  not  so  quick  to  see  it,  commanded  anxiously,  'Pint,  Judy,  pint!'  What- 
ever its  derivation,  the  name  of  Point  Judith  refers  to  a  piece  of  land  now  known  to 
all  mariners  as  one  of  the  most  dangerous  spots  along  the  Atlantic  Coast.  The 
Point  Judith  Coast  Guard  Station  is  on  this  point.  During  the  Revolution  a  coast 
guard  and  tower  beacon  were  maintained  here.  In  1888,  a  Coast  Guard  Station  was 
built.  The  building  burned  down  in  1933  and  was  replaced  by  a  new  station  which 
was  completed  in  1935.  Near  the  Coast  Guard  Station  is  Point  Judith  Lighthouse. 
The  first  lighthouse  was  a  wooden  structure  built  in  1806.  This  was  blown  down  in 
the  great  gale  of  September,  1815.  The  present  building  is  an  octagonal  stone 
building  which  was  built  in  1816.  The  light  is  operated  by  electricity.  Though 
dangerous  to  seafarers,  Point  Judith  appears  tame  on  ordinary  occasions.  The 
surrounding  land  is  flat,  sandy,  and  nearly  treeless.  Only  when  high  winds  roll  up 
huge  breakers  does  the  Point  impress  landlubbers  with  its  threatening  character. 

On  Narragansett  Ave.,  US  1,  is  the  Mansion  House  (L),  a  four-story 
summer  hotel  which  contains  the  most  beautiful  corner-cupboard  in 
South  County,  a  cupboard  that  was  probably  brought  from  an  older 
house,  the  Thomas  Mumford  Homestead,  which  stood  nearer  the  Tower 
Hill  Road  and  was  burned  many  years  ago.  Thomas  Mumford,  one  of 
the  original  Pettaquamscutt  Purchasers,  owned  large  tracts  of  land  in 
this  part  of  Narragansett. 

Near  the  western  edge  of  the  village  is  Sprague  Memorial  Park  (R).  In 
the  distance  on  a  hilltop  (R)  can  be  seen  a  tall  brown  structure,  the  Tower 
Hill  House  (in  South  Kingstown),  a  home  for  under-privileged  children 
conducted  by  Roman  Catholic  charities. 

At  38  m.,  near  the  South  Kingstown  boundary  line,  is  the  junction  with 


From  North  Attleboro  to  New  London  339 

US  IB  (see  side  tour  above),  and  also  the  paved  Kingstown  Rd.  leading 
to  Peace  Dale. 

Right  0.7  m.  on  the  latter  road  is  the  Scallop  Shell  (R),  the  home  of  Miss  Caroline 
Hazard.  Miss  Hazard,  President  of  Wellesley  College  from  1899  to  1910,  was  the 
author  of  many  books,  including  'Anchors  of  Tradition,'  ' Narragansett  Ballads,' 
'A  Scallop  Shell  of  Quiet.' 

At  1.5  m.  is  the  village  of  PEACE  DALE  (Town  of  South  Kingstown,  alt.  40). 
This  village  is  the  home  of  the  Peace  Dale  Manufacturing  Company,  the  chief 
industry  of  the  place;  its  history  dates  from  1800.  Isaac  P.  and  Rowland  G.  Hazard 
erected  a  mill  here  for  the  making  of  fine  woolens,  and  in  1848  they  procured  a 
charter  for  the  Peace  Dale  Manufacturing  Company.  Under  their  organization  the 
new  mill  began  to  turn  out  shawls  in  1849.  ^n  X8s6,  the  works  were  greatly  en- 
larged and  in  1872,  a  new  mill  was  added  for  the  manufacture  of  worsted  goods. 
In  earlier  times  the  farmers  of  Peace  Dale  raised  large  quantities  of  flax;  the  seeds 
were  pressed  into  oil  and  the  fiber  of  the  flax  was  woven  into  linen.  In  1751,  the 
General  Assembly  passed  an  act  for  promoting  the  raising  of  flax  by  giving  a 
bounty.  The  stores  all  took  flax  in  barter  and  each  kept  a  machine  for  beating  out 
the  seed. 

Near  the  center  of  the  village,  on  Kingstown  Rd.,  is  the  Hazard  Memorial  Library, 
a  fine  stone  building  erected  by  the  Hazard  family  in  memory  of  the  late  Rowland 
G.  Hazard. 

On  the  southeast  corner  of  Kingstown  Rd.  and  Columbia  St.  is  the  Museum  of 
Primitive  Culture  (open  10-2  daily  except  Sunday;  free}.  This  collection,  the  work 
of  Rowland  G.  Hazard,  was  inspired  by  his  interest  in  primitive  peoples.  In  the 
collection  are  several  thousand  specimens  obtained  from  various  localities  in  the 
United  States  and  from  many  foreign  countries.  The  bulk  of  the  material  is 
archeological,  consisting  of  stone  artifacts,  such  as  arrows,  spear-heads,  etc.,  with 
ethnological  items,  such  as  baskets,  costumes,  pestles,  and  skin-scrapers.  A  num- 
ber of  objects  pertain  to  the  early  history  of  Rhode  Island. 

At  38.6  m.  is  the  village  of  WAKEFIELD  (Town  of  South  Kingstown, 
alt.  40).  The  center  of  the  village  is  crowded  with  small  stores,  but  to 
the  south  US  1  passes  many  large  homes  set  amid  beautiful  tree-shaded 
lawns.  The  Wakefield  Manufacturing  Company,  once  known  as  the  Narra- 
gansett Mills,  was  operating  in  Wakefield  before  1800.  After  several 
changes  in  ownership  and  management,  the  company  was  sold  (1866)  to 
Robert  Rodman  who  manufactured  here,  for  many  years,  jeans  and 
doeskins.  The  company  is  now  managed  by  a  New  York  concern  which 
manufactures  woolen  cloth. 

On  High  St.  in  the  village  of  Wakefield  is  the  Town  Hall,  the  adminis- 
trative center  of  SOUTH  KINGSTOWN  (alt.  333,  pop.  6010). 

South  Kingstown  was  formerly  a  part  of  the  township  of  Kingstown, 
incorporated  in  1674.  Kingstown  was  divided  into  North  and  South 
Kingstown  in  1723.  Three-quarters  of  a  century  earlier  a  settlement  was 
made  at  Pettaquamscutt  (1657-58).  In  1888,  Narragansett  was  set  off 
from  South  Kingstown  as  an  incorporated  district  and  in  1901  it  was 
incorporated  as  a  separate  town.  It  is  the  largest  town  in  area  (62.9 
sq.  m.)  in  Rhode  Island,  and  it  contains  the  State's  largest  body  of 
fresh  water,  Worden's  Pond,  one  of  the  sources  of  the  Pawcatuck  River. 

In  South  Kingstown  the  Narragansett  Indians  had  their  stronghold,  and 
it  was  among  these  pleasant  valleys  and  hills  that  they  hunted,  fished, 
and  tilled  their  small  fields  of  corn  before  the  white  settlers  came.  There 


34°  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

are  a  few  Indians  remaining  now  in  the  township.  Most  of  those  that 
are  living  here  are  not  of  pure  blood,  but  are  intermingled  with  other 
races,  some  with  the  Negro. 

On  Old  Kingston  Rd.  at  Rocky  Brook,  0.3  m.  west  of  High  St.,  is  the 
William  Rodman  House,  which  some  authorities  hold  to  be  the  birth- 
place of  Oliver  Hazard  Perry.  The  house  more  often  referred  to  as  the 
Perry  House  is  about  2  m.  south  of  Wakefield  on  US  1  (see  below). 
Sugar  Loaf^Hill,  which  rises  about  50  feet  above  the  highway  at  39.2  m. 
(R),  is  of  disputed  origin.  Some  have  held  it  to  be  an  artificial  foundation 
erected  by  the  Indians,  but  geologists  claim  that  it  is  a  natural  hill. 
There  is  a  good  view  from  its  summit. 

At  39.25  m.  an  older  section  of  the  Post  Rd.  (paved)  branches  off  to  the 
right. 

Right  0.1  m.  on  this  road  is  the  Willard  Hazard  House  (R),  better  known  as  the 
Tavern.  This  long,  two-and-one-half-story  shingled  structure  was  built  about  200 
years  ago.  The  pulvination  which  tops  the  windows  on  the  first  floor  is  unusual. 
Here,  according  to  Thomas  Hazard's  'Jonny-Cake  Papers,'  the  widow  Nash 
combed  the  hair  of  William  Jackson,  the  unfortunate  traveler  from  Virginia  who 
was  murdered  by  Thomas  Carter  (see  above).  For  years  this  house,  with  its  tap- 
room and  great  ballroom  on  the  second  floor,  was  a  haven  of  rest  when  coaches 
rolled  between  Kingston  and  Narragansett.  It  is  still  a  hostelry,  known  as  Ye  Old 
Tavern. 

At  0.2  m.  on  the  Old  Post  Rd.  is  the  Dockray  House  (R),  one  of  the  older  houses  of 
South  County  and  a  famous  landmark,  with  its  chimney  and  oddly  placed  windows. 
John  Dockray,  a  merchant  from  Newport,  bought  the  land  from  Daniel  Stedman, 
'with  dwelling,'  on  February  25,  1769.  The  ell,  once  used  as  a  store,  is  believed 
to  have  been  built  in  1725. 

At  40.7  m.  is  a  marker  (R)  stating  that  here  stood  an  old  schoolhouse 
in  1728. 

At  40.8  m.  is  the  junction  with  a  dirt  lane. 

Right  0.3  m.  on  the  latter  is  the  Oliver  Hazard  Perry  House  (open  May  30  to  Oct.  1, 
11-6;  admission  25£  each  for  large  parties,  otherwise  adults  50^,  children  25^).  It  is 
a  two-story,  gambrel-roofed  house,  restored  in  1929  by  Mrs.  Perry  Tiffany,  wife 
of  the  last  descendant-owner.  The  land  has  been  held  by  the  Perry  family  since 
1702,  when  Benjamin  Perry  came  here  from  Sandwich,  Massachusetts.  This  house 
has  been  called  '  the  house  that  launched  a  fleet  of  ships.'  From  here  Oliver  Hazard 
Perry  went  to  take  command  of  the  American  inland  fleet  on  Lake  Erie.  The 
house  contains  many  relics  both  of  Commodore  Oliver  Hazard  Perry  and  his 
younger  brother  Commodore  Matthew  C.  Perry,  who  opened  the  ports  of  Japan  to 
the  world. 

The  Samuel  G.  Potter  House,  41.7  m.  (L),  a  one-and-one-half-story  struc- 
ture, was  built  about  1800  on  a  part  of  the  John  Potter  Estate,  by  Samuel 
G.  Potter  who  was  twice  Lieutenant-Governor.  The  house,  surrounded 
by  evergreens,  stands  back  some  distance  from  the  highway. 

At  41.9  m.  is  the  junction  with  an  unpaved  side  road  marked  'Snug 
Harbor.'  Here  is  a  good  view  of  Potter  Pond  (L). 

Left  on  this  road  0.1  m.  is  the  John  Potter  House  (R),  a  one-and-one-half-story 
shingled  structure.  The  chronicles  of  this  region  describe  John  Potter  as  an  i8th- 
century  squire,  fond  of  foxhunting,  the  pleasures  of  the  table  and  good  wine;  as 
skillful  in  fishing  for  votes  of  Rhode  Island  freemen  as  for  striped  bass;  an  acknow- 
ledged but  not  convicted  counterfeiter  —  the  legend  being  that  when  the  King's 


From  North  Attleboro  to  New  London  341 

runners  were  sighted,  Potter  threw  his  counterfeiting  press  into  the  deepest  part  of 
Potter  Pond,  from  which  it  was  never  recovered. 

At  42.7  m.  is  the  junction  with  a  dirt  road  marked  'Matunuck  Point.' 
Along  this  road  on  the  way  to  the  shore  may  be  enjoyed,  in  early  summer, 
the  delicate  fragrance  of  mountain  laurel  in  bloom. 

Left  1  m.  on  this  road  is  the  Hazard  Holland  House  (L).  This  house,  situated  back 
some  distance  from  the  road,  was  built  about  1778  and  once  belonged  to  General 
Stanton,  an  iSth-century  soldier  and  politician.  The  house  still  has  its  original 
doors  and  windows,  three  of  which  have  inside  sliding  shutters. 

Matunuck  Beach,  1.6  m.,  is  one  of  the  oldest  summer  colonies  on  the  Atlantic  sea- 
board. There  are  many  beautiful  homes  and  hotels  at  this  beach.  To  the  west  of 
the  beach  is  Matunuck  Point,  and  the  Matunuck  Theater-by-the-Sea,  open  during 
the  summer  months.  It  has  a  summer  stock  company  with  well-known  actors  and 
actresses  playing  the  leading  roles. 

The  Wager  Weeden  Watering  Place,  42.6  m.  (L),  is  marked  by  a  tall 
stone  slab,  noting  that  water  used  to  be  brought  to  this  spot,  from  the 
pure  waters  of  near-by  Wash  Pond,  by  Wager  Weeden  (see  below). 

Opposite  the  Weeden  tablet,  on  a  hill  back  of  several  houses  near  the 
roadside,  is  the  Edward  Everett  Hale  House  (R),  with  an  H  cut  in  its 
wooden  window-shutters.  There  the  author  of  the  'Man  Without  a 
Country '  spent  his  summer  among  the  natural  beauties  he  loved  so  well. 

Willow  Dell  (1785),  42.85  m.  (L),  an  attractive  large  house  painted 
yellow,  with  red  trimmings,  and  green  blinds,  was  the  ipth-century  home 
of  Judge  Wager  Weeden,  grandfather  of  William  Babcock  Weeden  the 
historian.  The  house  is  a  rambling  structure  with  several  distinct  units. 
The  two-story  gambrel-roofed  section  follows  the  two-room,  central 
chimney  principle  common  to  the  i8th  century;  the  larger  three-story 
unit  and  ell  are  later  additions.  Because  of  their  greater  height  and  floor 
space,  the  additions  make  a  sort  of  tail  that  wags  the  dog. 

At  43.4  m.  is  the  junction  with  Perryville  Rd.  (paved). 

Right  on  the  latter  is  a  hilly  country  covered  with  scrub  oak  and  pine.  At  2.1  w., 
at  the  intersection  with  Tuckertown  Rd.,  is  the  Captain  Tucker  House  (L),  built 
in  1731,  and  much  remodeled.  On  the  estate,  now  owned  by  Mr.  Albert  Lownes, 
has  been  constructed,  some  distance  behind  the  Tucker  House,  a  replica  of  the 
Roger  Mo  wry  House,  a  Providence  house  typical  of  the  middle  iyth  century. 

At  3.4  m.  on  Perryville  Rd.  is  a  stone  slab  marker  (R)  stating  that  near  this  spot 
was  formerly  the  Ministerial  Woods,  a  tract  of  about  300  acres  set  aside  in  1668 
for  the  support  of  a  minister.  For  a  long  time  both  Congregationalists  and  Episco- 
palians claimed  the  land,  the  former  receiving  undisputed  possession  in  1752. 
In  1821,  the  land  was  divided  into  house  lots  and  sold,  the  proceeds  being  given 
to  the  Kingston  Congregational  Church. 

The  village  of  PERRYVILLE  (Town  of  South  Kingstown,  alt.  90),  44  m., 
is  marked  by  a  church  and  a  half-dozen  houses;  it  was  named  for  the 
many  Perry  families  who  live,  or  used  to  live,  in  this  part  of  the  township. 

At  44.1  m.  is  the  junction  with  the  unpaved  Moonstone  Beach  Rd. 

Left  1.6  m.  on  this  road  is  the  Samuel  Perry  House  (L).  This  house  must  have  been 
built  between  1696,  when  Samuel  Perry  came  to  Kingstown  and  was  made  a  free- 
man of  the  Colony,  and  1716  when  he  willed  the  homestead,  a  mill,  and  146  acres 
of  land  to  his  son  James.  With  this  house  is  connected  the  legend  of  the  ring  that 
returned  from  the  sea.  The  wife  of  one  of  the  Perrys,  boasting  of  her  riches,  threw 


342  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

her  golden  wedding  ring  into  the  sea,  remarking  that  it  would  be  as  impossible  for 
her  to  become  poor  as  for  her  ring  to  return.  Sometime  later  her  husband  cut  her 
ring  out  of  a  fish  that  was  being  served  at  dinner,  whereupon  the  lady  grew  pale 
with  fear.  Years  later  she  died  in  poverty. 

At  the  end  of  the  road  is  Moonstone  Beach,  2  m.,  named  for  the  yellow-white,  or 
pearl-like,  color  of  its  sand. 

The  Great  Chimney  House,  44.6  m.  (L),  known  also,  as  the  Browning 
House  (about  1750),  now  stands  in  a  dilapidated  condition  in  an  auto 
scrap  yard.  Nearly  opposite  this  weather-beaten,  shingled  house  is  the 
Quaker  Burial  Ground,  which  is  about  200  feet  to  the  right  of  the  high- 
way and  not  visible  from  it.  George  Fox  preached  to  the  colonists  in 
this  vicinity  in  1671,  and  soon  after  that  his  converts  erected  a  meeting- 
house near  the  present  burial  ground.  James  Perry,  Sr.,  was  instrumental 
in  its  building,  and  he  gave  three  acres  of  land  for  a  free  burial  lot.  The 
meeting-house  was  torn  down  in  1888. 

At  45.9  m.  is  the  junction  with  paved  Green  Hill  Rd. 

Left  on  this  road  1.8  m.  is  the  intersection  with  a  dirt  road,  near  which  intersection 
is  the  Babcock  House  (about  1788),  built  on  the  top  of  Green  Hill  (L),  overlooking 
Trustom  Pond  and  the  sea. 

Green  Hill  Coast  Guard  Station  (open)  (1912),  2.2  m.,  has  been  inactive  since  April, 
1933,  but  is  maintained  in  first-class  condition. 

At  46.4  m.  is  the  South  Kingstown-Charlestown  boundary  line.  This 
part  of  Charlestown  is  flat  and  sandy.  From  the  highway  is  visible  (L) 
the  ocean-front  beach,  which  is  separated  from  the  mainland  by  Charles- 
town  or  Ninigret  Pond.  The  evenly  spaced  summer  cottages  on  the 
beach  stand  out  against  the  ocean  background  like  the  teeth  of  a  gigantic 
saw. 

At  46.9  m.  is  the  Charlestown  Airport  (L),  a  level  field  used  only  for 
emergency  landings. 

At  47  m.  is  the  junction  with  an  unpaved  road,  marked  'Charlestown 
by  the  Sea.' 

Left  1  m.  on  this  road  is  Charlestown  Beach,  offering  surf-bathing,  and  camping 
places  for  the  tourist.  The  beach  also  has  three  good  hotels,  open  in  season.  Here 
also  is  the  Charlestown  Breachway  where  Charlestown  Pond  connects  with  the 
Atlantic  Ocean. 

General  Stanton  Inn  (open  in  summer)  (about  1755),  47.5  m.  (R),  is  a 
three-story,  gambrel-roofed,  frame  building,  with  shingled  ends  and  a 
clapboard  front.  In  the  middle  of  the  igth  century  this  inn  was  the  real 
political  headquarters  of  Rhode  Island. 

The  cluster  of  houses  and  small  stores  at  48.1  m.  is  the  village  of 
CHARLESTOWN,  also  called  CROSS'S  MILLS  (Town  of  Charles- 
town,  alt.  20).  In  the  village  center,  near  the  intersection  with  State  2, 
are  two  corn-meal  mills.  The  larger  and  more  modern  of  the  two  is  run 
by  Mr.  Benjamin  Gavitt.  This  plant  uses  a  Diesel  engine  for  its  power, 
but  the  meal  is  ground  by  stones  that  are  over  200  years  old.  Across 
the  street  is  Mr.  Robert  Browning's  mill,  the  Indian  Maid,  run  by  the 
old  water-power  system. 


From  North  Attleboro  to  New  London  343 

The  Town  Hall  and  an  old  Indian  Burial  Ground  are  right  from  the 

village  center  on  State  2  (lee  Tour  3). 

Charlestown  Township  (alt.  100,  pop.  1118)  was  taken  from  Westerly 

and  incorporated  in  1738.   It  was  named  for  King  Charles  II,  who  gave 

Rhode  Island  its  charter  in  1663. 

At  48.3  m.  is  the  junction  with  an  unpaved  road  marked  'Fort  Ninigret.' 

Left  0.2  m.  on  the  latter  is  Fort  Neck  Lot,  a  three-quarter-acre  reservation  owned 
by  the  Rhode  Island  Historical  Society,  though  maintained  by  the  State  as  a  park. 
It  is  at  the  head  of  a  cove  opening  from  Ninigret  Pond.  This  fort  was  supposed  for 
many  years  to  have  been  the  stronghold  of  the  Niantic  Indians,  but  it  is  now 
generally  conceded  that  it  was  built  by  the  early  Dutch  traders  and  used  as  a  trad- 
ing post.  Bastions  and  other  evidences  of  military  engineering  skill  found  in  the 
fort,  whose  original  outlines  are  now  preserved  by  an  iron  fence,  seem  to  support 
this  theory.  Here  Captain  John  Mason  of  Connecticut,  and  his  little  band  of  white 
men,  when  on  their  long  and  dreary  march  into  the  Pequot  country  in  1637,  halted 
for  one  night.  Sitting  around  their  council  fire  with  the  Niantic  braves,  Mason 
persuaded  Ninigret  to  join  in  warring  against  their  ancient  enemy. 

At  49  m.  (L)  is  the  King  Tom  Farm  (open  June  to  September  by  permission 
of  the  owner),  a  two-and-one-half -story,  gambrel-roofed  building,  painted 
yellow.  The  house  was  built  between  1746  and  1769.  Thomas  Ninigret, 
better  known  as  King  Tom,  was  born  in  1736;  he  went  to  England  to 
be  educated  and  from  there  brought  plans  for  his  home.  The  wainscoting 
and  much  of  the  interior  work  for  the  house  were  wrought  in  Newport. 
The  house  subsequently  burned,  but  the  original  boundary  has  been 
marked  with  a  low  wall;  in  the  rear  a  garden  has  been  laid  out,  and  on 
the  foundation  of  the  old  chimney  has  been  placed  a  bronze  tablet, 
bearing  a  reproduction  of  the  original  King  Tom  House.  On  this  farm 
is  Coronation  Rock,  where  the  Narragansett  Indians  crowned  their  chief- 
tains. The  date  1770  is  cut  upon  it,  commemorating  the  year  in  which 
the  last  coronation  took  place. 

At  50  m.  is  the  junction  with  an  unpaved  road  marked  'Kimball  Bird 
Sanctuary/ 

Right  about  1.3  m.  on  this  road  is  the  Kimball  Bird  Sanctuary  (open  at  all  times),  on 
the  shore  of  Watchaug  Pond.  The  grounds,  beautifully  landscaped  with  sumachs 
and  red  cedars,  belong  to  the  Audubon  Society  of  Rhode  Island.  The  Sanctuary 
has  been  in  existence  for  nearly  12  years.  It  is  being  continually  improved  by  the 
addition  of  more  facilities,  such  as  bird-houses  and  other  equipment. 

At  51.9  m.  is  the  junction  with  an  unpaved  road  marked  'Burlingame 
Reservation.' 

Right  about  1  m.  on  this  road  is  the  Burlingame  Reservation,  a  State  park  acquired 
in  1927.  Its  land  area  is  3100  acres,  about  half  of  which  is  forested  with  broadleaf 
and  pine.  The  Reservation  is  a  game  preserve,  containing  partridge,  pheasant, 
quail,  deer,  rabbits,  and  squirrels.  A  water  area  of  500  acres  provides  for  swimming 
and  skating  in  season.  Burlingame  Camp,  i4ist  Co.,  C.C.C.,  built  in  1933,  is  on 
Watchaug  Pond  which  skirts  the  reservation. 

At  52.5  m.  is  the  junction  with  an  unpaved  road. 

Left  1.9  m.  on  this  road  is  Quonochontaug  Beach,  where  there  are  several  hotels 
with  excellent  accommodations  for  guests  seeking  summer  diversion,  swimming, 
boating,  fishing,  etc.  The  hotels  and  inns  are  comfortable,  as  well  as  moderate  in 
their  rates. 


344  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

The  General  Stanton  Monument,  52.6  m.  (L),  is  a  granite  shaft  about 
20  feet  high,  erected  by  the  State  in  honor  of  Joseph  Stanton,  Jr.,  who 
was  born  in  Charlestown  in  1739.  General  Stanton  was  prominent  as  a 
soldier  in  the  French  and  Indian  War.  He  was  a  colonel  in  a  Rhode 
Island  regiment  during  the  Revolution,  and  he  was  also  prominent  in 
politics,  being  one  of  the  first  two  U.S.  Senators  from  Rhode  Island. 

Opposite  the  monument  is  the  Old  Wilcox  Tavern  (open  in  summer}, 
known  also  as  the  Monument  House  (about  1730).  It  was  here  that 
General  Stanton  was  born.  Recent  renovation  has  restored  the  house, 
and  especially  its  furnishings,  to  its  18th-century  condition. 

At  53.6  m.  is  the  Charlestown- Westerly  boundary  line.  Near  the  line, 
at  53.8  m.,  is  the  junction  with  a  dirt  road. 

Left  about  1  m.  on  this  road  is  SHELTER  HARBOR,  an  exclusive  summer  resort 
not  open  to  the  general  public.  At  one  time  this  resort  was  called  Music  Colony. 
Many  singers  and  artists  have  summer  homes  here. 

At  HAVERSHAM  CORNER,  54.3  m.,  the  Watch  Hill  Shore  Rd.  leads 
left,  about  6  miles  to  WATCH  HILL  (see  Tour  L4). 

At  DUNN  CORNERS,  55.6  m.,  is  the  intersection  with  paved  Week- 

apaug  Rd. 

Left  0.6  m.  on  Weekapaug  Rd.,  at  the  intersection  with  Shore  Rd.,  is  a  bronze 
tablet  marking  the  Site  of  the  Samuel  Ward  House  (R).  Here  lived  Samuel  Ward 
the  Elder,  who  was  born  at  Newport  in  1725.  He  was  the  son  of  Governor  Richard 
Ward.  In  1745,  he  married  Anna  Ray  of  Block  Island,  and  removed  to  Westerly. 
His  high  character  and  varied  intellectual  attainments  at  once  found  recognition 
and  he  soon  became  a  political  leader,  whose  influence  extended  over  all  the  Colony. 
He  was  Governor,  1762-63,  and  1765-67;  this  was  in  the  exciting  period  before  the 
Revolution,  and  Governor  Ward  counseled  the  people  to  resist  English  aggression. 
The  letters  that  he  wrote  at  the  time  are  among  the  prized  historical  records  of  the 
State.  At  the  opening  of  the  Revolutionary  War  he  was  chosen  by  the  Colony, 
with  Stephen  Hopkins,  to  represent  Rhode  Island  in  the  First  Continental  Congress 
at  Philadelphia;  he  was  re-elected  to  the  same  position  in  1775,  and  while  in  the 
discharge  of  his  duty  died  at  Philadelphia,  on  March  25,  1776. 

Right  from  Weekapaug  Rd.  on  Shore  Rd.  1.5  m.  is  the  Winnapaug  Golf  Club  (open 
at  nominal  charge},  an  i8-hole  course  which  extends  along  Winnapaug  Pond  and 
inland  through  a  hilly  and  woody  countryside  of  natural  beauty. 

At  1.4  m  on  Weekapaug  Rd.  by  the  Weekapaug  Bridge  (R)  is  the  intersection  with 
Atlantic  Ave. 

Right  2.6  m.  on  Atlantic  Ave.  is  MISQUAMICUT  (Town  of  Westerly,  sea  level), 
another  beautiful  summer  resort;  its  beach,  which  extends  along  the  Atlantic 
Ocean  for  about  three  miles,  is  the  first  ocean  beach  on  the  mainland  east  of  New 
York.  The  majority  of  the  cottages  and  hotels  face  the  beach,  with  the  main 
street  or  Atlantic  Ave.  to  the  rear.  There  is  a  busy  shopping  center  which  caters 
to  the  needs  of  the  vacationists.  The  great  salt  pond,  Winnapaug,  in  the  rear  of 
the  beach,  affords  protected  sailing  and  canoeing,  also  fish,  crabs,  and  clams.  Be- 
fore 1894  there  were  no  permanent  dwellings  here.  In  the  latter  year,  Court  B. 
Bliven  of  Westerly,  who  had  a  tent  at  the  point,  decided  to  build  a  cottage,  and 
soon  a  group  of  Westerly  men  purchased  a  long  strip  of  beach  property  and  erected 
several  other  cottages.  Bliven's  wife  named  the  group  Pleasant  View.  Up  to  this 
time  hunters  and  fishermen  had  camped  on  the  dunes;  families  held  picnics,  dug 
clams,  and  swam  in  the  ocean  or  pond;  and  farmers  had  come  here  to  collect  sea- 
weed for  fertilizer.  As  no  crops  could  be  raised,  the  dunes  were  considered  of  little 
value.  From  1894  to  1903  the  resort  made  but  slow  progress,  there  being  but  28 
cottages  erected  in  that  period.  A  hotel,  the  Pleasant  View  House,  was  erected  by 


From  North  Attleboro  to  New  London  345 

James  Collins  of  Westerly  in  1903,  and  in  the  next  eight  years  the  resort  was  given 
a  good  road,  a  post  office,  water  system,  and  electricity.  In  1928,  the  name  was 
changed  from  Pleasant  View  to  Misquamicut,  the  Colonial  term  for  the  locality. 
In  Misquamicut  is  Atlantic  Beach  Casino  (dancing;  roller  skating),  and  the  Westerly 
Town  Beach  (free;  parking 


From  the  intersection  with  Atlantic  Ave.,  Weekapaug  Rd.  continues  into  the  village 
of  WEEKAPAUG,  1.6  m.  (Town  of  Westerly,  alt.  20),  a  secluded  summer  resort 
whose  coastline  offers  an  unspoiled  combination  of  rocky  shore  and  sandy  stretches. 
The  main  road  winds  in  and  out  along  the  ocean  front  affording  on  clear  days 
a  distant  view  of  BLOCK  ISLAND  (R)  (see  Tour  8).  The  village  has  several 
hotels,  but  there  is  no  shopping  center,  save  for  a  general  store  and  post-office  near 
the  Weekapaug  Bridge.  West  of  the  bridge  on  Atlantic  Ave.  is  a  privately  owned 
Tourist  Camp  (open;  nominal^  charge}  and  bathing  pavilion.  Quonochontaug  Pond, 
a  salt-water  pond  one  mile  wide  and  three  miles  long,  with  tree-lined  rocky  shores, 
lies  just  north  of  the  beach.  Weekapaug  Beach  was  formerly  called  Noyes's  Beach, 
for  the  Noyes  family  which  lived  on  a  farm  a  mile  or  so  back  from  the  shore.  The 
Rev.  James  Noyes  of  Newport  purchased  a  large  tract  of  land  here  from  a  Pequot 
chief  in  the  middle  i8th  century.  The  Noyes  Homestead  was  taken  down  in  1883 
to  make  way  for  summer  cottages.  The  development  of  this  spot  as  a  resort  began 
about  1874  when  Sanford  Stillman  erected  a  cottage  on  what  is  now  called  Fenway 
Road;  this  cottage  became  the  Stillman  House  (open  in  summer).  A  few  other 
cottages  were  built  at  this  time,  but  the  main  road  was  not  then  in  existence  and 
a  large  sand  dune  stood  where  the  Weekapaug  store  and  post-office  now  are.  The 
only  approach  to  the  beach  was  a  narrow  path  through  the  fields.  Bars  had  to 
be  let  down  at  several  places  and  replaced  so  that  progress  was  slow  and  difficult. 
The  present  road  was  cut  through  the  large  dune  formerly  in  front  of  the  store,  and 
the  other  dunes  have  been  attacked  by  man  and  Nature  until  few  of  them  are  left. 

The  countryside  between  56.7  m.  and  57  m.  is  hilly,  and  steep  sand 
dunes  are  visible  to  the  left. 

At  58  m.  on  US  1  is  the  Old  Whipping  Post  Farm  (R),  also  known  as 
the  Gavitt  House.  A  large  buttonwood  tree  stood  in  front  of  this  old 
house  and  was  used  as  a  whipping  post.  The  last  instance  of  a  public 
whipping  in  Westerly  occurred  in  1830  when  a  man  was  tried  and  con- 
victed for  stealing  sheep.  The  thief  was  sentenced  to  receive  19  stripes 
from  Sheriff  Gavitt.  This  old  house  was  for  many  years  used  as  an  inn, 
and  in  the  west  front  room  the  Westerly  town  meetings  were  held.  Dur- 
ing the  meeting  of  April,  1826,  just  as  the  votes  were  being  polled,  the 
floor  of  the  house  gave  way  in  the  center  and  precipitated  the  politicians 
down  among  the  pork  barrels  and  potato  bins.  No  serious  injuries  re- 
sulted from  this  catastrophe,  but  one  poor  though  cool-headed  citizen 
was  heard  to  remark  as  he  rolled  down  heavily  upon  his  wealthy  neighbor, 
'Well,  well,  here  is  where  the  rich  and  the  poor  meet  together.' 

The  built-up  section  of  Westerly  begins  at  58.8  m.  US  1  passes  the 
Joshua  Babcock  House,  59.1  m.  (R),  and  the  Smith  Granite  Quarry  near- 
by. 

WESTERLY,  59.7  m.  (alt.  15,  township  pop.  10,997),  a  resort  (see  WESTERLY). 

Points  of  Interest:  Lucy  Carpenter  House,  Captain  Card  House,  Westerly  Memorial 
Bldg.  and  Library,  and  others. 

In  the  center  of  Westerly  is  the  junction  with  Elm  St.,  to  Watch  Hill  (see  Tour  I  A). 

At  60  m.  on  the  Pawcatuck  Bridge  over  the  river  of  the  same  name 
US  1  crosses  the  Connecticut  Line,  19  m.  east  of  New  London,  Conn. 


TOUR      1   A  :     From  WESTERLY  to  WATCH  HILL,  5.5  m. 


Via  Avondale. 
Well-paved  road. 

THIS  short  route,  to  one  of  the  most  picturesque  spots  in  the  State,  runs 
close  to  the  banks  of  the  Pawcatuck  River. 
Left  from  US  1  in  Westerly  on  Elm  St.,  by  Christ  Church. 
At  1  m.  on  the  Watch  Hill  Rd.,  here  called  Beach  St.,  is  the  junction  with 
Wells  St.  Near  the  junction  (L)  is  the  Westerly  Hospital,  incorporated  in 
1921  and  opened  in  1925,  a  modern  community  institution  with  accom- 
modations for  52  patients.  The  two-story  building  of  red  brick  is  built 
in  the  shape  of  a  'T'  with  the  front  facing  west  toward  Beach  St.  and 
overlooking  the  Pawcatuck  River.  Westerly  granite  is  used  extensively 
in  the  foundation  and  trim  of  the  building  and  especially  at  the  main 
entrance  where  an  approach  leads  up  a  series  of  granite  steps  to  a  terrace. 
Owing  to  its  high  elevation,  a  good  view  is  available  from  this  terrace. 
Connected  with  the  hospital  is  the  Sarah  Alexander  Champion  Home  for 
Nurses,  the  gift  of  Charles  P.  Champion  of  Avondale.  The  building  is  a 
three-story  Georgian  type  structure  of  stucco  with  brick  trim  and  green 
shutters.  The  architects  for  both  buildings  were  the  Kendall  Taylor 
Company  of  Boston. 

River  Bend  Cemetery,  1.4  m.  (R),  an  i8-acre  tract  on  the  east  bank  of  the 
Pawcatuck  River,  was  dedicated  in  1852.  Many  fine  monuments  of 
Westerly  granite  stand  in  the  tastefully  landscaped  grounds.  Ellen  Fitz 
Pendleton  (1864-1936),  former  president  of  Wellesley  College,  is  buried 
here. 

Westerly  Yacht  Club  (private)  (R),  2  m.,  was  formed  in  1928  when  the 
present  building  was  erected.  It  is  a  one-st6ry  white  frame  building  with 
a  snub-nose-gable  roof.  When  established  the  club  had  a  membership  of 
20,  the  majority  of  whom  owned  power  boats.  Outboard  regattas,  held 
on  the  Pawcatuck  River  the  Fourth  of  July  in  1929  and  1930,  drew  en- 
trants from  all  parts  of  New  England. 

Across  the  river  from  the  Yacht  Club  is  the  Pawcatuck  Rock  (in  Connecti- 
cut) which  at  one  time  marked  the  head  of  navigation.  Adriaen  Block 
(see  History)  came  up  the  river  to  this  point  in  1614.  The  Old  Town 
Dock,  which  was  formerly  on  the  site  of  the  Yacht  Club,  served  as  the 
landing  place  for  Charlestown,  Richmond,  and  Hopkinton  before  these 
towns  were  separated  from  Westerly. 

The  Old  Babcock  Burying  Ground,  2.5  m.  (L),  just  south  of  Mastuxet 
Brook  in  the  section  of  Westerly  still  called  Mastuxet,  is  probably  near 
the  site  of  the  home  of  John  and  Mary  Babcock,  the  first  white  settlers 
in  Westerly.  This  cemetery,  probably  the  oldest  in  town,  contains  the 


From  Westerly  to  Watch  Hill  347 

remains  of  John  and  Mary  Babcock  and  of  many  of  their  descendants. 
Two  large  horizontal  tablets  mark  the  graves  of  James  and  Joshua  Bab- 
cock.  James  was  the  first  white  child  born  in  Westerly  and  Joshua  was 
the  owner  of  the  Old  Babcock  House  on  Granite  St.  (see  WESTERLY). 
Many  of  the  stones  bear  old-fashioned  inscriptions,  such  as: 

'Behold  and  see  as  you  pass  by 
As  you  are  now  so  once  was  I.' 

The  cemetery  is  now  overgrown  with  trees  and  shrubbery  and  in  the 
summer  it  is  difficult  to  find  some  of  the  headstones. 
The  village  of  AVONDALE  (alt.  20,  Westerly  Town),  3.3  m.,  most  of 
which  lies  right  of  Watch  Hill  Rd.,  is  a  little  cluster  of  beautiful  summer 
residences  situated  on  the  banks  of  the  Pawcatuck  River,  from  which  in 
late  afternoon  there  are  glorious  views  as  the  sun  goes  down  behind  the 
dark  green  foliage  of  Osbrook  Point.  The  village  was  founded  in  a  man- 
ner now  illegal.  It  was  formerly  known  as  Lotteryville,  because  it  was 
settled  through  a  lottery  conducted  by  the  State.  In  1748,  Joseph  Fox 
of  Newport,  a  scrivener,  was  committed  to  jail  because  he  could  not  pay 
a  debt  of  £3000.  He  successfully  petitioned  the  General  Assembly  for  a 
lottery  to  raise  money  for  his  obligations.  Though  it  was  unusual  to 
authorize  a  lottery  to  aid  a  private  individual,  the  assembly  granted  one 
for  £32,000,  one-eighth  to  be  reserved  to  pay  Fox's  debt  and  incidental 
expenses.  When  the  accounts  of  the  Joseph  Fox  Lottery  were  settled  in 
1750,  there  was  a  profit  of  £406, 145.,  8d.,  which  was  paid  into  the  general 
treasury.  This  was  the  first  instance  in  which  the  Colony  received  any 
of  the  proceeds  from  a  lottery.  The  success  of  this  enterprise  suggested 
interesting  possibilities  to  others;  when  Colonel  Joseph  Pendleton  of 
Westerly  found  himself  in  financial  straits  in  1749,  owing  to  the  loss  of 
a  vessel  and  its  uninsured  cargo  of  rum  and  molasses,  he  adopted  a  similar 
plan  of  action.  His  only  asset  was  a  large  tract  of  land  near  the  mouth 
of  the  Pawcatuck  River,  with  plenty  of  stone  and  timber  for  building 
vessels  and  houses.  A  lottery  was  granted  and  the  land  was  divided  into 
124  lots  of  one-quarter  acre  each,  and  1460  prizes  were  allotted,  amount- 
ing to  £15,636.  As  a  result  of  this  venture  the  village  of  Lotteryville 
grew  up.  In  1893,  the  village  received  the  more  poetic  but  less  descriptive 
name  of  Avondale.  At  that  time  the  mail  between  Westerly  and  Watch 
Hill  was  carried  by  stage,  and  the  residents  of  the  village  petitioned  for 
a  post  office  of  their  own.  Since  the  word  lottery  could  not  be  used  in 
connection  with  the  United  States  Government,  the  reply  to  the  petition 
was  that  the  post  office  would  be  granted  if  the  name  of  the  place  were 
changed.  Mastuxet,  Ninigret,  and  other  names  associated  with  Indian 
history  were  suggested,  and  rejected  by  the  authorities  at  Washington 
because  of  the  difficulty  in  spelling  and  pronouncing  them.  Avondale 
was  once  an  important  boat  landing  for  the  town  of  Westerly  and  the 
docks  formed  a  nucleus  around  which  the  village  life  centered.  The  docks 
are  now  used  by  small  fishing  boats  and  pleasure  craft. 

WATCH  HILL  (alt.  40,  Westerly  Town),  5.5  m.,  lies  on  a  beautiful  sea- 
side; it  has  numerous  little  hill  crests  so  that  many  houses  enjoy  elevations 


348  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

of  their  own.  The  majority  of  the  homes  are  comfortable  rather  than 
showy,  and  are  set  in  carefully  tended  grounds.  Ample  city  conveniences 
add  to  the  pleasure  of  the  vacationist;  there  are  hotel  accommodations  of 
all  sorts.  (Fishing,  bathing,  and  other  water  sports  are  available  at  reason- 
able charge.) 

This  famous  resort  has  one  of  the  finest  beaches  in  New  England.  Be- 
ginning at  the  base  of  a  hill  on  the  shore,  a  narrow  strip  of  land  extends 
directly  west  from  Watch  Hill  Point  for  about  one  mile  to  Napatree  Point, 
and  then  changing  its  course  it  runs  north  for  another  mile  to  Sandy  Point. 
The  beach  or  sandspit  presents  the  shape  of  an  arm  bent  at  right  angles, 
or  of  a  sickle,  and  partly  encloses  Little  Narragansett  Bay,  a  body  of 
water  about  nine  miles  in  circumference  into  which  empties  the  Pawcatuck 
River.  While  the  shore  eastward  from  Watch  Hill  Point  is  surf -washed, 
with  a  dangerous  undertow,  the  western  shore,  with  its  enclosed  waters, 
offers  excellent  and  safe  bathing.  The  development  of  Watch  Hill  as  a 
resort  began  in  1840,  when  a  hotel  was  erected,  but  few  private  cottages 
and  villas  were  built  until  about  1870.  Since  then  the  village  has  grown 
steadily. 

Near  the  village  center  on  Bay  St.,  is  the  bronze  Ninigret  Statue,  given  to 
the  Watch  Hill  summer  colony  by  the  late  Mrs.  Clement  Griscom;  it 
represents  the  Indian  chieftain  Ninigret  kneeling  on  one  knee  and  holding 
a  fish  in  each  hand,  and  rests  on  a  large  boulder  with  a  pool  at  the  base, 
set  in  the  midst  of  native  shrubs;  the  figure  looks  out  over  Little  Narra- 
gansett Bay.  This  park  was  designed  and  the  plans  given  to  the  Improve- 
ment Society  by  one  of  its  members,  Miss  Marian  Coffin,  a  Fellow  of  the 
American  Society  of  Landscape  Architects.  The  statue  was  modeled  in 
Paris  by  the  American  sculptress  Enid  Yandell,  and  cast  by  Alexis  Rudier. 
The  commission  was  received  at  a  time  when  Buffalo  Bill's  Wild  West 
Show  was  playing  in  Paris,  so  the  sculptress  was  able  to  procure  a  real 
Indian  from  the  troupe  for  her  model. 

At  5.6  m.  on  Bay  St.,  is  the  junction  with  Fort  Rd. 

Right  on  Fort  Rd.  is  the  Watch  Hill  Yacht  Club  (private),  on  a  wharf  extending 
into  Little  Narragansett  Bay;  it  is  a  two-story  white  frame  building.  The  club 
offers  varied  boating  facilities,  yacht  races,  and  other  water  sports,  and  sponsors 
weekly  races  for  the  young  people  during  the  summer. 

Opposite  the  Yacht  Club  is  the  new  Watch  Hill  Beach  Club  (private),  formally 
opened  in  July,  1937,  one  of  the  chief  centers  of  the  summer  colony.  This  bungalow 
type  building,  about  62  feet  long,  is  of  frame  construction,  shingled,  with  white 
trim.  The  club  has  a  large  stone  terrace  on  the  beach  front,  and  an  attractive 
awning  covered  porch  on  the  back,  or  Little  Narragansett  Bay  side. 

At  the  end  of  Fort  Rd.,  about  1.5  m.  from  the  village  center,  is  Napatree  Point, 
whose  name  is  a  combination  of  the  words  Naps  and  Tree  Point;  the  Naps  is  the 
neck  of  land  leading  to  Tree  Point.  It  was  once  a  battlefield  for  the  Narragansett, 
Niantic,  Montauk,  and  Pequot  Indians.  It  is  said  that  this  neck  of  land  was 
formerly  so  broad  that  it  contained  a  swamp  and  pond  that  served  as  a  haunt  for 
foxes.  The  Point  forms  the  extreme  southwest  tip  of  Rhode  Island.  Only  a  narrow 
channel  of  water  separates  the  end  of  Sandy  Point  from  the  Connecticut  mainland. 
The  elbow  of  the  Point  is  about  600  feet  wide,  but  the  rest  of  the'strip  of  land  is  no 
more  than  150  feet  in  width.  A  house,  which  for  many  years  stood  on  the  Naps, 
was  washed  away  by  the  great  gale  of  September,  1815. 


From  Westerly  to  Watch  Hill  349 

On  Napatree  Point,  more  than  a  half  mile  beyond  the  last  house  on  Fort  Rd.,  and 
overgrown  with  straggling  beach  grass  and  almost  hidden  by  the  shifting  sands  is 
a  ruin  of  concrete  walls  and  underground  caverns,  the  Remains  of  Fort  Mansfield, 
the  scene  of  many  sham  battles.  In  1898,  the  Federal  Government  purchased  the 
Point  from  Henry  G.  Gorham  of  New  York  City  and  erected  a  fort  and  nearly 
50  buildings.  Though  built  just  before  the  outbreak  of  the  Spanish-American  War, 
its  three  batteries  of  eight-inch  disappearing  guns  were  never  called  upon  to  repel 
an  enemy.  At  the  time  of  the  World  War,  the  fort  was  too  obsolete  and  unfavor- 
ably placed  to  be  of  value.  The  land  and  buildings  were  sold  in  1927  to  a  syndicate 
of  Watch  Hill  and  Westerly  residents,  and  the  fort  was  razed.  The  tops  of  the 
remaining  heavy  concrete  walls  are  now  flush  with  the  sand  dunes  on  which  they 
were  built.  One  can  find  some  stairways  and  a  circular  hole  in  which  was  the  ele- 
vator from  the  powder  magazine.  The  walls  are  honey-combed  with  openings  that 
formerly  led  to  the  storerooms.  The  ordnance  and  most  of  the  other  metal  work 
were  removed  by  the  War  Department  several  years  ago. 

On  Lighthouse  Rd.  a  little  to  the  east  of  the  village  center  is  the  United 
States  Coast  Guard  Station  (open).  Before  1879  the  only  life-saving  equip- 
ment here  was  an  old  whaleboat,  kept  under  canvas  and  manned  by  a 
volunteer  crew.  This  crew  was  of  great  aid  in  saving  33  lives  from  the 
steamer  'Metis,'  wrecked  off  the  coast  in  1872.  The  lack  of  adequate 
equipment,  however,  caused  the  Government  to  erect  a  regular  life- 
saving  station.  In  1907-08  the  present  station,  a  two-story  frame  struc- 
ture with  a  tower,  was  erected  near  the  old  station  which  was  razed  in 
1935.  It  is  equipped  to  care  for  any  emergency  that  may  arise,  but  the 
breeches  buoy  has  only  been  used  twice.  The  following  account  of  a 
rescue  is  taken  from  the  log  of  February  u,  1896: 

Belle  R.  Heull  of  Providence,  R.I.,  Capt.  John  W.  Taylor  from  Port  John- 
son with  302  tons  of  egg  coal  for  Newport,  R.I.,  sprung  a  leak  about  four 
miles  east  of  the  race  at  5  o'clock  this  morning  every  effort  was  made  by 
Capt.  Taylor  and  crew  to  save  the  vessel,  but  the  leak  appeared  to  be 
general.  The  vessel  badly  strained  by  the  heavy  wind  and  mountainous 
seas.  The  vessel  was  seen  by  the  life  saving  crew  running  for  the  beach  in 
a  sinking  condition.  At  7  A.M.  a  fearful  squall  from  the  S.S.W.  accompanied 
by  snow  blew  away  the  jib  and  foresail.  In  the  absence  of  keeper  Davis  of 
the  station  Elnathan  Burdick  No.  i  of  the  crew  ordered  out  the  beach 
apparatus  and  were  on  hand  with  gun  in  position  when  the  vessel  5 f nick 
the  beach  at  8:15  A.M.  about  %  mile  E.N.E.  of  the  station.  The  gun 
was  fired  but  once  and  fifteen  minutes  later  the  Captain's  wife,  Captain 
and  crew,  five  all  told,  were  safely  landed  on  the  beach  by  the  use  of 
Breeches-buoy.  Ten  minutes  after  the  last  man  was  landed  on  the  beach, 
the  mast  of  the  vessel  went  down  and  the  vessel  completely  collapsed  and 
the  debris  strewn  along  the  beach.  Had  it  not  been  for  the  timely  assistance 
rendered  by  the  life  saving  crew  Capt.  Taylor  said  they  would  in  all  prob- 
ability have  perished  as  no  boat  could  have  lived  in  such  a  surf  as  was  run- 
ning at  the  time  the  vessel  struck.  The  crew  lost  all  their  effects  and  were 
clothed  by  clothing  furnished  by  the  supply  at  the  life  saving  station. 
The  crew  were  Capt.  John  W.  Taylor  and  wife  of  Providence,  R.I.  mate 
Leenis  Mitchellsen  of  Norway,  cook  Joseph  Leivsan  of  Cape  Verde  Islands, 
Seaman  John  Rittenson  of  Denmark.  Capt.  Taylor  says  his  vessel  would 
have  sunk  in  y^  hour  more  if  he  had  not  run  her  ashore.  There  was  five 
feet  of  water  in  the  hold  when  she  struck.  Capt.  Taylor  has  saved  a  few 
things  from  the  wreck  such  as  sails  and  rigging  and  etc.  About  $100.  value. 

Skipper,  John  W.  Davis. 


35O  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

During  the  year  1936  this  station  gave  two  major  and  thirty  miscellaneous 
assistances  to  vessels;  seven  lives  were  saved;  fifty-one  persons  aboard 
vessels  were  aided  and  property  valued  at  $406,350  was  preserved. 

The  site  of  Watch  Hill  Lighthouse,  near  the  Coast  Guard  Station,  was 
purchased  by  the  Federal  Government  in  1806  from  George  and  Thankful 
Foster.  The  light  was  first  shown  in  1808;  Jonathan  Nash  served  as  light- 
keeper  for  27  years.  The  first  building  was  a  round  tower  of  wood  and 
shingle  construction;  in  1858  this  was  replaced  by  the  present  red-brick, 
whitewashed  structure  with  a  granite  tower.  The  point  around  the 
lighthouse  has  been  built  up  by  huge  granite  blocks.  The  lens  makes  a 
complete  revolution,  showing  flashes  of  red  and  white  every  15  seconds; 
on  a  clear  night  it  is  seen  1 8  to  20  miles  at  sea. 

On  the  south  side  of  Bluff  Ave.,  on  what  was  originally  called  Watch  Hill, 
is  the. Site  of  a  Watch-Tower .  The  first  signal  station  was  apparently 
built  during  the  French  and  Indian  War,  1754-63,  and  used  smoke  by 
day  and  fire  by  night  for  its  messages.  During  the  Revolution  the  tower 
was  kept  ready  by  a  special  guard  assigned  to  look  for  British  vessels. 
Several  years  ago  Mrs.  George  G.  Snowden's  Holiday  House  was  erected 
on  this  hill;  this  large  white  frame  house,  with  bungalow  sidings,  four 
large  chimneys,  dormer  windows  and  a  series  of  hip  roofs,  is  one  of  the 
show  places  of  the  resort. 


TOUR     2  :     From  PROVIDENCE    to  WESTERLY,  39.7  m., 
State  3. 


Via  Cranston,  Crompton,  Nooseneck,  Hope  Valley,  Hopkinton. 

Good  hard-surfaced  road,  mostly  three-  and  four-lane. 

State  Police  barracks  in  Hope  Valley  (Phone,  Hope  Valley  12). 

STATE  3  is  the  most  direct  route  between  Providence  and  Westerly, 
being  11  m.  shorter  than  US  1  between  these  two  points.  The  route  runs 
diagonally  across  the  State  from  northeast  to  southwest,  and  passes,  for 
the  most  part,  through  a  rolling  and  wooded  countryside. 

State  3  branches  southwest  from  US  1  (see  Tour  1)  at  the  junction  of 
Elm  wood  and  Reservoir  Aves.,  which  is  2.3  m.  south  of  the  center  of 
Providence. 

At  0.9  m.  is  the  Cranston  city  line. 

CRANSTON  (alt.  60,  city  pop.  42,911),  1.4  m.,  was  probably  settled  in 
1638  by  some  of  the  Providence  associates  of  Roger  Williams.  Three  of 
the  prominent  early  settlers  were  William  Harris,  Zachariah  Rhodes,  and 


From  Providence  to  Westerly  351 

William  Arnold.  The  latter  was  the  father  of  Benedict  Arnold,  last 
President  of  the  Colony  under  the  Charter  of  1643  and  the  first  Governor 
under  the  Charter  of  1663.  Harris  was  the  political  leader  of  the  early 
residents;  he  carried  on  a  long  dispute  with  Roger  Williams,  claiming 
that  Providence  had  no  jurisdiction  over  the  part  of  present  Cranston 
that  lies  along  the  Pawtuxet  River.  In  1754,  the  Pawtuxet  and  adjacent 
settlements  were  incorporated  as  the  township  of  Cranston,  in  honor  of 
Samuel  Cranston  of  Newport,  Governor  of  the  Colony  1698-1727.  It 
was  incorporated  as  a  city  in  1910.  The  rise  of  Cranston  as  an  industrial 
center  dates  from  the  early  i9th  century  when  the  textile  factory  now 
known  as  the  Cranston  Print  Works  was  opened  (see  below). 

The  eastern  part  of  the  city's  28  sq.  m.  area  is  densely  built  up,  with 
both  residences  and  factories,  and  can  hardly  be  distinguished  from 
Providence,  which  it  adjoins.  The  chief  industries  are  the  making  of 
cotton  print,  mill  machinery,  brass  and  copper  tubing,  and  fire  extin- 
guishers. 

N arragansett  Brewing  Company  Plant  (visitors  welcome)  is  at  New  Depot 
Ave.  near  Cranston  St.  During  the  dry  era  this  company,  estab.  1890, 
bottled  non-alcoholic  drinks.  After  repeal  the  plant  was  enlarged;  it 
can  fill  30,000  bottles  an  hour,  and  has  storage  capacity  for  103,000 
barrels  of  ale,  lager,  porter,  and  similar  beverages.  New  England  is  the 
principal  market. 

Cranston  City  Hall,  865  Park  Ave.  near  corner  of  Reservoir  Ave.,  a  three- 
story  brick  and  limestone  building  in  Georgian  style,  was  opened  in  May, 
1937- 

The  Thomas  Fenner  House  (not  open),  1538  Plainfield  St.,  a  two-and-one- 
half-story  frame  structure,  was  reputedly  built  about  1677  for  Thomas 
Fenner  by  his  father  Arthur.  Originally  a  one-and-a-half-story  building 
with  the  stair-well  on  one  side  of  the  fireplace,  it  was  later  enlarged, 
partly  by  the  addition  of  a  lean-to  at  the  rear.  The  stone  chimney  and 
fireplace  occupy  a  large  part  of  the  outside  north  wall.  The  Thomas 
Fenner  House  is  unusual  in  having  an  end  chimney  and  a  central  door- 
way; in  most  old  houses  of  northern  Rhode  Island,  an  end  chimney 
was  offset  by  a  doorway  placed  much  to  one  side  of  the  center  of  the  house. 
The  Arthur  Fenner  House,  which  stood  about  a  mile  east  of  this  point, 
was  a  sturdy  stone  and  oak  structure,  partly  burned  in  King  Philip's 
War,  later  rebuilt,  and  finally  razed  in  1895.  A  section  of  the  window, 
with  small  diamond-shaped  leaded  panes,  is  preserved  in  the  Rhode 
Island  Historical  Society. 

Near  the  center  of  the  city  at  the  cor.  of  Cranston  St.  and  Dyer  Ave., 
is  the  S prague  Mansion  (not  open),  the  large  residence  of  various  members 
of  the  Sprague  family  who  were  connected  with  the  Cranston  Print 
Works,  and  prominent  in  local  politics.  William  Sprague,  the  second  of 
this  name  to  be  chief  executive,  was  Civil  War  Governor,  1860-63, 
and  U.S.  Senator,  1863-75.  The  two-and-a-half-story  structure,  with  a 
windowed  tower  on  the  southern  or  older  section  (about  1800),  has  about 


352  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

1 8  large  rooms.  The  newer  section  has  a  Georgian  gable  roof  with  dormers 
and  end  chimneys.  The  general  arrangement  is  unsymmetrical,  but  the 
main  doorway  with  side-lights  and  arch-light  is  rather  attractive.  The 
loggia  or  porch  has  Doric  columns. 

The  Cranston  Print  Works  (visitors  welcome,  guide),  Cranston  St.  west 
of  Dyer  Ave.,  was  the  city's  first  important  industrial  enterprise.  Estab- 
lished in  1824  by  an  earlier  William  Sprague,  the  factory  in  the  beginning 
printed  finished  textiles  by  machines  that  could  stamp  but  two  colors, 
other  patterns  being  filled  in  by  hand-blocking.  Later  machinery  made 
possible  the  printing  of  many-colored  designs  in  one  process..  The  com- 
pany makes  prints  particularly  for  shirts,  slacks,  and  shorts.  It  owns 
mill  houses  accommodating  about  250  families. 

Budlong  Rose  Company  Gardens  (visitors  welcome),  564  Pontiac  Ave., 
are  the  outgrowth  of  a  market  garden  begun  after  the  Civil  War  by 
James  A.  Budlong,  that  first  specialized  in  raising  asparagus,  horseradish, 
and  cucumbers  for  pickling.  At  present  the  company  has  13  acres  under 
glass,  and  can  produce  18,000  cut  roses  a  day,  its  specialty  being  a  double 
white  Killarney.  A  generation  or  two  ago  most  of  the  workers  here  were 
Swedes;  now  the  employees  are  largely  Italians. 

Caleb  Arnold  Tavern  (not  open),  219  Phenix  Ave.,  is  an  unpretentious 
two-and-a-half -story  building  that  was  standing  in  1775,  and  was  prob- 
ably built  much  earlier  by  William  Carpenter,  who  constructed  many 
houses  in  Cranston.  At  a  town  meeting  held  here  in  1775,  Jonathan 
King  was  ordered  to  build  a  pair  of  stocks  at  the  expense  of  Providence 
County. 

Meshanticut  Park  with  Dean  Parkway,  just  west  of  Cranston  St.,  a 
State  reservation  of  some  42  acres  around  Meshanticut  Lake,  was  donated 
to  the  park  system  by  John  M.  Dean,  owner  of  a  large  apple  orchard 
near-by,  in  1910.  There  is  a  log  cabin  to  accommodate  skaters  hi  winter, 
a  bridle  path,  and  fireplaces. 

The  Edward  Searle  House  (not  open),  109  Wilbur  Ave.,  is  a  two-story 
frame  structure  with  central  chimney  and  broad  gable  roof,  built  in  1671 
and  enlarged  in  1728.  The  large  central  chimney,  linteled  doorway,  and 
symmetrical  facade  belong  to  the  i8th  century,  but  the  old  features 
have  been  much  disguised  by  modern  additions.  The  old  windows,  with 
small  panes,  are  still  in  the  west  and  rear  walls. 

The  Friends  Meeting-House  (1729),  229  Wilbur  Ave.,  is  now  at  the  rear 
of  the  Oaklawn  Baptist  Church.  The  two-story  frame  structure  was  for 
many  years  the  religious  center  for  Quakers  living  just  south  of  Prov- 
idence, but  the  Friends,  once  numerous  in  Cranston,  are  now  so  few  that 
they  have  no  regular  meeting-house.  The  Oaklawn  Baptist  Church  is 
noted  for  its  May  Day  Breakfasts,  begun  in  1868,  which  annually  attract 
crowds  of  several  hundred. 

Near  Natick  Rd.,  a  little  to  the  southwest  of  the  church,  was,  according 
to  tradition,  the  Site  of  Samuel  Gorton's  Home  in  Pawtuxet,  where  he 
lived  for  a  short  time  before  going  farther  south  to  found  Warwick. 


From  Providence  to  Westerly  353 

Right  from  the  center  of  the  city  on  Scituate  Rd.,  4  m.,  is  the  Comstock  Golf  Course 
(open  to  non-members;  nominal  fees} ,  with  an  i8-hole  course. 

At  2.9  m.  State  3  swings  left  onto  New  London  Ave.  The  Cranston 
Mine  (not  open),  3.1  m.  (L),  has  a  coal  of  low  grade  owing  to  its  geologic 
composition  (see  Mineral  Resources};  it  can  be  burned,  but  has  to  be 
treated  by  kiln-drying  to  eliminate  some  of  the  water  content.  A  re- 
cent experiment  in  making  briquets  was  halted  by  court  action  because 
of  the  offensive  odor  that  resulted.  Amorphous  graphite  is  taken  from 
the  mine  and  marketed  (850  tons  in  1935)  in  New  Jersey  and  Ohio. 

South  of  the  mine  State  3  runs  through  open  country  with  extensive 
landscaped  grounds  and  cultivated  fields  (L)  maintained  by  a  group  of 
State  institutions  in  the  vicinity.  At  3.5  m.  (L)  is  the  entrance  to  the 
Sockanosset  School,  a  reformatory  for  boys.  At  4.1  m.  (L)  is  the  main 
entrance  to  several  of  the  other  State  institutions;  the  group  of  buildings 
include  an  Infirmary,  Hospital  for  Mental  Diseases,  Reformatory  for 
Women,  State  Prison,  and  Reformatory  for  Men.  The  entrance  to  a 
girls'  reformatory,  the  Oaklawn  School,  is  at  4.4  m.  (R). 

At  5.1  m.  is  the  junction  with  State  3 A  (see  Tour  2A). 

For  about  3  m.  south  of  5.4  m.  State  3  runs  through  the  western  part  of 
Warwick  (see  Tour  1) ;  it  then  turns  right  at  8.9  m.  Here  is  the  junction 
with  State  2,  the  South  County  Trail  (see  Tour  3). 

CROMPTON  (alt.  160;  Town  of  West  Warwick),  10.1  m.,  is  a  village 
whose  activities  center,  for  the  most  part,  around  the  Crompton  Com- 
pany, makers  of  corduroys  and  velveteens.  The  office  entrance  to  the 
Crompton  Company  Mills  (Remnant  Room  open)  is  indicated  on  State  3 
(R).  Manufacturing  was  begun  on  this  site  in  1807,  in  a  stone  mill  called 
the '  Stone  Jug '  by  the  workers,  erstwhile  farmers,  who  were  unaccustomed 
to  such  limited  quarters.  The  village,  first  called  Stone  Factory,  was 
renamed  in  honor  of  the  Englishman,  James  Crompton,  who  came  here 
in  the  i82o's  to  give  advice  on  improved  machinery.  Velvet  manu- 
facture was  added  to  the  cotton  industry  in  1885,  a  circumstance  that 
gave  rise  to  a  nickname  for  the  locality  —  'Velvet  Village.'  At  present 
the  Crompton  Company  bleaches  and  dyes  velvets  and  corduroys  that 
are  made  in  Virginia  and  Georgia.  Many  of  the  mill  workers  are  Swedish. 

In  Crompton  is  also  the  Warwick  Chemical  Company  Plant  (not  open), 
100  Pulaski  St.,  making  textile  soaps,  water  repellents,  tar  removers,  and 
various  other  products  used  in  the  processing  of  wool,  cotton,  silks,  and 
rayon. 

At  11.7  m.  State  3  passes  the  northern  tip  of  Tiogue  Lake  (R),  which  has 
recently  been  developed  as  a  summer  resort.  Small  cottages  and  camps 
border  the  wooded  shore  of  the  lake  (boats,  bathhouses,  dancing  at  nominal 
charge}. 

At  13  m.  is  the  southern  junction  with  State  3 A  (see  Tour  2A). 

At  15.4  m.  (L),  on  the  Coventry- West  Greenwich  line,  is  a  picnic  grove 
amid  pine  trees. 


354  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

NOOSENECK  (alt.  470;  town  pop.  402),  19.1  m.,  is  the  governmental 
center  for  the  township  of  West  Greenwich,  which  was  a  part  of  the 
territory  once  known  as  'Vacant  Lands'  and  the  western  part  of  East 
Greenwich  until  its  incorporation  in  1741.  The  town,  containing  nearly 
49  sq.  m.  of  uneven,  stony  soil  and  lacking  industrial  development,  has 
never  attracted  any  considerable  population,  though  at  present  (1937) 
it  is  being  developed  as  a  country  resort  by  wealthy  families  from 
Providence  and  vicinity. 

Among  the  first  settlers  in  this  remote  township  was  a  Theophilus  Whaley, 
who,  according  to  local  tradition,  was  Edward  Whalley,  one  of  the  so- 
called  regicides,  members  of  the  'high  court  of  justice'  established  by  the 
English  House  of  Commons  for  the  trial  of  Charles  I.  Whalley  and  his 
son-in-law,  William  Goffe,  managed  to  escape  to  America  when  the 
monarchy  was  restored  in  England  and  Charles  II  issued  warrants  for  the 
arrest  of  his  father's  'murderers.'  The  two  men  landed  in  Boston  in  1660, 
and  soon,  on  the  warning  of  friends  that  the  Crown  officials  were  about  to 
arrest  them,  fled  to  Connecticut,  where  they  were  hidden  briefly  in  several 
places.  In  1664,  they  found  a  friend  in  a  clergyman,  John  Russell  of  Had- 
ley,  in  the  Massachusetts  wilderness.  It  was  generally  believed  that 
Whalley  died  in  Hadley  in  1678,  and  bones,  said  to  be  his,  were  found  in 
the  house  many  years  later.  The  belief  persisted,  however,  that  the  story 
of  his  death  was  spread  to  cover  yet  another  flight.  When  Theophilus 
Whaley  arrived  in  West  Kingston  in  1680,  he  said  that  he  had  come  from 
Virginia;  after  the  death  of  his  wife  he  went  farther  into  the  wilderness  to 
Hopkins  Hill  in  the  Vacant  Lands  to  the  east  of  the  present  Nooseneck 
Hill,  where  he  lived  with  a  daughter.  He  died  in  1720.  It  seems  unlikely 
that  he  was  the  regicide,  since  Edward  Whalley  was  born  in  1615,  but 
public  opinion  chose  thus  to  explain  his  retirement  to  the  practically  un- 
inhabited forests. 

Nooseneck  holds  more  of  the  402  inhabitants  of  the  49  sq.  m.  than  does 
any  other  village  in  the  town;  it  contains  the  only  two  stores  in  the  area, 
one  of  them,  on  Nooseneck  Hill  (alt.  511)  to  the  south,  being  used  for 
town  meetings.  Nooseneck,  like  some  of  the  other  villages  of  the  town- 
ship, has  no  post-office,  receiving  its  mail  by  rural  delivery  from  other 
towns. 

In  early  days  several  small  mills  were  operated  along  the  streams,  their 
chief  products  being  cotton  cloth  and  yarn,  varied  with  shingles,  acid, 
carriages,  axes,  farm  implements,  and  even  molasses  from  syrup  pressed 
from  cane.  Today  the  only  occupations  are  lumbering,  and  farming  for 
home  consumption. 

It  is  said  that  the  name  of  the  village  came  from  the  local  practice  of 
setting  running  nooses  to  catch  deer,  but  another  explanation  is  that  it 
is  derived  from  the  shape  of  the  land  here,  a  narrow  neck  formed  by  two 
small  streams. 

Nooseneck  Hill  Forest  Park  Reservation,  19.3  m.  (R),  was  until  a  short 
time  ago  the  site  of  a  C.C.C.  camp.  The  reservation  has  an  area  of  about 
1 6  acres  with  several  camp  buildings. 


From  Providence  to  Westerly  355 

At  20.2  m.  is  the  West  Greenwich-Exeter  boundary  line. 

Between  20.5  and  20.8  m.  State  3  coincides  with  the  Victory  Highway, 
State  102  (see  Tour  9).   At  the  latter  point,  State  102  turns  left. 

At  21.9  m.  is  the  junction  with  Beach  Pond  Rd. 

Right  7  m.  on  this  road  is  Beach  Pond  Reservation  with  a  combined  State  and  Federal 
area  of  3100  acres.  The  C.C.C.  Camp,  on  Beach  Pond,  has  14  buildings,  including 
a  large  recreation  hall,  and  is  the  only  one  in  the  State  under  the  direction  of  the 
Department  of  the  Interior  (1937).  Beach  Pond  Reservation  has  been  divided  into 
three  major  areas,  an  Organization  Camp  Area,  and  two  Day-Use  Areas,  with 
roads  into  each  area  from  a  point  on  the  summit  of  Escoheag  Hill.  A  part  of  the  Day- 
Use  Area  is  now  open  to  the  public.  The  Cascade  Sector  of  the  Barker  Unit  on 
Wood  River,  off  Ten  Rod  Road,  is  a  most  picturesque  area  (picnic  tables  and 
benches).  The  Boulder  Trail  Sector  of  the  Pequot  Unit  is  immediately  southeast  of 
the  Division's  Headquarters  Building  on  Escoheag  Hill  in  an  unusually  rugged, 
densely  wooded  valley  with  great  ledges  and  boulders  (18  fireplace  sites,  tables  and 
benches,  and  well-defined  trails').  A  small  brook,  and  rivulets  from  several  springs, 
make  the  spot  ideal  for  campers.  In  the  wild-life  area,  little  development  is  planned 
other  than  the  planting  to  increase  food-bearing  bushes  upon  which  bird  life  thrives, 
and  the  stocking  of  the  ponds  with  trout. 

At  23.3  m.  is  the  Exeter-Richmond  boundary  line,  near  which,  on  both 
sides  of  State  3,  is  Dawley  Memorial  Park,  a  2oo-acre  tract  of  woodland 
that  was  given  to  the  State  in  1933  by  Mrs.  Mary  W.  Dawley  of  the  vil- 
lage of  Wyoming.  It  is  a  memorial  to  her  husband,  Amos  J.  Dawley,  a 
descendant  of  one  of  the  early  Colonial  families.  The  area  left  of  State 
3  has  suffered  heavily  from  fire.  Nothing  was  done  to  develop  the  park 
until  1936  when  members  of  the  C.C.C.  camp  at  Beach  Pond  cleared 
the  burned  area  and  planted  about  70,000  seedling  trees.  Truck  trails 
and  water  holes  have  been  constructed  to  aid  the  control  of  forest  fires. 
The  Picnic  Grove  (R),  covering  59  acres,  is  one  of  the  largest  in  the  State 
(32  fireplace  sites,  tables,  benches,  water  supply,  firewood,  foot  trails,  and 
parking  area). 

Six  Principle  Baptist  Church,  26.3  m.  (L),  was  established  in  1723,  when 
Daniel  Averitt  of  Providence  was  named  pastor.  The  sect  takes  its  name 
from  the  six  principles  mentioned  in  Hebrews  VI,  1-3,  and  differs  from 
other  Baptist  groups  chiefly  in  the  'laying  on  of  hands'  at  baptismal 
ceremonies.  The  deed  to  the  lot,  registered  in  the  town  records,  is  dated 
November  13,  1769,  and  the  building  was  probably  erected  in  that  year. 
It  is  a  plain  frame  structure,  rectangular  in  shape  with  a  gable  roof, 
many-paned  windows,  and  cornices  on  the  two  front  doorways.  Near  the 
church  on  both  sides  of  State  3  are  well-kept  Cemeteries.  Many  of  the 
old  stones  have  old-fashioned  inscriptions  such  as: 

As  you  pass  by  just  cast  an  eye 
As  you  are  now  so  once  was  I 
As  I  am  now  so  you  must  be 
Prepare  for  death  and  follow  me 

At  26.6  m.  (R)  is  a  view  of  the  State  Police  Barracks. 

At  27.1  m.,  right  of  the  junction  with  State  138  on  the  northern  edge  of 
the  village  of  Wyoming,  is  the  Dawley  Tavern  (not  open),  built  about 


356  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

1800  by  Francis  Brown.  In  stagecoach  days  this  place  did  a  flourishing 
business,  catering  to  the  needs  of  both  passengers  and  horses.  Amos  J. 
Dawley,  who  wore  a  plug  hat  and  resembled  '  Diamond  Jim '  Brady,  pur- 
chased the  property  about  1846,  and  from  that  date  to  the  coming  of 
Prohibition  the  tavern  had  a  checkered  career,  sometimes  prosperous  and 
often  boisterous.  Before  the  east  end  was  removed  to  facilitate  con- 
struction of  the  State  road,  the  tavern  was  143  feet  long.  The  main  part 
of  the  white  frame  structure  is  two  stories  high  with  a  gable  roof,  small 
window-panes,  and  two  brick  chimneys.  Since  1920  the  inn  has  been 
used  as  a  dwelling-house,  and  is  now  owned  by  Mrs.  Mary  Dawley,  who 
gave  Dawley  Park  to  the  State. 

Left  on  State  138  is  the  Meadow  Brook  Golf  Club  (9  holes;  nominal  fee)  (R),  1.9  m., 
comprising,  in  addition  to  the  golf  course,  13  acres  of  land  for  hunting  and  3  m.  of 
Meadow  Brook  used  for  trout  fishing. 

At  2.6  m.  is  the  Richmond  Town  Hall  surrounded  by  woods  and  open  fields.  It  was 
placed  at  this  crossroads  in  the  horse-and-buggy  days  when  no  townsman  was  will- 
ing to  drive  more  miles  to  town  meeting  than  did  his  fellows  on  the  other  side  of 
the  township.  Richmond  (pop.  1535),  once  part  of  the  Vacant  Lands  and  then  in 
Westerly,  was  incorporated  in  1 747.  It  was  probably  named  for  Edward  Richmond, 
Attorney-General  of  the  Colony  from  1677  to  1680.  The  area  was  settled  very 
slowly;  in  1709,  a  committee  appointed  by  the  General  Assembly  sold  this  part  of 
the  Vacant  Lands  to  about  20  men,  among  them  George  Babcock,  William  Clarke, 
and  Thomas  Lillibridge.  The  majority  of  the  property-holders  came  here  to  live 
and  their  descendants  are  still  farming  and  working  in  the  small  textile  mills  along 
the  streams  in  the  southern  and  western  parts  of  the  township. 

For  many  years  there  were  no  public  and  few  private  schools  in  the  area;  the  first 
schoolhouse  was  erected  in  1806.  Near  the  Town  Hall  is  the  Richmond  Elementary 
and  Junior  High  School,  and  there  are  other  small  schools  in  outlying  areas. 

Right  from  the  Town  Hall  1.5  m.  on  State  112,  Town  House  Rd.,  to  the  large  Trout 
Hatchery  (open  to  visitors)  of  the  American  Fish  Culture  Company,  which  dates 
from  1877,  when  Charles  Hoxsie,  a  pioneer  in  this  business,  began  it  as  a  family 
enterprise.  A  company  was  organized  in  1892  with  Fred  Hoxsie  as  manager,  and 
today  millions  of  fry  are  shipped  annually  from  this  place  to  stock  streams  as  far 
west  as  Wisconsin.  The  raising  of  the  new  'crop'  of  trout  begins  annually  about 
November  i. 

On  State  3,  a  few  yards  from  the  intersection  with  State  138  at  27.1  m.y 
is  the  junction  with  Old  Nooseneck  Hill  Rd. 

Right  3  m.  on  this  road  is  ARCADIA  (alt.  180;  Town  of  Richmond),  the  ghost  of 
an  old  mill  village  on  a  hillside  sloping  southward  to  the  mill  pond.  The  principal 
street,  flanked  by  tenement  houses,  runs  between  rows  of  elm  trees.  In  the  fields  ad- 
joining are  company  houses  of  an  older  style.  In  Civil  War  time,  possibly  earlier, 
the  village  land  was  owned  by  the  Sprague  family,  which  had  many  mill  properties 
in  the  neighborhood.  The  next  owner  was  James  Harris;  in  1870,  David  Aldrich 
became  the  proprietor  and  under  his  management  the  Upper  Mill  was  built,  first 
used  for  the  spinning  and  weaving  of  cotton  and  later  for  dyeing  and  bleaching. 
The  mill,  never  very  successful,  changed  hands  several  times  and  was  finally  de- 
stroyed by  fire.  During  one  period  of  prosperity  the  Lower  Mill  was  built  farther 
down  the  main  street.  Now,  there  is  no  industry  in  the  village,  only  part  of  the 
houses  are  occupied,  and  the  land  is  being  included  in  the  55-acre  area  under 
development  as  the  Arcadia  Forest  Park. 

WYOMING  (alt.  100;  Town  of  Richmond),  27.2  m.,  was  settled  in  1758 
when  Samuel  Brand,  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Hopkinton,  set  up  an 
iron  works  here  on  the  Wood  River,  using  bog-ore  found  near-by,  which 


From  Providence  to  Westerly  357 

was  called,  as  it  still  is,  the  Upper  Iron  Works.  John  Brown  about  1780 
erected  a  mill  for  wool  carding  south  of  the  village;  in  1814  it  was  taken 
over  by  the  Brothers'  Manufacturing  Company,  composed  of  four  Tefft 
brothers  and  Nathan  Lillibridge,  for  the  manufacture  of  cotton  goods. 
This  mill,  often  called  the  Tefft  Mill,  frequently  changed  ownership  on 
account  of  fires  and  business  reverses.  The  Marion  Woolen  Company,  Inc. 
Mill,  on  the  site  of  the  Tefft  Mill,  manufacturing  men's  and  women's 
wear,  woolen,  silk  and  wool  nubs,  is  the  only  factory  now  operating  here. 
Most  of  the  village  houses  are  clustered  around  the  crossroads;  there  is 
no  business  center  and  the  near-by  village  of  Hope  Valley  serves  the  shop- 
ping and  recreational  needs  of  this  community. 

At  27.2  m.,  on  the  southern  edge  of  Wyoming,  is  the  Richmond-Hop- 
kinton  boundary. 

HOPE  VALLEY  (alt.  160;  Town  of  Hopkinton),  28  m.,  is  a  compact 
little  village  with  a  small  shopping  center.  About  1770,  Hezekiah  Car- 
penter built  a  dam  here  and  erected  a  sawmill,  gristmill,  fulling-mill,  and 
a  carding-plant,  for  many  years  known  as  Carpenter's  Mills  or  Middle 
Iron  Works.  In  1810,  John  Godfrey,  Godfrey  Arnold,  Gorton  W.  Arnold, 
and  others  purchased  the  mills.  The  first  cotton  mill,  built  by  Gorton 
Arnold  in  1814,  a  small  crude  structure  by  the  river,  was  burned  when  a 
lamp  was  overturned;  it  was  later  replaced  by  a  building  large  enough 
for  60  looms,  which  also  burned  in  time.  In  1866,  a  factory  of  brick  was 
built  by  William  R.  Greene  and  Company,  for  the  manufacture  of  cotton 
goods,  but  owing  to  the  depression  following  the  Civil  War  the  firm  failed. 
Later  owners  used  the  plant  to  manufacture  woolen  goods  and  it  was 
seldom  idle  until  it  wa's  destroyed  by  fire  in  1936.  In  1824,  Gardiner 
Nichols  and  Russell  Thayer  bought  another  mill  here,  Thayer  using  it 
for  carding,  fulling,  and  finishing  cloth  and  Nichols  making  machinery 
for  the  manufacture  of  woolen  goods. 

On  the  right  of  State  3,  just  north  of  the  village  center,  is  St.  Joseph's 
Chapel,  formerly  a  Methodist  church  built  in  1846  in  Rockville.  It  was 
taken  down  and  moved  to  this  site  in  1851,  but  never  had  a  large  con- 
gregation. It  was  sold  to  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  and  remodeled  in 
1922. 

The  First  Baptist  Church  (R),  built  in  1845,  has  also  had  much  remodeling. 

The  Lillibridge  House  (L),  built  about  1826,  is  a  one-and-a-half-story 
white  frame  house  with  a  gable  roof,  central  stone  chimney,  many-paned 
windows,  and  a  rear  ell.  The  gable  end  of  the  building  faces  the  street. 
In  earlier  days  it  was  the  home  of  Russell  Thayer  (see  above)  and  was 
probably  built  by  him  or  his  father. 

Just  south  of  the  village  center  is  the  Hiscox  House  (R),  a  one-and-a- 
half-story  white  frame  house  with  gable  roof,  central  stone  chimney,  and 
small  ell,  built  on  land  formerly  belonging  to  the  Carpenter  estate,  and 
erected  about  1825,  probably  by  Arnold  Hiscox.  Hiscox  worked  for 
Deacon  Nathan  F.  Chipman  who  had  a  tanyard  at  the  foot  of  the  hill 
near  the  railroad  station. 


358  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

On  High  St.  (L)  is  the  Red  House  (about  1825),  a  one-and-a-half-story 
frame  dwelling,  painted  yellow  with  green  trim;  it  has  a  red  gable  roof, 
an  ell,  and  three  brick  chimneys.  After  the  departure  of  the  Crandalls 
to  Canterbury,  their  holdings  passed  into  the  possession  of  the  Godfreys 
and  Arnolds,  and  the  house  was  occupied  by  Gorton  Arnold. 

On  High  St.  near  the  Red  House  is  the  Site  of  the  Arnold  House,  a  gambrel- 
roof  dwelling  built  by  the  Carpenters  in  1778;  the  house  became  the 
property  of  Hezekiah  Carpenter's  daughter  Esther  and  her  husband,  Par- 
don Crandall.  And  in  it,  Prudence  Crandall,  the  abolitionist,  was  born 
in  1803.  Miss  Crandall,  when  a  teacher  of  colored  girls  at  Canterbury, 
Connecticut,  was  abused,  persecuted,  and  imprisoned  for  efforts  on  behalf 
of  the  Negro.  The  bungalow  now  on  the  property  has  a  stone  from  the 
old  house,  dated  1778,  as  a  corner-stone. 

The  Carpenter  House  (R),  south  of  the  village  center,  was  built  by  •Heze- 
kiah Carpenter  in  1770.  This  two-and-a-half-story  frame  structure, 
painted  yellow  with  green  trim,  has  a  gable  roof  and  a  central  brick 
chimney;  it  has  been  remodeled  at  intervals. 

After  the  Carpenters  left  the  neighborhood,  the  house  was  purchased  by 
Isaiah  Ray,  a  retired  sea  captain.  It  is  said  that  he  once  had  a  sore  toe 
that  so  annoyed  him  that  he  went  to  the  woodpile  and  chopped  it  off 
with  an  axe,  quoting  the  Scripture,  'If  thy  foot  offend  thee,  cut  it  off.' 

Right  from  Hope  Valley  about  3  m.  on  State  138  is  ROCKVILLE  (alt.  300,  Town 
of  Hopkinton),  a  small  mill  village  near  two  ponds,  Yawgoog  and  Wincheck,  which 
in  early  days  furnished  the  water-power  for  various  mills.  One  of  them  manu- 
factured satinets,  carded  wool,  and  dressed  cloth,  while  machinery  was  made  on 
the  lower  floor.  This  mill,  like  many  others  in  the  area,  was  burned  down  but  re- 
built and  enlarged. 

At  about  5  m.  is  the  Yawgoog  Scout  Camp,  owned  by  the  Providence  Council  of 
Boy  Scouts.  Yawgoog  Pond  is  a  fine  sheet  of  water  with  gently  sloping  beaches, 
more  than  three-quarters  of  a  mile  long  and  one-half  mile  wide.  Sandy  Beach, 
along  the  northeast  shore,  is  a  good  spot  for  bathing.  The  pond  is  surrounded 
by  a  splendid  stand  of  timber,  wide  fields,  and  a  series  of  cliffs  with  many  natural 
caves.  Philip's  Island  is  also  part  of  the  Scout  property. 

At  30.1  m.  is  the  junction  with  a  dirt  road. 

Right  1.2  m.  on  this  road  is  CANONCHET  (alt.  200;  Town  of  Hopkinton),  named 
for  a  Narragansett  chief  and  formerly  called  Asheville.  The  only  mill  here  spins 
yarn  used  in  the  manufacture  of  cotton  lines. 

The  village  of  HOPKINTON  (alt.  150;  town  pop.  2823),  32.6  m.,  is  the 
administrative  center  of  Hopkinton  Township,  which  was  taken  from 
Westerly  and  incorporated  in  1757.  It  was  named  in  honor  of  Governor 
Stephen  Hopkins,  who  presented  the  town  with  record  books  and  a  case 
to  hold  them.  Hopkinton  is  chiefly  an  agricultural  town,  though  several 
factories  utilize  the  water-power  of  the  Wood  and  Pawcatuck  Rivers  and 
their  tributaries. 

It  was  originally  planned  to  have  the  governmental  center  to  the  south 
in  the  Tomaquag  Valley,  through  which  ran  the  highway  between  south- 
ern Connecticut  and  Newport,  but  a  turnpike  connecting  New  London 
and  Providence  was  cut  through  Hopkinton  City  in  1815;  the  later  intro- 


From  Providence  to  Westerly  359 

duction  of  railroad  and  steamboats  further  diverted  travel  to  Hopkinton 
City,  as  the  village  was  formerly  called. 

A  sensation  was  produced  in  Hopkinton  City  about  1 796  when  news  was 
circulated  that  a  gentleman  and  lady  from  the  Island  would  soon  arrive 
on  a  visit  in  a  chaise,  a  vehicle  unknown  here  at  the  time.  People  flocked 
from  far  and  near  to  see  the  wonder  when  it  arrived,  climbing  into  it, 
drawing  it  about,  and  asking  all  manner  of  questions  concerning  it.  Fifty 
years  later,  Hopkinton  City  became  a  carriage  and  sleigh  manufacturing 
center. 

At  one  time  an  old  woman  lived  here  who,  it  was  firmly  believed,  was  a 
witch;  legend  said  that  she  could  ride  a  smooth-shod  horse  over  ice  at 
full  speed.  One  day,  when  she  came  to  the  house  of  Thomas  Porter  to 
ask  for  work,  one  of  the  Porter  children,  Stephen,  urged  on  by  an  older 
child  who  had  heard  the  whispers  about  her,  thrust  an  awl  up  through 
the  old  woman's  chair;  she  did  not  move.  After  that  no  one  doubted 
the  tales  of  her  supernatural  powers.  She  finally  died,  and,  when  her 
daughter  refused  all  assistance  in  preparing  the  body  for  the  grave,  the 
neighbors  triumphantly  supplied  an  explanation  for  the  act.  When  one 
of  the  villagers  had  been  shooting  heath  hens  on  the  previous  day,  he 
had  been  unable  to  bring  down  one  bird,  though  he  had  shot  at  it  re- 
peatedly; believing  it  to  be  bewitched  he  had  substituted  a  silver  button 
from  his  coat  for  a  bullet.  The  bird  had  dropped,  though  he  had  been 
unable  to  find  the  body.  This  bird,  said  the  villagers,  was  really  Granny 
Mott,  and  the  daughter  did  not  dare  allow  them  to  see  the  body  lest  they 
know  the  truth. 

The  Abram  Utter  House  (R),  built  in  the  early  part  of  the  i8th  cen- 
tury, is  a  small  one-and-a-half-story  white  frame  house  with  a  gable  roof, 
dormer  windows,  stone  chimney,  and  a  one-story  wing. 

One  of  the  first  cabinet-makers  in  this  town  was  Abram  Utter,  who  plied 
his  trade  in  the  village  until  his  death  in  1815.  Products  of  his  craftsman- 
ship, seen  in  many  houses  in  Westerly,  were  fabricated  in  the  old  hat 
factory  that  was  for  many  years  one  of  the  village's  most  important  in- 
dustries. 

The  Thurston  House  (L),  called  the  Thurston  Mansion  House  in  old  deeds, 
was  built  by  General  George  Thurston  about  1762,  with  a  later  addition 
that  was  used  as  a  store.  After  the  General  died,  the  store  was  carried 
on  by  his  son  Jeremiah,  Lieu  tenant- Governor  of  the  State  1816-17;  and 
the  latter  was  succeeded  as  storekeeper  by  his  son  Benjamin,  Lieu- 
tenant-Governor  1837-38.  The  old  house  is  now  in  possession  of  the 
heirs  of  Edwin  R.  Allen,  Lieutenant- Governor  1894-97.  It  is  a  two-story 
gray  frame  structure  with  green  trim,  small  window-panes,  central  brick 
chimney  and  gable  roof,  and  the  store  end  contains  the  old  box  stove 
formerly  used  for  heating,  an  old  safe,  and  the  original  iron  rails  around 
the  counter. 

Opposite  the  Thurston  House  (R)  is  the  Site  of  the  Spicer  Tavern.  Joseph 
Spicer,  a  saddler,  established  himself  here  about  1792  and  built  a  shop 


360  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

on  the  site  where  a  Shell  gas  station  now  stands.  There  were  no  horse- 
drawn  wagons  in  the  country  towns  of  that  early  date,  and  most  of  the 
work  done  by  Spicer  consisted  of  bridle  and  pillion  making.  As  the  roads 
improved  and  horse-drawn  vehicles  became  more  numerous,  harness  mak- 
ing was  added  to  his  line.  In  1806,  he  purchased  the  tavern,  which  be- 
came a  popular  gathering  place,  also  served  as  a  relay  post  on  the  New 
London  to  Providence  turnpike,  and  sometimes  more  than  60  horses  were 
stabled  here.  The  old  tavern  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1888. 

The  Second  Hopkinton  Seventh  Day  Baptist  Church  (L),  at  the  southern 
edge  of  the  village,  is  owned  by  a  society  organized  in  1835.  The  Union 
Meeting-House,  built  about  1789  on  a  near-by  site,  was  in  1826  or  1827 
moved  here  and  enlarged.  The  town  aided  in  the  transfer  and  the  im- 
provements on  condition  that  it  should  have  the  use  of  the  building  for 
town  meetings.  The  arrangement  continued  until  1860,  when  the  town 
built  the  present  town  hall  across  the  street  from  the  church. 

ASHAWAY  (alt.  50;  Town  of  Hopkinton),  35.3  m.,  is  a  small  village 
situated  on  both  sides  of  the  small  river  from  which  it  derives  its  name, 
at  one  time  called  Cundall's  Mill,  for  Isaac  Cundall  who  operated  a  small 
mill  here.  About  1704,  Daniel  Lewis  took  over  500  acres  of  land  here  and 
built  a  house;  around  his  purchase  grew  up  the  present  village.  The  date 
when  the  first  factory  in  Ashaway  was  built  is  uncertain,  but  in  1816, 
when  Isaac  Cundall  opened  his  sawmill,  there  was  a  two-story  factory 
standing  at  the  west  end  of  the  bridge,  owned  by  Ira  Reynolds  and  others, 
where  the  manufacture  of  narrow  woolen  goods  was  carried  on;  the  card- 
ing was  done  by  water-power  and  the  spinning  and  weaving  by  hand. 
By  the  bridge  that  carries  State  3  over  the  river  is  the  present  Ashaway 
Textile  Company  Mill,  manufacturing  woolen  goods. 

On  Church  St.  (R)  is  the  First  Seventh  Day  Baptist  Church.  This  church, 
built  at  Meeting-House  Bridge  (see  below)  in  1835  and  moved  to  the 
present  site  in  1852,  is  owned  by  one  of  the  oldest  Seventh  Day  Baptist 
congregations  in  America.  The  installation  of  a  pipe  organ  and  a  small 
addition  to  the  building  are  the  only  improvements  that  have  been  made. 
Sabbatarian  principles  were  brought  from  England  to  this  country  by 
Stephen  Mumford  in  1664,  and  introduced  into  the  First  Baptist  Church 
at  Newport.  Several  members  from  this  organization  seceded  in  1671 
and  organized  the  First  Seventh  Day  Baptist  Church.  In  1708,  a  few 
members  moved  to  Westerly  Township  and  in  time  founded  a  church. 

West  of  the  Baptist  church  is  the  Ashaway  Line  and  Twine  Company 
Plant,  with  a  world  trade  in  fishing  lines.  In  1824,  Captain  Lester  Cran- 
dall,  a  noted  fisherman  of  Ashaway,  being  unable  to  procure  good  lines 
for  his  fishing,  started  a  line  walk  of  his  own  on  the  banks  of  the  Ashaway 
River;  this  was  merely  a  well-beaten  path  along  the  river  banks  where 
lines  were  twisted  by  hand  with  the  aid  of  a  large  wooden  wheel,  but  it 
was  the  beginning  of  the  local  fish-line  industry.  Various  machines  were 
devised  and  perfected  to  keep  pace  with  the  growing  business,  and  in 
1838,  Captain  Crandall  built  a  dam  on  the  Ashaway  River  which  pro- 
vided the  power  to  drive  the  machinery.  In  1854,  the  'walk'  was  a 


From  Providence  to  Westerly  361 

building  480  feet  long.    Descendants  of  the  first  Captain  Crandall  still 

hold  the  controlling  interests. 

Left  from  Ashaway  on  the  Bradford  Rd.  about  3.5  m.  is  the  village  of  BRADFORD 
(alt.  55;  Town  of  Westerly),  originally  called  Shattuck's  Weir  for  an  Indian  named 
Shattuck  who  was  associated  with  the  early  history  of  the  place,  and  also  for  the  weirs 
in  which  shad,  alewives,  and  other  fish  were  formerly  caught  here.  Fishing  pro- 
duced an  important  part  of  the  revenue  of  the  early  settlers.  The  present  village 
centers  around  the  Bradford  Dyeing  Association,  which  in  1911  took  over  an 
older  mill  of  the  Niantic  Dyeing  Company.  A  large  number  of  new  residences  were 
then  built  along  an  attractive  street  now  known  as  Bowling  Lane. 
Prior  to  1758,  Stephen  Saunders  and  Deacon  Samuel  Gardner  built  the  first  dam, 
near  the  site  of  the  present  factory.  Here  a  sawmill  was  erected,  followed  by  a  grist- 
mill, which  was  superseded  by  a  small  factory  for  custom  carding  and  cloth  dress- 
ing, erected  by  Colonel  Joseph  Knowles.  This  property  descended  to  his  son,  John 
T.  Knowles,  who  put  up  a  woolen  mill  containing  eight  looms. 

A  railroad  station  built  in  1846  was  known  as  Charlestown-Hopkinton  Depot. 
The  first  station  agent,  Charles  Vars,  and  his  brother  Alfred,  who  owned  a  small 
store  near  the  railroad  crossing,  thought  it  would  be  convenient  to  have  a  post- 
office  established  in  the  village,  since  mail  had  to  be  brought  in  by  chance  travelers 
from  Westerly.  They  therefore  drew  up  a  petition  that  was  kept  on  the  counter  of 
their  store  to  be  signed  by  customers.  Joseph  Hiscox,  an  admirer  of  Thomas  W. 
Dorr  (see  History),  learned  of  the  petition,  immediately  drew  up  another,  and  after 
having  his  neighbors  sign  it  hastened  over  to  his  friend  Congressman  Benjamin  B. 
Thurston  of  Hopkinton  and  induced  him  to  take  it  to  Washington.  Before  the 
Vars  brothers  had  their  petition  ready  to  mail,  they  were  amazed  by  an  official 
announcement  that  the  post-office  was  already  assured  and  that  the  settlement 
would  be  called  Dorrville.  The  indignation  that  this  announcement  stirred  up  in 
the  Vars  family  was  shared  by  the  majority  of  the  villagers  who  had  little  admira- 
tion for  Dorr.  The  name  was  responsible  for  much  other  trouble;  the  depot  con- 
tinued as  Charlestown-Hopkinton,  which  was  shortened  to  Charlestown,  and  since 
there  was  no  Dorrville  on  the  railroad  map,  storekeepers  and  farmers  purchasing 
goods  from  out  of  town  and  ordering  them  sent  to  Dorrville,  found  themselves  in 
a  dilemma.  Because  of  the  similarity  of  names,  freight  would  be  put  off  at  Davis- 
ville,  and  the  purchaser  would  receive  the  bill  but  no  goods;  if  the  goods  were 
ordered  shipped  to  Charlestown,  the  merchandise  was  received  but  the  invoice 
went  to  Charlestown  post-office  at  Cross's  Mills  about  10  m.  away.  In  1861,  Charles 
Vars  became  postmaster,  and  in  his  dual  capacity  as  station  agent  and  postmaster 
found  the  situation  so  confusing  that  he  caused  another  petition  to  be  circulated 
setting  forth  the  undesirability  of  the  name  from  a  business  standpoint,  and  in  due 
time  the  name  was  changed  to  Niantic. 

Wager  Weeden  erected  a  stone  mill  here  in  1864  and  after  1866  the  mills  were 
operated  for  about  13  years  by  the  Niantic  Woolen  Company.  In  1903,  the  prop- 
erty was  leased  by  the  Niantic  Dyeing  Company.  Because  of  its  reputation  for 
having  a  fine  water  supply  for  dyeing  and  bleaching  purposes,  the  business  was 
bought  in  1911  by  the  Bradford  Dyeing  Association  of  England  which  has  made 
many  alterations,  additions,  and  improvements.  The  name  of  the  village  was 
changed  to  Bradford  in  1912,  in  honor  of  the  concern's  English  home. 

On  Quarry  Rd.  in  Bradford  is  the  Sullivan  Granite  Quarry  (open  to  public),  founded 
in  the  middle  of  the  igth  century  by  John  B.  Sullivan,  father  of  the  present  owner. 
The  quarry  covers  an  area  of  from  800  to  900  acres.  Except  for  the  hoisting  ma- 
chine, which  is  run  by  steam,  practically  everything  is  done  by  electricity.  The 
granite  stratum  at  this  point  is  in  some  cases  200  feet  below  the  surface  and 
at  times  far  beneath  other  stone. 

Deep  holes  are  made  in  the  granite  by  air  drills;  hose  is  then  put  down  and  steam 
pressure  applied  breaking  the  stone  with  a  clean  cut.  The  problem  of  removing  the 
upper  layer  of  rock  was  solved  by  undercut  quarrying  or  tunneling.  These  under- 
cuts, protecting  the  workmen  from  the  weather,  make  continuous  production  pos- 


362  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

sible.  Some  years  ago  $300,000  was  spent  for  a  crusher  to  break  up  the  waste 
granite  into  road-building  material;  at  the  time  of  the  investment  it  was  costing 
more  to  carry  away  the  fragments  than  it  now  does  to  turn  it  into  a  marketable 
product. 

At  36  m.  is  the  junction  with  Oak  St. 

Right  about  0.5  m.  on  this  street  is  POTTER  HILL  (alt.  50;  Town  of  Westerly), 
a  mill  village  named  for  the  Potter  family.  Before  1762,  Peter  Crandall  owned 
a  dam  and  gristmill  on  the  Pawcatuck  River  near  the  Meeting-House  Bridge,  about 
1  m.  southeast  of  Potter  Hill.  This  dam  flooded  so  much  valuable  meadowland 
that  landowners  purchased  and  leveled  it.  John  Davis  bought  the  gristmill  and 
had  it  removed  to  Potter  Hill,  on  the  Westerly  side  of  the  river.  Afterward  a  saw- 
mill that  had  been  erected  on  the  Hopkinton  side  was  transferred  to  the  Westerly 
side.  In  1775,  these  mills  were  sold  to  George  Potter,  known  as  '  the  honest  miller,' 
and  were  operated  by  him  until  his  death  in  1794.  His  three  sons  carried  on  the 
business  until  the  death  of  George,  Jr.,  in  1801.  George  also  engaged  in  shipbuild- 
ing, and  in  cod-fishing  at  the  Straits  of  Belle  Isle.  A  second  son,  Joseph,  commenced 
the  manufacture  of  cotton  in  a  part  of  the  old  mill.  Joseph  and  another  brother, 
Nathan,  built  from  10  to  15  boats  a  year  for  the  Green  Island  fisheries  of  the  St. 
Lawrence  River.  The  vessels  were  framed  at  Potter  Hill,  taken  apart  and  rebuilt 
at  Westerly.  During  the  War  of  1812,  two  gunboats  were  constructed  by  the  Pot- 
ters. The  old  cotton  mill  is  now  operated  by  the  Swift  River  Woolen  Company. 

On  Berry  Hill  in  Potter  Hill  is  the  Elisha  Stillman  House  (not  open),  a  one-and-a- 
half-story  frame  house  built  by  Elisha  Stillman  in  1748,  with  a  gambrel  roof, 
dormer  windows,  and  a  central  stone  chimney.  The  house  has  been  enlarged  by 
the  addition  of  an  ell  that  originally  contained  a  kitchen  with  big  stone  fireplace, 
stone  oven,  and  a  pantry  or  cheese  room.  Elisha  Stillman  was  the  father  of  William 
Stillman,  known  as  '  Deacon  Billy,'  who  was  among  other  things  a  silversmith,  the 
inventor  of  a  cloth-shearing  machine,  and  a  maker  of  clocks.  The  next  generation 
of  Stillmans  also  produced  silversmiths,  Paul  and  Barton,  sons  of  Deacon  Joseph 
and  Eunice  Stillman.  The  house  is  still  in  the  possession  of  the  Stillman  family; 
its  present  owner  is  a  well-known  dahlia  specialist. 

At  37.1  m.  is  the  junction  with  Chase  Hill  Rd. 

Left  0.1  m.  on  this  road,  in  the  First  Hopkinton  Cemetery,  is  the  Minister's  Monu- 
ment, cut  from  Westerly  granite;  it  is  10  feet  high  and  marks  the  spot  where  the 
first  church  was  built. 

Just  south  of  the  Chase  Hill  Rd.  junction  is  Meeting-House  Bridge,  built 
in  1924-25,  spanning  the  Pawcatuck  River,  the  boundary  line  between 
Westerly  and  Hopkinton.  The  abutments  of  another  bridge,  built  about 
1666  and  called  the  Peter  Crandall  Bridge  in  honor  of  Peter  Crandall 
(see  above),  are  about  100  feet  downstream,  and  stone  from  the  old  Peter 
Crandall  gristmill,  bearing  the  date  1774,  is  in  the  retaining  wall  of  the 
present  bridge  on  the  Westerly  side.  The  people  of  Westerly  and  the 
vicinity  built  a  church  near  here  in  1680,  called  the  Meeting-House,  from 
which  the  present  bridge  derives  its  name.  The  water  at  this  point  was 
once  known  as  Baptismal  Pool;  persons  who  were  immersed  used  a  house 
that  stood  near-by. 

There  is  a  legend  that  an  Indian  named  Quequatuck,  on  his  way  back 
to  Yawgoog  Pond  with  a  canoeload  of  salmon  caught  in  the  ocean,  camped 
at  this  beautiful  spot  and  liked  it  so  much  that  he  asked  permission  of 
his  father,  a  chieftain  of  the  Niantics,  to  make  his  lodge  here.  In  time 
an  Indian  village  grew  up  —  arrow-  and  spear-heads  and  other  relics  have 
been  found  here  at  intervals.  According  to  the  story,  Quequatuck  emerges 


From  Cranston  to  Junction  with  State  3  363 

from  the  bushes  in  the  spring  twilights  and  dawns  to  survey  again  the 
fragrant  meadows  and  the  peaceful  stream  and  to  see  if  the  camp  he 
established  there  so  long  ago  is  still  well  kept. 

On  the  Hopkinton  end  of  the  bridge  is  a  monument  (R)  marking  the 
Site  of  the  Old  Sabbatarian  Meeting-House  (1680). 

South  of  Meeting-House  Bridge,  State  3  runs  for  about  2  m.  through 
fairly  open  and  level  country  until  it  reaches  the  northern  edge  of 
WESTERLY  village  (see  WESTERLY)  in  which  at  39.7  m.  is  the  junc- 
tion with  US  1  (see  Tour  1). 


TOUR     2  A  :     From  JUNCTION  WITH  STATE  3  (Cranston) 
to  JUNCTION  WITH  STATE  3  (Washington),  7.7  m.,  State  3A. 


BRANCHING  southwest  from  State  3  (see  Tour  2),  5.1  m.  south  of  the 
junction  with  US  1  in  Providence,  State  3A  almost  immediately  crosses 
the  Cranston- W.  Warwick  town  line  and  runs  for  a  few  miles  through  an 
almost  continuous  string  of  textile-making  villages,  with  yet  another  string 
branching  off  northwest  along  the  Pawtuxet  River.  These  mill  com- 
munities have  little  in  common  with  the  usual  industrial  centers.  The 
second  cotton  mill  in  Rhode  Island  was  opened  in  the  area  in  1794  and 
industry  has  not  developed  with  such  rapidity  or  to  such  size  as  to  rob 
the  communities  of  certain  rural  characteristics.  With  thinly  settled 
country  on  all  sides,  there  has  been  no  incentive  to  crowd  either  the  mills 
or  houses  together  —  which  is  one  reason  that  the  settlements  that  grew 
up  around  the  individual  mills  have  retained  their  own  names  and 
characteristics. 

When  the  factories  were  first  established  along  the  river  for  the  sake  of 
its  power,  the  mill  builders  had  to  provide  homes  for  the  workers  they 
were  drawing  to  the  area.  At  the  time  there  was  no  such  thing  as  jerry- 
building  in  the  State  of  Rhode  Island  and  Providence  Plantations;  car- 
penters learned  their  trades  by  apprenticeships  to  master-builders  and 
the  master-builders  were  erecting  houses  that  still  stand  in  Providence 
and  elsewhere  as  monuments  to  their  skill.  It  apparently  did  not  occur 
either  to  the  capitalists  of  the  day  or  to  the  men  they  hired  to  use  less 
care  in  the  construction  of  the  utilitarian  mills  and  the  workers'  homes 
than  in  building  the  more  pretentious  structures  of  the  day.  As  a  result 
many  of  the  little  communities  still  have  'company  houses'  that  put  to 
shame  some  -of  the  structures  cluttering  up  modern  real-estate  develop- 
ments, and  the  original  textile  factory,  still  standing,  has  some  of  the 


364  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

dignity  and  beauty  of  the  basilican  churches  of  northern  Italy,  which  it 
faintly  resembles. 

NATICK,  1.5  w.,  where  the  larger  mills  closed  in  1929,  is  one  of  the 
oldest  cotton-weaving  villages  in  the  area.  Fully  two-thirds  of  the  in- 
habitants are  Italians,  many  of  them  from  the  hill-country  of  Campo- 
basso.  Local  stores  sell  delicate  Parmesan  and  rich,  green-moulded 
Gorgonzola  cheeses,  as  well  as  the  unusually  fine  vegetables  demanded 
in  every  Italian  community.  At  village  weddings  the  tarantella,  written 
in  6-8  time,  is  played  with  increasing  tempo  until  the  guests  drop  from 
exhaustion. 

Outside  of  the  center  this  village  is  built  up  to  attractive  one-family 
houses. 

At  3.2  m.  State  3A  runs  through  the  eastern  end  of  RIVERPOINT  (town 
pop.  17,696),  the  governmental  center  of  West  Warwick  Township.  The 
township,  shaped  like  an  inverted  triangle  set  on  a  square,  was  separated 
from  Warwick  and  incorporated  in  1913  because  of  the  distance  between 
the  thick  cluster  of  villages  along  the  Pawtuxet  River  and  the  shore 
villages  holding  most  of  the  population  of  the  present  Warwick.  The 
number  of  foreign-born  inhabitants  in  the  younger  town  is  large  — 
French-Canadian,  Portuguese,  Italian,  Irish,  Polish,  Swedish,  Belgian, 
Ukranian,  and  German. 

In  1855  the  village  was  given  its  present  name  because  the  north  and 
south  branches  of  the  Pawtuxet  River  unite  here.  The  first  cotton  mill 
was  built  in  1813;  in  1885  the  B.  B.  and  R.  Knight  Company  took  over 
the  major  plant,  and  named  it  the  Royal  Mill;  the  factory  burned  in  1919 
but  was  immediately  rebuilt,  for  the  manufacture  of  sheetings;  it  stands 
(L)  on  State  3 A,  185  Providence  St.  At  present  (1937)  the  plant  (not  open 
to  public}  is  divided  into  rental  space  for  miscellaneous  small  concerns. 

The  Original  Bradford  Soap  Works  (not  open  to  public],  200  Providence 
St.,  makes  many  soaps  for  use  in  treating  textiles  and  yarns.  The  plant 
uses  European  olive  oil,  tea-seed  oil  from  China  and  Japan,  sunflower 
oil  from  Russia,  and  cocoanut  oil  from  the  Philippines. 

The  large  Portuguese  population  celebrates  Holy  Ghost  Fiesta  over  the 
Labor  Day  week-end.  On  Saturday,  each  member  of  the  Church  organ- 
ization receives  a  loaf  of  sweet  bread,  a  piece  of  beef,  and  a  bottle  of 
port  wine.  The  'crown,'  the  emblem  of  the  society,  is  carried  through 
the  streets,  then  is  left  with  a  member,  chosen  by  lot,  to  keep  until  the 
following  June,  after  which  it  is  cared  for  in  turn  by  several  others  until 
the  next  Labor  Day. 

The  town-owned  athletic  field  here,  on  Hay  St.,  is  used  for  football,  base- 
ball, and  track  contests. 

Right  from  Royal  Square  in  Riverpoint  on  Main  St.  0.3  m.  is  CLYDE,  centered 
about  the  Perennial  Dye  and  Print  Works  (not  open  to  visitors),  on  Main  St.  Tex- 
tile bleaching  was  first  done  in  this  village  about  1831,  by  the  firm  of  Greene  and 
Pike.  The  village  was  named  Clyde  at  this  time;  it  had  previously  been  known  as 
Bleachhouse  Bridge.  Real  industrial  development  began  after  the  completion 
of  the  Pawtuxet  Valley  R.R.  in  1875. 


From  Cranston  to  Washington  365 

.At  1.1  m.  is  the  village  of  PHENIX,  called  Roger  Williams  Village  until  after  a 
disastrous  fire  in  1821,  when  it  was  renamed  for  the  mythical  bird  that  burned  itself 
on  the  Heliopolis  altar  every  500  years  to  rise  again  from  the  flames  renewed  and 
beautiful.  The  village  life  centers  around  the  Bancroft  Lace  Company  Mill,  40 
Maple  St. 

The  Peter  Levalley  House  (private),  set  on  a  smooth  lawn  at  42  Fairview  Ave.,  is 
a  good-sized,  comfortable-looking  gambrel-roofed  house  with  a  long,  sprawling 
one-story  ell  having  vertical  siding;  the  date  of  the  ell  is  unknown  but  the  main 
structure  was  built  more  than  200  years  ago  by  a  French  Huguenot  of  distinguished 
lineage  from  the  Channel  Islands. 

At  1.8  m.  is  LIPPITT,  where  are  the  River  point  Lace  Company  Mills  (not  open  to 
the  public),  825  Main  St.  Colonel  Christopher  Lippitt,  a  Revolutionary  veteran, 
and  others  opened  a  cotton  mill  here  in  1809.  When  the  country  was  hit  by  the 
depression  after  the  War  of  1812,  the  Lippitt  Manufacturing  Company  kept  some 
of  its  business  alive  by  supplying  yarn  to  convict  weavers  in  the  Vermont  State 
Prison. 

The  Lippitt  Mill  of  the  Lace  Company,  originally  one  of  the  old  cotton  mills  of  the 
State,  is  still  standing,  a  tall  many-windowed  five-and-a-half-story  building  with 
the  upper  story-and-a-half  forming  a  clerestory;  a  square  tower  surmounted  by 
an  open  octagonal  cupola  with  a  roof  rising  to  a  point  adds  to  the  churchly  effect. 
Nine  symmetrically  disposed  many-paned  windows,  smaller  in  the  upper  story- 
and-a-half,  are  arranged  around  the  large  doorways  in  the  center  of  each  of  the  four 
lower  floors  on  the  street  end;  supplies  and  finished  goods  were  swung  through  these 
doorways  from  the  beam  that  projects  from  the  end  of  the  long  gable  roof. 

It  is  characteristic  of  these  villages  that  there  should  be  an  open  yard  surrounded 
by  a  white  picket  fence  on  each  side  of  the  building  and  tall  old  trees  not  far  away. 

Most  of  the  long  row  of  early  Lippitt  Mill  houses  have  disappeared,  or  been  re- 
modeled beyond  recognition,  but  two  well-proportioned  cottages,  shadowed  by  the 
tall  old  elm  between  them,  still  stand  on  the  main  street;  they  are  of  about  the  same 
age  as  the  mill. 

Northwest  of  Lippitt  the  mill  villages  are  so  close  together  that  the  boundary  lines 
can  hardly  be  distinguished. 

In  ARKWRIGHT  (Coventry  Town)  is  a  cottage  or  two  belonging  to  the  early 
period.  One,  in  particular,  retains  a  doorway  of  surprising  grace  and  charm,  with 
delicately  paneled  pilasters  and  a  broken  cornice  heading. 

Several  well-proportioned  early  cottages  of  the  Interlarken  Mills  remain  in 
HARRIS  (Coventry  Town). 

On  the  main  street  of  FISKEVILLE,  2.3  m.  (Cranston  City),  are  many  small,  stone 
mill  cottages  with  good  proportions  and  an  unusual  wealth  of  finely  carved  wood 
detail,  most  of  them  belonging  to  the  earliest  days  of  the  valley.  They  are  story- 
and-a-half  structures,  with  single  inside  end  chimneys  and  many-paned  windows, 
standing  well  back  from  the  main  street  under  tall  elms,  with  a  white  picket  fence 
in  front  of  them  but  none  in  the  ample  spaces  between  them. 

In  this  village,  standing  opposite  the  original  home  of  the  mill  owner,  is  a  more 
pretentious  three-story  house,  built  in  1835,  the  third  story  being  a  monitor  or  set- 
back, giving  the  penthouse  effect  seen  on  modern  skyscrapers  in  zoned  cities;  above 
the  third  story  is  a  square  cupola,  used  at  one  time  as  a  study  by  the  doctor  who 
conducted  a  sanitarium  in  the  house.  The  clapboarded  structure  with  corner 
quoins  has  a  deeply  recessed  front  entrance  and  side  porch  worth  attention  for  the 
delicacy  of  the  detail. 

Left  in  Fiskeville  on  Jackson  Flat  Rd.,  which  follows  the  north  branch  of  the  Paw- 
tuxet  River  (L),  is  HOPE,  3  m.  (Scituate  Town).  The  small  old  cottages  are  so 
nearly  like  those  in  Fiskeville  that  it  seems  probable  that  they  were  the  work  of  the 
same  builder.  Here  the  main  street  is  farther  from  the  river  than  in  Fiskeville,  and 


366  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

the  houses  rise  in  three  orderly  rows  above  the  stream;  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
street,  tenements  built  to  hold  four  to  six  families  rise  yet  higher,  in  some  cases  with 
rear  entrances  at  ground  level  for  the  second  floors.  These  cottages  and  tenements, 
which  belonged  to  the  Lonsdale  Mill,  have  a  charm  and  grace  seldom  seen  in  more 
elegant  modern  houses. 

In  this  village  was  the  Site  of  the  Hope  Furnace,  a  very  important  iSth-century 
enterprise  owned  by  Nicholas  Brown  and  Company  of  Providence.  The  venture 
was  a  profitable  one;  the  seventh  blast  in  1 773  yielded  a  net  profit  of  £3996.  During 
the  Revolution  the  furnace  was  an  important  contributor  to  the  supply  of  cannon 
for  the  American  cause.  The  General  Assembly  ordered  60  cannon  cast  in  1776, 
and  later  the  owners  were  offered  a  contract  to  make  cannon  for  the  Continental 
Navy.  Sylvanus  Brown  superintended  the  casting,  and  used  ore  from  mines  in 
Cranston  and  Cumberland.  At  a  later  date  (1795)  the  Providence  Gazette  stated 
that,  'The  workmen  at  the  Hope  Furnace  have  already  cast  seventy-six  cannon 
for  the  frigates  and  fortifications  of  the  United  States.  They  are  ornamented 
with  the  American  eagle,  and  are  allowed  by  good  judges  to  be  equal  to  any  guns 
from  the  foundries  of  Europe.  They  are  cast  solid  and  bored  by  water.' 

ARCTIC,  4  m.  on  State  3A,  once  known  as  Rice  Hollow,  is  the  largest 
village  and  the  shopping  center  for  central  Rhode  Island.  In  1834,  when 
the  first  stone  mill  here  was  erected  for  woolen  manufacturing,  the  settle- 
ment already  had  wide  fame  as  the  home  of  Sylvia  Holden,  a  negress 
whose  wedding-cakes  were  unusually  fine.  At  the  time  of  the  Civil  War 
the  Sprague  family  (see  CRANSTON,  Tour  2)  built  large  mills  here.  The 
leading  employer  at  present  is  the  Arctic  Mill  (not  open  to  public),  33 
Factory  St.,  which  makes  cotton  sheeting.  The  population  of  Arctic  is 
predominantly  French-Canadian. 

The  Pawtuxet  Valley  Times  Office  (open  to  public),  1355  Main  St.,  pub- 
lishes the  newspaper  that  is  widely  read  in  the  Warwicks,  East  Green- 
wich, and  Coventry;  the  Warwick  Club  Ginger  Ale  Company  Plant  (open 
to  public)  is  at  108  Pond  St.  Water  for  its  ale  and  other  beverages  is 
drawn  from  a  500  foot  well;  110,000  cases  are  manufactured  yearly. 

At  4.6  m.  is  the  junction  with  State  117. 

Left  from  State  3A  on  State  117  a  very  short  distance  into  the  village  of  CENTER- 
VILLE,  where  are  the  Warwick  Mills,  producing  fabric  for  mechanical  uses  such 
as  balloon  cloth,  airplane  cloth,  also  rayon,  acetate  dress  goods,  and  draperies. 
The  Warwick  Mills  are  the  largest  single  industry  in  the  Pawtuxet  Valley. 

The  Thies  Dyeing  Company  Plant  (open  by  permission),  Main  St.,  bleaches  and 
dyes  cotton,  rayon,  and  merino  yarns  by  a  process  called  'package  dyeing.'  It 
also  dyes  upholstery  fabric,  and  flag  bunting. 

The  two-and-one-half-story  tenement  at  106  Warwick  Ave.  was  from  1828  to  1901 
the  home  of  the  Centerville  Bank. 

Cotton  manufacture  began  in  Centerville  in  the  factory  of  Job  Greene  in  1794, 
though  20  years  earlier  there  were  only  three  houses  in  the  vicinity.  The  Greene 
plant  was  the  second  cotton  factory  in  the  State. 

State  3 A  unites  with  State  117  at  this  junction  and  turns  right. 

ANTHONY  (alt.  220;  Coventry  town),  5.4  m.,  a  mill  village  devoted  to 
the  making  of  cotton  cloth,  was  settled  about  1805,  when  William  and 
Richard  Anthony  erected  a  mill  here.  In  1811  another  mill  was  built 
and  in  1874  a  still  larger  one  by  the  Coventry  Manufacturing  Company. 
The  fine  Library  of  the  Coventry  Library  Association  here  was  chartered 


HERE      AND      THERE 


THIS  group  contains  an  assortment  of  views  ranging  from 
Purgatory,  a  primeval  rock-cleft,  to  the  Providence  County 
Court  House,  which  was  completed  in  1932.  There  is  the 
grave  of  Thomas  Willett,  an  East  Providence  man  who  be- 
came the  first  English  mayor  of  New  York.  The  Western 
Hotel  in  Nasonville  was  once  a  well-patronized  stage  stop  on 
the  road  between  Providence  and  Worcester.  The  Centerville 
Bridge  and  the  birch-flanked  country  road  in  West  Warwick 
afford  glimpses  of  a  countryside  situated  very  near  busy 
mills.  The  Saunderstown- Jamestown  ferry  follows  a  course 
long  established  in  the  history  of  Rhode  Island  transporta- 
tion, and  the  doorway  (formerly  in  the  Hunter  House)  of  St. 
John's  Rectory,  Newport,  is  one  of  the  finest  in  the  State. 
Other  views  in  this  miscellaneous  group  are  self-explanatory. 


WESTERN  HOTHI.,  MASONVILLJ 


ARNOLD    EI.I.IS    HOUSE,  WEST   GREENWICH 


NEWMAN    CHURCH,  RUM  FORD 


WHITCOMB    FARMHOUSE,  EAST    PROVIDENCE 


JAMESTOWN    FfcRRY 


PURGATORY,  M1DDLETOWN 


TMi 


I 


GRAVE    OF    THOMAS    W1LLETT,  HAST    PROVIDENCE 


JOHN    HOWLAND    HOUSE,  TIVJ-RTON 


7\ 


CKNTl-RVILI-F    BRIDGF 


COUNTRY    ROAD,  WFST    WARWICK 


FRIENDS    MEETING-HOUSE,  WOONSOCKET 


WILLING    VOSF    HOUSF,  VC'CK)NSOCKET 


.  ~r .. 


PROVIDENCE    COUNTY   COURT    HOUSE 


5"^- 


NEW    INDUSTRIAL    TRUST    COMPANY,  PROVIDENCE 


DOORWAY,  ST.    JOHN'S    RECTORY,  NKWPOR1 


From  Cranston  to  Washington  367 

in  1818.  Anthony  is  a  typical  mill  village  and  has  a  large  number  of 
French  inhabitants. 

In  the  center  is  (L)  the  large  Berkshire  Fine  Spinning  Associates  Plant, 
makers  of  cotton  goods,  employing  nearly  800  workers. 

Left  on  Station  St.  by  the  mill  is,  at  0.3  m.,  the  Nathanael  Greene  House 
(open  2-5  on  Wed.,  Sat.,  and  Sun.;  see  caretaker),  built  in  1770,  and  now 
owned  by  the  State.  This  two-and-a-half-story  white  frame  house  has  a 
gable  roof,  green  trim,  small  window  panes  and  two  chimneys.  The  gener- 
ous proportions  of  the  house  give  it  a  comfortable  and  informal  character. 

Nathanael  Greene  was  the  son  of  one  of  the  local  leaders  of  the  Society 
of  Friends  and  his  father  had  no  ambitious  plans  for  his  future;  by  his 
own  efforts  he  picked  up  the  equivalent  of  a  broad  scientific  education, 
specializing  in  history,  law,  mathematics,  and  the  sciences  of  the  day. 
His  main  interest  was  in  military  science  and  it  caused  such  scandal 
among  the  Friends  of  the  community  when  he  joined  the  local  military 
company  that  he  was  dropped  from  membership  in  the  meeting.  In  1774 
he  became  a  member  of  the  independent  Kentish  Guards  and  in  1775  was 
appointed  to  the  command  of  the  Rhode  Island  company  sent  to  join 
the  Continental  Army  at  Boston.  His  genius  for  organization  was  im- 
mediately recognized,  and  in  April,  1776,  though  only  24  years  old,  he 
was  made  a  major  general  in  command  of  the  troops  on  Long  Island. 
In  1778,  after  the  frightful  winter  at  Valley  Forge  when  mutiny  and 
desertions  —  caused  largely  by  the  lack  of  food  and  clothing  —  threatened 
the  Revolutionary  cause,  Greene  reluctantly  accepted  the  appointment 
as  quarter-master-general,  though  only  on  condition  that  he  should  not 
thereby  lose  his  right  to  command  in  action.  The  most  brilliant  part  of 
his  career  was  that  after  1780,  when  he  replaced  General  Gates  in  com- 
mand of  the  Southern  Army;  southern  gratitude  for  his  services  caused 
both  South  Carolina  and  Georgia  to  give  him  grants  of  land.  He  went 
to  Georgia  to  live  after  the  war  and  died  there  at  the  age  of  44;  he  was 
buried  in  one  of  the  public  squares  of  Savannah. 

WASHINGTON  (alt.  240,  town  pop.  6430),  6.7  m.  is  the  governmental 
seat  of  Coventry  Township,  which  was  part  of  Warwick  before  1741, 
when  it  was  incorporated  and  named  for  Coventry,  England.  The  town- 
ship is  rectangular  in  shape  and  has  an  area  of  62  square  miles,  which 
makes  it  the  second  largest  town  in  the  State.  The  villages  in  the  north- 
eastern and  central  parts  of  Coventry  are  devoted  to  manufacturing 
while  those  in  the  northwestern  and  southwestern  parts  depend  mostly 
on  farming.  The  Flat  River,  which  flows  through  the  town,  is  the  south 
branch  of  the  Pawtuxet  River.  This  river  derives  its  name  from  the  fact 
that  for  more  than  6  miles  it  does  not  fall  more  than  16  inches  to  the  mile. 

The  village  of  Washington,  formerly  called  Braytonville,  was  settled 
about  the  middle  of  the  i8th  century  and  was  named  for  Thomas  Bray  ton 
who  owned  the  land,  and  conducted  a  grist  and  fulling  mill  here.  In 
1809,  the  village  received  its  present  name  from  the  Washington  Manu- 


368  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

facturing  Company,  which  built  its  first  mill  in  1812.  At  present  the 
thriving  community  has  about  1200  people  and  several  mills  devoted  to 
the  manufacture  of  lace,  cotton,  and  woolen  goods. 

At  the  western  edge  of  Washington  State  117  continues  straight  ahead; 
State  3A  turns  left  and  at  7.7  m.  forms  a  junction  with  State  3  (see 
Tour  2). 


TOUR  3  :  From  JUNCTION  WITH  STATE  3  (Warwick) 
to  JUNCTION  WITH  US  1  (Charles town),  24.6  m.,  State  2. 

Good  hard-surfaced  roadbed,  mostly  three-and-four-lane. 

BRANCHING  south  from  State  3  (see  Tour  2),  8.9  m.  south  of  the  junc- 
tion with  US  1  in  Providence,  State  2  runs  through  a  sparsely  settled, 
rolling  countryside. 

For  1.5  miles  the  route  passes  through  the  western  part  of  Warwick  (see 
Tour  1). 

At  2.7  m.  in  East  Greenwich  Township  is  the  junction  with  paved  Middle 
Rd. 

Right  0.5  m.  on  this  road  is  (L)  the  Spencer  House  (private')  a  one-and-a-half-story, 
clapboarded  frame  house  (1715),  with  gambrel  roof,  a  dormer  window,  two  brick 
chimneys,  and  a  gable  roofed  ell  on  the  west  end.  John  Spencer,  a  veteran  of  King 
Philip's  War,  had  a  house  here  in  the  late  i;th  century.  He  was  the  first  Town 
Clerk  of  East  Greenwich.  The  present  structure  was  probably  erected  by  one  of 
his  nine  sons. 

Ye  Old  Brown  Bread  Place  (private),  0.6  m.  (L),  is  a  very  attractive  story-and-a -half 
shingled  frame  house  (1720),  with  gambrel  roof,  dormer  windows,  large  central 
brick  chimney,  and  green  shutters.  The  house  has  an  unusual  stone  floored  cellar 
with  fireplace.  Several  explanations  are  given  for  the  name  of  the  house.  One  is 
that  at  old-fashioned  picnics  the  family  that  lived  here  always  supplied  brown 
bread,  and  another  that  a  former  eccentric  owner  mixed  a  conglomeration  of  odds 
and  ends  of  variegated  paints  for  his  dwelling,  producing  a  brown  bread  color. 

At  4.7  m.  (R)  is  the  Huguenot  Settlement  Marker  (R),  stating  that  'Near 
half  a  mile  westward  on  the  farm  of  Peter  Mawney  (Le  Moine)  is  the 
spring  around  which  stood  the  "Old  French  Orchards"  and  the  cellars 
which  tradition  assigns  to  ancient  "French town.'"  The  lyth-century 
Huguenot  settlement  here  was  broken  up  by  boundary  controversies  be- 
tween Rhode  Islanders  and  the  owners  of  the  Atherton  Purchase,  who 
endeavored  (1659-71)  to  keep  this  part  of  the  Colony  under  the  juris- 
diction of  Connecticut. 
At  6.3  m.  is  the  junction  with  a  dirt  road,  marked  Queen's  Fort. 

Right  about  1  m.  on  this  road  (follow  signs')  to  Queen's  Fort,  named  for  the  Indian 
squaw  sachem  Matantuck,  or  Quaiapen.  The  fort  is  a  low  wall  of  rocks  rudely 


From  Warwick  to  Charlestown  369 

Eiled  together  on  a  hilltop  straddling  the  North  Kingstown-Exeter  boundary  line, 
urrounded  by  timber  and  huge  rocks,  it  is  unapproachable  from  the  south  owing 
to  the  many  immense  boulders  with  which  the  hill  is  strewn;  access  to  the  other 
approaches  is  also  difficult  owing  to  the  steepness  of  the  hillside.  Many  boulders 
lie  within  the  fort,  and  beneath  some  are  excavations  large  enough  to  shelter  several 
people.  The  Queen's  Chamber,  a  little  outside  the  fort  to  the  west,  is  a  large  open- 
ing beneath  a  huge  pile  of  rocks.  The  floor  is  covered  with  fine  white  sand  and  the 
entrance  is  so  hidden  as  to  be  unnoticed  a  few  feet  away.  It  is  believed  that  an 
Indian  known  as  'Stonewall  John,'  who  had  learned  the  mason's  trade,  assisted 
in  the  construction  of  this  fort.  It  was  not  taken  by  white  soldiers  in  warfare  but 
was  abandoned  hi  1676,  after  the  Narragansett  Indians  had  been  decimated  by 
King  Philip's  War  (see  Indians). 

Between  7.2  and  8.2  m.  State  2  coincides  with  State  102,  the  Victory 
Highway  (see  Tour  9). 

South  of  the  North  Kingstown-Exeter  boundary  line,  9.5  m.,  the  route 
traverses  a  flat  farming  district. 

At  10.5  m.  is  the  junction  with  a  paved  side  road. 

Right  i  m.  on  this  road  to  the  Exeter  School,  for  the  feeble-minded.  In  1907  the 
State  purchased  an  old  farmhouse  and  about  500  acres  of  land  for  this  school. 
Dr.  Joseph  H.  Ladd,  the  first  superintendent,  is  still  in  charge.  The  institution 
now  takes  care  of  about  635  inmates  within  school  age,  or  capable  of  being  bene- 
fited by  special  instruction.  The  institution  has  been  greatly  enlarged  since  it  was 
opened.  In  1912  provision  was  made  for  female  patients  and  persons  beyond  the 
school  age.  After  special  training  many  pupils  are  able  to  go  out  in  the  world 
and  earn  their  own  living. 

Basoqutogaug  Park,  11.8  m.  (R),  is  a  small  picnic  grove,  maintained  by  the 
Division  of  Roads  and  Bridges  and  pleasantly  situated  in  a  cluster  of 
shade  trees  (3  fireplaces,  tables,  parking  space).  The  grove  probably  re- 
ceived its  name  from  the  Indian  term  Bassokutoquage,  the  place  where 
Scuttape,  son  of  Quaiapen,  lived. 

A  marker  at  13  m.  (L)  indicates  a  ravine,  a  short  distance  back  from  the 
highway,  in  which  are  Wolf  Rocks,  a  group  of  glacial  boulders,  some  more 
than  9  feet  in  diameter,  where  wolves  were  said  to  have  lived  in  Colonial 
days. 

Quanatumpic  Grove,  13.2  m.  (R)  is  another  small  park  (fireplaces,  tables) 
maintained  by  the  Division  of  Roads  and  Bridges. 

At  14.3  m.  (R),  on  the  shore  of  Barber's  Pond  in  South  Kingstown,  is 
another  small  picnic  grove. 

At  14.9  m.  is  the  junction  with  State  138  or  Kingston  Rd. 

Right  2  m.  on  this  road  is  the  small  village  of  USQUEPAUGH  (alt.  80,  Richmond 
Town),  formerly  known  as  Mumford's  Mills.  The  village  is  situated  on  both  sides 
of  the  Queen's  River,  once  known  as  the  Usquepaugh,  that  serves  as  the  boundary 
between  Richmond  and  South  Kingstown.  Silas  Mumford  erected  a  gristmill  here 
about  1807,  then  a  carding  mill,  and  in  1817  he  invented  a  machine  to  clean  wool 
of  burrs.  In  1836,  J.  B.  M.  Potter  erected  a  mill  to  manufacture  Kentucky  jeans; 
it  was  named  Independence  Mill  because  it  was  '  raised '  on  the  Fourth  of  July. 
Potter  operated  the  mill  until  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War.  It  was  destroyed  by 
fire  in  1866.  At  the  present  time  the  village  has  about  20  residences,  two  or  three 
dairy  farms,  a  post  office,  church,  and  a  mill  where  Rhode  Island  johnnycake  meal 
is  ground  by  old-fashioned  granite  mill  stones. 

Left  1  m.  on  this  road  is  WEST  KINGSTON  (alt.  200,  South  Kingstown  Town), 


370  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

a  small  village  settled  about  1837  when  the  Providence  and  Stonington  Railroad, 
now  the  N.Y.,  N.H.  &  H.  R.R.,  was  built  through  the  town.  The  advent  of  the 
railroad  centralized  business  around  the  station.  At  present  the  village  has  about 
30  houses  grouped  around  the  depot  and  the  intersection  with  Perryville  Rd.,  along 
with  a  fair  grounds  and  a  small  shopping  center. 

Shortly  after  the  close  of  the  Civil  War  a  group  of  Washington  County  farmers 
and  business  men  formed  a  forum  to  discuss  and  debate  questions  pertaining  to 
local,  State  and  national  agricultural  and  political  matters.  This  society  which 
met  weekly  during  the  winter  months  was  the  forerunner  of  the  Grange  in  Rhode 
Island.  In  1872,  some  of  the  members  of  the  forum  organized  a  Farmers'  Club  and 
held  a  small  Agricultural  Fair  in  Wakefield.  The  fair  was  so  successful  that  the 
Washington  County  Agricultural  Society  was  established  in  1874  after  a  meeting 
held  in  the  old  Kingston  Court  House.  At  the  January  session  of  the  legislature  the 
society  was  incorporated  and  given  a  liberal  charter.  A  large  tract  of  land  near 
Kingston  Station  was  purchased  for  the  fair  grounds  and  here  buildings  were 
erected  to  house  cattle  and  various  other  agricultural  exhibits.  Later  a  grandstand 
was  erected  and  a  race  track  constructed.  The  fair  is  held  annually  the  first  week 
in  September. 

Kingston  Court  House  (L),  at  the  village  center,  a  two-and-one-half-story  granite 
building  with  a  tower  on  the  left  front  corner,  was  opened  in  1900.  It  looks  a  little 
like  a  Norman  castle. 

KINGSTON  (alt.  250,  South  Kingstown  Town),  2.9  m.,  was  formerly  known  as 
Little  Rest.  The  origin  of  the  name  Little  Rest  is  buried  in  legend,  but  it  is  said 
that  the  place  was  named  because  troops  of  the  united  Colonies  rested  here  on  their 
way  to  the  Great  Swamp  Fight  in  1675.  Since  most  of  the  westward  bound  travel 
at  a  later  period  crossed  the  hill,  and  owing  to  the  steepness  of  the  approaches,  it  is 
probable  that  travelers  did  stop  for  a  '  little  rest '  upon  its  crest. 

The  Pettaquamscutt  Purchasers  (see  Tour  1)  laid  out  a  large  tract  of  land  here 
which  was  divided  into  farms  as  early  as  1670.  As  the  farms  on  Little  Rest  Hill 
became  occupied  a  small  settlement  grew  up  in  the  center.  The  first  holdings  were 
taken  up,  on  what  is  now  the  main  street,  about  1700,  and  from  that  time  on  the 
village  grew  rapidly;  so  much  so  that  in  1752,  when  the  Court  House  and  Jail  at 
Tower  Hill  (see  Tour  1)  were  found  to  be  in  a  bad  state  of  repair,  this  village 
grasped  the  opportunity  of  wresting  from  that  place  the  position  of  county  seat. 

The  court  was  moved  to  Little  Rest  in  1752  and  the  village  remained  the  govern- 
mental center  of  Washington  County  until  1900  when  the  new  courthouse  was 
erected  at  West  Kingston.  In  1885  the  village  received  its  present  name. 

This  quiet  town  has  a  wide  main  street,  untouched  by  commercialism,  and  lined 
with  elm  trees,  some  of  which  are  from  150  to  200  years  old. 

On  the  western  edge  of  the  village,  right  of  State  138,  is  the  John  R.  Eldred  House, 
erected  about  1856,  a  two-and-a-half-story  granite  structure  that  houses  the 
Washington  County  Jail  in  its  rear  ell. 

Left  on  State  138,  on  the  corner  of  College  Rd.,  is  the  Cyrus  French  House  (not 
open),  constructed  about  1792  from  three  older  structures  when  General  Cyrus 
French  came  to  Kingston  from  Grafton,  Massachusetts.  French  purchased  the 
land  from  two  sons  of  Robert  Potter.  The  central  part  of  the  house,  built  about 
1 740,  is  probably  the  building  mentioned  in  the  deed  as  then  standing  on  the  land. 
A  barn  and  a  shoemaker  shop  were  also  specified  in  the  deed.  Part  of  the  house  is 
supposed  to  contain  timber  from  the  old  jail,  built  about  1756,  which  was  also 
purchased  by  French. 

The  two-and-a-half-story  clapboard  frame  house,  with  central  chimney,  has  an 
ell  with  a  lean-to  roof;  it  is  unoccupied  and  dilapidated. 

Cyrus  French,  a  lawyer  whose  son  carried  on  trade  here  as  a  hatter,  is  said  to  have 
participated  in  Shays'  rebellion  before  coming  to  Little  Rest.  His  son,  William 
French,  a  noted  hatter,  is  mentioned  in  Thomas  Hazard's  '  Jonny  Cake  Papers.' 


From  Warwick  to  Charlestown  371 

The  Congregational  Church  (R),  on  State  138,  is  a  two-and-a-half-story  white 
rectangular  building  with  a  three-story  clock  tower  and  steeple,  built  in  1820. 
The  founding  of  this  church  belongs  to  the  earliest  years  of  Little  Rest.  Samuel 
Niles  was  minister  in  1702.  In  1707  a  tract  of  land  was  deeded  by  Samuel  Sewall 
and  his  wife  Hannah,  of  Boston,  '  unto  the  said  Samuel  Niles  and  his  heirs  forever 
for  the  use  of  the  Inhabitants  of  said  Kingston  To  Build  a  Public  Meeting  House  on 
for  theire  more  Convenient  Assembling  of  Themselves  together  for  the  Solem 
Worship  of  God  . . .' 

Old  Kingston  Courthouse,  NE.  cor.  of  State  138  and  College  Rd.,  which  houses 
the  Kingston  Free  Library  (open  Wed.  4-4.30;  Sat.  7-8.30;  reading  room,  open  daily 
8-9;  Sun.  8-6)  was  erected  after  Little  Rest,  now  Kingston,  had  won  the  position 
of  county  seat  from  Tower  Hill.  The  County  Court,  when  first  moved  here  from 
Tower  Hill  in  1752,  was  housed  in  an  older  courthouse  for  about  twenty  years. 
In  1773  the  General  Assembly  voted  that  a  new  courthouse  be  built;  it  was  com- 
pleted in  1775.  Sessions  of  the  General  Assembly  were  held  here  from  1776  to  1791 
and  those  of  the  County  Court  from  1776  to  1900.  The  library  contains  about 
12,000  volumes,  portraits  of  Dr.  James  MacSparran  (see  Tour  1),  and  his  wife;  and 
a  famous  reproduction  of  the  'Lion  of  Lucerne,'  a  wood  carving  by  A.  Thorwaldsen. 
The  old  three-story  brown  frame  structure  has  a  red  mansard  roof,  dormer  win- 
dows, clapboard  sides  and  a  belfry.  Old-fashioned  lamps  hang  on  both  sides  of  the 
front  entrance. 

The  Thomas  P.  Wells  House  (private),  on  State  138  (R),  built  in  1832,  is  a  two-and- 
a-half-story  white  frame  house  with  a  raised  gable  roof,  small-paned  windows,  and 
green  blinds.  The  gable  end  faces  the  street. 

Kingston  Inn  (open),  built  about  1757,  though  the  date  is  sometimes  given  as  1746, 
is  a  two-and-a-half-story  white  frame  building  with  a  gambrel  roof,  dormer  win- 
dows, central  chimney  and  many  small  paned  windows  with  green  blinds.  An 
innkeeper,  John  Potter,  bought  the  land  from  Elisha  Reynolds  in  1755.  The  inn 
contains  22  rooms;  the  ground  floor  is  centered  around  a  triangular-base  chimney 
with  three  hearth  fireplaces.  An  interesting  feature  of  the  old  structure  is  the  tap- 
room with  a  hinged  partition.  The  walls  are  mostly  papered  in  old-fashioned  pat- 
terns; the  bedrooms  have  fireplaces;  the  old  staircase  is  handcarved  and  the  doors 
have  the  original  hinges  and  latches.  Kingston  Inn  has  been  continuously  open 
for  the  entertainment  of  travelers  for  180  years. 

The  Mathew  Waite  House  (private),  on  State  138  (R),  a  two-story  white  frame 
house,  was  built  in  1819  on  the  foundations  of  a  house  built  by  William  Caswell  in 
1755.  It  has  a  gable  roof,  front  porch,  small  window-panes,  green  blinds,  central 
brick  chimney,  and  a  rear  ell.  The  house,  now  occupied  by  Miss  Isabel  Eddy,  was 
at  one  time  the  home  of  John,  father  of  Mathew  Waite.  John  was  one  of  the  silver- 
smiths of  Little  Rest.  The  Eddy  family  came  here  in  1910  from  Providence  and, 
because  Abraham  Lincoln  had  once  stopped  at  the  family's  city  home,  fitted  up  in 
this  house  a  '  Lincoln  Room '  with  old  furniture,  and  the  bed  in  which  Lincoln  slept. 

The  John  T.  Nichols  House  (private),  on  State  138  (L),  a  long  two-story  white 
frame  structure,  was  built  about  1802.  It  has  two  brick  chimneys,  a  gable  roof, 
green  shutters  and  small  window  panes. 

Kingston  Post  Office  (L),  erected  prior  to  1759,  is  a  simple  one-and-a-half-story 
white  frame  building  with  a  gable  roof,  one  dormer  window  and  a  rear  ell. 

The  John  Douglas  House  (private),  on  State  138  (R),  a  two-story  yellow  frame  house 
with  a  gable  roof,  central  stone  chimney,  green  shutters,  small  paned  windows  and 
a  side  ell,  was  built  about  1753. 

The  Elisha  R.  Potter  House  (private),  on  a  short  lane  to  the  right  of  State  138,  was 
built  in  1809.  It  is  a  large  two-and-a-half-story  T-shaped  frame  structure,  painted 
yellow  with  white  trim,  with  a  gable  roof,  green  shutters,  brick  chimneys,  small 
window  panes  and,  now,  two  large  piazzas.  Elisha  Reynolds  Potter,  the  builder, 
was  a  member  of  Congress  1796-97,  1809-15.  His  son,  Elisha  R.  Potter,  Jr.,  de- 
voted much  of  his  life  to  public  service;  he  was  a  member  of  Congress  1843-45, 


372  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

Commissioner  of  Public  Schools,  member  of  the  State  Supreme  Court,  and  author 
of  'The  Early  History  of  Narragansett.' 

The  Old  Tavern  (private),  on  State  138  (L),  also  known  as  the  John  Taylor  House, 
is  a  long  two-story  shingled  structure,  built  about  1752;  it  has  a  gable  roof,  two 
chimneys,  one  stone  and  one  brick,  blue  shutters  and  small-paned  windows.  The 
inn  was  run  for  many  years  by  Joseph  Reynolds  who  was  often  mentioned  in 
Shepherd  Tom  Hazard's  '  Jonny  Cake  Papers.'  'The  host  was  of  such  surpassing 
genius,  that  his  house  became  as  famous  a  resort  for  the  wits  and  good  fellows  in 
Rhode  Island  as  Will's  Coffee  House  was  in  London  in  the  days  of  Queen  Anne, 
when  it  was  the  habitual  gathering  place  of  Addison,  Steele  and  the  literati  and 
wits  of  England  in  general.  After  Joe  Reynolds'  decease  his  son  John,  a  most 
genial  and  amiable  man,  succeeded  his  father  as  landlord.'  An  underground  pas- 
sage, the  purpose  of  which  is  unknown,  commences  in  the  cellar  and  terminates  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  to  the  westward. 

The  Joseph  Perkins  House  (private"),  on  State  138  (L),  built  1775,  now  forms  the 
rear  ell  of  the  Hagadorn  or  Hawthorne  House.  Perkins  was  an  early  merchant  and 
silversmith.  The  Hagadorn  House,  built  in  1827,  is  a  two-story  gray  frame  build- 
ing with  white  trim. 

The  Abel  Cottrell  House  (private),  on  State  138  (L),  a  two-and-a-half-story  white 
frame  building  with  a  red  gable  roof,  was  built  in  1818.  It  has  green  shutters, 
small-paned  windows,  a  central  brick  chimney,  and  a  lean-to  ell  on  the  east  side. 

The  Elisha  Reynolds  House  (private),  on  State  138  (R),  also  called  the  Lucca  House, 
was  built  about  1750.  It  is  a  three-story  yellow  frame  structure  with  white  trim, 
gambrel  roof,  dormer  windows,  and  green  shutters.  Reynolds,  grandfather  of 
Elisha  Reynolds  Potter,  purchased  the  land  on  which  the  house  now  stands  from 
Henry  Knowles  in  1738.  The  name  Lucca  House  is  of  recent  origin.  Madam  Pau- 
line Lucca,  an  opera  star  of  New  York,  came  to  the  village  to  rest  after  two  strenu- 
ous years  of  work.  She  was  so  pleased  with  the  village  that  when  she  departed,  she 
left  her  picture  and  requested  that  the  old  house  in  which  she  had  lived  be  known  as 
the  Lucca  House.  During  the  early  years  of  the  village  there  was  a  free  library  in 
one  room  of  this  house,  while  another  room  housed  a  fancy  goods  store.  In  1832 
a  small  newspaper  was  issued  here  by  James  Brenton.  At  the  present  tune  it  is  the 
meeting  place  of  the  Tavern  Hall  Club,  an  organization  of  Rhode  Island  college 
professors  and  village  residents.  In  the  rear  are  sold  hand-made  gifts,  such  as 
hooked  mats  and  rugs  and  splint  baskets,  mostly  of  local  materials  and  work- 
manship. 

The  William  H.  Case  House  (private),  on  State  138  (L),  a  remodeled  one-and-a- 
half-story  white  frame  house,  was  built  in  1826.  It  has  a  gable  roof,  dormer  win- 
dow, green  blinds  and  a  central  brick  chimney. 

The  G.  Fayerweather  House  (private),  on  the  eastern  edge  of  the  village,  on  State 
138  (L),  is  a  one-and-a-half-story  shingled  frame  house,  built  about  1801. 

North  of  the  village  center  0.2  m.,  on  College  Rd.  is  Rhode  Island  State  College. 
A  Memorial  Gateway  spans  the  main  entrance  to  the  6-acre  campus,  which  is  flat 
and  slightly  sloping  toward  the  west. 

Just  north  of  the  Gateway  is  the  central  quadrangle  around  which  are  grouped 
the  principal  buildings.  Many  of  these  are  plain  rectangular  structures  of  ashlar 
masonry,  which  gives  the  campus  an  institutional  atmosphere  less  attractive  than 
that  of  the  newer  section  of  the  State  Institutions  at  Howard  (see  Tour  2). 

Edwards  Hall,  southeastern  corner  of  the  quadrangle,  was  built  in  1928  and  re- 
modeled in  1935.  It  is  a  two-story  rectangular  granite  building,  with  a  flat  roof 
and  arched  windows,  containing  an  auditorium  with  a  seating  capacity  of  1480. 

Just  west  of  Edwards  Hall,  on  the  southern  edge  of  the  quadrangle,  is  Ranger  Hall, 
erected  in  1913,  a  three-story,  rectangular  granite  building  with  a  hip  roof.  It 
houses  the  department  of  chemistry,  physics,  zoology,  bacteriology  and  botany. 
Each  department  has  its  own  laboratory,  recitation  room  and  library.  This  build- 


From  Warwick  to  Charles  town  373 

ing  also  has  an  amphitheater,  with  a  seating  capacity  of  100,  which  is  used  in 
common  by  the  different  departments. 

In  the  rear  of  Ranger  Hall  is  Green  Hall,  erected  in  1937,  a  two-story  T-shaped 
Colonial  type  building,  that  is  one  of  the  most  attractive  structures  on  the  campus. 
In  this  building  are  the  administrative  offices,  and  on  the  second  floor,  the  library. 
On  the  southwestern  corner  of  the  quadrangle  is  the  Home  Economics  Building,  a 
three-story  granite  structure  built  in  1936,  housing  a  research  laboratory,  n 
classrooms,  10  offices,  8  laboratories,  a  lecture  hall  seating  300,  and  a  model 
kitchen. 

On  the  western  side  of  the  quadrangle,  just  north  of  the  Home  Economics  Build- 
ing, is  the  Lodge,  or  Watson  House,  (about  1790).  This  house  is  the  original  farm- 
house on  the  Oliver  Watson  Farm,  which  was  purchased  for  the  State  Agricultural 
School.  It  has  been  used  as  the '  residence  of  the  foreman  and  later  for  housing 
women  students.  From  1908  until  1931,  when  the  interior  was  wrecked  by  fire,  it 
was  occupied  by  fraternities  and  by  faculty  families.  In  1933  the  house  was  re- 
stored and  fitted  up  as  a  tea-room. 

Near  the  Watson  House,  on  the  western  side  of  the  quadrangle,  is  South  Hall,  a 
three-story  frame  building  erected  in  1890,  and  used  until  1932  as  a  dormitory. 
It  is  now  a  food  laboratory. 

Davis  Hall,  built  in  1895  and  centrally  situated  on  the  western  side  of  the  quad- 
rangle, is  a  three-story  granite  structure,  with  turrets,  that  gives  a  castle-like 
appearance.  It  is  used  as  a  men's  dormitory  and  college  infirmary. 

Just  beyond  the  western  border  of  the  quadrangle  is  the  red-brick  Women's  Dormi- 
tory, erected  in  1936,  with  a  central  unit  of  three-and-a-half-stories,  and  four 
smaller  connecting  units.  The  structure  houses  90  girls. 

Taft  Laboratory,  northwestern  corner  of  the  quadrangle,  built  in  1889,  is  a  two- 
story  building  of  native  granite,  quarried  a  few  hundred  yards  to  the  west  of  the 
campus. 

The  Gymnasium,  50  yards  northwest  of  the  quadrangle,  and  erected  in  1929,  is  a 
granite  building  of  two  stories,  with  towers  on  the  front.  The  basement  has  a  rifle 
range,  and  military  stores.  The  gymnasium  shed,  with  a  floor  space  of  70  X  89  feet, 
is  used  for  college  dances  and  social  functions. 

Screened  by  trees  to  the  north  and  northwest  of  the  quadrangle  are  the  Animal 
Industry  Building  (1936)  and  the  Greenhouse  (1906),  covering  an  area  of  10,000 
square  feet. 

Lippitt  Hall,  north  side  of  the  quadrangle,  built  in  1897  and  remodeled  in  1936,  is  a 
three-story  granite  structure,  with  high  gable  roof.  For  a  number  of  years  it  housed 
the  Engineering  Department  and  the  library,  and  also  provided  a  general  assembly 
hall,  gymnasium,  and  drill  hall.  The  second  floor  has  been  renovated  into  a  large 
dining-room.  The  third  floor  is  used  as  a  women's  gymnasium. 

Bliss  Hall,  on  the  northeastern  corner  of  the  quadrangle,  is  a  four-story  granite 
building  used  by  the  School  of  Engineering.  The  forge  and  foundry  shops,  mechani- 
cal, and  hydraulic  laboratories  are  in  the  basement.  The  first  floor  houses  machine 
and  pattern  shops,  offices,  instruction  rooms,  and  electrical  laboratory.  On  the 
second  floor  are  classrooms,  a  drafting  room  and  offices;  classrooms,  museum,  and 
department  library  occupy  the  third  floor.  Work  in  Aeronautical  Engineering  is 
carried  on  in  the  attic  or  fourth  floor. 

East  Hall  (1909),  on  the  east  side  of  the  quadrangle,  is  a  three-story  granite  build- 
ing, used  as  a  men's  dormitory. 

Agricultural  Hall  (1921),  on  the  east  side  of  the  quadrangle,  opposite  Edwards 
Hall,  is  a  three-story  granite  structure,  housing  the  extension  services  of  the 
School  of  Agriculture  and  the  Department  of  Business  of  the  School  of  Science  and 
Business. 

Rhode  Island  State  College  originated  in  the  federal  land-grant  act  (Morrill  Act) 
of  1862.  Rhode  Island's  share  of  this  aid  was  first  taken  by  Brown  University. 


374  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

In  1887  a  State  agricultural  school  was  founded  at  Kingston,  which  in  1892,  was 
chartered  as  the  Rhode  Island  College  of  Agriculture  and  Mechanic  Arts  to  take 
over  the  federal  aid  relinquished  by  Brown.  In  1909  the  institution  was  given  its 
present  name. 

About  0.5  m.  southwest  of  the  village  center  is  BISCUIT  CITY  or  Harley's  Mill. 
According  to  tradition  and  as  recorded  in  the  '  Jonny  Cake  Papers'  the  origin  of 
the  name  came  from  the  imagination  of  an  itinerant  peddler  who  was  impressed  by 
the  many  biscuits  being  made  by  the  housewives. 

The  village  never  seems  to  have  had  more  than  six  houses  and  a  mill,  grouped 
around  the  '  Great  Spring,'  and  a  mill  pond.  A  cotton  mill  was  opened  here  in  1808, 
and  later  (about  1830)  converted  into  a  grist  mill.  At  present  the  pond  is  used  as 
an  auxiliary  for  water  supply  of  Kingston;  Biscuit  City  today  has  but  two  houses 
and  memories. 

Near  Kingston,  on  Slocum  Rd.  north  of  the  center,  once  lived  William  Harrison 
Rose,  affectionately  known  as  Weaver  Rose  (d.  1913).  The  small  cottage,  where 
he  lived  with  a  sister  as  eccentric  as  himself,  was  burned  by  lightning  a  few  years 
ago.  Here  he  used  to  weave  rag  rugs,  portieres,  chenille  mats  and  hap-harlots  (a 
coarse  blanket  or  coverlet).  His  huge  clumsy  old-fashioned  looms  were  housed 
in  a  loft  over  an  ell  behind  the  cottage,  a  place  where  only  a  few  trusted  friends  ever 
penetrated.  He  was  taught  the  art  of  weaving  by  his  grandfather,  who  had  worked 
under  William  Reed,  the  famous  English  weaver,  and  an  idea  of  his  general  ap- 
pearance and  eccentricity  can  be  gained  from  the  following  quotation:  'He  is 
anything  but  conventional,  as  Narragansett  Pier  and  neighboring  resorts  measure 
conventionality.  His  bare  feet,  his  two  piece  costume  —  with  none  too  much  care 
taken  in  the  piecing  —  his  long  white  hair,  his  shrewd  eyes  that  supplement  his 
infrequent  and  somewhat  gruff  speech,  his  constant  recourse  to  the  contents  of 
the  serviceable  snuff  box  which  is  his  invariable  companion,  all  contribute  to  the 
visitors  pleasure  in  the  meeting.'  Weaver  Rose  did  much  toward  the  revival  of 
hand-weaving  in  modern  New  England;  in  1912,  by  his  invitation,  some  seven  or 
eight  enthusiasts  gathered  at  his  home  and  formed  an  organization  called  the 
Colonial  Weavers'  Association.  This  organization  did  not  have  many  meetings  nor 
was  it  at  any  time  very  active,  but  it  served  as  an  impetus  to  the  revival  of  the 
old  art. 

The  Henry  Marchant  House  (private),  on  State  2  at  16.4  m.  (R),  at  the 
end  of  a  long  entrance  drive,  was  built  early  in  the  i8th  century,  and  in 
1775  was  acquired  by  Henry  Marchant,  a  member  of  the  Continental 
Congress  and  later  a  Federal  Judge.  He  moved  in  1784  to  Newport.  The 
two-and-a-half-story  white  frame  house  has  a  gable  roof,  central  stone 
chimney,  small-paned  windows  and  inside  sliding  shutters. 

At  16.5  m.  (L),  is  a  State  marker  noting  that  three-quarters  of  a  mile 
from  the  highway  is  the  Site  of  the  Great  Swamp  Fight,  which  was  fought 
December  19,  1675  (see  Indians). 

Between  16.9  and  19.6  m.  the  route  passes  through  the  southeast  corner 
of  Richmond  Township  (see  Tour  2).  There  are  small  picnic  groves  at 
17.9  m.  and  18.2  m. 

At  19.9  m.  is  the  junction  with  paved  Kenyon  Rd. 

Right  on  this  road  0.4  m.  to  the  village  of  KENYON  (alt.  100,  Richmond  Town), 
formerly  known  as  Holburton's  Mills.  As  early  as  1772  an  iron  factory  existed 
here.  A  later  factory  carded  wool  into  rolls  to  be  spun  by  hand.  A  still  later 
plant,  a  fulling  mill  and  a  cloth  dressing  establishment,  was  known  as  Holburton's 
Mill.  Louis  Kenyon  purchased  this  mill  from  the  estate  of  Thomas  Holburton  in 
1820  and  continued  to  dress  cloth.  In  1844  Abiel  Kenyon  erected  a  stone  mill, 
which  was  operated  until  a  few  years  ago.  A  post  office  was  established  in  the  vil- 


From  Warwick  to  Charlestown  375 

lage  in  1888  and  in  1889  a  railroad  station  was  opened.  At  present  the  only  in- 
dustry is  the  Kenyon  Piece  Dye  Works. 

At  20.2  m.  is  the  junction  with  paved  Shannock  Rd. 

Right  on  this  road  0.5  m.  to  the  village  of  SHANNOCK  (alt.  100,  Richmond 
Town),  once  known  as  Clark's  Mill.  This  village  originated  when  Jeffrey  Wilcox 
willed  to  his  son  Abraham  one  acre  of  land;  in  1762  this  land,  with  a  gristmill  and 
sawmill,  was  deeded  to  Jeremiah  Browning.  Joshua  Clark  came  into  possession 
in  1771;  he  and  his  son  erected  a  small  wooden  mill  and  began  the  business  that  is 
today  the  Columbia  Narrow  Fabric  Company,  organized  in  1902,  making  webbing. 
The  territory  around  Shannock,  a  name  of  Indian  origin,  is  drained  by  the  Paw- 
catuck  River,  which  flows  over  picturesque  Horseshoe  Falls.  The  road  to  Shannock 
is  as  full  of  twists  and  turns  as  is  the  river,  which  is  crossed  and  recrossed,  leading 
the  traveler  alternately  through  Richmond  and  Charlestown.  Shannock  is  a 
typical  mill  village  on  a  hill;  it  has  a  small  shopping  center,  and  a  library  that 
serves  both  Charlestown  and  Shannock  residents. 

At  21.5  m.  is  the  junction  with  Carolina  Back  Rd. 

Right  on  this  road  2.7  m.  to  the  village  of  CAROLINA  (alt.  100,  Richmond 
Town),  part  of  which  is  in  Charlestown.  On  the  site  of  the  Carolina  Mill  formerly 
stood  a  gristmill  which  was  erected  in  1802  by  Joseph  Nichols,  on  land  later  held 
by  Aaron  and  Sands  Kenyon,  and  in  1841  purchased  by  Rowland  G.  Hazard  for 
the  manufacture  of  cotton  cloth.  Through  his  efforts  most  of  the  present  houses 
were  built.  The  first  store  in  the  village  was  established  in  1837;  a  school  was 
erected  by  Mr.  Hazard  in  1845,  and  sold  to  the  district  in  1871.  The  village  is  said 
to  have  been  named  for  Hazard's  wife,  Caroline.  There  is  no  manufacturing  in  the 
village  today,  though  a  little  south  of  the  center  is  the  Plant  of  the  Beresford  Ice 
Cream  Company. 

At  21.5  m.  is  the  junction  with  a  dirt  road. 

Left  about  0.6  m.  on  this  old  Pasquiset  Indian  Trail  to  Pasquiset  Pond,  75  acres 
in  area,  its  waters  reddish  in  hue  because  of  impregnation  by  iron  ore.  In  Colonial 
days  iron  ore  was  taken  from  this  vicinity  and  manufactured  at  Shannock. 

At  22.4  m.  (L)  is  the  Charlestown  Town  Hall,  on  a  hillside  by  itself. 

CHARLESTOWN  (township  pop.  1118),  was  taken  from  Westerly  and 
incorporated  in  1738;  it  was  named  for  King  Charles  II  who  granted 
Rhode  Island  its  charter  of  1663.  The  township,  containing  41  square 
miles  is  agricultural,  though  its  southern  shore  has  many  summer  resorts 
(see  Tour  1). 

At  23.2  m.  is  the  junction  with  a  narrow  dirt  road. 

1.  Right  about  0.9  m.  is  Indian  Church  (not  open},  a  very  plain  one-story  stone 
building,  standing  in  the  corner  of  a  small  clearing.  The  building  is  heated  by  a 
small  wood  stove,  and  lighted  by  kerosene  lamps.  An  older  wooden  structure  was 
on  this  site  as  early  as  1750.   Only  occasional  services  are  now  held  here,  by  de- 
scendants of  the  Narragansett  Indians,  who  usually  have  an  annual  gathering 
the  second  Sunday  in  August. 

In  the  woods  about  a  half-mile  northwest  of  the  church  are  Child  Crying  Rocks, 
a  ragged  ledge  outcropping  in  what  was  once  an  Indian  reservation  (see  Indians). 
Tradition  relates  that  the  Indians  had  a  custom  of  destroying  at  birth  all  weakly, 
ill-formed  and  undesired  children,  such  as  would  not  become  good  hunters,  warriors 
and  burden  bearers.  As  the  wind  plays  among  these  rocks  the  imaginative  fancy 
they  hear  these  ill-fated  infants  wailing;  hence  the  name  Child  Crying  Rocks. 

2.  Left  about  0.7  m.  (follow  signs)  to  the  Indian  Burial  Ground,  a  20-acre  plot  now 
maintained  by  the  State.   This  was  the  ancient  burial  place  of  the  Narragansett 
Indians.    There  is  one  row  of  mounds  raised  above  the  next;  Indian  tradition 


376  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

identifies  this  as  the  tombs  of  the  sachems  and  their  families.  In  May,  1869,  some 
Charlestown  men  opened  one  of  the  graves,  to  ascertain  how  the  Indians  buried 
their  dead,  and  collected  a  few  relics.  The  grave  was  covered  with  large  flat  stones 
and  contained  a  log  coffin.  A  brass  kettle  was  found  at  one  end  of  the  coffin,  and 
an  iron  kettle  at  the  other. 

At  24.6  m.  in  Cross's  Mills  is  the  junction  with  US  1  (see  Tour  1),  12  miles 
east  of  Westerly. 


TOUR     4  :     From    MASSACHUSETTS   LINE    (Worcester)    to 
PROVIDENCE,  17.3  m.,  State  146. 


Via  Union  Village  and  North  Providence. 
Good  hard-surfaced  roadbed. 

STATE  146,  the  most  direct  route  between  Worcester,  Massachusetts, 
and  Providence,  Rhode  Island,  crosses  the  Rhode  Island-Massachusetts 
Line  as  a  concrete  road  passing  over  a  pleasant  rolling  countryside  dotted 
with  small  farms.  Near  Union  Village  it  skirts  the  western  edge  of  Woon- 
socket  and  hence  is  the  most  used  route  between  that  city  and  Providence. 
State  146  crosses  the  State  Line  23  m.  south  of  Worcester,  and  runs  for 
about  three  miles  through  a  sparsely  settled  rural  district  in  the  town- 
ship of  North  Smithfield. 

Slater  Park,  0.6  m.  (R),  is  a  small  grassy  triangle,  in  the  center  of  which 
is  a  large  granite  boulder  bearing  a  bronze  plaque  to  the  memory  of 
James  S.  Slater  (1841-1915),  town  clerk  and  assemblyman.  James,  a 
descendant  of  the  original  textile  mill  Slaters,  waged  a  successful  cam- 
paign to  have  May  4  given  general  recognition  as  Rhode  Island  Independ- 
ence Day.  State  146  bears  left  at  the  park;  in  a  valley  to  the  right  are 
the  housetops  of  the  textile  village  of  Slatersville. 

Red  Brick  Tavern  (not  open},  1.4  m.  (L),  is  a  two-and-one-half-story  red- 
brick building  with  white  trim,  and  a  gable  roof  (about  1805).  The  well- 
spaced  windows  in  this  house  are  topped  with  corniced  lintels  that  appear 
quite  heavy.  A  feature  of  the  house  is  the  arched  central  doorway,  with 
a  white  paneled  door  flanked  by  two  narrow  side-lights  topped  with  an 
elliptical  fan-light.  The  portal  is  surmounted  by  a  hanging  lantern.  In 
the  i gth  century  this  was  an  important  tavern. 

At  2.2  m.  is  the  junction  with  a  paved  side  road. 

Right  0.4  m.  on  this  side  road,  which  becomes  Main  St.  of  the  village  of  Forestdale, 
is  the  Site  of  the  Second  Scythe  Factory  (L),  in  the  township  of  Smithfield.  In  this 
factory,  founded  1824,  quantities  of  sabers  were  made  for  the  Union  Army  in  the 
Civil  War. 


From  Worcester  to  Providence  377 

FORESTDALE  (alt.  200),  0.5  m.,  is  a  small  industrial  village;  in  the  i8th  and 
early  igth  centuries  it  was  a  center  for  the  manufacture  of  scythes  and  scythe  stones. 
The  Forestdale  Mills  (L)  make  flannel  blankets.  The  factory  maintains  a  baseball 
field  where  the  village  boys  play  sandlot  games.  The  mill  population  is  largely 
Portuguese  and  Polish  in  character.  Near  the  mills  can  be  had  very  attractive 
glimpses  of  the  hemlock-wooded  banks  of  the  Branch  River. 

West  of  Forestdale  the  highway  becomes  School  St.  At  1.1  m.  on  the  edge  of  the 
village  of  Slatersville,  is  the  Site  of  the  John  Slater  Mansion  (L).  The  site  is  readily 
identified  by  the  cellar  situated  in  the  center  of  a  large  house  plot  landscaped  with 
hemlock  and  beech  trees.  The  younger  Slater,  grandnephew  of  the  founder  of 
Rhode  Island's  textile  industry,  was  one  of  the  'bloods'  of  his  day,  in  short,  a  great 
entertainer.  The  gardener's  house  belonging  to  the  old  estate  is  still  standing, 
about  60  feet  back  from  the  highway.  It  is  a  one-and-one-half-story  frame 
structure  with  a  large  front  piazza. 

SLATERSVILLE  (alt.  200),  1.2  m.,  is  the  seat  of  government  for  the  township  of 
North  Smithfield  (pop.  3945).  The  latter  was  formerly  a  part  of  Smithfield,  which 
once  included  most  of  northern  Rhode  Island.  It  was  incorporated  in  1871,  and 
first  named  Slater,  but  this  title  was  held  only  a  scant  two  weeks.  The  Slater  name 
now  remains  attached  to  the  village  where  cotton  textiles  have  been  manufactured 
extensively  since  the  early  igth  century,  when  the  first  Samuel  Slater  became  dis- 
satisfied with  his  position  in  Pawtucket  and  began  a  new  business  in  partnership 
with  his  brother  John.  The  township  of  North  Smithfield  is  almost  rectangular 
in  shape  and  about  24  square  miles  in  area.  It  includes  many  separate  centers  of 
population:  Union  Village,  Branch  Village,  Slatersville,  Forestdale,  etc.  Rising 
from  both  banks  of  the  Clear  River  the  contour  is  made  up  of  rolling  hills. 

This  route  enters  Slatersville  on  School  Street,  which  passes  the  Village  Green  (R), 
a  very  attractive  spot.  On  one  side  is  the  Congregational  Church,  facing  south,  and 
overlooking  the  buildings  of  the  Finishing  Company  in  a  hollow  to  the  left.  On 
School  St.,  the  second  house  east  of  the  church  has  an  unusual  doorway;  there  is 
nothing  just  like  it  in  this  part  of  the  country.  Over  the  usual  side  pilasters  are 
two  half-urns,  with  wings,  and  a  sort  of  Spanish  comb  on  top.  The  whole  design 
is  rather  crude,  and  probably  homemade. 

On  Green  Street  at  the  far  side  (W)  of  the  Green  stand  eight  houses  that  super- 
ficially appear  to  be  of  the  same  period  and  type.  The  oldest  (about  1810)  is  now 
the  Congregational  Parsonage.  It  was  once  the  home  of  John  Slater,  a  founder,  with 
his  brother  Samuel,  of  the  town's  textile  business.  The  house  has  been  used  as  a 
parsonage  since  about  1828.  It  has  three  old  mantels,  two  Dutch  ovens,  and 
a  winding  staircase. 

On  the  east  side  of  Green  St.,  nearly  opposite  the  parsonage,  is  the  Old  Schoolhouse, 
a  two-and-one-half-story  white  frame  building  with  green  shutters  (about  1810). 
It  is  believed  that  the  second  Sunday  School  in  the  State  was  held  here.  The  Old 
School  has  been  changed  into  a  two-family  dwelling,  which  has  spoiled  it. 

The  other  houses  on  the  west  side  of  Green  Street  were  originally  constructed  1810- 
20  as  mill  tenements  for  four  families  each.  In  recent  times,  as  the  mill  families 
have  moved  elsewhere  in  the  village,  these  houses  have  been  'improved'  to  make 
them  more  like  early  19th-century  one- family  houses,  and  the  results  have  been 
decidedly  successful.  The  entire  Green,  with  its  church,  well-spaced  houses,  yards, 
and  fences,  shows  evidence  of  a  sort  of  'village  planning'  activity  that  gives  a 
distinct  and  charming  flavor  to  this  mill  town. 

The  modern  Slatersville  Finishing  Company  buildings  fill  up  the  hollow  in  the  center 
of  the  village  below  (L)  the  Green.  Here  also  is  the  old  wooden  building  (1804)  of 
the  Slater  enterprise,  and  the  Stone  Mill  (1826)  with  a  belfry.  In  the  igth  century 
this  bell  was  rung  as  curfew,  to  warn  youngsters  off  the  streets  at  9  P.M.  A  little 
to  the  west  of  the  mills  is  the  end  of  the  Slatersville  Reservoir,  with  its  power  dams. 
West  of  Slatersville  Green  the  highway,  called  Main  St.,  connects  at  2.4  m.  with 
the  Victory  Highway  (see  Tour  9). 


378  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

At  2.4  m.  (L)  on  State  146  is  the  Site  of  the  First  Scythe  Factory  in  this  part 
of  the  State.  It  is  indicated  by  a  marker  on  a  small  mound  close  to  the 
road.  The  factory  was  erected  in  1795  by  Elisha  Bartlett  (died  1804). 
Right  at  2.6  m.  is  the  Branch  River  Wool  Combing  Company  Plant;  in  the 
fields  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  highway  are  the  abandoned  quarries 
where  the  once  famous  Smithfield  scythe  stones  were  obtained.  The  mill 
scours  and  combs  wool;  it  is  so  named  because  this  part  of  North  Smith- 
field  was,  and  sometimes  still  is,  called  Branch  Village  for  the  Branch 
River  (see  above). 

UNION  VILLAGE  (alt.  200),  3.3  m.,  was  the  first  part  of  the  present 
township  of  North  Smithfield  to  be  settled.  Great  Road,  as  old  residents 
call  their  main  street,  formerly  ran  between  Providence  and  Worcester; 
some  parts  of  the  old  winding  road  have  been  incorporated  into  the 
modern  highway,  called  the  Louisquisset  Pike,  while  other  sections  re- 
main as  side  roads.  Next  to  Samuel  Slater,  who  moved  part  of  his  textile 
business  to  Slatersville  from  Pawtucket,  Peleg  Arnold  of  Union  Village 
is  possibly  the  most  outstanding  citizen  the  township  of  North  Smithfield 
has  produced.  He  was  a  lieutenant-colonel  in  the  Revolutionary  army; 
he  served  as  a  delegate  to  the  Continental  Congress,  1786-88;  he  was 
Chief  Justice  of  the  Rhode  Island  Supreme  Court,  1795-1809,  1810-12; 
first  president  of  the  Smithfield  Union  Bank,  and  chairman  of  the  com- 
mittee that  founded  Smithfield  Academy.  He  also  owned  the  local  tavern 
(see  below).  Union  Village  was  in  the  i9th  century  a  well-patronized 
*  stop-over '  for  stagecoach  travelers  between  Boston  and  New  York.  Its 
present  population  is  largely  of  old  Colonial  stock. 

In  the  compact  village,  which  is  built  around  State  146,  or  the  old  Great 
Rd.,  are  many  old  houses  set  in  small  but  charmingly  tree-shaded  lawns. 
The  Brayton  House,  on  the  left  of  State  146  is  a  small  one-and-one-half- 
story  structure  the  west  wing  of  which  was  built  prior  to  1770.  The 
original  owner,  James  Brayton,  was  a  Negro  who  had  once  been  a  slave. 
He  built  the  house  himself,  paying  for  the  materials  by  hiring  out  as  a 
day  laborer. 

On  the  corner  of  Pound  Hill  Rd.  and  State  146  is  the  Seth  Allen  Tavern 
(not  open)  (1804),  now  remodeled  for  dwelling-house  purposes.  This  tall 
two-story  frame  structure  is  rectangular  in  plan,  with  a  one-story  addition 
on  the  rear.  Two  end  chimneys  rise  from  the  peak  of  its  gable  roof.  The 
house  stands  on  a  high  basement  story,  and  a  terrace  enclosed  by  a  white 
rail  extends  across  the  front.  The  main  central  doorway  is  protected  by 
a  square  portico  topped  with  a  simple  balustrade.  The  portico  and  terrace 
are  obviously  later  additions.  The  severity  of  the  facade  is  relieved  by 
the  intimate  scale  of  the  many-paned  sash  windows.  Fronting  both  on 
Pound  Hill  Rd.  and  State  146,  it  gives  the  effect  of  two  houses  at  right 
angles. 

On  Pound  Hill  Rd.  to  the  right  of  State  146  are  two  old  buildings.  The 
original  section  of  the  Slocumb  House  (not  open)  was  erected  by  Hezekiah 
Comstock  early  in  the  i8th  century,  and  a  part  of  this  house  probably 
remains  as  the  small  ell  on  the  north  side  of  the  larger  building  which  was 


From  Worcester  to  Providence  379 

constructed  by  Walter  Allen  about  1802.  The  house,  now  painted  a  light 
orange  color,  contains  ten  fireplaces.  It  is  reputedly  the  site  of  the  earliest 
Roman  Catholic  services  held  in  this  vicinity.  The  town  whipping  post 
stood  near-by.  The  house  is  in  a  better  state  of  preservation  than  are 
most  others  in  the  village;  the  interior  woodwork  is  of  a  delicate  design 
typical  of  the  late  Georgian  period. 

Next  to  the  Slocumb  House  is  the  Old  Bank  (not  open),  once  used  as  a 
dwelling  and  store  by  Walter  Allen,  and  changed  into  a  bank  in  1805. 
This  institution,  the  first  one  of  its  kind  in  this  part  of  the  State,  re- 
mained in  these  quarters  over  fifty  years.  Its  charter,  a  large  lock  and 
key,  letters  from  Moses  Brown  who  was  a  director,  and  other  records 
are  in  the  possession  of  the  Woonsocket  Trust  Company.  Many  of  the 
old  documents  are  written  in  ink  made  of  nutgalls  and  sulphate  of  iron 
(green  vitriol),  which  was  dried  by  being  dusted  with  black  sand.  The 
bank's  first  cashier  received  $i  a  day  for  his  services.  In  September, 
1805,  Nabby  Wilkinson  was  paid  $1.75  'for  washing  and  ironing'  the 
bank's  bills.  The  first  big  robbery  occurred  in  October,  1838,  when  a 
Charles  Lewis  made  off  with  $3041.  The  Old  Bank  building,  as  now  re- 
modeled for  a  dwelling  house,  gives  little  evidence  of  its  former  use. 
Painted  a  dark  red,  it  is  neat  and  in  good  repair. 

Pound  Hill  Rd.  was  the  route  taken  through  Union  Village  by  some  of 
the  Dorrites,  in  June,  1842,  on  the  way  to  their  rendezvous  at  Acote 
Hill  in  Chepachet  (see  Tour  9). 

Left  on  State  146  is  the  George  Aldrich  Inn  (not  open),  erected  in  1804. 
The  house  has  a  small  cupola  in  the  center;  it  was  once  the  home  of 
James  Bushee,  headmaster  of  Smithfield  Academy,  and  is  now  owned  by 
his  daughter,  Miss  Alice  Bushee,  professor  of  Spanish  at  Wellesley  College. 

The  Stephen  Brownell  House  (not  open),  86  Great  Rd.,  was  built  by  Walter 
Allen  in  1806.  Allen  was  a  general  contractor  who  constructed  a  number 
of  houses  in  Union  Village.  The  old  Brownell  place,  now  occupied  by 
Judge  Herbert  Carpenter,  is  a  two-story  white  frame  house  with  a  hip 
roof,  and  a  hipped-roof  portico  over  the  front  entrance.  The  front  lawn 
and  trees  form  a  pleasing  setting  for  the  house. 

The  Captain  Daniel  Arnold  House  (not  open),  76  Great  Rd.,  is  a  large 
white  frame  structure  (1714),  two  and  one-half  stories  high,  with  an 
addition  on  one  end  and  a  porch  on  the  other  that  are  obviously  recent 
changes.  The  main  entrance  is  protected  by  a  gabled-roof  portico  sup- 
ported by  two  Doric  columns.  Set  amid  trees,  shrubbery,  and  trellis- 
work,  this  house  has  a  stately  and  charming  appearance.  The  original 
stone  doorsteps  have  been  perserved.  The  Arnold  House  has  also  been 
much  altered.  About  1800  the  front  porch  was  added,  of  unusual  type 
for  this  vicinity;  it  is  of  ample  depth  and  width,  with  a  pedimented  roof 
and  a  plastered  ceiling.  The  door  is  framed  with  rusticated  wood  blocks 
to  resemble  stone,  in  contrast  with  the  clapboard  siding  of  the  exterior. 

The  David  Aldrich  House  (not  open),  across  the  street  from  the  Arnold 
House,  was  built  before  1810.  This  two-and-one-half-story  white  clap- 


380  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

boarded  structure  with  green  shutters  was  used  at  one  time  as  a  dormi- 
tory for  the  Linden  Grove  Seminary  for  girls,  which  was  subsequently 
moved  to  Pawtucket. 

On  the  southeast  corner  of  Woonsocket  Hill  Rd.  is  (R)  the  Peleg  Arnold 
Tavern  (not  open).  The  original  building,  about  20  feet  square,  was  the 
home  of  Richard  Arnold  and  was  probably  the  first  house  erected  in 
Old  Smithfield.  It  was  enlarged  by  Peleg  Arnold  about  a  century  later, 
and  was  used  as  an  inn.  The  tavern  was  designated  in  1775  as  the  place 
where  a  stand  of  100  arms  was  to  be  deposited  for  use  of  the  townsmen 
in  case  of  British  invasion.  Here  was  held,  May  16,  1805,  the  first 
directors'  meeting  of  the  Smithfield  Union  Bank.  Peleg  Arnold  was  first 
president  of  the  bank.  In  recent  years  the  building  has  been  remodeled 
for  tenement  purposes,  but  at  the  present  is  not  occupied.  It  is  a  large 
two-and-one-half-story  frame  house,  rectangular  in  plan,  with  two  brick 
chimneys  rising  from  the  peak  of  its  gable  roof.  Two  tiers  of  the  windows 
of  the  house  are  unevenly  and  asymmetrically  spaced.  The  small  dilap- 
idated entrance  porch  is  of  the  later  *  jigsaw '  type  front.  The  house  has 
little  architectural  distinction  and,  owning  to  lack  of  care,  its  huge  bulk 
presents  a  drab  appearance.  Nearly  opposite  the  inn,  on  the  left  side  of 
State  146,  is  the  Site  of  Smithfield  Academy,  built  in  1810,  and  destroyed 
by  fire  in  1850. 

On  the  southern  edge  of  Union  Village  at  the  foot  of  a  slight  decline  is 
the  junction  with  South  Main  St.,  of  Woonsocket.  At  the  intersection 
is  (L)  an  old  Milestone,  marked  'Miles  to  Boston  47,'  which  was  erected 
in  1761  when  Benjamin  Franklin  was  one  of  the  postmasters-general  for 
the  Colonies.  To  the  right  is  the  Union  Cemetery,  in  which  is  the  Grave 
of  Peleg  Arnold.  For  some  distance  here  the  left  side  of  State  146  forms 
the  boundary  line  between  the  city  of  Woonsocket  and  the  town  of  North 
Smithfield. 

Opposite  the  Union  Cemetery  is  the  Friends  Meeting-House  (L),  a  plain 
white  frame  structure,  rectangular  in  plan,  with  a  gable  roof.  The  tall 
windows  are  topped  with  small  keylocks,  and  the  paneled  double  door- 
way on  the  front  is  surmounted  by  a  badly  proportioned  canopy  sup- 
ported by  two  brackets.  Owing  to  boundary-line  changes  this  meeting- 
house is  now  in  Woonsocket,  but  it  is  the  modern  center  for  the  old 
Quaker  Meeting  of  Union  Village,  organized  in  1719.  The  present  build- 
ing was  erected  in  1 881 .  In  the  earlier  building,  while  the  British  occupied 
Newport  during  the  Revolution,  was  held  the  Quaker  Yearly  Meeting 
attended  by  the  mothers  of  Nathanael  Greene  and  Stephen  Hopkins  (see 
History).  The  old  church  had  hard  wooden  pews  with  narrow  seats  and 
straight  backs.  Peleg  Arnold's  funeral  service  was  held  here.  During 
the  Civil  War,  women  gathered  in  this  building  to  knit  mittens  for  the 
Union  soldiers.  Just  north  of  the  church  is  the  old  Quaker  Cemetery. 
Many  of  North  Smithfield's  original  settlers  are  buried  here;  the  old  in- 
scriptions are  becoming  illegible;  some  of  the  stones  were  never  marked. 
Peleg  Arnold's  Stone,  3.85  m.  (R),  a  milestone  erected  by  Peleg  Arnold 


From  Worcester  to  Providence  381 

and  now  cemented  into  the  wall  of  the  Union  Cemetery,  is  inscribed 
'Fourteen  miles  to  Providence  . . .  1774-' 

Harris  Quarry,  9.4  m.,  in  Lincoln  township,  now  appears  on  the  right  as 
a  ragged  limestone  wall  rising  above  a  pond  made  by  the  flooding  of  the 
old  pit.  The  first  shelf  of  the  quarry  is  said  to  be  some  35  feet  below  the 
water  level,  and  the  bottom  much  more.  The  quarry  was  first  worked 
by  Thomas  Harris,  a  contemporary  of  Roger  Williams,  and  one  of  the 
first  settlers  within  the  present  township.  The  quarry  has  not  been  used 
for  a  long  time,  except  as  a  convenient  place  in  which  to  drop  automo- 
biles on  which  the  owners  would  like  to  collect  insurance. 

Limerock  Grange  (not  open),  9.6  m.  (L),  is  a  cream-colored  building,  a 
social  center,  that  was  once  used  as  a  toll-gate  house.  This  section  of 
Lincoln  is  known  as  Limerock  because  of  its  many  limestone  deposits. 
Farming  is  carried  on  in  the  fertile  valleys  between  stone  outcroppings. 
A  majority  of  the  residents  are  of  native  stock. 
At  9.6  m.  by  the  Grange  is  the  junction  with  unpaved  Great  Rd. 

1.  Left  0.6  m.  on  this  road  to  the  small  village  of  LIMEROCK  (Lincoln  Town),  on 
the  eastern  edge  of  which  is  the  Eleazer  W hippie  House  (private)  or  Mowry  Tavern. 
Although  greatly  altered,  a  portion  of  this  structure  dates  back  to  1684  or  earlier. 
The  newer,  or  eastern  part,  was  built  in  1825.  The  building  appears  now  as  a  large 
two-and-one-half-story  white  frame  farmhouse,  in  poor  repair.    It  was  once  the 
tavern  of  Jeremiah  Mowry;  an  inn  license  was  granted  to  the  hostelry  in  1747. 

2.  Right  from  the  Grange  to  a  crossroad,  1.3  m.,  and  right  again  is  the  Mowry- 
Smith  House  (private'),  1.6  w.,  a  fine  Colonial  relic  now  isolated  in  sparsely  settled 
country,  standing  in  a  run-down  farm,  with  old  apple  trees  in  the  front  yard.  This 
house  is  a  more  sophisticated  variation  of  the  local  two-and-a-half-story  type  of 
frame  dwelling  —  the  plan  is  deeper  and  more  pretentious,  yet  the  character- 
istically 'linteled'  windows  with  their  24  panes  give  a  sense  of  fine  scale  to  the 
symmetrical  facade.  The  entrance  portal  with  its  fluted  pilasters  and  pediment  is 
executed  with  unusual  restraint. 

At  9.9  m.  (R),  opposite  the  end  of  Sherman  Ave.,  is  the  Aldrich  House 
(private),  built  about  1750,  and  much  like  the  Mowry-Smith  House.  It  is 
a  charmingly  proportioned  clapboarded  house  of  the  usual  five-bay,  two- 
and-a-half-story  type  with  central  chimney.  The  detail  of  the  entrance 
portal  is  particularly  notable.  Its  dark  four-paneled  door,  trimmed  with  a 
simple  architrave  and  topped  with  a  five-light  transom,  is  flanked  by 
fluted  Doric  pilasters;  the  whole  is  surmounted  by  a  finely  den  tiled  cornice 
and  pediment.  The  caps  of  the  pilasters  are  designed  without  the  usual 
necking  and  necking  moulding. 

At  11.3  m.  is  the  junction  with  Breakneck  Hill  Rd.  (see  Tour  4/1). 
State  146  passes  at  12.4  m.  the  State  Police  Barracks  behind  which  is 
Olney  Pond,  a  part  of  the  Lincoln  Woods  Reservation  (see  Tour  4A). 
At  13.2  m.  State  146  as  Charles  St.  passes  between  a  group  of  small 
stores  and  cheap  lodgings  in  North  Providence  (see  Tour  11). 
Except  for  a  short  detour  because  of  one-way  traffic  Charles  St.  continues 
into  Providence  to  the  junction  with  Smith  St.,  US  1  (see  Tour  1). 
PROVIDENCE  (alt.  12;  pop.  252,981),  17.3  m.,  State  Capital,  jewelry 
manufacturing  center,  port  (see  PROVIDENCE), 


TOUR  4  A  :  From  JUNCTION  WITH  STATE  146  and 
BREAKNECK  HILL  RD.  (Lincoln  Township}  to  JUNCTION  WITH 
US  1  (in  Providence),  6.7  m. 

Via  Saylesville  and  Pawtucket. 
Hard-surfaced  road,  but  narrow  and  crooked. 

THIS  route  runs  through  the  historically  interesting  section  of  southern 
Lincoln  Township. 

Left  from  State  146,  Breakneck  Hill  Rd.  belies  its  name  as  it  dips  down- 
ward very  gradually  eastward  toward  the  Blackstone  River. 

At  0.8  m.  is  an  intersection  with  Quinsnicket  Rd. 

Right  on  Quinsnicket  Rd.  through  Lincoln  Woods  Reservation,  a  unit  in  the  State 
park  system  offering  extensive  recreational  facilities.  The  park  surrounds  Olney 
Pond,  no  acres  in  extent,  and  includes  over  600  acres  of  rock-strewn  wooded  hills 
through  which  wind  over  10  miles  of  improved  road  and  10  miles  of  bridle  paths. 
The  reservation  was  officially  named  on  Abraham  Lincoln's  birthday  in  1909. 
It  has  more  than  50  fireplaces  for  the  use  of  picnic  parties,  several  camp  sites  on  the 
east  side  of  Olney  Pond,  and  a  large  recreation  field. 

Also  within  the  park  limits  are  several  old  houses  and  historic  sites.  The  Richard 
Comstock  House  is  near  Lincoln  Rd.  near  the  east  end  of  the  Reservation,  overlook- 
ing Barney's  Pond.  This  house  was  built  in  1 743  and  has  been  kept  in  good  condi- 
tion. Druid  Circle  on  the  west  side  of  Quinsnicket  Rd.  originally  comprised  seven 
large  rocks  in  circular  formation,  the  appearance  of  which  has  been  rendered  less 
effective  by  recent  blasting  and  road  work.  The  original  purpose  of  this  circle  is 
doubtful;  perhaps  it  was  an  Indian  ceremonial  site.  Fireplace  House  is  just  west 
of  the  Comstock  House.  It  is  in  17th-century  style,  but  of  recent  reconstruction, 
and  is  used  as  a  picnic  house.  It  contains  a  small  brick  fireplace  beside  a  much  larger 
one,  the  former  possibly  having  been  used  in  early  days  for  the  drying  of  flax. 
Goat  Rock,  west  of  Table  Rock  Hill  Rd.,  is  a  large  rock  formation  jutting  out  of  the 
ground  about  20  feet.  It  is  said  that  the  rock  is  so  named  because  a  goat  belonging 
to  one  of  the  near-by  Arnold  families  once  strayed  here  and  became  lodged,  with 
fatal  results,  in  a  crack  in  the  rock.  Pulpit  Rock,  south  of  Granite  Ledge  Rd.,  is  at 
the  end  of  a  natural  amphitheater  in  a  glen.  King  Philip  is  said  to  have  addressed 
his  warriors  from  this  rock  (see  Indians). 

At  1.1  m.  Breakneck  Hill  Rd.  crosses  the  Moshassuck  River,  which  pro- 
vided water-power  for  the  Lincoln  mills  before  the  days  of  steam,  and 
is  now  a  good  trout  stream.  The  river  also  contributes  to  the  scenic 
beauty  of  the  town  as  it  tumbles  over  many  small  waterfalls,  really  old 
dams  erected  for  the  mills,  but  now  overgrown  with  vines  and  mosses  so 
that  they  appear  to  be  a  part  of  the  natural  landscape. 

Near  the  Moshassuck  River  bridge,  is  the  junction  with  Great  Rd. 

Left  on  Great  Rd.  past  Butterfly  Pond  (L),  is  the  junction  with  Dexter  Rock  Rd., 
at  0.4  m.  At  the  junction,  on  a  hillock,  is  a  little  private  cemetery.  Right  from  the 
junction,  Dexter  Rock  Rd.  leads  uphill  0.5  m.  through  a  rough  but  attractive 
countryside  to  the  Dexter  Ledge  Limestone  Quarry  (open}.  The  pit  of  the  quarry 
(R)  is  about  800  feet  long,  300  feet  wide,  and  115  feet  deep.  The  kilns  now  in  use  in 
this  plant  have  been  operating  since  1902;  they  are  usually  wood-fired,  and  one  fir- 
ing takes  seven  days. 


Lincoln  Township  to  Providence  383 

At  about  0.7  m.  on  Great  Rd.  is  the  Captain  John  Jencks  House  (R) ,  a  small  one-story 
frame  house  with  an  attic.  The  east  end  was  built  about  1770,  and  the  west  end 
about  1800.  It  is  said  that  in  this  house  was  held  the  first  school  of  the  district. 

East  of  the  junction  with  Great  Rd.,  Breakneck  Hill  Rd.  is  united  with 
Great  Rd.,  and  runs  eastward,  passing  (R)  the  Butterfly  Factory,  1.1  m. 
(not  open},  a  plain,  rugged,  rectangular  building  of  field-stone  with  a  bell- 
tower.  A  wooden  ell  has  been  added  to  the  west  end.  The  factory  is  so 
named  because  of  the  curious  appearance  made  by  colored  stones  placed 
in  the  front  wall  near  the  east  end.  The  bell  that  hung  in  the  tower  is 
said  to  have  borne  an  inscription  stating  that  Peter  Seest  made  it  at 
Amsterdam  in  1263.  The  bell  was  reputed  to  have  hung  later  in  an 
English  convent,  and  to  have  been  on  the  British  frigate  '  Guerriere '  at 
the  time  of  its  capture  by  Captain  Isaac  Hull  in  1812.  This  wandering 
bell  has  become  a  legend,  since  it  disappeared  about  1891.  The  factory 
was  built  about  1811  as  a  textile  mill;  it  was  later  used  as  a  distillery, 
then  a  printworks,  and  a  shop  for  the  manufacture  of  worsted  braids 
and  yarns.  It  is  now  a  riding  academy  stable. 

Hearthside.  (not  open],  1.2  m.  (L),  was  built,  tradition  relates,  about 
1811  for  Stephen  H.  Smith  from  his  proceeds  in  the  Louisiana  Lottery. 
Smith  designed  the  house  for  his  fiancee,  who  refused  to  marry  him  when 
the  cost  of  the  building  left  him  impoverished.  It  is  an  unusual  stone 
house  with  white  trim,  almost  square  in  plan,  with  a  gable  roof,  and  a 
small  addition  adjoining  the  rear.  A  special  feature  of  the  house  is  the 
side  walls  which  rise  to  a  beautifully  curved  coping  above  a  circular  attic 
window.  On  the  front  is  a  portico  reminiscent  of  southern  Colonial 
mansions,  two  stories  in  height,  supported  by  four  square  columns,  and 
surmounted  by  a  paneled  parapet  rail.  The  main  entrance  under  the 
portico  is  enhanced  by  an  elliptical  arch.  This  beautiful  doorway  has 
paneled  reveals  and  side-lights.  The  curve  of  the  parapet  on  the  side 
walls  is  recalled  in  a  dormer  above  the  portico  as  well  as  in  the  porch  to 
the  side  entrance.  The  house  has  a  stately  appearance,  and  the  contrast 
in  color  of  the  stonework  with  the  white  trim,  gives  a  sharp,  pleasing 
effect. 

Moffett  Mill  (not  open),  1.5  m.  (L),  near  another  small  bridge  over  the 
Moshassuck  River,  is  a  frame  building  on  a  stone  foundation  constructed 
about  181 2.  It  was  first  used  as  a  machine  shop,  then  as  a  box  shop,  dyeing 
mill,  and  manufactory  of  shoe  laces  and  braid.  It  came  into  the  hands  of 
the  Moffett  family  about  1853,  three  generations  of  whom  were  wheel- 
wrights. The  now  dismantled  and  vacant  mill  belongs  to  the  Moffett 
estate. 

Opposite  the  mill,  on  a  hill  overlooking  the  road,  is  (R)  the  Israel  Arnold 
House  (not  open),  a  two-and-one-half-story  building,  with  a  gambrel- 
roofed  ell  (the  original  one-room  house)  erected  before  1 700.  In  the  ell  is  a 
huge  fireplace,  1 2  feet  wide  by  4  feet  deep,  where  the  family  cooking  was 
done.  It  is  said  that  logs  for  the  great  fireplace  used  to  be  hauled  into  the 
house  by  horses  or  oxen.  The  present  occupants  of  the  house  have  a  large 
collection  of  old  furniture,  lanterns,  and  guns. 


384  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

At  1.8  m.  is  the  Eleazer  Arnold  Tavern  (L),  or  Old  Stone  Chimney  House 
(open  9  to  5  weekdays,  upon  arrangement  with  Mr.  A.  J.  Bucklin,  Town 
Hall,  Lonsdale,  or  with  Mrs.  P.  F.  Hodgkins  who  lives  in  the  house  to  the 
rear).  This  house,  the  best  preserved  17th-century  structure  in  the  State, 
was  built  in  1687  and  recently  restored  by  the  Society  for  the  Preservation 
of  New  England  Antiquities.  It  was  once  a  fine  mansion  where  Arnold 
kept  a  tavern,  with  an  old  bed  to  accommodate  Indians,  and  where 
he  also  held  court.  The  most  remarkable  feature  of  the  house  is  its 
enormous  stone  chimney.  The  doorway,  with  a  simple  cornice  and  archi- 
trave, is  set  off-center  and  there  is  no  window  above  the  door.  This  house, 
although  greatly  changed  by  the  addition  of  various  lean-tos  and  later  by 
a  full  story  on  the  right  side,  is  the  best  preserved  17th-century  structure 
in  the  State.  In  the  attic  can  be  seen  the  framing  of  a  steep-front  gable 
which  was  not  replaced  when  the  last  restoration  was  made. 

Great  Rd.  bears  right  at  Sherman's  Corner  near  the  Arnold  Tavern,  and 
at  2  m.  intersects  River  Rd.  opposite  the  Friends  Meeting-House  (open 
on  application  to  caretaker  three  houses  north)  on  the  right.  The  ell  of  this 
old  church  dates  from  1703,  the  main  part  of  the  building  from  1745.  It 
is  a  plain,  wooden  structure  built  from  hand-hewn  timbers  mortised 
together  with  pegs.  The  land  plot  includes  a  small  graveyard,  and  a  stone 
used  by  Colonial  women  to  mount  their  pillions. 

Left  about  1  m.  on  River  Rd.  to  the  old  Blackstone  Canal  (R) ;  the  canal,  at  one  time 
extended  from  Worcester  to  Providence;  only  part  remains.  At  569  River  Rd.  is  the 
Spaulding  House  (not  open),  a  large  white  structure,  rectangular  in  plan.  The  main 
house  is  two  stories  high,  gabled-roofed,  with  two  chimneys  rising  from  the  apex. 
The  door  near  the  center  is  bound  on  both  sides  by  two  pilasters  surmounted  by 
a  classic  entablature  and  pediment.  One  of  igth-century  Spauldings  plied  boats 
on  the  Blackstone  Canal,  and  used  to  tie  up  for  the  night  at  the  edge  of  the  canal 
basin  just  behind  the  house  and  the  old  Town  Farm  nearby. 

Near  the  Mee ting-House  old  Great  Rd.  becomes  Smithneld  Ave.  in  the 
village  of  Saylesville,  a  residential  area  for  many  workers  employed  in 
the  textile  mills  of  Lonsdale  which  is  a  little  to  the  northeast  (L),  and  the 
governmental  center  for  the  township  of  Lincoln  (see  Tour  4C).  On 
Smithneld  Ave.  are  Barney's  Pond,  2.2  m.  (R),  and  Sayles  Pond,  2.4  m. 
(L),  where  gaily  clad  children  skate  in  wintertime. 
At  3.1  m.  is  the  junction  with  Parker  St. 

Right  0.4  m.  on  this  street  is  the  Mathurin  Ballon  House  (not  open),  built  in  1710 
and  later  reconstructed,  simple  in  style,  with  a  heavy  wood  lintel  overhanging  the 
doorways  to  give  protection  from  the  weather;  the  windows  are  irregularly  spaced, 
as  if  very  often  the  case  to  fulfil  the  practical  considerations  of  the  interior. 

Smithneld  Ave.  traverses  a  section  of  small  tenement  houses  on  the  out- 
skirts of  Pawtucket  (see  PAWTUCKET),  passes  at  4.5  m.  People's  Park 
(L),  and  4.8  m.  Saint  Francis  Cemetery  (L),  and  at  6.1  m.  meets  Branch 
Ave.  in  Providence. 

Bear  left  on  Branch  Ave.  to  the  junction  at  6.7  m.  with  North  Main 
St.,  US  1  (see  Tour  1,  and  PROVIDENCE). 


TOUR    4    B  :     From  WOONSOCKET  to  JUNCTION  WITH 

US  44  (North  Providence),  12.6  m.,  State  104. 


Via  Georgiaville. 

Good  surfaced  roadbed,  mostly  three  lanes  wide. 

STATE  104  follows  Main  St.  in  Woonsocket  west  from  the  junction  with 
State  122  (see  Tour  4C)  in  Depot  Square,  running  through  the  business 
and  shopping  center  of  the  city. 

Market  Square,  0.2  m.,  is  near  the  oldest  section  of  the  city;  it  was  in  this 
neighborhood  that  the  first  textile  mills  were  erected  about  1810.  The 
buildings  still  visible,  though  timeworn,  are  of  the  second  or  third 
generation  of  factory  development. 

Right  of  the  bridge,  0.3  m.,  over  the  Blackstone  River  is  Woonsocket  Falls. 
From  this  point  South  Main  St.  bears  uphill  through  what  is  known  as 
the  Globe  section  of  the  city,  passing  (L)  the  Woonsocket  State  Armory 
and  the  Globe  Congregational  Church. 

At  0.65  m.  State  104  turns  left  on  Providence  St. 

The  John  Arnold  House,  0.7  m.  (R),  built  in  1712',  has  been  so  remodeled 
that  it  does  not  appear  to  be  a  Colonial  structure;  the  Willing  Vose 
House  (see  WOONSOCKET),  0.8  m.  (L),  is  not  as  old  as  the  Arnold 
House,  but  is  in  a  poorer  state  of  repair. 

At  1.4  m.  is  the  junction  with  State  146  (see  Tour  4).  South  of  the  inter- 
section State  104  follows  the  Farnum  Pike,  and  for  about  3  miles  the 
countryside  is  rolling  and  attractively  wooded. 

The  Ananias  Mowry  House  (private)  (L),  3.2  m.,  is  a  plain,  well-preserved 
two-and-one-half-story  frame  structure  with  gable  roof  and  central 
chimney  (about  1700).  The  clapboarded  exterior  is  painted  yellow  with 
green  trim  and  there  is  an  old  well-sweep  in  the  back  yard.  The  place  is 
occupied  by  Dr.  George  R.  Smith,  a  descendant  of  the  original  builder. 
Many  Mowrys  were  among  the  early  settlers  of  Rhode  Island  Colony, 
and  the  family  name  is  still  prominent  in  the  State. 

Old  Yellow  Tavern  (private]  (R),  7  m.,  is  a  severely  plain  two-and-one- 
half-story  clapboarded  structure  with  gable  roof  and  central  brick 
chimney.  The  windows  and  doors  are  asymetrically  disposed.  This  old 
tavern,  still  yellow  in  color  though  weather-beaten,  is  sometimes 
called  the  Halfway  House  because  it  is  about  halfway  between  Woon- 
socket and  Providence.  The  tavern,  built  about  1740,  was  probably 
much  smaller  than  is  the  present  structure;  it  has  also  been  used  as  a 
probate  court,  as  a  school,  and  as  a  tollgate  house.  As  in  other  taverns, 
not  much  pains  were  taken  with  the  interior,  the  object  having  been  solid 
construction  with  large  fireplaces,  and  ample  cooking  facilities. 


386  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

At  7  m.  is  the  junction  with  unpaved  Brayton  Rd. 

Left  0.2  m.  on  Brayton  Rd.  is  the  junction  with  John  Mowry  Rd.;  right  here  to  the 
Captain  Joseph  Mowry  House  (L),  0.3  m.,  a  two-and-one-half-story  clapboard 
structure  with  a  one-story  lean-to.  Two  brick  chimneys  rise  from  the  ends  of  the 
gable  roof;  the  house  has  two  plain  entrance  doors.  There  is  a  cell-like  compart- 
ment once  used  as  slave  quarters  in  the  cellar  of  this  old  house  (1701),  and  a  well- 
sweep  in  the  front  yard. 
At  0.6  m.  (L)  is  the  Smithfield  Airport,  an  emergency  landing  field. 

Stillwater  Reservoir  comes  into  view  (R)  at  about  7.5  m. 

At  8.2  m.  is  the  junction  with  the  Washington  Highway  which,  when  the 
Ashton  viaduct  over  the  Blackstone  River  (see  Tour  4C),  is  completed, 
will  make  an  important  northeast  to  southwest  route  through  the  State. 

Left  a  few  rods,  across  the  Stillwater  Viaduct,  is  Washington  Park,  a  small  picnic 
grove  with  tables  and  fireplaces. 

At  8.5  m.  is  the  junction  with  Capron  Rd.  (also  called  Andrews  Rd.). 

Left  on  Capron  Rd.  is  at  0.5  m.  the  William  P.  Steere  House  (L),  a  two-and-one- 
half-story  clapboarded  structure  with  gable  roof  and  central  chimney  (about  1825). 
The  entrance  has  a  white  paneled  door,  flanked  by  fluted  pilasters  and  surmounted 
by  a  pediment  and  a  decorative  fan-light.  The  first-floor  windows  are  crowned  with 
plain  lintels.  The  house  was  originally  on  a  soo-acre  farm  from  which  produce  was 
shipped  to  Providence  and  Boston. 

At  0.9  m.  on  Capron  Rd.  is  the  junction  with  Stillwater  Rd. 

1.  Left  from  the  intersection  is  the  center  of  the  village  of  STILLWATER  (alt. 
300;  Smithfield  town),  1.4  m.     The  village  houses  are  well  scattered  over  the 
surrounding  countryside,  and  many  of  the  older  ones  lie  to  the  south.  In  the  center 
is  the  Lister  Worsted  Company  Plant  (Display  Room  open),  employing  about  125 
workers,  which  makes  yarns. 

2.  Right  a  few  yards  on  Stillwater  Rd.  from  the  intersection  is  the  weather-beaten 
yellow  Appleby  House  (R),  built  in  1 736.  This  bulky  two-and-one-half-story  house, 
on  a  charming  site  overlooking  the  Woonasquatucket  River,  has  a  gable  roof  and 
central  chimney.  The  most  distinctive  features  of  the  main  structure  are  the  square 
plan  and  the  gabled  front.  The  ceilings  are  very  low. 

At  1.7  m.  on  Stillwater  Rd.  is  the  junction  with  Harris  Rd.;  left  on  the  latter  a  few 
yards  is  (L)  the  Ainsell  Angell  House  (1780),  a  large  two-and-one-half-story  frame 
structure  now  a  tenement  house.  The  building  has  many  hand-hewn  beams  and 
wrought-iron  latches.  The  design  of  the  fan-light  over  the  front  door  is  similar  to 
that  of  the  Steere  House.  The  delicate  festooned  ornaments  of  the  fan-lights  are 
executed  in  lead  and  the  scroll  keyblock  over  this  doorway  is  sharply  emphasized 
by  being  painted  darker  than  the  trim. 

On  Harris  Rd.  at  1.9  m.  is  the  junction  with  the  Douglas  Pike;  a  few  yards  south 
(R)  of  the  intersection  is  (R)  the  Daniel  Angell  Tavern  (about  1800),  a  two-and-a- 
half-story  frame  building.  Now  a  private  residence,  this  old  tavern,  with  a  large 
tap  room  and  dance  hall,  served  as  a  public  meeting  hall  for  the  inhabitants  of 
Stillwater. 

At  9.6  m.  on  State  104  is  (L)  the  Noah  Farnum  Homestead,  now  called  the 
Baker  Farm;  it  is  at  the  end  of  a  short  lane,  some  400  feet  from  the  high- 
way. This  two-and-a-half-story  frame  structure,  painted  white  with  pale 
green  trim  and  shutters,  was  built  in  1760  by  the  son  of  John  Farnum  who 
came  to  Smithfield  in  1755  from  Uxbridge,  Massachusetts.  The  Farnums 
conducted  a  flourishing  blacksmith  business;  the  place  is  now  a  dairy 
farm. 


From  Woonsocket  to  North  Providence  387 

At  10.1  m.  is  the  junction  with  paved  Old  Village  Rd. 

Left  0.3  m.  on  the  Old  Village  Rd.  is  the  Old  Baptist  Church  (L),  a  stone  structure 
in  English  Gothic  design,  built  in  1856  by  the  Georgia ville  Evangelical  Society  on 
land  donated  by  Zachariah  Allen.  It  has  not  been  used  as  a  place  of  worship  since 
1907,  and  was  recently  remodeled  for  a  bowling  alley. 

Near  the  Baptist  Church  is  (R)  the  rear  of  the  Old  Belfry  Stone  Mill,  the  original 
mill  (1813)  built  by  the  Georgia  Cotton  Manufacturing  Company  at  an  1 8-foot 
fall  in  the  Woonasquatucket  River.  The  bell  and  belfry  are  still  in  place  on  this  old 
textile  mill,  which  is  being  remodeled  (1937)  for  a  macaroni  factory. 

On  Whipple  Rd.  opposite  the  front  of  the  stone  mill  is  the  John  Whip  pie  House, 
built  in  1752  by  Thomas  Owen,  one  of  the  first  settlers  in  Georgia  ville.  On  the  front 
lawn  of  this  two-and-one-half-story,  gray  frame  structure,  is  a  beautiful  button- 
wood  tree. 

At  10.3  m.  on  State  104  is  the  small  village  of  GEORGIAVILLE  (alt.  300, 
town  pop.  3967),  the  government  center  of  the  town  of  Smithfield,  that 
was  probably  named  for  the  many  Smiths  among  the  early  settlers.  It 
was  incorporated  as  a  town  in  1731,  at  the  time  including  the  present 
townships  of  Lincoln,  North  Smithfield,  and  part  of  Woonsocket.  Farm- 
ing is  a  profitable  occupation  in  Smithfield,  apples,  milk,  and  poultry 
being  sold  commercially.  Until  the  advent  of  manufacturing  almost  all 
the  inhabitants  of  Smithfield  were  of  English  or  American  stock;  the 
present  population  includes  numbers  of  French-Canadians,  Irish,  Italians, 
and  Portuguese. 

Georgiaville  developed  as  a  definite  village  in  the  igth  century  through 
the  Woonasquatucket  Valley  textile  business ;  it  was  named  for  the  plant 
of  the  Georgia  Cotton  Manufacturing  Company  built  in  1813. 

The  Old  Toll  Gate  House,  10.4  m.  (R),  at  the  foot  of  a  small  decline,  is 
a  small  one-story  frame  structure  of  five  rooms,  built  in  1840  by  Caleb 
Farnum,  a  descendant  of  the  Farnums  who  built  the  pike  still  bearing 
their  name. 

At  10.9  m.  is  the  junction  with  Esmond  St.,  in  the  village  of  ESMOND 
(alt.  no,  Smithfield  town) ;  the  center  of  the  village  is  about  0.5  mile  right 
of  State  104. 

At  the  junction  with  Esmond  St.  is  (L)  the  Major  William  Smith  House 
(visited  by  permission  of  Esmond  Mills),  a  large  two-and-a-half-story 
house,  built  early  in  1703  by  the  Major,  one  of  the  first  settlers  in  the 
village.  His  extensive  landholdings  included  the  site  of  the  modern 
Esmond  Mills.  A  rear  ell  of  the  old  house  is  now  used  as  a  State  Police 
Barracks.  The  main  house,  with  gable  roof  and  end  chimneys,  has  a 
paneled  door  with  side-lights,  surmounted  by  an  elliptical  moulding. 

On  Esmond  St.  near  the  village  center  is  the  old  Allenville  Mill,  a  two- 
and-a-half-story  stone  building  with  gable  roof,  now  housing  the  Esmond 
Post  Office.  Governor  Philip  Allen  (1851-53)  built  this  mill  in  1813;  it  is 
the  only  remaining  part  of  a  group  of  early  textile  factories.  The  offices 
of  the  Esmond  Mitts  (est.  1907)  (Display  Room  open)  are  across  the  street; 
this  plant,  employing  nearly  a  thousand  workers,  manufactures  the  well- 
known  Esmond  blankets. 


388  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

The  Smithfield-North  Providence  boundary  line  is  at  11.7  m. 

At  about.  12  m.  is  GREYSTONE  (North  Providence  Town);  the  Grey- 
stone  Mills  of  the  Joseph  Benn  Corporation  (mohair  and  alpaca)  are 
right  of  State  104. 

At  12.6  m.  is  the  junction  with  US  44  (see  Tour  11)  about  4  miles  west  of 
Providence. 


TOUR     4  C  :     From  MASSACHUSETTS  LINE  (Worcester)  to 
PROVIDENCE,  14.2m.,  State  122. 


Via  Woonsocket,  Berkeley,  Central  Falls. 

Good  hard-surfaced  roadbed,  mostly  three  lanes  wide. 

OF  THE  several  routes  that  run  between  Woonsocket  and  Providence, 
this  one,  though  direct,  is  not  recommended  from  a  scenic  point  of  view; 
it  runs  through  several  busy  but  rather  unattractive  mill  villages. 

State  122  crosses  the  Massachusetts  Line  25  miles  southeast  of  Worcester, 
Massachusetts,  and  follows  Harris  Ave.,  at  the  northern  edge  of  the  City 
of  Woonsocket,  through  which  it  runs  for  about  3  miles. 

Cold  Spring  Park,  0.3  m.  (R),  falls  sharply  and  unevenly  down  to  the 
Blackstone  River.  This  park  is  visited  for  the  cool  restfulness  of  its  pine 
groves,  and  the  excellent  spring  from  which  it  takes  its  name. 

At  Pulaski  Square,  0.6  m.,  named  for  the  Polish  officer  who  took  part  in 
the  American  Revolution,  State  122  swings  left  on  Blackstone  St. 

Saint  Michael's  Ukranian  Orthodox  Church,  0.65  m.  (R),  is  noticeable  for 
its  three  onion-shaped  domes;  one  crowning  an  arcaded  belfry  above  the 
entrance  vestibule,  and  two  smaller  ones  which  serve  as  curious  finials 
on  top  of  the  front  corner  piers. 

Monument  Square  is  at  1  m.,  in  the  center  of  which  stands  the  Soldiers' 
Monument  erected  in  1870  to  the  Civil  War  dead.  Bear  right  on  Main 
Street. 

At  Depot  Square,  1.2  m.,  State  122  turns  left  on  Court  St.,  crossing  the 
Blackstone  River. 

Straight  ahead  from  Depot  Square  on  Main  St.  is  an  alternate  route  to  Providence 
via  the  Farnum  Pike  (see  Tour  45). 

From  the  bridge  a  remnant  of  the  old  Blackstone  Canal,  paralleling  the 
river  on  the  Main  St.  side  of  the  bridge,  is  visible  (R  and  L).  This  little 
strip  of  water,  now  called  Clinton  Pond,  has  not  been  used  for  its  original 
purpose  since  the  i84o's. 


From  Worcester  to  Providence  389 

WOONSOCKET  (alt.  122,  pop.  49,376,  inc.  1888),  1.2  m.,  a  wool-manufacturing 
city  (see  WOONSOCKET). 

Points  of  Interest:  Precious  Blood  Church,  Harris  Institute  Library,  Holy  Family 
Church,  Willing  Vose  House. 

At  Court  Square,  1.3  m.,  left  in  front  of  the  Court  House,  then  right, 
passing  Saint  James  Episcopal  Church  (L),  a  large  frame  structure  with 
two  bell-towers. 

At  1.4  m.  State  122,  now  on  Hamlet  Ave.,  passes  the  rear  of  the  red-brick 
Church  of  the  Precious  Blood  (R),  which  contains  mural  portraits  of  the 
French  Jesuit  martyrs  in  early  America.  Adjoining  the  church  is  Sacred 
Heart  College,  a  French  Roman  Catholic  school  for  boys. 

At  1.8  m.  are  two  of  the  city's  large  textile  mills. 

At  2.2  m.,  State  122  turns  right  on  Cumberland  St.,  running  through  the 
southeastern  part  of  Woonsocket,  a  residential  area  of  small  houses  built 
on  high  ground,  nearly  treeless,  overlooking  the  Blackstone  River  Valley 
(R). 

Cook's  Hill  (Cumberland  Town),  4  m.,  was  named  for  a  family  of  early 
settlers  called  Cook  or  Cooke;  from  it  is  an  extensive  view  of  the  Black- 
stone  Valley  and  its  many  mill  villages  (R). 

At  4.6  m.  is  the  junction  with  West  Wrentham  Rd.  (paved  only  a  short 
distance  from  State  122). 

Left  on  this  road  is  an  historically  interesting  section  of  northern  Cumberland.  At 
0.3  m.  (R)  is  seen  Copper  Mine  Hill  (alt.  400).  No  less  than  50  holes  have  been 
counted  in  this  hill  and  it  is  estimated  that  over  a  half  million  dollars  has  been  spent 
here  in  an  unprofitable  search  for  ore. 

Duel  Hollow,  1.1  m.  (R),  near  the  road,  is  a  small  dell  overgrown  by  brush  and 
scrub  oak.  In  1833  two  Boston  men  fought  a  duel  here,  one  wounding  the  other 
in  the  knee. 

Right  at  1.3  m.  is  Tower  Hill  Rd.,  which  runs  just  south  of  Beacon  Pole  Hill  (alt. 
556),  the  highest  elevation  in  Cumberland.  On  the  top  of  this  hill  was  a  Revolu- 
tionary beacon  to  warn  the  colonists  of  the  approach  of  the  British.  A  pole  about 
80  feet  high  was  erected,  carrying  an  iron  kettle  in  which  tar  could  be  burned.  This 
hill  is  also  called  Tower  Hill  for  the  Tower  family  that  once  owned  the  surrounding 
tract  of  land. 
At  2.4  m.  on  Tower  Hill  Rd.  is  the  junction  with  State  114  (see  Tour  5). 

At  2  m.  on  West  Wrentham  Rd.  is  the  junction  with  Elder  Ballou  Meeting-House 
Rd.;  left  here  0.1  m.  to  Iron  Mine  Hill  (L),  from  which  ore  was  taken  in  Colonial 
times  and  carted  south  to  Albion  for  manufacture  into  cannon.  Some  of  the  ore 
from  this  outcropping  was  carried  as  far  south  as  Block  Island  by  glacial  action. 

At  0.2  m.  on  Meeting-House  Rd.  is  the  Elder  Ballou  Meeting-House  (not  open)  (R), 
erected  in  1740.  The  house  is  a  plain  two-and-one-half-story  shingled  structure, 
with  gable  roof,  and  one  brick  chimney  a  little  right  off  the  center.  There  are  but 
four  small  windows  in  the  front  wall;  the  entrance  door  is  undecorated.  Services 
have  not  been  held  here  for  some  time.  The  Ballous  were  the  earliest  settlers  in 
this  part  of  Cumberland. 

The  village  of  CUMBERLAND  HILL  (alt.  330,  Cumberland  Town), 
4.8  m.,  once  called  Dog  Hill,  was  formerly  the  seat  of  the  town  govern- 
ment, transferred  in  1868  to  Valley  Falls.  The  Cook  and  Whipple  families 
were  early  settlers  in  this  part  of  Cumberland,  and  many  of  their  de- 
scendants still  reside  in  the  township. 


39°  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

In  the  center  of  the  village  is  (L)  the  Amos  Cook  House  (about  1820), 
a  large  two-story  frame  structure,  designed  in  the  Greek  Revival  style, 
with  four  Doric  columns  supporting  a  pedimented  portico,  in  which  is  an 
arched  window.  The  door  is  surmounted  by  an  entablature  resting  on 
paneled  pilasters.  In  one  of  the  rooms  on  the  second  floor  is  a  brick  oven. 
At  one  time  the  building  housed  the  Cumberland  Bank,  chartered  in 
1823. 

Near  the  Cook  House  is  (L)  the  St.  Joan  of  Arc  Church  (R.C.),  a  small 
frame  structure  with  stained-glass  windows,  and  with  gilt  crosses  over 
the  front  door. 

Right  from  the  center  on  Manville  Hill  Rd.  to  St.  Mary's  Greek  Orthodox  Church,  on 
a  hillside  (L)  0.4  m.,  a  small,  one-and-one-half-story  red-brick  building,  with  stained- 
glass  windows  (1908). 

At  0.8  w.'on  the  banks  of  the  Blackstone  River  is  the  village  of  MANVILLE  (alt. 
149,  Lincoln  Town),  where  is  a  plant  of  the  Manville  Jenckes  Corporation,  makers 
of  cotton  and  rayon  goods,  employing  nearly  2000  persons.  The  Contrexville 
Manufacturing  Company  makes  cotton  plushes  and  silk  dress  goods.  In  this  village 
was  formerly  the  Unity  Furnace,  erected  about  1711,  for  the  manufacture  of 
hollow-ware.  The  owner  of  this  furnace,  Israel  Wilkinson,  was  also  a  firearms 
expert. 

The  Fiske  Homestead  (R),  6.1  m.,  is  a  two-and-one-half-story  frame 
structure  with  a  four-story  tower  on  the  rear  from  which  the  Colonial 
owner  watched  his  slaves  at  work  on  the  farm.  Built  about  1752,  the 
house  originally  had  eight  fireplaces,  a  Dutch  oven,  and  a  spiral  staircase 
around  the  kitchen  chimney.  The  entrance  is  flanked  by  pilasters,  and 
has  a  pedimented  heading. 

At  7  m.  is  the  junction  with  Albion  Rd. 

Right  1  m.  on  this  road  is  the  village  of  ALBION  (alt.  130),  one  of  the  several 
manufacturing  centers  in  the  Blackstone  Valley  that  have  made  Cumberland  town- 
ship noted  for  textiles.  In  Albion  is  a  plant  of  the  Berkshire  Fine  Spinning  As- 
sociates, Inc.  The  mill  population,  as  is  also  the  case  in  Manville,  is  predominately 
French-Canadian. 

ASHTON  (alt.  120,  Cumberland  Town),  8  m.,  is  another  mill  village; 

one  of  the  plants  of  the  Lonsdale  Company  (cotton  goods)  is  situated 

here. 

Left  of  State  122  in  the  village  is  the  Ashton  Library,  housed  in  a  front 

ell  that  was  added  (about  1871)  to  an  older  building  that  was  at  one  time 

St.  John's  Episcopal  Church.   The  older  part  of  the  library  is  still  used 

by  the  church  as  a  parish  house. 

The  Halfway  House  (private]  or  Ballou  Tavern  (about  1747),  just  south 
of  the  village  center  and  right,  is  a  two-and-a-half -story  shingled  house 
with  a  central  chimney.  The  paneled  entrance  door  is  painted  in  con- 
trasting colors,  and  surmounted  by  a  pediment  in  which  is  an  arched  fan- 
light. The  windows  are  surmounted  by  wooden  lintels. 

Left  from  the  village  center  on  the  Washington  Highway,  1.1  m.,  is  (L)  the  Goo- 
acre  Estate  of  the  Late  Henry  F.  Lippitt  (1856-1933),  U.S.  Senator  from  Rhode 
Island  1911-17,  and  President  of  the  N.E.  Cotton  Manufacturers  Ass'n  in  1889. 
The  estate  is  being  converted  into  a  summer  community  with  cottages,  a  club- 
house, and  a  theater. 


From  Worcester  to  Providence  391 

BERKELEY  (alt.  130,  Cumberland  Town),  8.8  m.,  was  named  for  Dean 
George  Berkeley  who  visited  Rhode  Island  about  the  middle  of  the  i8th 
century  (see  Tour  6).  It  is  a  manufacturing  town,  containing  one  of  the 
textile  plants  of  the  Lonsdale  Company.  Before  dams  were  built  on  the 
Blackstone  River  in  the  igth  century,  salmon  were  plentiful  here  and 
formed  a  staple  article  in  the  diet  of  the  villagers. 

At  9.9  m.  State  122  becomes  Lonsdale  Ave.  in  the  village  of  Lonsdale, 
part  of  which  lies  in  Cumberland  and  part  in  Lincoln  township  (see  Tour  5 
for  the  Cumberland  section). 

At  10.3  m.  the  Whipple  Bridge  over  the  Blackstone  River  connects  Cum- 
berland with  southern  Lincoln. 

LONSDALE  (alt.  100,  town  pop.  10,412),  10.6  m.,  a  closely  built  mill 
village  contains  a  textile  plant  of  the  Lonsdale  Company,  and  a  large 
bakery  distributing  its  products  over  nearly  the  entire  State.  Manu- 
facturing began  in  the  village  in  1829;  bleaching  and  dyeing  of  textiles 
was  started  in  1886.  Eddie  Dowling,  actor,  lived  in  Lonsdale  as  a  boy; 
he  went  on  the  stage  at  the  Providence  Opera  House  in  1909.  The  village 
is  the  seat  of  government  for  Lincoln  township,  which  was  incorporated 
in  1871  and  named  for  President  Abraham  Lincoln. 

CENTRAL  FALLS  (alt.  30,  city  pop.  25,898,  inc.  1895),  11.9  m.,  is  only 
one  mile  square  (see  Tour  5). 

Just  north  of  the  center,  State  122  passes  the  Moshassuck  Cemetery  (R), 
the  scene  of  conflict  between  the  National  Guard  and  textile  strikers  in 
1934,  in  which  two  deaths  and  several  injuries  occurred  (see  Labor}. 

Saint  Mathieu's  Church,  11.9  m.  (L),  is  a  large  stone  edifice  of  English 
Gothic  design  (1928).  The  principal  facade  is  dominated  by  a  square 
buttressed  tower  with  traceried  belfry  and  crowning  pinnacles.  The 
entrance  with  its  four  doorways  motif  is  in  the  form  of  a  slightly  project- 
ing, arcaded  portico.  Above  the  portico  is  a  large  Tudor  arched  window 
with  a  delicate-traceried  rosette  inserted  near  the  top.  Crowning  the 
front  gable  end  is  a  large  stone  cross.  The  stained-glass  windows  in  the 
church  depict  the  story  of  Christ,  and  figures  of  the  Apostles.  The  pastor, 
Monseigneur  Laliberte,  is  an  officer  of  the  French  Academy,  an  honor 
bestowed  upon  him  in  recognition  of  his  endeavors  in  spreading  French 
culture  in  America. 

Between  12.3  m.  and  14.2  m.  State  122  runs  through  the  west  central  part 
of  PAWTUCKET  (alt.  25;  city  pop.  77,149),  a  textile  manufacturing 
city  (see  PAWTUCKET). 

The  route  passes  (L)  the  /.  and  P.  Coats  Company  Plant,  one  of  the  largest 
thread  manufacturing  concerns  in  the  country,  and  at  13.8  m.  (R)  the 
Hope  Webbing  Company  Plant,  which  produces  narrow  fabrics. 

At  14.2  m.  near  the  old  Pidge  Tavern  (L)  is  the  Pawtucket-Providence 
boundary  line  and  also  the  junction  with  US  1  (see  Tour  1),  about  2  miles 
north  of  the  center  of  the  city  of  Providence. 


TOUR     5  :     From   MASSACHUSETTS   LINE    (Wrentham)   to 
NEWPORT,  43.2  m.  State  11  and  State  114. 


Via  Valley  Falls,  East  Providence,  Barrington,  Bristol,  Middletown. 

Good  hard-surfaced  roadbed,  mostly  three-lane. 

Toll  bridge  between  Bristol  and  Portsmouth;  auto  fare  60^. 

Between  East  Providence  and  Bristol  the  route  is  roughly  paralleled  by  the  gas- 
electric  Consolidated  Line  of  the  N.Y.,  N.H.  &  H.  R.R. 

Accommodations  excellent  in  Newport,  limited  elsewhere. 

THE  northern  section  of  this  route  goes  through  the  western  or  agricul- 
tural part  of  Cumberland,  then  passes  through  the  metropolitan  and 
manufacturing  areas  of  the  townships  of  Central  Falls  and  Pawtucket. 
South  of  East  Providence  the  route  returns  to  a  sparsely  settled  area, 
passing  through  the  attractive  countryside  of  Barrington  and  the  pic- 
turesque town  of  Bristol.  South  of  Bristol  the  route  crosses  Mount  Hope 
Bridge  onto  the  Island  of  Rhode  Island,  passing  through  Portsmouth, 
the  site  of  the  only  large  Revolutionary  War  battle  fought  in  this  State, 
and  then  to  the  charming  old  city  of  Newport,  an  important  seaport  in 
Colonial  days,  and  at  present  the  site  of  Fort  Adams,  the  U.S.  Naval 
Training  Station,  and  of  many  magnificent  summer  estates. 

State  11  crosses  the  Rhode  Island  line  6  miles  south  of  Wrentham, 
Massachusetts,  and  slopes  gradually  downhill  passing  at  0.3  m.  the  most 
attractive  bit  of  natural  scenery  preserved  in  the  township,  the  grounds 
of  the  Woonsocket  Sportsman's  Club,  surrounding  Bowen's  Pond  (R). 

In  the  hamlet  of  GRANT'S  MILL  (alt.  220,  Cumberland  Town),  1  m.,  is 
the  junction  with  State  114;  left  here  on  State  114. 

At  1.7  m.  on  State  114  is  the  junction  with  unpaved  Tower  Hill  Rd.,  also 
called  Copper  Mine  Hill  Rd. 

Right  here  to  the  Fottett  House,  1.2m.,  a.  rectangular  two-and-one-half-story  frame 
structure  with  gable  roof;  the  paneled  door  is  flanked  by  side-lights  and  sur- 
mounted by  an  entablature  resting  on  pilasters.  Surrounded  by  numerous  large 
elm  and  locust  trees  that  grow  along  the  road  and  on  the  large  well-kept  lawn,  the 
house  is  occupied  by  Emma  Follett,  daughter  of  Horace  A.  Follett  who  was  judge 
in  the  Cumberland  Courts  for  many  years  until  his  death  in  1913. 

Diamond  Hill  (alt.  460)  rising  abruptly  left  at  1.8  m.,  with  a  steep  and 
rocky  western  face,  is  in  the  Diamond  Hill  Forest  Park  Reservation,  a 
popular  recreational  area  half  covered  with  hardwoods  and  conifers. 
The  hill  is  heavily  veined  with  quartz  and  it  takes  its  name  from  the 
milky  or  clear  crystals;  red  masses  of  jasper  and,  occasionally,  good 
specimens  of  betryoidal  limonite  and  barite  are  found  here. 

One  ski-slide,  60  feet  wide  and  865  feet  long,  has  beside  it  a  children's 
slide,  10  feet  wide  and  230  feet  long.  From  the  field  a  6-foot  path  winds 


From  Wrentham  to  Newport  393 

to  the  summit  (alt.  350)  of  this  main  slide,  where  are  a  shelter  and  two 
fireplaces;  from  this  summit  another  slide,  1530  feet  long,  runs  to  the  top 
of  the  hill.  At  the  top  are  another  shelter  and  three  more  fireplaces. 

At  2.2  m.  is  the  junction  with  paved  Reservoir  Rd. 

Left  on  Reservoir  Rd.,  which,  for  about  i  mile,  runs  between  Diamond  Hill  and 
Arnold's  Mills  Reservoirs,  part  of  the  water  supply  system  of  the  city  of  Paw- 
tucket,  around  which  are  pleasant  bits  of  wooded  scenery. 

At  2.6  m.  is  the  small  village  of  DIAMOND  HILL  (alt.  180,  Cumberland 
Town) ;  just  south  of  its  center  is  the  junction  with  Sneech  Pond  Rd. 

Left  about  0.5  m.  on  this  road  is  the  village  of  ARNOLD'S  MILLS  (alt.  140,  Cum- 
berland Town)  named  for  the  Arnold  family,  among  its  first  settlers.  It  is  now  a 
farming  community  with  no  manufacturing  and  a  shop  built  in  1825  for  the 
making  of  cotton  machinery  and  spinning  frames  is  now  used  as  a  grain  store.  In 
the  village  is  an  old  Quaker  Meeting-House^  now  a  dwelling.  The  meeting-house 
was  unusual  in  having  a  circular  hole  cut  in  the  floor  of  the  upper  story,  through 
which  the  preacher  on  the  floor  below  could  be  both  heard  and  seen.  In  Arnold's 
Mills  is  held  the  annual  summer  clambake  of  the  Cumberland  Detective  Society, 
now  a  social  club,  founded  over  a  century  ago  as  a  protection  against  livestock 
thieves. 

For  a  short  distance  State  114  here  passes  through  a  more  attractive 
countryside  than  is  common  to  this  part  of  the  State,  much  of  which  is 
flat  in  character. 

The  Cistercian  Monastery,  Our  Lady  of  the  Valley  (adm.  only  by  special 
permission),  6.4  m.  (R),  is  one  of  three  Cistercian  monasteries  in  the 
United  States.  The  monastery  designed  in  the  Gothic  style  is  constructed 
of  stone  with  an  octagonal  tower  topped  by  a  spire.  Adjoining  the  church 
is  a  dormitory. 

The  monastery  was  founded  in  1900  by  Dom  John  Murphy  and  six 
members  of  the  community  of  Petit  Clairvaux  in  Nova  Scotia.  Dom 
Murphy  died  in  1913  and  was  succeeded  by  the  present  Prior,  John  M. 
O'Connor. 

The  monks  must  earn  their  livelihood  on  the  monastery's  large  farm  and 
dairy  by  their  own  labor.  A  rule  of  perpetual  silence  among  the  members 
is  enforced,  a  few  conventional  signs  being  used  for  necessary  Communica- 
tions; the  monks  may,  however,  speak  to  their  superiors  and  sometimes 
to  others  doing  special  work.  Their  day  is  rigorously  scheduled;  they  are 
allowed  seven  hours'  sleep,  between  7  P.M.  and  2  A.M.  In  the  summer 
months  they  retire  an  hour  later  and  are  allowed  an  hour  at  midday  for 
a  siesta.  The  monks  sleep  in  their  habits  on  straw  mattresses  in  a  dormi- 
tory petitioned  into  separate  cells.  Their  diet  consists  of  bread,  vegetables 
and  fruits  of  all  kinds,  cereals,  and  the  products  of  the  dairy.  Meat,  fish, 
and  eggs  are  served  only  to  the  sick  or  feeble. 

Annually  on  Holy  Thursday  the  feet  of  some  poor  persons,  usually 
children,  are  washed  ceremonially  in  commemoration  of  Jesus'  washing 
of  the  feet  of  the  disciples  the  night  before  he  died. 

On  the  5oo-acre  grounds  is  Nine  Men's  Misery,  a  grave  in  Camp  Swamp, 
about  0.5  mile  north  of  the  Monastery  Chapel.  It  is  here  that  the  bodies 


394  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

of  nine  Colonial  soldiers  were  found  after  Captain  Pierce's  fight  near 
Central  Falls  in  March,  1676.  The  skulls  of  two  of  the  victims  are  pre- 
served in  the  Historical  Society's  museum  in  Providence  (see  PROVI- 
DENCE}. 

At  7.4  m.  is  VALLEY  FALLS  (alt.  80,  town  pop.  10,304),  an  industrial 
village,  and  the  center  of  government  for  Cumberland  Township,  which 
was  formerly  a  part  of  Rehoboth,  Massachusetts,  and  was  sometimes 
called  the  Attleboro  Gore.  It  was  annexed  to  Rhode  Island  in  1746,  and 
on  being  incorporated  as  a  town  the  year  following  was  named  for  the 
Duke  of  Cumberland.  While  the  villages  along  the  western  boundary 
(see  Tour  4C)  are  noted  for  the  manufacture  of  cotton,  worsted,  silk,  and 
rayon  goods,  bolts,  nuts,  and  wire  products,  the  eastern  section  of  the 
township  is  agricultural.  Its  fields  offer  interesting  trips  to  students  of 
geology  because  of  numerous  ledges  with  veins  of  various  ores.  The  first 
industries  were  established  in  the  late  i7th  century,  during  the  reign  of 
Charles  II,  one  of  the  early  shops  manufacturing  hollow-ware  for  kitchen 
utensils.  The  spinning  of  cotton  yarn  was  begun  in  1807.  Free  public 
schools  were  opened  in  1802. 

The  population,  as  is  true  of  most  other  Rhode  Island  towns,  is  cosmo- 
politan, including  considerable  numbers  of  French-Canadians,  Poles, 
Irish,  Portuguese,  and  smaller  proportions  of  some  20  other  racial  stocks. 
The  townspeople  support  a  great  number  of  patriotic  societies,  fraternal 
organizations,  and  other  clubs,  many  of  which  were  established  by  the 
foreign-born  residents. 

The  village  of  Valley  Falls  has  for  some  time  had  a  variety  of  manu- 
factures. There  was  a  cotton  mill  here,  built  by  William  Harris,  as  early 
as  1810.  In  the  second  half  of  the  ipth  century,  when  horses  provided 
the  chief  power  for  overland  hauling,  the  village  contained  the  shop  of 
the  very  flourishing  Rhode  Island  Horseshoe  Company.  In  Valley  Falls 
was  also  the  repair  shop  for  the  Providence-Worcester  railroad.  Some 
coal  was  found  in  the  environs  in  1848,  which  resulted  in  the  founding  of 
the  Blackstone  Coal  Mining  Company.  Since  the  coal  was  graphitic  in 
character  the  business  did  not  pay  well,  though  some  operations  were 
carried  on  until  the  end  of  the  century;  in  1936,  during  the  Blackstone 
River  flood  some  of  the  old  coal  shafts  caved  in.  State  114  traverses  an 
unattractive  part  of  the  village,  passing  through  narrow  streets  with  flats 
and  small  stores. 

Catholic  Oak,  8  m.  (R)  in  the  center  of  the  street  at  the  intersection  of 
Broad  and  Mill  Sts.,  is  encircled  by  an  iron  fence.  Under  this  tree,  now 
hardly  more  than  a  weather-beaten  stump,  the  Rev.  James  Cook  Rich- 
mond, of  the  Episcopal  Church,  held  open-air  services  from  1843  to  1847, 
preaching  to  large  audiences  of  many  sects  —  hence  the  name.  On  his 
return  to  this  country  in  1851,  after  a  trip  to  England,  he  preached  here 
again.  A  local  poet,  writing  of  the  oak,  reminded : 

The  fabled  gods  of  days  of  yore 
Were  worshipped  in  the  breeze, 
And  Druid  altars  rose  among 
The  Briton's  sacred  trees. 


From  Wrentham  to  Newport  395 

At  this  point  is  (R)  the  Ann  and  Hope  Mill,  a  brick  building  erected  in 
1886  as  one  of  the  Lonsdale  Company  units;  the  mill  was  named  for  the 
wives  of  the  partners  of  the  old  firm  of  Brown  and  Ives  (see  PROVI- 
DENCE). Practically  all  the  machinery  in  the  old  mill  has  now  been 
scrapped  or  transferred  elsewhere. 

In  front  of  the  mill  is  the  William  Blackstone  Monument,  erected  in  1889 
very  near  the  grave  of  William  Blackstone,  the  first  white  settler  in  what 
is  now  the  State  of  Rhode  Island,  though  he  took  no  part  in  the  founding 
of  the  Colony  (see  History).  Blackstone  was  born  in  England  near  the 
end  of  the  i6th  century.  He  was  graduated  from  Cambridge  University, 
was  ordained  an  Anglican  clergyman,  and  came  to  Massachusetts  in  1623. 
After  several  years  residence  on  the  site  of  present-day  Boston,  he  came 
here  in  1635,  calling  his  new  home  Study  Hall.  Though  somewhat  of 
a  recluse,  he  occasionally  visited  Roger  Williams's  settlement  at  Provi- 
dence. Blackstone  died  in  May,  1675,  just  before  the  outbreak  of  King 
Philip's  War  which  laid  his  home  in  ashes;  his  library  of  some  186  volumes 
was  also  destroyed.  A  few  apple  trees,  supposed  to  have  been  descended 
from  Blackstone's  original  orchard,  were  still  standing  in  the  vicinity  as 
late  as  1836.  Blackstone  is  said  to  have  planted  the  first  orchard  in 
Rhode  Island  and  also  the  first  one  in  Massachusetts,  and,  according  to 
tradition,  he  rode  about  the  countryside  on  a  cream-colored  bull,  carrying 
apples  in  his  pockets  to  give  children. 

Saint  Patrick's  Church,  8.6  m.  (L),  is  undergoing  reconstruction  (1937); 
though  designed  in  the  Gothic  style,  it  was  built  of  wood,  and  is  now  being 
given  a  veneer  of  stone  blocks.  It  has  over  20  stained-glass  windows. 

The  Broad  Street  Bridge,  9.1  m.,  crosses  the  Blackstone  River.  Valley 
Falls  Pond  is  right,  and  left  is  the  district  called  HAPPY  HOLLOW 
because  of  the  boisterous  character  of  its  one-time  residents. 

CENTRAL  FALLS  (alt.  30,  city  pop.  25,898),  10  m.,  occupies  an  area 
of  only  1.3  square  miles  along  the  shore  of  the  Blackstone  River  on  the 
northern  boundary  of  the  city  of  Pawtucket.  The  business  center  is 
about  a  mile  above  Pawtucket  Falls;  in  fact,  were  it  not  for  the  line  on  the 
map  and  for  certain  local  rivalries  of  long  standing,  it  would  be  difficult 
to  distinguish  this  thriving  little  city  from  its  neighboring  metropolis. 
From  its  earliest  recorded  times  Central  Falls  has  been  an  industrial 
community,  one  of  several  such  that  pushed  up  the  Blackstone  River  from 
Pawtucket. 

The  city  is  very  densely  settled  and  78  per  cent  of  its  people  are  either 
foreign-born  or  of  foreign-born  parentage;  of  this  number,  over  40  per 
cent  are  French-Canadians,  the  next  largest  group  consisting  of  Irish, 
Scotch,  and  English. 

In  1730,  when  the  town  of  Smithfield  was  set  apart  from  the  town  of 
Providence,  the  area  now  occupied  by  Central  Falls  was  included  in  that 
territory..  In  1790,  a  man  named  Wheat  began  the  manufacture  of 
chocolate  here,  and  thereafter  for  some  time  the  place  was  known  simply 
as  Chocolate  Mill.  In  1847,  its  present  designation  was  forecast  when  the 


396  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

General  Assembly  endowed  it  with  a  sort  of  corporate  status  by  establish- 
ing the  Central  Falls  Fire  District.  In  1871,  a  new  division  of  territory 
was  made,  and  Central  Falls  found  itself  within  the  bounds  of  the  new 
town  of  Lincoln.  The  tax  demands  of  so  concentrated  an  area  bore  heavily 
on  the  people  in  the  remoter  parts  of  Lincoln  and  as  a  result  of  their 
objections,  Central  Falls  was  incorporated  as  a  separate  city  in  1895. 

In  general,  the  development  of  the  city  has  been  almost  identical  with  that 
of  Pawtucket  (see  PAWTUCKET).  In  1892,  C.  R.  Caufield  established 
here  one  of  the  first  plants  for  electrolytic  extraction  of  gold  and  silver 
from  copper  ore.  At  the  present  time,  in  addition  to  the  manufacture  of 
the  textiles  in  several  large  mills,  the  Corning  Glass  Works  (not  open  to 
public),  1193  Broad  St.,  makes  electric  light  bulbs,  which  are  shipped  else- 
where to  be  fitted  with  filaments.  This  plant  is  a  branch  of  the  Corning 
Glass  Works  of  Corning,  New  York,  which  manufactures  Steuben  glass- 
ware, and  also  cast  the  lens  for  the  telescope  being  constructed  at  the  Lick 
Observatory  in  California;  this  telescope,  when  completed,  will  be  the 
largest  in  the  world. 

A  marker  on  High  St.  opposite  the  Wayposet  Stadium  indicates  the  Site 
of  Captain  Pierce* s  Fight,  March  26,  1676,  when  Pierce's  company  was 
almost  annihilated  by  Indians  during  King  Philip's  War. 

Notre  Dame  Church  (French  R.C.),  Broad  and  Fales  Sts.,  is  a  buff-colored 
brick  structure  designed  in  the  French  Gothic  style,  with  a  large  bell 
tower.  It  was  built  in  1927. 

Jenks  Park,  entrance  on  Broad  St.  south  of  Notre  Dame  Church,  com- 
prises about  4  acres,  and  was  given  to  the  city  in  1890  by  Alvin  F.  Jenks, 
a  descendant  of  Governor  Joseph  Jencks  (1727-32).  A  memorial  tower  70 
feet  high,  situated  in  the  center,  with  a  four-faced  clock,  is  visible  for 
miles,  and  a  guarded  walk  in  the  tower  affords  a  splendid  view  of  the 
surrounding  country. 

The  Adams  Memorial  Library  (open),  Central  St.  near  Broad  St.,  is  a 
memorial  to  Stephen  Ludlow  Adams,  a  lifelong  resident  of  Central  Falls, 
who  left  $35,000  in  his  will  for  this  purpose.  The  one-story  brick  building 
was  opened  in  May  1900. 

Between  10.3  and  12.5  m.  State  114  runs  through  the  center  of  the  city 
of  Pawtucket  (see  PAWTUCKET). 

At  13.4  m.  is  the  junction  with  paved  Newport  Ave. 

Left  about  0.5  m.  on  this  avenue  is  the  Narragansett  Race  Track  (open  May-Nov . 
adm.  $1.00;  pari-mutuel  betting). 

RUMFORD  (alt.  40,  East  Providence  Town),  13.6  m.,  is  an  attractive 
village  of  small  residences. 

The  Roger  Williams  Tree,  Roger  Williams  Ave.,  is  indicated  by  a  tablet 
relating  that  here  Williams  in  1636  established  his  first  dwelling-place 
after  his  banishment  from  Massachusetts  (see  History] .  The  spring  sup- 
posed to  have  been  used  by  him  is  near  the  tablet. 

The  Bishop  House  (private],  Bishop  Ave.  near  State  114,  was  built  in 


SURF,       SAIL,      AND      THE 
GREAT      OUTDOORS 


TWO  hundred  and  forty-six  miles  of  coastline,  two  State  for- 
ests, and  forty-one  State  parks,  most  of  which  are  equipped 
with  fireplaces  and  picnic  tables,  make  summertime  relaxation 
easily  available  to  Rhode  Islanders  and  their  guests.  Those 
who  enjoy  battling  with  a  swordfish,  broiling  steaks  over  an 
open  fire,  or  tempering  moderate  exercise  to  health  and  the 
weather,  will  find  made-to-order  facilities  for  everything  ex- 
cept mountain-climbing. 

The  pictures  speak  for  themselves.  The  Cliff  Walk  at  New- 
port is  not  only  good  for  a  'constitutional,'  but  is  usually 
crossed  by  a  stout  breeze  against  which  landlocked  sea-lovers 
can  lean  on  blowy  days.  The  race  track  affords  everything 
from  esthetic  contemplation  of  pedigreed  horse  flesh  to  the 
violent  emotion  of  watching  one's  investments  being  nosed 
out.  The  figurehead  of  the  '  Aloha '  suggests  Newport 's  fabu- 
lous wealth  and  dreams  of  distant  isles. 


YACHT  'ALOHA/  NEWPORT  HARBOR 


RHODE   ISLAND  YACHT   CLUB,  CRANSTON 


FISH    NETS,  NEWPORT    HARBOR 


r  jEf? 


BOATING   NEAR   PAWTUXET   COVE,  CRANSTON 


BATHING,  SCARBOROUGH   BEACH,  NARRAGANSETT 


WAVES   LAPPING  ON   THE   SAND,  WATCH    HILL    AND    NAPATREE    POINT,  WESTERLY 


KING   PARK,  NEAR   SITE   OF   ROCHAMBEAU'S   LANDING   AT   NEWPORT 


• 


"• 


PLAYGROUND,  PAWTUCKET 


f 


DRIVE,  LINCOLN   WOODS   RESERVATION,  LINCOLN 


•    7 


•' 

,!c  K 


A  .  '•"• 


1 


PICNIC  GROVE    AND    FIREPLACE,  GODDARD   PARK,  WARWICK 

DOWN   THE    HOME    STRETCH,  NARRAGANSFTT    PARK,  PAWTUCKET 


f 


CLIFF   WALK,  NEWPORT 


SEASCAPE,  NEAR   CXIFF    WALK,  NEWPORT 


From  Wrentham  to  Newport  397 

1750;  it  has  an  elaborate  entrance,  consisting  of  a  white  paneled  double 
door  surmounted  by  a  somewhat  heavy  scrolled  pediment  with  a  graceful 
urn  finial;  the  pediment  rests  on  fluted  pilasters  that  are  topped  with 
floral  rosettes  instead  of  the  usual  capitals.  The  design  of  the  doors  is 
unusual;  the  upper  part,  pierced  with  square  lights,  has  vertical  panels 
and  the  lower  part  is  designed  with  a  diagonal  cross  pattern.  Another 
unusual  feature  of  the  exterior  is  the  manner  in  which  the  width  of  the 
clapboard  siding  has  been  varied,  graduating  from  a  very  narrow  width 
at  the  bottom  to  heavier  and  wider  boards  at  the  top. 

Newman  Church  (not  open),  cor.  State  114  and  Newman  Ave.  is  an  old 
white  frame  church  built  in  1810^,  and  situated- within  200  feet  of  the 
original  church  of  1643,  which  was  conducted  by  the  Rev.  Samuel  New- 
man, one  of  the  earliest  Congregational  ministers  in  Providence  Planta- 
tions. Newman,  a  native  of  B anbury,  England,  who  was  graduated  from 
Trinity  College,  Oxford,  in  1620,  became  pastor  of  the  Midhope  Chapel, 
West  Riding,  Yorkshire.  In  1635,  disgusted  with  the  religious  persecu- 
tions of  Archbishop  Laud,  he  came  to  Dorchester,  Massachusetts,  where 
he  held  a  pastorate  for  four  years,  meanwhile  working  on  his  Concordance 
of  the  Bible.  Later  he  led  a  congregation  in  Weymouth.  Newman's 
Bible  Concordance  came  out  in  three  editions  and  the  Cambridge  Con- 
cordance of  1662  was  based  on  his  work.  In  1643,  Newman,  with  members 
of  his  church,  migrated  to  this  place,  then  Rehoboth,  where  he  established 
a  Congregational  church.  The  square  tower  of  the  present  structure  rises 
above  an  entrance  vestibule,  and  is  surmounted  by  a  set-back  stage  or 
belfry  with  shuttered  windows.  Crowning  the  belfry  are  sharp  corner 
pinnacles  connected  by  a  low  paneled  parapet.  A  central  pinnacle,  higher 
than  the  rest,  is  topped  with  a  weather  vane.  The  main  entrance  at  the 
base  of  the  tower  is  protected  by  a  small  pedimented  portico  resting  on 
Doric  columns. 

Rumford  Chemical  Works  (visitors  welcome),  9  Newman  Ave.,  to  the  right 
of  State  114,  is  one  of  the  largest  and  oldest  manufactories  of  baking 
powder  in  the  country;  Rumford  Baking  Powder,  put  on  the  market  in 
1893,  was  the  outgrowth  of  an  acid  phosphate  developed  at  Harvard 
University  in  1856  by  Professor  Eben  N.  Horsford.  The  Rumford  plant 
also  supplies  manufacturers  of  self-rising  flour  with  acid  phosphate  of 
calcium,  and  manufactures  a  material  for  use  in  the  preparation  of  paper 
pulp,  known  as  Horsford's  Anti-Chlorine,  a  yeast  food  known  as  Ryfo, 
and  a  dough  assistant  known  as  Tex. 

Near  the  southern  edge  of  the  village  of  Rumford  is  the  Foundation  of 
the  Garrison  House,  Ellis  St.,  in  which  the  inhabitants  of  East  Providence 
sought  refuge  during  King  Philip's  War. 

At  15.3  m.  is  the  junction  with  US  44  (see  Tour  11). 

Between  this  point  and  16.9  m.  State  114  passes  through  the  east  central 

part  of  the  village  of  EAST  PROVIDENCE  (alt.  30),  the  governmental 

center  for  the  township  of  the  same  name  (see  Tour  10). 

At  16  m.  is  the  junction  with  US  6  (see  Tour  10). 


398  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

State  114  passes  at  16.4  m.  (R)  the  Ide  Homestead;  the  discovery  in  1936 
of  a  Folsom  Point  on  this  estate  indicates  the  possibility  of  human  habita- 
tion in  Rhode  Island  at  a  very  early  date  (see  Indians). 

At  ARMINGTON'S  CORNER,  16.9  m.,  State  114  bears  left  onto 
Barrington  Rd.,  or  the  old  Wampanoag  Trail,  named  for  a  path  of  the 
Wampanoag  Indians.  At  the  intersection  (R)  is  the  Old  Stone  House 
(private),  a  two-and-one-half-story  stone  structure  now  covered  with 
concrete,  erected  about  1805.  The  unevenly  spaced  windows  are  sur- 
mounted by  corniced  headings. 

For  some  distance  east  of  Armington's  Corner  are  visible  (R)  some  of 
the  many  oil  and  gasoline  storage  tanks  prevalent  in  several  parts  of  East 
Providence.  Given  proper  conditions  of  wind  and  humidity,  visitors' 
noses  become  acutely  aware  of  the  town's  petroleum  industry. 

The  present  Ruhlin's  River  Schoolhouse,  18.6  m.  (R),  one  of  the  town's 
public  schools,  is  on  the  Site  of  a  School  dating  back  to  1699  or  before. 

At  20.3  m.  and  other  points  in  this  vicinity  are  good  views  (L)  of  the 
Barrington  River,  an  arm  of  Narragansett  Bay. 

Belton  Court  (private),  20.9  m.  some  distance  (R)  from  the  highway,  is  the 
large  estate  of  a  prominent  State  politician.  The  main  building,  a  magni- 
ficent two-story  granite  structure  (1906),  resembles  an  English  castle. 

At  21.2  m.  is  the  junction  with  State  103  (see  Tour  5A). 

White  Church  (not  open),  21.9  m.  (L),  is  a  plain,  two-story,  frame  edifice 
erected  in  1805,  partly  with  the  aid  of  a  lottery.  The  church  was  re- 
modeled in  1851  when  the  pews,  galleries,  and  the  sounding  board  were 
removed  and  the  floor  elevated  to  provide  a  lecture  room  on  the  first 
floor  and  an  audience  room  on  the  second;  the  spire  was  added  to  the  old 
tower  and  a  bell  was  hung  in  the  tower.  In  1888  an  addition  was  made  to 
the  east  end  of  the  church  and  an  organ  installed.  The  early  history  of 
this  church,  now  Congregational,  is  associated  with  that  of  the  Baptist 
Church  founded  here  by  the  Rev.  John  Myles  in  1663.  Owing  to  changes 
in  the  Church  Covenant,  made  under  Samuel  Luther  after  1685,  a  reli- 
gious controversy  resulted  that  brought  about  the  formation  of  the 
Congregational  group  in  1710.  The  first  meeting-house  on  the  site  of  the 
present  church  was  one  moved  here  in  1737  from  another  place. 

At  21.9  m.  is  the  junction  with  Federal  Rd.  and  Massasoit  Ave. 

Left  0.5  m.  on  Massasoit  Ave.,  to  the  residential  area  and  summer  resort  called 
HAMPDEN  MEADOWS  in  honor  of  John  Hampden,  who  with  Edward  Winslow 
of  Plymouth  visited  Massasoit  here  in  March,  1623.  The  men  were  sent  by  Gover- 
nor Bradford  of  Plymouth  to  explore  the  land  and  to  encourage  trade  with  the 
Indians.  This  locality  was  at  one  time  known  as  the  Place  of  Trade,  being  the 
business  center  for  the  people  of  southern  Rehoboth  and  eastern  Swansea. 
Right  0.3  m.  on  Federal  Rd.  is  St.  Andrew's  School  (private),  established  in  1893  by 
the  Rev.  William  Chapin,  Rector  of  St.  John's  Episcopal  Church,  Barrington. 
With  an  initial  enrollment  of  one  boy  entrusted  to  his  care  by  the  Society  for 
Prevention  of  Cruelty  to  Children,  Mr.  Chapin  founded  the  school  to  furnish  a 
home  and  a  technical  training  for  homeless  and  helpless  boys.  St.  Andrew's,  with 
a  present  enrollment  of  62  boys,  provides  a  refuge,  an  opportunity  for  well- 
rounded  life,  and  an  ethical  and  industrial  training  to  fit  the  boys  to  become  useful 
and  self-supporting  citizens. 


From  Wrentham  to  Newport  399 

PRINCE'S  HILL,  22.5  m.  (L) ,  the  geographical  center  of  Barrington 
Township,  was  named  for  Governor  Thomas  Prince,  a  noted  dignitary 
of  the  Plymouth  Colony  in  Massachusetts,  and  one  of  the  purchasers  of 
Sowams  (Barrington)  in  1663.  Here  is  the  Prince's  Hill  Cemetery  (L),  laid 
out  in  1727.  The  earliest  burial  on  record  is  that  of  William  Tiffany,  son 
of  Ebenezer  and  Elizabeth  Tiffany,  who  died  January  2,  1728. 

The  village  of  BARRINGTON  (alt.  20,  town  pop.  5162,  sett.  1677, 
incorp.  by  Mass.  1717,  incorp.  by  R.I.  1770),  22.9  m.,  is  the  governmental 
center  for  the  township  of  the  same  name,  which  was  originally  a  part  of 
Swansea,  Massachusetts,  and  together  with  what  are  now  the  towns  of 
Warren  and  Bristol,  was  once  occupied  by  the  Wampanoag  Indians  under 
Massasoit.  In  1632  a  trading  post  was  established  on  the  west  side  of  the 
Barrington  River  by  the  Plymouth  Colony.  The  first  white  settlement, 
made  by  John  Myles  and  his  followers,  who  had  left  Rehoboth  because  of 
religious  differences,  was  incorporated  as  Swansea,  in  1677. 

One  feature  of  the  early  organization  of  this  town  was  the  arrangement 
of  the  people  into  three  classes,  each  class  having  different  rights.  A 
committee  had  power  to  promote  or  to  degrade  persons  from  one  rank  to 
another.  In  1681,  a  grant  to  five  persons  and  their  heirs  and  assigns  for- 
ever, giving  them  full  rights  of  the  highest  rank,  brought  into  sharp  relief 
the  undemocratic  character  of  this  system,  and  it  was  soon  abolished. 
In  1717,  Barrington  was  separated  from  Swansea  and  incorporated  as 
a  new  Massachusetts  town.  It  was  named  in  honor  of  Lord  Barrington, 
an  English  theologian  and  advocate  of  religious  toleration.  The  town 
became  a  part  of  Rhode  Island  in  1746-47. 

The  people  of  Barrington  considered  with  alarm  the  events  that  led  to 
the  American  Revolution  —  the  Boston  Massacre  of  1770,  the  burning  in 
1772  of  the  'Gaspee'  —  within  view  of  Barrington,  and  the  Boston  Tea 
Party  of  1773.  At  a  town  meeting  the  people  vigorously  condemned  the 
English  Parliament  for  the  acts  it  had  recently  passed,  voted  not  to  buy 
any  dutied  tea,  and  to  defend  themselves  with  arms,  if  necessary,  against 
any  violation  of  their  civil  rights  and  liberties.  When  in  the  latter  part  of 
1776  the  British  fleet  took  possession  of  Newport,  and  preyed  upon  the 
trading  boats  in  Narrangansett  Bay,  the  commerce  of  Barrington  suf- 
fered, though  the  town  was  not  directly  attacked.  During  the  war,  the 
economic  development  of  the  town  was  nearly  at  a  standstill,  and  most 
of  the  local  legislation  up  to  1788-95  dealt  with  the  war  and  its  after- 
effects. 

Brick-making  is  the  chief  industry  of  the  township;  the  shell-fish  industry 
and  shipbuilding  are  also  important. 

The  Town  Hall,  on  State  114  just  north  of  the  village  center,  was  erected 
in  1887.  The  structure  is  designed  in  the  medieval  style  with  steep  gable 
roofs  and  corner  turrets.  The  collection  of  boulders  used  in  the  construc- 
tion of  the  first  story  are  memorial  stones  contributed  from  the  various 
farms  and  estates  in  the  vicinity;  the  upper  parts  of  the  structure  are  of 
half- timber  work.  It  is  partly  used  as  a  public  library,  an  outgrowth  of 


4OO  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

the  Barrington  Library  Society,  incorporated  in  1806,  which  had  a  valu- 
able collection  of  historical  and  theological  works  of  the  day.  The  society 
would  permit  no  books  of  fiction  in  its  collection  because  the  town  fathers 
believed  that  fiction  'worketh  abomination  and  maketh  a  lie.'  The 
library  soon  fell  into  complete  disuse,  and  it  was  not  until  1880  that  the 
present  library  was  organized;  it  now  has  a  fine  collection  of  about  25,500 
volumes. 

St.  John's  Episcopal  Church  (not  open),  on  State  114  just  south  of  the 
village  center,  is  a  red-brick  L-shaped  structure  designed  in  Gothic  style, 
with  a  square,  front  corner  tower  and  belfry,  buttresses,  and  pointed 
windows  (1859);  its  general  mass  resembles  that  of  a  small  English 
church.  There  have  been  numerous  alterations,  including  the  remodeling 
of  the  interior,  the  installation  of  a  bell,  and  the  addition  of  a  tower.  The 
church  is  the  outgrowth  of  a  resolution  made  by  a  group  of  Episcopalians 
who  met  in  the  Barrington  railroad  station  in  1858. 

On  Nockum  Hill  in  the  northern  corner  of  Barrington  is  a  boulder  with  bronze 
tablet  marking  the  Site  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  in  Massachusetts.  The  church 
was  founded  by  Obadiah  Holmes  in  1649.  Holmes  had  trouble  with  the  Massa- 
chusetts authorities  in  1651,  after  which  he  retired  to  Newport.  The  site  of  this 
early  Massachusetts  church  is  now  in  Rhode  Island  owing  to  the  1746-47  changes 
in  the  Colonial  boundary  line. 

At  MAXFIELD'S  CORNER,  23.1  m.,  is  the  junction  with  Rumstick 
Rd.;  State  114  bears  left. 

Right  (straight  ahead)  on  Rumstick  Rd.  0.8  m.  to  the  Site  of  Scamscamuck  Spring, 
marked  by  a  boulder  (L) ;  it  was  from  this  spring  that  all '  bounds  and  limits '  were 
made  when  Massasoit  first  sold  these  lands  to  the  Pilgrims. 

At  1.7  m.  on  Rumstick  Rd.  is  Rumstick  Point,  formerly  known  as  Chachapacasset 
and  Little  Neck.  The  name  'Rumstick'  first  appears  in  the  So  warns  Records  of 
January  26,  1698,  but  how  the  Point  received  its  name  is  uncertain.  Probably 
the  shape  of  the  neck  of  land  resembled  the  stick  with  which  ancient  sea  captains 
stirred  their  toddy.  The  point  is  the  Site  of  a  Coast  Guard  House  erected  during 
the  Revolution  to  protect  the  exposed  coast  line  of  Barrington  from  the  forages  of  the 
British  and  to  aid  in  keeping  the  enemy  from  attacking  Providence  by  land. 

At  23.5  m.  is  the  Barrington  Bridge,  a  concrete  structure  spanning  the 
Barrington  River.  In  1701  a  ferry  was  established  at  this  point,  later 
referred  to  as  Martin's  Ferry  for  Luther  Martin  who  received  pay  from 
the  State  for  ferrying  troops  across  the  river  on  Muster  Day  in  October, 
1798. 

At  23.8  m.  is  the  junction  with  a  dirt  lane. 

Right  0.2  m.  on  this  lane  is  Tyler's  Cemetery,  the  oldest  burying  ground  in  town. 
The  Reverend  John  Myles,  a  founder  of  the  first  white  settlement  in  Sowams, 
was  interred  here  about  1683. 

The  Warren  Bridge,  23.9  m.,  over  the  Warren  River,  is  a  well-propor- 
tioned concrete  structure.  From  it  is  a  delightful  view  of  the  Warren 
River  and  the  bordering  landscape  rich  in  natural  beauty.  Here  was 
formerly  a  ferry  variously  referred  to  as  Kelley's,  or  Toogood's,  or  simply 
as  the  Swansea  ferry.  It  was  probably  established  about  1678.  Per- 
mission to  erect  a  bridge  on  the  site  was  obtained  from  the  legislature 
in  1794- 


From  Wrentham  to  Newport  401 

The  village  of  WARREN  (alt.  20,  town  pop.  7974,  sett.  1632,  incorp. 
1747)  is  the  governmental  center  for  the  township  of  the  same  name, 
which  was  named  for  Sir  Peter  Warren,  an  admiral  in  the  British  Navy. 
This  town,  together  with  what  is  now  Barrington  and  Bristol,  originally 
constituted  a  part  of  Swansea,  Massachusetts  (see  BARRINGTON). 

The  Revolution  disrupted  the  orderly  and  prosperous  development  of  the 
town.  On  January  13,  1776,  men  from  Warren  and  Bristol  helped  the 
Prudence  Islanders  (see  below)  drive  Captain  Wallace's  British  troops 
from  their  farms.  At  a  town  meeting  in  February,  1776,  the  Warren 
Artillery  Company  was  formed.  About  500  British  troops  marched  on 
Warren,  May  25,  1778,  disabled  several  cannons,  burned  the  Baptist 
Church,  a  powder  magazine,  and  several  other  buildings,  pillaged  houses, 
and  carried  away  several  citizens  as  captives. 

They  proceeded  to  the  Kickemuit  River  and  there  destroyed  a  large 
number  of  boats,  including  the  row  galley  'Washington,'  which  had  been 
stationed  to  guard  the  entrance  to  the  Warren  and  Kickemuit  Rivers. 
This  attack  upon  Warren  incited  the  people  to  greater  precautions,  and 
a  bluff  on  Burr's  Hill  (see  below)  was  fortified.  After  the  battle  of  Rhode 
Island,  August,  1778,  Lafayette  took  command  of  the  American  forces 
in  this  region  and  for  a  part  of  the  time  made  his  headquarters  in  Warren. 
Shipbuilding  occupied  a  prominent  place  in  the  business  enterprise  of 
Warren  before  and  after  the  Revolution.  Whaling,  which  had  been  car- 
ried on  to  a  considerable  extent  prior  to  1775,  was  revived  and  carried 
on  quite  extensively  for  a  number  of  years.  About  1850  the  textile  in- 
dustry became  prominent.  In  recent  years  a  great  number  of  people 
have  been  engaged  in  the  shellfish  industry,  now  one  of  the  major  com- 
mercial enterprises. 

A  survey  of  the  development  of  the  domestic  architecture  of  Warren, 
which  coincided  with  the  growth  of  the  shipbuilding  industry,  gives  ample 
evidence  of  the  skill  and  dexterity  of  the  early  ship  carpenters.  This  is 
shown  not  only  in  the  trim  gambrel-roof  cottages  remaining  from  the 
days  when  the  town  was  first  incorporated  into  the  territory  of  Rhode 
Island,  but  also  in  the  numerous  houses  erected  during  the  prosperous 
era  shortly  before  and  after  the  Revolution. 

The  majority  of  the  existent  old  houses,  which  line  the  two  most  impor- 
tant streets,  Main  and  Water,  were  erected  between  1750  and  1820. 
Typical  of  the  humble  story-and-a-half  cottages  with  their  simple  central- 
hall  plan,  tiny  dormers,  and  central  chimney  is  the  shingled  cottage  at 
No.  23  Broad  St.,  built  about  1750;  and  the  cottage  at  No.  95  Union  St., 
with  its  clapboard  siding  and  shuttered  openings. 

The  most  typical  frame  houses  of  Warren  are  two-and-a-half  stories  high 
and  covered  with  clapboards.  These  are  divided  into  three  types:  houses 
with  four  windows  spaced  across  the  front  at  the  second  story  and  the 
paneled  doorway  asymmetrically  disposed  under  one  of  the  two  central 
windows,  such  as  that  at  No.  211  Water  St.  These  houses  were  also  fre- 
quently planned  with  uneven  fenestration  along  the  sides. 


4-O2  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

Houses  of  a  little  later  date  (about  1760-80)  were  symmetrical,  with  the 
usual  five  bays,  gambrel  roof,  and  single  ells  at  the  rear.  A  good  example 
is  the  house  at  No.  25  Washington  St.  This  early  Georgian  structure  has 
a  wide  front  entrance  with  double  paneled  green  doors  and  green  outer 
shutters. 

Houses  erected  in  the  early  ipth  century  were  more  usually  square  with 
low  hipped  roofs,  as  in  the  Monroe  House,  116  Child  St.,  and  the  382 
Main  St.  Dwelling;  the  latter  was  probably  covered  with  brick  veneer 
in  the  earlier  times. 

The  more  elaborate  houses  obviously  favored  gable  roofs  with  decorative 
cornices  carried  along  the  front  and  rear  with  a  short  return  at  the  corners, 
as  well  as  along  the  raked  eave  lines  of  the  gable  ends.  No.  582  Main  St. 
and  395  Water  St.  are  embellished  with  pedimented  doorways  with  semi- 
circular fan-lights,  their  delicately  moulded  arches  each  topped  with  a 
Federal  eagle,  or  their  fluted  pilasters  capped  with  characteristic  rosettes. 
The  interiors  of  these  houses  are  notable  for  their  fine  woodwork  — 
delicately  moulded,  trim,  spindled  stairways,  dadoes,  cornices,  and 
mantels. 

Warren  Baptist  Church  (not  open),  cor.  Main  (State  114)  and  Miller  Sts., 
is  owned  by  a  congregation  organized  in  1764,  tne  oldest  church  society 
in  the  town  of  Warren.  The  first  meeting-house  was  a  simple  frame 
structure  having  a  steeple  with  a  weather-vane.  The  bell,  dated  1764, 
was  cast  in  England,  and,  having  been  paid  for  with  tobacco,  was  known 
as  'the  tobacco  bell.'  The  British  destroyed  this  meeting-house  hi  1778; 
in  1784  the  second  church  was  built,  and  in  1884  the  present  stone  edifice, 
of  English  Gothic  design,  was  erected.  The  year  1914  witnessed  the  re- 
modeling of  the  auditorium  and  the  building  of  a  chancel.  The  bell  that 
now  hangs  in  the  steeple  was  cast  by  the  Paul  Revere  foundry  in  1800. 
The  church  and  Rhode  Island  College,  now  Brown  University,  were 
organized  in  November,  1764,  with  the  Rev.  James  Manning  as  rector  of 
the  church  and  president  of  the  college.  The  college  was  moved  to  Prov- 
idence in  1770  (see  PROVIDENCE). 

De  Wolfe  House  (private),  cor.  Main  and  Baker  Sts.,  is  one  of  the  oldest 
houses  in  Warren.  It  is  a  frame  dwelling,  rectangular  in  plan,  one-and- 
one-half  stories  high,  surmounted  by  a  small  red  brick  central  chimney 
that  rises  from  the  peak  of  the  gambrel  roof.  A  marker  on  the  front  of 
the  house  reads  'This  portion  of  the  house  was  built  in  1753.'  The  in- 
congruous design  of  the  two-story  central  section  with  its  overhanging 
gable  roof  and  jig-saw  ornament  completely  destroys  the  simple  lines 
of  the  original  structure.  A  two-story  ell,  with  its  eaves  supported  by 
brackets,  adjoins  the  rear  of  the  main  house,  and  a  smaller  hip-roofed 
ell  has  been  added  at  the  left  side. 

In  the  Narragansett  Fire  Station,  Baker  St.,  is  housed  the  'Hero,'  reputed 
to  be  the  oldest  serviceable  hand-pumping  fire  engine  in  the  world.  It 
consists  of  a  rectangular  tank  with  rounded  corners,  with  two  vertical 
pumps  in  the  middle  connected  by  two  side  bars.  The  engine  is  pumped 


From  Wrentham  to  Newport  403 

by  a  'fore-and-aft'  motion.  Supporting  the  machine  are  four  wheels 
fastened  to  wooden  axles  by  lynch  pins;  the  tires,  of  iron  in  five  sections, 
are  held  in  place  by  large-headed,  hand-hammered  iron  nails  resembling 
rivets.  An  old,  copper-riveted  leather  hose  is  reeled  over  the  tank,  and 
at  the  front  is  a  short  whiffletree.  In  1797,  at  a  town  meeting,  it  was 
voted  to  purchase  a  new  fire  'Enjoin/  and  $316.75  was  appropriated  for 
the  purpose.  It  appears  that  money  could  not  be  found  to  finance  the 
purchase,  which  was  indefinitely  postponed;  thereupon  the  town  fathers 
passed  some  fire  protection  laws,  one  of  which  prohibited  the  smoking 
of  pipes  or  'segars'  after  dark  in  the  compact  part  of  town.  Any  person 
violating  this  law  was  fined  25  cents  for  the  first  offense,  50  cents  for  the 
second,  and  75  cents  for  the  third.  The  law,  which  did  not  prohibit 
smoking  in  the  homes  in  the  compact  part  of  the  town,  proved  inadequate, 
and  since  the  town  was  growing  in  population,  agitation  was  started 
again  for  the  purchase  of  a  fire-engine.  At  a  town  meeting,  in  1801,  a 
committee  was  appointed  to  make  the  purchase,  and  in  the  following 
year  the  Hero  made  its  long  awaited  appearance. 

Massasoit's  Spring,  Baker  St.,  was  probably  the  site  of  this  great  Indian 
Chief's  home.  In  its  natural  state  it  was  a  powerful  spring  bubbling  up 
from  a  bed  of  pure  white  sand  but  it  has  since  been  walled  in.  A  marker 
says  that  '  Massasoit's  Spring '  commemorates  the  Great  Indian  Sachem 
— '  Friend  of  the  White  Man.  Ruler  of  this  region  when  the  Pilgrims 
of  the  Mayflower  landed  at  Plymouth  in  the  year  of  Our  Lord,  1620.' 
The  trading  post,  established  here  in  1632  from  Plymouth,  held  the  first 
white  group  of  settlers  in  the  present  State  of  Rhode  Island. 

Warren  Common,  State  St.,  a  well-kept  and  attractive  park  with  tall 
trees,  contains  a  Soldiers'  and  Sailors'  Monument,  consisting  of  a  10- 
inch  Rodman  cannon  set  on  a  three-course  granite  pedestal.  The  upper 
course  of  the  pedestal  bears  an  inscription,  and  the  two  lower  courses 
are  in  the  shape  of  a  four-bastioned  fort. 

The  George  Haile  Free  Library  (open  weekdays  2-5.30  and  6.30-8.30  ex- 
cept Thur.),  cor.  Main  and  Croade  Sts.,  is  a  two-story  granite  structure 
with  a  tower  housing  a  fine  collection  of  about  13,000  volumes.  Con- 
nected with  the  library  is  a  Museum  (not  open),  containing  some  valuable 
historic  relics. 

At  the  cor.  of  Main  and  Washington  Sts.  is  the  Site  of  Burr's  Tavern. 
When  the  British  invaded  Warren,  a  party  of  Hessians,  who  had  been 
wounded  in  a  skirmish  with  some  citizens,  visited  the  tavern,  where 
Mrs.  Burr  kindly  dressed  their  wounds;  they  repaid  her  by  breaking  her 
dishes  and  furniture.  George  Washington  was  entertained  at  this  hostelry 
on  March  13,  1781. 

Saint  Mary's  Church  (R.C.),  cor.  Main  and  Luther  Sts.,  is  a  spacious 
edifice  of  fine  proportions  in  the  Queen  Anne  style  of  architecture.  The 
first  church,  erected  in  1851,  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1882  and  in  1883 
the  present  structure  was  built.  It  has  stained-glass  windows,  and  a 
handsomely  furnished  interior,  decorated  with  paintings  of  gospel  sym- 
bols. 


404  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

Burr's  Hill  Park  (baseball  diamond,  two  tennis  courts,  fine  sandy  beach, 
picnic  grounds,  playground  for  small  children  under  supervision  of  attendant; 
small  parking  fee),  Water  St.  right  of  State  114,  was  purchased  by  the 
town  in  1920,  and  developed  into  an  excellent  recreation  area.  These 
five  acres,  at  one  time  an  Indian  burial  ground,  were  fortified  by  the 
town,  during  the  Revolution. 

Richard  Smith,  Sheriff  of  the  County,  was  living  in  a  house  at  Burr's 
Hill  when  the  British  invaded  Warren  in  May,  1778;  when  the  troops 
approached,  his  wife,  known  as  'Aunt  Susie  Smith, '  hastily  gathered  their 
valuables  together,  packed  them  in  a  chest,  and  buried  the  chest  in  a 
smoke-house  in  the  rear.  Two  British  soldiers  came  to  the  house,  de- 
manding breakfast;  as  they  left  the  table  one  of  them  seized  the  silver 
teapot,  but  intrepid  little  Aunt  Susie  seized  it,  too,  telling  him  he  could 
not  have  it.  After  quite  a  severe  struggle,  during  which  Mrs.  Smith 
plied  her  tongue  as  well  as  her  fingernails  with  great  vigor,  the  soldiers 
retreated  from  the  house  with  nothing  but  bad  tempers  and  numerous 
bites,  bruises,  and  scratches. 

Left  from  the  northern  end  of  Warren  about  1.5  m.  on  Market  St.  which  turns 
north  to  King's  Rocks,  near  the  Swansea  boundary.  On  the  west  side  of  this  huge 
mass  of  rocks  is  a  smooth  level  surface  about  25  feet  long  and  8  feet  wide,  indented 
with  three  narrow  straight  depressions.  The  depressions  appear  to  have  been  worn 
into  the  rocks  by  some  forcible  attrition,  probably  by  a  huge  stone  used  in  grinding 
corn.  This  is  believed  to  be  the  Site  of  the  Wampanoag  Grinding  Mill,  an  Indian 
gristmill,  where  corn  was  ground  for  war  parties  and  other  large  gatherings. 

The  summit  of  Windmill  Hill,  south  of  King's  Rocks,  was  the  Site  of  a  Guard- 
House  erected  during  the  Revolutionary  War,  when  Colonel  Israel  Angell  and  a  regi- 
ment of  American  troops  were  encamped  here  from  September  18,  1778,  until  the 
following  winter. 

At  25.9  m.  is  the  Warren-Bristol  boundary  line. 

North  Burial  Ground,  27  A  m.  (R),  a  6-acre  plot  laid  out  in  1680,  is  at- 
tractively landscaped. 

At  27.5  m.  is  the  entrance  (R)  to  Colt  Drive,  a  pleasant  road  leading 
around  the  shore  of  upper  Narragansett  Bay  (see  BRISTOL). 

BRISTOL  (alt.  40,  township  pop.  11,953),  28.8  m.,  a  manufacturing  and  fishing 
town  (see  BRISTOL). 

Points  of  Interest:  Linden  Place,  Reynolds  House,  Herreshoff  Manufacturing  Co. 
(yachts). 

South  of  the  built-up  section  of  Bristol  at  30.1  m.  is  (R)  Saint  Columban's 
Seminary  (private),  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Order  of  Saint  Columban, 
a  society  that  prepares  young  men  for  missionary  work  in  China.  The 
property,  purchased  in  1934,  extends  for  about  a  half-mile  between  the 
highway  and  Bristol  harbor. 

At  30.4  m.  on  a  lane  (L)  is  Edgehill  (private),  a  two-story,  gambrel-roof 
structure,  built  in  1867,  and  once  occupied  by  General  Ambrose  E. 
Burnside  (see  BRISTOL). 

Mount  Hope  Bridge  (auto  fare  60^  one  way,  round  trip  $1),  30.8  m.,  is  a 
high,  light  span  connecting  the  Island  of  Rhode  Island  with  the  mainland. 


From  Wrentham  to  Newport  405 

The  bridge,  which  cost  approximately  $4,000,000,  was  opened  in  1929. 
It  has  a  main  span  of  1 200  feet,  which  makes  it  the  longest  spanned  bridge 
of  any  kind  in  New  England  and  the  i3th  longest  spanned  suspension 
bridge  in  the  world.  Two  of  the  suspension  cables  are  n  inches  each  in 
diameter  and  contain  2620  miles  of  wire.  Its  towers  rise  284  feet  above 
mean  low  water,  and  the  roadway  has  a  vertical  clearance  of  135  feet 
above  mean  high  water.  The  bridge  is  cambered  upward  to  allow  vessels 
of  large  draught  to  pass  without  difficulty.  The  three  lanes,  27  feet  wide 
between  curbs,  are  so  constructed  as  to  sustain  a  load  equal  to  a  con- 
tinuous procession  of  1 5-ton  trucks.  From  the  bridge  is  a  wide  view  of 
Mount  Hope  and  Narragansett  Bays. 

About  1680,  a  ferry  was  established  at  this  point  to  operate  between 
Bristol  and  Portsmouth  and  called  the  Bristol  Ferry  probably  because 
it  was  owned  by  Bristol  proprietors.  The  utility  differed  from  others  in 
that  its  franchise  did  not  depend  upon  legislative  action;  by  virtue  of 
the  'Grand  Deed'  of  1680,  the  ferry,  and  a  farm  attached,  belonged  in 
common  to  all  the  town  proprietors,  and  as  the  rights  were  gradually 
bought  up  and  came  into  the  hands  of  one  individual,  the  franchise  be- 
came his  private  property,  and  could  be  freely  deeded  or  willed.  Bristol 
Ferry  was  one  of  the  most  important  in  the  Colony  since  it  afforded  the 
most  direct  communication  between  Newport  and  Boston  by  way  of 
Providence.  References  to  having  crossed  on  this  ferry  were  made  by 
George  Washington,  Lafayette,  and  Lord  Bellomont,  one-time  Colonial 
Governor  of  Massachusetts.  Service  was  interrupted  for  a  short  time 
during  the  Revolution,  but  was  resumed  after  the  war,  and  in  the  early 
part  of  the  19th-century  traffic  was  very  heavy.  When  a  railroad  from 
Fall  River  to  Newport  was  opened  in  1865,  the  old  ferry  boat  went  to 
decay,  though  the  neighboring  lighthouse  keeper  carried  passengers  across 
in  a  rowboat.  After  the  old  ferry  had  been  abandoned  for  nearly  30 
years,  a  new  project  was  developed  for  an  electric  railroad  from  Newport 
to  Bristol  Ferry,  with  a  steam  ferry  to  connect  with  the  Bristol-Provi- 
dence railroad  in  Bristol.  This  system  went  into  operation  in  1905,  and 
the  ferry  company  continued  to  operate  until  the  opening  of  the  Mount 
Hope  Bridge  in  1929. 

At  31.7  m.  is  the  junction  with  Bristol  Ferry  Rd. 

Left  0.3  m.  on  this  road,  near  the  Portsmouth  railroad  station,  is  the  Site  of  Bristol 
Ferry  Fort;  the  old  earthworks  are  still  visible.  In  February,  1776,  Deputy- 
Governor  Bradford,  William  Ellery,  John  Mathewson,  and  Henry  and  Gideon 
Merchant  were  appointed  a  committee  '  to  cause  fortifications  to  be  erected  as  soon 
as  possible  upon  Rhode  Island  and  at  Bristol,  sufficient  to  command  and  keep  open 
a  communication  at  Bristol  Ferry.'  The  troops  stationed  at  Bristol  and  on  the 
island  were  employed  in  this  work. 

At  33.1  m.  is  the  junction  with  paved  Willow  Lane. 

Right  0.5  m.  on  this  lane  are  the  Portsmouth  Coal  Mines  (open).  Some  of  the  works 
remain,  but  they  are  silent  and  deserted  now,  except  for  the  singing  of  crickets,  the 
creeping  of  an  occasional  reptile  or  the  flitting  of  a  bird  among  the  grass  and  weeds 
that  cover  the  grounds.  Near  the  Mines  is  Arnold's  Point,  the  site  of  a  small  Revo- 
lutionary fort,  occupied  by  the  Americans;  it  played  an  important  part  in  the 
Battle  of  Rhode  Island  in  1778. 


406  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

Lehigh  Hill  Park,  33.2  m.  (R),  is  a  small  picnic  area,  with  tables  and 
benches  (free).  A  Granite  Millstone,  5  feet  in  diameter  in  the  center  of  a 
grass  plot  on  the  east  side  of  the  park,  is  marked  by  a  bronze  tablet 
with  the  inscription:  'This  millstone  was  used  for  grinding  corn  in  Boyd's 
Old  Windmill  from  1840-1884.  During  forty-four  years,  grain  from  al- 
most every  farm  in  Rhode  Island  passed  over  its  surface.  In  1884  it 
broke,  its  work  finished.  Here  let  it  rest  as  a  monument  to  the  old  New 
England  Life  of  simplicity,  resourcefulness,  and  courage.  Presented  to 
Rhode  Island  by  Benjamin  Boyd  September  24,  1932.'  From  this  spot 
is  a  broad  view  of  blue-gray  Narragansett  Bay,  and  Bristol  Harbor, 
with  Prudence. Island,  a  summer  resort  (see  BRISTOL),  to  the  west,  Hog 
Island  to  the  north,  and  in  the  background  Mount  Hope  Bridge  and  the 
rugged  shores  and  hills  of  the  mainland. 

Hog  Island  contains  about  212  acres,  and  the  circumstance  of  its  being  occupied  by 
swine  in  early  times  doubtless  suggested  its  name.  It  was  claimed  to  have  been 
included  in  the  purchase  of  the  island  of  Aquidneck,  but  the  claim  was  for  a  time 
disputed  by  Massachusetts.  It  is  still  used  for  grazing  purposes. 

The  Old  Grist  Mill,  33.4  m.  (R),  built  at  Warren  in  1812,  is  a  round 
frame  tower  about  30  feet  high.  It  was  moved  to  Fall  River,  Massa- 
chusetts, then  to  Quaker  Hill,  and  thence  to  its  present  site  where  it 
was  restored  in  1929.  There  are  several  of  these  windmills  in  Portsmouth, 
prominent  features  of  the  landscape.  Standing  on  the  high  grounds  of 
the  town,  they  present  a  picturesque  appearance  with  their  great  re- 
volving arms  silhouetted  against  the  sky. 

Portsmouth  and  much  of  the  rest  of  the  Island  of  Rhode  Island  has  miles 
of  stone  walls,  three  or  four  feet  high,  around  the  pastures  and  fields; 
they  were  built  in  taking  the  stones  from  farms. 

At  34.4  m.  is  the  junction  with  unpaved  Corey's  Lane. 

Right  0.5  m.  on  this  lane  is  the  School  of  St.  Gregory  the  Great,  commonly  known 
as  Portsmouth  Priory  School  (visitors  permitted),  opened  in  September,  1926.  It 
belongs  to  the  priory  of  the  same  name,  a  daughter  house  of  the  Abbey  of  Fort 
Augustus  in  Scotland,  which  is  of  the  English  congregation  of  the  Order  of  St. 
Benedict.  Both  the  community  and  the  school,  at  Portsmouth,  almost  wholly 
American  in  membership,  train  boys  for  colleges  in  this  country.  The  connection, 
however,  with  the  English  congregation,  which  is  famous  for  its  great  schools  in- 
cluding those  at  Downside  and  Ampleforth,  brings  to  the  younger  school  a  tradi- 
tion and  an  example  that  inspires  its  own  educational  efforts.  The  property,  ex- 
tending over  120  acres  of  beautiful  country  overlooking  Narragansett  Bay,  is  in 
part  occupied  by  athletic  fields.  The  original  building,  the  Manor  House,  is  a 
pleasant  and  commodious  building  now  used  for  the  dining-room,  infirmary,  office, 
housemother's  quarters,  masters'  common  rooms,  and  the  reception  and  guest 
rooms.  Other  buildings  include  the  chapel,  priory,  the  schoolhouse  and  laboratory, 
the  gymnasium,  and  four  dormitories.  The  last  unit  erected  is  St.  Benet's  House, 
the  first  of  a  proposed  group  of  buildings  in  brick  and  stone. 

At  34.8  m.  is  the  junction  with  an  unpaved  lane. 

Right  on  this  lane  about  700  yards  is  Hessian  Hole  (visitors  permitted},  marked  by 
a  large  willow  tree.  According  to  tradition,  30  Hessian  soldiers  were  buried  here  in 
one  grave  and  the  brook  that  runs  by  the  grave  was  red  with  blood  for  days  after 
the  fierce  battle  that  was  fought  here  on  August  29,  1778. 

At  35.3  m.  is  the  junction  with  paved  Bradford  Ave. 


From  Wrentham  to  Newport  407 

Right  0.7  m.  on  Bradford  Ave.  is  Melville,  a  United  States  Navy  supply  station 
(not  open).  During  the  Civil  War,  there  was  a  receiving  hospital  here;  later  the  site 
was  used  as  a  coaling  station;  in  recent  years  the  mammoth  coal  sheds  and  coal 
handling  machinery  have  given  way  to  storage  tanks  for  fuel  oil.  In  1918  the  place 
was  designated  as  a  Government  wireless  station. 

BoycTs  Mill  (open  by  permission},  35.6  m.  (L),  established  in  1810,  is 
the  only  windmill  in  Newport  County  still  used  in  grinding  corn  for 
Rhode  Island  johnny-cake  meal. 

Lawton's  Valley  (visitors  permitted),  37  m.  (R),  is  one  of  the  most  pictur- 
esque sites  on  the  island,  with  delightful  picnicking  spots.  A  bright  and 
sparkling  stream  flows  through  the  valley  formed  by  wooded  hills  that 
gradually  slope  to  the  banks  of  a  rivulet.  Along  the  banks  are  the  founda- 
tion of  a  mill  built  about  1682,  and  large  flat  stones  that  were  used  by  the 
Indians  in  grinding  corn  before  the  coming  of  the  English. 

At  37  m.  (L),  about  300  feet  from  the  highway,  are  Earthworks  (private; 
visited  by  permission}  that  were  erected  by  American  troops  to  hamper 
the  advance  of  the  British  forces  during  the  Revolutionary  War.  These 
earthworks  are  probably  the  best  preserved  of  any  on  the  island;  from 
themls  a  broad  view  of  the  N.  end  of  the  island. 

Redwood  House  (private),  37.2  m.  (R),  is  a  large,  rambling  frame  house 
with  a  gable  roof.  The  main  structure  is  two-and-one-half  stories  high 
with  dormer  windows  on  the  east  and  west  sides.  This  was  the  country 
house  of  Abraham  Redwood  of  Newport,  the  Quaker  benefactor  of  the 
Redwood  Library  in  that  city  (see  NEWPORT).  During  the  Revolu- 
tionary War  two  British  officers,  Smith  and  Mackenzie,  lived  at  the 
Redwood  House  in  Portsmouth. 

The  Prescott  House,  or  Overing  House  (private],  37.7  m.  (L),  was  the 
headquarters  of  General  Richard  Prescott,  commander  of  the  British 
forces  in  Rhode  Island  during  the  Revolution.  It  is  a  plain,  two-and- 
one-half  story  yellow  frame  structure,  built  about  1710.  Very  little  of 
the  old  structure  remains  after  remodeling  and  modernization. 

On  July  9,  1777,  Colonel  William  Barton  with  40  men  here  executed  one 
of  the  most  bold  and  hazardous  enterprises  recorded  in  the  history  of 
the  Revolution  —  the  capture  of  General  Richard  Prescott.  Barton  and 
his  party  left  Warwick  Neck  in  five  whaleboats  and  proceeded  down 
Narragansett  Bay  between  Prudence  and  Patience  Islands  in  order  that 
they  might  not  be  seen  by  the  ships  of  the  enemy  that  lay  off  Hope 
Island.  Landing  on  the  Portsmouth  shore,  Barton  divided  his  men  in 
five  divisions  and  proceeded  to  the  headquarters  of  General  Prescott. 
The  first  division  was  ordered  to  advance  upon  the  south  door,  the  second 
on  the  west  door,  the  third  on  the  east  door,  the  fourth  to  guard  the  road, 
and  the  fifth  to  act  in  emergencies. 

They  were  challenged  by  the  sentinel  when  they  were  about  25  yards 
from  him,  but  their  number  was  partly  concealed  by  a  row  of  trees. 
No  reply  having  been  given,  the  sentinel  again  demanded,  'Who  comes 
there?'  'Friends!'  replied  Barton.  'Friends,'  said  the  sentinel,  'advance 


408  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

and  give  the  countersign!'  Barton,  affecting  to  be  angry,  answered, 
'We  have  no  countersign;  have  you  seen  any  deserters  tonight?'  Before 
the  sentinel  could  determine  the  character  of  those  who  approached  him, 
Barton  had  seized  his  musket,  told  him  he  was  a  prisoner,  and  threatened 
him  with  instant  death  if  he  made  any  noise. 

By  this  time  each  division  had  its  station;  the  door  was  burst  in  and  they 
first  went  upstairs  to  seize  the  host,  and  then  descended  to  the  room  below. 
A  Negro  member  of  the  party  made  one  plunge,  bursting  head  first 
through  a  locked  door  revealing  the  general,  newly  awakened  and  sit- 
ting on  the  side  of  his  bed.  Prescott  begged  the  privilege  of  dressing, 
but  such  was  the  haste  that  his  pleas  were  ignored,  and,  unclothed,  he 
was  hurried  away  through  a  field  of  thorny  blackberry  bushes. 

The  boats  had  no  sooner  put  from  shore  than  an  alarm  signal  was  given 
and  cannons  echoed  far  and  near,  beacons  blazed  from  numerous  stations, 
and  rockets  illuminated  the  night;  the  tread  of  the  watch  on  the  enemy 
ships  was  exchanged  for  bustling  confusion;  and  while  the  boatswain's 
whistle  and  the  roll  of  the  drum  were  summoning  all  hands  on  deck, 
Barton  and  his  men  silently  pushed  their  way  beneath  the  stern  of  one 
vessel  and  the  bowsprit  of  another.  As  morning  appeared,  the  party 
found  themselves  under  the  guns  of  the  fort  at  Warwick  Neck,  safe  from 
their  enemies.  General  Prescott  was  later  exchanged  for  the  American 
Major-General  Charles  Lee.  Although  Prescott  was  not  betrayed  by  a 
woman,  doggerel  entitled  'On  General  Prescott  being  carried  off  naked, 
unanointed,  and  unanealed '  —  appeared  in  the  London  Chronicle  on 
September  27,  1777. 

What  various  lures  there  are  to  ruin  man, 
Women  the  first  and  foremost  all  bewitches, 

7A  nymph  thus  spoiled  a  general's  mighty  plan, 
And  gave  him  to  the  foe  without  his  breeches. 

At  39.2  m.  is  the  junction  with  paved  Brown's  Lane. 

Right  0.3  m.  on  this  lane  is  the  Wanumetonomy  Golf  and  Country  Club  (open  to 
public;  greens  fee),  a  member  club  of  the  Rhode  Island  Golf  Association  with  a 
clubhouse,  tennis  courts,  and  a  splendid,  scenic,  well-kept  i8-hole  golf  course.  The 
course  has  a  yardage  of  6247  and  a  par  of  71,  and  its  proximity  to  the  ocean  and  its 
layout  make  it  resemble  the  famous  St.  Andrews  course  in  Scotland.  An  unusual 
feature  of  this  course  is  that  every  green  is  visible  from  the  clubhouse;  a  broad 
view  of  Narragansett  Bay  can  be  enjoyed  from  any  of  its  fairways.  The  course  is 
on  the  probable  site  of  the  home  of  Wanumetonomy,  a  sachem  of  the  Narragansett 
tribe  of  Indians. 

The  Wilson  Nurseries,  39.4  m  (L),  are  noted  for  their  cultivated  trees 
and  shrubs,  and  the  Rhode  Island  Nurseries  (R),  established  in  1891,  are 
the  largest  of  their  kind  in  the  State. 

The  Jonathan  Anthony  House  (private),  39.8  m.  (L),  a  one-and-a-half 
story  frame  structure,  was  built  in  1765;  the  ell  and  the  sun  porch  are 
later  additions.  The  house,  on  a  slight  elevation,  is  set  off  by  a  group 
of  elm  trees.  Jonathan  Anthony  operated  a  tannery  here  for  many  years. 
In  1778  the  house  was  partly  burned  by  British  soldiers,  but  was  restored 
in  1779. 


From  Wrentham  to  Newport  409 

At  39.9  m.  is  the  junction  with  Chase's  Lane,  an  unpaved  road. 

Right  0.5  m.  on  Chase's  Lane  is  the  Newport  Airport  (no  scheduled  service),  partly 
developed  as  a  Federal  relief  project. 

At  39.9  m.  (R),  silhouetted  against  the  sky  in  the  distance,  is  the  New- 
port Memorial  Tower.  This  8o-foot  stone  tower  is  in  Miantonomi  Park 
(see  NEWPORT). 

At  40.3  m.  is  the  junction  with  State  138  (see  Tour  6). 

The  George  Irish  Homestead  (private),  40.5  m.  (L),  in  the  grounds  of 

the  Newport  Nurseries,  is  a  two-and-a-half-story  frame  building  with 

gambrel  roof,  built  in  1780.  Colonel  Irish  was  the  first  colonel  of  the 
Rhode  Island  Militia. 

The  Bannister  House  (private),  40.9  m.  (L),  a  two-and-a-half-story  frame 
structure  erected  in  1760,  was  occupied  by  English  troops  during  the 
Revolution;  the  British  General  Pigot  established  his  field  headquarters 
here.  On  this  land,  in  1777,  British  engineers  erected  the  main  defense 
works  of  the  English  forces,  while  other  earthworks  occupied  advanta- 
geous positions  near-by.  After  the  Revolution,  Bannister  was  proven 
a  Tory;  his  lands  were  confiscated,  and  he  was  banished  from  the  State. 

At  41  m.  is  the  junction  with  Boulevard  Ave. 

Left  about  0.4  m.  on  this  avenue  to  Old  Fort  Farm  (open  by  permission).  At  the 
east  end  of  the  farm  is  a  redoubt,  about  75  feet  long,  used  by  the  British  during  the 
battle  of  Rhode  Island;  in  the  center  is  a  cannon,  resting  on  a  wooden  carriage. 
The  cannon,  8  feet  long,  and  cast  in  Springfield,  Massachusetts  in  1810  was  pre- 
sented to  the  town  by  the  U.S.  War  Department  on  May  2,  1922. 

On  Vernon  Ave.  just  north  of  Boulevard  Ave.  is  Green  End  Fort  (open),  built  by 
the  British  in  1777  as  the  eastern  terminus  of  their  Newport  city  defenses.  It  is 
directly  opposite  Honyman  Hill  where,  in  August,  1 778,  the  American  army  erected 
a  fort  in  its  advance  on  Newport.  Green  End  Fort  is  today  in  a  good  state  of 
preservation,  and  from  its  ramparts  an  extensive  view  of  the  ocean,  and  the  un- 
dulating country  can  be  had;  Easton's  Pond,  the  source  of  water  supply  for  the 
city  of  Newport,  lies  at  its  base.  The  fort  is  marked  with  a  high,  four-sided,  taper- 
ing granite  pillar  with  a  pyramidal  top. 

Dudley  Place  (private),  41.1  m.  (L),  is  a  large  frame  structure,  square  in 
plan,  with  a  high,  open  piazza  extending  along  the  front  (1770).  This 
house  was  occupied  before  the  Revolution  by  Charles  Dudley,  Royal 
Collector  of  Customs  for  Rhode  Island,  who,  in  1775,  fled  to  take  refuge 
on  a  British  man-of-war. 

During  the  siege  of  Newport,  Dudley  Place,  then  occupied  by  Edward 
Van  Zandt,  Esq. ,  was  situated  halfway  between  the  British  batteries  on 
Miantonomi  Hill  and  the  American  batteries  on  Honyman  Hill.  It  is 
said  that  a  large  dinner  party  had  assembled  here  and  the  guests  were 
about  to  be  seated  at  the  table,  when  a  cannon  ball  passed  through  the 
hall.  The  company  fled  precipitately  out  of  the  house,  but  no  one  was 
harmed. 
At  41.2  m.  is  the  Middletown-Newport  boundary  line. 

NEWPORT  (alt.  sea  level-ioo,  city  pop.  27,612,  sett.  1639,  incorp.  1853),  43.2  m., 
a  seaport,  naval  base,  and  summer  resort  (see  NEWPORT). 

Points  of  Interest:  Old  Colony  House,  Trinity  Church,  Touro  Synagogue,  U.S. 
Naval  Training  Station,  Ocean  Drive,  and  many  fine  early  American  houses. 


TOUR  5  A  :  From  JUNCTION  WITH  US  6  (East  Providence) 
to  JUNCTION  WITH  STATE  114  (Barrington) ,  6.2  m.,  Barrington 
Parkway  and  State  103. 


THIS  route,  an  alternate  route  to  State  114  (see  Tour  5)  between  Prov- 
idence and  Barrington,  runs  along  the  east  side  of  the  Providence  River, 
affording  several  good  views  of  Providence  Harbor. 

Barrington  Parkway  branches  south  from  US  6  at  the  east  end  of  the 
Washington  Bridge  over  the  Seekonk  River,  the  northern  extension  of 
the  Providence  River,  and  runs  for  2  miles  through  a  n82-acre  wooded 
reservation.  The  State  has  planted  about  2000  oak  and  maple  trees  and 
1 200  shrubs  along  the  drive.  There  are  six  fireplaces  for  use  of  picnickers 
(permit  required  from  State  House  Annex  Building,  Providence). 

At  0.4  m.  the  Parkway  passes  over  Fort  Hill.  To  the  right,  on  what  was 
once  called  Hog  Pen  Point,  are  discernible  the  remains  of  earthworks 
that  were  erected  in  1775  and  maintained  until  after  the  War  of  1812. 

From  the  parking  space  (R)-,  at  0.5  m.,  is  a  wide  view  of  Providence 
harbor  and  a  part  of  the  city  center.  Across  the  Providence  River  (L) 
is  the  Municipal  Wharf,  the  gas  works,  and  (R)  the  New  Industrial 
Trust  Building  and  other  tall  structures  (see  PROVIDENCE). 

The  Squantum  Club  (private)  (R),  2.3  m.,  was  organized  in  1870;  during 
the  summer  some  of  the  State's  leading  business  men  meet  here  for  re- 
laxation and  the  enjoyment  of  Rhode  Island  shore  dinners. 

At  2.5  m.  the  route  swings  right  on  State  103.  The  Emma  Pendleton 
Bradley  Home  (R),  a  three-story  brick  structure  erected  1930-31,  is  a 
private  hospital  dedicated  to  the  care  of  children  suffering  from  neuro- 
logical and  behavior  disorders  exclusive  of  mental  deficiency.  From  50 
to  75  patients  can  be  accommodated. 

St.  Mary's  Seminary,  2.6  m.  (L),  a  three-story  rambling  brown  structure, 
is  a  Catholic  school  for  girls,  established  in  1874. 

The  Landmark  Stone,  3  m.  (R),  on  one  side  reads,  'Sowams  1621  Wan- 
namoisett  Bought  by  John  Browne  1645,'  on  the  other,  'Rehoboth  1643.' 

Bullock's  Tavern  (not  open)  (L),  3.1  m.,  is  a  two-and-one-half-story  white 
frame  structure  with  brick  ends;  it  is  rectangular  in  plan,  with  two  brick 
chimneys  rising  from  the  ends  of  its  gable  roof,  and  rests  on  a  very  low 
foundation.  The  uniformly  spaced  windows  are  flanked  by  shutters;  they 
are  topped  on  the  first  floor  by  plain  lintels,  and  on  the  second  by  small 
cornices.  An  elliptical  fan-light  above  the  main  central  doorway  is  pro- 
tected by  a  small  gable-roofed  porch  supported  by  two  square  columns. 
The  doorway  and  its  modern  trellis  work,  together  with  the  shrubbery 
at  the  front,  give  the  house  a  pleasing  appearance.  In  the  stagecoach 
days  Bullock's  Tavern  was  a  convenient  stop  between  Providence  and 


From  East  Providence  to  Harrington  411 

Bristol,  and  at  that  time  the  long  dining-room  in  the  main  part  of  the 
house  was  often  used  for  dances. 

At  3.2  m.  State  103  passes  a  part  of  the  extensive  Refining  Plant  of  the 
Standard  Oil  Company  (L).  East  Providence  is  an  important  center  of 
the  petroleum  distributing  business. 

At  3.4  m.  is  the  junction  with  paved  Bullock's  Point  Ave. 

Right  0.2  m.  on  this  road  is  (R)  the  very  exclusive  Pomham  Club  (private),  with 
a  membership  of  200  shareholders.  The  club  grounds  include  a  ball  field,  miniature 
clock  and  obstacle  golf  courses,  and  bowling  alleys. 

West  of  the  club,  in  the  Providence  River,  is  the  Pomham  Lighthouse,  named,  as 
is  the  club,  for  the  Indian  chieftain  Pomham  (or  Pumham),  who  had  dealings  in 
the  i ;th  century  with  Samuel  Gorton,  the  founder  of  Warwick  (see  WARWICK). 
The  light,  with  its  pretty  white  cottage  attached,  was  erected  in  1871.  Pomham 
Rock  boasts  two  rock  profiles,  one  of  which,  best  seen  from  the  lighthouse  garden, 
resembles  the  Old  Man  of  the  Mountain  in  New  Hampshire. 

About  1.5  m.  on  Bullock's  Point  Ave.  is  Crescent  Park  (no  general  admission),  a  56- 
acre  amusement  resort  with  facilities  for  bathing,  dancing,  athletics,  and  the  usual 
penny  arcade  and  roller  coaster  concessions. 

The  Lightning  Splitter  House  (not  open)  (R),  3.6  m.,  is  an  odd-appearing 
small,  yellow  frame  house,  with  a  very  steep  gable  roof  rising  two  stories 
above  the  first-floor  windows.  The  sharp  roof  is  supposedly  able  to  split 
forks  of  lightning,  rendering  them  harmless.  This  fairly  modern  house  is 
built  on  a  side  hill,  hence  the  basement  can  be  used  as  a  kitchen. 

The  Whitcomb  Farmhouse  (not  open)  at  the  same  point  (L),  built  about 
140  years  ago,  is  a  large  two-and-one-half-story  structure  of  Georgian 
design,  with  four  chimneys  rising  from  the  sides  of  its  gable  roof.  Two 
tiers  of  plain  windows  encircle  the  house,  the  first-floor  windows  being 
topped  by  plain  lintels.  The  white  paneled  central  doorway,  with  its 
full-length  side-lights  and  elliptical  fan-light,  is  well  proportioned  and  is 
fronted  by  a  small  landing  with  iron  rails.  The  house  is  of  wooden 
construction  except  for  brick  ends  and  has  a  dignified  appearance.  The 
house  takes  its  name  from  William  Whitcomb,  a  representative  of  East 
Providence  in  the  General  Assembly.  He  was  said  to  have  been  a  very 
shrewd,  hard-working  man  —  'the  sun  never  rose  on  him  in  bed'  —  who 
once  had  a  ' magnificent  grapery.'  The  original  farm  of  several  hundred 
acres  has  been  sold  and  built  up  by  other  houses.  A  recent  occupant, 
Warren  R.  Fales,  was  a  poultry  fancier. 

The  Jesse  Medbury  Homestead  (not  open)  (R),  4  m.,  is  a  low,  shingled, 
gambrel-roofed  house,  rectangular  in  plan,  now  with  a  pergola  supported 
by  Doric  columns  on  the  front  and  side.  Two  small  flat-roofed  dormer 
windows  project  from  the  roof  on  the  front,  and  a  one-story  gable-roofed 
ell  adjoins  on  the  rear.  The  main  front  entrance  beyond  the  pergola 
has 'a  plain  paneled  door.  The  white  trim  of  the  windows,  doors,  and 
cornices,  together  with  the  white  pergola,  give  the  place  a  pleasing  ap- 
pearance. The  house  was  erected  about  a  century  and  a  half  ago,  on 
the  site  of  the  home  of  John  Brown,  one  of  the  first  settlers  in  East 
Providence.  Brown  had  come  to  this  town  about  1653,  from  Massa- 


412  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

chusetts,  where  he  had  been  a  civil  officer  in  Plymouth  and  a  militia 
captain  in  Swansea.  It  is  said  that  a  part  of  the  foundation  of  Brown's 
house  was  used  in  the  Medbury  homestead.  The  beams  and  rafters  of 
the  latter  were  hewn  from  oak  and  black  walnut  trees  growing  in  the 
vicinity.  Jesse  Medbury,  great-grandson  of  a  Revolutionary  hero,  was 
an  important  town  politician  in  the  middle  and  late  igth  century. 

At  4.2  m.  on  State  103  is  the  junction  with  paved  Turner  Ave. 

Right  on  Turner  Ave.  0.1  m.;  left  on  Read  St.  At  the  end  of  Read  St.  0.3  m.,  left 
on  unpaved  Cozzens  Ave.  is  Little  Neck  Cemetery  on  Bullock's  Point  Cove,  in  which 
is  the  Grave  of  Thomas  Willett  (1610-74),  the  first  mayor  of  New  York  (1665-67). 
He  came  to  Wannamoisett,  now  Riverside,  in  1660  and  for  his  services  in  cultivat- 
ing friendly  relations  with  the  Indians  resulting  in  land  purchases,  he  was  given 
liberty  to  take  500  or  600  acres  of  land.  In  1913,  the  City  Club  of  New  York  erected 
a  large  granite  memorial  boulder  on  his  grave.  The  Grave  of  John  Brown,  an  early 
settler  who  had  a  house  on  the  site  of  the  present  Medbury  Homestead,  and  who 
died  in  1662,  is  also  in  this  cemetery. 

At  Peck's  Corner  on  State  103,  5.5  m.,  is  the  junction  with  paved  Wash- 
ington Rd. 

Right  0.3  m.  on  Washington  Rd.  is  Haines  Memorial  Park,  a  unit  in  the  State  park 
system.  This  magnificent  tract  of  85  acres  on  the  upper  east  shore  of  the  bay  is  a 
monument  to  Dr.  George  B.  Haines,  Cumberland  physician  who  died  in  1912. 
The  property  was  inherited  by  his  sister  Ida  Haines  who,  remembering  that  her 
brother  had  frequently  spoken  of  giving  this  land  for  some  public  purpose,  perhaps 
for  a  sanatorium,  donated  it  to  the  State.  That  it  was  not  made  the  site  of  a 
tuberculosis  hospital  was  probably  owing  to  its  waterside  situation.  The  park  has 
a  recreation  field  (on  Washington  Rd.),  two  baseball  diamonds,  football  field, 
tennis  courts,  children's  playground,  and  several  fireplaces  for  picnic  parties  (fire- 
place fee  15^;  permit  required  from  State  House  Annex  Building,  Providence). 

Nayatt  Point,  on  Washington  Rd.  at  2.1  m.,  extends  southeast  into  Narragansett 
Bay.  It  was  the  nearest  approach  of  the  territory  of  the  Wampanoag  Indians  to 
the  Narragansetts,  who  occupied  the  lands  at  and  adjoining  Conimicut  Point  in 
Warwick,  opposite  Nayatt.  In  a  deed  of  March  29,  1653,  Miles  Standish,  founder 
of  the  town  of  Duxbury,  Massachusetts,  was  named  a  proprietor  of  Sowams,  and 
he  established  a  Barrington  estate  at  Nayatt  Point.  Prior  to  the  Revolutionary 
War,  salt  works  were  established  on  the  Point  by  Matthew  Allen.  A  pond  ex- 
cavated on  the  shore  of  the  bay  filled  during  spring  tides,  and  from  it  the  water 
was  pumped  to  evaporating  vats.  How  long  the  manufacture  of  salt  was  continued 
is  not  known,  perhaps  for  only  a  short  time,  as  salt  could  be  obtained  elsewhere 
much  more  cheaply.  Matthew  Allen  was  in  command  of  the  Barrington  militia 
during  the  Revolution.  The  first  call  to  active  service  came  from  Boston  with  news 
of  the  battles  at  Concord  and  Lexington  on  April  19,  1775.  The  following  day  the 
Barrington  soldiers  marched  to  give  aid  to  Massachusetts;  they  were  stationed  at 
the  embankments  in  Roxbury,  Massachusetts. 

The  discovery  of  clay  fields  at  Nayatt  Neck  led  to  the  manufacture  of  clay  bricks, 
and  a  brick  factory  was  opened  in  1720  by  Matthew  Watson  (see  below).  In  1848, 
a  group  of  Providence  business  men,  after  testing  the  clay  pits,  erected  buildings 
and  ovens,  and  continued  for  a  time  the  manufacture  of  clay  bricks. 

In  the  mid-nineteenth  century,  when  the  Point  was  first  developed  as  a  summer 
resort,  steamboats  made  daily  trips  between  Nayatt  and  Providence.  Nayatt 
Point  is  now  a  summer  colony  of  many  fine  residences. 

From  the  end  of  Washington  Rd.  at  2.1  m.  (L)  on  Nayatt  Rd.  On  this  road  at 
2.4  m.  (L)  is  the  Rhode  Island  Country  Club  (guest  fee  $3  and  $5  a  day),  a  beautiful 
and  spacious  clubhouse  with  an  i8-hole  golf  course.  This  club  was  established  in 
1911,  and  is  an  exclusive  organization  for  professional  men. 


From  Fall  River  to  Newport  413 

At  2.9  m.  (L)  on  Nayatt  Rd.  are  the  remains  of  the  foundation  of  the  Matthew 
Watson  House.  This  was  a  brick  structure  (1745),  for  which  the  bricks  were  made 
in  Watson's  own  works  a  little  north  of  the  house,  on  the  bank  of  Mouschochuck 
Creek,  and  the  lime  was  made  by  burning  clam  and  other  shells  found  along  the 
beach.  Matthew  Watson  supplied  Bristol  and  Newport  with  the  product  of  his 
brick  kilns.  From  Newport  the  bricks  were  shipped  to  New  York,  and  the  brick 
mansions  of  some  of  the  old  families  of  Manhattan  were  made  of  Barrington  clay. 

At  3.4  m.  (R)  is  Bay  Rd.  which  leads  to  Barrington  Beach  (public:  nominal  parking 
charge  and  bath-house  fee) ,  3.8  m.,  a  fine  sandy  beach  owned  and  maintained  by 
the  town. 

At  6.2  m.  is  the  junction  with  State  114,  about  0.5  m.  north  of  the  village 
of  Barrington  (see  Tour  5). 


TOUR  6  :  From  MASSACHUSETTS  LINE  (Fall  River)  to 
JUNCTION  WITH  STATE  114  (Newport),  14.5  m.  State  138. 

Via  Tiverton  and  Portsmouth. 

Good  hard-surfaced  roadbed,  mostly  three  lanes  wide. 

STATE  138  crosses  the  Massachusetts  Line  about  3  miles  south  of  Fall 
River,  Mass.,  and  runs  for  about  4  miles  along  a  ridge  overlooking  Mt. 
Hope  Bay  and  the  Sakonnet  River.  From  Tiverton  it  crosses  onto  the 
Island  of  Rhode  Island,  passing  through  a  prosperous  countryside  of 
farms,  nurseries,  and  summer  homes. 

At  0.3  m.  is  the  small  village  of  NORTH  TIVERTON  (alt.  180,  Tiver- 
ton Town). 

On  State  Ave.,  left  of  the  center,  is  Bourne  Mill  (not  open),  incorporated 
in  1 88 1,  a  five-story  structure  of  granite  that  was  quarried  from  a  ledge 
within  a  hundred  yards  of  the  building  site.  This  plant,  the  largest  in 
the  township,  employs  nearly  a  thousand  workers,  operates  2400  looms 
and  84,000  spindles,  producing  annually  about  25,000,000  yards  of  sateens, 
twills,  and  pongees. 

The  North  Tiverton  Baptist  Church  (R),  on  State  138,  is  a  small  weather- 
beaten  frame  edifice,  erected  in  1867,  and  formerly  known  as  Benefit  Hall. 
The  Reverend  George  W.  Giles,  of  the  Baptist  Temple  in  Fall  River,  be- 
came interested  in  Benefit  Hall,  and  brought  about  its  rededication  as 
Temple  Chapel  in  1885.  For  about  a  quarter-century  after  1891  the 
Chapel  had  student  pastors  from  Brown  University.  The  Baptist  Temple 
of  Fall  River  discontinued  its  aid  and  guidance  in  1916,  and  in  May,  1916 
the  name  was  changed  to  the  present  one. 

At  0.6  m.  is  a  panoramic  view  of  the  surrounding  country;  right  is  the 
former  Mount  Hope,  now  Bristol,  where  once  resided  Massasoit  and 


414  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

Philip,  celebrated  sachems  of  the  Wampanoags.  The  delicate  lines  of 
Mount  Hope  Bridge  are  silhouetted  against  the  sky,  stretching  from  the 
mainland  to  the  shores  of  Portsmouth.  To  the  south,  across  the  placid 
waters  of  the  Sakonnet  River,  in  a  purple  haze  are  the  hills  of  the  Island 
of  Rhode  Island,  looming  above  the  bay.  Left,  the  landscape  is  covered 
with  forest  growth,  which  is  especially  beautiful  during  the  autumn  when 
the  trees  are  bedecked  with  their  multi-colored  foliage. 

The  Joseph  Hicks  House,  1  m.  (L),  a  two-story  white  frame  building, 
originally  had  two  brick  sides  and  was  called  the  Brick  House.  Joseph 
Hicks  began  to  build  the  place  in  1788,  but  died  before  it  was  completed. 
The  house,  unoccupied  for  a  long  time,  was  said  to  have  given  forth  such 
strange  noises  that  it  was  locally  referred  to  as  the  Haunted  House.  Ex- 
tensive repairs  were  made  to  the  structure  in  1893,  so  that  very  little  re- 
mains of  the  original  building. 

At  1.6  m.  is  the  junction  with  an  unpaved  lane. 

Left  0.3  m.  on  this  lane  to  the  underground  concrete  Pocasset  Hill  Reservoir,  of 
1,550,000  gallons  capacity.  No  filtering  or  chemical  treatment  is  necessary  to 
purify  the  water  that  remains  underground  until  it  is  drawn  from  the  tap  by  the 
consumer.  The  plant  was  completed  in  June,  1928;  it  serves  North  Tiverton,  but 
agitation  is  under  way  to  have  the  system  extended  to  the  southern  section  of 
the  township. 

At  2.1  m.  is  the  junction  with  unpaved  Mile  Rd. 

Left  on  this  road;  left  again  on  Fish  Road,  and  then  right  on  Eagleville  Road  to 
the  deserted  village  of  EAGLEVILLE,  where  are  the  foundations  of  what  was 
once  a  flourishing  mill  center.  This  part  of  Tiverton  was  once  known  as  Pocasset 
Great  Lot;  in  1827  a  cotton  and  a  woolen  mill  were  erected.  Manufacturing 
flourished  until  about  1861,  when  a  fire  destroyed  the  woolen  mill.  The  village 
gradually  dwindled,  until  now  a  single  dwelling  remains  in  this  one-time  busy 
little  community. 

An  important  event  in  King  Philip's  War  took  place  in  Eagleville  on  July  18,  1675. 
There  had  been  about  18  days  of  conflict  between  the  Indians  and  the  settlers  in 
the  southern  part  of  Tiverton  township,  and  as  the  Indians  fought  their  way 
northward  they  were  routed  from  an  ambush  east  of  Fish  Road  and  west  of 
Stafford  Pond.  This  engagement  caused  Philip  to  flee  into  central  Massachusetts, 
leaving  behind  some  100  wigwams,  and  as  many  warriors  who  were  made  captive. 

Wanton  Upper  Farm,  2.5  m.  (R),  was  one  of  the  numerous  possessions  of 
the  Wanton  family  of  Newport  (see  NEWPORT) ;  it  has  been  occupied 
since  1740.  The  two-and-a-half-story  Farmhouse  on  the  estate,  built 
about  1840,  is  an  impressive  frame  structure,  with  four  Ionic  columns, 
two  stories  high,  on  the  front.  The  interior  is  beautifully  furnished  with 
articles  brought  from  all  parts  of  the  world  by  sea  captains. 

The  Nannaquaket  Grange  Hall,  2.9  m.  (R),  is  a  plain  little  frame  building 
erected  about  1860.  It  is  on  the  site  of  a  Friends'  meeting-house  that 
was  erected  about  1700,  used  as  a  hospital  for  American  soldiers  during 
the  Revolution,  and  destroyed  by  fire  in  1860.  On  the  south  side  of  the 
hall,  enclosed  by  a  stone  wall,  is  the  Friends'  Burial  Ground,  dating  back 
to  1747  and  containing  moss-covered  graves  of  the  early  Quakers. 

At  3.2  m.  is  the  junction  with  Riverside  Drive. 


From  Fall  River  to  Newport  415 

Right  on  this  drive  is  a  little  summer  colony.  The  drive  extends  along  the  banks 
of  the  Sakonnet  River,  on  whose  shores  is  centered  Tiverton's  fish  and  quahaug 
industries. 

The  John  Rowland  House,  3.6  m  (L),  was  built  previous  to  1759.  It  is  a 
small  one-and-a-half-story  white  frame  structure,  with  gambrel  roof 
and  central  chimney;  on  the  front  is  a  modern,  roofless  veranda.  John 
was  the  son  of  Daniel  Howland  who,  with  26  others,  was  named  in  the 
articles  of  Tiverton's  incorporation  in  March,  1692. 

At  3.7  m.  is  the  junction  with  Lawton  Ave. 

Left  0.3  m.  on  this  avenue,  at  the  cor.  of  Highland  Ave.,  are  the  Remains  of  Fort 
Barton,  high  on  a  hill  above  the  road.  Little  is  left  of  these  Revolutionary  earth- 
works, but  the  view  from  the  hilltop  repays  the  effort  to  reach  it.  To  this  hill,  in 
August,  1778,  came  Generals  John  Sullivan,  Nathanael  Greene,  and  Lafayette, 
to  observe  the  masterly  retreat  of  the  Americans  from  the  battle  of  Rhode  Island, 
which  was  fought  on  the  hills  of  Portsmouth  to  the  westward. 

The  fort  was  named  for  Colonel  William  Barton,  who,  on  the  night  of  July  9,  1777, 
captured  the  British  General  Richard  Prescott  in  Portsmouth  (see  Tour  5). 

Behind  the  Town  Hall,  on  the  southwest  cor.  of  Lawton  and  Highland  Aves.,  is 
a  Cemetery,  laid  out  as  the  'Ministry  Lot'  in  1680;  few  of  the  headstone  inscrip- 
tions are  legible. 

The  village  of  TIVERTON  (alt.  20,  township  pop.  4578),  3.7  m.,  is  the 
governmental  center  of  the  township,  which  was  probably  named  for 
Tiverton,  England.  Governor  Bradford  and  associates  of  Plymouth 
secured  an  English  patent  to  this  area  in  1629;  they  also  purchased  the 
land  from  the  Pocasset  Indians.  In  March,  1680,  Governor  Winslow  of 
Plymouth  conferred  the  tract,  by  a '  Grand  Deed '  upon  eight  persons,  who 
became  the  Pocasset  Proprietors.  After  this  date  Tiverton  was  settled 
by  colonists  from  the  Massachusetts  town. 

In  1691,  Tiverton,  then  known  as  Pocasset,  was  included  in  Bristol 
County,  and  was  in  March,  1692,  incorporated  as  a  Massachusetts  town. 
It  then  had  freemen  or  legal  voters.  Tiverton  was  annexed  to  Rhode 
Island  in  1746,  but  a  part  of  it  was  annexed  to  Fall  River,  Mass.,  in  1862. 

The  town  was  the  scene  of  considerable  activity  during  the  Revolutionary 
War,  especially  during  the  34  months  that  the  British  held  the  island  of 
Aquidneck,  because  Tiverton  then  became  an  asylum  for  Americans  flee- 
ing from  the  occupied  territory.  The  town  was  made  a  mustering  point 
for  Colonial  forces  gathered  to  drive  the  British  off  the  Island  of  Rhode 
Island.  In  October,  1778,  the  British  galley  'Pigot'  of  two  hundred  tons, 
armed  with  eight  i2-pounders,  blockaded  the  Sakonnet  River.  Major 
Silas  Talbot,  in  a  small  sloop,  with  two  3-pounders,  and  60  men  under 
Lieutenant  Helme,  descended  the  Sakonnet  on  the  night  of  the  28th,  and, 
after  passing  Fogland  Ferry  under  cover  of  darkness,  surprised  the  '  Pigot ' 
and  captured  the  whole  crew  without  the  loss  of  a  man  on  either  side. 

Tiverton  is  chiefly  an  agricultural  community  though  it  has  always  paid 
some  attention  to  fishing.  Boat  building  was  carried  on  here  at  one  time, 
and  from  1878  to  1909  the  manufacture  of  menhaden  oil  and  guano  were 
profitable  industries.  Although  cotton  and  woolen  mills  were  established 


416  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

in  the  township  as  early  as  1827,  only  one  mill  is  now  in  operation.  In 
recent  years  Tiverton  has  become  favorably  known  as  a  summer  resort. 

The  village  of  Tiverton  is  clustered  around  the  eastern  end  of  Stone 
Bridge,  and  on  the  steep  hills  rising  near  the  shore. 

Near  the  bridge  is  the  junction  with  State  126  (see  Tour  QA). 

Stone  Bridge,  3.8  m.,  connects  Tiverton  with  the  Island  of  Rhode  Island. 
A  ferry  was  established  in  1640  at  this  point,  probably  the  first  regular 
ferry  to  be  commissioned  in  Rhode  Island.  It  was  locally  referred  to  as 
Rowland's  Ferry,  but  was  also  called  Pocasset  Ferry,  Sanford's  Ferry  and 
Wanton's  Ferry.  It  was  run  by  the  Rowland  family  from  about  1703  to 
1776.  The  ferry-right  was  sold  to  the  Rhode  Island  Bridge  Company  in 
1794,  and  a  wooden  bridge  was  built  and  opened  the  next  year,  though  it 
was  not  steadily  in  use  until  1810.  The  present  steel  bridge  was  con- 
structed by  the  State  in  1907. 

From  Stone  Bridge,  The  Hummocks  and  Common  Fence  Point  are  visible 
(R),  exclusive  summer  colonies  that  project  into  the  Sakonnet  River;  left 
is  the  expanse  of  the  Sakonnet  River  itself,  with  GOULD  ISLAND, 
or  Golding's,  near  the  eastern  shore.  The  island  was  the  Site  of  Owl's 
Nest  Fort,  built  by  the  colonists  during  King  Philip's  War. 

Southwest  of  Stone  Bridge  the  route  passes  through  the  eastern  part  of 
the  Island  of  Rhode  Island,  a  prosperous  farming  country,  with  many 
attractive  summer  homes,  wooded  hills,  and  seascapes. 

Island  Park  (open  in  summer,  bathing,  concessions;  dancing  Mon.,  Fri., 
Sat.,  35fO,  4.7  m.,  is  a  small  summer  resort  and  amusement  park. 

At  5.1  m.  is  the  junction  with  paved  Boyd's  Lane. 

Right  on  this  lane  0.4  m.  is  (L)  an  old  piece  of  the  road,  from  which  can  be  reached 
(difficult  to  find;  inquire  of  residents)  the  Site  of  the  First  Portsmouth  Settlement, 
indicated  by  a  bronze  tablet  at  Founder's  Brook.  Anne  Hutchinson  was  the  mov- 
ing spirit  in  the  group  of  colonists  who  were  exiled  from  Massachusetts  after  her 
brother-in-law,  the  Rev.  John  Wheelwright,  was  found  guilty  of  preaching  a 
seditious  sermon  during  the  Pequot  War.  With  her  husband  and  their  sixteen 
children  she  came  with  those  who  made  the  first  settlement  in  Portsmouth,  in  1638. 
She  was  a  brilliant  and  talented  woman  of  a  bold  and  courageous  temperament. 
Her  name  stands  with  that  of  Roger  Williams  for  the  principle  of  free  speech. 
The  tablet  on  Founder's  Brook  bears  the  words  of  the  original  Portsmouth  com- 
pact of  government,  and  the  names  of  its  23  signers.  The  tablet  rests  on  pudding- 
stone  rock  from  which  the  founders  are  said  to  have  addressed  the  members  of  the 
Colony  on  town  affairs.  Leading  up  to  the  memorial  boulder  is  a  pathway,  the 
paving  stones  of  which  were  contributed  by  lineal  descendants  of  the  founders 
of  Portsmouth.  Partial  excavations  near-by  have  revealed  the  foundations  of  the 
early  houses  of  the  Hutchinson  settlement. 

At  5.8  m.  is  the  junction  with  paved  Sprague  St. 

Right  0.2  m.  on  this  street  is  a  lane  leading  (L)  0.1  m.  to  the  Site  of  Fort  Butts, 
erected  by  the  British  in  1777,  and  occupied  by  the  Americans  in  1778  as  the  island 
base  of  the  Continental  Army  under  General  John  Sullivan  in  the  battle  of  Rhode 
Island  (see  below).  The  line  of  the  works,  marked  by  tablets,  can  still  be  traced. 

The  Dennis  House,  6.4  m.  (L),  a  two-and-a-half-story  clapboarded  frame 
building  with  gambrel  roof,  was  built  about  1760.  One  day  while  exer- 


From  Fall  River  to  Newport  417 

cising  with  a  sword,  Lafayette,  who  established  headquarters  here  in 
1778,  managed  to  break  a  plate,  which  is  in  the  possession  of  the  present 
occupant  of  the  house. 

The  Portsmouth  Public  Library  (open  weekdays  9-6),  at  6.8  m.  (R),  a 
plain  one-story  frame  structure  built  in  1898,  houses  a  modest  collection 
of  fiction  and  reference  books.  The  library  is  the  outgrowth  of  the  Thurs- 
day Evening  Club,  a  discussion  group  founded  in  1893. 

The  village  of  PORTSMOUTH  (alt.  60,  township  pop.  2969),  6.9  m., 
clusters  around  a  few  stores  on  a  street  intersection.  Portsmouth  Town- 
ship was  probably  named  for  Portsmouth  in  the  county  of  Hampshire, 
England.  It  was  founded  in  1638  by  19  colonists  from  Massachusetts 
Bay  Colony,  under  the  leadership  of  John  Clarke  and  William  Cod- 
dington  (see  History}.  The  ^first  settlement  was  made  in  1638  at  the 
north  end  of  the  island,  by  what  is  now  called  Founder's  Brook  (see 
above).  Here  a  body  politic  was  formed  on  democratic  principles,  in  which 
no  one  was  to  be  'accounted  a  delinquent  for  doctrine.'  Meetings  of  the 
settlement  were  held  whenever  occasion  demanded,  which  in  the  early 
days  was  frequent.  The  colony  flourished  and  soon  received  a  larger 
group  of  settlers  from  Massachusetts,  who  came  with  Anne  Hutchinson 
(see  above). 

In  May,  1639,  William  Coddington,  Nicholas  Easton,  John  Clarke,  and 
eight  others  moved  to  Newport  and  carried  with  them  the  Pocasset 
(Portsmouth)  records  to  that  date,  which  explains  why  the  history  of 
Newport  begins  with  the  settlement  of  Pocasset.  After  this  group  left,  a 
new  political  organization  was  formed  by  the  thirty-one  remaining 
colonists.  In  1640,  Portsmouth  and  Newport  were  joined  under  a  com- 
mon government  (see  NEWPORT). 

During  the  Revolution  the  people  of  Portsmouth  suffered  greatly  from 
the  oppressions  of  the  enemy,  their,  property  and  their  lives  being  at  the 
mercy  of  the  English  troops.  The  town  was  the  scene  of  two  important 
events  during  the  war  —  the  capture  of  General  Prescott  (see  Tour  5), 
and  the  battle  of  Rhode  Island.  In  the  latter  battle,  the  American  troops 
under  General  John  Sullivan  on  August  loth  crossed  from  Tiverton  by 
the  ferry  operated  at  the  point  where  Stone  Bridge  now  is,  and  drove  the 
British  back  into  their  entrenchments  at  Newport.  After  holding  them 
there  for  some  weeks,  it  was  decided  to  evacuate  the  island,  because  of 
the  lack  of  co-operation  from  the  French  fleet  (see  NEWPORT)-  it  was 
during  this  retreat  that  the  battle  of  Rhode  Island  was  fought,  August  29, 
1778.  After  the  battle,  which  was  practically  a  draw,  the  American  forces 
recrossed  by  ferry  to  Tiverton,  retreating  without  loss.  The  British 
evacuated  the  island  in  October,  1779. 

The  earliest  activities  of  Portsmouth  were  farming  and  shipbuilding,  but 
the  fisheries  of  the  adjoining  waters  have  for  some  time  constituted  an 
important  source  of  revenue  to  many  inhabitants.  The  coal  field  in 
the  western  part  of  the  township  has  produced  a  combustible  coal  and  at 
one  time  a  large  business  was  carried  on.  Coal-mining  was  introduced 


41 8  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

here  about  1800,  but  the  product  required  special  apparatus  and  powerful 
blast  to  burn  it,  and  it  was  little  used  except  in  smelting  furnaces;  the 
mines  were  abandoned  in  1911.  In  recent  years  the  township  has  wit- 
nessed a  considerable  increase  in  the  number  of  summer  homes  and  of 
permanent  residences  of  people  who  work  in  near-by  cities. 

Quaker  Hill,  7.5  m.,  was  the  site  of  important  British  fortifications  during 
the  Revolution.  From  the  summit  of  the  hill,  the  picturesque  heights  of 
Tiverton  and  the  peaceful  undulations  of  Little  Compton  are  seen  to  the 
east. 

The  Quaker  Meeting-House,  7.6  m.  (R),  a  plain  two-and-a-half-story 
frame  building,  with  a  hip  roof,  and  a  lean-to  on  the  south  side,  was 
erected  about  1702.  The  interior  has  been  refitted  in  a  more  ornate  style 
than  is  common  to  the  meeting-houses  of  this  sect.  The  house  was  used 
as  a  barracks  by  Hessian  troops  during  the  British  occupation  of  Rhode 
Island.  The  Friends'  Boarding  School,  founded  here  in  November,  1784, 
was  moved  to  Providence  in  1819,  becoming  the  Moses  Brown  School 
(see  PROVIDENCE).  Behind  the  meeting-house  is  a  half -acre  ceme- 
tery, surrounded  by  a  plain  stone  wall.  The  older  graves  are  marked  by 
unhewn  slabs  of  native  stone,  devoid  of  any  ornamentation,  polish,  or  in- 
scription. 

The  Union  Meeting-House,  9.9  m.  (R),  erected  about  1865,  is  a  tall  two- 
story  frame  structure  with  its  gable  end  facing  the  road.  The  Rhode 
Island  Union  Society,  incorporated  in  1821,  decided  that  the  names  by 
which  churches  and  religious  societies  are  commonly  called  have  a  ten- 
dency to  divide  the  Christian  community  into  sects,  pernicious  to  pure 
and  undefiled  religion;  therefore  they  later  agreed  to  call  their  church 
the  Union  Meeting-House. 

At  the  northwest  cor.  of  State  138  and  Union  St.,  10  m.,  is  the  Site  of 
the  First  Skirmish  of  the  Battle  of  Rhode  Island,  marked  by  a  granite 
memorial  stone.  Here  an  American  advance  detachment  ambushed  a 
superior  force  of  English  troops,  and  killed  a  large  number  before  retreat- 
ing to  their  main  line. 

At  12.9  m.  is  the  junction  with  paved  Aquidneck  Ave.,  from  which 
several  connecting  roads  run  to  the  main  points  of  interest  in  east 
Middletown  Township. 

Left  on  Aquidneck  Ave.  0.9  m.  is  the  junction  with  paved  Green  End  Ave.;  left 
here  0.5  m.  to  the  Honyman  House  (L),  a  small  one-and-a-half-story  frame  building 
erected  in  1742  that  was  once  the  home  of  the  Reverend  James  Honyman,  rector  of 
Trinity  Church,  Newport,  from  1704  to  1750.  Mr.  Honyman  was  a  popular 
minister,  'a  gentleman  well  calculated  to  unite  his  own  society,  which  grew  and 
flourished  exceedingly  under  his  charge,  as  well  as  to  conciliate  those  of  other 
religious  persuasions,  all  of  whom  he  embraced  with  the  arm  of  charity.'  His 
daughter,  Elizabeth,  married  William  Mumford  of  South  Kingstown,  the  ceremony 
being  performed  by  Dean  Berkeley.  James  Honyman,  Jr.,  Attorney-General  of 
the  Colony  (1732-40),  was  King's  Advocate  for  the  Court  of  Vice- Admiralty  from 
1764  to  the  Revolution.  After  the  British  evacuated  Rhode  Island,  the  Honyman 
property  was  confiscated  by  the  State. 

At  0.6  m.  on  Green  End  Ave.  is  the  junction  with  Berkeley  Ave.;  left  0.3  m.  on  the 
latter  is  Whitehall  (open  July  i  to  Sept.  15,  10-6;  adm.  25  fi,  the  estate  purchased 


From  Fall  River  to  Newport  419 

by  Dean  George  Berkeley  in  1729  and  named  by  him  for  the  residence  of  the  King 
of  England.  There  was  on  the  place  at  the  time  a  17th-century  farmhouse,  which 
the  Dean  enlarged  to  accommodate  his  household.  When  the  place  was  acquired 
in  recent  years  by  the  Colonial  Dames  it  was  a  two-story  frame  structure  with  a 
lean-to,  in  bad  repair.  While  the  original  timbers  have  been  used  as  far  as  possible 
in  the  restoration,  the  present  structure  is  probably  somewhat  more  elaborate 
than  was  that  occupied  briefly  by  the  Dean.  The  rooms  are  still  low-ceiled  and 
the  fireplaces  are  large.  The  house  contains  many  fine  old  furnishings  and  valuable 
relics. 

Dean  Berkeley  left  England  in  September,  1728,  to  establish  a  college  in  Bermuda 
to  train  pastors  for  the  Colonial  churches,  and  missionaries  for  work  among  the 
Indians.  The  ship  lost  its  course  at  sea  and  arrived  at  Newport  in  January,  1729. 
Six  months  later  Berkeley  and  his  wife  established  their  residence  here.  In  the 
summer  of  that  year  the  first  chapter  of  his  book  'Alciphron'  was  written.  'Alci- 
phron'  or  the  'Minute  Philosopher,'  in  two  volumes,  contains  a  defense  of  the 
Christian  religion  against  the  attacks  of  those  who  were  called  free-thinkers,  and 
a  lengthy  description  of  English  scenes  and  customs  set  down  as  if  they  took 
place  in  Rhode  Island.  After  Berkeley  in  1731  discovered  that  support  of  the 
English  government  for  the  proposed  American  college  was  not  forthcoming,  he 
returned  to  England,  giving  his  library  of  880  volumes  to  Yale  College.  The  house 
was  also  given  to  the  college,  and  its  rent  for  many  years  provided  a  scholarship 
known  as  'The  Dean's  Bounty.'  At  one  time  Whitehall  was  a  public-house,  kept 
by  a  Mr.  Anthony,  whose  daughter  became  the  mother  of  Gilbert  Stuart,  the 
artist  (see  Tour  1). 

Green  End  Ave.  ends  at  Indian  Ave.,  2.1  m.;  right  on  the  latter,  at  the  corner  of 
Vauclause  Ave.  is  (R)  Berkeley  Memorial  Chapel,  2.2  m.,  a  field-stone  structure  in 
English  Gothic  style,  consecrated  in  1887.  The  interior  of  the  chapel  and  chancel 
is  of  rough  stone;  the  chairs  and  hassocks,  imported  from  England,  were  patterned 
after  those  in  St.  Paul's  Cathedral,  London.  Stones  from  Cloyne  Cathedral,  and 
from  the  island  of  lona  are  set  in  the  porch.  Adjoining  the  chapel  is  an  attractive 
cemetery. 

On  Indian  Ave.,  at  2.5  m.  (L),  is  Boothden,  a  two-and-a-half -story  frame  building, 
with  many  gables,  erected  in  1883  by  Edwin  Booth,  the  actor  and  tragedian. 

On  Aquidneck  Ave.,  south  of  the  junction  with  Green  End  Ave.,  is  at  2.2  m.  the 
junction  with  Purgatory  Rd.,  beside  Atlantic  Beach  (bathing,  concessions  at  nomi- 
nal charge).  The  west  end  of  this  beach,  lying  in  the  City  of  Newport,  is  called 
Newport  Beach. 

Left  on  Purgatory  Rd.  to  St.  George's  School,  2.8  m.  (L),  a  private  seminary  for 
boys,  founded  in  1896  by  the  Reverend  John  Diman.  The  large,  tree-shaded 
campus  consists  of  n^  acres,  and  the  buildings  are  mostly  in  the  Georgian  Colo- 
nial style,  unpretentious  but  comfortable  and  homelike.  The  old  school,  the  origi- 
nal building  of  the  group,  is  the  central  unit,  and  connected  with  it  by  a  covered 
walk  is  King  Hall,  which  contains  a  magnificent  oak-paneled  dining-room,  from 
the  walls  of  which  hang  silk  flags  of  the  13  original  Colonies.  The  Chapel,  in  the 
rear,  is  a  large  structure  in  English  Tudor  style,  dedicated  in  April,  1928.  It  has 
a  crenelated  polygonal  turret. 

At  3  m.  on  Purgatory  Rd.  is  the  junction  with  Tuckerman  Ave.;  a  short  distance 
R.  on  the  latter  is  Purgatory,  a  large  fissure  of  forbidding  aspect  in  a  bed  of  conglom- 
erate. The  chasm  is  160  feet  long,  from  8  to  14  feet  wide  at  the  top,  and  from  2  to 
20  feet  at  the  bottom.  On  a  boulder  near  the  chasm  are  many  bowl-depressions 
that  look  like  the  marks  of  an  ax,  and  some  others  that  resemble  footprints. 

According  to  legend,  one  night  in  Wickford  (see  Tour  1),  Hobomoko,  the  Indian 
Satan,  accosted  an  Indian  squaw  who  had  murdered  a  white  man.  He  begged  the 
favor  of  her  company  for  a  short  distance,  and,  seizing  her  by  the  arm,  dragged  her 
along.  Then,  grasping  her  firmly  by  the  waist,  the  fiend  made  one  or  two  fierce 
stamps  on  the  ground,  and  flew  with  his  victim  toward  Purgatory.  When  they 
landed  near  here,  the  squaw  showed  fight  and  the  Devil  was  forced  to  bump  her 


420  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

head  against  the  boulder,  and  finally  to  draw  his  tomahawk.  He  bumped  and 
bumped,  chopped  and  chopped,  until  he  had  chopped  her  head  off,  and  then  ran 
up  on  the  ledge  with  the  body  and  threw  it  into  the  chasm.  The  bowl-like  de- 
pressions show  where  he  bumped  the  squaw's  head,  the  ax-marks  where  the  toma- 
hawk struck,  and  the  footprints  in  the  vein  of  stone  where  he  ran  with  his  victim's 
body  to  the  edge  of  Purgatory. 

At  3.1  m.  on  Purgatory  Rd.  is  the  junction  with  Paradise  Rd.;  0.2  m.  left  on  this 
road  is  the  Easton  Farm,  once  the  estate  of  Nicholas  Easton,  one  of  the  founders  of 
Newport  in  1639.  A  stone  marked  1640  is  set  in  the  wall  at  the  entrance  gate,  and 
there  is  a  marker  with  the  following  inscription: 

Here  lie  buried 

Mary 

Daughter  of  Roger  Williams 

and  her  husband 

John  Fayles. 

At  3.1  m.  Purgatory  Rd.  becomes  Hanging  Rock  Rd.  Right  is  Second  Beach, 
about  2  miles  long,  with  good  surf  bathing  but  no  bathhouses. 

The  Hanging  Rocks  on  Hanging  Rock  Rd.  (L)  at  3.6  m.,  are  an  immense  mass  of 
stone  that  far  overhangs  the  base.  These  rocks  are  about  50  feet  high  and  extend 
inland  for  about  i  mile.  A  fissure  called  the  Lion's  Mouth  is  where  Dean  Berkeley 
sat  and  composed  some  of  his  works,  including  'Alciphron.' 

At  4.3  m.  on  Hanging  Rock  Rd.  is  the  junction  with  Third  Beach  Rd.;  right  0.2  m. 
on  this  road  is  Third  Beach  (bathing;  bathhouses  only  for  club  members). 

The  village  of  MIDDLETOWN  (alt.  100,  township  pop.  2550),  on  State 
138  at  13.6  m.,  is  composed  of  many  widely  scattered  houses.  Middle- 
town  Township,  so  named  because  of  its  central  position  on  the  Island  of 
Rhode  Island,  owes  its  existence  to  the  feeling  of  jealousy  and  opposition 
that  is  sure  to  arise  between  those  who  dwell  in  the  '  compact  part '  of  a 
town  and  those  who  live  in  '  the  woods.'  In  Newport  more  than  a  century 
elapsed  before  the  feeling  became  sufficiently  strong  to  necessitate  a 
division.  Middletown  was  taken  from  the  limits  of  what  was  formerly  the 
town  of  Newport,  and  incorporated  in  August,  1743. 
During  the  Revolution,  on  December  8,  1776,  a  British  fleet  of  n  ships 
under  Sir  Peter  Parker,  landed  on  the  shores  of  Middletown,  and  after  a 
night  of  pillage  marched  into  Newport.  During  the  three  years  the  enemy 
held  the  island,  business  and  commerce  was  nearly  at  a  standstill,  and 
more  than  a  quarter  of  the  town's  inhabitants  were  driven  away. 
During  the  War  of  1812,  at  the  end  of  May,  1814,  the  British  man-of-war, 
'Nimrod,'  of  18  guns,  chased  a  Swedish  brig  with  a  cargo  of  molasses 
from  the  West  Indies  into  the  east  passage  of  Narragansett  Bay.  The 
brig  ran  aground  on  Third  Beach,  and  the  crew  escaped  ashore,  except 
for  the  captain,  who  could  not  swim.  Next  morning  men  came  out  from 
Newport  and  set  up  a  6-pounder  gun  on  the  beach;  the  'Nimrod'  came 
in  and  fired  some  300  shots  at  the  brig,  the  last  shot,  a  ricochet,  killing 
a  man  who  had  gone  out  to  rescue  the  captain. 

There  are  few  native  trees  now  growing  in  the  township,  the  original 
forests  having  been  cleared  away  to  make  room  for  farms.  The  inhabi- 
tants are  mostly  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits,  especially  in  nurseries. 
As  in  the  case  of  Portsmouth,  the  town  is  developing  into  a  summer  resort. 
At  14.5  m.  is  the  junction  with  State  114  (see  Tour  5),  2  miles  north  of 
Newport. 


TOUR     6  A  :     From   TIVERTON   to    SAKONNET    POINT, 

13  m.,  State  126  and  Sakonnet  Point  Rd. 


Via  Tiverton  Four  Corners. 

Good  hard-surfaced  roadbed,  mostly  three  lanes  wide. 

STATE  126  runs  south  from  Stone  Bridge  in  Tiverton,  through  an  at- 
tractive rolling  countryside  with  many  good  views  of  lower  Narragansett 
Bay. 

State  126  branches  south  from  State  138  in  Tiverton  (see  Tour  6),  near 
the  end  of  Stone  Bridge,  where  the  Tiverton  World  War  Monument 
stands  (L)  in  a  small  triangular  grass  plot.  The  memorial,  a  life-sized 
bronze  statue  of  an  American  soldier,  stands  on  a  granite  base.  Right  is 
the  Sakonnet  River,  an  inlet  of  the  sea  that  can  be  considered  one  of  the 
branches  of  Narragansett  Bay. 

At  0.2  m.  (L)  is  Holy  Trinity  Church,  a  small  stone  edifice  in  English 
Gothic  design,  erected  in  1917,  with  mullioned  windows.  The  parish  was 
organized  in  1712  by  the  Reverend  James  Honyman,  who  became  rector 
of  Trinity  Church,  Newport,  in  1704  and  served  in  that  capacity  for 
nearly  half  a  century.  For  eight  years  after  assuming  his  pastorate  in 
Newport  he  made  weekly  visits  to  Little  Compton,  eventually  establish- 
ing the  Episcopal  church  in  this  town. 

The  highway  bears  left  at  0.7  m.,  across  the  northern  end  of  Nannaquaket 
Pond.  GOULD  ISLAND,  which  has  the  same  name  as  a  larger  island  in 
the  main  part  of  Narragansett  Bay  between  Newport  and  Jamestown,  is 
seen  offshore  (R).  The  smaller  island  was  the  scene  of  a  King  Philip's 
War  skirmish  in  which  Captain  Benjamin  Church  was  rescued  from  the 
Indians  by  a  Captain  Golding,  for  whom  the  island  was  presumably 
named. 

The  Lafayette  House  (private),  2.6  m.  (L),  is  a  large  two-story  frame  struc- 
ture, the  northern  end  of  which  was  built  in  1735,  the  southern  end  some 
30  years  later.  A  piazza  now  extends  around  two  sides,  and  two  large 
elm  trees  adorn  the  peaceful  front  lawn.  For  a  short  time  during  the  Revo- 
lution this  house  was  used  as  headquarters  by  the  Marquis  de  Lafayette. 

At  3.1  m.  (L),  close  inspection  reveals  a  Cellar  Hole  above  which  once 
stood  the  commissary  headquarters  of  the  American  troops  during  the 
Revolutionary  campaign  in  which  the  battle  of  Rhode  Island  (1778) 
was  fought  (see  Tour  6). 

The  Robert  Gray  House  (private),  3.6  m.  (L),  is  a  very  plain,  two-and-a- 
half-story  square  house,  gray  in  color  with  a  white  trim,  that  was  once 
the  home  of  Captain  Robert  Gray,  the  first  American  to  enter  the  Colum- 
bia River  (1792).  Captain  Gray  was  also  the  first  to  carry  the  American 
flag  around  the  globe  (1789-90).  Gray's  voyage  into  the  Columbia  River 


422  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

gave  the  United  States  one  of  its  claims  to  the  Oregon  Territory,  which 
was  the  subject  of  dispute  with  Great  Britain  until  1846. 

In  the  small  village  of  TIVERTON  FOUR  CORNERS  (alt.  20),  4.3  m., 
is  the  junction  with  Sakonnet  Point  Rd.  State  126  bears  left  into  Adams- 
ville  (see  below).  On  the  southeast  corner  of  the  intersection,  lying  on 
the  ground  near  an  old  building,  is  a  Whipping-Post,  said  to  have  been  last 
used  about  1800. 

South  of  Four  Corners  on  Sakonnet  Point  Rd.  is,  at  5.6  m.,  the  junction 
with  a  side  road. 

Right  about  1  m.  on  the  latter  is  Fogland  Point,  the  Site  ofFogland  Ferry,  or  Almy's 
Ferry,  to  Portsmouth.  On  January  2,  1707,  Captain  Thomas  Townshend  peti- 
tioned for  the  right  to  run  a  ferry  from  Puncatest  Neck  to  Portsmouth.  The  court 
granted  the  privileges  of  said  ferry  to  Job  Almy,  stepson  of  Captain  Townshend, 
he  to  give  bond  and  provide  a  good  boat  with  sails  and  oars.  Almy's  Ferry  is  men- 
tioned in  legislative  acts,  fixing  rates  of  ferriage,  of  1747,  1752,  and  1767.  The 
ferry  service  was  interrupted  during  the  Revolution,  when  a  British  man-of-war 
hovered  in  the  channel,  and  it  is  doubtful  whether  it  was  ever  re-established,  though 
small  private  boats  were  later  run  to  accommodate  neighbors.  In  this  vicinity 
the  British  maintained  fortifications  during  the  Revolution.  Previous  to  the 
Revolution  this  area  was  the  scene  of  the  battle  of  Fogland,  in  King  Philip's  War. 

On  Windmill  Hill,  at  5.9  m.,  is  the  Tiverton-Little  Compton  boundary 
line.  Little  Compton  has  some  of  the  most  attractive  rural  and  seaside 
landscapes  in  the  State. 

The  Amdsa  Gray  House  (private),  8.7  m.  (R),  is  a  large,  rambling,  gable- 
roofed  building,  probably  built  about  1684.  With  the  exception  of  the  ell 
on  the  south  side,  the  house  remains  nearly  in  its  original  form. 

At  8.9  m.  is  the  junction  with  a  narrow  dirt  lane. 

Right  'a  short  distance  on  the  lane  to  Treaty  Rock,  on  the  Richmond  Farm  (per- 
mission necessary  to  visit).  This  is  an  immense  flat  rock  marking  the  site  where, 
during  King  Philip's  War,  Colonel  Benjamin  Church  met  Awashonks,  squaw- 
sachem  of  the  Sakonnet  Indians.  Church  persuaded  her  to  keep  out  of  the  war. 

Near  the  lane  leading  to  Treaty  Rock  is  the  junction  with  paved  Meeting- 
House  Lane. 

Left  from  Sakonnet  Point  Rd.  on  Meeting-House  Lane  is,  at  0.7  m.,  LITTLE 
COMPTON  COMMON  (alt.  100,  township  pop.  1383),  the  center  of  the  township. 
Little  Compton  was  named  for  a  village  in  Warwickshire,  England;  the  original, 
or  Indian,  name  was  Saughkonet  ('  the  black  goose  comes').  The  Indians  possessing 
the  area  were  known  to  the  whites  by  the  name  they  gave  the  haunt  of  the  black 
goose.  The  squaw-sachem  Awashonks,  who  seems  to  have  been  beloved  by  her 
people,  was  one  who  in  her  business  and  treaty  relations  with  the  whites  is  said  to 
have  regarded  her  obligations  as  sacred.  An  important  compact  was  made  be- 
tween Awashonks  and  Colonel  Benjamin  Church  on  August  i,  1675,  with  reference 
to  the  attitude  she  and  her  people  should  maintain  in  the  King  Philip  War  and  to- 
ward the  proposed  settling  enterprises  of  the  white  men,  then  scarcely  begun.  This 
compact  was  of  signal  importance  in  its  bearing  upon  the  issues  of  those  times  and 
is  a  great  credit  to  Colonel  Church,  the  diplomat.  It  was  one  of  Awashonks's  sub- 
jects, Alderman,  who  killed  King  Philip,  bringing  to  a  close  the  King  Philip  War. 
Little  Compton,  incorporated  by  the  Plymouth  Colony  in  1681,  was  one  of  the  five 
towns  annexed  to  Newport  County,  R.I.,  in  1747.  A  settlement  probably  existed 
here  before  1674,  which  is  the  recorded  date  of  the  first  white  man's  habitation  in 
the  town,  but  it  was  not  until  1677,  after  the  King  Philip  War,  that  permanent 
settlements  were  made  on  the  farms  that  had  been  allotted  four  years  before.  The 


From  Tiverton  to  Sakonnet  Point  423 

first  post-office  in  the  town,  established  in  1804,  was  given  the  name  of  the  town  but 
on  March  8,  1847,  the  name  was  changed  to  Adamsville.  The  form  of  the  southern 
part  of  the  20  square  mile  township  is  that  of  a  peninsula  inclining  to  a  point.  The 
soil  is  generally  of  a  deep,  rich  loam  and  quite  productive.  Considerable  attention 
is  given  to  agriculture,  especially  market  gardening,  and  the  fisheries  are  the  source 
of  great  profit. 

The  site  of  the  Common,  now  a  closely  built-up  village  centered  around  an  old 
graveyard  and  several  churches,  was  chosen  for  settlement  in  March,  1677,  when 
the  Sakonnet  Company  of  Proprietors  selected  a  parcel  of  land  near  the  center  of 
their  property  and  gave  it  the  name  still  used  for  the  village  and  its  vicinity. 
The  Town  Hall  on  the  Common  is  a  two-and-a-half-story,  frame  structure,  square 
in  plan,  built  in  1882.  It  is  used  as  a  public  hall,  and  holds  the  public  records,  the 
public  library,  and  the  town's  legislative  and  judicial  offices.  The  Public  Library 
contains  7000  volumes  (open  Wed.  1-5,  Sat.  2-5  and  7-9). 

The  Josephine  Wilbur  School  or  Central  School,  on  the  Common,  is  a  one-story 
stone  structure  containing  twelve  classrooms,  a  library,  a  home  economics  room, 
and  an  auditorium  seating  325.  This  building  houses  the  grammar  and  high  school 
facilities  of  the  township. 

The  Brownell  Library  (open)  is  maintained  by  the  estate  of  Pardon  Brownell. 
The  United  Congregational  Church  was  organized  November  30,  1704;  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  in  1820-25;  and  St.  Catherine's  Church  (R.C.)  in  1930. 
On  the  Common  is  also  a  white  marble  Memorial  to  Elizabeth  Alden  Pabodie,  the 
first  white  woman  born  in  New  England.  The  old  cemetery  on  the  Common  con- 
tains many  historic  gravestones,  one  being  in  remembrance  of  the  famous  Indian 
fighter,  Benjamin  Church.  There  is  also  a  stone  to '  Elizabeth,  who  should  have  been 
the  wife  of  Simeon  Palmer.'  Said  Elizabeth  was,  probably  to  the  disappointment 
of  those  who  scent  a  scandal  in  the  inscription,  legally  the  wife  of  Simeon,  an  i8th- 
century  character  of  some  importance  in  the  town,  but  a  man  of  such  difficult  dis- 
position that  she  confined  her  wifely  duties  as  far  as  possible  to  the  repairing  of  his 
socks  and  the  cooking  of  the  family  meals. 

Between  Little  Compton  Common  and  Adamsville,  the  road  turns  a  number  of 
right-angle  corners  (follow  signs). 

At  5.4  m.  is  the  junction  with  State  126;  left  about  i  mile  on  this  highway  is  the 
Free  Will  Baptist  Church  (L),  a  large  stone  building  erected  in  1841,  by  a  parish 
founded  about  1680. 

From  the  above  intersection  continue  east  on  State  126  into  the  small  village  of 
ADAMSVILLE  (alt.  20,  Little  Compton  Township),  5.6  m.  from  Sakonnet  Point 
Rd.  which  practically  stands  on  the  Massachusetts  boundary  line.  In  1788,  Samuel 
Church  settled  in  a  small  village  on  the  eastern  boundary  of  Little  Compton  and 
built  the  first  country  store;  this  can  be  regarded  as  the  beginning  of  Adamsville. 
Isolated  as  it  is  from  the  rest  of  the  town  to  which  it  belongs,  the  social  and  com- 
mercial interests  of  the  village  are  more  closely  allied  to  those  of  the  region  to  the 
eastward,  in  Massachusetts,  and  to  the  northward,  in  Tiverton,  than  to  the  town 
of  which  it  is  geographically  and  politically  a  part. 

In  the  center  (R)  is  the  Rhode  Island  Red  Hen  Monument,  a  pointed  granite  stone 
on  which  is  a  bronze  plaque  commemorating  the  origin  of  this  notable  breed  (see 
Agriculture). 

At  10.2  m.  on  Sakonnet  Point  Rd.  is  the  junction  with  a  dirt  lane. 

Right  a  few  yards  on  this  lane  is  the  Elizabeth  Pabodie  House,  a  plain  two-and-a- 
half -story  frame  building  erected  about  1681  that  was  once  the  home  of  Elizabeth 
Alden,  daughter  of  John  Alden  and  Priscilla  Mullins  of  Plymouth,  who  married 
Walter  Pabodie,  the  first  town  clerk  of  Little  Compton.  The  old  house  has  been 
much  rebuilt;  it  is  now  a  private  residence. 

Beside  Sakonnet  Point  Rd.  at  10.5  m.  (R)  is  a  boulder  about  2  feet  high 
marking  the  Site  of  the  First  Benjamin  Church  House;  Church  was  the 
Indian  fighter  who  led  the  small  band  that  finally  captured  King  Philip 


424  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

in  the  summer  of  1676.  The  final  acts  of  the  victors  in  this  war,  which  had 
resulted  from  the  first  flagrant  violation  of  an  agreement  between  the 
Europeans  and  the  aborigines,  set  the  tone  for  future  relations  between 
the  races  and  undoubtedly  had  permanent  influences  on  the  attitude  of 
the  Indians  in  dealing  with  the  expropriators  of  their  lands.  Captain 
Church  described  the  final  scene  thus: 

So  some  of  Captain  Church's  Indians  took  hold  of  him  [Philip]  by  his 
stockings,  and  some  by  his  small  breeches,  being  otherwise  naked,  and  drew 
him  through  the  mud  to  the  upland;  and  a  doleful,  great,  naked,  dirty  beast 
he  looked  like.  Captain  Church  then  said,  forasmuch  as  he  had  caused 
many  an  Englishman's  body  to  be  unburied,  and  to  rot  above  ground, 
that  not  one  of  his  bones  should  be  buried.  And  calling  his  old  Indian 
executioner,  bid  him  behead  and  quarter  him. . . .  And  so  he  went  to  work, 
and  did  as  he  was  ordered.  Philip  having  one  very  remarkable  hand,  being 
much  scarred,  occasioned  by  the  splitting  of  a  pistol  in  it  formerly,  Captain 
Church  gave  the  head  and  that  hand  to  Alderman,  the  Indian  who  shot  him 
to  show  to  such  gentlemen  as  would  bestow  gratuities  upon  him;  and  ac- 
cordingly he  got  many  a  penny  by  it. 

At  10.7  m.  is  the  junction  with  paved  Swamp  Rd. 

Left  about  0.5  m,  on  Swamp  Rd.  to  Wilbur's  Park  (open),  a  pleasant  natural  area 
with  a  number  of  hiking  trails,  and  a  large  Rock  where  Captain  Church  held  one  of 
his  numerous  parleys  with  the  Indians  in  the  late  iyth  century. 

Sakonnet  Rd.  turns  right  at  11.4  m.  and  ends  at  SAKONNET  POINT, 
13  m.,  a  picturesque  little  fishing  village  and  summer  resort  that  some- 
what resembles  Siasconset  on  Nantucket  Island,  Mass.  From  the  Point 
itself  is  a  broad  view  of  the  ocean  to  the  southward,  and  of  the  southern 
end  of  the  Island  of  Rhode  Island  to  the  west.  The  tower  of  the  chapel  of 
St.  George's  School  in  Middletown  is  seen  from  many  places  along  the  road 
near  the  Point.  There  are  no  public  bathing  facilities  in  this  immediate 
vicinity,  but  boating  and  fishing  trips  can  be  arranged  (public  beaches  on 
the  south  shore  of  Little  Compton  eastward  of  the  Point}.  Sakonnet  has  a 
rather  exclusive  summer  colony,  though  it  is  much  less  pretentious  than 
the  colony  on  the  south  shore  of  Newport. 


TOUR      7  :     From    NEWPORT    to    SAUNDERSTOWN,    via 

JAMESTOWN  (on  Conanicut  Island). 


Two  short  ferry  trips,  total  about  5  miles;  State  138  across  the  island,  and  from 
Saunders town  ferry  landing  to  junction  with  US  1,  1.4  m. 
The  village  of  Jamestown  is  on  Conanicut  Island  in  the  middle  of  Narragansett 
Bay;  reached  by  ferry  either  from  Newport  on  east  side  of  the  bay  or  from 
Saunderstown  on  west.  Each  passage  takes  about  20  minutes. 


From  Newport  to  Saunderstown  425 

Newport  to  Jamestown;  ferries  leave  Newport  at  Market  Square,  foot  of  Mill 
St.,  every  hour  on  the  half-hour;  connection  with  theJamestown-Saunderstown 
ferry  at  the  dock  on  west  side  of  the  island,  leaving  every  hour  on  the  hour. 

Saunderstown  to  Jamestown;  ferries  leave  Saunderstown  from  dock  on  State  138, 
a  few  rods  east  of  US  1,  every  hour  on  half-hour;  easy  connection  with  the 
Jamestown-Newport  ferry  at  dock  on  the  east  side  of  the  island,  leaving  every 
hour  on  the  hour.  Auto  toll  on  ferries  calculated  on  wheel-base,  average  90^ ; 
extra  passenger  fare  15^  each.  State  138,  crossing  island,  paved,  year-round 
road. 

FROM  the  stern  of  the  ferry,  as  it  leaves  the  slip  at  the  foot  of  Mill  St., 
Newport,  there  is  a  wide  view  of  the  historic  city  of  Newport  and  its 
harbor.  In  season,  all  varieties  of  sail  and  power  boats  from  dories  and 
outboards  to  the  schooners  and  yachts  of  transient  millionaires  crowd  the 
waters.  As  the  ferry  progresses,  Fort  Adams  (see  NEWPORT)  is  seen  on 
a  spit  of  land  jutting  out  from  the  mainland  (L).  The  ferry  goes  through 
a  passage  between  GOAT  ISLAND  (L),  where  is  a  United  States  Torpedo 
Station,  and  ROSE  ISLAND  (R),  the  Site  of  Fort  Hamilton  (see  NEW- 
PORT). The  old  mounds  are  visible  from  the  ferry.  A  short  distance 
away  (R)  on  COASTER'S  HARBOR  ISLAND  near  the  mainland  is  a 
United  States  Naval  Training  Station  and  the  War  College  (see  NEW- 
PORT). 


CONANICUT  ISLAND 


CONANICUT  is  about  9  miles  long,  with  an  average  breadth  of  i  to 
2  miles;  it  was  named  in  commemoration  of  Canonicus,  sachem  of  the 
Narragansetts  at  the  time  Roger  Williams  came  to  Rhode  Island.  The 
island  was  purchased  from  the  Indians  in  1656  by  Benedict  Arnold, 
William  Coddington,  and  others;  Jamestown  Township,  which  includes 
two  smaller  islands,  Dutch  and  Gould,  was  incorporated  in  1678.  The 
early  settlers  on  the  island  were  for  the  most  part  English  Quakers,  the 
Society  of  Friends  being  the  only  religious 'group  of  importance  on  the 
island  until  the  igth  century.  At  present  nearly  a  third  of  the  present 
population  is  of  Portuguese  origin,  but  many  of  the  old  farmhouses  on 
the  island  are  still  held  by  descendants  of  the  early  settlers. 

The  early  community  was  essentially  agricultural,  sheep-raising  being 
the  leading  occupation;  the  sheep  were  exported  through  Newport,  in 
the  Colonial  period  one  of  the  leading  seaports  in  North  America.  Since 
the  last  quarter  of  the  igth  century,  Conanicut  has  been  chiefly  a  popular 
summer  resort,  though  dairying  is  engaged  in  on  ten  or  a  dozen  farms. 
Harrison  S.  Morris,  author  of  'The  Landlord's  Daughter'  and  Charles 
W.  Stork,  poet  ('Sea  and  Bay,'  1916),  are  summer  residents  of  James- 
town, and  John  S.  Monks,  painter  of  pastoral  scenes,  and  William  T. 
Richards,  marine  artist,  were  formerly  members  of  the  summer  colony. 


426  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 


JAMESTOWN 

JAMESTOWN  (alt.  135,  town  pop.  1599),  originally  spelled  James 
Towne,  was  named  for  King  James  II  of  England. 

Transportation.  Newport  ferry  pier  at  east  end  of  Narragansett  Ave.,  State  138. 
Information.  Board  of  Trade,  Town  Hall,  Narragansett  Ave. 

Accommodations.  Three  hotels  and  many  boarding-houses,  the  majority  open 
only  in  summer. 

Amusements  and  Recreation:  Swimming.  Town  Beach  on  Mackerel  Cove,  1.5 
miles  south  of  village  center.  Golf.  Beaver  Tail  Country  Club,  3  miles  south  of 
center.  Fishing.  Bluefish  in  bay,  tuna  and  swordfish  offshore,  boats  available 
at  reasonable  rates.  Yachting.  Conanicut  Yacht  Club,  Walcott  Ave.  Weekly 
sailboat  races  in  summer. 

Annual  Events.  Last  Sunday  in  June,  Portuguese  celebration  of  Holy  Ghost 
Fiesta;  morning  mass  at  St.  Mark's  Church,  Narragansett  Ave.,  followed  by 
ceremony  in  Holy  Ghost  Hall,  and  afternoon  feast. 

The  compact  part  of  the  village  clusters  around  the  ferry  landing,  though 
a  fairly  closely  built  residential  area  extends  along  some  streets  to  the 
west  and  south. 

Straight  ahead  from  the  landing  are  three  large  frame  hotels.  Left,  a 
tangle  of  summer  residences  stretches  away  toward  Beaver  Tail,  and 
right  are  more  residences  and  part  of  the  farming  area  of  the  island. 

From  the  ferry  the  direct  route  across  the  island  is  Narragansett  Ave., 
State  138,  which  follows  the  course  taken  by  George  Washington  in 
March,  1781,  when  he  visited  Newport  to  confer  with  Rochambeau  about 
plans  for  the  southern  campaign,  which  resulted  in  the  defeat  of  Corn- 
wallis  at  Yorktown,  Va. 

At  Conanicut  Ave.  is  the  junction  with  the  route  circling  the  island  (see 
Tour  7 A). 

On  Shoreby  Hill,  a  little  right  of  Narragansett  Ave.,  is  the  Green  Farm- 
house (not  open),  built  in  1672;  remodeling  has  changed  the  lines  of  the 
original  structure.  When  a  British  force  landed  near  the  old  East  Ferry 
on  December  10, 1775,  under  Captain  James  Wallace,  it  marched  straight 
across  the  island,  burning  the  houses  along  the  present  Narragansett  Ave. 
The  Green  House,  however,  was  spared  because,  it  is  said,  the  Quaker 
occupant,  a  lady,  served  tea  to  the  captain.  This  British  force  left  Narra- 
gansett Bay  in  the  following  spring,  but  a  larger  expedition  returned  in 
December,  1776,  and  remained  until  October,  1779.  The  southern  part 
of  Conanicut  Island  was  occupied  by  English  forces  during  that  period, 
except  for  a  month  in  the  summer  of  1778.  During  the  British  occupation 
nearly  half  of  the  town's  population  fled  to  safer  areas  on  the  mainland. 

About  midway  of  the  island  on  Narragansett  Ave.  is  the  Philomenian 
Library  (open  Tues.  and  Sat.  2.30-5.30),  containing  over  7000  volumes, 
and,  opposite  the  Library,  is  the  Town  Hall. 


From  Newport  to  Saunderstown  427 

At  the  west  end  of  State  138, 1  m.,  is  the  dock  for  iheJamestown-Saunders- 
town  Ferry  (for  rates,  see  above) . 

The  trip  between  the  island  and  Saunderstown  is  particularly  picturesque 
when  the  sun  is  sinking  behind  the  wooded  hills  of  Narragansett  town,  the 
mainland  to  the  west.  To  the  east  lies  Jamestown,  colored  by  the  light 
of  the  setting  sun,  and  giving  an  impression  of  quiet  and  tranquillity. 
In  1844,  Henry  S.  Frieze,  a  Brown  professor  who  was  visiting  the  Carr 
Homestead  (see  Tour  7 A),  expressed  his  impressions  of  the  island  in  a  bit 
of  sentimental  verse  typical  of  the  period: 

'On  Narragansett's  azure  breast 
There  sleeps  an  isle  —  an  isle  of  rest  — 
Unvisited  by  mortal  strife 
And  toilsome  vanities  of  life, 
Save  in  faint  echoes  from  the  distant  land, 
Borne  o'er  the  waves  to  its  secluded  strand. 

No  gorgeous  palaces  uprear 

Their  walls  of  pomp  and  folly  here, 

No  glittering  monuments  of  wealth, 

Nor  battlements  of  war  and  death 

Enchant  or  terrify;  Ambition's  goad 

Stings  not,  nor  vice  leads  down  the  fatal  road. 

But  modest  dwellings  scattered  wide 

Along  the  hills  and  water's  side, 

Lift  their  gray  roofs,  with  woodbine  hung, 

The  tall,  old  sycamores  among, 

Or  half  concealed  amidst  the  fruitful  shades 

Of  teeming  orchards,  or  in  glassy  glades.' 

In  mid-channel  the  ferry  slips  by  DUTCH  ISLAND  (L),  so  named  be- 
cause it  was  said  to  have  been  visited  by  the  Dutch  as  early  as  1616. 
Under  later  English  control  the  island  served  for  some  time  as  a  common 
pasture.  Its  400  acres  were  divided  into  homesteads  about  the  middle  of 
the  1 8th  century.  In  1863,  the  island  was  taken  over  by  the  Government 
for  the  erection  of  Fort  Greble  (visited  only  by  permission  of  commanding 
Officer  of  Harbor  Defenses,  Ft.  Adams,  Newport),  named  in  honor  of  John 
T.  Greble  who  was  killed  in  the  Civil  War.  Until  1902,  Fort  Greble  was 
gradually  enlarged,  but  it  is  no  longer  regularly  garrisoned,  and  some  of 
the  buildings  are  in  a  very  dilapidated  condition.  A  skeleton  force  is 
maintained,  however,  in  case  of  emergency. 

From  the  ferry  landing  at  SAUNDERSTOWN,  a  street  leads  0.4  mile 
uphill  to  US  1  (see  Tour  1). 


TOUR     7     A  :     Circuit  of  CONANICUT  ISLAND,  20.4  m. 


Roadbed  partly  paved  and  partly  dirt,  but  in  good  condition  in  summer.  For 
accommodations  see  Tour  7. 

THE  most  interesting  historic  and  scenic  parts  of  Conanicut  Island  lie 
some  distance  north  and  south  of  State  138,  the  route  running  between 
the  two  ferries. 

West  of  the  Newport- Jamestown  ferry  landing,  right  from  State  138  onto 
Conanicut  Ave.  through  a  part  of  the  residential  section  of  Jamestown 
village,  then  left  onto  East  Shore  Drive. 

The  Bay  Voyage  Hotel,  0.4  m.  (R),  is  so  named  because  part  of  it  was  at 
one  time  moved  across  the  bay  from  Newport  on  a  scow. 

The  Moveable  Chapel  (visit  by  permission  of  owner)  is  at  the  rear  of  a 
house  at  0.5  m.  (R).  This  structure  was  built  in  the  latter  part  of  the  igth 
century  as  an  Episcopal  chapel,  to  be  moved  to  the  center  of  the  island 
in  the  winter  and  to  the  vacation  colony  at  the  north  end  of  the  island  in 
the  summer.  It  was  placed  on  wheels  for  this  purpose,  but  for  various 
reasons  the  project  was  abandoned.  It  is  now  a  summer  home,  but  the 
stained-glass  windows  have  not  been  removed. 

At  about  0.7  m.  East  Shore  Drive  leads  up  Potter's  Hill,  at  the  top  of 
which  the  entire  east  bay  comes  into  view.  Far  to  the  northeast,  Mount 
Hope  Bridge  and  Prudence  Island  are  seen  on  a  clear  day.  Much  nearer  is 
Gould  Island,  used  by  the  Government  as  a  seaplane  base. 

At  0.9  m.  is  the  junction  with  a  narrow  dirt  lane. 

Right  0.3  m.  on  this  lane  are  the  Foundations  of  the  Benedict  Arnold  House,  said 
to  have  been  built  for  Governor  Arnold  about  1693. 

East  Shore  Drive  skirts  Potter's  Cove  at  about  1.2  m.,  and  then  runs  past 
several  dairy  farms  and  a  large  nursery. 

At  2.1  m.  is,  the  junction  with  unpaved  Eldred  Ave.,  little  more  than  a 
lane,  formerly  called  North  Ferry  Road  since  from  the  foot  of  it  (R)  ran 
the  first  Jamestown-Newport  ferry. 

Right  on  Eldred  Ave.  to  a  clump  of  bushes  near  the  shore,  in  which  is  the  Site  of 
Eldred's  One-Gun  Battery.  The  exact  spot  is  designated  by  two  large  rocks  on  a 
slight  rise.  During  the  Revolution,  Captain  John  Eldred  was  accustomed  to  amuse 
himself  by  taking  pot-shots  at  British  vessels  passing  up  and  down  the  bay.  One 
day  he  was  so  fortunate  as  to  put  a  charge  through  the  main  sail  of  one  of  the  ships. 
The  British  sent  a  landing  force  to  dislodge  what  they  supposed  was  an  artillery 
company.  They  were  considerably  chagrined  to  find  only  one  gun,  but  did  not 
neglect  to  spike  it.  Eldred  meanwhile  was  chuckling  to  himself  in  a  secluded  part 
of  the  swamp  behind  his  farm. 

Cajacet  (not  open),  4.4  m.  (R),  formerly  the  home  of  Captain  Thomas 
Paine,  was  built  about  1680.  The  large  old  house,  standing  among  trees 
on  a  downward  slope  away  from  the  road,  has  been  so  much  remodeled 


Circuit  of  Conanicut  Island  429 

that  little  remains  of  the  original  details  except  the  massive  chimney 
with  fireplaces,  a  few  uncovered  ceiling  beams,  and  an  odd  china  closet. 
Paine  was  a  celebrated  privateersman  of  the  late  iyth  century,  and  re- 
putedly a  friend  of  Captain  Kidd.  In  1683,  Paine  fell  into  controversy 
with  a  Boston  customs  collector  over  an  alleged  illegal  cargo  entry.  He 
cleared  himself  before  Governor  Coddington  by  showing  Jamaica  clear- 
ance papers  that,  however,  were  later  found  to  be  forgeries.  Paine  went 
to  the  assistance  of  the  Block  Islanders  in  their  trouble  with  French  pri- 
vateers in  1689  (see  Tour  8),  and  then  settled  down  to  a  comparatively 
peaceful  rural  life  on  this  farm.  He  was  disturbed  in  1699  by  a  request 
from  Kidd's  wife  for  24  ounces  of  gold;  his  relations  with  the  pirate  were 
investigated,  but  no  charges  were  preferred  against  him.  Captain  Kidd  is 
supposed  to  have  visited  Cajacet  occasionally. 

East  Shore  Drive  passes  through  CONANICUT  PARK,  5.4  m.,  a  fashion- 
able summer  resort  in  the  latter  part  of  the  last  century.  Its  fashionable 
reputation  has  declined,  but  there  are  many  modest  cottages  here,  stand- 
ing between  rows  of  shade  trees.  East  Shore  Drive  ends  at  the  extreme 
northern  tip  of  the  island,  5.6  m.,  where  are  good  views  of  upper  Narra- 
gansett  Bay  and  its  mainland  shores.  From  the  end  of  the  shore  drive  a 
good  dirt  road  swings  around  L.,  down  the  center  of  the  island. 

Point  Farm,  5.9  m.  (L),  is  part  of  a  former  tract  of  about  240  acres  that 
William  Coddington,  one  of  the  original  purchasers  of  Conanicut  Island, 
chose  for  himself.  Crumbling  ruins  of  a  foundation  and  chimney  on  the 
site  are  those  of  a  house  built,  probably  about  1740,  for  Job  Watson. 
The  farm  remained  in  the  Watson  family  until  1873,  when  it  was  pur- 
chased by  the  Conanicut  Park  Association  and  cut  into  small  lots  for  sum- 
mer residences. 

South  of  Point  Farm  this  route  follows  North  Road,  which  is  said  to  coin- 
cide with  an  old  Indian  trail.  On  a  clear  night  the  North  Star  shines 
directly  above  the  center  of  the  road  throughout  its  length.  From  the 
high  ground  just  south  of  Point  Farm  are  good  views  (R)  across  Narra- 
gansett  Bay  to  Wickford.  From  the  road  the  west  side  of  Conanicut 
Island  slopes  down  (R)  to  the  bay  shore  with  a  few  farms  and  many 
wooded  pastures.  At  6.2  m.  North  Road  goes  downhill,  and  continues 
through  Hull  Swamp,  a  charming  spot  for  nature-lovers.  On  both  sides 
of  the  road  are  flowering  shrubs,  ferns,  and  tall  trees,  among  which  a 
sharp  eye  may  occasionally  discern  a  white-tailed  deer. 

Hull  Farm,  7.1  m.  (R),  scarcely  visible  from  the  road,  is  where  the  first 
white  child  in  Jamestown,  John  Hull,  was  born  in  1654. 

The  Carr  House  (not  open),  7.2  m.  (R),  was  built  (1932)  on  the  founda- 
tions of  a  house  erected  about  1686  by  Caleb  Carr,  governor  of  the 
Colony  in  1695,  f°r  h*5  son  Edward,  who  used  the  house  as  a  recruiting 
station  in  Queen  Anne's  War.  Samuel  Carr,  grandson  of  Edward,  was 
an  active  Revolutionary  patriot,  and  a  signer  of  the  Rhode  Island  Decla- 
ration of  Independence.  The  west  end  of  the  original  house,  of  stone 
construction,  was  incorporated  in  the  new  structure. 


43°  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

At  7.8  m.  (R)  is  an  old  Stone  Quarry,  and  at  7.9  m.  is  the  junction  with 
paved  Carr  Lane.  Right  stands  the  Old  Schoolhouse,  built  in  1803,  and 
now  transformed  into  a  small  frame  cottage.  This  is  the  first  known 
schoolhouse  in  the  town,  although  one  is  supposed  to  have  been  built 
about  1728. 

Left  a  few  rods  on  Carr  Lane  is  the  Nicholas  Carr  House  (open  by  courtesy  of  owner), 
once  occupied  by  Nicholas,  great-grandson  of  Governor  Caleb  Carr.  It  is  a  two- 
and-a-half-story,  gable-roof  house  with  a  central  capped  chimney.  The  main 
entrance  is  a  plain  paneled  door  surmounted  by  a  small  rectangular  transom. 
The  Carr  House,  like  many  others  of  the  i8th  century,  was  built  around  an  enor- 
mous chimney,  nearly  every  room  having  a  fireplace.  One  fireplace  has  cranes  and 
a  Dutch  oven.  The  present  dining-room  was  undoubtedly  the  original  kitchen  and 
dining-room  combined.  The  house  contains  some  of  Nicholas  Carr's  furniture, 
including  a  beautiful  mirror  and  a  grandfather's  clock,  the  latter  made  by  Thomas 
Claggett  of  Newport.  During  recent  repairs  the  construction  of  the  house  was 
carefully  examined  by  Mr.  Norman  Isham,  who  declared  it  was  built  much  before 
1776,  the  date  usually  given  for  its  erection.  In  the  rear  of  the  homestead  is  an 
enormous  Elm  Tree,  nearly  a  hundred  years  old.  The  trunk  is  15  ft.  in  circum- 
ference. Contrary  to  the  usual  growth  of  such  trees,  this  one  branches  out  about 
6  feet  from  the  ground,  and  attains  a  spread  of  over  135  ft. 

The  Battey  House  (not  open),  8.1  m.  (R),  is  a  two-and-a-half-story  frame 
structure  with  central  chimney  and  hand-hewn  timbers,  built  about  1751 
by  William  Battey  who  was  a  loyalist  during  the  Revolution. 

At  8.4  m.  (L)  is  the  Town  Reservoir,  and  at  8.8  m.  the  junction  with 
paved  Cemetery  Lane. 

Right  0.4  m.  on  this  lane  is  the  Friends'  Burial  Ground  (R).  Because  of  the  former 
large  Quaker  population  in  Jamestown,  this  graveyard  is  of  especial  interest.  The 
half-acre  plot  is  surrounded  by  a  stone  wall,  and  contains  the  graves  of  many  of  the 
first  settlers.  There  are  also  graves  of  Revolutionary  soldiers,  including  that  of 
John  Eldred  of  the  One-Gun  Battery.  This  land  was  originally  part  of  the  grounds 
of  the  first  Friends'  meeting  on  which  a  meeting-house  was  erected  in  1709;  it 
was  moved  to  a  new  site  in  1734.  The  stones  are  simple  and  unadorned,  the  oldest 
being  flat  field  stones.  At  the  end  of  Cemetery  Lane  is  the  Hazard  Farm,  on  which 
is  a  frame  house  known  to  have  been  standing  in  1787.  The  shore  at  the  foot  of 
the  farm  was  the  site  of  the  Old  Plum  Beach  Ferry  Landing. 

The  Windmill  (open),  9.4  m.  (R),  where  North  Road  is  paved,  was  built 
in  1787.  This  mill,  in  active  service  for  more  than  a  hundred  years,  has 
been  preserved  by  the  Jamestown  Historical  Society.  Here  is  an  oppor- 
tunity for  observation  of  the  mechanism  of  an  early  gristmill.  On  the 
main  floor  is  the  chute  whereby  raw  grain  was  poured  down  between  two 
huge  stones,  placed  horizontally,  the  top  one  being  in  the  shape  of  a  disk 
that  revolved  against  the  lower  stationary  one.  On  the  side  opposite  the 
chute  is  a  trap  through  which  the  pulverized  grain  was  emitted. 

The  Friends  Meeting-House,  9.6  m.  (L),  is  a  small,  simple  structure  built 
in  1765.  The  Quaker  element  in  Jamestown  has  declined  steadily  since 
the  Revolution,  and  this  meeting-house  is  usually  open  only  in  summer, 
when  it  is  attended  by  visitors. 

The  southern  end  of  North  Road  is  at  the  junction  with  Narragansett 
Ave.  (see  Tour  7),  at  FOUR  CORNERS,  10.8  m.  On  the  left  is  Artillery 
Lot  or  the  Town  Cemetery.  This  plot  was  set  aside  as  a  training  field  and 
burial  ground  in  1656,  and  there  was  a  small  engagement  here  when  the 


Circuit  of  Conanicut  Island  431 

British  burned  Jamestown  in  1775.  An  entry  in  the  '  Diary '  of  Ezra 
Stiles,  who  became  President  of  Yale  University  in  1777,  reads:  'At  the 
Cross  Rodes  there  was  a  Skirmish.  Our  people  killed  one  officer  of  the 
marines,  and  wounded  seven  or  eight.  Not  one  Colonist  was  killed  or 
hurt.' 

South  of  Four  Corners  the  route  follows  Southwest  Ave.,  which  crosses 
a  narrow  neck  of  land,  passing  at  11.5  m.  (R)  Sheffield  Pond  and  (L) 
Mackerel  Cove,  on  which  is  the  Municipal  Bathing  Pavilion  (nominal 
charge  for  use  of  pavilion,  beach  free).  The  part  of  Conanicut  Island  south- 
west of  Mackerel  Cove  is  called  The  Beaver  because  of  its  shape.  South- 
west Ave.  enters  at  the  head  and  runs  to  the  tail. 

At  11.8  m.  is  the  junction  with  paved  Fox  Hill  Rd. 

Right  0.5  m.  on  this  road  is  Fort  Getty  (visited  by  permission  of  Officer  in  Command  of 
Harbor  Defenses,  Fort  Adams,  Newport),  on  the  west  side  of  the  island.  This  fort 
covers  about  31  acres  of  land.  The  area  was  purchased  by  the  Federal  Government 
in  1900  and  developed  between  that  time  and  1909.  It  is  inactive  at  present. 
From  this  point  there  is  a  good  view  of  the  mainland  opposite. 

At  12.2  m.  is  a  marker  (R)  indicating  a  dirt  path. 

Right  0.6  m.  on  this  path  is  Beaver  Head  Fort.  American  earthworks  were  con- 
structed here  in  the  summer  of  1776,  but  abandoned  when  the  British  took  New- 
port in  December  of  that  year.  The  present  remains  are  probably  those  of  a  British 
reconstruction.  Along  the  shore  between  this  site  and  Fort  Getty  was  the  landing 
of  the  first  Jamestown- South  Kingstown  ferry. 

Southwest  Ave.  ends  at  the  tip  of  the  island,  14.6  m.  The  road  circles 
around  Beaver  Tail  Lighthouse.  This  beacon,  known  in  Colonial  times  as 
Newport  or  Conanicut  Light,  is  on  the  oldest  lighthouse  site  on  the 
Rhode  Island  coast;  the  original  rubble  tower  was  built  in  1749.  A 
letter  dated  1790  and  signed  by  President  Washington  mentions  the  light 
and  approves  certain  arrangements  being  made  for  it.  The  present 
granite  tower  was  erected  in  1856.  The  lighthouse  has  been  closely 
associated  with  the  development  of  fog  signals  in  this  country,  a  number 
of  new  types  having  been  tried  out  here  before  their  general  adoption. 
The  air  compressor  whistle,  and  the  steam  fog  whistle,  installed  in  1857, 
were  the  first  of  their  kind  in  this  country. 

This  spot  is  notable  for  its  sea  views.  On  days  when  a  heavy  sea  is  run- 
ning, surf  piles  in  on  the  rocks  all  around  the  tail  of  The  Beaver,  sending 
great  volumes  of  spray  into  the  air.  Away  to  the  east  (L)  is  visible  Ocean 
Drive  in  Newport,  with  its  magnificent  estates.  The  rocky  cliff,  50  to 
60  feet  high,  at  Beaver  Tail  (parking  and  picnic  sites  free),  drops  abruptly 
to  the  water's  edge. 

Retrace  on  Southwest  Ave.,  past  Mackerel  Cove.  At  17.9  m.  (cumulative 
mileage),  right  on  a  paved  road;  almost  immediately  beyond,  right  again 
on  Dumpling  Drive,  which  curves  along  the  shore  affording  several  at- 
tractive seascapes.  On  the  high  ground  near  the  southern  end  of  Dump- 
ling Drive  once  stood  Beaver  Tail  Fort,  defended  by  the  Americans  in  1776 
with  six  or  eight  heavy  guns.  On  the  shore  near  this  site  is  Pirate's  Cave 
(difficult  to  find),  a  hole  in  the  rocks  about  which  centers  a  legend  of  loot 
buried  by  Captain  Kidd,  though  none  has  been  found  in  spite  of  much 
search. 


432  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

Fort  Wetherell  (visited  only  by  permission  of  Officer  in  Charge  of  Harbor 
Defenses,  Newport),  19.1  m.  (R),  is  another  of  the  several  United  States 
military  reservations  in  the  Narragansett  Bay  region.  This  was  the  site 
of  a  battery  erected  in  the  summer  of  1776  and  later  abandoned  to  the 
British.  After  the  Revolution,  in  1800,  a  stone  tower  mounting  eight 
guns  was  erected  under  the  direction  of  Major  Tousard,  who  also  super- 
vised the  building  of  Fort  Adams  (see  NEWPORT).  This  was  called 
Fort  Dumplings.  The  modern  fortifications  were  begun  in  1896,  and  in 
1900  named  Fort  Wetherell  in  honor  of  Captain  Alexander  Wetherell, 
who  died  in  the  Spanish-American  War.  All  traces  of  Fort  Dumplings 
have  been  obliterated  by  the  modern  fort.  The  name  is  derived  from  the 
fact  that  this  part  of  the  island,  with  little  surface  soil,  is  covered  with 
large  boulders  that,  at  a  distance,  resemble  dumplings. 

Dumpling  Drive,  near  the  Fort,  becomes  Walcott  Ave.  The  Conanicut 
Yacht  Club  (private)  is  at  20.2  m.  (R).  Walcott  Ave.  ends  at  Conani- 
cut Ave.,  20.4  m.,  just  west  of  the  East  Ferry  landing  (see  Tour  7)  in 
JAMESTOWN. 


TOUR     8  :      From  NEWPORT  to  BLOCK  ISLAND,  via  boat, 
25m. 


Transportation.  Lv.  Newport  (Perry  Wharf)  11.30,  ar.  Block  Island  1.45. 
Round-trip  fare  75j£.  Daily  service  May  17  to  Oct.  15;  daily  except  Sunday 
during  remainder  of  year. 

Airplane  Service:  7.30  daily  during  summer;  Sun.  during  remainder  of  year, 
$5.00  one-way  from  R.I.  State  Airport,  Hillsgrove. 

Taxis:  50ff  upward,  according  to  number  of  passengers  and  distance  on  island. 
Information  Service:  Chamber  of  Commerce,  Beach  Ave. 
Accommodations:  Hotels,  boarding-houses,  and  inns;  rates  are  higher  during  the 
summer  than  at  other  seasons.  Most  hotels  are  closed  during  the  winter. 
Climate,  Clothing,  Equipment:  Summer  day  temperature  averages  between  62 
and  67  degrees  Fahrenheit;  considerably  lower  in  evenings.   Summer  clothing; 
topcoats  after  sundown. 

Amusements  and  Recreation:  Swimming.  Crescent  Beach,  Sandy  Point  Ave., 
0.5  m.  from  Block  Island  village. 

Golf:  VailTs  Golf  Course,  9  holes,  reasonable  green  fees;  Spring  St.  and  Mohegan 
Trail  to  Center  St. 

Fishing:  Salt-water  fishing  (cod,  tuna,  swordfish) ;  for  offshore  fishing,  manned 
boats  at  reasonable  rates;  many  lakes  on  island  afford  opportunities  for  fresh- 
water fishing. 

Yachting:  New  York  Yacht  Club,  off  Ocean  Ave.,  1.4  m.  from  Block  Island 
village;  Great  Salt  Pond,  well  protected,  ample  for  small  sailing  craft. 


From  Newport  to  Block  Island  433 

Sec.  a.    NEWPORT  to  BLOCK  ISLAND,  25  m. 

As  the  boat  proceeds  out  of  Newport  Harbor  (see  NEWPORT),  it  passes 
the  houses  and  factories  of  the  United  States  Naval  Torpedo  Station  (R) 
and  the  walls  and  barracks  of  Fort  Adams  (L).  In  the  background  (R)  is 
the  summer-resort  island  of  CONANICUT,  the  second  largest  island  in 
Narragansett  Bay  (see  Tour  7). 

The  boat  cuts  a  wide  wake  in  the  blue-green  waters,  between  two  light- 
houses marking  the  channel  and  red  bell  buoys  warning  of  shoals  and 
hidden  reefs.  A  short  distance  out  of  Newport  the  boat  passes  Brenton' s 
Reef  Lightship  (L),  and  from  here  on,  the  roofs  and  steeples  of  Newport 
are  seen  gradually  disappearing  into  the  haze;  to  the  west  (R)  the  land- 
scape presents  a  changing  panorama  of  the  distant  hills  and  sandy  shores 
of  Old  South  County.  Many  times  vessels  have  been  blown  upon  Bren- 
ton's Reef  in  an  attempt  to  make  Newport  Harbor,  and  once  upon  the 
rocks  have  quickly  gone  down.  The  reef  takes  its  name  from  the  promi- 
nent Brenton  family  of  Newport,  a  charming  member  of  which  was 
strangely  connected  with  such  a  wreck.  During  the  British  occupation 
of  Newport  in  the  Revolution,  Jahleel  Brenton,  a  Tory,  entertained  two 
English  officers  at  his  home.  One  of  the  men,  Lieutenant  Stanley,  ob- 
served that  Alice  Brenton,  adopted  daughter  of  Jahleel,  looked  remark- 
ably like  a  young  sister  of  his  who  had  left  England  years  before  and 
been  lost  at  sea.  To  the  astonishment  of  all,  it  was  found  that  Alice 
Brenton  was  indeed  Beatrice  Stanley  whom  the  Brentons  had  saved  as 
a  child,  and  the  sole  survivor  from  a  wreck  on  this  reef. 

As  the  boat  approaches  Block  Island,  the  high  embankment  of  Clay 
Head  appears  (R)  and  in  the  distance  is  Beacon  Hill  atop  of  which  is  the 
Mariners  Memorial.  Inside  the  breakwater,  the  boat  docks  at  Old 
Harbor  Landing.  Six  large  hotels  stand  in  the  background,  and  to  the 
north  (R)  is  the  business  center  of  the  town. 


BLOCK  ISLAND 


BLOCK  ISLAND  (alt.  sea  level  to  204,  township  pop.  1029)  is  in  the 
Atlantic  Ocean,  dominating  the  eastern  entrance  to  Long  Island  Sound. 
The  nearest  land  is  the  south  shore  of  Rhode  Island,  nine  miles  north- 
ward. Its  shape  resembles  a  pear,  and  its  surface  presents  a  series  of 
undulating  terraces  gradually  descending  until,  at  the  shore,  they  sink 
to  the  water's  edge  and  shelve  into  the  sea.  The  marine  climate  of  the 
island  is  cool  and  healthy,  and  the  temperature  quite  even,  remaining 
during  the  summer  days  near  the  middle  6o's,  or  10  degrees  lower  than 
that  of  the  mainland.  Winter  temperature,  on  the  other  hand,  remains 
about  10  degrees  higher  than  that  of  the  mainland,  hovering  near  the 
freezing-point. 

The  island  has  three  striking  features,  low  hills,  a  great  many  ponds,  and 
a  lack  of  trees.  Though  it  was  covered  with  forests  when  visited  by  the 


434  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

early  navigators,  there  have  been  few  trees  on  it  for  a  century  or  more 
except  those  that  have  been  carefully  nursed  and  cultivated.  Alton 
stony  loam  occurs  in  large  patches  all  over  the  island;  it  is  porous  in 
character  and  its  loose  subsoil  allows  rapid  drainage.  When  cultivated, 
it  produces  fair  crops  of  potatoes  and  early  vegetables;  otherwise  it  sup- 
ports wild  grass  and  dense  underbrush.  The  naturally  vigorous  and  pro- 
ductive soil  is,  however,  full  of  granite  boulders  and  pebbles.  These  have 
been  utilized  in  the  construction  of  stone  walls,  with  which  the  little 
farms  all  over  the  island  are  fenced.  The  agricultural  products  have  not 
been  sufficient  to  support  the  population,  though  the  soil  has  been  well 
nourished  by  the  liberal  application  of  fish  offal  and  seaweed,  which  is 
cast  upon  the  shores  by  the  sea  and  gathered  by  the  farmers. 

There  are  365  fresh-water  ponds  on  the  island,  fed  by  springs,  some  of 
them  reaching  a  depth  of  60  feet.  The  Great  Salt  Pond,  covering  more 
than  100  acres  and  cutting  the  island  almost  in  half,  is  the  only  salt  pond. 
Many  of  these  bodies  of  water  cover  deposits  of  peat,  evidence  of  a  former 
age  of  great  vegetation.  Before  the  days  of  dependable  transportation 
assuring  supplies  of  coal,  peat  was  dug  from  the  bogs  and  dried  for  the 
winter's  fuel  supply.  The  numerous  lakes  abound  in  perch,  pickerel,  and 
bass,  and  the  fishing  grounds  off  the  island  are  famous  for  record  catches 
of  tuna,  swordfish,  bluefish,  cod,  and  other  varieties. 

Fishing  is  the  main  industry  of  the  town,  and  from  its  sheltered  harbors 
sail  over  100  modern  fishing  vessels  that  catch  and  ship  annually  over  30,000 
barrels  of  fish  to  the  markets  on  the  mainland.  Block  Island  has  today 
won  fame  among  gourmets  as  the  home  of  a  succulent  species  of  swordfish, 
but  is  more  generally  known  as  a  summer  resort.  The  annual  incursions 
of  the  mainlanders  have  not  robbed  the  inhabitants  of  their  character. 
The  hardihood  of  the  fisherfolk  and  the  sailors  is  still  evident,  and  the 
mores  of  an  insular  colony  remain  constant.  Manhood,  for  instance,  is 
determined  not  by  legal  age  but  by  the  first  fishing  trip.  When  a  stripling 
passes  this  initiation,  he  takes  to  smoking  a  corncob  pipe  and  is  recog- 
nized as  a  man,  no  matter  what  his  age.  The  islanders,  to  a  greater  degree 
than  is  found  in  other  parts  of  New  England,  are  cold  and  reserved  to- 
ward a  stranger,  but  extremely  hospitable  once  they  have  accepted  him. 
A  friendly  call  on  Block  Island  is  considered  an  insult  if  it  lasts  less  than 
three  hours. 

Block  Island  was  at  one  time  inhabited  by  a  tribe  of  the  Narragansett 
Indians,  who  called  it  Manisses  ('Manitou's  Little  Island').  The  first 
view  of  the  island  by  European  navigators  is  a  matter  of  conjecture.  The 
Vikings  may  have  cruised  along  its  coast,  but  nothing  definite  was  known 
of  the  place  until  Verrazano,  an  Italian  navigator  exploring  for  France, 
discovered  its  shores  in  1524.  His  report  of  this  visit,  in  which  he  com- 
pared the  island  to  the  Island  of  Rhodes,  gave  rise  to  the  State's  name 
(see  History).  The  first  European  known  to  have  explored  the  island  was 
the  Dutchman,  Adriaen  Block,  who  came  in  1614.  He  mentioned  finding 
here  a  numerous  tribe  of  Indians,  who  received  him  and  his  crew  very 
kindly,  and  regaled  them  with  hominy,  succotash,  clams,  fish,  and  game. 


From  Newport  to  Block  Island  435 

Block  named  it  Adriaen's  Eyland,  but  custom  has  given  and  preserved  to 
it  the  simple  appellation,  Block  Island.  Probably  the  first  Englishman 
who  contemplated  settling  on  the  island  was  John  Oldham,  who,  with 
two  white  boys  and  two  Indians,  touched  here  in  1636,  on  his  return 
from  a  trading  voyage  to  the  Connecticut  River.  The  Indians  of  the 
island  attacked  the  vessel,  killed  Oldham  and  captured  his  companions. 
Out  of  this  and  similar  tragedies  grew  the  Pequot  War  of  1637  (see 
Indians). 

In  1658,  the  General  Court  of  Massachusetts  granted  the  island  to 
Governor  Endicott  and  others,  who  in  1660  sold  the  island  to  16  indi- 
viduals; these  had  it  surveyed  and  they  established  a  settlement  on  it  in 
April,  1661.  They  divided  the  island  into  three  parts,  the  northern,  the 
western,  and  the  southeastern,  numbering  and  apportioning  the  sections 
to  individual  owners;  the  size  of  the  allotments  depended  upon  the  quality 
of  the  soil  in  the  division.  In  1672,  the  Rhode  Island  Assembly,  under 
whose  jurisdiction  the  settlers  wished  to  place  themselves,  voted  that  *  at 
the  request  and  for  reasons  by  the  inhabitants  showed,  and  as  a  sign  of 
our  unity  and  likeness  to  many  parts  of  our  native  country,  the  said 
Block  Island  shall  be  called  New  Shoreham,  otherwise  Block  Island.' 

Within  and  around  the  island  there  has  been  much  hard  fighting.  In 
July,  1689,  a  bark,  a  barge,  a  large  sloop  and  a  smaller  one,  constituting 
three  men-of-war  and  a  transport,  made  their  appearance  in  the  bay  on 
the  east  side,  greatly  alarming  the  inhabitants,  who  had  no  means  of 
knowing  whether  the  ships  were  English  or  French,  friend  or  foe.  Brave 
though  they  were,  uncertainty  filled  their  hearts  as  they  stood  and 
watched  the  vessels  come  to  anchor,  and  saw  a  boat  lowered  and  head  for 
the  shore.  When  the  boat  came  near  enough,  one  of  the  occupants 
stepped  out  upon  a  boulder,  picked  his  way  across  the  intervening  rocks 
and,  in  English,  greeted  the  natives  in  a  friendly  manner.  The  islanders 
took  no  chances,  however,  and  while  questioning  him  closely,  kept  their 
guns  ready  for  self-defense.  The  visitor  gave  his  name  as  William  Trim- 
ming and  convinced  his  questioners  that  the  vessels  were  under  the  com- 
mand of  George  Austin,  a  noted  English  privateer  with  whom  they  were 
friends.  He  said  they  were  in  need  of  wood,  water,  and  a  pilot  to  conduct 
them  safely  into  Newport  Harbor.  When  he  had  succeeded  in  gaining 
the  confidence  of  the  islanders,  he  returned  to  his  ship  and  soon  made  a 
signal  for  a  pilot.  With  visions  of  a  substantial  reward,  several  im- 
mediately went  aboard,  only  to  be  promptly  imprisoned.  Threats  of 
bodily  harm  forced  them  to  tell  all  they  knew  about  the  island's  defenses. 
Upon  receiving  the  information,  the  masquerading  French  privateers 
lowered  three  boats  with  50  men  in  each,  and  landed  on  the  shore.  They 
overpowered  the  islanders,  imprisoning  them  in  the  stone  house  of 
Captain  John  Sands.  The  island  became  the  prey  of  Trimming  and  his 
followers,  and,  according  to  the  Reverend  Samuel  Niles,  an  eye-witness, 
'  they  continued  about  a  week  on  the  island,  plundering  houses,  stripping 
the  people  of  their  clothing,  ripping  up  the  beds,  throwing  out  the  feathers, 
and  carrying  away  the  ticking.'  When  news  of  the  invasion  reached  the 


436  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

mainland,  two  vessels  were  fitted  out  at  Newport  under  the  command  of 
Captains  Thomas  Paine  and  John  Godfrey.  On  arrival  at  Block  Island, 
they  learned  that  the  enemy  had  left  to  attack  New  London,  so  they 
pursued  the  Frenchmen,  and  on  Fishers  Island,  in  Long  Island  Sound, 
surprised  the  enemy  and  killed  the  deceitful  Trimming. 

During  this  turbulent  period  the  principal  surgeon  and  physician  on  the 
island  was  a  woman,  Sarah  Sands,  believed  to  have  been  the  first  woman 
doctor  in  the  English  Colonies.  She  died  at  Block  Island  in  1702. 

Privateers  continued  to  come  to  the  island  for  plunder,  and  from  1698 
to  1706  it  was  in  a  state  of  almost  continual  siege.  In  1706,  the  Governor 
and  Council  of  Rhode  Island  reported  as  follows:  'We  have  been  this 
summer  as  well  as  the  last  obliged  to  maintain  a  quota  of  men  at  Block 
Island  for  the  defense  of  Her  Majesty's  interest  there.'  Meanwhile  an- 
other hostile  demonstration  was  made  against  the  island,  but  at  this  final 
attack,  occurring  during  the  war  between  England  and  France,  the 
islanders  met  the  enemy  '  in  an  open  pitched  battle,  and  drove  them  off 
from  the  shore/  no  one  receiving  any  injury  'except  one  man  slightly 
wounded  in  his  finger.' 

During  the  Revolution,  deserters  and  criminals  found  Block  Island  a 
convenient  refuge,  and  once  here  they  were  not  easily  detected  by  the 
officers  of  justice,  as  communication  with  the  mainland  was  so  restricted. 
They  were  desperate  characters  from  both  armies,  a  scourge  to  the  island, 
unprincipled  and  cruel  in  their  demands.  As  a  protection  against  these  in- 
vaders, the  people  of  the  island  kept  a  barrel  of  tar,  or  oil,  on  Harbor  Hill 
and  another  on  Beacon  Hill,  ready  tabe  burned  as  a  signal  of  approach- 
ing refugees.  As  soon  as  the  signals  were  seen,  the  shores  were  picketed 
by  the  islanders,  and  in  many  instances  the  marauders  got  more  than 
they  came  for.  In  July,  1780,  messengers  from  the  Rhode  Island  Colony 
landed  upon  the  island  with  authority  to  take  all  the  horses,  cattle,  grain, 
fish,  and  cheese  that,  in  their  opinion,  could  be  spared  by  the  inhabitants, 
and  for  the  same  to  give  certificate  to  the  owners  for  future  adjustment. 
These  certificates,  however,  were  no  better  than  receipts  for  a  levy  on  the 
island  for  supporting  the  war,  unless  the  amount  taken  should  be  proved 
to  be  more  than  a  just  proportion  of  a  State  tax,  in  which  case  the  surplus 
was  to  be  credited  on  the  next  tax  assessed.  Thus  the  islanders,  besides 
suffering  the  depredations  of  the  British,  were  denied  commerce  with 
the  mainland,  were  unrepresented  in  the  General  Assembly  of  the  State, 
unprotected  from  the  enemy,  and  burdened  with  a  heavy  tax.  When  in 
May,  1783,  the  messengers  of  the  General  Assembly  read  the  news  to  the 
islanders  that  all  rights,  liberties,  and  privileges  of  other  citizens  6f  this 
State  were  restored  to  them,  and  all  restrictions  of  travel  and  traffic 
removed,  there  was  great  rejoicing  and  thanksgiving. 

Block  Island  enjoyed  a  sort  of  extra-legal  neutrality  during  the  War  of 
1812,  which  brought  the  islanders  considerable  prosperity.  They  were 
not  only  free  from  military  duty  and  tax,  but  were  able  to  market  their 
produce  at  a  high  price  to  English  men-of-war. 


From  Newport  to  Block  Island  437 

From  early  Colonial  times  the  need  of  a  good  harbor  on  the  island  had 
been  felt.  Previous  to  the  construction  of  the  present  harbors  and  break- 
water, landing  through  the  surf  in  small  boats  was  difficult  and  dangerous. 
Between  1680  and  1762  attempts  were  made  to  cut  a  passageway  from 
the  sea  to  the  waters  of  the  Great  Salt  Pond,  but  owing  to  the  force  of 
the  shifting  sands  and  currents  no  permanent  entrance  was  effected. 
Three  appropriations  were  made  between  1870  and  1872  for  the  con- 
struction of  a  breakwater  and  harbor  on  the  east  side  of  the  island.  Work 
on  this  port,  Old  Harbor,  was  begun  in  October,  1870,  and  completed 
in  November,  1878.  New  Harbor,  on  the  west  side,  was  completed  in 
1900.  The  construction  of  these  harbors  has  facilitated  accessibility  to 
the  island,  and  has  been  of  great  aid  to  the  fishing  and  shipping  industry. 
Probably  no  one  feature,  except  harbor  protection,  has  given  the  area  so 
great  an  impetus  as  the  telegraph  connection  with  the  mainland.  The 
cable  extending  to  Point  Judith  was  laid  by  the  Federal  Government  in 
1880. 

Popularly  believed  to  be  a  hiding-place  for  treasures  buried  by  Captain 
Kidd  and  his  followers,  the  surface  of  the  island  has  often  been  dug  over 
by  enterprising  treasure-seekers.  It  is  rumored  that  some  booty  has 
been  found. 

The  first  call  to  a  minister  on  the  island  was  made  in  March,  1700,  by 
a  town-meeting  resolution  signed  by  28  freemen,  ten  by  'his  mark.' 
Samuel  Niles  accepted  the  call  and  land  was  deeded  to  him,  but  when  he 
proved  to  be  unsatisfactory  to  the  islanders,  he  sold  his  holdings  and 
moved  to  Braintree,  Mass.  A  missionary  period  of  about  50  years  inter- 
vened between  the  resignation  of  Niles  and  the  arrival  of  another  per- 
manent minister.  The  first  place  of  meeting  for  religious  services  was  at 
the  house  of  Simon  Ray,  which  place  and  the  house  of  Ray's  son  was  used 
for  many  years.  The  first  meeting-house  was  erected  near  the  north 
end  of  Fresh  Pond  in  1756.  At  the  present  time  there  are  two  Baptist 
churches,  one  Primitive  Methodist  church,  one  Episcopal  church,  and 
one  Roman  Catholic  church  on  the  island. 

Sec.  b.    BLOCK  ISLAND  to  SETTLERS'  ROCK,  4  m. 

The  village  of  BLOCK  ISLAND,  0  w.,  center  of  the  township,  which  is 
seldom  called  by  its  legal  name  of  New  Shoreham,  clusters  around  the 
boat  landing  on  the  eastern  edge  of  the  island.  The  small  chimneys  on  the 
neat  houses  are  reminders  that  a  strong  steady  wind  blows  during  the 
winter,  when  the  vigorous  insular  life  goes  on  undisturbed,  much  as  it  has 
gone  on  for  well  over  a  century. 

The  Tercentenary  Monument,  Ocean  Ave.,  is  a  high,  tapering  granite  pil- 
lar with  a  pyramidal  top,  dedicated  in  1936  by  the  Rhode  Island  Ter- 
centenary Committee  to  commemorate  the  jooth  anniversary  of  the 
founding  of  the  State.  It  was  placed  on  the  site  where  the  first  settlers 
are  believed  to  have  landed  in  April,  1661. 

The  United  States  Weather  Bureau  and  Radio  Station  (open),  Ocean  Ave., 


438  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

are  housed  in  a  two-story  white  frame  building.  These  agencies  are  a 
great  help  to  the  fishermen  and  mariners  because  of  their  forecasts  and 
storm  warnings. 

The  Block  Island  Free  Library  (open  Sat.  2-6),  Chapel  St.,  a  small  white 
frame  structure,  was  founded  in  1876,  as  a  private  library.  In  1878  it 
came  into  the  possession  of  the  town,  with  the  town  council  acting  as 
trustees;  it  now  receives  some  assistance  from  the  State.  The  library  has 
about  4600  volumes  of  standard  works  in  history,  biography,  poetry, 
fiction,  and  general  literature. 

The  Island  School,  High  St.,  is  a  six-room  brick  building,  erected  in  1933, 
that  accommodates  the  primary  grades  and  four  high  school  grades.  The 
school  has  a  complete  library  donated  by  societies  and  citizens  of  the 
town,  and  an  excellent  collection  of  mounted  birds.  Adjoining  the 
school  building  is  a  ball  and  sports  field  which  the  public  may  use  by 
permission. 

The  Town  Hall,  Center  Rd.,  is  a  small,  one-room  frame  building,  30  feet 
long  and  25  feet  wide.  Erected  in  1814  on  Cemetery  Hill,  it  served  as  a 
Baptist  church  for  many  years.  In  1875  it  was  moved  to  its  present  site 
and  rebuilt.  From  that  year  until  1933,  when  the  new  school  was  com- 
pleted, the  building  served  both  as  high  school  and  town  hall. 

Right  (N)  from  the  village  on  paved  Ocean  Ave.  to  NEW  HARBOR,  1  m.,  where 
is  the  landing  of  the  Point  Judith  and  New  London  steamers.  The  harbor  was 
formed  by  cutting  a  channel  600  feet  wide  and  21  feet  deep  through  a  narrow  strip 
of  land  separating  the  Great  Salt  Pond  from  the  ocean.  Here  is  an  anchorage  of 
1000  acres,  with  depth  up  to  60  feet,  landlocked  and  perfectly  safe  in  any  weather, 
and  capable  of  holding  the  Atlantic  Squadron  of  the  United  States  Navy.  The 
United  States  Submarine  Base,  at  New  London,  uses  it  as  an  advance  base  for 
submarines.  Numerous  fishing  boats  make  use  of  it  the  year  round,  and  the  New 
York  Yacht  Club  visits  it  each  year  on  its  cruise. 

The  United  States  Coast  Guard  Station,  1.7  m.,  on  Cormorant  Point,  was  established 
in  1935.  Federal  life-saving  stations  were  first  established  on  the  island  in  1850, 
but  these  were  absorbed  by  the  Coast  Guard  in  1915.  Construction  work  on  the 
present  station,  consisting  of  two  modern,  white  frame  buildings,  was  commenced 
in  1934,  and  completed  in  January,  1936.  One  structure,  measuring  40  by  60  feet, 
is  used  for  housing  boats  and  the  necessary  equipment  for  their  maintenance  and 
operation.  The  other  building  is  three  stories  high,  with  a  tower  that  rises  one  story 
above  the  main  structure.  From  this  tower  there  is  a  commanding  view  of  the 
island  and  surrounding  waters.  The  building  has  a  mess  hall,  recreation  rooms, 
and  sleeping  quarters  for  the  crew,  eight  in  number,  attached  to  the  station. 

Right  (N)  from  the  village  center  on  Sandy  Point  Ave.,  on  one  side  of 
which  (L)  are  green  fields  and  on  the  other  (R)  the  deep  blue  ocean,  to 
Crescent  Beach,  0.5  m.,  a  hard  sandy  beach  where  there  is  surf  bathing 
safe  from  erratic  currents.  The  pavilion  offers  first-class  accommo- 
dations, including  a  large  dance-hall  and  public  bath-houses. 

Settlers'  Rock,  4  m.,  at  Grove  Pt.,  on  the  shore  of  Cow  Cove,  is  a  huge 
field  stone  with  the  names  of  the  first  settlers  engraved  on  a  bronze 
tablet.  This  memorial  was  erected  in  September,  1911,  to  commemorate 
the  25oth  anniversary  of  the  landing  of  the  first  settlers.  The  cove  is  so 
named  because  the  first  cow  on  the  island,  known  as  the  cow  settler,  is 
believed  to  have  swum  ashore  here  from  a  shipwreck  outside  the  cove. 


From  Newport  to  Block  Island  439 

Sec.  c.    Circuit  of  the  island,  8.5  m. 

South  from  the  center  of  Block  Island  village  on  Spring  St. 

Southeast  Point  Light,  1.8  m.  (L),  is  a  two-and-a-half-story  brick  building 
(open);  its  octagonal  tower  rises  52  feet  above  ground,  and  204  feet 
above  sea  level.  The  lantern,  which  has  prismatic  lenses,  was  lighted  for 
the  first  time  on  February  i,  1875.  The  beacon  light,  of  3,000,000  candle 
power,  is  the  strongest  light  on  the  New  England  coast.  The  fog  signal 
connected  with  this  lighthouse  is  an  electric  trumpet.  The  warning  sound 
of  this  signal  is  heard  from  two  to  ten  miles,  according  to  the  conditions  of 
wind  and  atmosphere.  From  the  lighthouse  is  a  good  view  (R)  of  the 
Mohegan  Bluffs  (see  below). 

At  about  2.3  m.  Spring  St.  becomes  the  Mohegan  Trail,  extending  along 
the  crowning  ridge  of  the  Mohegan  Bluffs,  cliffs  of  clay  resembling  the 
chalk  cliffs  of  Dover,  rising  more  than  200  feet  above  sea  level  and  stretch- 
ing along  the  coast  for  about  five  miles.  The  bluffs  overlook  many 
bleached  hulks  of  wrecked  ships.  On  clear  days  there  is  a  splendid  marine 
view  from  the  trail.  The  bluffs  are  so  named  because  in  places  they  re- 
semble Indian  profiles. 

Right  from  Mohegan  Trail  on  Center  Rd.,  or  Lakeside  Drive,  then  left 
on  Coonemus  Rd. 

Near  the  junction  of  Center  Rd.  and  Coonemus  Rd.  is  Rodman's  Hollow 
(L),  a  large  bowl-shaped  depression  about  150  feet  deep.  The  floor  of 
this  basin  is  always  dry  owing  to  its  porous  character.  It  is  used  as  a 
camp  ground  by  local  Boy  Scouts. 

To  the  left  of  Coonemus  Rd.,  at  about  5  m.,  is  the  Site  of  the  Palatine 
Graves.  Here  are  supposedly  buried  the  survivors  of  the  'Palatine' 
horror.  The  story  of  this  disaster,  part  history  and  part  fancy,  is  one  of 
the  grimmest  legends  of  the  American  seacoast. 

The  ship  'Palatine,'  some  time  in  the  i8th  century,  had  left  Holland 
bound  for  Philadelphia  with  a  large  number  of  emigrants  who  intended 
to  settle  somewhere  in  Pennsylvania.  They  were  prosperous  Dutch  folk, 
who  had  taken  along  all  their  money  and  valuables  to  use  in  their  new 
homeland.  The  voyage  was  begun  in  mid-winter.  The  ship  was  greatly 
delayed  by  storms  and  was  driven  far  off  her  course.  Diminishing  sup- 
plies of  food,  after  weeks  of  buffeting  frozen  seas,  caused  the  crew  to 
mutiny.  When  the  captain  died,  or  was  murdered,  all  pretense  of  disci- 
pline came  to  an  end.  The  crew  seized  the  arms  and  the  remaining  food 
and  water,  forcing  the  Dutch  to  pay  outrageous  prices  for  either.  '  Twenty 
guilders  for  a  cup  of  water,  and  fifty-six  dollars  for  a  ship's  biscuit,  soon 
reduced  the  wealth  of  the  most  opulent  of  the  passengers,  and  completely 
impoverished  the  poorer  ones.'  Death  by  starvation  put  an  end  to  the 
sufferings  of  many,  and  others  were  reduced  to  emaciation  and  disease. 
Finally  the  crew,  deciding  that  there  was  no  more  loot  to  be  had,  deserted 
the  ship  and  left  her  to  drift  upon  the  seas  with  her  helpless  passengers. 
The  'Palatine'  finally  struck  on  the  northernmost  reef  of  Block  Island, 
and  the  native  wreckers  made  their  way  aboard.  Sixteen  persons  were 


44°  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

rescued;  they  were  all  that  remained  alive  with  the  exception  of  an  insane 
woman  who  refused  to  leave  the  ship.  The  wreckers  attempted  to  tow  the 
'  Palatine '  to  a  near-by  cove,  but  a  terrific  gale  sprang  up.  Seeing  that  the 
ship  would  be  blown  to  sea,  they  set  her  on  fire  and  cut  her  adrift.  En- 
veloped in  flames,  the  'Palatine'  sailed  out  into  the  storm,  and  the 
frenzied  shrieks  of  the  mad  woman,  who  had  been  forgotten  in  the  excite- 
ment, were  borne  back  to  the  horrified  ears  of  those  on  shore. 
Since  that  time,  superstition  has  associated  a  peculiar  light,  seen  at  ir- 
regular intervals  off  the  shore  of  Block  Island,  with  this  event.  The 
illumination  is  said  to  be  the  phantom  of  the  'Palatine,'  ever  drifting 
upon  the  open  seas,  always  burning  but  never  consumed. 

The  story  has  been  celebrated  by  Whittier  in  'The  Palatine.' 
Right  from  Coonemus  Rd.  on  West  Side  Rd. 

On  the  ponds  visible  along  this  drive  are  in  season  waxen  water  lilies, 
and  beds  of  blue  iris.  Gray-shingled  farmhouses  are  scattered  about, 
many  of  them  overgrown  with  wild  honeysuckle.  Some  trees  are  kept 
alive  by  careful  cultivation;  orchards  are  protected  by  windbreaks, 
otherwise  the  strong  autumn  and  winter  winds  whip  off  both  foliage  and 
branches. 

At  about  6  m.  on  West  Side  Rd.  is  (R)  the  Free  Will  Baptist  Church,  a 
small  white  frame  building  with  tower  and  bell.  The  church  was  estab- 
lished about  1820  by  its  first  pastor,  Enoch  Rose.  A  meeting-house  was 
built  in  1869,  but  before  completion  it  was  demolished  by  the  great 
September  gale  of  that  year.  In  spite  of  this  calamity  the  church  carried 
on  its  work,  and  shortly  thereafter  the  present  structure  was  erected. 

Right  from  West  Side  Rd.  on  Beacon  Hill  Rd.  At  about  7  m.  (L)  is  the 
Memorial  to  Block  Island  Mariners  (open  in  summer;  adm.  to  observatory 
IQfit  a  stone  tower  35  feet  high,  on  top  of  Beacon  Hill.  From  the  observa- 
tion tower  on  top  of  the  memorial,  at  an  elevation  of  211  feet,  is  a  wide 
view  of  the  island  and  many  miles  of  the  Atlantic  Ocean.  From  Beacon 
Hill  the  Manisses  Indians  used  to  send  smoke  messages. 

Return  to  village  center  by  Beacon  Hill  Rd.,  Old  Town  Rd.,  and  Chapel 
St. 


TOUR    9  :     From    MASSACHUSETTS    LINE    (Uxbridge)    to 
WICKFORD,  45.4  m.,  State  102. 


Via  Glendale,  Chepachet,  Summit,  Exeter,  Wickford  Junction. 
Good  hard-surfaced  roadbed,  mostly  three  lanes  wide. 
Tourist  accommodations  limited. 
State  Police  Barracks  at  Chepachet  (Phone,  Pascoag  12). 


From  Uxbridge  to  Wickford  441 

STATE  102,  or  the  Victory  Highway,  runs  for  the  most  part  in  a  south- 
erly direction  through  the  western  part  of  the  State,  traversing  a  sparsely 
populated  and  rugged  hill  country.  In  West  Greenwich  the  Victory 
Highway  turns  east  and  eventually  joins  US  1  (see  Tour  1)  in  Wickford 
on  Narragansett  Bay. 

State  102  crosses  the  Rhode  Island  Line  about  10  m.  south  of  Uxbridge, 
Mass.,  and  runs  through  a  moderately  elevated,  rolling  countryside  that 
is  part  of  the  farming  area  of  the  township  of  North  Smithfield  (see 
Tour  4).  At  Slater  Park,  0.4  m.  (L),  a  small  grassy  triangle,  State  102 
bears  right  and  runs  for  more  than  a  mile  through  a  sandy  country  with 
scrub  underbrush.  For  some  distance  south  of  the  BURRILLVILLE 
town  boundary  line,  2.1  m.,  the  road  is  crooked  and  rather  narrow. 

The  small  mill  village  of  MOUNT  PLEASANT  (alt.  400,  Burrillville 
Town),  2.5  m.,  is  unimpressive.  In  the  mid-nineteenth  century  grammar 
school  of  this  district,  a  teacher  once  made  two  naughty  pupils  hold  their 
hands  in  the  heated  oven  of  the  stove,  while  the  teacher  stood  by  with  a 
large  hickory  stick.  The  culprits,  it  is  believed,  'were  melted  into  peni- 
tence.' Near  a  turn  in  the  road,  2.7  m.,  is  a  group  of  yellow  frame  build- 
ings known  as  The  Rookery  (L).  Here  about  a  century  ago  was  a  mill 
that  turned  out  scythes  and  bayonets. 

NASONVILLE  (alt.  280,  Burrillville  Town),  3.2  m.,  manufactures  wor- 
sted goods.  Near  the  center  of  the  village  this  route  coincides  for  a  few 
rods  with  the  Douglas  Pike,  on  which,  0.3  m.  north  of  the  center,  is  the 
Shrine  of  The  Little  Flower,  where  hundreds  of  Roman  Catholics  attend 
special  services  during  the  summer. 

The  Western  Hotel  (open),  corner  of  State  102  and  the  Douglas  Pike,  is  a 
long  frame  building  set  against  a  side  hill.  This  30-room  building  with 
a  long  front  two-story  veranda,  still  in  use  as  a  tavern,  was  formerly  an 
important  stopping  place  for  the  Providence-Worcester  stage. 

Between  3.5  and  4.1  m.  the  highway  passes  through  a  thickly  wooded 
country. 

In  GLENDALE  (alt.  300,  Burrillville  Town),  4.2  m.,  is  a  factory  for  the 
making  of  woolen  cloth  for  overcoats.  Most  of  the  village  houses  are  to 
the  right  of  the  highway. 

Right  from  the  village  center  on  Glendale  Rd.  1.5  m.  to  Spring  Lake,  formerly 
called  Herring  Pond  because  of  the  large  numbers  of  fish  that  used  to  spawn  there. 
The  lake  is  a  summer  resort  (cottages  and  boats  for  hire;  dancing;  Sunday  clambakes 
in  season). 

The  narrow  body  of  water  at  5  m.  (R)  is  the  Rearing  Pond  of  the  Rhode 
Island  Sportsman's  Club. 

At  5.1  m.  is  the  junction  with  paved  Sweet's  Hill  Rd.,  a  side  route  enter- 
ing the  Wallum  Lake  district  of  northwestern  Burrillville. 

Left  0.3  m.  on  Sweet's  Hill  Rd.  is  an  attractive  wooded  section  with  birch  trees. 

'         A  few  paper  birch  trees  can  be  found  here,  and  in  scattered  places  near  Wallum 

Lake.   These  birches  seldom  grow  as  far  south  as  this  in  New  England.   Between 

Oakland  and  Wallum  Lake  the  road  runs  through  what  is  often  called  '  the  high- 


442  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

lands/  The  elevations,  300  to  700  ft.,  appear  insignificant  to  a  visitor  from  the 
Rocky  Mountains,  but  they  are  high  for  this  State. 

The  village  of  SWEET'S  HILL  (alt.  410,  BurriUville  Town)  is  an  attractive  cluster 
of  perhaps  a  dozen  houses,  on  a  hill  offering  a  good  view  to  the  south  (L).  Welcome 
Mathewson,  a  gunsmith,  came  here  from  Glocester  late  in  the  i8th  century,  and 
one  of  the  present  residents,  Mr.  Irving  Sweet,  has  some  of  his  ancestor's  gun- 
making  tools,  and  a  well-preserved  old  flint-lock  gun  about  6  feet  long.  Mr.  Sweet's 
dairy  farm,  Indian  Acres,  supplies  milk  for  the  Wallum  Lake  Sanatorium. 

At  1.3  m.  is  the  junction  with  a  side  road  that  leads  0.3  m.  right  to  Camp  Ki-Yi 
where  local  Indians  spend  weekends.  About  600  attended  Tercentenary  exercises 
held  here  in  July,  1936,  some  coming  from  the  Middle  West  and  Canada.  Since 
many  came  in  full  regalia  the  ceremonies  made  a  very  colorful  display.  The  cele- 
bration was  arranged  by  'Princess'  Red  Wing,  descendant  of  an  Indian  guard 
once  in  the  service  of  George  Washington.  The  'Princess'  was  recently  married 
in  the  'Indian  Room'  of  the  Narragansett  Hotel  in  Providence. 

HARRISVILLE  (alt.  340,  township  pop.  7677),  2  m.,  is  the  administrative  center 
of  BurriUville  Township. 

BurriUville  was  until  1731  a  part  of  Providence,  and  from  the  latter  date  until 
1806  a  part  of  Glocester.  On  becoming  an  independent  township  it  was  named  for 
James  Burrill,  Jr.,  Attorney-General,  1797-1814,  and  U.S.  Senator,  1817-20.  One 
of  the  earliest  settlers  in  this  vicinity  was  a  John  Smith,  who  came  with  not  much 
more  than  his  ax  and  wallet. 

The  modern  population  is  about  35  per  cent  French-Canadian.  The  town  possesses 
some  valuable  woodlands,  and  granite  quarries.  There  are  wide  opportunities  for 
outdoor  sports,  such  as  hunting,  fishing,  fresh-water  bathing,  skating,  and  hiking. 
BurriUville  held  a  Semi-Centennial  celebration  in  1856,  when  ceremonies  were 
conducted  at  the  old  Town  House  about  a  mile  outside  of  Harrisville.  A  con- 
temporary report  of  the  proceedings  said  that  a  poem  about  baked  beans  and  clams 
struck  the  most  cheerful  note  of  the  day. 

The  country  around  Harrisville  is  sometimes  called  'the  plains'  because  it  is  more 
level  than  most  sections  of  the  township.  The  village  itself  was  once  called  Rhodes- 
ville  for  the  Rhodes  family,  important  merchants  of  more  than  a  century  ago.  At 
present  the  village  manufactures  woolen  goods. 

The  Harrisville  Mill  of  the  Stillwater  Worsted  Company  faces  State  102  (L),  a 
few  rods  east  of  the  village  center,  and  through  its  large  plate-glass  windows  some 
of  the  weaving  operations  can  be  seen.  The  mill  was  put  in  operation  about  1857, 
utilizing  water-power  from  a  pond  on  the  opposite  side  (R)  of  the  highway.  The 
treasurer  of  the  company,  Mr.  Austin  T.  Levy,  is  much  interested  in  dramatics, 
and  a  company  he  sponsors  has  staged,  under  the  direction  of  a  professional  coach 
and  dramatic  writer,  many  successful  performances.  The  shows  are  staged  in  the 
Harrisville  Assembly  Hall,  an  attractive  very  broad  gabled  brick  building  presented 
to  the  town  by  Mr.  Levy. 

On  Main  Street  in  the  village  center  is  the  Aunt  Hettie  Harris  House  (private),  a 
story-and-a-half  high  gable-roof  building  erected  before  1800.  William  Rhodes 
conducted  a  store  here  as  late  as  1818. 

Near  the  Harris  House  on  Main  St.  is  a  two-and-a-half-story  structure,  now  a 
beauty  shop,  formerly  the  Captain  William  Rhodes  House,  which  about  1800  was 
one  of  the  village's  pretentious  mansions.  Captain  Rhodes  was  a  cooper  who 
became  a  wealthy  merchant  in  the  West  Indies  trade.  Later  when  active  in  Provi- 
dence he  is  said  to  have  remarked  about  certain  of  his  rivals,  that  he  was  '  so  rich 

he  didn't  care  for  John  Brown  and  Nightingale,  nor  the  d 1.'   The  house  has 

been  on  its  present  site  since  about  1870,  when  it  was  moved  from  the  site  of  the 
Jesse  Smith  Memorial  Library. 

Just  south  of  the  Rhodes  House  is  the  Loom  and  Shuttle  Inn  (open),  built  about 
1840,  a  large  two-and-a-half-story  frame  building  erected  by  Benjamin  and  David 
Mowry.  It  was  for  a  time  operated  under  the  name  of  the  Central  Hotel. 


From  Uxbridge  to  Wickford  443 

Across  Main  St.  from  the  inn  is  the  Still-water  House  (private),  a  community  center 

run  by  the  Stillwater  Worsted  Company.    This  large  frame  house  was  built  by 

Smith  Wood  about  1840,  and  was  later  used  for  a  time  as  a  tavern. 

On  Main  Street  a  little  north  of  the  village  center  is  the  Joseph  O.  Clark  Homestead 

(private),  a  two-and-one-half-story  white  frame  building,  with  four  Doric  pillars  in 

front,  and  many  outbuildings  to  the  rear  (about  1843).  There  is  an  old  stone  oven 

in  the  kitchen. 

In  Harrisville  this  route  bears  right  on  Main  St.,  in  front  of  the  Aunt  Hettie  Harris 

House,  passes  the  Clark  Homestead  (R),  and  then  turns  left  onto  Chapel  St.  At 

the  corner  of  Main  and  Chapel  Sts.  is  the  Town  Building  (R),  a  neat  brick  edifice  of 

recent  construction.  In  the  front  hall  of  the  building  is  a  painted  wall-map  of  the 

township. 

On  the  outskirts  of  Harrisville,  2.6  m.  (R),  is  the  old  Granite  Mill.  Daniel  Sayles 

and  his  sons  began  on  this  site,  about  1800,  a  custom-carding  and  cloth-draping 

business.  Fancy  cassimeres  were  made  after  1838.  The  present  mill  was  erected  in 

1865  by  Albert  Sayles,  grandson  of  Daniel,  for  the  production  of  heavy  cassimeres. 

It  was  bought  in  1932  by  the  Service  Dyeing  and  Winding  Company. 

Over  the  very  short  War  Memorial  Bridge,  2.9  m.,  the  route  touches  the  edge  of 
Pascoag,  a  village  named  for  a  tribe  of  Nipmuck  Indians  who  lived  here  in  the 
1 7th  century. 

On  Cemetery  Hill,  3.3  m.,  is  Saint  Patrick's  Cemetery  (L),  which  has  a  small  at- 
tractive grove  of  Norway  firs. 

PASCOAG  (alt.  380,  Burrillville  Town),  3.8  m.,  is  another  textile  village,  with  a 
narrow  and  crooked  main  street,  on  one  side  of  which  (L),  near  the  center,  is  an 
enormous  ledge.  The  village  has  a  large  Irish  population,  and  the  only  high  school 
for  the  township. 

Pascoag  Reservoir,  south  of  the  center,  and  sometimes  called  Echo  Lake,  is  about 
2>£  miles  long  (fishing;  cottages  and  boats  to  hire;  motor  boat  racing  in  summer).  On 
the  east  side  of  this  reservoir,  in  the  home  of  Welcome  Sayles,  was  held  one  of  the 
first  schools  in  town  (about  1806). 

The  outstanding  structure  of  Pascoag  is  the  large  Uxbridge  Worsted  Company 
Mill.  Daniel  Sayles  in  1814  here  opened  a  fulling  and  dressing  mill,  which  became 
(1834)  under  his  sons,  Harding  and  Pitt  Sayles,  a  satinet  factory.  A  relative,  John 
Chase,  was  associated  with  the  latter  for  a  time,  before  he  went  to  manage  the 
Granite  Mill  at  Harrisville.  The  old  building  of  the  present  concern  was  con- 
structed about  1865. 

At  the  corner  of  Main  and  Church  Sts.  is  the  Albert  Sayles  House  (private),  the  home 
of  a  prominent  third  generation  member  of  this  textile  family.  The  present  occu- 
pant of  this  three-story  frame  house  makes  small  quantities  of  woolen  cloth  in  a 
barn  workshop  to  the  rear. 

This  route  follows  Main  St.  part  way  through  Pascoag,  then  bears  right  on  Church 
St.,  past  the  Pascoag  Public  Library  (R),  a  veritable  doll's  house,  and  the  Free 
Baptist  Church  (R),  a  typical  New  England  frame  church,  with  four  plain  pillars 
in  front  and  a  tall,  too-heavy  spire  (1839).  This  Free  Baptist  Society,  the  first  in 
the  State,  was  organized  by  Elder  John  Colby  in  1812. 

In  the  village  of  BRIDGETON  (alt.  420,  Burrillville  Town),  4.8  m.,  where  fancy 
worsteds  are  made,  the  Wallum  Lake  Road  bears  left,  becoming  narrow  and 
crooked. 

Wilson's  Reservoir,  5.8  m.  (R),  a  little  more  than  a  mile  in  length,  is  fed  from  Wal- 
lum Lake  by  way  of  the  Clear  River  (fishing;  boats  for  hire  in  season). 

The  Easton  Angell  House  (private),  Q.I  m.  (R),  a  two-and-a-half-story  frame  house 
with  gable  roof  and  a  story-and-a-half  addition  on  the  west  end,  was  built  early  in 
the  1 9th  century.   It  is  now  the  center  of  a  large  truck  farm. 
At  6.4  m.  (R)  is  the  Randall  Angell  Homestead  (private),  a  one-and-a-half-story 
structure  built,  according  to  the  date  near  the  peak  of  the  roof,  in  1774.   It  for- 


444  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

merly  was  a  tavern.  The  kitchen  fireplace  contains  old-fashioned  cooking  utensils 
and  a  crane. 

At  7.5  m.  is  the  junction  with  Buck  Hill  Road,  named  for  bounding  deer;  left  here 
into  a  hilly  country  associated  with  some  of  Burrillville's  romantic  characters. 
On  the  edge  of  Round  Top  Hill  in  the  Buck  Hill  woods  is  Forger's  Cave  (difficult  to 
find  and  unsafe  to  enter).  In  late  Colonial  days,  Spanish  milled  dollars  were  forged 
here  in  large  quantities.  The  leaders  of  the  band,  though  apprehended,  were  re- 
leased because  they  threatened  to  implicate  the  first  families  of  the  town. 

At  7.65  m.  on  Wallum  Lake  Rd.  is  the  junction  with  a  narrow  cart  path  that  leads 
(R)  to  a  farm  known  as  the  Wells  Place,  which  is  occupied  by  Henry  Johnson,  born 
a  slave  in  Richmond,  Va.,  in  1834.  As  a  recipe  for  long  life,  Mr.  Johnson  recom- 
mends plenty  of  walking  for  exercise,  and  substantial  meals  but  no  meat  fat.  He 
has  few  gray  hairs,  all  of  his  natural  teeth,  and  uses  tar  soap,  even  for  shaving. 

The  village  of  WALLUM  LAKE  (alt.  600,  Burrillville  Town),  8.8  m.,  which  rests 
in  a  saucer-like  depression  wooded  with  conifers,  is  almost  wholly  occupied  by  the 
Wallum  Lake  Sanatorium,  a  State  hospital  for  tubercular  patients.  Some  of  the 
older  frame  dormitories  lie  to  the  left  of  the  road,  and  new  brick  buildings  are  being 
erected  on  both  sides  of  the  highway.  Wallum  Lake  itself  is  behind  the  hospital 
(L).  The  lake  is  3  miles  long  by  about  i  mile  in  width  (fishing  and  boating). 

Wallum  Lake  Sanatorium  (visiting  days  Thur.  and  Sun.)  dates  from  the  early  years 
of  the  present  century.  The  site  was  purchased,  and  the  first  buildings  were  erected, 
under  a  legislative  commission  established  in  1902.  In  1935,  the  control  of  the 
institution  passed  to  the  State  Department  of  Public  Welfare,  Division  of  Hos- 
pitals and  Infirmaries.  At  the  present  time  the  hospital  has  a  430  bed  capacity; 
admissions  are  limited  to  residents  of  the  State.  The  resident  staff  includes  the 
superintendent,  a  senior  and  five  assistant  physicians,  pathologist,  pharmacist, 
and  registered  nurses.  An  extensive  building  program  is  at  present  under  way, 
which  will  result  in  greatly  improved  facilities.  The  village  of  Wallum  Lake  has  a 
few  Armenian  residents  who  work  in  the  hospital  or  on  their  own  small  farms. 

On  Badger  Mountain  (alt.  720),  about  i  mile  south  of  the  lake,  lived  in  the  i88o's 
a  lawless  crowd,  who  sometimes  drove  to  town  'a  hilarious  wagon  load,  the  femi- 
nine contingent  powdered  and  painted  to  the  last  degree.' 

The  State  highway  ends  at  9.3  m.  An  unpaved  extension  of  this  road  at  about 
9.7  m.  passes  the  very  large  Singleton  Apple  Orchard,  of  8000  to  10,000  trees,  mostly 
Mclntosh  and  Baldwin.  The  route  meets  the  Massachusetts  Line,  10.2  m.,  on 
the  southern  edge  of  the  town  of  Douglas. 

The  village  of  OAKLAND  (alt.  320,  Burrillville  Town),  5.5  m.,  is  a  little 
mill  town,  marked  by  a  number  of  small  yellow  frame  houses  that  look 
alike.  The  Oakland  Worsted  Mill,  a  branch  of  the  Wanskuk  Company  is 
here;  near  the  village  center  it  maintains  a  good  recreation  field,  baseball 
field,  and  tennis  courts  for  its  employees. 

Oakland  shades  unperceptibly  into  MAPLEVILLE  (alt.  380,  Burrill- 
ville Town),  6.4  m.,  in  which  is  a  branch  mill  of  the  Still-water  Worsted 
Company. 

The  Smith  Dairy  Farm,  7.3  m.  (R),  one  of  several  dairies  in  this  vicinity, 
has  an  old  well  beside  which  are  three  washbasins,  cut  in  a  stone  slab, 
which  were  designed,  it  is  believed,  for  the  use  of  slaves  in  Colonial  days. 
The  slab  is  inscribed  'Uriah  Harris  1815.' 

South  of  the  Burrillville-Glocester  boundary  line,  7.9  m.,  the  country 
is  more  open,  the  highway  is  less  shut  in  by  near-by  woods  and  hills,  and 
several  distant  views  can  be  had  to  the  south. 


From  Uxbridge  to  Wickford  445 

At  8.6  m.  (R)  is  a  large  Turkey  Farm,  where  some  of  the  fine  Rhode 
Island  turkeys  are  raised. 

CHEPACHET  (alt.  400,  township  pop.  1693),  9.1  m.,  is  the  govern- 
mental center  of  Glocester  Township.  Glocester  was  named,  on  its  in- 
corporation in  1730,  for  Frederick  Lewis,  Duke  of  Gloucester,  son  of 
King  George  II.  John  Smith,  an  early  settler  in  Providence,  was  one  of 
the  first  residents  of  Glocester.  Other  early  settlers  included  Edwin 
Salisbury,  and  families  by  the  name  of  Phetteplace,  Owens,  Tourtellot, 
Irons,  Eddy,  Evans,  Waterman,  Steere,  and  Burlingame.  Many  of  these 
people  were  the  children  or  grandchildren  of  English  Dissenters;  some 
called  themselves  Seekers,  some  Friends,  some  Separatists,  and  others 
New  Lights.  They  held  prayer  meetings  in  their  homes,  which  were  often 
log  cabins. 

John  Waterman,  brother  of  Colonel  Resolved  Waterman,  was  manu- 
facturing paper  in  the  town  about  1750.  In  the  late  i8th  and  early  igth 
centuries,  Glocester  supported  some  manufacture  of  ironware,  bricks, 
silk  and  felt  hats,  potash,  and  distilled  liquor,  and  towards  the  end  of  the 
1 9th  century  West  Glocester  produced  carpet  warp  and  heavy  woolen 
goods,  Spring  Grove  cotton  goods,  and  Harmony  mechanical  goods.  The 
town  sent  95  sheep  to  aid  Boston  when  its  port  was  closed  in  1774. 

Chepachet  is  a  neat-appearing  country  town  with  many  well-kept  white 
frame  houses.  In  the  late  i9th  century  summer  visitors  came  to  the 
taverns  of  this  village  from  as  far  west  as  Chicago  and  St.  Louis.  Dairy 
farms  surround  the  village,  some  being  owned  by  the  numerous  Steere 
families  of  the  neighborhood. 

On  May  30,  memorial  services  for  local  boys  who  have  lost  their  lives  at 
sea  are  held  on  the  Main  St.  bridge.  Wreaths  are  thrown  on  the  water 
below  the  bridge  by  town  school  teachers,  after  which  there  is  a  pro- 
cession to  Acote  Hill  Cemetery  where  flags  are  placed  on  graves  of  Civil 
War  veterans. 

In  the  village  State  102  coincides  for  a  short  distance  with  US  44  (see 
Tour  11). 

On  the  southern  edge  of  the  village  is  the  Dorr  Monument,  honoring 
Thomas  W.  Dorr,  leader  of  the  19th-century  movement  for  more  liberal 
suffrage  in  Rhode  Island  (see  History).  Dorr  had  planned,  in  June,  1842, 
to  make  an  armed  stand  on  Acote  Hill,  which  rises  (L)  behind  the  plain 
memorial  boulder,  against  troops  representing  the  legal  government  of 
the  State,  but  lack  of  support  compelled  him  to  retire  without  fighting. 

The  Town  Pound,  10.5  m.  (L),  is  a  stone-walled  enclosure,  about  50  feet 
square,  with  an  old  iron  gate.  In  former  days  stray  horses  and  cattle 
were  impounded  here  until  the  owners  reclaimed  them.  Sometimes  the 
pound  keeper  was  not  above  capturing  a  non-stray  in  order  to  fatten  his 
fees. 

In  the  Burlingame  Farmhouse  (private},  11.9  m.  (R),  once  lived  Arthur 
Fenner,  Governor  of  the  State,  1790-1805.  This  22-room,  two-and-a-half- 


446  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

story  gabled  house,  with  a  one-and-a-half-story  gambrel-roof  rear  addi- 
tion, partly  clapboarded  and  partly  shingled,  has  slave  quarters  in  the 
cellar,  and  in  the  family  burial  ground  to  the  rear  are  graves  of  some  of 
the  former  slaves. 

Between  this  point  and  the  Glocester-Scituate  boundary  line,  13.4  m., 
the  highway  passes  over  several  hills  affording  distant  views  of  the 
wooded  countryside. 

At  the  junction  with  State  101, 14.4  m.,  is  a  good  view  (R)  of  the  adjacent 
town  of  Foster  and,  farther  in  the  distance,  the  hills  of  eastern  Con- 
necticut. Near  the  southwest  corner  of  this  intersection  was  once  a 
Revolutionary  beacon,  a  pail  of  tar  on  a  pole,  to  be  lighted  in  case  of 
British  incursion.  Left  a  short  distance  is  the  65-foot  tower  of  the  Chop- 
mist  Fire  Lookout  Station. 

At  14.8  m.  (R)  is  the  home  of  the  owner  of  the  Chopmist  Apple  Orchards 
on  the  Site  of  an  18th  Century  House  destroyed  by  fire  in  1920,  in  which 
once  lived  Elizabeth  Williams,  great-granddaughter  of  Rhode  Island's 
founder.  Roger  Williams,  grandson  of  the  founder,  is  buried  in  the  family 
plot  to  the  rear.  The  present  owner  of  the  estate  is  also  a  descendant  of 
Roger  Williams,  his  great-grandfather  having  married  Elizabeth. 

The  Dexter  Arnold  Homestead  (private),  16.2  m.  (R),  next  to  the  Chopmist 
Hill  Inn,  is  a  good-sized  farmhouse  containing  many  fireplaces,  one 
equipped  with  a  crane,  and  a  brick  oven.  This  was  one  of  the  many  self- 
supporting  farms  of  earlier  days,  when  country  people  made  their  blankets 
and  suits  from  wool  grown  on  their  own  sheep.  The  present  owner  has 
some  blankets  made  by  her  husband's  grandmother  from  wool  raised  on 
the  farm. 

A  good  view  of  the  Scituate  Reservoir  (see  Tour  10),  the  water  supply  for 
Providence,  is  had  (L)  at  17.1  m. 

At  the  junction  with  State  14,  called  Crazy  Corners,  is  (L)  Ponagansett 
Grove  (public),  a  little  park  in  an  oak  grove,  with  picnic  tables  and  a 
fireplace. 

Ponagansett  Bridge,  18.2  m.,  spanning  the  west  end  of  the  Scituate 
Reservoir,  calls  to  mind  the  many  villages  that  were  abandoned  to  make 
way  for  the  artificial  lake,  the  villages  of  Richmond,  Kent,  Elmdale, 
Saundersville,  Ponagansett,  Ashland,  South  Scituate,  and  part  of  Rock- 
land.  This  now  flooded  area  was  formerly  the  cotton  manufacturing 
part  of  Scituate  Township. 

At  19.1  m.  is  the  junction  with  paved  Tunk  Hill  Rd. 

Left  5  m.  on  the  latter  is  Kent  Dam  at  the  southern  end  of  the  Scituate  Reservoir. 
The  New  Rockland  Cemetery,  on  a  hillside  (R),  19.1  m.,  is  maintained  by 
the  City  of  Providence,  since  it  contains  the  bodies  taken  from  the  various 
cemeteries  that  had  to  be  abandoned  when  the  Scituate  Reservoir  was 
built  as  the  city's  water  supply. 

The  village  of  CLAYVILLE  (alt.  420,  Scituate  Township),  19.3  m.,  was 
once  a  fairly  prosperous  cotton  manufacturing  town,  but  it  has  been  very 


From  Uxbridge  to  Wickford  447 

quiet  since  its  chief  mill  was  abandoned  about  ten  years  ago  owing  to  the 
construction  of  the  Scituate  Reservoir  which  interfered  with  its  water- 
power. 

Crossing  the  Scituate-Foster  boundary  line  at  19.5  m.,  this  route  runs 
for  about  five  miles  through  the  southeastern  corner  of  the  latter  town- 
ship. The  more  interesting  part  of  this  town  lies  to  the  north  and  west 
(see  Tour  10).  The  section  near  State  102  was  part  of  the  'Westconnaug 
Purchase/  bought  from  the  Indians  in  1662  by  Zachariah  Rhodes, 
Robert  Westcott,  and  others.  The  name  of  this  purchase  is  preserved  by 
the  Westconnaug  Reservoir,  visible  at  several  points  (L)  near  the  town 
boundary  line. 

At  a  break  in  the  woods,  23.1  m.,  near  an  airway  beacon  (L)  is  the  Ben- 
nett Homestead,  an  early  1 8th -century,  two-and-a-half-story  frame  house, 
containing  many  fireplaces  and  old  cooking  utensils. 

From  the  top  of  the  hill  at  23.7  m.  can  be  had,  straight  ahead,  a  particu- 
larly good  view  of  the  rolling  countryside  of  Coventry  (see  Tour  2  A), 
which  this  route  enters  at  24.1  m. 

The  Isaac  Bowen  Homestead  (private),  24.8  m.  (L),  is  a  two-and-a-half- 
story  frame,  i4-room  house,  in  which  George  Washington  is  said  to  have 
spent  a  night  when  he  was  visiting  Rochambeau  at  Newport  near  the 
end  of  the  Revolution.  It  has  a  pedimented  doorway. 

A  similar  tradition,  though  it  may  refer  to  another  trip,  is  attached  to 
another  Bowen  Homestead  (private),  at  24.9  m.  (L),  a  smaller  house, 
gambrel-roofed,  with  a  one-and-a-half-story  addition. 

From  the  top  of  a  hill,  25.6  m.,  can  be  had  another  good  view  of  farms  in 
a  hollow  (L). 

The  Benjamin  Carr  Homestead  (private),  28.2  m.  (L),  is  an  odd  little  house, 
some  distance  from  the  road,  standing  near  the  end  of  a  clearing  in  the 
woods.  Its  gable  roof  comes  far  down,  and  the  gable  end  faces  the  road. 
The  small  front  porch  is  a  late  addition.  The  attic  of  the  house  contains 
a  smoke  compartment  where  hams  were  formerly  cured.  The  house  was 
built  in  1777  by  Benjamin  Carr,  great-grandfather  of  the  present  occu- 
pant. Benjamin  was  a  descendant  of  Caleb  Carr,  Governor  of  the 
Colony  in  1695  and  a  prominent  Jamestown  man.  On  the  original  235 
acres  of  this  Carr  farm  were  once  raised  large  flocks  of  sheep. 

Between  29  and  33.6  m.  State  102  runs  through  WEST  GREENWICH, 
the  most  sparsely  populated  township  in  the  State  (see  Tour  2). 

At  29.9  m.  is  the  junction  with  Sharpe  St.  (L)  and  Plain  Meeting-House 
Rd.  (R).  At  the  intersection  is  an  early  iSth-century  house,  one-and-a- 
half-story,  gable-roofed,  and  not  particularly  impressive  architecturally, 
now  the  home  of  Norman  Capwell,  auctioneer.  It  is  said  that  a  William 
Johnston,  who  lived  here  about  1865,  tried  to  make  some  pickles  a  fine 
green  color  by  adding  copperas  to  them.  He  died  from  the  experiment, 
thus  saving,  however,  the  lives  of  many  prospective  purchasers.  The 


448  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

Capwell  House  used  to  be  the  distributing  center  for  mail  received  from 
Voluntown,  Connecticut. 

Right  about  4  m.  on  Plain  Meeting-House  Rd.  into  the  Wickaboxet  State  Forest,  a 
288-acre  forest  reservation  and  game  sanctuary,  established  in  1928. 

The  neat  red  School,  30.8  m.  (R),  is  West  Greenwich's  modern  substitute 
for  the  several  little  white  rural  schoolhouses  of  the  past. 

The  Arnold  Ellis  Homestead  (private),  32.7  m.  (R),  stands  out  in  bleak 
isolation  on  a  run-down  farm.  This  long,  low,  unpainted  shingled  struc- 
ture, the  main  section  gambrel-roofed,  was  built  in  1700.  The  main  struc- 
ture has  only  one  chimney  and  the  long  roof  is  unbroken  by  windows.  A 
family  burial  ground  is  beyond  a  stone  wall  in  the  rear.  On  top  of  the 
wall  is  one  very  large  stone  where  a  casket  could  be  set  while  the  bearers 
climbed  over. 

At  33.9  m.  State  102  bears  right  on  State  3  (see  Tour  2)  for  a  few  rods, 
then  turns  off  (L). 

At  34.8  m.  (L)  is  the  Country  Home  of  Stephen  0.  Metcalf  of  Providence, 
built  (1909)  on  the  site  of  a  Colonial  land  grant  made  to  Thomas  Lilli- 
bridge,  on  which  there  are  25  natural  springs.  The  old  Lillibridge  home- 
stead burned  more  than  a  half-century  ago.  Quantities  of  Indian  relics 
have  been  found  on  this  property. 

For  two  or  three  miles  State  102,  running  here  nearly  due  east,  follows 
the  route  of  the  old  Ten  Rod  Road,  a  Colonial  highway  that  was  165  feet 
wide,  to  facilitate  the  driving  of  cattle  from  Connecticut  to  Wickford, 
where  they  were  put  on  vessels  for  exportation. 

The  village  of  EXETER  (alt.  240,  township  pop.  1314),  38.2  m.t  is  the 
administrative  center  of  the  township. 

Exeter,  formerly  a  part  of  North  Kingstown,  and  incorporated  in  1743, 
was  probably  named  for  Exeter,  England.  A  family  named  Wing  was 
probably  the  first  to  settle  here.  Early  settlers  kept  to  the  western  part 
of  the  town;  the  eastern  section  was  known  as  the  Vacant  Lands  for  most 
of  the  1 8th  century.  Settlements  were  first  made  on  scattered  pockets  of 
fertile  soil,  though  the  many  forest  areas  elsewhere  offered  opportunity 
for  lumbering.  The  township  is  very  hilly,  and  marked  by  a  great  number 
of  small  ponds. 

Industry  came  to  Exeter  in  the  second  quarter  of  the  i9th  century.  A 
textile  factory  for  cheap  'Negro'  cloth  was  built  at  Millville  shortly  before 
1830,  and  another  cotton  mill  at  Lawtonville  about  the  same  time.  Rakes 
were  manufactured  near  Hallville  from  about  1859  to  1880. 

The  first  school  in  town,  situated  near  the  east  end  of  the  Ten  Rod  Road, 
was  erected  in  1766  as  the  result  of  a  gift  from  the  Boston  philanthropist, 
Samuel  Sewall.  A  Baptist  church  was  established  in  1750. 
Exeter  is  still  a  predominantly  agricultural  township,  and  a  large  pro- 
portion of  its  population  are  native  Yankees. 
Near  the  village  center  is  the  Manton  Free  Library  (L),  a  small  one-and- 


From  Fall  River  to  Willimantic  449 

a-half-story  frame  building,  in  which  one  of  the  first  experiments  was 
made  with  the  now  common  open-shelf  system. 

Between  38.7  and  40.1  m.  are,  on  both  sides  of  the  road,  a  number  of 
prosperous  dairies  and  poultry  farms.  At  about  40.6  m.  the  countryside, 
which  in  Coventry,  West  Greenwich,  and  western  Exeter  was  quite  roll- 
ing, is  very  flat.  At  41.4  m.  is  the  Exeter-North  Kingstown  boundary 
line. 

At  41.4  m.  is  also  the  junction  with  State  2  (see  Tour  3),  called  Robbers' 
Corner  because  of  some  untoward  episodes  that  took  place  here  in  early 
stagecoach  days.  State  102  turns  left  into  State  2  at  this  corner,  then 
branches  off  (R)  at  Cranston's  Corner,  42 .4  m. 

The  village  of  WICKFORD  JUNCTION  (North  Kingstown  Town), 
43  m.,  is  so  named  because  from  this  point  used  to  run  a  branch  line  of 
the  N.Y.,  N.H.  and  H.  R.R.  to  Wickford  (see  Tour  1).  Near  the  railroad 
station  the  village  is  not  imposing,  but  to  the  east,  and  in  the  adjoining 
village  of  LAFAYETTE,  are  a  number  of  attractive  residences. 

The  Rodman  Woolen  Mill,  on  State  102  (R),  manufacturing  cotton  goods 
at  the  end  of  the  i8th  century,  has  produced  woolens  since  1848. 

Near  the  mill  is  the  junction  with  a  paved  side  road. 

Right  a  short  distance  on  this  road  to  the  State  Fish  Hatchery  (visitors  welcome). 
The  hatchery  supplies  trout  and  bass  to  all  Rhode  Island  ponds  and  streams  in 
which  fish  can  live.  Eggs  are  artificially  fertilized  at  the  hatchery,  and  the  small 
fish  are  carefully  reared  until  they  reach  the  legal  catching  size  of  seven  and  one- 
half  inches.  More  than  500,000  fish  were  released  in  1935. 

At  45.4  m.  is  the  junction  with  US  1  in  the  village  of  WICKFORD  (see 
Tour  1). 


TOUR      10:     From  MASSACHUSETTS  LINE  (Fall  River)  to 
CONNECTICUT  LINE  (Willimantic),  24.7  m.,  US  6. 


Hard-surfaced  roadbed,  three  and  four  lanes  wide. 

Tourist  accommodations  of  all  kinds  in  Providence;  limited  accommodations 
elsewhere. 

State  Police  Barracks,  North  Scituate  (Phone,  Scituate  12). 

US  6  crosses  the  Massachusetts  Line  about  17  miles  west  of  Fall  River, 
and  runs  nearly  due  west  across  the  State,  passing  through  the  metro- 
politan area  of  Providence  and  then  running  through  a  sparsely  settled 
countryside  to  the  Connecticut  Line. 

US  6  enters  Rhode  Island  at  the  eastern  edge  of  East  Providence,  in  a 
flat  truck-gardening  district. 


45°  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

Between  1  m.  and  1.7  m.  the  highway  passes  through  a  thickly  settled 
part  of  the  village  of  East  Providence,  crossing  State  114  (see  Tour  5), 
and  traversing  in  particular  the  Portuguese  section. 

At  Ingram's  Corner,  1.7  m.,  is  the  junction  with  Broadway,  one  of  the 
main  streets  of  the  village  of  EAST  PROVIDENCE  (alt.  100,  township 
pop.  29,995),  which  is  the  administrative  center  of  the  township  of  the 
same  name. 

East  Providence  became  an  independent  township  in  1862.  It  had  previ- 
ously been  a  part  of  three  separate  townships  and  of  two  States,  Rhode 
Island  and  Massachusetts.  Roger  Williams  came  to  what  is  now  East 
Providence  in  the  spring  of  1636,  after  a  bitter  winter  journey  from 
Salem,  Mass,  (see  History).  At  the  request  of  Plymouth  Colony,  which 
then  claimed  the  land  to  the  east  bank  of  the  Seekonk  River,  he  moved 
to  Providence  in  June  of  the  same  year.  While  East  Providence  was 
claimed  by  Massachusetts,  it  was  called  Seekonk,  the  name  of  the  present 
Massachusetts  town  just  to  the  eastward.  After  Williams'  departure, 
John  Hazell  came  to  Seekonk  in  1642,  and  a  year  later  the  Reverend 
Samuel  Newman  and  a  group  of  58  followers  with  their  families  moved 
here,  calling  their  settlement  Rehoboth,  meaning  'the  Lord  hath  opened 
a  way  for  us.'  Other  settlers  were  Thomas  Willett,  Philip  Walker,  and 
John  Brown.  Mr.  Newman  immediately  organized  a  Congregational 
church  society  in  his  settlement  (see  Tour  5) .  Agriculture  was  at  first  the 
means  of  livelihood.  In  1699  a  schoolhouse  was  opened  at  Ruhlin's 
River  (see  Tour  5),  taught  by  Jonathan  Bosworth.  Seekonk  established 
its  first  governmental  body  on  June  21,  1644,  by  electing  a  board  of 
townsmen.  Edward  Smith  was  the  surveyor  of  highways  when  the  first 
town  highway  was  built  in  1650. 

During  King  Philip's  War,  in  1676,  the  'ring  of  the  town,'  a  semi-circle 
of  homes  built  around  the  parsonage  and  church  in  Seekonk,  was  burned 
by  the  Indians.  The  town  furnished  310  men  for  the  Continental  Army 
of  the  Revolution,  37  of  whom  were  commissioned  officers.  At  this  time 
the  town  began  to  manufacture  saltpeter  for  the  new  government  for  use 
in  making  gunpowder;  the  factory  was  near  the  mouth  of  the  Ten  Mile 
River.  One  important  factor  in  the  growth  of  the  town  was  the  building 
of  two  wooden  bridges  across  the  Seekonk  River  in  1793,  Central  Bridge 
or  the  present  Red  Bridge,  and  Washington  Bridge.  These  bridges  have 
been  destroyed  and  rebuilt  many  times. 

In  1856,  the  Rumford  Chemical  Works  for  the  manufacture  of  baking 
powder  was  established  (see  Tour  5).  There  were  four  mills  on  the  Ten 
Mile  River  at  the  place  called  Hunt's  Mills,  the  most  famous  being  an  old 
17th-century  gristmill  which  was  still  in  operation  in  1893  when  it  was 
torn  down  to  make  way  for  a  pumping  station. 

East  Providence  takes  pride  in  the  career  of  Major  George  Newman  Bliss 
(1837-1928),  a  descendant  of  Thomas  Bliss  who  accompanied  Samuel 
Newman  to  the  town  in  1643.  He  served  four  years  in  the  Civil  War, 
receiving  a  Congressional  medal  of  honor  for  personal  bravery,  and  he 


From  Fall  River  to  Willimantic  451 

wrote  and  edited  a  series  of  booklets  called  'Personal  Narratives  of  the 
Rebellion.'  He  was  also,  after  1865,  State  representative,  senator,  and 
for  50  years  a  trial  justice  and  judge  of  the  East  Providence  District 
Court,  conducting  more  than  24,000  cases. 

Modern  East  Providence  is  a  township  with  an  area  of  about  16  square 
miles,  noted  industrially  for  baking  powder,  and  petroleum  refining  plants. 
A  considerable  part  of  the  township,  however,  is  still  agricultural,  sup- 
porting six  or  seven  dairy  companies.  In  the  southeast  corner,  or  River- 
side section,  is  Crescent  Park,  a  popular  amusement  resort  (see  Tour  5A). 

At  2.7  m.  is  Washington  Bridge,  opened  in  1930,  on  the  boundary  line  be- 
tween East  Providence  and  Providence.  From  the  bridge  are  visible 
Fort  Hill  (L),  the  remains  of  a  Revolutionary  fortification;  straight  ahead 
is  the  tower  of  the  New  Industrial  Trust  Building;  and  a  little  to  the  right 
is  the  spire  of  the  Union  Baptist  Church.  Tockwotton  Park,  with  a  play- 
ground, is  right  at  the  west  end  of  the  bridge  (see  PROVIDENCE}.  The 
highway  continues  along  Fox  Point  Boulevard,  over  the  route  taken  by 
the  first  railroad  between  Boston  and  Providence  (see  Transportation). 

At  3.3  m.  near  the  Holy  Rosary  Church  (R),  US  6  bears  left  over  the  Point 
Street  Bridge.  Left  are  the  docks  of  the  Colonial  Line,  which  operates 
vessels  to  and  from  New  York.  On  Point  St.,  west  of  the  bridge,  are 
buildings  of  the  Dawl  Rubber  Company,  situated  on  both  sides  of  the 
street. 

Right  on  Lockwood  St.  at  4.3  m.,  which  at  4.6  m.  crosses  Broad  St.  or 
US  1  (see  Tour  1).  North  of  the  Broad  St.  intersection  Lockwood  St. 
becomes  Winter  St.  The  Central  High  School  is  at  4.65  m.  (R). 

Left  on  Westminster  St.  at  4.7  m.  Near  this  corner,  on  land  now  occupied 
by  the  Citizens'  Savings  Bank,  once  stood  the  Hoyle  Tavern,  a  famous 
late  i8th-and  early  igth -century  hostelry,  and  in  the  Dorr  War  of  1842 
the  starting-point  of  an  unsuccessful  march  on  the  Arsenal  (see  PROVI- 
DENCE). 

In  OLNEYVILLE  SQUARE,  5.7  m.  (L),  is  the  Church  of  the  Messiah, 
the  parish  of  which  was  founded  in  1856.  This  section  of  Providence, 
which  was  once  a  part  of  Johnston,  was  named  for  Christopher  Olney, 
a  mill  owner  and  a  Revolutionary  officer.  Ladies'  dress  goods  and  coatings 
are  the  chief  products  of  the  mills  operating  in  this  locality. 

At  7.2  m.  is  the  Providence- Johnston  boundary  line. 

Near  the  bottom  of  a  hill  on  US  6,  in  a  residential  section  of  the  township, 
is  Ochee  Spring,  7.25  m.  (R),  a  few  yards  from  the  main  highway;  the 
spring  is  a  commercial  mineral  water  enterprise.  The  area  on  which  it  is 
situated  includes  the  site  of  a  tree  that  Oliver  Wendell  Holmes  described 
as  '  one  of  the  first  perhaps  The  First,  of  the  first  class  of  New  England 
Elms.'  In  1858,  its  girth  one  foot  from  the  ground  was  40  feet,  and  6  feet 
from  the  ground  28  feet,  and  the  two  major  branches  had  girths  of  ap- 
proximately 14  feet. 

About  200  feet  east  of  Ochee  Spring  is  (R)  an  old  Indian  Soapstone  Quarry 


452  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

(visited  by  permission)  which  was  worked  by  Indians  in  prehistoric  times, 
and  continued  to  be  one  of  the  chief  industries  of  the  local  Indians  long 
after  the  arrival  of  the  white  settlers.  The  Indians  carved  pots  and  other 
cooking  dishes  out  of  this  soft,  yet  strong  material,  which  has  the  valu- 
able property  of  not  being  cracked  by  heating.  Not  only  were  the  needs 
of  the  local  Indians  supplied  by  the  artisans  who  worked  here,  but  soap- 
stone  pots  and  dishes  were  exported  to  the  neighboring  tribes.  This 
quarry  is  particularly  interesting  because  many  of  the  unfinished  pots 
are  still  in  place  on  the  ledge.  In  this  quarry  there  is  a  carved  seat,  which 
tradition  says  was  used  by  the  chief  of  the  tribe  who  sat  here  to  direct  the 
laborers.  Frederick  W.  Putnam,  of  Harvard,  who  examined  the  ledge  in 
1878,  estimated  that  several  thousand  pots  and  dishes  had  been  taken 
from  the  quarry.  There  are  several  other  such  quarries  in  Rhode  Island 
and  in  the  neighboring  States,  but  none  with  such  extensive  evidences  of 
Indian  workmanship. 

At  7.3  m.  (R),  on  the  corner  of  Long  St.,  is  the  King  Homestead  (private), 
the  birthplace  of  Samuel  Ward  King,  who  was  Governor  of  the  State 
during  the  Dorr  War  (see  History).  It  is  a  large  two-story  house  of  Colo- 
nial type,  remodeled  with  porches,  with  three  big,  old-fashioned  fireplaces 
on  the  first  floor  and  two  more  on  the  second.  The  kitchen  fireplace  which 
has  a  mantel  n  feet  long  is  equipped  with  a  large  brick  oven  and  a  crane. 
When  the  house  was  built  (1732),  there  were  but  7  rooms,  but  with  the 
passing  years  various  owners  have  made  additions  until  there  are  now  17. 
At  8.8  m.  is  the  junction  with  Atwood  Ave. 

Left  from  US  6  on  Atwood  Ave.  to  the  village  of  THORNTON,  2  m.,  the  adminis- 
trative center  of  Johnston. 

JOHNSTON  (township  pop.  9357),  which  was  originally  a  part  of  Providence, 
became  a  separate  town  in  1759;  it  was  named  for  Augustus  Johnston  of  Newport 
who  was  Attorney-General  of  Rhode  Island,  1758-66.  Its  surface  is  rolling;  two  or 
three  eminences  and  many  ponds  dot  the  landscape. 

Thomas  Clemence  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  in  Johnston;  about  1650  he  erected 
a  house,  which,  much  rebuilt,  is  still  standing,  on  George  Waterman  Rd.  (see  Tour 
11). 

Until  the  middle  of  the  i9th  century  Johnston  was  a  farming  community.  With 
the  beginning  of  Revolutionary  hostilities  in  1775,  when  it  became  difficult  to 
obtain  powder  from  the  usual  sources,  the  General  Assembly  granted  funds  for 
the  building  of  a  powder  mill  near  Graniteville.  James  Goff  was  hired  to  make  the 
powder  but  his  work  came  to  an  untimely  end  when  an  accidental  explosion  de- 
stroyed the  mill,  killing  Goff  and  his  one  employee. 

In  the  industrial  growth  of  Johnston  the  names  of  Simmons,  Hughes,  and  Water- 
man play  a  major  part.  James  F.  Simmons,  after  whom  Simmonsville,  now  known 
as  Thornton,  was  named,  built  a  cotton  mill  here  in  1835,  which  lasted  only  to  1840 
when  a  great  freshet  swept  it  away.  Thomas  Hughes  established  a  manufactory 
of  dyestuffs  in  what  is  now  Hughesdale  in  the  1 870*5.  In  Manton  the  Watermans 
operated  a  carding  mill.  One  of  the  major  industrial  events  in  local  history  was 
the  founding  of  the  British  Hosiery  Company  by  R.  W.  Cooper  in  1884.  The  plant 
began  operations  with  120  skilled  workers  imported  from  England.  From  Bear 
Ledge  in  this  town  came  the  granite  columns  for  the  Arcade  in  Providence  (see 
PROVIDENCE). 

The  industrial  life  of  Johnston  is  centered  in  the  Pocasset  Worsted  Company, 
Pocasset  Ave.,  and  the  Priscilla  Worsted  Mills,  Mill  St.,  both  plants  manufacturing 
worsted  yarns. 


From  Fall  River  to  Willimantic  453 

Although  few  full-blooded  Indians  now  remain  in  Johnston,  each  year  the  town 
is  the  scene  of  a  pow-wow  in  which  many  native  ceremonies  are  re-enacted  by 
descendants  of  the  Algonquians.  The  National  Algonquin  Indian  Council,  a  group 
of  Indians  whose  forefathers  came  from  all  part  of  the  United  States,  have  banded 
together  and  formed  a  society  which  meets  on  the  third  Tuesday  of  each  month  in 
Swedish  Hall,  at  the  corner  of  Pine  and  Chestnut  Sts.  in  Providence.  It  is  a  custom 
of  this  council  to  hold  an  annual  Indian  'pow-wow,'  generally  on  the  Estate  of 
Colonel  Frank  W.  Tillinghast  on  Morgan  Ave.  on  the  outskirts  of  the  village  of 
Thornton,  usually  on  Labor  Day.  The  council  arranges  a  program  (open  to  public), 
consisting  of  speeches  by  prominent  politicians  and  businessmen;  the  lighting  of 
the  Council  Fire;  the  smoking  of  the  pipe  of  peace  by  chiefs  of  all  the  tribes  present; 
the  Peace  Pipe  Dances  by  the  chiefs  of  the  various  tribes;  explanations  of  the 
Indian  sign  language;  the  singing  of  Indian  songs;  Indian  Dances  by  the  chiefs  and 
braves;  a  re-enactment  of  an  Indian  courtship  and  marriage;  exhibitions  of  archery; 
and  other  old  customs  of  the  Indians.  The  Indian  man  who  desired  to  court  one 
of  the  Indian  girls  did  so  by  going  to  her  tepee  and  serenading  her.  If  she  wished 
to  accept  his  courtship,  she  threw  her  moccasin  out  of  the  door,  before  coming  out 
to  join  him  in  a  stroll.  When  the  proposal  of  marriage  came,  the  warrior  dis- 
played his  'coups,'  consisting  of  various  decorated  feathers  indicating  the  deeds  he 
had  performed,  and  offered  beads,  skins  of  animals,  and  wampum.  If  the  girl  and 
her  father  were  satisfied,  a  public  wedding,  to  which  all  of  the  members  of  the 
tribe  are  called  together,  would  follow.  In  that  ceremony  the  pair  stood  shoulder  to 
shoulder  while  the  father  took  the  blanket  of  the  man  and  wrapped  it  around  them; 
this  was  the  legal  marriage.  In  some  cases  the  ceremony  was  followed  by  a  great 
feast  and  celebration. 

Some  of  the  tribes  were  not  so  honorable  in  their  marriages.  The  men  would  go  on 
a  foray  into  the  territory  of  neighboring  tribes,  where  they  would  watch  for  a 
chance  to  'kidnap'  the  girls  who  took  their  fancy.  Sometimes  the  girls  were 
knocked  unconscious  to  keep  them  quiet  while  they  were  being  carried  off  to  the 
tepees  in  which  they  were  held  until  they  became  ashamed  to  return  home. 

At  8.9  m.  can  be  seen  Mount  Misery  (L),  on  which,  according  to  tradi- 
tion, there  lived  years  ago  a  few  families  who  were  very  poor  and  were 
always  living  in  misery. 

Between  9.4  m.  and  10.6  m.  the  highway  passes  through  thinly  wooded, 
stony  territory,  covered  with  underbrush. 

Oak  Swamp  Reservoir,  at  11  m.  (L),  is  a  beautiful  lake  with  a  small  sum- 
mer colony  (swimming,  fishing,  row  boats  for  hire). 

At  12.8  m.  (R),  in  Scituate  Township,  is  a  Millstone  that  was  used  in  Elihu 
Bowen's  Tannery  in  the  late  i8th  century;  it  is  now  a  Civil  War  Memorial. 

The  Watchman  Industrial  School,  a  little  off  the  highway  at  13.2  m.  (R), 
an  institution  for  the  training  of  Negro  boys  and  girls,  was  founded  by  the 
Reverend  W.  S.  Holland,  D.D.,  in  1908  at  140  Codding  St.,  Providence, 
and  moved  to  Scituate  in  1923.  The  design  of  the  main  building  is  of  the 
southern  plantation  type,  with  four  impressive  columns  on  the  facade. 
Originally  this  building  housed  the  Smithfield  Seminary,  opened  in  1839 
under  Baptist  auspices  (see  Education). 

The  village  of  NORTH  SCITUATE  (alt.  391,  township  pop.  2292),  13.5 
m.,  is  the  administrative  center  of  the  township. 

Scituate  is  named  for  Scituate,  Mass.,  whence  the  early  settlers  migrated 
to  Rhode  Island  in  1710.  John  Mathewson,  the  first  white  settler,  built  a 
hovel  in  the  northeastern  part  of  the  town  within  a  quarter  of  a  mile  of 


454  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

Moswansicut  Pond,  almost  on  the  intersecting  boundary  lines  of  Smith- 
field,  Scituate,  Johnston,  and  Glocester.  The  site  is  now  indicated  by  a 
depression  and  raised  banks  about  6  rods  from  the  road.  In  1710,  other 
Massachusetts  families  followed  Mathewson,  to  the  banks  of  the  Mos- 
wansicut. Among  the  early  comers  were  Joseph  Wilkinson,  Gideon  Harris, 
Elder  Samuel  Winsor,  John  Waterman,  Dean  Kimball,  and  Stephen 
Smith.  Smith  kept  a  popular  tavern  at  the  Four  Corners,  one  which  was 
well  patronized  because  of  the  heavy  traffic  between  the  Smithfield  and 
Glocester  furnaces  and  the  iron  mines  in  Cranston.  In  1739, tne  territory 
was  incorporated  as  a  township  under  its  present  name.  William  Hop- 
kins, father  of  Stephen  and  Ezek  Hopkins  (see  History),  once  lived  here, 
and  Rufus  Hopkins,  a  sea  captain  and  son  of  Stephen  Hopkins,  became 
superintendent  of  the  Hope  Furnace  in  1777  (see  Tour  2A). 

At  the  end  of  the  i8th  century  there  were  in  Scituate  sawmills,  grist- 
mills, and  factories  for  the  making  of  cotton  goods,  shoe-laces,  and  corset- 
laces.  In  1812,  a  mill  for  manufacturing  seamless  bags  was  erected. 

James  B.  Angell  was  born  in  Scituate  in  1829.  He  attended  Brown 
University,  taught  there,  edited  the  Providence  Journal  during  the  Civil 
War,  served  as  president  of  the  Universities  of  Vermont  and  Michigan, 
and  was  an  envoy  to  China.  While  in  China  he  was  a  member  of  the 
commission  of  three  that  concluded  the  treaty  in  which  commercial  re- 
lationships were  opened  between  China  and  the  United  States. 

Many  interesting  old  customs  and  legends  are  kept  alive  in  the  township. 
There  is,  for  instance,  the  story  about  the  Ramtail  Factory,  the  superin- 
tendent of  which  hanged  himself  on  the  mill's  bellrope.  For  years  after- 
ward tht  bell  would  mysteriously  toll  at  night,  and  the  mill  windows  show 
light. 

An  old  hotel,  the  Black  Horse  Tavern,  had  an  Indian  ghost  that  used  to 
haunt  a  particular  chamber  until  it  became  known  as  the  Indian  room. 
Although  this  chamber  was  lower-priced,  few  who  knew  of  the  story  would 
sleep  in  it.  The  ghost  had  the  habit  of  burying  his  hand  in  the  sleeper's 
hair  and  dragging  his  head  up  from  the  pillow  while  flourishing  a  toma- 
hawk in  the  other  hand.  It  was  told  that  the  ghost  when  alive  had  been 
a  hanger-on  at  the  Pine  Tree  Tavern,  a  rival  of  the  Black  Horse,  and  in 
loyalty  had  gone  to  his  grave  determined  to  'hant'  the  rival  out  of  exist- 
ence. A  Mrs.  Jencks,  reposing  in  the  high  bedstead  in  the  haunted 
chamber,  experienced  the  ghost.  He  pulled  off  her  nightcap,  seized  her 
by  the  hair,  pulled  her  down  the  stairs  and  out-of-doors,  and  pointed 
fiercely  to  the  roots  of  a  great  cedar  tree  at  the  gate,  muttering  in  broken 
English  of  avenging  an  insult  to  his  race.  Mrs.  Jencks  mentioned  it  to  her 
husband  and  he,  believing  in  buried  treasure,  saw  some  connection  be- 
tween such  treasure  and  the  ghost's  gesture.  He  dug  without  success. 
Again  the  ghost  paid  Mrs.  Jencks  a  visit,  pointing  this  time  to  the  roots 
of  a  particularly  fine  apple  tree.  Mr.  Jencks  again  dug.  Again  and  again 
the  ghost  returned,  each  time  pointing  at  a  different  tree;  Mr.  Jencks 
destroyed  a  good  part  of  his  orchard  before  he  denounced  the  ghost  as 
a  liar  and  gave  no  more  heed  to  his  antics.  Mrs.  Jencks  continued  the 


From  Fall  River  to  Willimantic  455 

treasure-hunts  by  herself,  but  never  found  anything  better  than  an  old 
wig  in  the  attic. 

Until  the  late  igth  century,  husking-bees  were  very  popular  in  Scituate. 
Young  men  and  women  for  miles  around  were  asked  to  participate.  As 
they  husked,  a  young  man  finding  a  red  ear  of  corn  was  supposed  to  kiss 
the  girls  of  the  party,  and  a  girl  finding  a  red  ear  was  supposed  to  kiss  the 
boys;  if  she  refused  the  boys  would  kiss  her.  After  about  two  hours  of 
husking,  a  supper  was  served,  with  sweet  cider,  followed  by  square  danc- 
ing in  the  barn.  It  was  also  an  old  custom  in  Scituate  to  hold  spelling 
bees  in  the  various  schools.  Two  captains  would  choose  sides;  the  teacher 
or  someone  appointed  would  then  give  the  groups  hard  words  to  be 
spelled,  keeping  to  one  team  until  a  participant  failed,  then  shifting  to 
the  other  group,  and  so  on  until  only  one  person  was  left. 

Most  of  the  present  inhabitants  of  the  township  are  of  American  birth, 
though  about  25  per  cent  in  the  village  of  Hope  were  born  abroad. 

On  the  southwest  corner  of  the  intersection  of  US  6  and  State  116  is  the 
Site  of  Phillips'  Tavern,  named  for  its  builder  David  Phillips,  and  in  use 
from  about  1830  to  1917.  It  was  one  of  the  numerous  old  stagecoach 
stops,  where  the  passengers  alighted  to  stretch  their  legs  and  moisten 
their  gullets.  Near  the  tavern  site  is  the  Masonic  Hall  (L),  the  central 
meeting-place  for  social  activities. 

At  13.8  m.  is  Horseshoe  Dam  (R),  beyond  which  are  the  forest-lined 
waters  of  the  Scituate  Reservoir.  This  reservoir  or  lake  is  about  6  miles 
long,  extending  both  north  and  south  from  this  point.  The  big  Scituate 
Dam,  in  the  southeast  part  of  the  town  where  was  formerly  the  village  of 
Kent  (see  Tour  9),  is  about  3200  feet  long.  The  water  leaves  the  reservoir 
through  enormous  steel  pipes,  which  converge  into  one  about  100  inches 
in  diameter  a  short  distance  from  the  dam.  Through  this  great  pipe  the 
water  is  taken  to  the  aerator  and  filtration  works.  The  latter  occupy  a 
site  of  30  to  40  acres  south  of  the  dam.  After  aeration,  the  water  is  'shot' 
with  a  small  quantity  of  alum,  allowed  to  coagulate  or  settle,  and  is  again 
filtered  and  aerated  before  being  passed  on  as  the  chief  water  supply  to 
the  city  of  Providence.  The  aerator  is  an  attractive  sight;  a  whole  battery 
of  the  fountains  is  flooded  with  colored  lights. 

At  a  bend  in  the  highway,  at  14.6  m.  (R),  is  the  Captain  Richard  Rhodes 
House  (not  open),  built  by  Rhodes,  a  sea  captain,  in  1794.  Richard  was  a 
brother  of  Thomas  Rhodes  who  settled  in  Pawtuxet.  The  property  passed 
through  various  hands  until  it  was  acquired  in  1912  by  Mr.  John  W. 
Coggeshall,  when  it  was  made  into  a  luxurious  home  of  n  rooms.  The 
floors  were  covered  with  imported  Japanese  teakwood,  doors  of  solid 
paneled  mahogany  were  installed,  and  the  walls  covered  with  tapestries. 
The  fireplaces  are  built  of  smooth  bricks  imported  from  Holland.  This 
two-and-a-half-story  gable-roof  house,  with  two  dormers,  two  brick 
chimneys,  and  a  modern  glassed-in  porch  on  the  right  front  corner,  is  now 
a  State  Police  barracks. 

The  Moswansicut  Rod  and  Gun  Club  is  at  15.1  m.  (R). 


456  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

At  16.4  m.  (L)  is  the  probable  Site  of  the  Hopkins  Homestead,  near  a  small 
private  cemetery  in  which  is  a  stone  to  the  memory  of  William  West,  a 
later  occupant  of  the  house.  In  this  Chopmist  Hill  section  of  Scituate, 
the  Revolutionary  leaders,  Stephen  and  Ezek  Hopkins  (see  History), 
spent  part  of  their  boyhood.  The  old  homestead  was  in  the  i76o's  ac- 
quired by  William  West,  Lieu  tenant-Governor  of  the  State,  1780-81. 

At  17.9  m.  is  the  junction  with  State  102  (see  Tour  9). 

On  Dolly  Cole  Hill  in  FOSTER  at  18.8  m.  (R)  is  the  Pardon  Williams 
Homestead  (1797),  now  incorporated  in  a  tea-room. 

The  Welcome  Arnold  House  (private],  19  m.  (R),  whose  builder  was  re- 
lated to  the  prominent  Arnold  family  of  Rhode  Island,  is  a  small  story- 
and-a-half  structure  of  no  architectural  pretensions. 

At  the  bottom  of  Dolly  Cole  Hill,  19.7  m.,  is  (R)  the  small  village  of 
HOPKINS  MILLS. 

Near  the  bridge  over  the  Ponagansett  River,  19.9  m.,  the  countryside  is 
dotted  by  more  coniferous  trees  than  are  ordinarily  found  in  the  eastern 
part  of  the  State. 

At  21.1  m.  are  the  Charcoal  Pits,  which  are  annually  moved  from  one  side 
of  the  road  to  the  other.  Charcoal  is  produced  here  by  firing  a  large 
pyramid  of  wood  covered  with  soda,  and  allowing  the  pit  to  burn  itself 
out,  a  process  that  takes  10  or  12  days.  The  jewelry  factories  and  res- 
taurants of  Providence  are  the  chief  consumers  of  this  charcoal. 

At  Simmons  Corners,  21 A  m.,  is  the  junction  with  Mt.  Hygeia  Road  and 
Foster  Center  Road. 

1.  Right  2.6  m.  on  Mt.  Hygeia  Road  is  ML  Hygeia  (private),  a  large  white  frame 
house  built  in  1801  by  Dr.  Solomon  Drowne  of  Brown  University.   Drowne  was 
a  successful  and  popular  physician  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  but  cared  more  for 
other  scientific  subjects,  especially  botany,  than  he  did  for  medicine.  He  founded 
the  Department  of  Botany  in  Brown  University,  and  his  own  botanical  garden  on 
his  homestead  farm  was  famous.     His  next-door  neighbor  and  lifelong  friend, 
Theodore  Foster,  who  came  from  Brookfield,  Mass.,  was  graduated  from  Rhode 
Island  College  in  1770.  He  married  a  sister  of  Governor  Arthur  Fenner.  A  lawyer 
and  one  of  Rhode  Island's  first  two  Senators  (1790),  he  was  also  the  town's  first  and 
greatest  benefactor.  He  collected  material  for  a  history  of  Rhode  Island;  this  and 
the  letters  written  while  he  was  in  the  Senate  in  its  formative  years  are  the  prop- 
erty of  the  Rhode  Island  Historical  Society.  The  remains  of  Dr.  Drowne's  gardens, 
still  on  the  estate,  contain  many  rare  plants,  including  several  species  of  hepatica, 
and  a  snow  drop  that  blossomed  under  the  snow.   The  name  Hygeia  was  given 
this  place  by  Dr.  Drowne  for  its  healthful  climate. 

2.  Left  on  Foster  Center  Rd.  2.1  m.  is  FOSTER  CENTER  (alt.  540,  township 
pop.  946),  the  governmental  center  of  Foster  Township. 

Foster,  originally  a  part  of  Providence,  was  incorporated  as  part  of  the  town  of 
Scituate  in  1730;  it  was  set  off  as  a  separate  town  in  1781  and  named  for  Theodore 
Foster,  one  of  its  outstanding  citizens.  It  is  a  very  rugged  and  a  hilly  township, 
drained  by  the  Ponagansett  and  the  Moosup  Rivers.  Northern  Foster  contains  a 
great  deal  of  forest  land,  and  elsewhere  the  soil  is  a  gravelly  loam  better  adapted 
to  grazing  than  to  farming.  Its  many  gravel  banks  furnish  material  for  local 
roads.  Foster  Center  has  a  quarry  containing  a  fine  grade  of  granite,  and  in  the 
Moosup  Valley  was  a  gold  mine,  now  only  a  small  hole  in  the  ground.  Because 
of  its  hilly  character  the  township  has  much  attractive  rural  scenery. 


From  Taunton  to  Putnam  457 

The  first  settlement  in  Foster,  according  to  tradition,  was  made  in  the  year  1717, 
by  Ezekiel  Hopkins.  Among  the  early  settlers  were  Esek  Brown,  David  Knight, 
Nehemiah  Angell,  who  kept  a  tavern  and  was  town  clerk  from  1796  to  1803, 
Abram  Walker,  Ephraim  Phillips,  Edward  Cole,  Jonathan  Hopkins,  who  settled 
at  Hopkins  Mills  before  1791  and  built  a  sawmill  and  a  gristmill,  Pabodie  Cole, 
and  Elder  John  Hammond,  who  established  a  Calvinistic  Baptist  church  at  the 
end  of  the  i8th  century.  Senator  Nelson  W.  Aldrich  (see  History)  was  born  in 
North  Foster  in  a  one-story  four-room  farmhouse,  built  in  1824.  It  is  now  re- 
modeled and  the  place  is  used  as  a  dairy  farm. 

Foster  Center  is  a  small  village  of  about  a  dozen  houses  on  the  right  of  the  main 
road.  The  Town  House  (1796),  a  little  south  of  the  center,  is  a  large  two-story 
gable-roof  structure,  with  a  small  brick  chimney  and  plain  paneled  door.  It  was 
built  and  used  as  a  Baptist  church  until  1841. 

Between  Simmons  Corners  and  the  Connecticut  Line  is  one  old  struc- 
ture, the  Wilcox  Stone  House  (private),  23.1  m.  (R),  a  small  one-and-a- 
half-story  building  (about  1720)  of  large  rough  stones. 

US  6  crosses  the  Connecticut  Line  at  24.7  m.,  near  Dark  Lantern  Hill, 
about  25  miles  east  of  Willimantic. 


TOUR  11:  From  MASSACHUSETTS  LINE  (Taunton)  to 
CONNECTICUT  LINE  (Putnam),  26.1  m.,  US  44. 

Good  hard-surfaced  roadbed,  mostly  three  and  four  lanes  wide. 

f 

THIS  route  passes  through  the  metropolitan  area  of  Providence,  then 
traverses  a  hilly  farming  country. 

US  44  crosses  the  Rhode  Island  line  by  a  boundary  stone  erected  in  1898, 
about  ii  miles  west  of  Taunton,  Mass.,  in  a  market  gardening  section  of 
East  Providence  (see  Tour  10). 

At  0.4  m.  is  the  junction  with  State  114  (see  Tour  5). 

In  the  center  of  East  Providence,  1.2  m.,  is  the  World  War  Monument 
(L),  a  statue  of  a  youthful  soldier,  standing  on  the  grounds  of  the  High 
School,  and  near-by  is  the  Town  Hall  (L),  in  front  of  which  stands  a  Civil 
War  Monument.  Along  US  44,  or  Taunton  Ave.,  is  most  of  the  shopping 
area  of  East  Providence. 

At  1.8  m.  is  the  junction  with  US  6  (see  Tour  10),  and  also  with  the  Bar- 
rington  Parkway  (see  Tour  5 A). 

This  route  coincides  here  for  about  a  mile  with  US  6,  passing  over  the 
Washington  Bridge  into  Providence,  and  along  Fox  Point  Boulevard  past 
Tockwotton  Park  (R)  (see  PROVIDENCE). 

At  2.8  m.  US  44  leaves  US  6,  bearing  right  onto  South  Main  St.,  past  the 
Dolphin  House  (L),  cor.  of  James  St.,  the  De  Fersen  House  (R),  Infantry 


458  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

Hall  (R),  the  Joseph  Brown  House,  the  new  Providence  County  Court- 
house and  the  Rhode  Island  School  of  Design  (R),  the  First  Baptist  Church 
(R),  cor.  of  Waterman  St.,  the  Old  State  House  (R),  and  the  Cathedral  of 
St.  John  (R)  (see  PROVIDENCE). 

At  3.9  m.  US  44  bears  left  on  Smith  St.,  crossing  Canal  St.,  the  former 
slaughter-house  area,  now  a  distributing  center  for  Western  meat,  passing 
over  the  main  line  of  the  N.Y.,  N.H.  &  H.  R.R.,  crossing  US  1  (see  Tour 
1),  and  going  between  the  State  House  (L)  and  the  State  Office  Building 
(R). 

At  5.3  m.  (L),  in  tree-shaded  grounds  is  Elmhurst  School,  or  the  Academy 
of  the  Sacred  Heart  (1872),  in  back  of  which  is  a  large  dormitory,  the 
Christian  Brothers'  Residence. 

At  5.8  m.  (L)  is  La  Salle  Academy,  and  at  6.3  m.  (L),  a  little  brown  house, 
the  former  home  of  Mary  Ann  Angell,  one  of  the  wives  of  the  Mormon 
leader,  Brigham  Young. 

At  about  6.6  m.  the  route  passes  through  the  Fruit  Hill  section  of  North 
Providence  Township,  an  attractive  residential  area. 

CENTERDALE  (alt.  100,  township  pop.  11,104),  8.1  m.,  is  the  shopping 
and  administrative  center  of  North  Providence. 

North  Providence  is  a  small  township,  containing  less  than  6  sq.  mi.; 
it  was  originally  set  off  from  Providence  in  June,  1765,  but  on  three  later 
occasions  sections  were  reannexed  to  Providence,  and  an  additional  piece 
was  joined  to  Pawtucket.  Textile  manufacture  was  begun  in  the  township 
about  1816,  and  this  industry  still  flourishes,  the  largest  plant  being  that 
of  the  Joseph  Benn  Corporation  in  Greystone  (see  Tour  4B).  Some  agri- 
culture is  carried  on,  but  soil  conditions  are  not  favorable  to  it  save  in  the 
center,  and  the  western  part  along  the  Woonasquatucket  River. 

The  Epenetus  Angell  House  (private),  Angell  Ave.,  is  a  two-and-a-half - 
story  structure,  rather  dilapidated,  built  by  a  grandson  of  Thomas  Olney 
about  1700.  At  that  time  the  present  central  chimney  marked  the  west 
end  of  the  house;  the  present  west  end  was  added  in  1740.  In  the  rear 
yard,  an  old  well  with  a  long  sweep  supplies  the  tenants  with  ice-cold 
water  as  it  did  two  and  a  quarter  centuries  ago;  it  might  well  be  con- 
sidered a  member  of  the  Order  of  the  Old  Oaken  Bucket,  for  it  is  cer- 
tainly a  member  of  the  Colonial  aristocracy.  The  property  came  into 
possession  of  the  Angell  family  about  1770,  and  is  now  (1937)  occupied 
by  Miss  Abby  E.  Angell,  who  is  82  years  old. 

A  little  to  the  east  of  the  center  in  a  rural  area  (inquire  locally)  is  the 
Cushing  Homestead  (private),  cor.  Cushing  St.  and  Smithfield  Rd.,  on  the 
site  of  a  house  built  before  King  Philip's  War,  but  burned  in  that  war 
(1676),  except  for  the  chimney.  A  new  small  house  was  then  erected, 
which  was  much  enlarged  at  the  beginning  of  the  igth  century.  At 
present  it  is  a  two-and-a-half-story  structure  the  newer  part  of  which  is 
right  of  the  front  door;  the  pilastered  chimney  on  the  old  end  has  been 
raised  to  match  the  enlargement.  The  present  occupant,  a  Providence 
lawyer,  is  a  descendant  of  a  former  owner  of  the  Greystone  Mills. 


From  Taunton  to  Putnam  459 

Near-by  is  the  Captain  Stephen  Olney  House  (private),  138  Smithfield  Rd., 
built  in  1805  for  Olney,  a  Rhode  Island  officer  who  was  prominent  during 
the  Revolutionary  siege  of  Yorktown.  The  house  is  occupied  (1937)  by 
a  descendant,  Miss  Mary  E.  Olney,  who,  in  spite  of  her  advancing  years, 
drives  her  own  car,  and  shows  all  the  energy  and  spirit  of  her  ancestor. 
The  two-and-a-half-story  house,  standing  side-ways  to  the  road,  with 
its  front  door  looking  east,  has  been  so  well  taken  care  of  that  it  gives  a 
first  impression  of  newness,  but  the  interior,  while  in  the  best  of  condi- 
tion, belies  the  exterior.  Some  of  the  floors  with  the  original  heavy  wide 
oak  boards  have  been  refinished  with  beautiful  effect.  Great  fireplaces 
have  been  closed  up  with  multi-colored  tile  work,  but  the  fine  woodwork 
around  them  is  still  there. 

In  the  living-room  is  Captain  Olney's  secretary  and  other  articles  once 
used  by  him.  A  gun  caisson  and  the  old  musket  he  carried  when  an 
eighteen  -year-old  private  in  the  North  Providence  Rangers  are  in  Miss 
Olney's  possession. 

The  foundations  of  his  birthplace  are  about  1000  feet  south  of  his  later 
home,  and  his  grave  is  in  the  family  lot,  a  short  distance  to  the  west.  In- 
scriptions on  many  stones  in  the  yard  are  barely  legible,  but  a  marker  on 
his  grave  reads  —  '  Sacred  to  the  memory  of  Captain  Olney,  who  died 
Nov.  23,  1832.  —  Aged  77  years,  i  month,  n  days.'  Olney  was  a  de- 
scendant in  fifth  generation  from  Thomas  Olney  who  with  Roger  Wil- 
liams founded  Providence.  He  enlisted  in  the  Revolutionary  service  at 
the  age  of  twenty,  and  after  the  Yorktown  surrender,  he  held  many  civil 
and  State  positions  of  trust. 

At  8.3  m.  is  the  junction  with  the  Farnum  Pike,  State  104  (see  Tour  4£). 
At  8.45  m.  in  Johnston  Town  (see  Tour  10)  is  the  junction  with  paved 
George  Waterman  Rd. 

Left  1.3  m.  on  this  road  to  the  Clemence  House  (private)  (R).  Thomas  Clemence, 
a  carpenter,  probably  built  his  first  house  in  1650.  This  house  was  burned  by  the 
Indians  in  1676,  leaving  only  the  great  main  stone  chimney  standing.  Shortly 
thereafter,  the  present  house  was  built,  which  stands  with  its  right  end  toward  the 
road.  It  is  of  the  one-story  and  loft  type,  with  an  extensive  rear  'lean-to'  which 
drops  below  the  first-floor  ceiling.  On  the  left,  or  chimney  end,  is  a  covered  veranda, 
a  much  later  addition.  The  dormer  window  over  the  front  entrance  was  another 


addition.  It  is  noticeable  that  whereas  most  of  these  old  chimneys  are  carried  up 
beyond  the  first  story  with  brick,  this  one  is  entirely  of  stone.  A  small  ell  at  the 
other  end,  another  addition  to  the  old  house,  is  very  old  at  that.  The  loft,  or 


attic,  is  entirely  unfinished,  and  contains  quite  a  number  of  ancient  chests,  and 
clothing  that  is  disintegrating  with  age.  Great  fireplaces  in  the  rooms  have  been 
closed  up  to  permit  heating  by  stove.  Five  generations  of  the  Irons  family  have 
lived  here;  its  recent  owner  and  occupant,  Miss  Ellen  E.  Irons,  died  in  1937  at  the 
age  of  82. 

Cutting  across  a  small  northeastern  corner  of  Johnston,  US  44  runs 
through  the  southern  part  of  Smithfield  (see  Tour  4£),  the  road  gradually 
rising  as  it  runs  westward.  This  part  of  Smithfield  is  agricultural,  the 
route  being  lined  with  small  farms  and  wooded  areas. 

At  9.9  m.  is  the  junction  with  paved  Esmond  St. 

Right  a  few  rods  on  this  road  to  (L)  the  Nathan  Barnes  House  (private),  originally 


460  High  Roads  and  Low  Roads 

(1740)  a  story-and-a-half  structure,  about  50  feet  in  length,  which  has  been  more 
or  less  modernized.  It  is  now  (1937)  two  and  a  half  stories  high,  with  a  long 
covered  veranda  on  the  front,  the  first  story  painted  yellow  and  the  second  colored 
green.  The  structure  has  been  kept  in  good  condition,  but  the  out-lying  sheds 
look  quite  weather-beaten.  An  old  covered  well  in  the  southeast  corner  of  the  lot 
has  a  bucket  that  is  lowered  and  raised  by  means  of  a  wheel  with  a  heavy  counter- 
weight of  granite.  The  land,  sloping  east  to  a  small  pond,  makes  a  very  pleasant 
picture.  It  is  related  that  when  Captain  Enoch  Barnes,  then  a  private  in  the 
Colonial  forces  defending  Newport  against  the  British,  desired  a  short  furlough, 
his  grandfather  Nathan,  'very  old,  but  very  spry,'  substituted  for  him.  The  place 
is  now  the  home  of  Mrs.  Sarah  Barnes  Sebille,  a  descendant  of  Nathan  Barnes, 
who  has  many  interesting  Colonial  relics  in  her  possession. 

The  Paine  Tavern  (private),  at  10.8  m.  (R),  cor.  of  State  5,  was  owned 
in  the  early  part  of  the  iQth  century  by  Thomas  Paine  of  Johnston.  It 
is  a  long  two-and-a-half-story  gable-roof  structure,  with  small-paned 
windows  and  a  plain  paneled  door.  A  part  of  the  right  end  of  the  house  is 
apparently  a  later  addition. 

About  1825,  George  W.  Mowry  of  Smithfield  bought  the  tavern,  and 
hearing  shortly  afterward  that  Paine  was  seeking  to  establish  a  rival  inn 
across  the  road,  he  purchased  the  building  there  also.  It  is  much  like  the 
Paine  Tavern  in  appearance,  though  of  slightly  cheaper  construction. 
Mowry's  Corner  Tavern  was  continued  as  an  inn  for  many  years,  while 
the  Paine  Tavern  was  remodeled  for  dwelling  purposes.  The  Mowry  inn 
was  a  favorite  place  for  dances,  and  it  is  said  that  when  the  dancing  be- 
came strenuous  the  floor  swayed,  gaining  for  the  tavern  the  reputation 
of  having  a  'swing  dance  floor.' 

Right  0.1  m.  on  State  5  is  (R)  the  Latham  Cottage  (private),  a  story-and-a-half 
gambrel-roof  structure,  painted  yellow,  with  a  large  central  chimney.  The  house 
was  once  occupied  by  a  Mr.  Latham,  prominent  in  town  school  affairs,  who  was 
also  known  locally  as  a  poet.  The  cottage  was  built  at  about  the  same  time  as  the 
Nathan  Barnes  House  (see  above),  by  Jonathan,  a  brother  of  Nathan  Barnes. 
Later  Jonathan  'went  out  west,'  perhaps  to  New  York  State,  and  was  never  heard 
from  again. 

Descendants  of  George  Mowry  own  this  cottage,  and  the  old  Paine  Tavern,  and 
live  in  the  former  Mowry  Tavern. 

GREENVILLE  (alt.  260,  Smithfield  Town),  11.9  m.,  is  an  attractive 
little  village  centered  around  crossroads. 

Opposite  the  stone  Gothic  style  St.  Thomas  Episcopal  Church  (1851)  are 
two  structures  (R),  separate  parts  of  the  old  Greenville  Tavern,  built  by 
Resolved  Waterman  in  1730.  The  former  building  occupied  the  land  out 
as  far  as  the  center  of  the  present  four-lane  highway,  but  when  Putnam 
Pike  was  widened  in  1936,  the  greater  part  of  the  structure  was  de- 
molished, and  the  two  buildings  which  still  remain  are  all  that  is  left  of 
the  famous  tavern.  One  piece  has  been  shingled  and  remodeled  into  a 
dwelling;  the  other  two-and-a-half-story  section,  clapboarded,  the  first 
story  painted  red  and  the  second  colored  yellow,  is  unoccupied.  The 
first  floor  contains  part  of  the  old  banquet  hall,  and  the  second  a  part  of 
the  dance  hall. 

During  the  Revolution  the  old  tavern  was  a  meeting-place  for  patriotic 
citizens  and,  without  doubt,  Peleg  Arnold  and  Daniel  Mowry,  both  mem- 


From  Taunton  to  Putnam  461 

bers  of  the  Continental  Congress,  and  Jonathan  Arnold,  author  of  the 
'  Rhode  Island  Act  of  Independence,'  often  spoke  there. 

The  tavern  was  owned  by  Albert  J.  Mowry  in  1867,  and  descendants  of 
his  now  live  in  that  part  of  the  structure  which  has  been  remodeled  for 
dwelling  purposes.  The  large  fireplace  at  the  rear  of  the  living-room  has 
been  closed  up  and  replaced  with  prosaic  steam  heat;  electric  lights  have 
succeeded  the  old-time  candles  and  lamps,  and  a  radio  and  telephone 
sound  a  discordant  note. 

Down  in  the  cellar,  an  unusually  large  fire-box  connects  with  the  chimney, 
and,  set  in  flush  with  the  top  surface,  is  a  huge  copper  kettle.  Moldy 
with  age,  it  holds  about  60  gallons,  and  rumor  has  it  that  it  was  once  used 
in  making  that  famous  old  heartener,  New  England  rum.  A  bank  and 
post  office  were  at  one  time  located  in  the  tavern. 

At  13.3  m.  the  route  crosses  the  northern  dp  of  Waterman  Reservoir  (L) 
(bathing,  canoes  for  hire). 

HARMONY  (alt.  400,  Glocester  Town),  14.4  m.,  is  a  small  village  of  a 
few  houses,  a  store,  and  a  church. 

At  18.6  m.  the  route  meets  and  bears  right  on  the  Victory  Highway, 
State  102  (see  Tour  9).  At  the  junction  (R)  is"  Acote  Hill  and  the  Dorr 
Memorial  (see  Tour  9). 

In  the  center  of  CHEPACHET  (alt.  400,  Glocester  Town,  see  Tour  9), 
19.2  m.,  this  route  bears  left  from  State  102,  traversing  a  coniferous 
wooded  area,  passing  at  21.4  m.  Echo  Lake  (R),  and  at  23.5  m.  a  marker 
indicating  that  left  2  m.  is  Durfee  Hill  (alt.  806),  the  highest  hill  in  the 
State. 

At  23.7  m.  is  an  entrance  to  George  Washington  Memorial  Forest  (R), 
of  244  acres,  three-quarters  wooded,  acquired  in  1932  (hiking  trail,  bridle 
path,  skating  pond;  game  preserve,  no  hunting). 

The  Cady  Stagecoach  Tavern  (open),  23.8  m.  (L),  a  plain  two-and-a-half- 
story  white  frame  structure,  was  opened  in  1810,  when  Zachariah  Cady 
was  granted  a  license  for  an  inn. 

At  about  25.3  m.  the  route  passes  through  the  sparsely  settled  farming 
village  of  WEST  GLOCESTER  (alt.  500),  and  near-by,  26.1  m.,  crosses 
the  CONNECTICUT  LINE,  about  8  miles  east  of  Putnam. 


CHRONOLOGY 


1524  April  2i-May  5,  Verrazzano,  Florentine  navigator,  visits  Narragansett 

Bay. 
1614  Capt.  Adriaen  Block  visits  Block  Island. 

1635  William  Blackstone  settles  at  Study  Hill,  then  considered  part  of 
Massachusetts,  now  part  of  Cumberland,  Rhode  Island. 

1636  June,  Roger  Williams  settles  at  Providence. 

1638  March  7,  Aquidneck  Island  occupied  by  William  Coddington,  John 
Clarke,  and  others.   Coddington  chosen  Judge. 

March  24,  date  of  first  known  written  deed,  whereby  Canonicus  and 
Miantonomi  sold  land  to  Williams. 

March  24,  William  Coddington  and  others  purchase  Aquidneck  from 
Indians  and  found  Pocasset  (Portsmouth). 

November  12,  first  militia  muster  in  Rhode  Island  is  held  at  Ports- 
mouth. 

1639  March,  first  Baptist  Church  in  America  organized  at  Providence. 
April,  settlement  on  Aquidneck,  first  called  Pocasset,  is  divided  into 
towns  of  Portsmouth  and  Newport. 

May,  William  Coddington,  John  Clarke,  and  others  found  Newport. 

1640  March  12,  governments  of  Newport  and  Portsmouth  combined  into 
one  government. 

August,  Newport  allots  land  for  support  of  a  public  school,  '  the  Rev. 
Robert  Lenthal  being  called  by  vote  to  open  it.' 

1641  Benedict  Arnold  purchases  land  at  Pawtuxet  from  Miantonomi. 
March,  General  Assembly  asserts  Rhode  Island  to  be  a  democracy. 
September,  Robert  Jeffreys  authorized  by  Newport  to  'exercise  the 
function  of  Chirurgerie.' 

1642  October,    Samuel    Gorton    purchases    Shawomet    (Warwick)    from 
Miantonomi. 

1643  Death  of  Narragansett  sachem  Miantonomi. 

Gorton  seized  by  soldiers  from  Massachusetts  Bay,  and  taken  to 
Boston  to  stand  trial  for  heresy. 
Newman  Congregational  Church  founded  in  Rumford. 
Roger  Williams  goes  to  England  and  applies  for  Patent  of  Incorpora- 
tion for  Providence,  Portsmouth,  and  Newport. 
Roger  Williams's  '  Key  Into  the  Language  of  America '  published  in 
London. 

1644  March  13,  name  Aquidneck  ordered  changed  to  RHODE  ISLAND. 
March  14,  English  Parliamentary  Commission  headed  by  the  Earl  of 
Warwick  grants  Rhode  Island  its  first  charter. 

Under  'Old  Style'  chronology  this  is  sometimes  called  the  Charter  of 
1643- 


464  Chronology 


April  19,  Gorton  secures  submission  of  Narragansett  sachems  to  author- 
ity of  English  Crown. 

1645  Christinas  Ludowic  publishes  'The  New  England  Almanac  for  1645,' 
the  first  almanac  by  a  Rhode  Islander. 

1647  May  19-21,  first  General  Assembly  convenes  at  Portsmouth,  and 
adopts  code  of  laws  and  colony  seal. 
June,  death  of  Narragansett  sachem  Canonicus. 

1651  Coddington  'usurpation'  causes  separation  between  Portsmouth  and 
Newport  on  one  side  and  Providence  and  Warwick  on  the  other. 
October,  Roger  Williams,  as  agent  of  Providence  to  obtain  confirma- 
tion of  charter,  and  Dr.  John  Clarke,  agent  of  Portsmouth  and  New- 
port, to  obtain  repeal  of  Coddington's  commission,  sail  for  England. 

1653  February  18,  William  Dyer,  secretary  of  Province  and  husband  of 
Mary  Dyer  (later  put  to  death  in  Boston  as  a  Quaker),  arrives  from 
England  with  news  of  repeal  of  Coddington's  commission. 

1654  First  naval  commission  issued  by  united  Rhode  Island  Colony  granted 
to  a  Newport  vessel. 

August  31,  four  original  towns  reunited  partly  due  to  efforts  of  Roger 
Williams,  president  from  September,  1654,  to  May,  1657. 

1657  Conanicut  Island  purchased  by  Benedict  Arnold  and  William  Codding- 
ton from  sachem  Cashanaquoont. 

First  Quakers  come  to  Rhode  Island. 

1657-58  Pettaquamscutt  Purchase,  large  tract  of  land  running  west  from 
Narragansett  to  Charlestown,  is  made. 

1658  About  fifteen  Jewish  families  arrive  in  Newport  from  Holland. 
May  26,  Pawtuxet  men  withdraw  allegiance  to  Massachusetts,  given 
in  1642,  and  transfer  it  to  Rhode  Island. 

October  19,  Block  Island  granted  to  Governor  Endicott  and  three 
others,  'for  public  services';  they  sell  it  in  1660  to  Simeon  Ray  and 
eight  associates,  who  began  a  settlement  in  1661. 
October  22,  Massachusetts  relinquishes  jurisdiction  over  Pawtuxet 
and  Shawomet. 

1660  William  Vaughan  and  other  Newport  men  purchase  from  Socho,  a 
Niantic  chief,  the  Misquamicut  tract  on  east  side  of  Pawcatuck  River. 

1661  Settlement  of  Misquamicut,  now  Westerly,  begun. 

1663  May,  Providence  sets  aside  lands  for  maintenance  of  a  school. 
July  8,  King  Charles  II  grants  Rhode  Island  its  second  charter. 

1664  May  4,  Block  Island  becomes  part  of  Rhode  Island  Colony. 

1665  March,  Royal  Commissioners  set  aside  the  Narragansett  Country,  in 
dispute  between  Rhode  Island  and  Connecticut,  as  King's  Province. 

1669  Vaughan  purchase  incorporated  as  town  of  Westerly. 

1671  Joseph  Jencks,  Jr.,  sets  up  a  forge,  sawmill,  and  carpenter  shop  at 
Pawtucket  Falls. 

1672  Block  Island  incorporated,  and  name  changed  to  New  Shoreham. 
July,  George  Fox,  English  Quaker  leader,  visits  Rhode  Island. 

1674  First  settlement  made  in  Little  Compton  by  Capt.  Benjamin  Church. 
Part  of  Pettaquamscutt  settlement  incorporated  as  Kings  Towne. 


Chronology  465 


1675  August  i,  important   peace  pact  made  between   Capt.  Benjamin 
Church  and  Awashonks,  squaw-sachem  of  Sakonnet  Indians. 

King  Philip's  War  begins. 

December  19,  Great  Swamp  Fight  takes  place  in  South  Kingstown. 

1676  Benedict  Arnold  conveys  Coaster's  Harbor  Island  and  Goat  Island  to 
Newport. 

March  16,  Warwick  destroyed  by  Indians. 

March  26,  Capt.  Michael  Pierce's  company  routed  in  Pawtucket  and 

Cumberland. 

March  30,  Indians  burn  many  houses  in  Providence  and  vicinity. 

July  3,  massacre  near  Warwick  of  171  Indians. 

August  12,  Capt.  Benjamin  Church's  company  captures  and  kills  King 

Philip  at  Mount  Hope,  Bristol,  ending  King  Philip's  War. 

1680  First  wharf  and  warehouse  built  in  Providence. 

1681  April  i,  custom  house  established  at  Newport,  to  enforce  Navigation 
Acts. 

1683  Roger  Williams  dies  (some  time  between  January  16  and  March  15). 

1686  June  3,  Sir  Edmund  Andros  commissioned  governor  of  Dominion  of 
New  England  (including  Rhode  Island). 

December,  Andros  assumes  government  of  Rhode  Island,  setting  aside 
Charter  of  1663. 

1687  Courthouses  ordered  built  in  Newport  and  Rochester   (or   Kings 
Towne). 

November,  Governor  Andros,  stopping  at  Newport,  demands  Rhode 
Island  Charter;  foiled  by  Governor  Clarke,  Andros  destroys  seal  of 
Colony  and  departs. 

1689  April,  Andros  deposed  at  Boston. 

May  i,  Rhode  Island,  learning  of  accession  of  William  and  Mary, 

resumes  government  under  Charter  of  1663. 

August  3,  Sir  Edmund  Andros,  who  had  fled  to  Rhode  Island  from 

Boston,  is  captured  at  Newport,  and   returned  to  Massachusetts 

authorities. 

1690  Beginning  of  King  William's  War  between  England  and  France. 

1693  June,  Massachusetts  establishes  first  postal  route  between  Boston  and 
Rhode  Island. 

1694  Privateers  authorized  for  King  William's  War. 
Tiverton  incorporated  by  Massachusetts. 

1695  First  ferry  connecting  Jamestown  with  Newport  is  established. 

1696  May  6,  General  Assembly  separated  into  two  houses. 

1697  End  of  King  William's  War. 

1702  Beginning  of  Queen  Anne's  War  between  England  and  France. 

1703  May,    commissioners   representing   Rhode   Island  and  Connecticut 
agree  on  boundary,  but  line  is  not  settled  until  1727. 

June  22,  Counties  of  Providence  and  Newport  organized. 

1704  First  Trinity  Church  building  erected  in  Newport  (present  edifice  built 
in  1725). 

1707  Saint  Paul's,  or  Old  Narragansett  Church,  erected  in  North  Kingstown 
(moved  in  1800  to  present  location  in  Wickford). 


466  Chronology 


1708  December,  Rhode  Island's  first  census  shows  population  of  7181. 

1710  July,  Colony  authorizes  its  first  issue  of  paper  money  or  bills  of  credit 
(£5000). 

1711  Latin  school  opened  in  Newport  by  Mr.  Galloway. 
First  quarantine  act  against  smallpox. 

1713  End  of  Queen  Anne's  War. 

1715  General  Assembly  appropriates  funds  towards  paving  streets  of  New- 
port —  first  instance  of  street  paving  within  Colony. 
1719  First  digest  of  the  Colony  laws  printed. 

1723  February  26,  South  Kingstown  incorporated  as  town. 
July,  first  almshouse  in  Rhode  Island  erected  at  Newport. 
July  19,  execution  of  26  pirates  at  Gravelly  Point,  Newport. 

1724  February  18,  property  qualification  for  suffrage  established:  freehold 
of  value  of  £ i oo,  or  annual  income  of  £2. 

1727  First  Rhode  Island  printing  press  established  at  Newport  by  James 
Franklin. 

February  8,  boundary  line  with  Connecticut  settled  by  royal  decree. 

1729  June  16,  Washington  County  organized. 

1730  Colony  population,  17,935. 

May,  Assembly  passes  Act  for  Relief  of  Poor  Sailors  —  levies  sixpence 
a  month  from  wages  of  all  Rhode  Island  seamen. 

1731  Old  Colony  House  at  Providence  completed  (burned  December  24, 
1758). 

February  20,  Glocester,  Scituate,  Smithfield,  incorporated  as  towns. 

1732  September  27,  Colony's  first  newspaper,  Rhode  Island  Gazette,  issued 
at  Newport  by  James  Franklin. 

1733  Lottery  system  makes  first  appearance,  but  is  suppressed  by  severe 
penalty. 

June,  sloop  'Pelican,'  first  whaling  vessel  from  Rhode  Island,  arrives 
at  Newport  with  cargo. 
1735  Redwood  Library  formed  at  Newport  (chartered,  1747). 

1738  Courthouse,  Newport,  removed  to  Prison  Lane,  and  made  a  dwelling. 
August  22,  Charlestown  incorporated  as  town. 

1739  Old  Colony  House  at  Newport  built  by  Richard  Munday  (building 
still  stands  next  to  modern  Newport  County  Courthouse). 
October,  '  War  of  Jenkins'  Ear '  begins  between  England  and  Spain. 

1741  April  6,  West  Greenwich  incorporated  as  town. 
August  21,  Coventry  incorporated  as  town. 

1742  February  i,  Newport  Artillery  incorporated. 

1743  March  8,  Exeter  incorporated  as  town. 

June  16,  Middletown  taken  from  town  of  Newport,  and  incorporated. 

1744  Colony  sloop  'Tartar'  built. 

Beginning  of  King  George's  War  between  England  and  France. 

1746  Royal  Decree  gives  Rhode  Island  the  towns  of  Warren,  Bristol, 
Tiverton,  Little  Compton,  and  Cumberland,  which  had  been  claimed 
by  Massachusetts. 


Chronology  467 


1747  Bristol,   Cumberland,  Little  Compton,  Tiverton,  and  Warren   in- 
corporated as  towns. 

February  17,  Bristol  County  organized. 

August  1 8,  Richmond  incorporated  as  town. 
17/18  End  of  King  George's  War. 
1750  June  ii,  Kent  County  organized. 
1752  September,  Great  Britain  adopts  'New  Style'  or  Gregorian  calendar. 

Eleven  days  omitted  from  current  month,  September  3  becoming 

September  14,  and  subsequent  years  to  begin  January  i  instead  of 

March  25  as  formerly. 
1754  February  25,  Providence  Library  Association  chartered. 

June,  Stephen  Hopkins  and  Martin  Howard,  Jr.,  sent  as  commissioners 

to  intercolonial  Congress  at  Albany,  N.Y. 

June  14,  Cranston  taken  from  Providence  and,  incorporated  as  town. 

Beginning  of  last  French  and  Indian  war. 

1757  March  19,  Hopkinton  incorporated  as  town. 

1758  James  Franklin,  Jr.,  founds  Newport  Mercury. 

1759  March  6,  Johnston  incorporated  as  town. 

June  n,  Masonic  Society  in  Newport  incorporated. 

1761  September  7,  first  Rhode  Island  dramatic  performance  held  in  New- 
port. 

1762  October  20,  William  Goddard  sets  up  first  printing  press  in  Providence, 
and  publishes  Providence  Gazette  and  Country  Journal. 

1763  Spermaceti  trust  formed. 

End  of  last  French  and  Indian  War. 

March  4,  Rhode  Island  College  incorporated.    First  commencement 
held  in  1769.  In  1804  the  college  became  Brown  University. 
December  2,  Touro  Synagogue  dedicated  in  Newport. 

1765  Governor  Samuel  Ward  refuses  oath  to  enforce  Stamp  Act. 

June  4,  British  vessel  'Maidstone'  impresses   seamen  in  Newport 

Harbor;  500  sailors  and  boys  seize  one  of  her  boats,  drag  it  to  the 

Commons,  and  burn  it. 

June  13,  North  Providence  incorporated  as  town. 

September,  General  Assembly  adopts  resolutions  opposing  Stamp  Act, 

and  appoints  Metcalf  Bowler  and  Henry  Ward   commissioners  to 

Stamp  Act  Congress  at  New  York  City. 

1766  March  4,  'Daughters  of  Liberty'  society  organized  by  18  young 
women,  at  Dr.  Ephraim  Bowen's  house  in  Providence. 

1769  July  19,  Newporters  destroy  British  revenue  sloop  'Liberty.' 

1770  June  1 6,  Barrington  separated  from  Warren  and  incorporated  as  town. 

1772  First  equestrian  performance  (circus)  in  Rhode  Island  occurs  at  New- 
port. 

June  9,  British  revenue  schooner  'Gaspee'  burned  while  aground  in 
Warwick,  by  expedition  from  Providence. 

1773  August,  Revs.  Samuel  Hopkins  and  Ezra  Stiles,  of  Newport,  invite 
subscriptions  to  colonize  free  Negroes  on  western  coast  of  Africa. 
This  was  inception  of  American  Colonization  Society  of  igtb  century. 


468  Chronology 


1774  Colony  population,  58,221  (including  3768  Negroes). 
June,  Rhode  Island  prohibits  further  importation  of  slaves. 

June  15,  Stephen  Hopkins  and  Samuel  Ward  elected  delegates  to  First 
Continental  Congress  at  Philadelphia. 

1775  April   19,  Revolutionary  War  begins  at  Lexington  and    Concord, 
Mass. 

April  20,  more  than  one  thousand  Rhode  Islanders,  armed  and  disci- 
plined soldiers,  mobilize  overnight  and  march  toward  Boston. 
April  22,  General  Assembly  votes,  over  protest  of  Gov.  Joseph  Wanton, 
levy  of  1500  troops  for  war. 
June,  a  Rhode  Island  postal  system  is  organized. 
June  15,  Capt.  Abraham  Whipple  captures  on  shore  of  Conanicut 
Island  an  armed  tender  belonging  to  British  frigate  'Rose.' 
October  7,  Bristol  bombarded  by  British  expedition   under  Capt. 
James  Wallace. 

November  5,  Esek  Hopkins  appointed  by  Congress  Commander-in- 
Chief  of  Continental  Navy. 

1776  April  5,  General  Washington  visits  Providence. 

May   4,   RHODE   ISLAND   INDEPENDENCE    DAY.     General 

Assembly  formally  renounces  allegiance  to  Great  Britain,  (Rhode 

Island  was  'the  first  colony  to  declare,  by  solemn  act,  her  absolute 

independence  of  the  Crown.') 

July  1 8,  General  Assembly  approves  Congressional  Declaration  of 

Independence,  and  votes  that  title  of  government  shall  be  'State  of 

Rhode  Island  and  Providence  Plantations.' 

December  8,  British  force  under  Sir  Henry  Clinton  takes  possession  of 

Newport. 

1777  July  9,  Colonel  Barton  captures  British  general;  Prescott  in  Overing 
House  at  Portsmouth. 

1778  February  9,  Articles  of  Confederation  adopted  by  Rhode   Island; 
signed  by  William  Ellery,  Henry  Merchant,  and  John|  Collins,  July  9. 
May  25,  British  pillage  Bristol  and  Warren. 

July  29,  French  fleet  arrives  off  Newport. 

August  29,  battle  of  Rhode  Island  fought  in  Portsmouth. 

1779  October  25,  Newport  evacuated  by  British. 

1780  July  10,  Count  Rochambeau  arrives  at  Newport  with  6500  French 
troops. 

1781  March  6,  public  reception  given  to  General  Washington  in  Newport. 
August  24,  Foster  incorporated  as  town. 

1783  February,   General  Assembly  repeals  statute   denying  franchise  to 
Roman  Catholics. 

1784  February  23,  an  Emancipation  Act  provides  for  gradual  abolition  of 
slavery. 

June  i,  Newport  incorporated  as  city  (charter  repealed,  1787). 
1786  Emission  of  bills  of  credit  £100,000;  legal  tender  at  par.    (Repealed 
October  12,  1789.) 

September,  paper-money  case,  Trevett  vs.  Weeden,  settled  at  New- 
port. 


Chronology  469 


State's  first  jewelry  business  established  by  Seril  and  Nehemiah  Dodge, 
and  Jabez  Gorham,  in  Providence  (1786-1800). 

1787  First  spinning  jenny  made  in  United  States  constructed  and  put  into 
operation  by  Daniel  Jackson  of  Providence. 
Population  of  State,  52,391. 
March  27,  City  Charter  of  Newport  repealed. 
October  29,  African  slave  trade  forbidden  in  Rhode  Island. 

1789  September,  first  Methodist  service  held  by  Jesse  Lee  in  Charlestown. 

1790  Calico  printing  from  wooden  blocks  begun  at  East  Greenwich. 
Population  of  State  (first  Federal  census),  68,825. 

May  29,  Rhode  Island  ratifies  Federal  Constitution. 

December,  a  cotton  factory  put  into  operation  at  Pawtucket  by  Samuel 

Slater. 

1791  Providence  Bank  opens. 

1792  Elijah  Ormsbee  makes  successful   trip  on  Providence  River  in  his 
steamboat,  the  'Experiment.' 

1793  Second  Almy,  Brown,  and  Slater  cotton  mill  built  in  Pawtucket  (this 
mill  still  standing  on  bank  of  Blackstone  River). 

1794  May  8,  Bristol  sloop  'Nautilus'  accused  at  Newport  of  impressing 
American  sailors. 

1796  Samuel  Slater  of  Pawtucket  provides  Sunday  School  instruction  for 
mill  children. 

1800  State- wide  free  school  law  enacted.  Only  carried  into  effect  by  Provi- 
dence; except  for  Providence  it  was  repealed  in  1803. 
Population  of  State,  69,122. 

1802  Kent  Academy  founded  (now  East  Greenwich  Academy). 

1805  Line  of  packet  ships  established  between  Newport  and  Charlestown. 

1806  Lighting  by  'hydrogenous  gas  or  inflammable  air  produced  from  pit 
coal'  introduced  by  David  Melville  at  Newport. 

October  29,  Burrillville  incorporated  as  town. 
1810  Broadcloth  manufactured  by  Bellefonte  Company  at  Cranston. 

1812  June,  beginning  of  second  war  with  Great  Britain. 

1813  British  occupy  Block  Island. 

September  10,  Commodore  Oliver  Hazard  Perry  of  Rhode  Island 
defeats  British  in  naval  engagement  on  Lake  Erie. 

1814  'Heroes  of  the  Lake,'  a  drama  celebrating  Perry's  victory,  played  in 
Providence. 

December,  end  of  second  war  with  Great  Britain. 

December,  Rhode  Island  represented  by  four  delegates  at  Hartford 

(Conn.)  Convention. 

1815  September  22-23,  Great  Gale  devastates  Providence. 

1816  Rowland  Hazard  installs  power-looms  at  Peace  Dale  woolen  mills. 

1817  May,  steamboat  'Firefly,'  from  New  York,  makes  first  trip  between 
Providence  and  Newport,  inaugurating  steam  navigation  in  Narra- 
gansett  Bay. 

1819  Moses  Brown  School  opens  in  Providence. 


47°  Chronology 


1821  Streets  of  Providence  first  publicly  lighted. 

1823  June,  Blackstone  Canal  Company  incorporated. 

1824  August  23,  Lafayette  visits  Providence. 

1827  April,  first  public  temperance  meeting  held  in  Providence. 

1828  Permanent  School  Fund  established. 

Blackstone   Canal  (Providence  to  Worcester)   is  opened  for  traffic 

(discontinued,  1844). 

January,  act  passed  establishing  public  schools  throughout  State. 

April  14,  first  public  Roman  Catholic  service  held  in  Providence. 
1831  Franklin  Lyceum  founded  (lasted  to  1906). 

Providence  incorporated  as  city. 

September  21-24,  race  riots  in  Providence,  between   seamen   and 

Negroes. 

December,  New  England  Association  of  Farmers,  Mechanics,  and 

Other  Workmen  founded  at  Providence  (disbanded,  1834). 
1833  Antislavery  movement  gets  under  way. 

June  19,  Andrew  Jackson,  President  of  United  States,  visits  Newport. 

1835  June  2,  first  train  runs  over  railroad  between  Boston  and  Providence. 

1836  Henry  Wheaton  publishes  first  edition  of  'Elements  of  International 
Law.' 

1837  November  10,  railroad  connecting  Rhode  Island  with   Stonington, 
Connecticut,  is  opened. 

1841  October-December,  'People's  Constitution'  framed  and  voted  upon. 

1842  Permanent  garrison  established  at  Fort  Adams. 
February-March,  'Landholders'  Constitution'  framed  and  rejected. 
April,  Thomas  Wilson  Dorr  elected  governor  on  'People's  Constitu- 
tion' ticket. 

June  28,  Dorr  forces  routed  at  Acote  Hill  in  Chepachet. 
November  5-23,  present  State  Constitution  framed  and  adopted. 

1843  Survey  of  public  schools  undertaken  by  Heiry  Barnard. 

1845  'Barnard  School  Law'  passed  —  foundation  of  State's  modern  public 

school  system. 

June,  persons  convicted  of  treason  for  participation  in  Dorr  War  are 

freed. 
1847  September  27,  first  passenger  train  travels  over  Providence-Worcester 

railroad. 
1850  Population  of  State,  147,545. 

Sockanosset  School  (reform)  for  boys  founded. 

1852  Capital  punishment  abolished  in  State. 

Normal  School  opens  in  Providence  (becomes  a  State  institution  in 
1854;  is  now  Rhode  Island  College  of  Education). 
Prohibitory  liquor  law  passed  (repealed,  1863). 

1853  Survey  of  Providence  Harbor  made  by  Lieut.  William  A.  Rosecrans. 
May  20,  Newport  reincorporated  as  city. 

1861  Controversy  with  Massachusetts  over  eastern  boundary  of   Rhode 
Island  settled. 
April  1 8,  first  Rhode  Island  troops  leave  for  Civil  War. 


Chronology  471 


1862  March  i,  East  Providence  incorporated  as  town. 

1863  Bryant  and  Stratton  Business  School  founded  (became  Bryant  College 
in  1935)- 

1864  First  train  runs  over  railroad  to  Newport  from  Boston. 

1865  End  of  Civil  War. 

1866  David  Wallis  Reeves  becomes  head  of  American  Brass  Band  in  Provi- 
dence. 

1867  January  31,  Woonsocket  incorporated  as  town. 

1868  Providence  Board  of  Trade  organized,  named  changed  to  Providence 
Chamber  of  Commerce  in  1913. 

1869  United  States  Naval  Torpedo  Station  established  at  Goat  Island. 

1870  State  Board  of  Education  created. 
Legislature  abolishes  imprisonment  for  debt. 

1871  Betsey  Williams  dies,  bequeathing  Roger  Williams  Park  to  City  of 
Providence. 

LaSalle  Academy  in  Providence  founded. 

March  8,  Lincoln  and  North  Smithfield  incorporated  as  towns. 

1872  Providence  Opera  House  built  (demolished,  1931). 

1873  Steamboat  ferries  put  into  operation  between  Jamestown  and  New- 
port. 

1876  Corliss  engine,  designed  by  George  H.  Corliss  of  Providence,  set  in 
motion  at  Centennial  Exhibition  in  Philadelphia,  President   Grant 
being  present. 

1877  Rhode  Island  Institute  for  the  Deaf  founded. 
Rhode  Island  School  of  Design  founded. 

1880  Tribal  authority  of  Narragansett  Indians  ended. 

December,  Coaster's  Harbor  Island  ceded  to  United  States  Govern- 
ment by  citizens  of  Newport,  for  purpose  of  establishing  training  school 
for  United  States  Navy. 

1882  Electric  carbon  arc  lights  used  for  street  lighting  in  Providence. 

1883  Coaster's  Harbor  Island  designated  by  Navy  Department  as  per- 
manent naval  training  station. 

Northern  boundary  line  of  Rhode  Island  settled. 

1884  Lincoln  School  founded  in  Providence. 
Naval  War  College  founded  at  Newport. 

1885  Prohibition  amendment  added  to  State  Constitution  (repealed,  1889). 
March  27,  Pawtucket  incorporated  as  city. 

1887  Compulsory  Education  Act  passed. 

State  Agricultural  School  opens  at  Kingston  (becomes  Rhode  Island 

College  of  Agriculture  and  Mechanic  Arts  in  1892,  and  Rhode  Island 

State  College  in  1909). 

Talma  Dramatic  Club  founded. 

April,  western  boundary  of  Rhode  Island  settled. 

1888  First  electric  street  railway  in  Rhode  Island  opened  in  Woonsocket 
(first  line  in  Providence  in  1892). 

June,  Woonsocket  incorporated  as  city. 


472  Chronology 


1889  Mary  C.  Wheeler  School  founded  in  Providence. 
Old  Providence  Cove  filled  in  (1889-92). 

1890  September  29-October  4,  Cotton  Centenary  celebrated  at  Pawtucket. 

1892  Women's  College  in  Brown  University  founded  (renamed  Pembroke 
College  in  1928). 

October  21,  Columbus  Day  first  generally  celebrated  in  State. 

1893  St.  Andrew's  Industrial  School  founded  at  Barrington. 

1895  'Rhode  Island  Red'  hen  officially  recognized  as  new  breed. 
Verdandi  Male  Chorus  founded. 

February  21,  Central  Falls  incorporated  as  city. 

1896  St.  George's  School  founded  at  Middletown. 

1897  May  19,  new  State  Flag  adopted. 

1898  Rhode  Island  Textile  School  founded. 
Spanish-American  War. 

1899  June  3,  eastern  boundary  between  Rhode  Island  and  Massachusetts 
finally  established. 

1900  Population  of  State,  428,556. 

1901  January  i,  General  Assembly  holds  first  session  in  new  State  House  at 
Providence. 

March  28,  Narragansett  incorporated  as  town. 

1902  Incandescent  lamps  introduced  for  house  lighting. 

Rhode  Island  College  of  Pharmacy  and  Allied  Sciences  founded  in 

Providence. 

June,  street  railway  strike;  rioting  in  Pawtucket. 

1903  Wireless  telegraph  introduced  into  State. 
1907  Exeter  School  founded. 

1909  Players  Dramatic  Club  organized. 

1910  March  10,  Cranston  incorporated  as  city. 
State  population,  542,610. 

1911  University  Glee  Club  founded  in  Providence. 

1912  April  29,  first  Workmen's  Compensation  Act  passed. 

1913  March  14,  West  Warwick  incorporated  as  town. 
April,  Naval  Hospital  commissioned  at  Newport. 

September  10,  Perry  Day  celebrated,  as  hundredth  anniversary  of 
Battle  of  Lake  Erie. 

1914  Car-tunnel  constructed  under  College  Hill  in  Providence. 
Providence  Lodge  of  the  Sons  of  Italy  organized. 

1915  April  16,  death  of  Nelson  W.  Aldrich,  United  States  Senator  from 
Rhode  Island  (1881-1911). 

April  23,  Farm  Bureaus  of  Rhode  Island  organized. 
September  n,  death  of  William  Sprague  II,  Civil  War  Governor  of 
State. 
1917  Providence  College  founded. 

Pulitzer  Prize  awarded  Maud  Howe  Elliott  for  biography  of  Julia 
Ward  Howe. 


Chronology  473 


July  25,  Rhode  Island  National  Guard  mustered  into  service  of  United 

States  for  war  with  Germany. 

September  5,  State's  first  draft  quota  in  World  War  leaves  for  training 

camp. 

1918  Explosion  at  Newport  Naval  Torpedo  Station,  resulting  in  loss  of  14 
lives. 

November  n,  Armistice  Day,  marking  end  of  World  War. 

1919  July  i,  first  registration  day  for  women  voters  for  a  presidential  elec- 
tion. 

State  population,  604,397. 

1920  January  16,  National  Prohibition  Amendment  becomes  effective;  not 
ratified  by  Rhode  Island. 

November  2,  women  vote  for  first  time  in  national  election. 

1922  Radio  broadcasting  begins  over  stations  WEAN  and  WJAR. 
January-September,  textile  strike;  18,000  local  workers  involved. 

1923  Watchman  Industrial  School  opened. 

1924  Percy  Marks  publishes  'The  Plastic  Age.' 

1925  April,  Department  of  State  Police  created. 

1928  Oliver  Hazard  Perry  statue  at  State  House  is  dedicated. 
Mount  St.  Charles  Academy  founded  in  Cumberland. 

1929  Pulitzer  Prize  awarded  Oliver  La  Farge  for  'Laughing  Boy.' 
October  24,  Mount  Hope  Toll  Bridge  between  Bristol  and  Portsmouth 
dedicated,  and  opened  to  traffic. 

1930  Population  of  State,  687,497. 

September  25,  new  Washington  Bridge  opened  between  Providence 
and  East  Providence. 

1931  April  21,  Warwick  incorporated  as  city. 

May  4,  General  Nathanael  Greene  statue  at  State  House  is  dedicated. 
September  27,  State  airport  at  Hillsgrove  dedicated  (later  closed  for 
reconstruction,  and  opened  again  May  30,  1936). 

1932  Providence  Symphony  Orchestra  (the  fifth)  founded. 
March,  Independent  Textile  Union  founded  at  Woonsocket. 

May,  new  State  Pier  No.  i  on  Providence  River  is  completed  (the  old 
pier  burned  Feb.  25,  1931). 

September  16,  remains  of  Roger  Williams  placed  in  vault  in  North 
Burial  Ground. 

1933  May  i,  Rhode  Island  voters  approve  repeal  of  Prohibition  Amend- 
ment; a  convention  ratifies  repeal  May  8. 

1934  May  18,  horse  racing  and  pari-mutuel  betting  legalized.   Narragansett 
Park  opens  August  i . 

September,  the  National  Guard  called  out  for  strike  duty  in  Sayles- 
ville. 

1935  January  i,  General  Assembly  begins  reorganization  of  State  Govern- 
ment.  Offices  of  the  Supreme  Court  declared  vacant,  and  five  new 
judges  elected. 

May,  State  Department  of  Labor  established. 


474  Chronology 


July  31,  Rhode  Island  inaugurates  police  teletype  system  in  29  police 
departments  and  law-enforcing  agencies  within  State  through  central 
sending  and  receiving  station  at  State  House. 

November  i,  earthquake  shakes  northern  section  of  United  States  and 
eastern  Canada,  jarring  Rhode  Island  for  30  seconds,  at  1 107  A.M. 
1936  State  population,  680,712. 

Rhode  Island  observes  three4iundredth  anniversary  of  its  founding 

and  settlement. 

March  10,  proposal  to  call  constitutional  convention  defeated   at 

special  election. 

June,  case  of  City  of  Newport  vs.  Newport  Water  Corporation,  Superior 

Court  renders  decision  that  city  has  the  right  to  acquire  water  works. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 


THERE  is  no  up-to-date  printed  bibliography  of  the  State.  A  standard 
guide  for  material  up  to  the  last  third  of  the  past  century,  with  bio- 
graphical and  critical  notes,  is  John  Russell  Bartlett's  Bibliography  of 
Rhode  Island  (Providence,  A.  Anthony,  1864.  287  pp.).  A  more  recent 
book  list,  classified,  but  with  few  notes,  may  be  found  in  the  third  volume 
of  Edward  Field's  State  of  Rhode  Island  and  Providence  Plantations  (Bos- 
ton, Mason  Publishing  Company,  1902).  Notes  on  current  articles  and 
books  relating  to  the  State  may  be  found  in  the  quarterly  publication, 
Rhode  Island  Historical  Society  Collections  (Providence,  The  Society. 
Issued  January,  April,  July,  and  October). 

GENERAL  INFORMATION 

Miner,  Lilian  Burleigh.  Our  State,  Rhode  Island.  Providence,  Oxford  Press, 
1925. 

Rhode  Island.  Office  of  the  Secretary  of  State.  Know  Rhode  Island.  Providence, 
1936.  illus.  Handbook  of  information  on  notable  features,  with  brief  sketches 
of  each  town,  its  area,  population,  etc. 

Rhode  Island.  State  Bureau  of  Information.  The  Book  of  Rhode  Island.  Provi- 
dence, 1930.  299  pp.  illus.  Some  history;  brief  notes  on  present  day  industries 
and  society. 

THE  NATURAL  SETTING 
LAND  AND  WATER  RESOURCES 
Bonsteel,  F.  E.,  and  Carr,  E.  P.   Soil  Survey  of  Rhode  Island.   Washington, 

Government  Printing  Office,  1905. 
Rhode  Island.    State  Department  of  Agriculture  and  Conservation.    First 

Annual  Report.  Providence,  1935. 
Sarle,  O.  Perry.     Rhode  Island  Water  Resources.     Providence,  State  Planning 

Board,  Special  Report  No.  9,  1936. 
State  Planning  Board.  First  Annual  Report.  Providence,  1935. 

PLANTS  AND  ANIMALS 

Bailey,  William  Whitman.    Among  Rhode  Island  Wild  Flowers.    Providence, 

1895. 
Collins,  James  Franklin.  Check  List  of  Rhode  Island  Trees.  Providence,  Rhode 

Island  Field  Naturalists  Club,  revised  edition,  1924. 
Howe,  Reginald  Heber,  Jr.,  and  Sturtevant,  Edward.    The  Birds  of  Rhode 

Island,  n.p.,  1899. 

HISTORY 

INDIANS 

Abbott,  John  Stevens  Cabot.  History  of  King  Philip.  New  York,  1877.  Only 
good  account  of  the  famous  Wampanoag  chieftain. 


476  Bibliography 


Chapin,  Howard  Millar.  Sachems  of  the  Narragansetts.  Providence,  Rhode 
Island  Historical  Society,  1931. 

Dorr,  Henry  Crawford.  The  Narragansetts.  Providence,  Rhode  Island  His- 
torical Society  Collections,  Vol.  VII,  1885. 

Williams,  Roger.  A  Key  Into  the  Language  of  America.  London,  1643.  Re- 
printed by  the  Rhode  Island  Tercentenary  Commission,  Providence,  1936. 
An  invaluable  work  on  the  Narragansetts. 

EARLY  HISTORY 

Arnold,  Samuel  Greene.    History  of  the  State  of  Rhode  Island  and  Providence 

Plantations.    New  York,  1859-60.    2  v.    Chronological  account  to  1790; 

material  full  but  poorly  organized;  dull  reading,  but  valuable  for  reference. 
Augur,  Helen.  An  American  Jezebel.  New  York,  1930.  A  more  sober  account 

of  Anne  Hutchinson  than  the  title  would  indicate. 
Austin,  John  Osborne.     More  Seven  Club  Tales.     Newport,  Newport  Daily 

News,  1900.   101  pp.  Fiction;  tales  of  early  settlers  in  Rhode  Island. 
Bartlett,  John  Russell.   Records  of  the  Colony  of  Rhode  Island  and  Providence 

Plantations.  Providence,  1856-65.  lov.  Not  complete,  cover  years  1636-1 792. 
Bates,  Frank  Greene.  Rhode  Island  and  the  Formation  of  the  Union.  New  York, 

1898.  Brief  but  scholarly. 
Carroll,  Charles.  Rhode  Island,  Three  Centuries  of  Democracy.  New  York,  1932. 

4  v.  illus.  The  most  complete  work  available  on  the  State;  history  given  in 

first  two  volumes,  topically  arranged;  last  two  volumes  biographical,  much 

of  material  on  contemporary  characters. 
Chapin,  Howard  Millar.   Rhode  Island  Privateers  in  King  George's  War,  1739- 

48.  Providence,  Rhode  Island  Historical  Society,  1926. 
Douglas,  E.  M.  Boundaries,  areas,  geographic  centers,  and  altitudes  of  the  United 

States,  with  a  brief  record  of  important  changes  in  their  territory.  United  States 

Geological  Survey  Bulletin  No.  689.    Washington,  Government  Printing 

Office,  1923.   234  pp.  illus. 
Field,  Edward  (Ed.).    Diary  of  Col.  Israel  Angell.     Providence,  Preston  & 

Rounds,  1899.    149  pp.    Diarist  commanded  regiment  in  Battle  of  Rhode 

Island,  1778. 

Field,  Edward.  Esek  Hopkins.  Providence,  1898.  Reliable  account  of  Hop- 
kins the  privateersman,  and  the  first  (and  only)  Commander-in-Chief  of  the 

Continental  Navy  during  the  Revolution. 
Field,  Edward.  State  of  Rhode  Island  and  Providence  Plantations.  Boston,  1902. 

3  v.  illus.  Well  written;  authoritative. 

Foster,  William  Eaton.   Stephen  Hopkins,  A  Rhode  Island  Statesman.   Provi- 
dence, 1884. 
Gleeson,  Alice  Collins.   Colonial  Rhode  Island.   Pawtucket,  1926.   Simply-told 

tales  designed  for  school  use,  but  of  general  interest;  Revolutionary  chro- 
nology. 
Greene,  George  Washington.   The  Life  of  Nathanael  Greene.  New  York,  1867- 

71.  3V.  illus.  By  the  famous  general's  grandson. 
Rhode  Island  Historical  Society,  Collections.    Providence,  The  Society,  1827-. 

Proceedings,  1872-92, 1901-16;  Publications,  1893-1901.  The  Collection  now 

issued  as  a  quarterly  publication ;  illus. 
Richman,  Irvine  Berdine.    Rhode  Island,  Its  Making  and  Its  Meaning.   New 

York,  1902.  Best  book  yet  published  for  period  from  founding  of  the  Colony 

to  death  of  Roger  Williams  in  1683. 
Straus,  Oscar  Solomon.    Roger  Williams,  The  Pioneer  of  Religious  Liberty. 

New  York,  1894.  Considered  by  some  to  be  still  the  best  book  on  the  subject. 


Bibliography  477 


White,  Elizabeth  Nicholson.  The  Star  of  La  Rochelle .  Providence,  1930.  Story 
of  wife  of  Gabriel  Bernon,  best-known  Huguenot  in  early  Rhode  Island  history. 

HISTORY  SINCE  1790 

Barrows,  Edward  Mosley.    The  Great  Commodore;  the  Exploits  of  Matthew 

Calbraith  Perry.  New  York,  1935. 
King,  Dan.    The  Life  and  Times  of  Thomas  Wilson  Dorr.    Boston,  privately 

printed,  1859. 
Mackenzie,  Alexander  Slidell.    The  Life  of  Commodore  Oliver  Hazard  Perry. 

New  York,  1910.   2  v.  Reprint  from  1840  publication. 
Mo  wry,  Arthur  May.    The  Dorr  War.   Providence,  1901.   Scholarly  work  on 

highly  controversial  subject,  illus. 
Poore,  Ben.  Perley.    The  Life  and  Public  Services  of  Ambrose  E.  Burnside. 

Providence,  1882. 
Stephenson,  Nathaniel  Wright.  Nelson  W.  Aldrich.  New  York,  1930.  Life  of 

Rhode  Island's  best-known  United  States  Senator. 

CONTEMPORARY  SCENE 
INDUSTRY,  COMMERCE,  AND  LABOR 
Miller,  William  Davis.   The  Narragansett  Planters.   Worcester,  reprinted  from 

American  Antiquarian  Society  Proceedings,  1934. 
Rhode  Island,  State  of. 

Department  of  Labor.  First  Annual  Report,  1935. 
Rhode  Island  Commercial  Fisheries.  Special  Report  No.  6,  1936. 
Rhode  Island  Population  Trends.   Special  Report  No.  8,  1936. 
Rhode  Island  Water  Resources.   Special  Report  No.  9,  1936. 
State  Planning  Board.   First  Annual  Report,  1935. 

White,  George  Savage.  Memoir  of  Samuel  Slater.  Philadelphia,  1836.  Slater 
and  the  beginning  of  cotton  manufacture  in  the  United  States. 

TRANSPORTATION 

Covell,  William  King.  Steamboats  on  Narragansett  Bay.  Newport,  Newport 
Historical  Society.  Bulletin  90:  January,  1934. 

AGRICULTURE 

Weeden,  William  Babcock.  Early  Rhode  Island.  New  York,  1910.  Excellent; 
by  the  author  of  the  best  economic  history  of  early  New  England. 

FOREIGN  GROUPS 

Saunders,  Gertrude.  Survey  of  the  Foreign-Communities  of  Providence.  A 
manuscript  prepared  for  the  International  Institute,  58  Jackson  St.,  Provi- 
dence, 1928,  and  revised  July,  1935. 

Wessel,  Bessie  Bloom.  An  Ethnic  Survey  of  Woonsocket.  Chicago,  1931. 

FOLKLORE 

Bacon,  Edgar  Mayhew.  Narragansett  Bay,  Its  Historic  and  Romantic  Associa- 
tions and  Picturesque  Setting.  New  York,  1904.  Popular  and  interesting. 

Drake,  Samuel  Adams.  New  England  Legends  and  Folk  Lore.  Boston,  1902. 
Includes  best-known  Rhode  Island  legends. 

Earle,  Alice  Morse.  In  Old  Narragansett.  New  York,  1898.  Excellent. 

Hazard,  Caroline.  Thomas  Hazard . . .  CalVd  College  Tom.  A  Study  of  Life  in 
Narragansett  in  the  18th  Century.  Boston,  1893.  From  family  and  town 
records. 


478  Bibliography 


Hazard,  Thomas  Robinson.  The  Jonny-Cake  Papers  of  l Shepherd  Tom.' 
Boston,  privately  printed,  1915.  Most  entertaining  stories  about  Rhode 
Island. 

EDUCATION 

Bronson,  Walter  Cochrane.  The  History  of  Brown  University,  1764-1914- 
Providence,  1914. 

Carroll,  Charles.  Public  Education  in  Rhode  Island.  Providence,  1918.  Author 
for  many  years  connected  with  State  Department  of  Education. 

Tolman,  William  Howe.  History  of  Higher  Education  in  Rhode  Island.  Wash- 
ington, Government  Printing  Office,  1894.  210  pp. 

RELIGION 

Backus,  Isaac.  Abridgement  of  the  Church  History  of  New  England,  1602-1804. 
Boston,  1804.  Chronology,  tables.  Author  was  one  of  leading  Rhode  Island 
Baptists  of  the  time,  and  champion  of  religious  toleration  in  the  period  when 
other  States  were  becoming  ready  to  follow  Rhode  Island's  example. 

Cullen,  Thomas  Francis.  The  Catholic  Church  in  Rhode  Island.  North  Provi- 
dence. The  Franciscan  Missionaries  of  Mary,  1936. 

Hazard,  Caroline.  The  Narragansett  Friends  Meeting  in  the  18th  Century. 
Boston,  1899.  Includes  chapter  on  first  Quakers  in  Rhode  Island. 

Mason,  George  Champlin.  Annals  of  Trinity  Church,  Newport,  R.I.  Philadel- 
phia, 1890. 

Updike,  Wilkins.  History  of  the  Episcopal  Church  in  Narragansett,  R.I.  New 
York,  Henry  M.  Onderdonk,  1847.  533  pp.  2d  edition.  Boston,  Merry- 
mount  Press,  1907.  3  v.,  is  enlarged.  The  best  and  most  complete  church 
history  yet  published  for  the  State.  Includes  other  churches  than  St.  Paul's 
in  Old  Narragansett;  contains  genealogical  and  biographical  accounts  of  dis- 
tinguished families  and  individuals;  is  an  invaluable  aid  to  anyone  writing 
on  the  Colonial  period. 

SOCIAL  ORGANIZATIONS 

Barnes,  Harry  Lee.    The  Wallum  Pond  Estates.     Providence,  reprint  from 

Rhode  Island  Historical  Collections,  1922. 
Munro,  Walter  Lee.    Early  Medical  History  in  Rhode  Island  and  the  Rhode 

Island  Medical  Society.  Providence,  Rhode  Island  Medical  Journal,  Vol.  18, 

No.  7,  July,  1935. 
Public  Health  Commission.   Survey  of  Hospitals,  Sanatoriums,  Maternity  and 

Convalescent  Homes  in  Rhode  Island,  1932.  Providence,  1933. 

ARCHITECTURE 

Downing,  Antoinette.  Early  Homes  in  Rhode  Island.  Richmond,  Va.,  1936. 

Isham,  Norman  Morrison.    The  Meeting  House  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  in 

Providence.  Providence,  1925. 
Isham,  Norman  Morrison.    Providence  and  Its  Colonial  Houses.    White  Pine 

Series  of  Architectural  Monographs.  Vol.  4,  No.  3:  16  pp.  June,  1918. 
Isham,  Norman  Morrison.    Trinity  Church  in  Newport,  Rhode  Island:  A  History 

of  the  Fabric.     Boston,  1936. 
Isham,  Norman  Morrison,  and  Brown,  Albert  Fred.  Early  Rhode  Island  Houses. 

Providence,  1895. 
National  Society  of  Colonial  Dames  in  the  State  of  Rhode  Island.  Old  Houses 

in  the  South  County  of  Rhode  Island.  Boston,  1932. 


Bibliography  479 


ART 

Arnold,  John  Nelson.   Art  and  Artists  in  Rhode  Island.  Providence,  1905. 

Bulletins  of  the  Rhode  Island  School  of  Design.   Issued  quarterly. 

Calder,  Charles  A.  Rhode  Island  Pewterers  and  Their  Work.  Providence,  1924. 

Whitley,  William  Thomas.  Gilbert  Stuart.   Cambridge,  Mass.,  1932. 

LITERATURE 

Brown,  Mary  Louise.  Rhode  Island  in  Verse.  Providence,  1936. 
Hale,  Edward  Everett.    Tarry  at  Home  Travels.   New  York,  1006.   See  essay 
on  Rhode  Island,  which  reflects  the  spirit  of  the  true  Rhode  Islander. 

Music 

Lincoln,  Charles  E.  Providence  Musical  Organizations,  Past  and  Present.  Provi- 
dence Magazine.  Vol.  28:  pp.  719-26.  November,  1916. 


INDEX 


Italic  figures  indicate  the  main  reference  of  the  items  concerned. 


Academy  of  Music  (Providence),  178 

Accommodations,  xxi 

Acote  Hill  (Chepachet),  52, 445 

Adams,  John,  236 

Adamsville,  423 

Agriculture 

Colonial,  93;  dairying,  94,  95~9^>  fruit 
farming,  96;  marketing,  93-94;  modern 
activities  in,  97;  nurseries,  96;  pretensive 
farming,  96;  science  of,  95;  statistics  of, 
97;  truck-gardening,  94 

Agriculture  and  Conservation,  State  Depart- 
ment of,  97,  135 

Airports 

Charlestown,  342 ;  Middletown  (Newport), 
409;  Smithfield,  386 

Albany  Congress,  42 

Albee  Stock  Company  (see  Theater) 

Albion,  390 

Aldrich  House  (Lincoln),  381 

Aldrich  House  (Union  Village),  379~8o 

Aldrich  Inn  (Union  Village),  379 

Aldrich,  Nelson  A.,  56 

'Aldrich  Plan,'  56 

Aldrich,  William  T.,  148 

Algonquin  Indian  Council,  National,  ill,  453 

Allen,  Ezra,  91 

Allen  House  (Providence),  280 

Allen,  James  K.,  91 

Allen,  Matthew,  412 

Allen,  Paul,  159 

Allenville  Mill  (Esmond),  387 

Allston  House,  Washington  (Newport),  226 

Almy  and  Brown  Company  (Pawtucket),  70, 
78,  79 

Almy,  Brown  and  Slater  Co.,  79 

Amateur  Flower  Show  (Newport),  xxv 

American  Baptist  Church,  founding  of,  34, 125 

American  Brass  Band,  167 

American  Council  of  Learned  Societies,  115 

American    Kennel    Club    Dog    Show    (Ports- 
mouth), xxv 

American    Review,    Col  ton's    (see    Libraries: 
Providence  Athenaeum) 

American  Revolution 

Beginning  of,  43;  cost  of,  46;  effect  on  ed- 
ucation, 117-18;  first  naval  action  of,  45; 
French  troops  in,  45,  46;  miscellaneous 
references,  258,  297,  302,  412 

American  Union  of  Swedish  Singers,  168 

American  Wringer  Co.  (Woonsocket),  313 

America's  Cup  Races  (Newport),  xxv 

Amherst,  Jeffrey,  42 

Amusement  Parks 

Misquamicut,  Atlantic  Beach  Casino,  345; 
Pawtuxet,  Rhodes  on  the  Pawtuxet,  323 

Anawon,  29 


Andros,  Edmund,  Sir,  41,  203 

Angell,  Abby  E.,  458 

Angell  House  (Bridgeton),  443-44 

Angell  House  (Centerdale),  458 

Angell  House  (Stillwater),  386 

Angell,  James  B.,  454 

Angell,  Mary  Ann,  287,  458 

Angell  Tavern  (Stillwater),  386 

Anglo-Dutch  War,  39 

Animals,  19-21 

'Ann  and  Hope'  (ship),  69 

Ann  and  Hope  Mill  (Valley  Falls),  395 

Annexation  of  Texas,  opposition  to,  52 

Annmary  Brown  Memorial  (Providence)  (see 
Museums,  Art) 

Annual    Encampment,    Veterans   of    Foreign 
Wars,  xxv 

Annual  Horse  Show  (Jacob's  Hill),  xxv 

Annual  Jamboree,  Rhode  Island  Boy  Scouts,xxv 

Annual    Reception    and   Tea    (Newport   Art 
Association),  xxvi 

Anthony,  366-67 

Anthony  House  (Middletown),  408 

Anthony  House  (Providence),  290 

Anti-Federalists,  48 

Antinomian  Movement,  200 

Anti-Slavery  Meetings,  52 

Anti-Theater  Bill  of  1762,  176 

Apgar,  Lawrence,  172 

Appleby  House  (Stillwater),  386 

Apponaug,  324,  326 

Apppnaug  Company  (Apponaug),  326 

Aquidneck  (see  Island  of  Rhode  Island) 

Arcade  (Providence),  283 

Arcadia,  356 

Archer,  John  B.,  172 

Architecture 

Early  Republican  Period,  142,  143,  145, 
146,  147;  English  Renaissance  influence, 
139-40;  Georgian  Period,  140,  141,  142, 
145,  147;  Gothic  Revival,  144-45;  Greek 
Revival,  144;  houses:  Connecticut  type, 
137-38;  earliest,  137;  modern  domestic, 
147;  period,  1676-1700,  138-39;  1700- 
1730,  139;  Warren  types,  401-02;  Hudson 
River  Style,  145;  Providence  Colonial, 
139-40;  return  to  older  styles,  145-46; 
Romanesque,  145 

Arctic,  366 

Arion  Club,  168,  169,  173 

Arkwright,  365 

Arkwright  Spinning  Machines,  78 

Armenians  (see  Foreign  Groups) 

Armington's  Corner,  398 

Armory  of  Kentish  Artillery  (Apponaug),  326 

Armory  of  the  Kentish  Guards  (East  Greea- 
wich),  327 


482 


Index 


Arnold,  Benedict,  Gov.,  60,  203;  grave  of,  222 

Arnold  Homestead  (Scituate),  446 

Arnold  House  (East  Greenwich),  328 

Arnold  House,  Eleazer  (Lincoln),  138-39,  384 

Arnold  House  (Foster),  456 

Arnold  House,  Israel  (Lincoln),  383 

Arnold  House  (Union  Village),  379 

Arnold  House  (Woonsocket),  315,  385 

Arnold  House,  foundations  of  (Conanicut  Is- 
land), 428 

Arnold  House,  site  of  (Hopkinton),  358 

Arnold,  John,  312,  315;  grave  of  (Woonsocket), 
316 

Arnold,  Jonathan,  461 

Arnold,  Peleg,  378,  460-61;  grave  of  (Union 
Village),  380;  milestone  of  (Union  Village), 
380-81;  Tavern  (Union  Village),  380 

Arnold,  Richard,  312 

Arnold,  Samuel  Greene,  160 

Arnold  Tavern,  Caleb  (Cranston),  352 

Arnold  Tavern,  Daniel  (Warwick),  325 

Arnold's  Mills,  393 

Arnold's  Mills  Reservoirs  (Cumberland),  393 

Arnold's  Point  (Portsmouth),  405 

Art 

Barbizon  School,  153;  collections,  155-56; 
furniture-making,  149,  150-51;  Munich 
School,  153;  painting:  151-54;  Colonial, 
JSJ-SS.'  modern,  154;  Silversmithing, 
149-50;  W.P.A.  art  projects,  154 

Art  and  Artists,  149-56 

Art  Collections  (see  Art) 

Art  Gallery  (see  Westerly  Memorial  Building 
and  Library) 

Ashaway,  360-61 

Ashaway  Line  and  Twine  Company  Plant 
(Ashaway),  360 

Ashaway  Textile  Company  Mill  (Ashaway), 
360 

Ashton,  390 

Automobiles,  first  in  Newport,  213 

Avondale,  347 

Babcock,  E.  W.,  Rev.,  306 

Babcock  House  (South  Kingstown),  342 

Babcock  House  (Westerly),  307,  345 

Babcock,  John,  299,  346-47 

Babcock,  Joshua,  307 

Babcock,  Mary,  299,  346-47 

Bacon,  Leonard,  163 

Badger  Mountain  (Burrillville),  444 

Bailey,  Selden  A.,  313 

Bailey's  Beach  (see  Beaches) 

Ball,  Walter  S.,  163 

Ballads  (see  Folklore,  Folkways) 

Ballou  House,  Mathurin  (Lincoln),  384 

Ballou  Tavern  (Ashton),  (see  Halfway  House) 

Bank  Cafe"  (Pawtucket),  323 

Bannister  House  (Middletown),  409 

Bannister's  Wharf  (Newport),  223 

Baptists  (see  Religion) 

Barker,  Henry  A.,  179 

Barnard,  Henry,  120 

Barnard,  Mary,  33 

Barnard  School  Law,  120 

Barnes,  Enoch,  Capt.,  460 

Barnes  House  (Smithfield),  459-60 

Barnes,  Nathan,  460 

Barrington,  399-400 


Barrington  Bridge  (Barrington),  400 

Barrington  Coast  Guard  Station,  site  of  (Bar- 
rington), 400 

Barrington,  Joan  (Lady  Cromwell),  32 

Barrington  Town  Hall  (Barrington),  399 

Barry  Memorial  Field  (Woonsocket),  317-18 

Barton,  William,  Col.,  407-08,  415 

Battey  House  (Conanicut  Island),  430 

Battle  of  Rhode  Island,  45 ;  site  of  first  skirmish 
(Portsmouth),  418 

Bay  Voyage  Hotel  (Jamestown),  428 

Beaches 

Barrington,  413.  Block  Island:  Crescent, 
438.  Bristol:  Town,  197.  Buttonwoods: 
Sandy,  325.  Charlestown,  342.  Quonoch- 
ontaug,  343 .  Conanicut  Island :  Municipal 
Bathing  Pavilion,  431.  Hamilton:  Plum, 
335.  Middletown:  Atlantic,  419;  Third, 
420.  Westerly:  Town,  345.  Narragansett: 
Sand  Hill  Cove,  338;  Scarborough,  338; 
Sherry's  Bathing  Pavilion,  337.  Newport: 
Bailey's,  214;  Newport,  240.  North 
Kingstown,  330.  Pawtuxet:  Edgewood, 
323;  Stillhouse  Cove  Reservation,  323. 
Perry  ville-Moonstone,  342.  South  Kings- 
town: Matunuck,  341.  Weekapaug,  345 

Beacon  Pole  Hill  (Cumberland),  389 

Beaver  Tail  Fort  (Conanicut  Island),  431 

Beckwith  House  (Providence),  272 

Beethoven  Club,  173 

Belleville,  331 

Bellomont,  Lord,  41 

Belton  Court  (Barrington),  398 

Benedict,  David,  118 

Benedict  Memorial  (Providence),  292 

Bennett  Homestead  (Foster),  447 

Bennett,  James  Gordon,  240 

Benson  House  (Providence),  270 

Berkeley,  10,  391 

Berkeley,  George,  157,  204,  419 

Berkenhead,  John  L.,  165 

Bernon,  Gabriel,  grave  of  (Providence),  268 

Big  Four  (Political  Clique),  56 

Bill  of  Rights,  62 

Biscuit  City,  374 

Bishop  Harkin's  Hall,  124 

Bishop  House  (Rumford),  396-97 

Bishop,  Joseph  B.,  162 

Blackstone  Canal,  53,  #<?,  313,  384,  388 

Blackstone  River  (see  Rivers) 

Blackstone,  William,  16,  32,  93,  126-27,  305 

Bliss,  George  Major  (Newman),  450-51 

Block,  Adriaen,  Capt.,  32,  299,  434~35 

Block  Island,  433-40 

Admitted  to  colony,  39;  agricultural  prod- 
ucts, 434;  buried  treasures,  437;  geologi- 
cal structure  of,  6,  7,  434;  industry  of, 
434;  miscellaneous  references,  32,  40; 
Pequot  War,  effect  of,  435;  privateers  in, 
435-36;  religion  in,  437;  Revolution,  ef- 
fect of,  436;  settlement  of  1671,  435;  War 
of  1812,  effect  on,  436 

Block  Island  Town  Hall  (Block  Island),  438 

Blue  Garden  (see  Arthur  Curtiss  James  House) 

Bonnet  Point  (North  Kingstown),  336 

Bonnet  Point  Fort,  site  of  (North  Kingstown), 
336 

Book  of  Architecture,  Designs,  and  Ornaments, 
140 


Index 


483 


Booth,  Edwin,  177-78 

Booth,  John  Wilkes,  178 

Booth,  Junius  Brutus,  177,  178 

Boothden  (Middletown),  419 

Borden  House  (Bristol),  188 

Boston  Oratorio  Society,  169 

Boston  Symphony  Orchestra,  xxvi,  168 

Bosworth  House  (Bristol),  189 

Bosworth,  Nathaniel,  189 

Boundary  Disputes,  36-38 

Bourn,  Benjamin,  47 

Bourne  Mill  (North  Tiverton),  413 

Bowen  Homestead  (Coventry),  447 

Bowen  Homestead,  Isaac  (Coventry),  447 

Bowen  House,  site  of  (Providence),  263 

Bowen,  Jabez,  263 

Bowers  House  (Somerset,  Mass.)  (see  Linden 

Place) 

Bowler,  Metcalf,  94 
Boyd's  Lane  (Portsmouth),  416 
Boyd's  Mill  (Portsmouth),  407 
Boynton,  Henry  W.,  163 
Bradford,  361^62 

Bradford  Dyeing  Association  (Bradford),  361 
Bradford  House  (Bristol),  186-87,  196-97 
Bradford  Soap  Works,  Original  (Riverpoint), 

364 

Bradford,  William,  186,  415 
Bradley  Home  (East  Providence),  410 
Brahms  Club,  173 
Branch  River  Wool  Combing  Plant   (North 

Smithfield),  378 

Bravas  (see  Foreign  Groups,  Portuguese) 
Brayton,  Charles  R.,  56 
Bray  ton  House  (Union  Village),  378 
Breakers,  The  (estate)  (Newport),  233 
Brenton,  William,  60,  203 
Brenton's  Lightship,  235,  433 
Brenton's  Point  (Newport),  235 
Brenton's  Reef  (Newport),  433 
Brett,  Mary,  116 
Breul,  Hugo,  153 

Brick  School  House  (Providence),  266 
Bridgeton,  443-44 
Bridgetown,  20,  331 
Bridgham  House  (Providence),  267 
Bristol,  183-98 

Architecture,  183  (see  also  Architecture); 

commerce,  184, 185;  communications,  186; 

exploration,  183;  Indian  History,  183-84; 

industry,  185-86;  Revolution,  184-85 
Bristol  Common  (Bristol),  190 
Bristol  County  Courthouse  (Bristol),  191 
Bristol  Harbor,  view  of  (Bristol),  192-93 
Bristol  Ferry  (Bristol),  405 
Bristol  Ferry  Fort,  site  of  (Portsmouth),  405 
Bristol  Poor  Farm  (Bristol),  193 
British  Encampment,  site  of  (Bristol),  194 
Brothers  of  the  Sacred  Heart,  124 
Brotherton  Indians,  28 
Brown,  Benson  and  Ives,  69 
Brown  Brothers,  the,  257 
Brown,  Chad,  68,  271 
Brown,  Edna  Adelaide,  162 
Brown,  Francis  H.,  166 
Brown  House,  John  (Providence),  279 
Brown  House,  John  Carter  (Providence),  143, 

278-79 
Brown  House,  Joseph  (Providence),  284-85 


Brown,  James,  68 

Brown,  John,  176,  279 

Brown,  John,  68,  69 

Brown,  John,  411-12;  grave  of  (East  Provi- 
dence), 412 

Brown,  John  Carter,  278-79 

Brown,  Joseph,  68,  140-41,  264,  284-85 

Brown  Memorial  Fountain  (Providence),  282 

Brown,  Moses,  68,  70,  78-79,  244-45,  272,  379 

Brown,  Nicholas,  117 

Brown,  Obadiah,  68 

Brown,  Sylvanus,  67,  366 

Brown  Tavern  House  (Providence),  286 

Brown  University  (Providence),  43 

As  Rhode  Island  College,  117, 125-26,  257, 
272;  buildings,  272-77;  commencement 
tradition,  43,  117;  didactic  department, 
120;  establishment  of,  125-26;  history  of, 
272-77;  Morrill  Act  and,  122,  273-74; 
theatrical  activity,  179;  women's  college 
(Pembroke  College),  123 

Brownell  House  (Union  Village),  379 

Bryant  and  Stratton  Business  School,  124 

Bryant  College,  124 

Bryant,  William  Cullen,  160 

Buck  Hill  Road  (Burrillville),  444 

Bucklin,  James  C.,  Major,  144,  271 

Budlong,  James  A.,  352 

Budlong  Rose  Company  Gardens  (Cranston), 
352 

Bull  Garrison   House,  site  of  (South  Kings- 
town), 332 

Bullock's  Tavern  (East  Providence),  410 

Burial  Grounds 

Indian:  Charlestown,  343,  375-76.  White: 
Ashaway:  First  Hppkinton,  362.  Bar- 
rington:  Prince's  Hill,  399;  Tyler's,  400. 
Bristol:  North,  404.  Central  Falls:  Mo- 
shassuck,  391.  Clayville:  New  Rockland, 
446.  Conanicut  Island:  Artillery  Lot,  430; 
Friends',  430.  East  Greenwich:  Old  Bap- 
tist, 328.  East  Providence:  Little  Neck, 
412.  Lincoln:  St.  Francis,  384.  Newport: 
Clarke  Family,  229;  Clifton,  239;  Com- 
mon, 230;  Governor's,  229-30;  Island, 
230;  Jewish,  220.  Pascoag:  Saint  Patrick's, 
443.  Providence:  Grace  Church,  322; 
Locust  Grove,  322;  North,  322;  St.  John's 
Episcopal,  268;  Tillinghast,  290.  South 
Kingstown:  Quaker,  342.  Tiverton: 
Friends',  414;  Ministry  Lot,  415.  Union 
Village:  Quaker,  380;  Union,  380.  West- 
erly: Old  Babcock,  346-47;  River  Bend, 
346.  Woonsocket:  Vose,  316 

Burlingame  Farmhouse,  445-46 

Burnside,  Ambrose,  Colonel,  54~55,  186,  191 

Burnside  Equestrian  Statue  (Providence),  281- 
82 

Burnside  House  (Providence),  279 

Burnside  Memorial  Building  (Bristol),  191 

Burrillville,  441-45 

Burr's  Tavern,  site  of  (Warren),  403 

Butterfly  Factory  (Lincoln),  383 

Butterworth,  Hezekiah,  160 

Buttonwoods,  325 

Byfield,  Nathaniel,  193 

Cady  Stagecoach  Tavern  (Glocester),  461 
Cajacet  (Conanicut  Island),  428-29 


484 


Index 


Camp  Ames,  site  of  (Hoxsie),  324 

Camp  Ki-Yi  (Burrillville),  442 

Canal-Building,  89 

Canonchet,  27-29,  40 

Canonicus,  27,  36,  106 

Capital  Punishment  Abolished,  53 

Captain  Pierce's  Fight,  site  of  (Central  Falls), 
396 

Card  House  (Westerly),  309 

Card,  William  H.,  Captain,  309 

Carolina,  375 

Carpenter  House  (Hopkinton),  358 

Carpenter  House  (Westerly),  309 

Carpenter,  Lucy,  309 

Carr  Homestead  (Coventry),  447 

Carr  House,  Caleb  (Conanicut  Island),  429 

Carr  House,  Nicholas  (Conanicut  Island),  430 

Carrington,  Edward,  278 

Carrington  House  (Providence),  278 

Carson  House  (North  Kingstown),  331 

Carter,  John,  266 

Case  House  (Wickford),  143,  333~34 

Case  House,  William  H.  (Kingston),  372 

Casey  House  (North  Kingstown),  335 

Casey,  Samuel,  150 

Casting  Tournament,  xxvi 

Cathedral  Square  (Providence),  290-91 

Catholic  Oak  (Valley  Falls),  394 

Catholics  (see  Roman  Catholics) 

Cellar  Hole  (Tiverton),  421 

Centennial  Elm  (Warwick),  325 

Centerdale,  458-60 

Centerville,  366 

Central  Falls,  391,  395~p6 

Central  Glee  Club,  166 

Chaminade  Club,  169-70,  173 

Champion,  Charles  P.,  346 

Champlin-Mason  House  (Newport),  223-24 

Chanler,  Theodore  Ward,  174 

Channing,  William  Ellery,  210;  statue  of  (New- 
port), 222 

Charcoal  Pits  (Foster),  456 

Charity  Ball  (Providence),  xxvi 

Charlestown,  342-44,  375~?6 

Charter  of  1663,  60,  125 

Charter  of  1644,  60 

Cheapside  (Providence),  263 

Chepachet,  445,  461 

Chepachet  Town  Pound  (Chepachet),  445 

Child  Crying  Rocks  (Charlestown),  375 

Child,  Richard  Washburn,  163 

Children's  Friends  Society  of  Rhode  Island, 
80 

Chipman,  Nathan  F.,  357 

Choate,  Rufus,  36 

Chopin  Club,  166,  168,  170 

Chopmist  Fire  Lookout  Station  (Scituate),  446 

Chrysanthemum  Show  (Providence),  xxvi 

Church,  Benjamin,  Captain,  29,  39-41,  196, 
197, 423-24;  first  house,  site  of  (Little  Comp- 
ton), 423 

Churches  (by  denomination) 
Baptist: 

Ashaway:  First  Seventh  Day,  360.  Block 
Island:  Free  Will,  440.  Bristol,  190^91. 
Cranston:  Oaklawn,  352.  Georgiaville, 
387.  Hopkinton:  Second  Hopkinton 
Seventh  Day,  360.  Little  Compton:  Free 
Will,  423.  Newport:  Newport,  201;  Cen- 


tral, 226;  First  John  Clarke  Memorial, 
228.  North  Kingstown:  Narragansett, 
336.  North  Tiverton,  413.  Pascoag: 
Free,  443.  Pawtucket:  First,  249.  War- 
ren, 402.  Westerly:  Pawcatuck  Seventh 
Day,  308.  Woonsocket:  First,  316-17. 
Wyoming:  Six  Principal,  355 

Christian  Science: 

Providence:  First  Church  of  Christ,  270 

Congregational: 

Barrington,  398.  Bristol,  190.  Kingston, 
371.  Little  Compton:  United,  423.  New- 
port: Union,  224.  Pawtucket,  248. 
Providence:  Beneficent,  282;  First,  142- 
43.  Rumford:  Newman,  397.  Slaters- 
yille,  377.  Woonsocket :  Globe,  315 

Episcopal: 

Barrington:  St.  John's,  400.  Bristol:  St. 
Michael's,  192.  Greenville:  St.  Thomas, 
460.  Newport:  Trinity,  141-42,  224-26; 
Zion,  218.  Pawtucket:  St.  Paul's,  250. 
Providence:  Grace,  283;  St.  John's,  268. 
Tiverton:  Holy  Trinity,  421.  Westerly: 
Christ,  306-07.  Woonsocket:  St.  James, 
315,389 

Greek  Orthodox: 

Manville:  St.  Mary's,  390 

Jewish: 

Newport*  Temple  Jeshuat  Israel,  219 

Methodist: 

East  Greenwich,  328.  Little  Compton, 
423.  Woonsocket,  317 

Polish: 

Woonsocket:  St.  Stanislas,  317 

Presbyterian: 

Newport:  First,  229 

Roman  Catholic: 

Bristol:  St.  Mary's,  190.  Central  Falls: 
Notre  Dame,  396;  St.  Mathieu's,  391. 
Cumberland  Hill:  St.  Joan  of  Arc,  390. 
Hopkinton:  St.  Joseph's  Chapel,  357. 
Little  Compton:  St.  Catherine's,  423. 
Nasonville:  Shrine  of  the  Little  Flower, 
441.  Newport:  St.  Joseph's,  228;  St. 
Mary's,  238-39.  Pawtucket:  Immacu- 
late Conception,  250;  St.  John  the  Baptist, 
251.  Providence:  Cathedral  of  SS.  Peter 
and  Paul,  290.  Valley  Falls:  St.  Patrick's, 
395.  Warren:  St.  Mary's,  403.  Woon- 
socket: Precious  Blood,  314,  389;  Holy 
Family,  316;  St.  Anne's,  316;  St.  Charles, 
316 

Ukranian  Orthodox: 
Woonsocket:  St.  Michael's,  317,  388 

Unitarian: 

Newport:  Channing  Memorial,  222. 
Providence,  279-80 

Universalist: 
Woonsocket,  317 

By  Town: 

Jamestown:  Moveable  Chapel,  428.  Mid- 
dletown:  Berkeley  Memorial  Chapel,  419. 
North  Kingstown:  Old  Narrangansett, 

33i,  334 

Churchill,  Benjamin,  192 
Cistercian  Monastery  (Cumberland),  393~94 
City  Hall  (Newport),  228 
City  Hall  (Providence),  282 
Civil  War,  54-55;  economic  expansion  after, 


Index 


485 


55;  regiments  in,  54;  Rhode  Island  casual- 
ties in,  54 

Civilian  Conservation  Camps,  135 
Clap,  Nathaniel,  Rev.,  240-41 
Clark  Homestead  (Harris ville),  443 
Clarke  and  Nightingale  Dock,  site  of  (Provi- 
dence), 266 

Clarke,  John,  34,  37,  125,  201,  228,  417 
Clay  Head  (Newport),  433 
Clayville,  446-47 
Clemence  House  (Johnston),  459 
Clemence,  Thomas,  459 
Cliff  Walk  (Newport),  239 
Climate,  4-5 

Climate  and  Equipment,  xxiii 
Clinton,  Henry,  General,  207 
Clyde,  364 
Coal  Mining 

Coal   deposits    (see   Geology   and   Fossil 

Remains);  history  of,  n;  Portsmouth  coal 

mine,  n,  405 
Coast  Guard  Stations 

Block    Island,    438;    Narragansett,    337; 

Point  Judith,  338;  South  Kingstown,  342; 

Westerly,  349~5O 

Coaster's  Harbor  Island  (Newport),  200,  232 
Coats  Company  Plant  (Pawtucket),  73,  391 
Coddington,  William,  34,  36,  38,  60,  200-02, 

417 

Coggeshall  House  (East  Greenwich),  329 
Coggeshall,  John,  38,  60,  201 
Coggeshall's  Ledge  (Newport),  234 
Cohan,  George  M.,  174 
College  Hill  (Providence),  254 
Collins-Aikman  Company  (Bristol),  192 
Collins,  Arnold,  150 
Collins,  Charles,  188 
Collins  House  (Bristol),  188 
Collins  House  (Newport),  231 
Colonial  House  (see  Rhode  Island  School  of 

Design  Museum  of  Art) 
Colony  House  (Providence),  116 
Colt  Drive,  entrance  to  (Bristol),  193 
Colt,  LeBaron  Bradford,  56-57 
Colt  Memorial  High  School  (Bristol),  187 
Columbus,  statue  of  (Providence),  322 
Commerce 

Foreign  trade,  early,  68-69;  Orient,  trade 
with,  68;  sea  trade  (Providence),  257-58; 
shipping,  67-68,  301 ;  slave  trade,  67 
Comstock  House  (Lincoln),  382 
Conanicut  Island,  39,  425-32 
Conanicut  Park  (Conanicut  Island),  429 
Congdon  House  (East  Greenwich),  326 
Congregational  Parsonage  (Slater sville),  377 
Congregationalists  (see  Religion) 
Congress  of  1765,  43 
Conimicut  (Warwick),  325 
Conservation,  135-36 
'  Constellation,' U.S.S.  (ship),  232 
Constitutional  Convention,  State,  62  (see  also 

Federal  Constitution) 
Constitutional  Reform,  need  for,  59 
Conti,  Gino,  154 
Continental  Navy,  45 
Conway,  William  Augustus,  177 
Coojoot  Black  Lead  Mine  (South  Kingstown), 

332 
Cook  House  (Cumberland),  390 


Cooke,  George  Frederick,  176-77 

Cooke  House  (Providence),  285 

Cooke,  Nicholas,  44 

Cook's  Hill  (Cumberland),  389 

Cooky  Hill  (Westerly),  305-06 

Cooper  House  (Wickford),  333 

Copper  Mine  Hill  (Cumberland),  389 

Corliss,  George  H.,  71-72 

Corne  House  (Newport),  241 

Corning  Glass  Works  (Central  Falls),  396 

Coronation  Rock  (Charlestown),  343 

Cortereal,  Miguel,  32 

Cotton  Industry  (see  Industry) 

Cottrell  House  (Kingston),  372 

Countess    Szechenyi    Estate    (see    Breakers, 

The) 

Counties,  importance  of,  63 
Courthouse  (Newport),  218 
Cove,  the,  site  of  (Providence),  281 
Coventry,  365-68 
Cowell,  Joseph,  177 
Cowesett,  326 
Cowtantowit,  25 

Crandall,  Lester,  Captain,  360-61 
Cranston,  n,  323,  350-53 
Cranston  City  Hall  (Cranston),  351 
Cranston  Mine  (Cranston),  353 
Cranston  Print  Works  (Cranston),  352 
Cranston,  Robert,  Capt.,  51 
Crawford,  Gideon,  66 
Crompton,  353 

Crompton  Company  Mills  (Crompton),  353 
Cromwell,  Oliver,  32 
Cross's  Mills  (see  Charlestown) 
Crossways  (Newport),  235 
Cubas,  Isabel,  178 
Cumberland  Detective  Society,  393 
Cumberland  Hill  (Cumberland),  389-90 
Currency,  41,  46 
Curtis,  George  William,  161 
Gushing  Art  Collection  (Newport),  221 
Gushing  Homestead  (Centerdale),  458 
Gushing  Memorial  Building  (Newport),  221 
Cushman,  Charlotte,  178 

D'Estaing,  Count,  208 

Daggett  House  (Pawtucket),  252 

Dairy  Farming  (see  Agriculture) 

Dame  Schools,  116 

Damon,  S.  Foster,  163 

Damrosch,  Leopold,  169 

Davenport,  Edward  L.,  177 

Dawley  Tavern  (Wyoming),  355 

De  Chastellux,  Count,  266 

De  Fersen  House  (Providence),  286 

De  La  Salle  Academy  (Newport),  240 

De  Ternay,  Chevalier,  208,  230,  231 

De  Wotfe-Colt  House  (see  Linden  Place) 

De  Wolfe,  George,  187 

De  Wolfe  House  (Warren),  402 

De  Wolfe,  James,  Capt.,  49,  193,  197 

De  Wolfe-Middleton  House,  193-94 

De  Wolfe,  Ruth  B.,  187-88 

Dean  of  Derry  (see  Berkeley,  George) 

Denison,  Frederick,  Rev.,  317 

Dennis  House  (Portsmouth),  416-17 

Dennison,  Jonathan,  Capt.,  68 

Depot  Square  (Woonsocket),  388 

Devil's  Foot  Rock  (North  Kingstown),  330 


486 


Index 


Dexter  Asylum  (Providence),  289 

Dexter,  Edward,  275 

Dexter  House,  Ebenezer  Knight  (Providence), 
289 

Dexter  House,  Edward  (Providence),  275 

Dexter   Ledge   Limestone   Quarry    (Lincoln), 
lo-n,  382 

Dexter  Training  Ground  (Providence),  291 

Diamond  Hill,  392-93 

Dickens,  Charles,  177 

Display  of  Roses  (Providence),  xxv 

Doane,  Joshua,  150 

Dockray  House  (South  Kingstown),  340 

Dodge,  Nehemiah,  73-74 

Dodge,  Seril,  73 

Dolphin  House  (Providence),  286 

Dominion  of  New  England,  41 

Dorr  House  (Providence),  269 

Dorr,  Thomas  Wilson,  51,  445 

Dorr  War,  62 

Douglas  House  (Kingston),  371 

Douglass,  David,  175-76,  206 

Downing,  Antoinette  F.,  144 

Dramatics,  Amateur 

Amateur  Dramatic  Club,  179;  Providence 
Dramatic  Society,  179;  Talma  Club,  179; 
The  Players,  179;  Thespian  Club,  179 

Drowne,  Solomon,  456 

Druid  Circle  (Lincoln),  382 

Drum  Rock  (Apponaug),  326 

Dudley,  Joseph,  41 

Dudley  Place  (Middletown),  409 

Duel  Hollow  (Cumberland),  389 

Dunes  Club  (Narragansett),  337 

Dunn  Corners,  344 

Dutch  Island,  427 

Dyer  House  (Providence),  289 

Dyer,  Mary,  38,  202 

Dyer,  William,  60 

Eagleville,  414 

Early  Republican  Architecture  (see  Architec- 
ture) 

Earthworks  (Portsmouth),  407 

East  Greenwich,  39,  326-29 

East  Greenwich  Academy  (East  Greenwich), 
129,  328 

East  Providence,  396-98,  449-51 

East  Side  Electric  Car  Tunnel  (Providence), 
263 

Easton  Farm  (Middletown),  420 

Easton,  John,  40 

Easton,  Nicholas,  200 

Echo,  the,  too 

Eddy,  Nelson,  174 

Edgehill  (Bristol),  404 

Edgewqod  Yacht  Club  (Pawtuxet),  323 

Education 

American  Revolution,  117-18;  Barnard 
School  Law,  120;  consolidation  of  un- 
graded schools,  123;  first  free  public  school, 
118;  formal,  116;  health  and  safety,  pro- 
visions for,  123  (see  also  Labor);  innova- 
tions in,  121 ;  organization  of  town  schools, 
120;  private  schools,  116,  119  (see  also  by 
name);  provisions  for  high  school  instruc- 
tion, 123;  public  school  system,  117;  re- 
organization of,  119;  special  facilities,  123; 
State  Board,  creation  of,  121 


Education,  State  Department  of,  123 

Edwards  Hall  (a  building  at  Rhode  Island 
State  College,  Kingston),  372 

Edwards,  Morgan,  Rev.,  117 

Einklang  Singing  Society,  166 

Ekeburg,  Oscar,  168 

Eldred  House  (Kingston),  370 

Eldredge  House  (East  Greenwich),  326 

Eldred's  One-Gun  Battery,  site  of  (Conanicut 
Island),  428 

Electro-Gilding  Process  (see  Industry) 

Elizabeth  Spring  (Warwick),  329 

Elliott,  Maud  Howe,  162 

Ellis  Homestead  (West  Greenwich),  448 

Elmhurst  School  (Providence),  458 

Elms,  the  (Newport),  240 

Emancipation  Act  of  1784,  52 

Emerson,  Ralph  Waldo,  121 

Endicott  Club  Tournament  (Providence),  xxvi 

Endicott,  Governor,  435 

English  Renaissance  Influence  (see  Architec- 
ture) 

Episcopalians  (see  Religion) 

Esmond,  387 

Esmond  Mills  (Esmond),  387 

Exchange  Place  (Providence),  322 

Exeter,  448-49 

Exeter  School  (Exeter),  123,  369 

Exhibit  of  Handicraft  Club  (Providence),  xxv 

Exiles  from  Eden,  212 

Factory  Inspection  Laws,  123 

Faculty  Club,  277 

Fales,  David  G.,  73 

Farm  Bureau  (see  Agriculture) 

Farming  (see  Agriculture  and  Industry) 

Farnum  Homestead  (Smithfield),  386 

Faunce  House  (Providence),  275 

Fayerweather  House  (Kingston),  372 

Federal  Building  (Providence),  281 

Federal  Constitution,  46 

Federal  Government,  controversy  with,  61-62 

Federal  Hill  Market  (Providence),  260 

Federal  Music  Projects,  174 

Federalist  Party,  48,  50 

Feke,  Robert,  151 

Fenner,  Arthur,  48 

Fenner  House  (Cranston),  351 

Fenner,  James,  48 

Fenners,  administration  of,  47-48 

Festival  of  Music,  292  (see  also  Music) 

Fete  des  Roses  (Newport),  234 

Field  Garrison  House,  site  of  (Providence),  285 

Field's  Point  (Providence),  288 

Finns  (see  Foreign  Groups) 

Fire  of  1825,  177 

'Firefly'  (ship),  53 

Fireplace  House  (Lincoln),  382 

First  Academy  in  Rhode  Island  (Wickford), 

First  Assembly  of  the  Colony  of  Rhode  Island, 

38 

First  Baptismal  Ceremony  in  America,  34 
First  Baptist  Church  in  Massachusetts,  site  of 

(Barrington),  400 

First  Baptist  Society  in  America  (see  Religion) 
First  Benjamin  Church  House,  site  of  (Little 

Compton),  423 
First  Child  Labor  Law,  121 


Index 


487 


First  Cotton  Manufacturing  (see  Industry) 

First  Electric  Line,  90 

First  Evening  School,  121 

First  Free  Public  School  Law  (see  Education) 

First  General  Assembly,  38 

First  Light  Infantry  Glee  Club,  166 

First  Mill,  site  of  (Providence),  268 

First   Portsmouth   Settlement    (Portsmouth), 
416 

First  Railroads,  53 

First  Resistance  to  British  Authority,  43 

First  School  (Newport),  116 

First  Scythe  Factory,  site  of  (North  Smith- 
field),  378 

First  Steamboat  Service  (see  Transportation) 

First  Temperance  Meeting,  55 

First  Turnpike,  53 

First  White  Settlement,  32 

Fish  and  Game  Laws,  xxi-xxiii 

Fish  House  (see  Crossways) 

Fish,  Stuyvesant,  235 

Fisher,  Clara,  177 

Fiske  Homestead  (Cumberland),  390 

Fiskeville,  365 

Fleur  de  Lys  Building  (Providence),  265 

Floral,  Fruit,  and  Vegetable  Exhibit   (New- 
port), xx  vi 

Fogland  Ferry,  site  of  (Tiverton),  422 

Folklore,  106-15 

Devil  legends,  106;  ghosts  and  witches, 
109-10;  Indian  legends,  106,  107;  Viking 
Tower  (Newport),  107-08 

Folkways,  111-15 

Ballads,  114-15;  foreign,  in,  114;  Indian, 
in;  speech,  115;  (see  also  Folklore) 

Follet  House  (Cumberland),  392 

Folsom  Points,  30-31 

Fones,  Daniel,  42 

Fones  Houses  (North  Kingstown),  330 

Foreign  Groups 

Armenians,  104-05;  English,  102-03; 
Finns,  105;  French-Canadians,  100-02, 
311-12,  314;  Germans,  104;  Greeks,  105; 
Italians,  98-100,  364;  Lithuanians,  105; 
Poles,  103;  Portuguese,  103-04,  364; 
Swedes,  104;  Syrians,  105;  (see  also  Labor) 

Foreign  Population  (Providence),  259-60 

Foreign  Trade  (see  Commerce) 

Foreign  White  Stock,  statistics  (see  Foreign 
Groups) 

Forestdale,  377 

Forests 

Charlestown:  Burlingame  Reservation, 
343.  Cranston:  Pawtuxet  River  Reser- 
vation, 323.  Cumberland:  Diamond  Hill 
Forest  Park  Reservation,  392.  Glocester: 
George  Washington  Memorial  Forest,  461. 
South  Kingstown:  Ministerial  Woods,  341. 
West  Greenwich:  Nooseneck  Hill  Forest 
Park  Reservation,  354;  Wickaboxet  State 
Forest,  448 

Forger's  Cave  (Burrillville),  444 

Forrest,  Edwin,  177 

Fort  Barton,  remains  of  (Tiverton),  415 

Fort  Butts,  site  of  (Portsmouth),  416 

Fort  Hill  (East  Providence),  410 

Forts 

Charlestown:  Neck,  343.  Conanicut  Is- 
land: Beaver  Head,  431 ;  Getty,  431 ;  Weth- 


erell,  432.  Dutch  Island:  Greble,  427. 
Middletown:  Green  End,  409.  Newport: 
Adams,  208,  236;  George,  237.  North 
Kingstown:  Philip  Kearney,  336;  Queen's, 
30,  368-69.  Providence:  Independence, 
288 

Forty  Steps  (Newport),  239 

Fossils  (see  Geology  and  Fossil  Remains) 

Foster,  456,  457 

Foster,  Theodore,  47,  456 

Founder's  Brook  (Portsmouth),  416 

Four  Corners  (Conanicut  Island),  430 

Fox,  George,  127-28,  203 

Fox  Hill  Fort,  site  of  (Providence),  287 

Fox,  Joseph,  347 

Francis  House  (Hpxsie),  324 

Franklin,  Benjamin,  307 

Franklin  Ferry  House  (Narragansett),  335 

Franklin,  James,  157-58,  203 

Franklin,  James,  Jr.,  158,  203 

Franklin  Lyceum  (Providence),  121 

Free  Public  Education,  crusade  for  (see  Labor) 

French  and  Indian  War,  41-42 

French-Canadian  (see  Foreign  Groups) 

French,  Cyrus,  370 

French  House  (Kingston),  370 

French,  William,  370 

Frenchtown,  320-30 

Friendship  Garden  (Pawtucket),  252 

Frieze,  Henry  S.,  427 

Fruit  farming  (see  Agriculture) 

Fruit  of  the  Loom  (cloth),  311 

Galilee,  338 

Game  Laws  (see  Fish  and  Game  Laws) 

Gardiner  House  (Narragansett),  336 

Garrison  House,    foundation    of    (Rumford), 
397 

Gas  Illumination,  53,  210 

Gasometer  (Providence),  291 

'Gaspee'  Incident,  43,  87,  257-58,  285-86 

Gaspee  Point  (Warwick),  323 

Gaspee  Room  (Providence),  289 

General  Assembly 

First  meeting,  296;  lotteries,  119;  on  edu- 
cation, 118,  119,  124;  on  munitions,  366; 
on  the  theater,  176;  on  transportation, 
91;  present  constitution  of,  63;  present 
form,  63 

General  Court,  35,  41 

General  Court  of  Massachusetts,  435 

General  Stanton  Inn  (Charlestown),  342 

'General  Washington'  (ship),  68 

Geography  and  Topography 

Original  boundary,  37;  topographical  divi- 
sions, 3-4 

Geology  and  Fossil  Remains 

Coal  deposits,  7,  8,  9;  fossils,  8;  glacial  ice, 
5-6 

'George  Washington'  (ship),  69 

Georgian  Architecture  (see  Architecture) 

Georgiaville,  387 

Germans  (see  Foreign  Groups) 

Gerry,  Willis  H.,  163 

Gertin  Marathon  (West  Warwick),  xxvi 

Gibbs,  James,  140 

Gilbert  Stuart  Memorial  Association,  171 

Gilmore,  Patrick  Sarsfield,  167 

Gilmour,  David,  245 


488 


Index 


Glebe,  The  (South  Kingstown),  331-32 

Glendale,  441 

Glocester,  445 

Goat  Island,  237 

Goat  Rock  (Lincoln),  382 

Goddard  Brothers,  70 

Goddard,  John,  150 

Goddard,  William,  158,  257,  266 

Goelet  Estate  (Newport),  233 

Goetschius,  Percy,  169 

Goffe,  William,  354 

Gold,  Albert,  154 

Golden  Ball  Inn  (Providence),  269 

Gorham,  Jabez,  74,  150 

Gorham    Manufacturing    Company     (Provi- 
dence), 288-89 

Gorton,  Samuel 

As  emissary  to  England,  296;  at  Provi- 
dence, 294-95;  at  Shawomet,  295-96,  297; 
early  years  in  Rhode  Island,  35 ;  founder  of 
Warwick,  34;  home  of,  site  (Pawtuxet), 
352-53;  house  of,  site  (Warwick),  325; 
purchases  Shawomet  territory,  36;  versus 
Massachusetts  Bay  Colony,  295-96 

Gothic  Revival  (see  Architecture) 

Gould  Island  (Jamestown),  231 

Gould  Island  (Tiverton),  416,  421 

Government 

Civil  administration,  64;  early,  60-62; 
judiciary  administration,  64-65;  present, 
63-65;  State  Constitution,  62-63;  suffrage, 
62 ;  (see  also  History) 

Government  Landing  (Newport),  237 

Graft,  John,  164 

Grand  Deed  of  1680,  405 

Granite  Mill  (Harrisville),  443 

Granite  Millstone  (Portsmouth),  406 

Grant's  Mill,  392 

Gray  House  (Little  Compton),  422 

Gray  House  (Tiverton),  421 

Gray,  Robert,  Capt,  421-22 

Great  Chimney  House  (South  Kingstown),  342 

Great  Gale  of  1815,  177,  258-59 

Great  Swamp  Fight  (see  King  Philip's  War) 

Great  Swamp  Fight,  site  of  (South  Kingstown), 

374 

Greek  Revival  (see  Architecture) 

Greeks  (see  Foreign  Groups) 

Green  Farmhouse  (Jamestown),  426 

Green  House  (Warwick),  325 

Green,  Theodore  Francis,  58-59 

Greene,  Albert,  114,  160 

Greene,  Christopher,  Col.,  297 

Greene  Homestead  (Buttonwoods),  325 

Greene  Homestead,  Job,  site  of  (Hoxsie),  324 

Greene  Homestead,  William  (Warwick),  327 

Greene  House,  Albert  (East  Greenwich),  327 

Greene  House,  Nathanael  (Anthony),  367 

Greene,  Job,  70,  297 

Greene,  John  Holden,  142-43 

Greene,  Joseph  C.,  167 

Greene,  Nathanael,  204-05 

Greene,  Nathanael,  Gen. 

As  militarist,  367 ;  birthplace  of  (Warwick), 
329;  in  battle  at  Guilford  Court  House,  45; 
rank  in  Continental  army,  297 

Greene,  Patience,  159 

Greenville,  460-61 

Greenville  Tavern  (Greenville),  460 


Greenwich  Inn  (East  Greenwich),  328 
Greenwood,  324 
Greystone,  388 

Guard  House,  site  of  (Warren),  404 
Guiteras  Junior  High  School  (Bristol),   188— 
89 

Haines,  George  B.,  412 

Hale  House  (South  Kingstown),  341 

Halfway  House  (Ashton),  390 

Hall,  George  Frederic,  147 

Halsey  Mansion  (Providence),  290 

Hamilton,  335 

Hampden,  John,  398 

Hampden  Meadows,  398 

Handel  and  Haydn  Society,  165 

Hanging  Rocks  (Middletown),  420 

Hannah  Robinson's  Rock  (South  Kingstown), 

33i 
Hans  Schneider  Conservatory  (see  Providence 

College  of  Music) 
Happy  Hollow,  395 
Harley's  Mill,  374 
Harmony,  461 

Harness  Races  (Pascoag),  xxvi 
Harper,  Joseph,  176 
Harper's  Weekly  (periodical),  161 
Harris,  365 

Harris,  Edward,  313,  3 15 
Harris  House  (Harrisville),  442 
Harris  Quarry  (Lincoln),  10,  381 
Harrison,  Peter,  141 
Harrisville,  442-43 
Harrisville  Mill  (Harrisville),  442 
Harte,  Bret,  161 
Hartford  Convention,  50 
Hazard,  Benjamin,  228 
Hazard,  Caroline,  162 
Hazard  Castle  (Narragansett),  338 
Hazard  House  (Narragansett),  336 
Hazard  House  (South  Kingstown),  340 
Hazard,  Isaac  P.,  339 
Hazard,  Rowland,  71 
Hazard,  Rowland  Gibson,  162,  339,  375 
Hazard,  Thomas  Robinson,  161-62 
Hearthside  (Lincoln),  144,  383 
Hebrew  Choral  Society,  173 
Helme  House  (South  Kingstown),  332 
Henry  Barnard  School,  124 
Henschel  Club,  171 
Herreshoff,  John  Brown,  194-95 
Herreshoff  Manufacturing  Company  (Bristol), 

194-95 

Hessian  Hole  (Portsmouth),  406 
Hickox  House  (see  Carpenter  House) 
Hicks  House  (North  Tiverton),  414 
Hicks,  Joseph,  414 
Higgins,  James  H.,  57 
High  School  Instruction,   provision  for   (see 

Education) 

Highways  (see  Transportation) 
Hillsgrove,  324 

Hiscox  House  (Hopkinton),  357 
History 

Early,  32-36,  45-47;  first  official  use  of 
name,  35;  political  and  military  to  1776, 
8-44;  rise  of  democracy,  47-52;  Royal 
"arter  of  1663,  39;  the  modern  state, 
52-59 


38- 
Ch* 


Index 


489 


History  of  Rhode  Island  and  Providence  Planta- 
tions (book),  160 

History  of  the  American  Revolution  (book),  45 

Histrionic  Academy  (Providence),  176,  257 

Hog  Island  (Portsmouth),  406 

Hog  Pen  Point  (East  Providence),  410 

Hogan,  Helen  (Mrs.  Cecil  V.  Coome),  172 

Holden,  Randall,  60,  296 

Holiday  House  (Watch  Hill),  350 

Holland  House  (South  Kingstown),  341 

Holland,  W.  S.,  453 

Holliman,  Ezekiel  (see  Holyman,  Ezekiel) 

Holmes,  Obadiah,  228 

Holyman,  Ezekiel,  34,  325;  burial  place  (War- 
wick), 325 

Honyman  House  (Middletown),  418 

Honyman,  James,  Jr.,  418 

Honyman,  James,  Rev.,  418,  421 

Hope,  365-66 

Hope  Furnace,  67;  site  of  (Hope),  366;  (see  also 
Industry) 

Hope  Valley  (Hopkinton),  357 

Hopkins,  Esek,  45 

Hopkins  Homestead,  site  of  (Scituate),  456 

Hopkins  House  (Providence),  139,  280 

Hopkins  Mills,  456 

Hopkins,  Sara  F.,  162 

Hopkins,  Stephen, 

Contributor  of  the  Gazette,  158, 257;  house 
of  (Providence),  139,  280;  in  public  office, 
42-43 ;  miscellaneous  reference,  358 

Hopkinson,  Francis,  164 

Hopkinton,  358-60 

Hopper,  De  Wolf,  187 

Hoppin,  Augustus,  161 

Hosmer,  Elmer  S.,  172 

Howard  Hall,  site  of  (Providence),  283 

Howard,  Martin,  228 

Howe-Churchill-Diman  House  (Bristol),  143- 
44,  191-92 

Howe,  Julia  Ward,  161 

Howe,  Wallis  E.,  146 

Howland,  Daniel,  415 

Rowland  House  (East  Greenwich),  327 

Howland,  John,  118 

Hoxsie,  324 

Hoxsie    Memorial    (see    Westerly    Memorial 
Building  and  Library) 

Hoyle  Tavern,  site  of  (Providence),  291,  451 

Hudson  River  Style  (see  Architecture) 

Huguenot   Settlement   Marker    (East   Green- 
wich), 368 

Hull  Farm  (Conanicut  Island),  429 

Hull  Swamp  (Conanicut  Island),  429 

Hunter  House  (Newport),  231 

Hutchinson,  Anne,  34,  35;  at  Portsmouth,  200, 
416,  417 

Ice  Carnival  (Providence),  xxv 

Ida  Lewis  Yacht  Club  (Newport),  237 

Ide  Homestead  (East  Providence),  398 

Impressment,  fear  of,  48 

Indian  Acres  (Sweet's  Hill),  442 

Indian  Church  (Charlestown),  375 

Indian  Legends  (see  Folklore)  [52 

Indian  Soapstone  Quarry  (Johnston),  12,  451- 

Indian  Tercentenary  (Sweet's  Hill),  442 

Indians 

Agriculture,    23;    archeological    remains, 


30;  Brothertons,  28;  Christianity  and,  26; 
counting  system,  22;  currency,  22;  diet, 
23;  gods,  25;  Hobomoko,  legend,  419-20; 
houses,  24;  hunting,  23;  in  Westerly,  299; 
Iroquois  at  Newport,  209;  Johnston  cere- 
monies, 453;  King  Philip's  War,  26,  27-28, 
28-30  (see  also  individual  entry);  manufac- 
tures, 23,452;  name  derivations,  30;  Nar- 
ragansetts,  26,  27,  29,  336,  339~4O,  434; 
Niantics,  26-27;  Nipmucks,  26;  Pequots, 
26;  population,  25;  quarrying  operations, 
12,  30,  451-52;  recreation,  24;  relics  (Mu- 
seum of  Natural  History,  Providence), 
292;  sickness,  treatment  of,  24-25;  Treaty 
of  Taunton  (1671),  28;  Wampanoags,  27, 
28,  29,  40,  184;  weapons,  25;  wearing  ap- 
parel, 24;  women,  23-24 

Industry 

Acts  limiting  Colonial  manufacturing,  42 ; 
Arkwright  process,  70;  farming,  66;  jewelry 
manufacturing,  73—74,  76;  metal,  66-67, 
72-73,  76,  313;  quarrying,  304;  rubber,  74, 
76-77,  313;  shipbuilding,  66,  68,  69,  301; 
silversmithing,  74;  textile,  47,  70-73, 
74-76;  textile  areas,  211,  297,  298,  311, 
312-13,  363;  (see  also  Commerce,  Laboi) 

Industry  and  Commerce,  66-77 

Infantry  Hall  (Providence),  285 

Intercolonial  Wars,  40 

Interscholastic  Track  Meet  (Providence),  xxv 

Invitation  Golf  Tournament  (Providence),  xxv 

Invitation  Tennis  Tournament  (Newport), 
xxvi 

Irish  Homestead  (Middletown),  409 

Iron  Manufactures  (see  Industry) 

Iron  Mine  Hill  (Cumberland),  7,  389 

Isham,  Norman  M.,  137,  138,  150 

Island  of  Rhode  Island,  15,  34,  200,  404; 
Aquidneck,  as  refuge  for  Shawomet  pur- 
chasers, 296 

Italians  (see  Foreign  Groups) 

Italo- American  Club,  100 

Ives  House  (Providence),  277-78 

Ives,  Thomas  Poynton,  54,  277 

Jackson,  Robertson  and  Adams,  146 
James  House  (Newport),  236 
Jamestown,  426-27 
Jamestown-Saunderstown  Ferry  (Jamestown), 

427 

Jencks  Forge,  site  of  (Pawtucket),  249 
Jencks  House  (Lincoln),  383 
Jencks,  Joseph,  Jr.,  66-67,  242 
Jencks  Legend,  454~55 
Jesus  Marie  Convent  (Woonsocket),  314 
Jewelry  manufacturing  (see  Industry) 
Jews  (see  Religion) 

'John  Goddard  and  his  Work'  (article),  150 
'John  Jay'  (ship),  69 
Johnston,  452-53 
Johnstone,  Augustus,  228 
Jones,  William,  Governor,  48,  50 
Jordon,  Jules,  168,  169 
Journalism,  157-59 
'Juno'  (ship),  185 

Kaufer,  Waldo,  154 

Kelly,  Eben,  166 

Kent  Academy  (see  East  Greenwich  Academy) 


490 


Index 


Kent  County  Court  House  (East  Greenwich), 

328 

Kent  County  Jail,  first  (East  Greenwich),  329 
Kentish  Guards,  327 
Kenyon,  374-75 

Kenyon  Piece  Dye  Works  (Kenyon),  375 
Key  into  the  Language  of  America  (book),  23, 

157 

Kidd,  Captain,  429 

Kimball  Bird  Sanctuary  (Charlestown),  343 

King  and  Astor  Cup  Races  (Newport),  xxvi 

King  Charles  Charter,  1663,  51 

King  George's  War  (Third  French  War),  42 

King  Homestead  (Johnston),  452 

King  Philip,  27-28,  30,   106,   184,   195,   196; 
headquarters  of,  183 

King  Philip's  Chair  (Bristol),  196 

King  Philip's  Spring  (Bristol),  196 

King  Philip's  War 

Battle  of  Warwick,  1676,  30;  effect  on 
Newport,  203;  effect  on  Providence,  256; 
effect  on  Warwick,  296;  Great  Swamp 
Fight,  29,  40;  object  of,  28;  miscellaneous 
references,  39,  137,  138,  184,  414 

King,  Samuel  Ward,  51 

King  Tom  Farm  (Charlestown),  343 

King  William's  War,  40 

King's  Rocks  (Warren),  404 

Kings  Towne,  39 

Kingston,  370-75 

Kingston  Court  House  (Kingston),  370 

Kingston  Fair  (Kingston),  xxvi 

Kingston  Inn  (Kingston),  371 

Kingston  Post  Office  (Kingston),  371 

Knight,  Nehemiah  Rice,  50 

Knights  of  Columbus  Glee  Club,  173 

Koopman,  Harry  Lyman,  162 

La  Farge,  Christopher,  163 

La  Farge,  Oliver,  163 

La  Salle  Academy  (Providence),  122,  458 

Labor 

American  Federation  of,  82,  84;  education 
and,  80,  81;  first  women's  compensation 
act,  83;  immigrant,  81,  82;  legislation  on, 
81,  82, 83, 84, 85;  organizations,  80,  82, 83, 
84;  State  board,  creation  of,  82-83;  strikes, 
57,  83,391;  textile,  78,  80,  82;  women  and, 
80;  working  hours,  80;  (see  also  History) 

Labor,  Bureau  of,  83 

Labor  Legislation,  57 

Ladd,  Joseph  Brown,  159 

Lafayette,  449 

Lafayette  House  (Tiverton),  421 

Lafayette,  Marquis  de,  189,  251,  258 

Lakes 

Burrillville:  Spring,  441;  Wallum,  444. 
Coventry:  Tiogue,  353.  Misquamicut: 
Winnapaug,  344.  Pascoag:  Pascoag  Res- 
ervoir (Echo),  443 

Lakeside  Preventorium  (Hoxsie),  324 

Laliberte,  Monseigneur,  391 

Land  and  Products  Values  (see  Agriculture) 

Landholders'  Constitution,  51 

Landmark  Stone  (East  Providence),  410 

Land's  End  (Newport),  234 

Langley,  Allan  Lincoln,  174 

Langley  House  (Newport),  223 

Lapham  Institute  (North  Scituate),  121,  124 


Latham  Cottage  (Smithfield),  460 

Law,  Andrew,  164-65 

Lawton  House  (Newport),  219 

Law  ton's  Valley  (Portsmouth),  407 

Legg,  Joseph,  177 

Libraries 

Ashton,  390.  Block  Island:  Block  Island 
Free,  438.  Bristol:  Rogers  Free,  187. 
Central  Falls:  Adams  Memorial,  396. 
Coventry:  Coventry  Association,  366-67. 
Cranston:  William  H.  Hall  Memorial, 
322-23.  Exeter:  Man  ton  Free,  448-49. 
Jamestown:  Philomenian,  426.  Kingston: 
Kingston  Free,  371.  Little  Compton: 
Brownell,  423.  Newport:  People's,  238; 
Redwood  Library  and  Athenaeum,  220-21. 
Pascoag:  Public,  443.  Pawtucket:  Deb- 
orah Cook  Sayles  Public,  249-50.  Peace 
Dale:  Hazard  Memorial,  339.  Ports- 
mouth: Public,  417.  Providence:  Ann- 
mary  Brown  Memorial,  277;  Athenaeum, 
271;  Brown  University  (John  Hay),  272, 
273;  Elmwood  Public,  322;  Providence 
Public,  282;  Shepley,  280.  Warren: 
George  Haile  Free,  403.  Westerly,  156. 
Woonsocket:  Harris  Institute,  315 

Lighthouses 

Block  Island:  Southeast  Point,  439. 
Conanicut  Island:  Beaver  Tail,  431. 
Cranston :  Bullocks  Point,  323.  East  Provi- 
dence: Pomham,  411.  Narragansett : 
Point  Judith,  338;  Whale  Rock,  336. 
Newport:  Lewis,  237.  Warwick:  War- 
wick Neck,  325.  Westerly:  Watch  Hill, 
3O3»  35°-  WTickford:  Poplar  Point,  333 

Lightning  Splitter  House  (East  Providence), 
411 

Lightning  Splitter  House  (Providence),  286-87 

Lillibridge  House  (Hopkinton),  357 

Limerock,  10,  12,  381 

Limerock  Grange  (Lincoln),  381 

Lincoln,  381,  382,  384,  390,  391 

Lincoln,  Abraham,  228 

Lincoln,  James  S.,  153 

Lincoln  School  (Providence),  122 

Lind,  Jenny,  166 

Linden  Place  (Bristol),  187 

Lippitt,  365 

Lippitt,  Christopher,  Col.,  297 

Lippitt  Estate  (Cumberland),  390 

Lippitt,  Henry,  Col.,  178 

Lippitt  Mill  (Lippitt),  365 

Lister  Worsted  Company  Plant  (Stillwater), 
386 

Literary  and  Philosophical  Society  (Newport), 
206 

Literature 

Colonial,  157,  158,  159;  first  newspaper, 
157-58;  first  press,  157-58;  historical,  159, 
160;  Journalism,  157-59;  recent,  162-63 

Lithuanians  (see  Foreign  Groups) 

Little  Compton,  422-24 

Little  Compton  •Common    (Little  Compton), 
422-23 

Little  Compton  Town  Hall  (Little  Compton), 

423 

Little  Rest,  332,  370 

Long  Distance  Overnight  Yacht  Race  (Crans- 
ton), xxv 


Index 


491 


Long  Wharf  (Newport),  230 

Longfellow,  Henry  Wadsworth,  160-61 

Lonsdale,  391 

Loom  and  Shuttle  Inn  (Harrisville),  442 

Lopez,  Aaron,  69-70,  203 

Lucca  House  (see  Reynolds  House) 

Luce  Hall  (see  Naval  War  College) 

Luce,  Stephen  B.,  232 

Ludowic,  Christinas,  157 

Luther,  Seth,  80 

Lutherans  (see  Religion) 

Lyman,  Daniel,  228 

Lyndon,  Josias,  43 

MacColl,  Hugh  F.,  171-72 

MacDowell  Club,  169 

Macomber,  John,  94 

MacSparran,  James,  332 

'Maidstone'  incident,  43,  207 

Malbone,  Edward  G.,  152,  272 

Malbone,  Godfrey,  238 

Malbone  Town  House  (Newport),  238 

Mall,  the  (Providence),  281 

Manning,  James,  Rev.,  117,  264,  273 

Mansion  House  (Narragansett),  338 

Manual  Art  Exhibit  (Providence),  xxv 

Manville,  390 

Mapleville,  444 

Marble  Palace  (Newport),  234 

Marchant  House  (South  Kingstown),  374 

Marion  Woolen  Company,  Inc.,  Mill  (Wyo- 
ming), 357 

Mark  Rock  (Hoxsie),  324 

Market  Square  (Woonsocket),  385 

Marks,  Percy,  162 

Mary  C.  Wheeler  School  (Providence),  122 

Masham,  William,  Sir,  32 

Mason,  John,  Capt,  299 

Masonic  Order,  128,  202 

Massachusetts  Bay  Colony  versus  Gorton,  295 

Massasoit,  27,  28,  184 

Massasoit's  Spring  (Warren),  403 

Matthews,  J.  Sebastian,  172 

Maudsley  House  (Newport),  224 

Maudsley,  John,  Capt.,  224 

Maxfield's  Corner,  400 

Maxson,  John,  304 

Maylem,  John,  158 

McCarthy,  Joseph,  154 

McHugh,  Vincent,  163 

McVickar  House  (Providence),  268 

Meadow  Brook  Golf  Club  (Richmond),  356 

Medbury  Homestead,  Jesse  (East  Providence), 
411-13 

Medbury,  Jesse,  412 

Meeting-House  Bridge  (Ashaway),  362-63 

Meeting-Houses 

Arnold's  Mills:  Quaker,  393.  Conanicut 
Island:  Friends,  430.  Cranston:  Friends, 
352.  Cumberland:  Ballou,  389.  East 
Greenwich:  Friends,  328.  Lincoln:  Friends, 
384.  Newport:  Friends,  229;  Hopkins, 
240;  Sabbatarian,  219-20.  Portsmouth: 
Quaker,  418;  Union,  418.  Providence: 
First  Baptist,  140,  264-65;  Friends,  266- 
67;  Old  Friends,  289.  Union  Village: 
Friends,  380.  Westerly:  Friends,  310 

Meeting  Street  Schoolhouse  (Providence),  123 

Melville  (Portsmouth),  407 


Melville,  David,  53,  210 

Memorial  Hall  (Providence),  271 

Memorial  Square  (Providence),  284 

Mendelssohn  Choral  Society,  168 

Mendelssohn  Club,  169 

Metacom  (see  King  Philip) 

Metcalf,  Stephen  O.,  country  home  of  (West 
Greenwich),  448 

Methodists  (see  Religion) 

'Metis,'  wreck  of,  349 

Metropolitan  Opera  Company,  174 

Mexican  War,  52-53 

Miantonomi,  26,  27;  at  Shawomet  purchase, 
295 

Miantonomi  Hill  (Newport),  239 

Mid-Winter  Concert  (Providence),  xxv 

Middletown 

Revolution,  effect  of,  420;  set  apart  from 
Newport,  205;  War  of  1812,  effect  on,  420 

Military  Ball  (Providence),  xxv 

Mill  Industries,  78 

Employees'  conditions  in,  80;  (see  also 
Industry) 

Millstone  (Scituate),  453 

Mineral  Resources 

Coal,  9,  ii ;  gold,  10;  greenstone,  10;  lime- 
stone, 10-11;  sand  plains,  11-12;  Westerly 
granite,  9 

Misquamicut,  39,  344-45 

Moffat,  Thomas,  Dr.,  228 

Moffett  Mill  (Lincoln),  383 

Mohegan  Bluffs  (Block  Island),  439 

Mohegan  Trail  (Block  Island),  439 

Molasses  Act,  42 

Monday  Morning  Musical  Club,  169,  171 

Montferrat,  Joe,  101 

Monuments 

Ashaway:  Minister's,  362.  Block  Islar.d: 
Mariners',  440;  Tercentenary,  437.  Bris- 
tol: Soldiers'  and  Sailors',  191.  Charles- 
town:  Stan  ton,  344.  Chepachet:  Dorr, 
445.  Little  Compton:  Rhode  Island  Hen, 
423.  Newport:  Rochambeau,  229.  Provi- 
dence: Benedict  Memorial,  147-48;  Roger 
Williams,  148.  South  Kingstown,  332. 
Tiverton:  World  War,  421.  Valley  Falls: 
Blackstone,  395 

Monument   Square  (Woonsocket),  388 

'  Moral  Dialogues '  (see  Theater) 

Moses  Brown  School  (Providence),  119,  128, 
289;  (see  also  Education) 

Motor  Vehicle  Laws,  xxiii-xxiv 

Mount  Hope,  183,  184 

Mount  Hope  Bridge  (Bristol),  404-05 

Mount  Hope  Farm  (Bristol),  195-96 

Mount  Pleasant,  441 

Mount  Saint  Charles  Academy  (Woonsocket), 
124 

Movable  Chapel  (Jamestown),  428 

Mowry,  Albert  J.,  461 

Mowry,  Daniel,  460-61 

Mowry,  George  W.,  460 

Mowry  House  (Providence),  138 

Mowry  House,  Annanias  (North  Littlefield), 
385 

Mowry  House,  Joseph  (Smithfield),  386 

Mowry-Smith  House  (Lincoln),  381 

Mowry  Tavern  (see  Whipple  House) 

Mowry 's  Corner  Tavern  (Smithfield),  460 


492 


Index 


Mt.  Hygeia  (Foster),  456 

Mumford,  John,  204 

Munday,  Richard,  141-42 

Municipal  Wharf  (Providence),  410 

Munro  Greenhouse  (Westerly),  309 

Museums,  Art 

Newport:  Art  Association,  156,  221;  Red- 
wood Library,  156.  Providence:  Annmary 
Brown  Memorial,  156,  277;  Athenaeum, 
271-72;  Colonial  House  (see  Rhode  Island 
School  of  Design :  Museum  of  Art) ;  Rhode 
Island  School  of  Design,  155,  270.  Wes- 
terly: Westerly  Gallery,  156.  Wickford: 
South  County,  156 

Museums,  Historical 

Bristol:  King  Philip,  196.  Newport:  New- 
port Historical  Society,  219.  Peace  Dale: 
Primitive  Culture,  31,  339.  Providence: 
Natural  History,  31,  292;  Rhode  Island 
Historical  Society,  31;  Betsey  Williams 
Cottage,  292 

Museums,  Industrial 

Wickford:  South  County  Barn  Museum, 

334~35 

Museums,  Natural  History 

Providence:  Brown  University,  8;  Nat- 
ural History,  292 

Music 

First  musical  activity,  164;  modern 
changes  in,  170;  musical  education,  in- 
troduced in  public  schools  (Providence), 
165;  organizations,  165,  166,  167, 168,  169, 
170,  171,  173  (see  also  by  name);  Puritan 
tradition,  164;  secular  choral  music,  move- 
ment toward,  166;  State  appropriation  for, 
1935,  171;  Works  Progress  Administration 
in,  174;  (see  also  Theater) 

Music  Week  Festival  (Providence),  xxv 

Nagle,  Urban,  Rev.,  163 

Nannaquaket  Grange  Hall  (Tiverton),  414 

Napatree  Point  (Watch  Hill),  348-49 

Narragansett,  336^-38 

Narragansett  Basin,  6,  8 

Narragansett  Bay,  3,  4,  II,  12,  14-15,  32,  37, 
49,  66,  86 

Narragansett  Brewing  Co.  Plant  (Cranston), 
351 

Narragansett  Finishing  Co.  (Westerly),  311 

Narragansett  Fire  Station  (Warren),  402-03 

Narragansett  Pacer  (breed),  93 

Narragansett  Park  Racing  Season  (Pawtucket) , 
xxv 

Narragansett  River  (see  Rivers) 

Narragansett  Weekly  (periodical),  304 

Narrows  Fort,  site  of,  197 

Naspnville,  441 

Natick,  364 

National  Algonquin  Indian  Council,  HI,  453 

National  Federation  of  Music  Clubs,  169,  173 

National  Society  of  Colonial  Dames  (Provi- 
dence), 280 

Natural  Setting 

Animals,  19-21;  climate,  4-5;  geography 
and  topography,  3-4;  geology  and  fossil 
remains,  5-9;  mineral  resources,  9-12; 
plants,  17-19;  soil,  12-14;  water  resources, 
14-16;  (see  also  entries  by  name) 

Nautilus'  (ship),  48 


Naval  War  College  (Newport),  232-33 

Navy  Day  Observances  (Newport),  xxvi 

Nayatt  Point  (Barrington),  412 

Negroes,  98, 105,  124;  elections  (Newport),  205 

Nelson,  Thomas,  190-91 

Neutaconkanut  Hill,  12,  133 

New  England  Almanac,  The,  157 

New  England  Horseshoe  Pitchers'  Champion- 
ship Tourney  (Providence),  xxvi 

New  Harbor  (Block  Island),  437,  438 

New  Industrial  Trust  Building  (Providence), 
147,  281 

New  Shoreham  (see  Block  Island) 

New  York  Manufacturing  Co.,  78 

Newman,  Samuel,  Rev.,  397 

Newport  Memorial  Tower  (Newport),  409 

Newport 

As  slave  center,  205-06;  as  summer  re- 
sort, 2ii,  214,  215;  British  occupation  of, 
45,  207-08;  commercial  activity,  205-06; 
cultured  society  in,  206—07,  2I2>  2I3»  214- 
16;  depression,  effect  on,  215-16;  early 
customs,  210;  early  voting,  205;  French 
occupation  of,  208^-09;  Gilded  Age,  the, 
214-15;  incorporation  as  city,  209;  in- 
dustries, 205;  intraclass  feeling,  214;  Jews 
in,  202-03;  pre-Revolutionary  incidents, 
207;  Quakers  in,  202;  record  incorporation 
as  city,  212;  Revolution  and,  206-09; 
shipbuilding,  202;  social  divisions,  199; 
textile  industry  in,  211;  theater  in,  206 
(see  also  Theater);  union  with  Ports- 
mouth, 201;  War  of  1812,  effect  on,  211; 
World  War,  effect  on,  215 

Newport  Artillery  Armory  (Newport),  226 

Newport  Artillery  Co.  (Newport),  226 

Newport  Baptist  Church  (second  in  America) 
(Newport),  201 

Newport  Casino  (Newport),  xxv,  239-40 

Newport  Flower  Show  (Newport),  xxv 

Newport  Mercury  (newspaper),  158,  203 

Newport  Skating  Rink  (Newport),  213 

Niantics,  26-27;  (see  also  Indians) 

Nichols  House  (Kingston),  371 

Nichols  House  (Newport),  229 

Nichols,  Jonathan,  231 

Nightingale-Brown  House  (see  Brown  House, 
John  Carter) 

Nightingale,  Joseph,  278 

Nine  Men's  Misery  (Cumberland),  393-94 

Ninigret,  26 

Ninigret,  George,  305 

Ninigret,  statue  of  (Watch  Hill),  348 

Ninigret,  Thomas,  117,  343 

Ninigret's  Fort  (Charlestown),  30 

Nipmucks,  26;  (see  also  Indians) 

Nock,  Albert  Joy,  163 

North  Kingstown,  33-35,  333 

North  Kingstown  Beach  (North  Kingstown), 
330 

North  Providence,  388,  458-60 

North  Road  (Conanicut  Island),  429 

North  Scituate,  453 

North  Smithfield,  377,  378-81 

North  Tiverton,  413-14 

Northmen's  Rock  (Bristol),  197 

Northup  House  (North  Kingstown),  331 

Novelty  Park  Club  Marathon  (Pawtucket),  xxv 

Nurseries  (see  Agriculture) 


Index 


493 


Oak  Swamp  Reservoir  (Johnston),  453 

Oakland,  444 

Oakland  Beach,  325 

Oakland  Worsted  Mill  (Oakland),  444 

Occom,  Samson,  28 

Ochee  Spring  (Johnston),  451 

Old  Arsenal  (Providence),  269,  322 

Old  Bank  (Union  Village),  379 

Old  Belfry  Stone  Mill  (Georgiayille),  387 

Old  Brick  House  (East  Greenwich),  329 

Old  City  Hall  (Newport),  217 

Old  Colony  Fall  River  Railroad  Co.  (Newport), 
212 

Old  Colony  House  (Newport),  142,  218-19 

Old  Forge,  site  of  (Warwick),  329 

Old  Fort  Farm  (Middletown),  409 

Old  Franklin  House  (Providence)  (see  Rhode 
Island  School  of  Design) 

'Old  Grimes'  (poem),  114,  160 

Old  Grist  Mill  (Portsmouth),  406 

Old  Harbor  (Block  Island),  437 

Old  Kingston  Courthouse  (Kingston),  371 

Old  Market  House  (Providence),  262-63 

Old  Milestone  (Union  Village),  380 

Old  Narragansett  Bank  House  (Wickford),  334 

Old  Pidge  Tavern  (Pawtucket),  251,  322 

Old  Schoolhouse  (Conanicut  Island),  430 

Old  Schoolhouse  (Slatersville),  377 

Old  Shipyard,  site  of  (Westerly),  309 

Old  Slater  Mill  (Pawtucket),  247 

Old  State  House  (Providence),  267 

Old  Stone  Chimney  House  (Lincoln)  (see 
Arnold  Tavern) 

Old  Stone  House  (Armington's  Corner),  398 

Old  Stone  Mill  (Newport),  203,  221-22 

Old  Tavern  (Kingston),  372 

Old  Toll  Gate  House  (Georgiaville),  387 

Old  Town  Hall  (Westerly),  306 

Old  Town  House  (Wickford),  333 

Old  Town  House,  site  of  (Providence),  271 

Old  Warwick  (Warwick),  325 

C'd  Whipping  Post  Farm  (Westerly),  345 

Old  Wilcox  Tavern  (Charlestown),  344 

Old  Yellow  Tavern  (Smithfield),  385 

Oldham,  John,  435 

Olney  House  (North  Providence),  459 

Olney,  Mary  E.,  459 

Olney  Pond  (Lincoln),  382 

Olney,  Thomas,  60 

Olney ville  Square  (Providence),  451 

Orient,  trade  with  (see  Industry) 

Original  boundary  of  Rhode  Island  (see  Ge- 
ography and  Topography) 

Ormsbee,  Elijah,  88 

Orphe"on  Ste.  Cecile,  173 

OsgooG,  George  L.,  168 

Otis,  Jonathan,  150 

Owen,  William,  164 

Owl's  Nest  Fort,  site  of  (Tiverton),  416 

Pabodie  House  (Little  Compton),  423 
Pabodie  Memorial  (Little  Compton),  423 
Paine  Tavern  (Smithfield),  460 
Paine,  Thomas,  Capt,  40^41,  428-29 
Painting  (see  Art  and  Artists) 
'Palatine'  (ship),  439,  440 
Palatine  graves,  site  of  (Block  Island),  439 
Palmer,  Fanny  Purdy,  162 
Park,  Joseph,  304 


Parker,  Peter,  Sir,  207,  420 

Parks 

Central  Falls:  Jenks,  396.  Charlsstown: 
Fort  Neck  Lot,  343.  Cranston:  Meshan- 
ticut,  352.  East  Providence:  Crescent, 
411.  Barrington:  Hines  Memorial,  412. 
Lincoln:  Lincoln  Woods  Reservation,  133, 
382;  Pawtucket  People's,  384.  Little 
Compton:  Wilbur's,  424.  Narragansett: 
Pettaquamscutt,  337;  Sprague  Memorial, 
338.  Newport:  Aquidneck,  238;  Battery, 
231;  Equality,  229;  King,  237;  Mianton- 
omi,  239;  Touro,  221.  Exeter:  Beach  Pond 
Reservation,  355.  Richmond:  Dawley 
Memorial  Park,  355.  West  Greenwich: 
Nooseneck  Hill  Forest,  354.  North  Kings- 
town: Basoqutogaug,  369.  North  Smith- 
field:  Slater,  376.  Pawtucket:  Narragan- 
sett, 251;  Slater,  251;  Wilkinson,  250. 
Cranston:  Edgewood  Beach,  323;  Still- 
house  Cove  Reservation,  323.  Portsmouth : 
Lehigh  Hill  Park,  406.  Providence:  Ab- 
bott Park  Place,  282-83;  City  Hall,  281- 
82;  Hay  ward,  291;  Roger  Williams,  17,  18, 
132-33,  291-02,307, 322;  Tockwotton,  90, 
288.  Scituate:  Ponagansett  Grove,  446. 
Smithfield:  Washington,  386.  Tiverton: 
Island,  416.  Warren:  Burr's  Hill,  404. 
Warwick:  Gpddard  Memorial,  133,  329. 
Westerly:  Wilcox,  298,  306.  Woonsocket: 
Cold  Spring,  317,  388;  Edna  Dunn,  317; 
Globe,  317;  Central,  318 

Pascoag,  443 

Pasquiset  Indian  Trail  (Richmond),  375 

Pasquiset  Pond  (Richmond),  375 

Pawcatuck  Advertiser  (see  Narragansett  Weekly) 

Pawcatuck  Bridge  (Westerly),  308,  345 

Pawcatuck  River  (see  Rivers) 

Pawtucket 

Settlement,  242;  metal  industry,  242-43; 
taverns,  243;  changes  in  legal  status,  244; 
textile  industry,  244-46;  labor,  246-47 

Pawtucket  Boys'  Club  (Pawtucket),  250       . 

Pawtucket  City  Hall  (Pawtucket),  247 

Pawtucket  Gazette  and  Chronicle  (newspaper), 

243 

Pawtucket  Senior  High  School  (Pawtucket), 
247-48 

Pawtucket  Times  (newspaper),  244 

Pawtuxet,  295,  323 

Pawtuxet  Cove  (Pawtuxet),  323 

Peace  Dale,  339 

Peck,  Annie  S.,  162 

Peleg  Arnold's  Stone  (Union  Village),  380-81 

Pembroke  College  (see  Brown  University) 

People's  Constitution,  51 

People's  Party,  51 

Pequots,  26;  (see  also  Indians) 

Percy,  Lord,  207 

Perkins  House  (Kingston),  372 

Perry  House,  Oliver  (Newport),  217 

Perry  House,  Oliver  Hazard  (South  Kings- 
town), 340 

Perry  House,  Samuel  (Perryville),  341-42 

Perry,  Matthew  C.,  Commodore,  53-54,  212; 
statue  of  (Newport),  222 

Perry,  Oliver  Hazard,  49,  224;  statue  of  (New- 
port), 217 

Perryville,  34I-V* 


494 


Index 


Pettaquamscutt  Purchase,  116 

Pettaquamscutt  Rock  (South  Kingstown),  332 

Phenix,  365 

PhiUips  House  (Belleville),  331 

Phillips'  Tavern,  site  of  (Scituate),  455 

Piano  Teachers'  Institute,  169 

Pidge  Tavern  (Pawtucket),  251,  322 

Pierce,  Michael,  Capt.,  40 

Pilgrims,  27 

Pillory,  site  of  (Providence),  267 

Piracy,  prosecution  of,  204 

Pirate's  Cave  (Conanicut  Island),  431 

Pitman,  Joseph  S.,  54 

Pitman,  Saunders,  150 

Planning  Board,  State,  135-36 

Plantation  Covenant,  34 

Plante,  Alfred  T.,  173 

Plants,  17-19 

Pocasset  (see  Portsmouth) 

Pocasset  Hill  Reservoir  (Tiverton),  414 

Poe,  Edgar  Allan,  161,  272 

Point  Farm  (Conanicut  Island),  429 

Point  Judith,  338 

Point  Judith    Country  Club   (Narragansett), 
338 

Point  Pleasant  Farm  (Bristol),  193 

Point  Street  Bridge  (Providence),  287 

Poles  (see  Foreign  Groups) 

Polish- American  Society,  103 

Pomham,  295 

Pomham  Club  (East  Providence),  411 

Pomham  Fort,  site  of  (Warwick),  325 

Ponagansett  Bridge  (Scituate),  446 

Ponds 

Apponaug:  Gorton,  324.  Block  Island: 
Great  Salt,  434,  438.  Hoxsie:  Warwick, 
324.  Weekapaug:  Quonochontaug,  345 

Pontiac  Finishing  Plant  (Warwick),  297 

Poor  Robins  Almanac,  157 

Poppasquash  Neck  (Bristol),  193 

Population 

Decline  of,  1782,  46;  1790,  47;  1930,  59 

Portsmouth,  200,  201,  417-20 

As  Pocasset,  34-35 ;  earliest  activities;  4 1 7- 
18;  Revolution,  effect  on,  417 

Portsmouth  Coal  Mines  (Portsmouth),  405 

Portsmouth  Priory  School  (Portsmouth),  406 

Portuguese  (see  Foreign  Groups) 

Pothier,  Aram  J.,  57-58,  101,  102 

Potowomut,  329 

Potter,  Elisha  R.,  121,  371 

Potter,  Elisha  R.,  Jr.,  371-72 

Potter  Hill  (Ashaway),  362 

Potter  House  (Kingston),  371 

Potter  House  (Newport),  118,  230-31 

Potter  House,  John  (South  Kingstown),  340-41 

Potter  House,  Samuel  (South  Kingstown),  340 

Potter,  Samuel  T.,  48 

Potter,  Simeon,  118,  230 

Potter's  Cove  (Conanicut  Island),  428 

Potter's  Hill  (Conanicut  Island),  428 

Poultry  farming  (see  Agriculture) 

Powderly,  Terence  V.,  82 

Power  looms,   introduction  of,   79;    (see  also 
Industry) 

Powers,  Nicholas,  68 

Prescott  House  (Middletown),  407-08 

Prescott  House  (Newport),  222-23 

Prescott,  Rich*  rd,  Gen.,  407-08;  as  commander 


of  British  army  in  Newport,  207-08;  head- 
quarters of,  222;  character  of,  223 

'President'  (ship),  69 

Price's  Neck  (Newport),  235 

Prince,  Frederick,  234 

Prince's  Hill,  399 

Princess  Red  Wing,  442 

Pringle  Hall  (see  Naval  War  College) 

Printing  and  Bleaching  Textiles  (see  Industry) 

Private  Schools  (see  Education) 

Privateering,  206,  211 

Prohibition  Laws,  55-56 

Proprietors'  Company,  34 

Prospect  Hill  (Providence)  (see  College  Hill) 

Prospect  Terrace  (Providence),  270 

Providence,  252-92,  322 

Commerce,  257-58  (see  also  Commerce); 
Providence  County  Courthouse,  146,  261, 
271;  early  history,  255-58;  education, 
257  (see  also  Education);  general  descrip- 
tion, 253-55;  industry,  259  (see  also  In- 
dustry); inns  and  taverns,  256;  King 
Philip's  War  and,  256  (see  also  History); 
Revolution,  257-58;  sole  capital,  260 

Providence  Art  Club  (Providence),  153,  265 

Providence    Association    of    Mechanics    and 
Manufacturers,  118 

Providence  Athenaeum  (see  Libraries) 

Providence  Bank,  53 

Providence   College    (Providence),    124,   287 
(see  also  Education) 

Providence  College  of  Music,  173 

Providence  Colonial  style  (see  Architecture) 

Providence  Community  Concert  Season  (Provi- 
dence), xxvi 

Providence    Conference    of    the    Methodist 
Church,  118 

Providence  County,  36 

Providence  County  Courthouse  (Providence), 
146, 261-62 

Providence  Festival  Chorus  Concert  (Provi- 
dence), xxv 

Providence  Gazette  and  Country  Journal  (news- 
paper), 43,  158,  266 

Providence  Harbor,  88-89,  91 

Providence    Institution    for    Savings    (Provi- 
dence), 285 

Providence  Journal  (newspaper),  158 

Providence  Ladies'  Volunteer  Relief  Associa- 
tion, 54 

Providence  Library  Association  (Providence), 
271 

Providence  Liederkranz,  166 

Providence  Marine  Corps,  50 

Providence  Museum  (Providence),  179 

Providence  Music  Association,  169 

Providence  Music  Teachers'  Association,  168 

Providence  National  Bank  (Providence),  146 

Providence  National  Bank   Building   (Provi- 
dence), 283-84 

Providence  Opera  House  (Providence),  179 

Providence  Philharmonic  Orchestra,  168 

Providence  Plantations,  incorporation  of,  36 

Providence    Police    Association    Ball    (Provi- 
dence), xxvi 

Providence  Singing  Society,  168 

Providence  Symphony  Chorus,  173 

Providence  Symphony  Orchestra,  xxvi,  170 

Providence  Tea  Party,  258,  262 


Index 


495 


Providence  Water  Color  Club,  265 

Prudence  Island,  197-98 

Psallpnian  Society,  165 

Public  Education,  financing  of  (see  Education) 

Public  school  system  (see  Education) 

Pulaski  Day  Celebration  (Olneyville),  xxvi 

Pulaski  Square  (Woonsocket),  388 

Pulpit  Rock  (Lincoln),  382 

Purgatory  (Middletown),  419 

Quaiapen,  28,  30 
Quakers  (see  Religion) 
laker  School  (see  Moses  Brown  School) 
mnatumpic  Grove  (Exeter),  369 
Jueen  Anne's  War,  41 

leen's  Fort  (North  Kingstown),  30,  368-69 
juatuck,  legend  of,  362-63 
icsset,  330 
)uinn,  Robert  E.,  59 

Quonochontaug  Beach  (Charlestown),  343 
Quonset  Point  (North  Kingstown),  330 
Quo  warranto  proceedings,  41 

Radio  Stations 

WEAN,  55;  WJAR,  55;  WPRO,  55 

Raikes,  Robert,  118 

Ranger  Hall  (Kingston),  372-73 

Recreation,  xxi-xxiii,  130-34;  (see  also  Sports 
and  Recreation) 

Red  Brick  Tavern  (North  Smithfield),  376 

Red  House  (Hopkinton),  358 

Red  Rose  Inn  (Newport),  234 

Red  Rover  (book),  107 

Red  Wing,  'Princess,'  442 

Redwood  House  (Portsmouth),  407 

Redwood  Library  (Newport),  204,  205,  206, 
216,  220-21 ';  (see  also  Libraries) 

Reeves'  American  Band,  167 

Reeves,  David  Wallis,  166,  168 

Refining  Plant  of  the  Standard  Oil  Company 
(East  Providence),  411 

Religion 

Baptists,  125-26,  316-17;  Charter  of  1663, 
125;  Congregationalists,  126,  271;  early, 
in  Westerly,  304-05;  Episcopalians,  126- 
27;  first  Baptist  Church  in  America,  125; 
first  Baptist  Society  in  America,  34;  free- 
dom of  thought,  125-26;  Jews,  128,  202; 
Lutherans,  129;  Masonry,  128,  202; 
Methodists,  129;  Millerism,  317;  Quakers, 
38,  127-28,  202,  312,  425;  Roman  Cath- 
olics, 125,  128-29,  314;  Sabbatarians,  304, 
308;  Separatists,  125;  Seventh  Day  Bap- 
tists (Newport),  203,  219 

Republican  Party,  50 

Restoration  of  Charles  II,  38-39,  60 

Reunion  of  the  Sons  and  Daughters  of  New- 
port, Second,  213 

Revolution  (see  American  Revolution) 

Revolutionary  Fort,  site  of  (Narragansett),  336 

Revolutionary  Intrenchments,  site  of  (Bristol), 
192-93 

Reynolds  House  (Bristol),  189 

Reynolds  House  (Kingston),  372 

Rhode  Island  Act  of  Independence,  44 

Rhode  Island  Better  Homes  Exposition  (Provi- 
dence), xxvi 

Rhode  Island  Charters,  35,  37 

Rhode  Island  Choral  Association,  168 


Rhode  Island  College  (see  Brown  University) 

Rhode  Island  College  of  Agriculture  and 
Mechanic  Arts  (see  Rhode  Island  State 
College) 

Rhode  Island  College  of  Education  (Provi- 
dence), 124, 322 

Rhode  Island  College  of  Pharmacy  and  Allied 
Sciences  (Providence),  123 

Rhode  Island  Commercial  School  (see  Bryant 
and  Stratton  Business  School) 

Rhode  Island  Country  Club  (East  Providence), 
412 

Rhode  Island  Food  Show  (Providence),  xxvi 

Rhode  Island  Gazette  (newspaper),  157-58,  203 

Rhode  Island  Golf  Association  Invitation  Tour- 
ney (Providence),  xxvi 

Rhode  Island  High  School  Music  Festival,  171 

Rhode  Island  Horticultural  Society,  97 

Rhode  Island  Hospital  National  Bank  Build- 
ing (Providence),  284 

Rhode  Island  Independence  Act,  258;  (see  also 
History) 

Rhode  Island  Independence  Day,  xxv 

Rhode  Island  Institute  for  the  Deaf  (Provi- 
dence), 122 

Rhode  Island  Institute  of  Instruction  (Provi- 
dence), 1 20 

Rhode  Island  Junior  Horseshoe  Pitchers' 
Tournament  (Providence),  xxvi 

Rhode  Island  Music  Association,  168 

Rhode  Island  Normal  School  (see  Rhode  Is- 
land College  of  Education) 

Rhode  Island  Nurseries  (Middletown),  408 

Rhode  Island  Poultry  Association,  97 

Rhode  Island  School  of  Design  (Providence), 
122,  153-54,  262;  Museum  of  Art,  270;  Old 
Franklin  House,  262 

Rhode  Island  State  College  (Kingston),  9, 122- 
23, 372-74 

Rhode  Island  Suffrage  Association,  51 

Rhode  Island  Textile  School,  123 

Rhode  Island  Union  Society,  418 

Rhode  Island  Women's  Golf  League  Tourna- 
ment (Providence),  xxvi 

Rhode  Island  Yacht  Club  (Pawtuxet),  323 

Rhodes,  Christopher,  71 

Rhodes  House  (Harrisville),  442 

Rhodes  House  (Scituate),  455 

Rhodes,  William,  Capt.,  442 

Richmond,  356,  374~75 

Richmond,  James  Cook,  Rev.,  394 

Richmond  Town  Hall  (Richmond),  356 

River  Machine  Company,  47 

Rivera,  Jacob  Rodrigues,  203 

Rivera  House  (Newport),  217 

Riverpoint,  364 

Rivers 

Blackstone,  16,  86,  87;  Flat,  367;  Moshas- 
suck,  16,  382;  Narragansett,  37;  Paw- 
catuck,  15,  37;  Pawtuxet,  15,  297,  363; 
Potowomut,  15;  Providence,  47,  254; 
Saugatuck,  16;  Seekonk,  241-42;  Woon- 
asquatucket,  16;  (see  also  Water  Re- 
sources) 

Riverside  Drive  (Tiverton),  414-15 

Robbers'  Corner  (North  Kingstown),  449 

Robinson,  Hannah,  335 

Robinson,  Hannah,  House  (Narragansett),  335 

Robinson  House  (Newport),  231 


496 


Index 


Robinson,  Rowland,  93 

Rochambeau,  Count 

Arouses  good  will  of  colonists,  48;  arrives 
in  Rhode  Island,  45;  entertains  Iroquois 
deputation,  209;  in  Newport,  208 

Rockwell,  Charles  B.,  192 

Rodman  House  (Wakefield),  340 

Rodman  Woolen  Mill  (North  Kingstown),  449 

Rodman's  Hollow  (Block  Island),  439 

Roger  Williams  Meeting-Place,  site  of  (Provi- 
dence), 264 

Roger  Williams  Spring  (Providence),  267-68 

Roger  Williams  Square  (Providence),  288 

Roger  Williams  Trading  Post  Marker  (North 
Kingstown),  331 

Roger  Williams  Tree  (Rumford),  396 

Roger  Williams  Village,  365 

Rogers,  Samuel,  163 

Roman  Catholics  (see  Religion) 

Romanesque  Architecture  (see  Architecture) 

Rookery,  The  (Mount  Pleasant),  441 

'Rose'  (ship),  45 

Rose  Island  (Newport),  231 

Rosecrans,  William  A.,  88 

Ross,  William  C.,  Col.,  166 

Royal  Custom  House  (Newport),  203 

Royal  Mill  (Riverpoint),  364 

Roy  all,  Isaac,  Col.,  196-97 

Rubber  Industry  (see  Industry) 

Rumford,  396-97 

Rumford  Chemical  Works  (Rumford),  397 

Rumstick  Point  (Barrington),  400 

Russell  House  (Providence),  266 

Sabbatarians  (see  Religion) 

Sabbath  Recorder  (newspaper),  304 

Sabin  Tavern,  site  of  (Providence),  285-86 

Sacononoco,  295 

Sacred  Heart  College  (Woonsocket),  389 

Saint  Columban's  Seminary  (Bristol),  404 

Saint  (see  under  St.) 

Sakonnet  Point  (Little  Compton),  424 

Saltpetre  Lot  (East  Greenwich),  326 

San  Souci,  Emery  J.,  102 

Sands,  Sarah,  436 

Sanford,  John,  60 

Sarah  Alexander  Champion  Home  for  Nurses 

(see  Westerly  Hospital) 
Sayles  House  (Pascoag),  443 
Scallop  Shell  (South  Kingstown),  339 
Scamscamuck  Spring,  site  of  (Barrington),  400 
Schloss,  Berrick,  169 
Schneider,  Hans,  169 
Scholfield,  Albert  G.,  121 
School  of  Instrumental  Music,  164 
Schubert  Club,  169 
Scituate,  365-66,  453~S6 
Scituate  Reservoir  (Scituate),  455 
Scott,  Edward,  205 
Scott,  Winfield  (Townley),  163 
Seagrave,  Frank  E.,  269 
Seagrave  House  (Providence),  269 
Searle  House  (Cranston),  352 
Sebille,  Sarah  Barnes,  460 
Second  Continental  Congress,  45 
Second  Kent  County  Jail  (East  Greenwich), 

328 
Second  Scythe  Factory,  site  of  (Smithfield), 

376 


Seeker,  defined,  34 

Seekonk  River  Channel,  91 

Separatists  (see  Religion) 

Seth  Allen  Tavern  (Union  Village),  378 

Settlers'  Rock  (Block  Island),  438 

Seventh  Day  Baptists  (see  Religion) 

Sewall,  Samuel,  116,  332 

Sewall  Tablet  (South  Kingstown),  332 

'Shakespeare's  Head'  House  (Providence),  266 

Shannock,  375 

Shaw,  Oliver,  165 

Shawomet,  295-96 

Sheffield  House  (Newport),  219 

Shelter  Harbor  (Westerly),  344 

Shipbuilding  (see  Industry) 

Silk  and  Rayon  Manufacturing  (see  Industry) 

Silversmithing  (see  Art  and  Artists,  Industry) 

Singleton  Apple  Orchard  (Burrillville),  444 

Sisters  of  St.  Joseph  (see  Hunter  House) 

Skeleton  in  Armor  (book),  107 

Slack,  Eliphalet,  249 

Slack  Mansion  (Pawtucket),  249 

Slater  Mansion,  site  of  (Slatersville),  377 

Slater,  Samuel 

Aids  beginning  of  textile  industry,  47,  78- 

79,  244-45,  297;  arrival  in  Pawtucket,  47; 

machinery  of,  247;  on  education,  80,  118, 

246;  reproduces  Arkwright  process,  70 
Slatersville,  377 

Slatersville  Finishing  Co.  (Slatersville),  377 
Slatersville  Reservoir  (Slatersville),  377 
Slave  Trade,  49,  184,  185;  (see  also  Industry) 
Slavery,  46,  52,  62 

Slocumb  House  (Union  Village),  378-79 
Smibert,  John,  151,  204 
Smith,  Alfred,  211 

Smith  Dairy  Farm  (Burrillville),  444 
Smith  Granite  Quarry  (Westerly),  307,  345 
Smith  House  (Esmond),  387 
Smith  House  (North  Kingstown),  330-31 
Smith,  Orlando,  304,  307 
Smith,  Susie,  404 

Smithfield,  376-77,  386-87,  459-61 
Smithfield    Academy    (Union    Village),    121; 

site  of,  380 

Smithfield  Seminary  (see  Lapham  Institute) 
Smithson,  William,  172-73 
Snake  Den  Quarry,  10 
Societies,  historical 

East   Greenwich,   328;   Jamestown,  430; 

Little    Compton,     115;    Newport,     151; 

Rhode  Island,  328 
Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel  in 

Foreign  Parts,  117,  127 
Sockanosset  School  (Howard),  122 
Soil,  12-14 

Alton  stony  loam,  13;  Miami  stony  loam, 

13;   Norfolk   course   sand,    14;   Warwick 

sandy  loam,  13 
Sons  of  Italy,  99 
Sousa,  John  Philip,  166-67,  173 
South  Kingstown,  331,  339~4O,  34i~42,  369- 

70,  371-74 

South  Kingstown  Town  Hall  (South  Kings- 
town), 339 

Southwick,  Solomon,  158 
Spanish-American  War,  57 
Spaulding  House  (Lincoln),  384 
Spencer  House  (East  Greenwich),  368 


Index 


497 


Sperm  Oil  Trust  (see  Industry) 

Spicer  Tavern,  site  of  (Hopkinton),  359-60 

Sports  and  Recreation 

Amusement  parks,  134, 323;  athletics,  134; 
bathing,  132;  boating,  131-32;  first  inter- 
national polo  match   (1886)    (Newport), 
213;   first   national   championship  tennis 
matches  (1881)  (Newport),  212-13;  first 
national    open    golf    tournament    (1895) 
(Newport),  213;  fishing,  xxi-xxii,  130-31; 
golf,  133;  hiking,  134;  hunting,  xxii-xxiii, 
132;  parks,  132-33 
Sprague,  Amasa,  53 
Sprague  Mansion  (Cranston),  35i~52 
Sprague,  William,  72 
Sprague,  William,  Governor,  54,  351 
Spring  Street  (Newport),  200 
Squantum  Club  (East  Providence),  410 
St.  Andrew's  Industrial  School  (Barrington), 

123,  398 

St.  Cecilia  Choral  Union,  168 
St.  Cecilia  Opera  Co.  (Woonsocket),  169 
St.  George's  School  (Middletown),  123,  419 
'St.  John'  incident,  207 
St.  John's  Lodge  of  Free  and  Accepted  Masons, 

262-63 

St.  Joseph's  High  School  (Newport),  218 
St.  Mary's  Seminary  (East  Providence),  410 
St.  Paul's  Church,  site  of  (North  Kingstown), 

331 

Stackhouse,  David  L.,  174 

Stamp  Act,  opposition  to,  43 

Stanton,  Joseph,  Jr.,  47,  344 

Starkweather  House  (Pawtucket),  248 

Starkweather,  Oliver,  248-49 

State  Airport  (Hillsgrove),  91,  324 

State  Armories 

Bristol,  190;  Newport,  237-38 

State  Board  of  Education,   creation   of   (see 
Education) 

State  College  (see  Rhode  Island  State  College) 

State  Constitution,  1842,  52 

Amendments  to,  62-63 ',  movement  for  re- 
form of,  51 

State  Debt,  Revolutionary,  46 

State  Federation  of  Music  Clubs,  169 

State  Fish  Hatchery  (Lafayette),  449 

State  Flag  Adopted,  57 

State  Flower,  18 

State  Government  (see  Government) 

State  Home  and  School  (Providence),  122 

State  House   (Providence),  57,   145-46,  287, 
322,  458;  (see  also  Architecture) 

State  Judiciary  (see  Government) 

State  Lobster  Hatchery  (Wickford),  334 

State  Office  Building  (Providence),  322,  458 

State  Planning  Board,  65,  135-36 

State  Police,  xxiv 

State  Tree,  17 

State  Women's  Amateur  Golf  Title  Play  (Prov- 
idence), xxv 

Steamboat  Service,  establishment  of,  53 

Steere  House  (Smithfield),  386 

Stephens,  Uriah  S.,  82 

Stetson,  Charles  Walter,  153 

Stillman  House  (Weekapaug),  345 

Stillwater,  386 

Stillwater  House  (Harrisville), 

Stillwater  Worsted  Co.  (Mapleville),  444 


fi>. 


Stokowski,  Leopold,  173 

Stone  Bridge  (Tiverton),  416 

Stone  Mill  (Slatersville),  377 

Stone  Quarry  (Conanicut  Island),  430 

Stone  Villa  (Newport),  240 

Stonington,  bombardment  of,  50 

Strand,  the  (Newport)  (see  Thames  Street) 

Stray er  Act,  124 

Strikes,  57,  81,  83-84 

Strike   of   'female   weavers,'   80;    (see   also 

Labor) 
Stuart,   Gilbert,   151-52,  218,  335;  house  of 

(North  Kingstown),  335 
Suffrage,  liberalizing  of  (see  Government) 
Sugar  Loaf  Hill  (Wakefield),  340 
Sullivan  Granite  Quarry  (Bradford),  361 
Sullivan,  John,  45,  208,  416,  417 
Sumner,  James,  140 
Surprise  Valley  (Newport),  236 
Swamps,  14 

Swedes  (see  Foreign  Groups) 
Sweet's  Hill,  442 
Syrians  (see  Foreign  Groups) 

Taft  and  Pierce  Manufacturing  Co.   (Woon- 
socket), 313 

Talma  Theater  (Providence),  286 

Tashtasuck,  106 

Tavern  Hall  Club,  372 

Taxes,  63 

Taylor,  George,  116 

Taylor  House  (Providence),  265 

Taylor,  Richard  B.,  166 

Tefft  Mill,  site  of  (see  Marion  Woolen  Com- 
pany, Inc.,  Mill) 

Telephones,  55,  213 

Temple  Jeshuat  Israel  (Newport),  219 

Ten  Rod  Road  (Exeter),  331 

Textile  Industry 

Birthplace  of,  78;  growth  of,  79-80;  (see 
also  Industry) 

Textile  World  (periodical),  75 

Textiles,  related  industries  (see  Industry) 

Thames  Street  (Newport),  200,  201,  204 

Theater 

Albee  stock  company,  180;  amateur  dra- 
matics, 179  (see  also  individual  entry); 
early  opposition  to,  175,  176;  first  dra- 
matic performance,  175;  growth  of,  176; 
lectures,  176;  legitimate  stage  versus 
cinema,  180;  moral  dialogues,  175;  music 
and,  178-79;  personalities  in,  175-80;  War 
of  1812,  effect  on,  177;  (see  also  Dramatics, 
amateur) 

Thies  Dyeing  Company  (Centerville),  366 

30  Benefit  Street,  Inc.  (Providence),  268 

Thomas,  A.  E.,  179 

Thompkins,  Charles  H.,  54 

Thornton,  452 

Thorpe,  John,  245 

Thurber,  S.  T.,  166 

Thurston  House  (Hopkinton),  359 

Tift,  Joshua,  29 

Tillinghast  Estate  (Johnston),  453 

Tillinghast  House  (Newport),  222 

Tillinghast,  Pardon,  68,  257 

Tiverton,  413-17 

Annexation  of,  415;  industry,  415-16; 
purchase  of,  415 ;  Revolution,  effect  on,  415 


498 


Index 


Tiverton  Four  Corners  (Tiverton),  422 

Toby,  Zalmon,  Rev.,  297 

Tockwotton  House  (Providence),  89-90 

1  opography  (see  Geography  and  Topography) 

Torpedo  Boat,  first,  195 

Totten,  Joseph  G.,  236 

Toupin,  Felix  A.,  102 

Tourist  Camp  (Weekapaug),  345 

Touro,  Isaac,  128 

Touro,  Judah,  221 

Tousard,  Louis,  236 

Tower  Hill  House  (South  Kingstown),  338 

Towers,  The  (Narragansett),  337 

Town  Building  (Harrisville),  443 

Town  Government,  63-64 

Town  Hall  (Barrington),  399 

Town  Hall  (Block  Island),  438 

Town  Hall  (Little  Compton),  423 

Town  House  (Foster  Center),  457 

Town  Pound  (Chepachet),  445 

Town  Schools,  organization  of  (see  Education) 

Towns,  status  of,  321 

Townsend  Industrial  School  (Newport),  228 

Townshend,  Thomas,  Capt.,  422 

Trailer  Information,  xxiv 

Transportation 

Air,  xxi,  91;  highway,  xxi,  86-87,  89,  91- 
92;  railroad,  xxi,  86,  88-90;  street  railway, 
90-91,  213;  waterway,  xxi,  86-89,  91 

Treaty  of  Taunton,  1671  (see  Indians) 

Treaty  Rock  (Little  Compton),  422 

Trevett  versus  Weeden,  46 

Trimming,  William,  435 

Trinity  Church  (Newport),  141-42,  224-26 

Trinity  Church,  site  of  (Bristol),  187-88 

Tripp,  William,  Capt.,  94 

Trout  Hatchery  (Richmond),  356 

Truck-Gardening  (see  Agriculture) 

Trumbull,  Jonathan,  114 

Tucker  House  (South  Kingstown),  341 

Turkey  Farm  (Glocester),  445 

Turk's  Head  Building  (Providence),  284 

Turner  House  (East  Greenwich),  328 


Turnpikes,  53,  89 
Turpin,  William,  116 


'Ulalume'  (poem)  (see  American 

Underground  Railway,  266 

Union  Station  (Providence),  322 

Union  Village,  378-81 

Unions 

American  Federation  of  Labor,  82,  84; 
Building  Trades  Council,  84;  Carpenters' 
District  Council,  84;  General  Association, 
organization  of,  80;  House  Carpenters, 
81;  Knights  of  Labor,  82;  National  Trade 
Union,  81;  New  England  Association  of 
Farmers,  Mechanics,  and  Other  Working- 
men,  8 1 ;  Practical  Masons,  81 ;  Providence 
Association  of  Workingmen,  80-8 1 ;  Prov- 
idence Central  Federated  Union,  or  'Cen- 
tral Body/  84 

United   States   Coast   Guard   Station    (Block 
Island),  438 

United  States  Naval  Torpedo  Station  (New- 
port), 237 

United  States  Naval  Training  Station  (New- 
port), 232 

United  States  Post  Office  (Westerly),  305  . 


United  States  Route  i,  321 

United  States  Rubber  Co.,  313 

United  States  Torpedo  Station  Memorial 
(Newport),  237 

United  States  Weather  Bureau  and  Radio 
Station  (Block  Island),  437-38 

University  Glee  Club,  169 

University  Grammar  School,  site  of  (Provi- 
dence), 272 

University  School  (Warren),  117 

Updike  House  (Wickford),  334 

Updike,  Lodowick,  333 

Updike,  Wilkins,  119,  160 

Usquepaugh,  369 

Utter  House  (Hopkinton),  359 

Uxbridge  Worsted  Co.  (Pascoag),  443 

Valley  Falls,  394-95 

Van  Zandt  House  (Newport),  222 

Vanderbilt,  Cornelius,  233 

Varnum  House  (East  Greenwich),  327 

Varnum,  James  Mitchell,  Gen.,  327 

Varnum  Memorial  Armory  (East  Greenwich), 

327 

Verdandi  Male  Chorus,  104,  168 
Vernon  House  (Newport),  226 
Vernon,  Samuel,  150 
Verrazano,  Giovanni  da,  32,  434 
Viking  Tower  (see  Folklore) 
Village  Green  (Slatersville),  377 
Vinton,  J.  R.,  Major,  52-53 
Vose  House,  Willing  (Woonsocket),  315-16, 385 

Wager  Weeden  Watering  Place  (South  Kings- 
town), 341 

Waite  House  (Kingston),  371 
Wakefield,  339-40 
Wakefield    Manufacturing    Co.     (Wakefield), 

Walker,  Ralph,  148 

Wallum  Lake,  444 

Wallum  Lake  Sanatorium  (Wallum  Lake),  444 

Wampanoag  Grinding  Mill,  site  of  (W'arren), 
404 

Wampanoags  (see  Indians) 

Wamsutta,  28 

Wanton,  Gideon,  228 

Wanton,  Joseph,  43-44,  227-28,  231 

Wanton-Lyman-Hazard  House  (Newport),  227 

Wanton,  William,  Capt.,  41 

Wanumetonomy  Golf  and  Country  Club  (Mid- 
dletown),  408 

War  of  1812,  48-49,  79 

Effect  on  theater,  177;  militia  service  in, 
49-50 

War  Memorial  (Newport),  239 

War  Memorial  Bridge  (Pascoag),  443 

Ward,  Samuel,  43,  344;  house  of,  site  (West- 
erly), 344 

Warner  House,  site  of  (Warwick),  325 

Warren,  401-04 

Warren  Bridge  (Warren),  400 

Warren  Common  (Warren),  403 

Warren  House  (Bristol),  190 

Warren,  Russell,  144,  271 

Warwick 

As  city,  293;  as  Shawomet,  295-96;  early 
commerce,  296;  industry,  294-97;  King 
Philip's  War  and,  296;  population,  293- 


Index 


499 


94;  public  education  in,  297;  Revolution 
and,  297;  town  meetings,  293,  296 
Warwick    Chemical    Co.   Plant    (Crompton), 

Warwick  City  Hall  (Warwick),  326 

Warwick  Club  Ginger  Ale  Co.  (Arctic),  366 

Warwick  Country  Club  (Warwick),  325 

Warwick,  Earl  of,  35,  296 

Warwick  Mills  (Centerville),  366 

Washington,  367-68 

Washington    Academy    (North    Kingstown), 

118-19 

Washington  Allston  House  (Newport),  226 
Washington  Bridge  (Providence),  288,  451 
Washington  County  Jail  (Kingston),  370 
Washington,  George 

Confers  with  Rochambeau,  45-46,  209, 
426;  reviews  French  troops,  230;  visits 
Providence,  258 

Washington  Square  (Newport),  217 
Washington  Trust  Company  Building,  308 
Watch  Hill,  347-50 

Watch  Hill  Beach  Club  (Westerly),  348 
Watch  Hill  Beach  Club  Water  Carnival  (Watch 

Hill),  xxvi 

Watch  Hill  Yacht  Club  (Westerly),  348 
Watch-Tower,  site  of  (Watch  Hill),  350 
Watchman  Industrial  School  (Scituate),  124, 

453 

Water  Resources,  14-16;  (see  also  Rivers) 

Waterman,  John,  445 

Watson,  Matthew,  412,  413;  house  of  (Bar- 
rington),  413 

Webb,  Thomas  Smith,  165,  263 

Weekapaug,  345 

Wells  House  (Kingston),  371 

Wells,  Joseph,  301 

Wells  Place  (Wallum  Lake),  444 

West  Greenwich,  354,  447-48 

West  Kingston,  369-70 

West  Warwick,  363-66 

Westconnaug  Purchase,  447 

Westerly 

Boundary  dispute  of  1661,  300;  com- 
merce, 301;  Dutch  explorers,  299;  general 
description  of,  298-99;  Indians,  negotia- 
tion with,  299;  industry,  298,  301,  303- 
04,  307;  military  history  of,  301,  304; 
religion  in,  304-05;  Revolution  and,  302; 
population  of,  304;  villages  in,  344-50; 
War  of  1812,  302-03 

Westerly  Armory,  310 

Westerly  Daily  Sun  (newspaper),  304 

Westerly  Echo  (see  Narragansett  Weekly) 

Westerly  Hospital  (Westerly),  346 

Westerly  Junior  High  School  (Westerly),  307 

Westerly    Memorial    Building    and    Library 
(Westerly),  305 

Westerly  Railroad  Station  (Westerly),  310 

Westerly  Town  Hall  and  Courthouse  (West- 
erly), 306 

Westerly  Yacht  Club  (Westerly),  346 

Western  Hotel  (Nasonville),  441 

Weybosset  Bridge  (Providence),  284 

Whaley,  Theophilus,  354 

Whaling  (see  Industry) 

Whalley,  Edward  (see  Whaley,  Theophilus) 

Wheaton,  Henry,  160 

Whipping-Post  (Tiverton),  422 


W hippie,  Abraham,  Capt.,  45 

Whipple  House  (Georgiaville),  387 

Whipple  House  (Limerock),  381 

Whitaker,  William,  166 

Whitcomb  Farmhouse  (East  Providence),  411 

Whitcomb,  William,  411 

Whitefield,  George,  305 

Whitehall  (Middletown),  418-19 

White  Horse  Tavern  (Newport),  229 

White  Rock  (Westerly),  310 

White  Rock  Manufacturing  Co.   (Westerly), 
3fO 

Whitman  House  (Providence),  269 

Whitman,  Sarah  Helen,  161,  269,  272 

Whittier,  John  Greenleaf,  160,  161 

Wickford,  333~35 

Wickford  Junction,  449 

Wickford  Town  Hall,  333 

Wilbur,  Isaac  C.,  94-95 

Wilbur  School  (Little  Compton),  423 

Wilcox,  Harriet,  305 

Wilcox  House  (Foster),  457 

Wilcox,  Stephen,  305 

Wilkinson,  David,  245-46 

Wilkinson  Family,  72-73 

Willet,  Thomas,  412;  grave  of  (East  Provi- 
dence), 412 

Williams,  Catherine,  161 

Williams  Homestead  (Foster),  456 

Williams  House,  site  of  (Scituate),  446 

Williams,  Roger 

Aids  in  purchasing  Aquidneck,  200;  as 
Indian  peacemaker,  27;  as  officer  under 
Charter  of  1644,  201;  as  President  of  the 
'  Colony,  60;  at  founding  of  Providence, 
255-56;  house  of,  site  (Providence),  267; 
in  King  Philip's  War,  29, 40;  in  land  agree- 
ment with  Narragansetts,  36;  Key  into 
the  Language  of  America,  157;  memorial 
to  (Providence),  148;  miscellaneous  refer- 
ences, 350,  396,  450;  obtains  Colony's  first 
charter,  35;  on  baptism,  125;  on  Quaker- 
ism, 127-28,  203;  on  wampum,  23;  prevails 
upon  Narragansetts  to  ally  with  colonists, 
26;  sequres  revocation  of  Coddington 
commission,  38 ;  youth  and  early  manhood, 
32-34 

Williams,  Walter,  172 

Willow  Dell  (South  Kingstown),  341 

Wilson  Nurseries  (Middletown),  408 

Wilson's  Reservoir  (Burrillville),  443 

Windmill  (Conanicut  Island),  430 

Windmill  Cottage  (East  Greenwich),  326-27 

Windmill  Hill  (Little  Compton),  422 

Winnapaug  Golf  Club  (Westerly),  344 

Winter  Sports  Carnival  (Providence),  xxv 

Winthrop,  37 

Wireless  Telegraph,  introduction  of,  55 

Wister,  Owen,  162 

Wolf  Rocks  (North  Kingstown),  369 

Women  Suffrage,  58 

Women's  College  (see  Brown  University) 

'Woodhouse'  (ship),  202 

Woolen  Industry  (see  Industry) 

Woonsocket 

Early  history,  312;  geography,  311;  in- 
corporation, 314;  industries,  311-13;  mis- 
cellaneous references,  385,  388-89;  popu- 
lation, 311-12 


500 


Index 


Woonsocket  City  Hall  (Woonsocket),  315 

Woonsocket  Courthouse  (Woonsocket),  315 

Woonsocket  Machine  and  Press  Co.  (Woon- 
socket), 313 

Woonsocket  Rubber  Company,  313 

Worcester  County  Festivals,  168 

Works  Progress  Administration  Art  Projects 
(see  Art) 

World  War  Memorial  (Providence),  148 

Worsted  Industry  (see  Industry) 


Wroth,  Lawrence  C,  162-63 

'Yankee'  (ship),  49 

Yawgoog  Scout  Camp  (Hopkinton),  358 

YeOld  BrownBread  Place  (East  Greenwich), 368 

Young  House  (Providence),  287 

Young  Memorial  (Providence),  282 

Youth's  Companion  (periodical),  160 

Zerrahn,  Carl,  168