Historic Buildings of Wakefield Rhode Island
Historic Main Street:
Wakefield. A stroll along Main
Street brings you back in time. Wander through historic homes,
churches, quaint shops and an historic inn and restaurant.
Recently renovated.
Wakefield, RI
Wakefield is in Washington County, in the Providence-New
Bedford metro area.
It is the county seat. The community is in the Eastern Standard
time zone.
The latitude of Wakefield is 41.437N. The longitude is -71.501W.
The community was named after town in England
Narragansett was
incorporated as a town in 1901. Prior to that time, it was part
of South Kingstown, with local history dating back to 1675, when
Roland Robinson purchased land from the Narragansett Indians in
Pettaquamscutt and Pt. Judith.
Shipbuilding was an
important industry and sailing vessels were built on the Narrow
River at Middlebridge. In the early 1700's, South Ferry and
Franklin Ferry were thriving communities offering ferry service
to Jamestown and Newport for more than a hundred years.
Landmarks such as Ferry Church were on every sea captain's chart
of Narragansett Bay as they navigated the waterways.
In the late 1800's and
early 1900's, Narragansett became the premier vacation spot for
the wealthy. It was well known as an elegant summer resort with
a dozen or more grand hotels and many large estates and
"cottages". Probably the most prominent landmark was
the Narragansett Casino, covering nearly one square block from
Ocean Road to Matheson Street. The towers on Ocean Road served
as the main entrance and covered promenade are all that remain
after a devastating fire in 1990.
Port
Judith Pond has long been one of New England's important
fishing ports. Because of its accessibility and proximity to
popular fishing grounds, the pond has been rediscovered as a
popular harbor for cruising, sail and sportfishing. Located on
the west bank of Narragansett Bay, Point Judith pond is
protected by a granite breakwater. The pond is home to several
marinas, restaurants and shopping.
South
County Historic Sites
Historic
Sites of Rhode Island
Babcock-Smith House
124 Granite St.
Westerly, RI 02891
Georgian-style mansion built around 1734 for Dr. Joshua Babcock,
Westerly's first physician and a state chief justice
http://www.babcock-smithhouse.com/
Commodore Oliver Perry Farm
184 Post Rd.
South Kingstown, RI
 Fort
Adams
Fort Adams State Park, RI
Fort on Newport Harbor housed soldiers from 1824 to 1950
http://www.fortadams.org/
Brick Market
Thames Street and Washington Square
Newport, RI
Built 1761-1772. Restored as a museum.
Casey Farm
2325 Boston Neck Road
Saunderstown, RI 02874
18th-century homestead and farm overlooking Narragansett Bay
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