4 Weybosset Bridge & the Cove 5 Roger Williams National Memorial 6Neutaconkanut Hill Weybosset in the The Roger Wil- A fabulous view of Narragansett liams National Providence can be Indian language Memorial was seen from the top meant, “crossing established by of Neutaconakanut place,” a narrow, shal- Congress in 1965 Hill in a park on the low place on the river to commemorate western border of that Indians used to North Main Street park entrance Williams’ “out- the City of Provi- Weybosset Bridge today walk from one side of standing contributions to the development of the dence. Its hiking trails lead to rocks that mark Narragansett Bay to the other, presumably during principles of freedom in this country.” the location where aboriginal people once gath- low to mid-tides. Weybosset is just south of the The memorial, a 4.5 acre urban greenspace at ered for meetings, including the Narragansett, convergence of two rivers, theWoonasquatucket 282 North Main Street near the State House and Nipmuc, Massachusetts and Pokanoket Tribes. and Moshassuck, flowing south into the Providence downtown Providence, includes a freshwater spring The Neutaconkanut Hill Park is open year River, at the upper end of Narragansett Bay. Today, which was the center of the settlement of Provi- around from dawn to dusk near the intersection it lies at the bottom of College Street. dence Plantations founded by Williams in 1636. of Killingly and Sunset Avenue in the Silver Lake Weybosset was also where three important Ab- It is on this site that Williams, through word and District of Providence (Take Interstate Route 195 original Indian trails met, one coming down from action, fought for the ideal that religion must not to Rte 6 West to the RI-128/Killingly Street exit and the north, the second up from the southeast Mount be subject to regulation by the state but, instead, follow Killingly Street south to Sunset Avenue). Hope region called the Wampanoag Trail, and the that it should be a matter of individual conscience. 7 third up from Con- It was a remarkable journey that brought Rhode Island Charter at the State House necticut in the south- Williams to what is now the capital of Rhode Island The Royal Charter of west called the Pequot and to where he put his beliefs into practice, giving 1663 was a document Trail. “shelter for persons distressed of conscience.” granted by King Later the Weybosset The Antram- Charles II of England name was given to a Gray House an to settlers in Rhode wooden colonial toll early 18th century Island which allowed Providence in 1700 bridge built by the early structure with a A portion of the original charter them to govern their settlers across the Providence River at the entrance to late 18th century own colony and guar- the Cove prior to 1660. Roger Williams (1603-1683), addition, serves as anteed their individual freedom of religion. Depiction of Providence in 1650 founder of Providence and the Rhode Island Colony, the visitor center for The Charter holds a unique place in the evolu- served for a time as the toll taker at Weybosset in his Roger Williams National Memorial. tion of human rights in the modern world. When elderly years. Gradually the Cove was filled in and The 17th century gardens at Roger Williams King Charles II granted the Charter, it marked the became much of the land in Downtown Providence. National Memorial include two interpretive gar- first time in history that a monarch allowed the The first bridge was poorly constructed and fell into dens: an aboriginal garden and a colonial kitchen right of individuals within a society to practice the disrepair by the late 1670s, so the townspeople and garden. religion of their choice without any interference their livestock waded across the ford until a second Regular Hours: Monday - Sunday: from the government. This freedom was extreme- bridge was constructed in 1711. During the early Open 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM ly radical in an age marked by wars of religion and years, farmers from the meadows to the west crossed Winter Hours: January through March persecution of people for religious beliefs. over the bridge and sold their produce in what is still Mondays - Tuesdays: Closed The original charter along with other his- known today as Market Square. Wednesday - Sunday: toric documents of the period may be seen at The first drawbridge, constructed in 1764, allowed Open 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM the Charter Museum in the Rhode Island State square rigged ships to unload their West Indies cargoes Holidays: Closed on Thanksgiving Day, House in Providence between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 at the Bowen Street Wharf north of Steeple Street. Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day p.m. on non-holiday weekdays. any people think that the 17th century is 4 Weybosset Bridge & the Cove 5 Roger Williams National Memorial 2 Slate Rock Park Mgone in Providence. No buildings from that Slate Rock Park time survive, and much that was here has been at Gano and Wil- transformed or covered over with new buildings. liams Streets on the East Side is named If you know where to look, however, you’ll find after the ledge where evidence of that important time when the City Roger Williams was just starting. Each location tells part of the and a handful of his story that can be put together to show what ini- followers are said to have first stepped ashore tially took place here 400 years ago. after crossing from their original settlement on Locate these seven places on the map in this Omega Pond, across the Seekonk River, in the brochure, and then travel to each one on foot, by spring of 1636. bicycle or by car to learn more about how Provi- When they arrived, they had the good fortune dence started and who was here at the time. to be met on a large slate rock by a number of friendly Narragansett Indians, one of whom Visit the www.SowamsHeritageArea.org web- greeted them with the phrase “What cheer, site and find over fifty locations on-line that are Netop?” a mixture of English and Narragansett. part of the story of what happened in East Bay RI (See the photo on the cover of this brochure) and nearby Massachusetts in the 17th century. The Indians directed the group to continue Support for this project was provided by the Rhode Island Council for the Human- down the river, around the point to the west, and ities, an independent state affiliate of the up a small river to a cove where they established National Endowment for the Humanities. a settlement that would become Providence. 1 North Burial Ground & Rev. Chad Brown 3 India Point Park Prior to 1700, colonists In 1680, Provi- buried their dead in fam- dence’s first wharf ily graveyards that hap- was erected near hazardly peppered the today’s Transit Providence landscape. As Street. Originally Providence’s townspeo- called Tockwotton ple sought more efficient by the Aboriginal use of the land, the tradition of family graveyards Americans, the point along the Seekonk River declined and a burial ground was set aside. became known as India Point after John Brown Though the first burial didn’t take place until began shipping tea and spices from the East 1711, the North Burial Ground is the location and West Indies. India Point Park replaced the where early Providence settler Chad Brown was wharf after Route 195 was constructed. reburied sometime following his death in 1650. During the 18th century, Providence was In 1639, Rev. Chad Brown assumed the transformed from a rural hamlet into a leadership of the First Baptist Church in America seaport, trading with other colonies, the which had been briefly pastored by Roger Wil- West Indies, Africa, and England. India Point liams. The church members worshipped in a remained an important trade center until the grove or orchard and in the houses of its mem- end of the Great Depression. Old timbers bers, and Brown remained pastor until his death from previous docks can be seen India Park 6 7 sometime before 1650. Rhode Island Charter at the State House Neutaconkanut Hill at the mouth of the Seekonk River.