Jamestown, Rhode Island
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Historic andArchitectural Resources ofJamestown, Rhode Island 1 Li *fl U fl It - .-*-,. -.- - - . ---... -S - Historic and Architectural Resources of Jamestown, Rhode Island Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission 1995 Historic and Architectural Resources ofJamestown, Rhode Island, is published by the Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission, which is the state historic preservation office, in cooperation with the Jamestown Historical Society. Preparation of this publication has been funded in part by the National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior. The contents and opinions herein, however, do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Department of the Interior. The Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission receives federal funds from the National Park Service. Regulations of the United States Department of the Interior strictly prohibit discrimination in departmental federally assisted programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, or handicap. Any person who believes that he or she has been discriminated against in any program, activity, or facility operated by a recipient of federal assistance should write to: Director, Equal Opportunity Program, United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service, P.O. Box 37127, Washington, D.C. 20013-7127. Cover East Fern’. Photograph c. 1890. Couriecy of Janiestown Historical Society. This view, looking north along tile shore, shows the steam feriy Conanicut leaving tile slip. From left to rig/It are tile Thorndike Hotel, Gardner house, Riverside, Bay View Hotel and tile Bay Voyage Inn. Only tile Bay Voyage Iiii suivives. Title Page: Beavertail Lighthouse, 1856, Beavertail Road. Tile light/louse tower at the southern tip of the island, the tallest offive buildings at this site, is a 52-foot-high stone structure. A watchhouse was first established here in 1705. In 1749, the first lighthouse was erected, the third one built in the ColOlliCs. Lighthouse towers were built in 1755 a/Id in I 783-8-I; the present tower was constructed in 1856. TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface - Introduction iii Methodology V Acknowledgements vii Jamestown’s Location and Population 1 Conanicut’s Geology and Landforms 3 Historical Development 5 Overview 5 Native Americans 6 Jamestown’s Settlement 8 Agricultural Prosperity in the Eighteenth Century 11 Agricultural Decline 13 Summer Visitors and Other Newcomers 16 Ferry Services 16 Conanicut Park 17 East Ferry Development 18 Development of the South End of the Island 18 Hotels & Boarding Houses 19 Jamestown Village 20 Shoreby Hill 20 Farming and Fishing 21 Newcomers and Population Growth and Changes 21 The Twentieth Century 23 Summary 27 The State Register and the National Register of Historic Places 29 Inventory . 31 Maps Physical Features 107 Cultural Resources 109 Bay View Drive Historic District and Shoreby Hill 111 Dutch Island and Conanicut Park Historic District 113 Jamestown Village & Southern Jamestown 115 Bibliography 117 PREFACE The Rhode Island Historical Preservation & 1-leritage Commission, established by the General Assembly in 1968. is charged with administering programs which help to safeguard Rhode Island’s cultural heritage. To provide an overview of the physical record of this heritage, the Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission initiated historical and architectural surveys of each community in the state. The purpose of this survey is to identify and record properties of historic and architectural significance in each community. Presently, archaeological resources are treated in a separate survey effort. The surveys are designed to identify districts, structures, and sites eligible for nomination to the National Register of 1-listoric Places, and suggest priorities for historic preservation activities. Upon completion of each survey, a brief report is written. The resulting documentation provides essential information for local, state, and federal preservation planning. INTRODUCTION The following preliminary study covers the historical and architectural resources of the town of Jamestown. The report includes a description of the town’s physical and social context in the first section and an account of Jamestown’s historical development in the second section. The third section is a list of properties in Jamestown which are listed in or suggested for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places. At the end of the report is an annotated inventory of some properties of historical and architectural importance in the town. Iii METHODOLOGY The preliminary survey of Jamestown was accomplished by driving all public rights-of-way and noting on a map each building or site of particular architectural. visual, cultural, or historic significance. Each property was then photographed and recorded on a standard daia sheet which incltides a physical description and notations concerning history. use, condition, and archiiectural style as applicable. During the survey, the significance of each property was evaluated in a prelinunary fashion. Following completion of the survey and research, a further evaluation placed properties in one of three categories: properties already on or determined by the federal government to be eligible for nomination to the National Register of I’listoric Places; properties recommended for nomination to the Register: and other properties which upon further study may he found to be eligible for the Register. Archeological sites are mentioned only incidentally in ihese studies to provide historical context. The major emphasis of the Jamestown survey and report is on extant historic buildings. The data sheets from this survey are stored at the office of the Rhode Island Historical Preservation and l’leritage Commission, 150 I3enefit Street, Providence 02903. ‘l’he Jamestown survey was begun in the slimmer of 1975 by James Gibbs. of the Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission staff. In 1980 the Jamestown survey became a joint project of the Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission and the Jamestown Historical Society. ‘rhe island’s historical resources were surveyed again in the early I 980s by David Chase and Walter Nebiker. and field work has been carried on occasionally since then, most recently during the summer of 1988 with Professor William Jordy of Brown University. This report was written by Walter Nebiker: David Chase wrote many of the inventory entries, particularly for those properties built after 1850. Information about the archaeological resources of Jamestown is included in some sections of this report to provide needed context, but Jamestown’s archaeological sites are so numerous and significant that they cannot be treated full here. Some modern buildings are included, again to provide context. hut this report focuses on historic resources. Research was conducted at several libraries, principally the Rhode Island Historical Society Library. Nineteenth-century maps were especially useful in providing in formation and insights about the growth and development of Jamestown Village and other parts of Conanicut. Readily available sources of information, such as town and county histories, census and other reports. gazetteers, guidebooks, and newspaper and travel accounts were examined: they provided most of the information used in this report and ai’e listed in the bibliography. Information especially useful to this report was provided by Mrs. Mary R. Miner in conversations, and through notes and manuscripts, published and unpublished. v Map ofJamestown, 1870. From the D.G. &ers Atlas of the State of Rhode Island. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission gratefully acknowledges the contributions to the Jamestown survey and report by a large number of contributors, principally the members of the Jamestown Historical Society, which began a townwide survey in 1980 to amplify the Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission survey of 1975. In addition to providing additional survey sheets and photos, the Society supplied much historical information on individual properties for both surveys. Of the 160 properties recorded by Jamestown Historical Society, 112 are included in the inventory of this report. Of the several dozen buildings whose architects are identified, Jamestown Historical Society provided the information for 37. Jamestown Historical Society members assisting in this project include Mary B. Harding, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Reynolds, Mrs. Karl B. Smith, Jr., Eleanor H. Hendry, Margaretta Potter, Linda Brodin, Anna B. Crowell, Martha Grieg, and William Burgin. The research notes of Mary Louise Haas were helpful. Sue Maden’s postcard history of Jamestown, an interesting and informative account of the island that presents houses, places, and views as they appeared earlier in the century, was very helpful. The Commission thanks Elizabeth Beaumont for adding to the history of the Watson family on Jamestown; Anne Zettek for providing genealogical information on summer residents of the Ocean Highlands-Walcott Avenue area; and Walter Schroder for reviewing material on Jamestown’s defenses. Dutch Island was visited through the cooperation of Jillian Barber. The text of this report was reviewed by Mrs. Mary R. Miner and other members of the Jamestown Historical Society; Bertram Lippincott III, of the Newport Historical Society; Richard Champlin of Newport’s Redwood Library; and by Lisa Pointek and Robert W. Sutton, for the Town of Jamestown.