In July 2005, CNN/Money and Money magazine ranked Barrington sixth on its list of the 100 best places to live in the United States.
Bristol
The first battle of King Philip's War took place here in 1675
The Bristol-based boat company Herreshoff built five consecutive America's Cup Defenders between 1893 and 1920.
The Colt Estate, now known as Colt Park, was home to Samuel P. Colt, nephew of the man famous for the arms company. Colt Park lies on magnificently manicured gardens abutting the West Passage of Narragansett Bay, and is popular for its unparalleled views of the waterfront and spectacular sunsets.
Bristol is the site of one National Historic Landmark, the Joseph Reynolds House built in 1700. The Marquis de Lafayette and his staff in 1778 used the building as headquarters during the Battle of Rhode Island.[5]
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Benjamin Bourne, lawyer, jurist, and politician
Pat McGee, singer, songwriter, musician (see also Pat McGee Band)
John Saffin, best known for his A Brief and Candid Answer to Samuel Sewall's The Selling of Joseph (1700), over the issue of slavery.
William Bradford (1729-1808), physician, lawyer, and United States Senator
Jonathan Russell Bullock, jurist and legislator
Ambrose Burnside, railroad executive, industrialist, politician, and Union general
Jonathan DeFelice, President of Saint Anselm College
James De Wolf, slave trader and United States senator
Nathanael Herreshoff, yacht designer & builder
Ira Magaziner, former senior adviser for policy development to the Clinton Administration and chairman of the William J Clinton Foundation Initiatives
Ethel Barrymore Colt, actor and lyricist
Samuel P. Colt, entrepreneur, politician, lawyer, gentleman farmer & philanthropist
Anthony Quinn, actor
William Thomas "Billy" Andrade PGA Tour Professional Golfer
Spring Lake Arcade - This beach-side arcade is believed to be the oldest penny arcade in America.
Notable People
Vice Admiral Walter E. Carter Jr., naval flight officer and President of the U.S. Naval War College
Oscar Lapham, U.S. Congressman[12]
Henry Francis Walling, cartographer
East Greenwich
Birthplace of the American Navy On 12 June 1775, the Rhode Island General Assembly, meeting at East Greenwich, passed a resolution, which created the first formal, governmentally authorized navy in the Western Hemisphere
Exeter
Exeter is noted by folklorists as the site of one of the best documented examples of vampire exhumation: the Mercy Brown Vampire Incident of 1892
Foster
Theodore Foster — U.S. Senator, the town is named after him.
Solomon Drowne — Physician, author, close friend of Foster. He lived on a farm called Mount Hygeia.
Nelson Aldrich — U.S. Senator, father of Abby Rockefeller.
H. P. Lovecraft — author, lived on Johnson Road, the historic house has since burned down.
Glocester
The Dorr Rebellion began in Glocester in 1841.
Notable People
Arthur Steere, politician, businessman
Charles J. Fogarty, politician
Hopkinton
Notable People
John Wilbur, Quaker minister
Prudence Crandall, taught first desegregated classroom in USA
Fort Wetherill is a former coast artillery fort that occupies the southern portion of the eastern tip of Conanicut Island in Jamestown, Rhode Island. It sits atop high granite cliffs, overlooking the entrance to Narragansett Bay. Fort Dumpling from the American Revolutionary War occupied the site until it was built over by Fort Wetherill. Wetherill was deactivated and turned over to the State of Rhode Island after World War II and is now operated as Fort Wetherill State Park, a 51-acre (210,000 m2) reservation managed by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management.
In popular culture
Portions of several movies have been filmed in and around Jamestown, including Wind; Me, Myself & Irene; American General (PBS); Evening; Dan in Real Life; Moonrise Kingdom; and Irrational Man. The comic strip Wallace the Brave was created and drawn by Jamestown resident Will Henry and set in the fictional Rhode Island town of Snug Harbor, which is loosely based on Jamestown.
Notable people
Benedict Arnold, Governor; purchased land in Jamestown 1657, great-grandfather of the notorious turncoat Benedict Arnold
Brenda Bennett, musician and former member of Vanity 6, currently resides in Jamestown[21]
Charles L. Bevins (1844–1925), architect; lived in Jamestown
John Biddle (yachting cinematographer) spent his childhood summers here and later moved back to the island, living there until his death[22]
Eleanor Albert Bliss, bacteriologist; was born in Jamestown
Caleb Carr (governor), lived in Jamestown and was buried on the island
John A. Cloud, former United States Ambassador to the Republic of Lithuania, lives here
Dwight Dickinson, former United States Ambassador to Togo, lived here
Daniel Fones, leading Rhode Island military commander in King Georges War, was born and raised in Jamestown
Paul Housberg, lives here, a glass artist recognized for his use of fused and kiln formed glass as an architectural medium
Luke McNamee, four-star admiral and Governor of Guam, lived in Jamestown[23]
John Mecray, marine painter and co-founder of the Museum of Yachting, lived in Jamestown[24]
Jonathan M. Nelson, founder of Providence Equity Partners, built a home in Jamestown in 2009
Peter F. Neronha, the current Rhode Island Attorney General and former United States Attorney for the District of Rhode Island, was born, raised, and currently resides in Jamestown
William Trost Richards, landscape artist; lived and worked on the island from 1881 till death in 1905
Marla Romash, political consultant and pastry chef, currently resides in Jamestown[25]
James Taylor, musician; has a summer home in Jamestown[26]
Lincoln
The town was ranked #60 in Money Magazine's "Best Places to Live".
Rhode Island Red Hen
Little Compton
It is the birthplace of the Rhode Island Red Hen.
Rhode Island's only town common is located in Little Compton
Another distinctive feature of the town is the "Spite Tower" found in the village of Adamsville. Local lore claims that the tower was constructed to obscure the line of sight of a town local
Notable People
Awashonks (ca. 1620 - ca. 1684), female sachem of the Sakonnet tribe
Sydney Richmond Burleigh (1853-1931), artist
Captain Benjamin Church (ca. 1639 - 1718), military officer in King Philip's War
Christopher R. Hill (b. 1952), former Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs and United States Ambassador to Iraq
Henry Demarest Lloyd (1847 - 1903), muckraking journalist
J. William Middendorf (b. 1924), diplomat, civil servant, and artist
Arden Myrin (b. 1973), cast member of MADtv
Elizabeth Pabodie (1623 - 1717), daughter of John Alden and Priscilla Mullins, recognized as the first white girl born in New England
Abel Head "Shanghai" Pierce (1834 - 1900), a rancher and cattleman in Texas
John Simmons (1796-1870), clothing manufacturer and founder of Simmons College
Henry Tillinghast Sisson (1831 - 1910), Civil War hero, Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island, and inventor of the three-ring binder
Charles Edwin Wilbour (1833 - 1896), journalist and Egyptologist
Isaac Wilbour (1763 - 1837), Governor of Rhode Island, member of the United States House of Representatives, and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Rhode Island
Middletown
Notable People
Nicolas Cage - In August 2007, Cage purchased a home in Middletown titled the "Grey Craig." The 24,000-square foot, brick-and-stone country home, on 26 secluded acres, has 12 bedrooms, 10 full bathrooms and sweeping views of the Atlantic Ocean from its spot neighbouring the Norman Bird Sanctuary Wildlife Refuge. The sale ranks among the state’s most expensive residential purchases, eclipsed by the $17.15 million sale last December of the Miramar mansion on Bellevue Avenue in Newport.
Charlie Day of the television show It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia spent his childhood in the 1970s in Middletown.
Max Whitney, of his own fame, hails from Middletown. He now plays football for the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. On July 12, 2009, he made a notable rescue of 12 year old Tim Mitchell, who had been swept out to sea during a strong rip-current at Sachuest Beach. He was awarded a medal of honor by President Barack Obama on his visit to the Statehouse in Providence later that month.
The Towers is a historic structure located at 35 Ocean Road in Narragansett, Rhode Island, USA. It is the only remnant of the Narragansett Pier Casino built in the 1880s. On November 25, 1969, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Narragansett is mentioned in Chapter LI of Theodore Dreiser's The Titan.
Notable People
Karen Adams, television news anchor
Andy Boss, auto racing driver
Geoff Boss, auto racing driver
Peter Boss, auto racing driver
John Joseph Boylan, Roman Catholic bishop; died in Narragansett
Ruth Clifford, silent film actress; lived in Narragasnett
David Caprio, attorney and former state representative
Joe Faragalli, football player and coach; died in Narragansett
Steven Fulop, current mayor of Jersey City, New Jersey[19]
John Gardner, farmer and Rhode Island delegate to the Continental Congress (1789)
Harriet Lane, acting first lady of the United States for her uncle James Buchanan2
Donald Lally, former state representative
Ted Leo, indie rock musician; lives in Narragansett[20]
J. Howard McGrath, former United States attorney general (1949–1952) and governor of Rhode Island (1941–1945); died in Narragansett
Christopher Murney, actor
Peter Pezzelli, novelist
Jack Zilly, football player; died in Narragansett
North Smithfield
Peleg Arnold - delegate to the Continental Congress and Chief Justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court[8]
Jeff Jillson - National Hockey League player
David Rawlings - Guitarist with wife Gillian Welch
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the site of an important capture during the American War for Independence. Lieutenant Colonel William Barton of Rhode Island captured the British Commander at Rhode Island, General Richard Prescott there.
It is also the site of Rhode Island's only major battle in that war on Butt's Hill. Nearby Founder's Brook is said to have run red with the blood of fallen British soldiers on August 29, 1778.
During the Battle of Rhode Island the 1st Rhode Island Regiment, which comprised mostly African-American soldiers, served in the army of General John Sullivan
Notable People
Mike Cloud— NFL running back for the Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots, and New York Giants
Chris Cosentino— American chef and cast member of "The Next Iron Chef"
Helen Glover— cast member on Survivor: Thailand and host of the Helen Glover Show on TalkRadio 920 WHJJ
Patrick Kennedy— U.S. congressman for Rhode Island's First district
Ronald Machtley— former U.S. congressman, President of Bryant University
Nick Medley— MLB 2nd baseman for the Boston Red Sox
Deceased Ade Bethune (died 2002)—liturgical artist and Catholic Worker
Julia Ward Howe (died 1910)—author of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic"
Anne Hutchinson (died 1643)—founded colony of Rhode Island in 1638
Betty Hutton (died 2007)—American film actress and singer
Scituate
The Scituate Reservoir is the largest freshwater body of water in the state of Rhode Island
Scituate Art Festival
The Scituate Art Festival,[7] held every Columbus Day weekend since 1967, features over 300 artists and craftspeople displaying and selling their artwork in the picturesque New England village. Visitors number in the 200,000 to 350,000 range per festival. The Old Congregational Church grounds are used for part of the festival.
Esek Hopkins-Naval figure in Revolutionary War.
Stephen Hopkins (politician)-Governor of Rhode Island, Signer of the Declaration of Independence
Armand LaMontagne -prominent wood sculptor
William West-Revolutionary War General, Lt. Governor of Rhode Island, Chief Justice of Rhode Island.
Arthur Steere-prominent Rhode Island businessman and politician
James Burrill Angell- President of the University of Michigan, University of Vermont
Alice Howland- First librarian in Scituate and donated the land that is now the Hope Recreational Park.
Smithfield
Cyrus Aldrich - (1808-1871), born in Smithfield, United States Congressman from Minnesota[4]
Ronald K. Machtley -- Former U.S. Representative
Peleg Arnold- delegate to the Continental Congress.
Daniel Mowry, Jr.- delegate to the Continental Congress.
Arthur Steere- politician, businessman
Don Orsillo- Commentator for the Boston Red Sox on New England Sports Network(NESN)
David Wilkinson (machinist), co-builder of Slater Mill
Elizabeth Buffum Chace - (1806-1899) Influential American activist in the Anti-Slavery, Women's Rights, and Prison Reform Movements of the mid to late 1800s.
Brendan Ryan- Baseball player
Tiverton
Robert Gray, merchant sea-captain and explorer
Russell Warren (architect)
Paul Di Filippo science fiction author
Mika Seeger ceramic artist
Warren
Lou Abbruzzi, NFL football player
Pat Abbruzzi, All-Star Canadian football player, RI football legend
Luther Blount, Started Blount Marine, American Canadian Caribbean Cruise Lines and Bay Queen Cruises
Physician, American Revolution general, and Rhode Island Supreme Court justice, Dr. Joshua Babcock and Royal Governor and Chief Justice of Rhode Island Samuel Ward were born in
