What to do and see in , Washington County: The Best Historic Sites

May 13, 2022 Merry Kessler

Discover the best top things to do in , United States including Watch Hill Merry Go Round & Beach, Gilbert Stuart Museum, Smith's Castle, Windmill Cottage, Casey Farm, Wickford Village, Varnum House Museum, Nathanael Greene Homestead, Church Hill Tunnel, Varnum Armory Museum.
Restaurants in South County

1. Watch Hill Merry Go Round & Beach

151-153 Bay St, Watch Hill, Westerly, RI 02891-5746 +1 401-388-8136 [email protected] http://www.merrygoroundbeach.com
Excellent
76%
Good
16%
Satisfactory
4%
Poor
2%
Terrible
2%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 140 reviews

Watch Hill Merry Go Round & Beach

Restored carousel which is a National Historic Landmark.

Reviewed By NancyAnne67

Just how I remember as a child. My kids loved it. They are beautifully maintained and it's good old fashioned fun.

2. Gilbert Stuart Museum

815 Gilbert Stuart Rd, North Kingstown, RI 02874-2911 +1 401-294-3001 [email protected] http://www.gilbertstuartmuseum.org/
Excellent
73%
Good
26%
Satisfactory
2%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 62 reviews

Gilbert Stuart Museum

Birthplace of George Washington's foremost portraitist. Located on 23 acres, the Gilbert Stuart Birthplace and Museum contains the authentically restored and furnished 1750home and snuff mill where Gilbert Stuart was born. The Museum has the working Stuart snuff mill, an operating gristmill, fish ladder, millpond, nature trails, and colonial herb garden. Our handicapped accessible art gallery contains original works by Stuart, his daughter Jane Stuart, and changing exhibitions of notable Rhode Island Masters.

3. Smith's Castle

55 Richard Smith Dr, North Kingstown, RI 02852-4414 +1 401-294-3521 [email protected] http://www.smithscastle.org/
Excellent
48%
Good
41%
Satisfactory
11%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 27 reviews

Smith's Castle

America's oldest surviving plantation house.

Reviewed By lynnmJ8784EI

Something for everyone! Beautiful setting, walking trails with signs explaining the sights, three historic gardens, Early Colonial Military history (Great Swamp Fight and King Philip’s War) Roger Williams Trading Post, 18th century Northern Plantation, Rhode Island’s path to statehood, exposed Architectural details, Early commercial large scale diary. So much to see, learn and enjoy! Tours led by knowledgeable docents in Colonial dress.

4. Windmill Cottage

144 Division St, East Greenwich, RI 02818-2911 +1 401-884-3790
Excellent
50%
Good
50%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 2 reviews

Windmill Cottage

This private home was purchased in 1866 by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow for his friend G.W. Greene.

5. Casey Farm

2325 Boston Neck Rd, North Kingstown, RI 02874-3820 +1 401-295-1030 [email protected] http://www.historicnewengland.org/property/casey-farm/
Excellent
62%
Good
38%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 13 reviews

Casey Farm

This mid-eighteenth century homestead overlooking Narragansett Bay was the center of a plantation that produced food for local and foreign markets. Casey Farm was the location for a skirmish with the British that left its mark on the farmhouse. Starting in the mid-nineteenth century, the Casey family began to improve the farm and lease it to tenant farmers. In 1955, they donated their ancestral home to Historic New England. Today, farm managers raise organically grown produce for a Community Supported Agriculture program. A weekly Saturday morning farmers' market from May to October offers products from other local farms and artisans. The site provides a perfect setting for educational programs, including field trips and summer camps. Guided tours between June 1 and October 15 include the farmyard and cemetery, where six generations of Caseys are buried.

6. Wickford Village

7 W Main St, North Kingstown, RI 02852-5111 +1 877-295-7200 http://www.wickfordvillage.org/
Excellent
60%
Good
29%
Satisfactory
8%
Poor
1%
Terrible
2%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 248 reviews

Wickford Village

Wickford Village is located in North Kingstown, RI. It is comprised of Brown Street, Main Street & West Main Street. Established in 1709, Wickford Village provides picturesque waterfront streets lined with one-of-a-kind shops featuring jewelry, housewares, clothing and more. You’ll also find galleries, antique shops, cafes and restaurants nestled amongst beautifully maintained churches, colonial homes and gardens. Have a boat? Tie up to the town dock while you explore our village.

Reviewed By TravelinSuz - Chandler, United States

I love this quaint little village. It’s the perfect place in Rhode Island. There’s a harbor, yummy restaurants, cute shops, and lovely historic homes. The rune stone that’s believed to be inscribed by Vikings is there. Mostly I just love hanging out here.

7. Varnum House Museum

57 Peirce St, East Greenwich, RI 02818-3338 +1 401-884-1776 http://www.varnumcontinentals.org/
Excellent
63%
Good
38%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 8 reviews

Varnum House Museum

It was 1773 when James Mitchell Varnum purchased a large plot of land overlooking Greenwich Bay in East Greenwich, RI, for the sum of $90. Varnum, a gifted 24 year-old lawyer, did not buy the property solely for the view, but also because it sat behind the Kent County Courthouse (now East Greenwich Town Hall) where the most powerful and influential colonial leaders frequently met. As a prominent figure in the Revolutionary War and early-American politics, Varnum attracted a “who’s who” of guests to his mansion including George Washington, Marquis de Lafayette, Rochambeau, John Sullivan, Nathanael Greene, and many others. This house museum contains numerous historical artifacts ranging from the late 17th century through the mid 19th century. The Varnum House Museum is open format, meaning that very few exhibits are behind glass or ropes. It is as if you’re touring the house as it appeared in the late 18th century! The Varnum House Museum’s exhibits focus on early American furniture, household items, musical instruments, children’s toys, documents, paintings, and much more. Some of the more impressive exhibits include a 1690 officer’s chair, a 1794 pianoforte made by William Frecker of London, a miniature punch bowl gifted from General Lafayette to Varnum as a housewarming present, and General Varnum’s own desk. A very unique aspect of the house’s exhibits is the large number of historical items sourced from the Far East, including China, Japan, Persia (now Iran), and more. This includes Chinese punch bowls and dinner ware dating to the 18th century, hand-carved ivory sewing kits, hand-painted Chinese wallpaper dating to the early 19th century, and Persian reverse-glass paintings dating to the 18th century.

8. Nathanael Greene Homestead

50 Taft St, Coventry, RI 02816-5314 +1 401-821-8630 http://www.nathanaelgreenehomestead.org/
Excellent
47%
Good
38%
Satisfactory
9%
Poor
0%
Terrible
6%
Overall Ratings

4.0 based on 32 reviews

Nathanael Greene Homestead

Reviewed By N421GFjanes - Coventry, United States

General Nathanael Greene was a major and important part of the Continental Army and George Washington's right hand man. He is not as well known as he should be and the traveler will learn much about him at his home in Coventry. This is the original house and has been restored and maintained by a private organization. You will learn a great deal about the American Revolution and how Greene helped win it. Recommended.

9. Church Hill Tunnel

401 N 18th St, Richmond, RI 23223-6321
Excellent
0%
Good
100%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.0 based on 1 reviews

Church Hill Tunnel

10. Varnum Armory Museum

6 Main St, East Greenwich, RI 02818-3827 +1 401-884-4110 [email protected] http://varnumcontinentals.org/our-museums/varnum-memorial-armory/
Excellent
60%
Good
13%
Satisfactory
13%
Poor
7%
Terrible
7%
Overall Ratings

4.0 based on 15 reviews

Varnum Armory Museum

The Varnum Armory Museum includes representative examples of weaponry, uniforms and artifacts dating from colonial America and through the 20th century. Among the more unusual items: a functioning 1883 Gatling gun, a Civil War era James Conversion six-pound rifled cannon, and a collection of more than 600 American and foreign patriotic and propaganda posters from World Wars I and II. Visitors can view a variety of militaria including vintage sabers, flags and banners, a rare Revolutionary War leather helmet worn by a Rhode Island artillery officer at the Battle of Long Island and firearms ranging from colonial flintlock pistols and muskets (including a British carbine captured at the Battle of Saratoga) down to automatic weapons from World Wars I and II. Among the latter is a German Maxim machine gun and a Browning water-cooled .30 caliber machine gun, both from WWI. The museum's unique displays offer scholars, students and history buffs a visible timeline of the evolution of weaponry and related materials, both American and foreign.

Reviewed By tubaphone52 - Pawtucket, United States

I had such an easy time communicating with them and viewing the space, they were able to answer all my questions and were very accommodating of my needs. And when the day of my wedding came, a docent happened to be on site and very happily gave tours to some of my wedding guests, while we set up the room for the reception. it was a bonus i was happy for. The price was a steal and the venue was the perfect unique touch I was looking for

ThingsTodoPost © 2018 - 2024 All rights reserved.