Gardner's Neck in Swansea in Bristol County, Massachusetts — The American Northeast (New England)

Bourne Garrison King Philip's War

Bourne Garrison House Site Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by G.W.Bartlett, August 6, 2025

1. Bourne Garrison House Site Marker

Inscription. The Site
of
Bourne Garrison
King Philip's War
June - 1675

Erected 1909 by Swansea Historical Society. (Marker Number HA-16;902.)

Topics and series. This memorial is listed in these topic lists: Notable Places • Wars, US Indian. In addition, it is included in the King Philip's War 1675-1676 series list. A significant historical month for this entry is June 1675.

Location. 41° 43.741′ N, 71° 11.9′ W. Memorial is in Swansea, Massachusetts, in Bristol County. It is in Gardner's Neck. It is at the intersection of Gardners Neck Road and Milne Avenue, on the left when traveling south on Gardners Neck Road. Touch for map. Memorial is at or near this postal address: 770 Gardner's Neck Road, Swansea MA 02777, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this memorial is in Greater Providence.

It is also in the American Northeast

and in New England.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Swansea Navy Veterans Memorial (approx. 1.3 miles away); Mason Barney School Cupola (approx. 1.3 miles away); Operations Desert Shield - Desert Storm Veterans Monument (approx. 1.3 miles away); Henry C. Cousineau EOI U.S.N.R (approx. 1.3 miles away); Swansea's Vietnam Veterans Memorial (approx. 1.3 miles away); Veterans' Memorial Green (approx. 1.3 miles away); Swansea World War II & Korean Conflict Veterans Memorial (approx. 1.3 miles away); Swansea World War Honor Roll (approx. 1.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Swansea.

More about this memorial. The Permanent Marker is a Large White Quartz Boulder accompanied by a wooden descriptive sign.

Regarding Bourne Garrison King Philip's War. This is one of four locations (the others are Myles Garrison House, Early Warren and the start of King Philips War, and Hugh Cole's Well) which mark where King Philip's war began in in June 1675. The war lasted until August 1676.

Jared Bourne, the owner of the garrison house that was located here, was the manager of the Brenton properties on what

Bourne Garrison King Philip's War Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by G.W.Bartlett, August 6, 2025

2. Bourne Garrison King Philip's War Marker

the Indians had called Mattapoisett Neck (now Gardner's Neck), which William Brenton of Newport, RI had purchased from King Philip of the Pokanoket/Wompanoags in 1664. His house was fortified as a garrison when the Indians initiated hostilities with vandalism. When a vandalizing Indian was shot and killed, the war began. As the violence erupted, the settlers in the area initially took refuge in the garrison, but were evacuated before it was burned to the ground by the Indians.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker.

Also see . . .
1. King Philip's War (Wikipedia). (Submitted on August 20, 2025, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut.)
2. Bourne Garrison Site - Swansea Historical Society. (Submitted on August 20, 2025, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut.)
3. King Philip's War & the Colonial Contact Period in Warren, RI.

Sixteen men and fifty-four women and children are believed to have sheltered in the Bourne Garrison at the outbreak of King Philip's War

(Submitted on December 8, 2025, by G.W.Bartlett of Hingham, Massachusetts.)

4. History of Swansea Massachusetts - The Bourne Garrison House.

Paid Advertisement

Many years ago Gov. Bourne, of Bristol, R. I., accompanied by a Mr. Miller, gave me a call, and after a word of introduction humorously asked if I could tell him what happened in this section of the town three hundred years ago...

(Submitted on May 11, 2026, by G.W.Bartlett of Hingham, Massachusetts.)

Additional keywords. Bourne Garrison House Pokanoket Wompanoag Indian Indians Swansea

Credits. This page was last revised on May 20, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 15, 2025, by G.W.Bartlett of Hingham, Massachusetts. This page has been viewed 315 times since then and 125 times this year. Last updated on December 8, 2025, by G.W.Bartlett of Hingham, Massachusetts. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 15, 2025, by G.W.Bartlett of Hingham, Massachusetts. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.