On Beavertail Road, on the right when traveling south.
Below this concrete cap sits the stone foundation Beavertail's 1749 lighthouse.
Initially built to provide safe passage into Newport's colonial harbor, it was designed and built by Peter Harrison, "America's first architect," who later . . . — — Map (db m56457) HM
Near Battery Lane west of Beavertail Road, on the left when traveling west.
Rhode Island Rebels
In the early 1770's — even before the Declaration of Independence — Narragansett Bay was the scene of frequent confrontations between the British Navy and Rhode Islanders. The British aggressively enforced their . . . — — Map (db m312031) HM
On Beavertail Road south of Clarkes Village Road, on the left when traveling south.
The first assistant keeper at Beavertail Light was hired about 1859. It appears that the early assistant keepers shared part of the keeper's quarters or lived in one of the outbuildings on site.
In 1898, the U.S. Lighthouse Board added this . . . — — Map (db m88631) HM
On Beavertail Road 1.1 miles south of Clarkes Village Road, on the left when traveling east.
The Beavertail Lighthouse Museum
welcomes visitors to the site of America's Third Oldest Lighthouse
Est. 1749
Originally built in 1898 for the assistant keeper, this restored house is now operated as a museum sponsored . . . — — Map (db m311885) HM
On Beavertail Road 1.1 miles south of Clarkes Village Road, on the left when traveling east.
The Beavertail Lighthouse Museum
welcomes visitors to the site of America's Third Oldest Lighthouse
Est. 1749
This building built in 1898 for the Assistant Keeper and the adjacent built in 1856 for the Lighthouse Keeper. These restored . . . — — Map (db m311886) HM
On Beavertail Road 1.1 miles south of Clarkes Village Road, on the left when traveling east.
The Beavertail Lighthouse Museum
welcomes visitors to the site of America's Third Oldest Lighthouse
Est. 1749
This building built in 1856 for the Lighthouse Keeper and the adjacent building built in 1898 for the Assistant Keeper. These . . . — — Map (db m311987) HM
Conanicut Battery
A Revolutionary Fort
Built by Americans in 1776
Grounds cleared and tablet placed by the Daughters of the American Revolution of Rhode Island — — Map (db m56383) HM
Near Battery Lane 0.2 miles west of Beavertail Road, on the right when traveling south.
Conanicut Battery
On Prospect Hill
A National Historic Site
In this National Historic Site are lasting relics of Jamestown's past and America's heritage.
⚓
Circa 1400
Evidence of a native American . . . — — Map (db m312030) HM
On Beavertail Road south of Clarkes Village Road, on the left when traveling south.
In 1829, Congress appropriated $1,250 for a 600-pound fog bell for Beavertail. Prior to that time the keeper fired a cannon on foggy nights. That same year a fog bell house was built adjacent to the tower.
Beavertail has probably seen more . . . — — Map (db m88667) HM
On Fort Getty Road 0.7 miles west of Beavertail Road, on the left when traveling west.
Inception
Fort Getty was built between 1901 and 1905, one of several forts built in response to an 1886 report by William Endicott, President Grover Cleveland's Secretary of War, detailing the country's vulnerability to attack from the sea. . . . — — Map (db m312034) HM
On Fort Wetherill Road, on the left when traveling south.
Situated atop 50-70 foot high cliffs with clear views of the horizon and Block Island to the south. Fort Wetherill held an important strategic position within an extended harbor defense system of Narragansett Bay during World Wars I and II.
The . . . — — Map (db m189619) HM
On Beavertail Road south of Clarkes Village Road, on the left when traveling south.
The current tower was built in 1856 to replace a deteriorating 1753 structure.
The granite tower rises to a height of 40.9 feet and measures 10 feet on each side. It is constructed of 27 rows of granite blocks, weighing a total of 180 tons. . . . — — Map (db m88666) HM
The Harbor Mine or Torpedo Complex was constructed during the period of 1908 to 1911 as part of a comprehensive harbor defense system for Narragansett Bay. The two-story concrete structure served as a Mine Storage Warehouse in which the parts . . . — — Map (db m56683) HM
On Beavertail Road south of Clarkes Village Road, on the left when traveling south.
1678
Town of Jamestown is incorporated. There are about 150 residents.
1705
Jamestown Town Council orders that a Watch House be built at "Beaver Tail."
1712
Jamestown Town Council . . . — — Map (db m88673) HM
On Fort Wetherill Road, on the right when traveling east.
Historically, the rocky cliffs behind and above the buildings of the Harbor Mine Complex were of military significance to Rhode Island's earliest colonists, who built earthen fortifications on its headland and installed cannon to protect nearby . . . — — Map (db m242649) HM
On North Road north of Weeden Lane, on the right when traveling north.
The current Jamestown mill was built in 1787, shortly after the American Revolution. It is wind-powered and was used primarily to grind dried kernels of white flint corn, also called "Indian" corn, into cornmeal for human consumption and into . . . — — Map (db m312036) HM
On this site stood the East Ferry freight shed, waiting room, office and ferry slips. For 294 years, ferries carried passengers, livestock and goods between Jamestown and Saunderstown to the west and Newport to the east. It was the oldest . . . — — Map (db m311981) HM
On North Road north of Weeden Lane, on the right when traveling north.
Jamestown Windmill
has been placed on the
National Register
of Historic Places
in 1973
by the United States
Department of the Interior — — Map (db m312035) HM
Near Beavertail Road south of Clarkes Village Road, on the left when traveling south.
Although most lighthouse keepers were married, at many small lighthouses they lived a solitary life while their families remained on the mainland. Beavertail, being on Conanicut Island, allowed the keepers and their family to live at the site. . . . — — Map (db m88672) HM
This large flat stone with the narrow circular channel and a spout carved in it is believed to be a leaching stone. Similar stones were used to make cider, but the channels were wider and deeper.
A leaching stone was used to extract, or . . . — — Map (db m312038) HM
On Narragansett Avenue east of North Road, on the left when traveling east.
Memorial
to the veterans
of
Jamestown, Rhode Island
who served in the
Spanish - American War
World War One
World War Two
The Korean War
The Vietnamese War — — Map (db m88699) WM
Beavertail Light was lit with whale oil for many decades. Whale oil was smoky, hard to light at cold temperatures, and the quality varied greatly. In addition, early lights were dim and burned twenty to thirty gallons of oil a month.
In the . . . — — Map (db m56679) HM
On North Road north of Weeden Lane, on the right when traveling north.
The Jamestown mill is a three-story octagonal tower with a domed cap, or bonnet, that rotates to bring the sails, or arms, into the wind. Its horizontally sloping sides are made of hand-hewn chestnut shingles on the outside.
The Milling . . . — — Map (db m312037) HM
This area along the crest of Prospect Hill was an integral part of the Narragansett Bay coastal defense system from 1916 to 1945. From here, military observers had an unobstructed view of the approaches to the Bay, as well as East and West passages . . . — — Map (db m56678) HM
On this Island of Conanicut known previous to 1636-38 as Quinungate, was the summer camping ground of the Narragansett Indians. Here met Chief Canonicus and Roger Williams and made an alliance between the Narragansett and Mohegan Indians with the . . . — — Map (db m311573) HM
On Conanicus Avenue at Narragansett Avenue, on the right when traveling north on Conanicus Avenue.
Dedicated to the veterans of Jamestown whose patriotic and honorable service in our nation's wars and conflicts is remembered by a grateful community.
Colonial wars •
Revolutionary War •
War of 1812 •
Mexican War •
Civil War • . . . — — Map (db m311983) WM
On Beavertail Road south of Clarkes Village Road, on the left when traveling south.
You are looking at the West Passage, one of two entrances to Narragansett Bay, New England's largest estuary. There are over 30 islands in the bay. There is very little commercial shipping in the West Passage since it is much shallower than the . . . — — Map (db m310857) HM
On Beavertail Road south of Clarkes Village Road, on the left when traveling south.
What resembles a submarine on the surface just over a mile southwest of this point is all that remains of the Whale Rock Lighthouse.
Whale Rock is a flat ledge about a half acre in size, yet it claimed at least eight ships and six lives . . . — — Map (db m88648) HM
