Great Road Historic District
National Register of Historic Places

Great Road Historic District

Lincoln, Providence County, Rhode Island
Listed
July 21, 1974
Type
District
Period
Colonial
Ref No.
74000051

About this property

The Great Road Historic District is a historic district in Lincoln, Rhode Island, commemorating a portion of Rhode Island's oldest highway, dating back to 1683. Great Road served as the main connection between Providence, Hartford and Worcester during colonial times. The district includes a 0.6-mile (0.97 km) section of the road, which winds along the Moshassuck River between a junction with Breakneck Hill Road and another with Front Street. Notable historic properties along this stretch of road include the National Historic Landmark Eleazer Arnold House, a stone-ender built in 1687, which is now a museum operated by Historic New England, the 1812 Moffett Mill, the Israel Arnold House, and Hearthside, the 1810 home of Stephen Smith, who established the adjacent Butteryfly Mill in 1811. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

Location

Lincoln, Providence County, Rhode Island
41.90704, -71.42876

Categories

INDUSTRYAGRICULTURETRANSPORTATIONARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Everything a full report reveals about Great Road Historic District

This page lists Great Road Historic District. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Hearthside
Industrial
0.1 mi
Arnold, Israel, House
Industrial
0.2 mi
Arnold, Eleazer, House
Colonial
0.5 mi
Saylesville Meetinghouse
Colonial
0.7 mi
Blackstone Canal
Industrial
1.2 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Bunker Hill – Rhode Island contingent
1775Revolutionary War
5.7 mi

Questions about this property

When was Great Road Historic District listed on the National Register?

Great Road Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 21, 1974.

What type of historic resource is Great Road Historic District?

Great Road Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Great Road Historic District?

The period of significance for Great Road Historic District is recorded as the colonial era, specifically around 1683.

Can I research the history near Great Road Historic District?

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