National Register of Historic Places

Saunderstown Historic District

North Kingstown, Washington County, Rhode Island
Listed
July 18, 1985
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
85001647

About this property

Saunderstown is a small village and historic district spread across the four towns of Narragansett, South Kingstown, Exeter and North Kingstown, Rhode Island, United States. It was named in honor of John Aldrich Saunders, a member of the Saunders family. Saunderstown has its own post office with the ZIP Code of 02874, which also includes a small part of South Kingstown. Its population is 6,245. Saunderstown is known as the birthplace of artist Gilbert Stuart, who is best known for painting the portrait of George Washington that is portrayed on the one-dollar bill. The Gilbert Stuart Birthplace and Museum consists of the house in which Stuart was born, a nature trail, and a functional gristmill, and is now open to the public as a museum. Saunderstown is also the location of Casey Farm, an 18th-century plantation that is now a family farm. The farm grows organic vegetables, herbs, and flowers in a Community Supported Agriculture Program. It is operated by Historic New England. Saunderstown is largely rural and is home to 6,245 people at a population density of 412 people per square mile. The racial makeup is 96.1% white, 0.4% black, 1.1% Asian, 1.2% Hispanic, and 0.2% other. Saunderstown has a median household income of $135,514. The Saunderstown Historic District encompasses a section of Saunderstown which developed as a boatbuilding center and summer resort area in the late 19th century. It is centered on Ferry Road, Willett Road, and Waterway, between Boston Neck Road and Narragansett Bay. In addition to being home to a number of shipyards, several owned by members of the Saunders family, the area also became noted as a summer resort, hosting Benoni Lockwood and Frances Willing Wharton (a cousin to writer Edith Wharton), as well as the architect and artist Christopher Grant LaFarge, son of the artist John La Farge. This area is mainly residential, with wood-frame houses one or two stories in height, with vernacular styling. Non-residential buildings include a country store, recreation center (which was formerly a fire barn), and the Saunderstown Post Office, which was built in 1902 as a Baptist church. National Register of Historic Places listings in Washington County, Rhode Island

Location

North Kingstown, Washington County, Rhode Island
41.50841, -71.42195

Categories

COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENTENTERTAINMENT/RECREATION
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 Saunderstown Historic District

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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

Casey, Silas, Farm
Listed
0.4 mi
Narragansett Baptist Church
Industrial
1.1 mi
Dutch Island Lighthouse
Early Republic
1.3 mi
Stuart, Gilbert, Birthplace
Colonial
1.4 mi
Pierce, Joseph, Farm
Industrial
1.5 mi

Questions about this property

When was Saunderstown Historic District listed on the National Register?

Saunderstown Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 18, 1985.

What type of historic resource is Saunderstown Historic District?

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

What is the period of significance for Saunderstown Historic District?

The period of significance for Saunderstown Historic District is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Saunderstown Historic District?

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