CORNELL 
 
 UNIVERSITY 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
HISTORIC SPOTS 
 IN NEWPORT 
 
Cornell University 
 Library 
 
 :% 
 
 The original of tiiis book is in 
 tine Cornell University Library. 
 
 There are no known copyright restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924028840219 
 
HISTORIC SPOTS 
 
 IN NEWPORT 
 
 By 
 EDITH MAY TILLEY 
 
 Librarian Newport Historical Society 
 
 NEWPORT, R. I. 
 THE MERCURY PUBLISHING COMPANY 
 
 1914 
 
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Historic Spots in Newport 
 
 Although it is not given to all to see visions and dream 
 dreams, yet to the true lover of Newport and its history the daily 
 walk about town, far from being prosaic and uninteresting, is rich 
 and glowing with scenes and people of the past. At every step 
 one is confronted by houses and localities concerning which anec- 
 dotes might be told, and these few are noted here in the hope that 
 in the knowledge of their significance the wonderful inner vision 
 may be secured to many. 
 
 There is nothing now to remind one of the beginnings of our 
 town, the first settlement of which was made in 1639, in the 
 vicinity of Marlborough and Farewell Streets, on both sides of a 
 stream which ran down through Tanner Street, now West Broad- 
 way. 
 
 Governor William Coddington's house stood in Marlborough 
 Street, nearly opposite Duke, and the old water mill for grinding 
 corn was near the present site of the jail. 
 
 On the corner of Farewell Street is still standing the Nichols 
 House, which about 1739 became famous as the " White Horse 
 Tavern." 
 
 The first English house here was that of Governor Nicholas 
 Easton, on the easterly side of Farewell Street. This was burned 
 by Indians April 4, 1641. 
 
 Near this spot was a very early Friends' Meeting House, 
 some of the materials of which, it is said, were used in building a 
 part of the present one. 
 
 Almost opposite is the Coddington Burial Ground, where lie 
 several governors of the colony : Nicholas Easton, William Cod- 
 dington, William Coddington, Jr., Henry Bull, John Easton and 
 John Wanton. 
 
Washington Square 
 
 This was paved by the proceeds from a lottery in 1762. The 
 street leading up on the north was early called Queen's Street, 
 that on the south was Ann Street. On this square was the old 
 town school house, under which was the printing office of the 
 Widow Franklin, and in which a Latin school was established as 
 early as 1710. At the head of this square stands the building 
 formerly the State House, now used for a court house. This was 
 ordered built in 1738, on the site of the old Colony House, half of 
 which was removed to Broad Street, the other half to Prison 
 Street, now Colonial. 
 
 At the foot of the Square stands the old market house, de- 
 signed by Peter Harrison, on the land granted to the town by the 
 Long Wharf Trustees, on condition that the lower part be used 
 for a market, "and for no other use whatsoever imless it should 
 be found convenient to appropriate some part of it for a watch- 
 house," which was afterward done. At one time a theatre was 
 held here. Later this building was used entirely for city offices, 
 and is now rented out for business purposes. 
 
 The statue of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, in the little 
 park, was dedicated September 10, 1885, and stands nearly oppo- 
 site the old Seixas mansion, which Perry purchased shortly before 
 his death. This house was from 1795 to 1820 the place of 
 business of the Bank of Rhode Island. 
 
 The house on the corner of Clarke Street was the residence 
 of William Ellery, Jr., son of one of the signers of the Declara- 
 tion of Independence. 
 
 The house at the head of the Square, known as the residence 
 of the late Hon. William P. Sheffield, stands on the site of the 
 house once occupied by the father and grandfather of Commodore 
 Stephen Decatur. This house was removed to Charles Street. 
 
 On the corner of Charles Street, where now stands Odd 
 Fellows' Hall, "James Brooks, from England," in 1759, adver- 
 tised a tavern, " at the sign of the Right Honorable William Pitt, 
 Esquire, head (the house lately improved by Dr. Ellis), to enter- 
 tain gentlemen travelers." 
 
 Washington Square has been the scene of all sorts of meetings, 
 celebrations and festivities. From the balcony of the State House, 
 
in 1761, were proclaimed the death of George Hand the accession 
 of George III. There, in 1776, and again fifty years later, Major 
 John Handy publicly read the Declaration of Independence ; and 
 for many years the election of the Governor of Rhode Island was 
 declared from this balcony. 
 
 In 1769, the boats of the British sloop "Liberty" were 
 dragged up the Square to the other end of the town and there 
 burned. 
 
 The State House itself was used as a hospital during the 
 siege of Newport, and for various kinds of meetings, even as early 
 as 1695, when the Assembly ordered that it be used only for 
 " judicial and military affairs, and uot for any ecclesiastical pur- 
 poses oir uses of that nature." 
 
 In the old Senate Chamber is the well known Stuart portrait 
 of General Washington. 
 
 TOURO STiiEET 
 
 This was early called Griffin Street, and in many ancient 
 documents, "the street leading to the windmill." Here stands 
 the Jewish Synagogue, the oldest of its kind in America, dedi- 
 cated December 2, 1763. Rev. Isaac Touro, from whose family 
 this street received its present name, was the first rabbi who offi- 
 ciated there. His residence occupied the site of the present 
 Trinity Rectory. His sons Abraham and Judah were well known 
 philanthropists, and bequeathed large sums for the improvement 
 and support of the synagogue, Touro Park and the Redwood 
 Library. 
 
 The beautiful interior of the Synagogue is well worth seeing, 
 with its twelve Corinthian columns, the candelabra, and the sacred 
 ark, containing the ancient scrolls of the law. In 1780 the Gen- 
 eral Assembly met in this building. 
 
 Next to the synagogue are the rooms of the Newport Histor- 
 ical Society, open daily (except Sundays) from ten until four, 
 Saturdays until one. The Society is preserving the Seventh Day 
 Baptist meeting house, built in 1729, from whose pulpit in 1738, 
 Rev. John Callender preached the anniversary sermon, which was 
 published as " An Historical Discourse on the Civil and Religious 
 Affairs of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations 
 in New England in America from the First Settlement, 1638, to 
 
the End of the first Centur)'." Beside a good reference library 
 and collection of valuable manuscripts, the Society has on exhi- 
 bition many antiques and relics pertaining to general and local 
 history. 
 
 The house next to the Historical Society was probably built 
 after 1730 by Benjamin Barney and is said to have been occupied 
 at one time by the artist, Robert Feke. 
 
 At the head of Touro Street, corner of Kay, is the beautiful 
 Jewish Cemetery, whose deed dates back to 1677. Here are 
 buried many of the ancient Hebrews who were once an important 
 part of the community ; men of the highest integrity and schol- 
 arship. 
 
 Beixevue Avenue 
 
 From the Jews' Cemetery to Mill Street, this was once called 
 Jews' Street. Here stands the building of the Redwood Library, 
 whose collection of books was started in 1747 by a generous gift 
 from Abraham Redwood. In 1750 the building was erected on 
 land given by Henry Collins, from a design by Peter Harrison. 
 
 Touro Park, extending on Bellevue Avenue, from Mill to 
 Pelham Streets, was opened in 1854 by the generosity of Judah 
 Touro and other philanthropic citizens. In the park is the famous 
 old stone mill, described in the will of Governor Benedict Arnold, 
 1677, as "my stone built windmill." 
 
 Here also is the statue to Commodore Matthew Calbraith 
 Perry, brother of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, through whom 
 the ports of Japan were opened to America. Matthew Perry was 
 born in the house corner of Second and Walnut Streets, which is 
 marked by a tablet placed by the Newport Historical Society. 
 
 The statue of Rev. William EHery Channing was erected in 
 1881, facing the Channing Memorial Church, on Pelham Street, 
 and seeming to bless the people of his faith. Channing was born 
 in the house still standing on the corner of Mary and School 
 Streets, now the Children's Home. He married his cousin, Ruth 
 Gibbs, whose family resided in the mansion on Mill Street facing 
 the opposite side of the park, now the residence of Hon. Fred- 
 erick P. Garrettson. At the close of the Revolution, this house 
 was occupied by General Nathaniel Greene, who there entertained. 
 Baron Steuben and the Marquis de Lafayette. 
 
On the corner of Bellevue Avenue and Pelhain Street stood 
 the Atlantic House, a popular hotel which was, from 1861 to 1865, 
 used as the United States Naval Academy. The graduates during 
 these four years have become the last Rear Admirals of the Navy, 
 many being prominent in the Spanish War. 
 
 Nearly opposite, in the Griswold House, Admiral Farragut 
 was once entertained. 
 
 Pelham Street 
 
 This street was paved by the proceeeds from a lottery in 
 1772. Just below Touro Park is the late residence of Governor 
 Charles Van Zandt, formerly owned by Augustus Littlefield, in 
 the rear of which are the neglected graves of Governor Benedict 
 Arnold and his family. 
 
 Charles Handy owned land between Pelham and Bowery 
 Streets, being a part of the estate of Abraham Redwood. It is 
 said that Handy laid out several streets through this land , naming 
 them for his four sons, John, Levin, William and Thomas. 
 
 On the corner of Spring Street is the United Congregational 
 Church, dedicated in 1857, the second building on this site. The 
 first was a wooden building, dedicated m 1834, and removed when 
 the present stone church was built. This church society was 
 formed in 1833, by the union of the First and Second Congrega- 
 tional Churches. Rev. Nathaniel Clap was preaching here as 
 early as 1695, in a little building on Tanner Street, now West 
 Broadway, near Tilden Avenue. Afterward the First Society 
 erected the church in Mill Street, later the home of the Unitarian 
 Church, and now an auction room. The second Church met in 
 the building on Clarke Street, now used for the Second Baptist 
 Church. Its most noted pastor was Rev. Ezra Stiles, who was 
 ordained in Newport, in 1755. In 1778, he became President of 
 Yale College, which office he held until his death, May 12, 1795. 
 Rev. Samuel Hopkins, a distinguished divine, in 1755 became 
 pastor of the First Congregational Church, remaining in Newport 
 until his death in 1803. Dr. Hopkins published many discourses, 
 and was probably the first American minister to propound a scheme 
 for African colonization. A noted pastor of the United Congre- 
 gational Church was Rev. Henry J. Van Dyke, who was here 
 'from 1879 to 1882, when he was called to the Brick Church, New 
 York. 
 
On one of the corners of Pelham and Spring Streets stood the 
 old BHtish Guard House, and the Bannister house, on the north- 
 east corner, was occupied by General Prescott, in command of the 
 British Army during its occupation of Newport. John Bannister, 
 who owned this house, married Herraione Pelbani, daughter of 
 Edward, a grandson of Governor Benedict Arnold, from whom the 
 Pelham Street property, including the Old Stone Mill, was in- 
 herited. In 1756, a lookout was built upon the windmill, for the 
 use of which during the war the town paid ten pepper-corns a year. 
 
 On the southwest corner was Betsey Richards' candy shop, 
 dear to the hearts of the children. 
 
 Spring and a Few Cross Streets 
 
 Spring Street was at one time called Back Street, many of 
 the grounds of the early mansions extending back to this street. 
 
 In the house on the southwest corner of Mill Street, Jarties 
 Fenniniore Cooper wrote his " Red Rover," during a brief visit 
 here. 
 
 Trinity Church, on thfe corner of Church Street, or New 
 Church Lane, was built in 1726. The first rector who preached 
 in this edifice was Rev. James Honey man, for whom Church 
 Street was formerly called Honeyman's I,ane ; his residence being 
 at the foot, where Seabury's store now stands. Frank Street, on 
 the other side of the Church, was called Old Church Lane. 
 Among the famous divines who preached at Trinity Church was 
 Dean Berkeley, who came to Newport in 1728. Among its ben- 
 efactors were Nathaniel Kay , who lived next to the Jewish Ceme- 
 tery, and from whom Kay Street derives its name, and Jahleel 
 Brenton, of the family whose town estate extended from Spring 
 Street to the Harbor, and from Mary Street (then New Lane) to 
 Honeyman's property. 
 
 Church Street was opened after the erection of Trinity Church. 
 Not far from Thames, on the site of the house now numbered 32, 
 was the academy kept by John Fraser, a Scotchman, which for 
 many years ranked high as a classical school. 
 
 Farther up, where Kay Chapel now stands, was the old Mo- 
 ravian Church, called the Society of the United Brethren. Its 
 buiial ground was in the garden, north of the church, and accord-' 
 ing to the records, contained but five graves. Later, these re- 
 
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 From the old records of the town of Newport, taken away at the time of the British 
 Evacuation, and almost destroyed in a wreck at Hell Gate, October, 1779. Now being 
 restored under the direction of the Newport Historical Society. 
 
10 
 
 mains were interred in the common burial ground on Farewell 
 Street. 
 
 Opposite this church is the Dr. David Olyphant house, once 
 occupied by Samuel Vernon, later by Rev. Thatcher Thayer, 
 pastor of the United Congregational Church for whom is named 
 the school building next door, long used for the Rogers High 
 School . 
 
 Still farther up, on the corner of Bellevue Avenue, where 
 the Reading Room now stands, was a boarding house kept by 
 William Potter, who had been the proprietor of the Bellevue 
 Hotel on Catherine Street, at which many distinguished guests 
 were entertained. The Bellevue house was once a Brinley man- 
 sion, and in 1826, before it was fitted for a boarding house, was 
 leased by Charles Windsor, an Englishman, who, with his wife, 
 opened a school for instruction in lace making. In the autumn 
 of 1826, a lace dress, made at this school, received a premium at 
 the State Fair in Pawtucket and was soon afterward purchased 
 by President Adams, during his visit to Newport. 
 
 Returning to Spring Street, near the corner of Mary Street, 
 was " Polly Tilley's Shop," also dear to the children, which 
 Gov. Van Zandt's poem has made familiar to later generations. 
 Just around the corner on Mary Street, was the Chesebrough 
 house, later called the Champlin House, being the residence of 
 Christopher Grant Champlin. This fine old mansion, built 
 probably after 1720, was torn down to make room for the modern 
 and commodious Young Men's Christian Association building, 
 recently erected through the generosity of Mr. Alfred G. Vander- 
 
 bilt. 
 
 Opposite, on the corner of Clarke Street, is the house best 
 known as the headquarters of the Comte de Rochambeau, in com- 
 mand of the French Army, 1780. A former owner was Metcalf 
 Bowler, a merchant of note, and, in 1774, Speaker of the Rhode 
 Island Assembly. William Vernon, the next owner of the house, 
 was, in 1777, a member of the Naval Board, having in charge the 
 American Navy, the fitting out of privateers, and the sale of their 
 captures, etc. He was a representative of an old Newport family 
 and a well known collector of works of art. His house was evi- 
 dently one of the finest private residences, since it was selected as 
 the headquarters of the highest officer of the French forces. 
 
11 
 
 In March, 1781, General Washington visited Rochambeau at 
 this house, and there was planned that decisive campaign ending 
 with the surrender at Yorktown. This historic house has recently 
 been purchased and is preserved and used as a home for the Charity 
 Organization Society of Newport. 
 
 On the east side of Clarke Street, nearly opposite the church, 
 is still standing the parsonage of the Second Congregational 
 Church, occupied by Dr. Stiles from 1756 to 1776. 
 
 On the west side is the Armory of the Newport Artillery 
 Company, chartered February i, 1741. Under the command of 
 Col. Benjamin Fry, this company took charge of Fort Green, July 
 19, 1814, and there performed camp duty until February 23, 1815, 
 when the fort was turned over to the Government. In 1842, 
 during the Dorr Rebellion, the company twice responded to the 
 orders to proceed to Providence, and in 1861, when President 
 Lincoln called for volunteers, fifty-two of the sixty-five men in 
 the company enlisted. 
 
 The John Clarke Memorial Church, in Spring Street, is of 
 the Baptist denomination, named for its founder and first pastor, 
 John Clarke, who is also known as a founder of Newport, and 
 distinguished by his success in obtaining the charter of 1663 for 
 Rhode Island. John Clarke is buried in the little burial place on 
 Tanner Street, which was bequeathed by him to the Baptist 
 Church. The first Baptist meeting house in Newport was on 
 Tanner Street. This was sold in 1738, and a new edifice erected 
 on the Spring Street site, which since 1841 has been occupied by 
 the present building. 
 
 Nearby are the walls of the old Governor Bull house, which 
 for years was the oldest house standing in Rhode Island. This 
 was destroyed by fire December 29, 1912. 
 
 Polly Lawton, the Quaker Belle, lived on the corner of Touro 
 Street, now a fruit store. 
 
 Thames Street 
 
 This street extended from the head of the town, at first as far 
 as Cannon Street, and later to its present termination, which was 
 known as Mile End. At the head of this street, where it joins 
 Farewell, is the Liberty Tree Lot. In April, 1766, William Read 
 
12 
 
 deeded this lot, with the "Large Button Wood Tree" thereon, 
 to certain trustees. This tree was cut down by the British during 
 the Revolution, and a second tree was planted to replace it. A 
 third tree was planted in 1876, which stood until about 1896, 
 when the present tree was planted, a fern leafed beech, like the 
 famous one in front of the Redwood Library. At that time the 
 viewport Historical Society was made the trustee of the lot and 
 tree, the original deed of which is in possession of the Society. 
 
 At the foot of Washington Square stood a large house which 
 was occupied, in succession, by several physicians. Dr. 'i'homas 
 Rodman, who came from Barbadoes in 1680 ; his son. Dr. 
 Thomas, Jr.; Dr. William Hunter, who in 1756 delivered the 
 first lectures in this country on surgery and anatomy ; Dr. John 
 Haliburton, a Tory, who left Newport when suspected of secretly 
 communicating with the enemy ; Dr. Isaac Senter, Surgeon- 
 General of the Army in Rhode Island, who with Dr. Jonathan 
 Easton, Jr., and Dr. Benjamin Mason, took charge of the inocu- 
 n lation for smallpox at Coaster's Harbor Island, in 1792. Dr. 
 Benjamin Case and Dr. Daniel Watson were the last physicians to 
 reside in that house. 
 
 In the house opposite was the office of the Newport ' 'Gazette, ' ' 
 printed on the ' ' Mercury ' ' press by the British during their oc- 
 cupation of the town. After the evacuation, the publication of 
 the " Mercury " was resumed by Henry Barber, in the same house. 
 This newspaper was first printed in 1758 by James Franklin, 
 nephew of Dr. Benjamin Franklin. 
 
 The present Covell's block was the place of business of 
 Samuel Vernon, a prominent silversmith. 
 
 At the house of Jacob Richardson on Long Wharf, Talleyrand 
 spent several weeks, in the spring of 1794. 
 
 Not far below were the houses of the Governors Wanton, 
 William's, on the west side of Thames Street (now the Boston 
 Store), and John's, opposite, later occupied by James Horswell. 
 
 Christopher Champlin lived, in the house built by Samuel 
 Brenton, now a clothing store. His daughter " Peggy " was the 
 famous belle of Revolutionary days, who, with General Washing- 
 ton, opened the ball given in 1781 by the French officers, in Mrs. 
 Cowley's Assembly Room on Church Street. She afterward 
 
18 
 
 married Dr. Benjamin Mason, and lived in the house on the east 
 side of Thames Street, formerly owned by Philip Robinson, now 
 occupied by a market. Here Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry 
 was married to Dr. Mason's daughter, Elizabeth Champlin, and 
 before this house some years later, the funeral procession of the 
 hero halted, to wait for the family to take their places. 
 
 Next to the Mason house was an old building occupied in 
 1801 by John Nicolai, an Italian, whose daughter. Miss Eliza, 
 taught school in one of the stores on the front. After the death 
 of Nicolai, the house was bought by Henry Potter, who kept a 
 grocery store in the Dean house, nearly opposite, formerly owned 
 by Capt. Charles Handy. Both Handy and Silas Dean were en- 
 terprisiiig'merchants. 
 
 Opposite the Mason house (now a bakery) was the post office, 
 and residence of the postmaster, Benjamin B. Mumford. 
 
 On the corner of Pelham Street was Townsend's Coffee 
 House. Here were entertained lawyers, doctors, merchants and 
 army and navy officers, and, during election week, the members 
 of the General Assembly. Every evening, before the cheerful 
 fireplace, the very best men of the town assembled to discuss 
 matters of public interest. 
 
 Just around the corner on Pelham Street was the home of 
 David Melville, whose experiments with illuminating gas resulted 
 in lighting not only his house but the whole street, before even 
 London had begun to use it. In 1813, exhibitions of the lighting 
 were given at his house, for which each person paid twenty-five 
 cents admission. Later he succeeded in lighting Beaver Tail 
 Light in the same manner, and left an interesting account in his 
 own handwriting of his experiments. 
 
 Another coffee house, the Black Horse Inn, was situated near 
 the present Bowen's Wharf. 
 
 Francis Malbone lived in lower Thames Street. He made 
 several voyages to the Isle of France, after which he was elected 
 a member of Congress and died at his post in Washington. 
 
 The hood from the doorway of the Taylor or Ayrault House, 
 which stood at the corner of Thames and Ann Streets, is now 
 being preserved by the Newport Historical Society. 
 
 Before the Revolution there were seventy wharves in New- 
 port, extending to the harbor, from Thomas Robinson's on the 
 Point to Overing's, which was farthest south. 
 
14 
 
 At this time, too, there were sixteen manufactories of sperm 
 oil and candles, five rope-walks, four sugar refineries, (one of 
 which was Overing's) and twenty-two distilleries. Many business 
 places were situated on the wharves and nearby, on Thames 
 Street. In September, 1769, James Rogers had his tailor's busi- 
 ness at a shop in the house of Mr. Caleb Gardner, in Thames 
 Street, opposite to Dr. Hunter's, at the sign of the Freemason's 
 Arms. October 29, 1770, Nathaniel Bird had a store on Thames 
 Street, a little below Ferry Wharf, at the sign of the Golden 
 Head. August 15, 1774, Samuel Goldthwaite advertised his re- 
 moval from the Parade, to the house of Joshua Almy, in Thames 
 Street, adjoining John Bours, at the Golden Eagle, and opposite 
 New Lane. John and William Tweedy were the largest importers 
 of drugs in the American Colonies. Aaron Lopez, whose wharf 
 was nearly opposite the foot of Church Street, had thirty vessels... 
 Jonathan Nichols, whose wharf was near his house, on the 
 " Point," had at least sixteen. It is said that often a craft would 
 be forced to go the whole length of the range of wharves before 
 finding an empty berth at which to discharge its cargo ; and on 
 one day — a famous record day — eighteen West Indiamen arrived" 
 in Newport Harbor. 
 
 The Harbor of Newport has always been regarded as pecu- 
 liarly adapted for naval affairs, and, as long ago as 1764, a Britislr 
 navy yard was contemplated here. British engineers in 1773-4 
 made a minute survey of the bay and islands, with a view to es- 
 tablishing an extensive naval station, with ship yards, dry docks,, 
 hospitals and fortifications, but the completion of the work was 
 prevented by the commencement of the Revolution. In a letter 
 reporting favorably upon this project, the bay is spoken of as " an 
 excellent man-of-war harbor, affording good anchorage, sheltered 
 in every ' direction and capacious enough for the whole of His 
 Majesty's navy, were it increased four-fold." 
 
 In 1799, when the subject of a dockyard on the southern New 
 England coast was being discussed in Congress, Newport citizens 
 drew up a memorial setting forth the advantages of this port as a 
 naval station, and in 1800 representatives of the Government vis-r 
 ited the proposed site of the dockyard. At this time vessels of 
 the navy were frequently sent here for stores, and Newport mer-. 
 
15 
 
 cliants recommended that a store should be built on Goat Island, 
 where Fort Wolcott was erected. On this island, where the 
 Naval Torpedo Station is now located , a fort was erected as early 
 as 1702. This had been recommended in a report made in 1700 
 by the Lords of Trade to his Britannic Majesty. It was stated in 
 this report that " Rhode Island, being the most important place 
 on the southwest side of Cape Cod, is so situated as to be a very 
 convenient harbor for shipping and security to that part of the 
 country in case it were put in a state of defense." This early fort 
 was named Fort Anne ; later it was called Fort George, in 1785 
 Fort Washington and afterward Fort Wolcott. 
 
 In 1776, a fort, which was called the North Batt'ery, was 
 built on the site of the later Fort Greene, at the end of Washing- 
 ton Street, now Battery Park. To make room for this, the house 
 of Daniel Austin was removed. 
 
 Washington Street 
 
 This street, once called Water Street, is situated on the 
 "Point," one of the most delightful parts of Newport. At 
 one time the street was crowded with stores and lined with 
 wharves, and ornamented with fine mansions. Here on the west 
 side lived Henry Collins, a well known patron of fine arts. His 
 estate afterwards belonged to that prince of entertainers, George 
 Rome, and was confiscated during the Revolution, when Rome 
 became a Loyalist and refugee. 
 
 The Hunter house nearby was designed by Peter Harrison 
 for Deputy Governor Jonathan Nichols. After his death, 1754, 
 the house became the property of Col. Joseph Wanton, Jr., who 
 went away during the war, being a Loyalist, and Admiral de 
 Ternay, of the French Fleet, was quartered in the house. While 
 living there, he died, quite suddenly, and was buried in Trinity 
 Churchyard. After Wanton's death the estate became the 
 property of William Hunter. In the rear of this house was one of 
 the best wharves, with many stores, all of which were built by 
 Gov. Nichols. 
 
 The old Thomas Robinson house is still standing at the foot 
 of Poplar Street, and has never been out of some branch of the 
 Robinson family. 
 
16 
 
 The South wick house is interesting. Here died Solomon 
 Southwick, the patriotic publisher of the "Mercury," who, in 
 1769, adopted the motto, " Undaunted by tyrants, we'll die or be 
 free." At onetime there was a tradition that some of Captain 
 Kidd's money was buried in the cellar ; anotlier tradition says 
 that Kidd once lived in a house on Franklin Street. 
 
 Another interesting house is on the west side, where lived 
 Captain Thomas Brownell, who went with Commodore Perry to 
 Lake Erie. 
 
 Other streets on the "Point" are interesting. The "un- 
 fortunate Hannah Robinson," who married her music teacher, 
 Peter Simons, lived on the North side of Bridge Street, near 
 Thames. 
 
 A Few Historic Spots on the Outskirts 
 
 Near Tonomy Hill was the Godfrey Malbone mansion, which 
 in 1766 was destroyed by fire. His town house was in Thames 
 Street, the present Cottrell Block. 
 
 During the Revolution a line of intrenchments, some of 
 which were begun by the Americans, but strengthened by the 
 British, ran from Coddington's Cove to Bliss Hill, at Green End, 
 which latter is in Middletown, just beyond the Newport line. 
 The Bliss Hill and Coddington's Point forts are still in a remarka- 
 ble state of preservation, and remains of those on Honeyman's 
 and Tonomy Hills may still be seen. At the foot of the present 
 Narragansett Avenue, at the Cliffs, a strong redoubt was con- 
 structed, which has now entirely disappeared. Another line of 
 defense crossed Kay Street, not far from Rhode Island and 
 Cranston Avenues. 
 
 Many more historic spots might be noted, and countless tales 
 related. These have seemed to me worth while, and in these 
 hurried twentieth century days, when ancient landmarks are fast 
 disappearing, an occasional reminder may be needed, "Lest we 
 forget. " 
 
Cornell University Ubrary 
 F 89N5 T57 
 
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