TOWN OF WARWICK
Important Features of the Towns - Town Organization - Protection Laws Against the Indians - Land Grants - Highways - Town House - List of Town Clerk - Town Officers. - Schools - Pawtuxet - Rocky Point - The Buttonwoods - Oakland Beach - Shawomet Baptist Church - Apponaug and Coweset Shore, Industries, Churches, etc. - Crompton, its Early Manufacturing, Stores, Churches, etc. - Centreville - Arctic, its Industries and Churches.
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     Coves. - Pawtuxet, Occucpessatuxet or Spring Green, Old Mill, Warwick, Horse Neck, Brush Neck, Apponaug, Passconuquis or Patiunco, Mud, Turtle, Coweset Bay.
     Necks. - Potowomut, Warwick, Horse, Brush, Arnold's.
     Rocks. - Sally, Potowomut, Crack, Flat, Longmeadow, Round, Drum, Mark, Wakefield Ledge, Atwood Ledge, Hunt's Ledge, Gould's Ledge, Barron Ledge.
     Points. - Conimicut, Namquid, called Gaspee since June 10th, 1772, Chopaquanset, Rocky Wood, Cedar Tree, Sandy, Marsh, Long.
     Islands. - Chepiwanoxet, Greene's, Marsh, Rock.
     Swamps. - Warwick Great, Cedar.
     Fort. - At Old Warwick Cove (siege of 1643), Greene's stone castle at Old Warwick, residence of Thomas Greene and descendants, 1660 to 1795.
     Trees. - At Buttonwood Beach, a tree that gave name to the place; Black Ash, back of town house; Buttonwood on the Briggs place, Coweset road.
     Indians. - The Cowesets were tributary to the Narragansetts, and there were several etty branches of this tribe, whose seats were known and pointed out years ago by the late Chief Justice Brayton.
     Historic. - Spring Green was once the home of John Greene, Jr., John Brown and John Brown Francis; House at Potowomut, in which General Nathanael  Greene was born; Inscription on a stone found at Pastuxet, on Cole's farm, near Cole's Station; "Here lieth the bodie of Sara Tefft interred March 16, 1642."  The Governor Greene house was the center of social life and the seat of political wisdom during the revolutionary period.
     The Providence & Stonington railroad passes through the central portion of the town, affording excellent facilities for communication with the southwestern towns, Connecticut and the West.  The Providence, Hartford & Fishkill railroad passes through the northwestern corner of the town and enteres Coventry on the central line between the two towns.  The Pawtuxet valley and Pontiac branches form a junction with this main road, the former at or near River Point and the latter near the north line, where the Providence, Hartford & Fishkill railroad enters the town.  The Warwick railroad was chartered in 1873, and subsequently built and run from Old Warwick along the eastern border of the town and formed a junction with the

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     The following is a list of the inhabitants of the town previous to June 5th, 1848*  "Rufus Barton, Hend. Townsend, Chris. Unthanke, Ezek. Holliman, Jo. Lipet, Richard Townsend, Peter Greene, Tho. Thorncraft, James Greene, Thomas Greene, Steuk. Westcot, Mr. Jo. Smith, Mr. Nic. Hart, Mr. Walter Tod, Jo. Cooke, John Greene, Jr., Robert Westcott, John Sweete, John Townsend, Peter Burzecott, John Downinge, Edward Inman,
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     * For list of the twelve purchasers of Warwick see general history.

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James, Sweete, John Durbin, Thomas Erington, George Palmer, Amos Westcote, John Garreard, John Hayden, Mr. Robert Coles, John Potter.
     Lots of land, generally of six acres, were set off to these persons, but no formal deeds of these lands were made until 1650.  Mr. Holliman, Mr. Warner and Henry Townsend were appointed a committee "to draw up a forme for recording of lands and makinge each man a deed and appoint ye Clarke shall be paid for his pains and so men are to repaire to the Clarke and he to do it."
     It will be seen from the above that the inhabitants of the town were comparatively few in number, while the natives were numerous; and because of the Indians who disregarded their rights owing to the disfavor shown them by Massachusetts, the settlers of Shawomet and Pawtuxet were constantly apprehensive of an outbreak.  In view of this state of affairs John Smith assistant, in behalf of the town, Sept. 7th, 1648, sent a letter to the New England comissioners complaining that the Indians had killed their cattle and committed other acts of violence, and requested their advice on the subject.  The commissioners wrote to the sachems "advising them to abstain from such conduct."  The Indians took no notice of the advice, as they knew well they need not, and the year following the town authorities wrote again, but with no better result.
     Feb. 22d, 1652, it was "ordered to adjourne the meetinge and forthwith to repair to the house of John Warner, where Thomas Avington dwells, and there being mett orderly, it was ordered by the Towne that henceforth their place of meeting be at the house of John Warner aforesaid Thomas Avington consenting thereto and the said Thomas Avington is to have twelve shillings for the use of the house; and this to bee until see cause to alter it."
     April 5th, 1653, the two following orders were placed upon record:  "Ordered that two men shall watch every day (a guard against the Indians) until they shall see cause to alter it."  "Ordered that the watch shall consist of eight men, any order formerly notwithstanding."  So great were their fears of an outbreak from the Indians, that on Mar. 22d, 1652, Samuel Gorton, Randall Holden, and ten others made a proposition to sell out and remove from the region.
     May 2d, 1653, it was ordered that "Randall Holden, Richard

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Townsend, Stuckely Wascote, James Sweete, Christopher Hauxhurst and John Cole are appointed to agree with the Indians about Nausaucot and their way about fencinge in their fields."  An appropriation of £12, 10s. was subsequently made on report of the committee to pay the Indians for fencing their lands.

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     The lots of the middle division were assigned as follows:  The

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1st to Rufus Barton 2d, Ezekiel Holliman; 3d, Francis Weston; 4th, John Smith; 5th, Randall Holden; 6th, John Greene, senior; 7th, John Smith - Sweet's; 8th, John Smith; 9th, Henry Townsend; 10th, John Wickes 11th, Stukely Westcott; 12th, John Greene, Jr.; 13th, Richard Carder; 14th, John Warner; 15th, Richard Waterman; 16th, Robert Potter; 17th, Samuel Gorton.

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      TOWN CLERKS.  A list of the town clerks of Warwick from 1647 to the present time:

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     TOWN OFFICERS. -

     SCHOOLS. -

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     PAWTUXET VILLAGE -

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     ROCKY POINT.

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     THE BUTTONWOODS. -

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     James Green, Sr., too up his residence at Potowomut upon lands that have continued in possession of his descendants.  He married Deliverance Potter, daughter of Robert Potter for his first wife, and Elizabeth anthony, of Rhode Island, for his second, Aug. 3d, 1665.  He died April 27th, 1698, at the age of 71.  His will devising his estate, and duly witnessed by Anne Greene, Pasco Whitford and William Nickols, bears the date March 22d, 1698.
     His son James, residing at Nausocket, died March 12th, 1712, at the age of 52.  His will is dated the day before his death; after committing his "soul unto ye hands of ye only True God, and Blessed Redeemer, Jesus Christ, in and through whom I hope to obtain mercy and forgiveness of my manifold sins and Transgressions, and to be received by him into his everlasting kingdom," he provides that "his loving wife Mary Greene," shall have half of his house and farm during her life, which upon her decease was to go to his son James; the other half was given to his son Fones Greene, with legacies to his remaining seven children.  Fones Greene died July 29th, 1758, at the age of 67.  He gave his "mansion house and the westernmost part of my homestead farm together with all the buildings" to his son James.  Captain James Greene, the oldest of the six children of Fones, was a member of the Baptist church in Warwick for upward of sixty years.
     The Warwick town farm consists of one hundred and eighty acres at the Buttonwoods, where the dependent people of the town are furnished a home.  In June, 1883, Gardner B. Slocum took charge of this farm as superintendent for the town, and has since then filled his position.  He was born in North Kingstown in 1832, where his father Joseph and his grandfather Joseph resided.  He married Susan A. Sheffield of Westerly.  George W. and Silas E. Slocum, both heads of families, are their sons.

     OAKLAND BEACH. - This place has become noted as a summer resort since the year 1873.  The grounds comprise about one hundred and sixteen acres, with numerous shade-trees, and were well laid out, and furnished with a variety of attractions for excursionists.  The hote, built in 1873, is a commodious three-storey building of sufficient capacity to accommodate one hundred boarders.  The place is at the terminus of the Warwick railroad.

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     With its various objects of attraction, the place has already succeeded in rivalling Rocky Point in the numbers that flock from every direction during the season to enjoy brief seasons of relaxation.  The grounds have been tastefully laid out.  An artificial pond, spanned by two rustic bridges has been excavated, and winds gracefully about the grounds, supplied by water from the sea at high tide, over which a fleet of boats are constantly passing.  Here, too, are the flying horses and the shooting galleries and the dizzy swings, etc., and that which seems to be the special attraction to many, the clam dinners, when scores of bushels of the bivalves, roasted upon the hot stones, find their way to the hungry mouths of the excursionists.

     SHAWOMET BAPTIST CHURCH -   The earliest settlers of this town, viz.: John Greene, Richard Waterman, Francis Weston, Ezekiel Holliman, William Arnold, and Stukely Westcott, in 1639, in Providence, united with six others in church relations, and agreed to support in faith and practice the principles of Christ's doctrine.  These six men were among the first settlers of the town, and from that time to this there has always been religious worship in the town.

 

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     APPONAUG AND COWESET SHORE - No permanent settlement was made in this part of Warwick until 1696, when John Micarter, of Providence, erected his fulling mill on Kickemuit brook.  There is reference in the early records of 1663, to "Aponahock" and later to "Aponake."  The word in the Indian tongue signifies, "an oyster."  Williams writes it "Opponenauhack."  Apponaug Cove in former times was much deeper than now.  An arm of the cove that extends up in the rear of where formerly stood the old Baptist meeting house is known by the name of Paw Paw Cove.  Sloops of fifteen tons burden found no difficulty in those earlier times in entering the cove and landing at the wharf of Jacob Greene & Co.

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     Business was established here in June, 1796, when John Stafford erected a mill for the grinding of corn and other grains at or near the bridge; the grant being given by an act of the general assembly which provided that the "mill dam be made and erected with suitable waste gates for venting the superfluous water, and in such a manner as not to back the water or otherwise injure the mills of Mr. Caleb Greene," and also provided "that the said John Stafford shall make and leave open at all proper times a suitable passage not less than sixteen feet wide in the said dame for the passage of rafts and boats up."
     It was followed by a cotton mill, run by a company, of which Captain Caleb Greene, father of Mr. Albert D. Greene, was the agent.  The mill was of three stories, shingled on all sides, and remained until about the time the Print works went into operation.  There was also a saw and grist mill in operation near by, for some years.  Just in the rear of Mr. Benjamin Vaughn's house, was a small building used for the carding of wool, which was brought in by the neighboring farmers, and when carded was carried home and spun for use.  It was run a part of the time by a Mr. Manchester, and also by the Wilburs.  Mr. Wilbur, father of the late Colonel Peleg Wilbur of Washington village, had a store in the village in the year 1800 and afterward, in which he sold dry and West India goods, and in one part was kept the usual supply of New England rum.  It is said there were not less than seven of these variety stores at one time, and seveal taverns, all of which kept liquor for sale at retail.  The old Wilbur house still stands on the east side of the street, leading toward Greenwich.  Jacob Greene, brother of General Nathanael Greene, had a store out in the water, off against Mrs. Remington's lot, for convenience, perhaps in unlading merchandise from the sloops that entered the harbor.  The water surrounded it.  One of the oldest houses, and perhaps the first framed house in the village, stands next north of Mr. Atwood's hotel.
     Early in the present century, sloops and schooners were built here, and one ship is remembered as also having been built.  Trade was carried on the neighboring ports to a considerable extent.  Jacob Greene & Co. here shipped their anchors from their forge in Coventry, and received their coal and black sand.
     On two of the four corners in the heart of the village were hotels or taverns, on the southeast a blacksmith shop occupied by Gideon Congdon who died very suddenly, and on the south

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was formerly used for a grocery store, and for the past twelve years for a millinery and dry goods store.
     Mr. O. P. Fuller, B. A., in his excellent history of Warwick, speaking of some of he old residences and important personages in this part of the town, says:
     "In reaching this point we have passed the palatial residence of Amasa Sprague, Esq., at the old Ladd watering place, the most costly dwelling house, probably, in the town; with its extensive and beautiful lawns and shrubbery.  To the southward and not far from the site of the old Indian burial ground, is the pleasant residences of the late Deacon Moses Wightman formerly owned and occupied by the late Reverend Doctor Crane and long known as the Oliver Gardiner house.  On the hill the massive stone, dwelling-house of Alfred A. Read, Esq., vying, in architectural beauty, with the Sprague house, to the northward, and overlooking Narragansett Bay and the surrounding country.  On the corner of Division street and the road leading to Apponaug is an old house occupied during the first decade of the present century and for many years by John Mawney, who was postmaster for many years in the adjoining village.

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Q. Adams; treasurer, William James Richardson; permanent secretary, Benjamin Hill.

     ST. LUKE'S CHURCH, APPONAUG. -

     WARWICK CENTRAL FREE WILL BAPTIST CHURCH, APPONAUG. -

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     OLD EPISCOPAL CHURCH. -

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     OLD BAPTIST CHURCH AT APPONAUG. - At a church meeting held at Old Warwick, of which Elder Manasseh Martin was pastor, Dec. 6th, 1744, Benjamin Peirce and wife, Ezrikham Peirce and wife, Edward Case and wife, John Budlong, and such others as wished to form a church at the Fulling Mill, of the same faith and order, were granted leave.  Several members

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     COWESET

     CROMPTON. -

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     William Rice, of whom this land was purchased, bought 127 acres in this vicinity of Nicholas and Isaac, sons of Henry Matteson, June 4th, 1779.  It is said that William Rice also owned one of the shares in this company, the one not accounted for, but the company objected to his name going upon the records of the town in this affair, being apprehensive of embarrassments.

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     Jonathan Tiffany had charge of the mills about ten years.  After sundry conveyances Mr. Pitman took possession in January, 1819.

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     WARWICK AND COVENTRY BAPTIST CHURCHES. -

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     CROMPTON SIX PRINCIPLE BAPTIST CHURCH. -

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     CATHOLIC CHURCH. - The "Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel," a small frame church, was erected in 1844.  It was under the charge of Reverend James Gibson.  Father J. P. Gibson is in charge at the present time.  The present church building in Crompton was erected in 1886.  Father William H. Curley is assistant rector.  The Church of St. James was organized at Birch Hill in 1870.

     ST. PHILIP'S CHURCH, CROMPTON. -

     CENTREVILLE.  The exact time when the first settlement was made at this point is unknown, but it was probably previous to the year 1700, as the Wecochaconet grant of 2,100 acres was made in 1692.  Fuller says:

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    BANKS. -

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     STORES. -

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     SCHOOLS AND TAVERNS. -

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     METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH. -

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Woodward.  It is not large, but it has, nevertheless, a vigorous tendency upward.

     ARCTIC. -

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trade.  Joseph Le Moine & Son have carried on undertaking here since 1875.  Albert Tyler has been engaged in the mercantile business at North Centreville since 1884.  H. D. Shepard built his hotel in 1874.

     Chase's Monthly Advertiser was started in January, 1886.  It had a gratuitous circulation, but the advertisements furnished by the business men of the village supported it handsomely.  It is a four column folio work neatly executed on Mr. Chase's job press, run by steam.  Mr. Isaac F. Chase, the proprietor, began job printing in River Point in April, 1867, and in Arctic in 1874.  He established his circulating library in 1867.
     North Centreville is sometimes termed Arctic.  The most prominent among those doing business here is Robert Forsyth.  He was born of Scotch parents in the state of Connecticut in 1830.  He has resided and been in business here since 1882, when he bought the site and erected the grist mill at North Centreville.  He subsequently put in the machinery there now in use, and added to the feed and grain business his present trade

     FRENCH CATHOLIC CHURCH. -

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     The Societe St. Jean Baptiste De Centreville was organized March 15th, 1885, and was incorporated January 12th, 1886.  Doctor Legris, one of the founders, is its president, and under his administration the society has flourished from the first.  The membership consists exclusively of the resident French people.