8 Undisturbed Towns To Visit In Rhode Island

Rhode Island, being the smallest state in America and a former British colony, has quite a few unspoiled small towns to visit that will thrust you back into history and give you an appetite for modern beauty. This island state was the first state to declare independence from the British Empire on May 4, 1776—a few months before the Declaration of Independence was signed. Since then, many of the towns to visit in Rhode Island have prospered into thriving American communities—although a handful have retained their cultural English ties and preserved many exquisite colonial buildings. Regardless of how small most of these towns are in this small state, these undisturbed towns to visit in Rhode Island will not waste your days and nights, nor will they disappoint with their memorable attractions and historical tidbits to learn from.

Westerly

When colonists from England settled on Rhode Island near the Pawcatuck River, they built a small town they called Westerly in the year 1661. Over the years, this impeccable location near the state border of Connecticut has connected visitors to a number of scenic and photogenic locations for you to enjoy. Among these panoramic loci are Block Island Sound, accessible vis-à-vis the Misquamicut State Beach and the Napatree Point Conservation Area. Then, there are vast swathes of wilderness to gallivant through at Burlingame State Park, the Woody Hill Management Area, and Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge. More importantly, at The Westerly Armory, where The Westerly Band, one of the oldest active community bands in America, often plays, you listen to a number of musical scores that almost harken to Westerly’s English foundations. If you wish to spend a longer time in Westerly, then you ought to purchase a room at one of Westerly’s welcoming abodes like the Pleasant View Inn, The Hotel Maria, or Ocean House.

Narragansett

Narragansett, named after the Narragansett Native Americans who were widespread throughout Rhode Island, is an amicable and unspoiled small town close to scenic areas like the John H. Chafee National Wildlife Refuge, Hazard Rock, and East Matunuck State Beach. Only about 30 miles south of the city of Providence, you can go wading at the Narragansett Town Beach or peruse a plethora of seafood restaurants at the Roger Wheeler and Salty Brine, both of which are at the Port of Galilee. The Towers stands as a Victorian-style building that serves as a remarkable venue for local performances and even weddings. Finally, Narragansett’s quaint lodgings, such as the Aqua Blue Hotel, the Scarborough Beach Motel, and The Break Hotel, will certainly keep you safe and satisfied in your blissful slumber in this small town in Rhode Island.

Tiverton

Tiverton, near the state of Massachusetts and right between the cities of Newport and Providence, is a humble little dwelling place that earned its freedom through grit and gunpowder. When the American Revolutionary War transpired in Tiverton in the year 1778, the locals of Tiverton participated in the Battle of Freetown on May 25 around the same year. The townsfolk also accommodated dozens of wounded American soldiers for three years who fled from the British occupation of Rhode Island proper, now known as Aquidneck Island.

Additionally, they gathered enough manpower to stage a staggering military push against the British Empire that liberated this one colony out of the original thirteen. The Tiverton Four Corners houses a handful of 18th-century buildings that survived the American Revolution. Similarly, you can also find a few historic structures at Fort Barton and Ft. Barton Woods. If your interest in history wanes, you can always go exploring in some of Tiverton’s gallant outdoors, such as Audubon Emilie Ruecker Wildlife Refuge, Sapowet Marsh, and Weetamoo Woods & Pardon Gray Preserve.

Foster

Approximately 20 miles east of Providence, the fun town of Foster will have you fostering a new understanding and appreciation for the New England atmosphere in Rhode Island. Whether you are sauntering through the dense and untamed woodland areas close to the border of Connecticut or traversing the only covered bridge in all of Rhode Island, the Swamp Meadow Covered Bridge, Foster does not disappoint in spite of its small and simplistic stature. A Bee's Buzz, one of the best buildings in Foster, exhibits a gallery of antiques and delicacies made from Foster’s markets. Elsewhere, travelers can tour the Nickle Creek Vineyard for its vintage offerings. Armed with wine or food or whatever is in store in Foster, you can experience the main highlight of the town—the forested regions of Jerimoth Hill, Killingly Pond State Park, Pulaski State Park, Ponagansett River Corridor, and many more. Let the spirit of adventure whisk you away throughout Foster’s fantastic foliage.

Middletown

The so aptly-named Middletown which is in the middle of Portsmouth and Newport on Aquidneck Island entreats newcomers with a bevy of attractions. One can charter a ferry to Prudence Island, home to the Prudence Island Lighthouse and the panoramic Jenny's Creek Shellfish Management Area and Pebble Beach. Moreover, one can go exploring at both the Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge and Sakonnet River Shellfish Management Area for more sights of Middletown’s outdoors.

The Norman Bird Sanctuary shelters many of the avian species that make their nest in Middletown. Then at the Greenvale Vineyards, you can sample exquisite wine from Middletown’s industry. Close to Middletown is Portsmouth’s Newport Car Museum as well as Newport’s Gilded Age summer manor known as The Breakers if you are interested in either. Last but not least, you can always return neat and tidy at The Sea Breeze Inn or the Newport Beach Hotel & Suites should you get weary from all the traveling in Middletown.

Little Compton

About a few miles north of Tiverton, the small town of Little Compton sits placidly beside the Sakonnet River. Little Compton was formerly a settlement of the Sakonnet people, who were often called Sogkonate, Seconit, and Seaconnet, which all roughly means “black goose comes.” Awashonks, the cousin of Metacomet, who was more commonly referred to as King Philip, was the chieftain of Little Compton before the settlement was given to the early settlers a year after King Philip’s War.

The Wilbor House, built in 1692 by Samuel Wilbore, is one of the few buildings that retained its image over the years. These days, the Wilbor House serves as a headquarters for the Little Compton Historical Society. On the other hand, you will find over 57 historic cemeteries in Little Compton where individuals like Colonel Benjamin Church, one of the founders of Little Compton, rest in peace. Visitors are free to take photographs at the Sakonnet Lighthouse, the South Shore Beach, and the Sakonnet Garden. More importantly, they are always welcome to sleep at places like the Stone House Inn.

Jamestown

Visitors can find Jamestown on Conanicut Island, the second-largest island in Narragansett Bay. Right between the town of Narragansett and the city of Newport, Jamestown thrusts visitors to the uninhabited areas of Dutch Island and Gould Island as well as some of Conanicut Island’s landmarks like the Windmill Hill Historic District and the Beavertail State Park where a former military barracks can be admired. Even more of the past can be seen at the Watson Farm, where Native Americans and early pioneers and colonists tilled and toiled in the land. You might also fancy exploring the Beavertail Lighthouse Museum, the Rose Island Foundation, and Plum Beach Light to shed more light into history. Better yet, you might feel inclined to engage your muscles by trekking through Fort Getty Park, Fort Wetherill State Park, and Sunset Beach. Either way, you will have a merry and memorable time in Jamestown.

Wickford

The village of Wickford, north of North Kingstown and named after another town in Essex, England, first started out as a robust fishing community in the year 1709. A Historic Walking Tour allows visitors to immerse themselves into Wickford’s fishing heritage. Similar to other towns in Rhode Island during the American Revolution, Wickford became a haven for Newport citizens escaping the wrath of war. At Wickford Village specifically, you can admire the oldest, well-preserved colonial village in the US that has survived the Revolutionary War and even the American Civil War.

The Old Narragansett Church, also known as Saint Paul’s Church or Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church, is believed to be the oldest Episcopal church building in the Northeastern United States. An area known as Cocumscussoc that borders Narragansett Bay was once an ancestral homeland of the Narragansett Native Americans and an old trading post in the late 1630s. Then there is the Gilbert Stuart Museum, the 1750s home of one of America‘s best-known portraitists, Gilbert Stuart, and his family. There are plenty more amenities to seek out in Wickford, so have a wicked and wonderful time in this unbothersome small town.

Preserving History and Nature in Rhode Island's Small Towns

Many historians claim that the American Industrial Revolution began when Samuel Slater introduced his water-powered cotton mill in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, in 1790. Since then, many undisturbed towns to visit in Rhode Island have benefited one way or another from the growing industries and inventions of many an American genius. Whether you are seeing the historic villages of Wickford and Tiverton or marveling at the unchanged sublimity of nature around Foster and Narragansett, you will doubtlessly feel a sense of American patriotism from a state that freed itself from a foreign power. Make sure you do not disturb the humble and amicable tranquility of these unspoiled destinations worth visiting on Rhode Island.