9 Close-Knit Towns to Visit in New England
New England—a region on the East Coast of the US composed of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut, and Rhode Island—is home to some of the most close-knit towns worth visiting this year. There are mysteries aplenty in Rhode Island where the Lost Colony has rarely been found and where well-praised towns like Westerly and Jamestown exemplify the state’s island wonders. There are historical charms and mementos to discover in New Hampshire and destinations in the state of New York that are a far cry from the often noisy chaos the big cities create. There are several more close-knot towns to visit in New England that will expand your awareness of the US and give you a better appreciation of the interconnectivity and community these towns embody.
Westerly, Rhode Island
Westerly, close to the border of Connecticut, is one of the oldest towns in Rhode Island since its founding by immigrants from England in 1661. Along the Pawcatuck River, travelers can find a number of well-preserved edifices such as The Westerly Armory, now the modern-day home of The Westerly Band which is the oldest active community band in America. Out on the Block Island Sound, you can tour the expansive areas of both the Misquamicut State Beach and the Napatree Point Conservation Area. Additionally, you can go strolling and sauntering through the Burlingame State Park, the Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge, and the Woody Hill Management Area. Finally, get yourself acquainted and accommodated by the warm lodgings of either the Pleasant View Inn, The Hotel Maria, or Ocean House.
Jamestown, Rhode Island
Jamestown is the main town on the second largest island in Narragansett Bay, Conanicut Island. There is a plethora of activities and landmarks for you to savor around Jamestown and in Conanicut Island. For example, one can tour other neighboring and smaller islands such as Dutch Island and Gould Island. Within Conanicut Island, you will find the mortal enemies of Don Quixote at the Windmill Hill Historic District. On the other hand, you will find historic barracks and military structures at the Beavertail State Park.
For those of you eager for more exploration, you can always take leisurely walks through Sunset Beach, Fort Getty Park, and Fort Wetherill State Park. Most importantly, you can see how farmers used to toil the fields of the past at Watson Farm. In contrast, other places like the Rose Island Foundation, the Beavertail Lighthouse Museum, and Plum Beach Light will give you both a spectacular view of the land and a good glimpse into history. Much to see and much to do in the mesmerizing small town of Jamestown.
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Beside the state of Maine on the Piscataqua River lies the small town of Portsmouth. Only about an hour away from Boston, Massachusetts, this small town served as an essential port for tugboats going down the Piscataqua River within the 17th- and 18th-centuries. The Strawberry Banke Museum chronicles the period when Portsmouth was the first capital of New Hampshire. More importantly, you will get to see costumed staff members doing performances and plays of how Americans used to live in the second oldest settlement in New Hampshire since 1623.
Elsewhere, the USS Albacore Museum features a decommissioned Albacore submarine, while Fort Stark State Historic Site showcases structures that have withstood both the American Revolutionary War and American Civil War. At St. John’s Church, you can find an old pipe organ from 1708, while at the Odiorne Point State Park you will find the Seacoast Science Center where one can learn all about the beauty of biology. For those of you enthused to see Portsmouth, you should first book a room in places like the Wentworth by the Sea, Martin Hill Inn, or Sheraton Portsmouth Harborside.
Peterborough, New Hampshire
Peterborough has experienced various transitions of war in America’s hectic history. From the French and Indian War to the American Revolution for which Peterborough’s townsfolks fought in the Battle of Bunker Hill in 1775, you will be astounded by the amount of American patriotism this close-knit town has upheld for the US. Those who fought in the Battle of Bunker Hill are interred at the Old Street Road Cemetery; one of them happens to be the drummer boy of Lexington, William Diamond.
In the War of 1812, another of Peterborough’s local sons, James Miller, rose to become the Hero of the Battle of Lundy’s Lane. In 1814, he was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for protecting Miller State Park, New Hampshire’s oldest state park. Even Nathaniel Hawthorne, a renowned American author, described James Miller in The Scarlet Letter’s Introduction as being “New England’s most distinguished soldier.” These days, travelers can go exploring at the largest artist colony in America since 1907, the MacDowell Colony, go traipsing through the Monadnock State Park, or spend their fine evenings in establishments like the Riverhouse.
Skaneateles, New York
Skaneateles is a small town that takes its name from the Skaneateles Lake, one of the eleven lakes of the Finger Lakes. Based on the Iroquois word meaning “long lake,” Skaneateles Lake sits at a 863-feet elevation above sea level, hence why this particular lake is called “the Roof Garden of the Finger Lakes.” The eponymous town contains a number of memorable attractions beside the second cleanest lake of the Finger Lakes—and one of six natural water sources in the US. Among these attractions are the Bahar Nature Preserve and Carpenter Falls, both great places for panoramic photography and to admire some of the indigenous wildlife in the state of New York. You can tour a handful of Revolutionary Era buildings along Genesee Street, while the Skaneateles Historical Society & Research Center elaborates on Skaneateles’ involvement in the American Revolutionary War. Last but not least, you ought to keep yourself safe and comfortable in resplendent abodes like the Finger Lakes Lodging, Hobbit Hollow House, or Sherwood Inn.
Auburn, New York
Auburn, located on Owasco Lake, will burn forever in your memories long after you leave the town’s cheerful confines. Even a poet named Oliver Goldsmith adored the town, describing it as “The loveliest village in the plain, where health and plenty cheered the laboring swain,” in the poem “The Deserted Village.” It is best known as the hometown of Harriet Tubman, a member of the abolitionist movement who freed over 700 slaves during the American Civil War and who became the first woman to organize an armed force for the Combahee Ferry Raid. The Harriet Tubman National Historical Park explains more about Harriet Tubman’s past, while other historic structures like the Case Research Lab talks about the inventions of Theodore Case, specifically the invention of sound film that developed film industries and titans like 20th-century Fox. Last but not least, at the Seward House Museum, you can learn all about the Secretary of State, William Seward, who served President Abraham Lincoln during his term in office. For accommodations, look no further than to the Holiday Inn Auburn-Finger Lakes Region, Inn at the Finger Lakes, or the Hilton Garden Inn Auburn.
Old Saybrook, Connecticut
The Nehantic and Pequot Native Americans, part of the Algonquin-speaking indigenous group in Connecticut, once had a settlement along Connecticut’s Gold Coast and beside the Connecticut River. But when immigrants from the Netherlands purchased land in the area, they established a lasting and more modern community now known as Old Saybrook. Over the years, Old Saybrook has retained its close-knit towns and Dutch heritage with a number of historic buildings like the General William Hart House, home of a renowned general who fought in the American Revolution. More of Old Saybrook’s monumental contributions to the war can be found at the Fort Saybrook Monument Park. Meanwhile, destinations like the Ferry Landing State Park and Harvey’s Beach are excellent and riveting locations for you to enjoy both Old Saybrook’s coastal scenery and see flocks of herons and ospreys that are prevalent in the area. Should you ever get exhausted from all the traveling, you can always retire to laidback lodgings like Saybrook Point Resort & Marina or the Pier Blue Inn.
Westport, Connecticut
About 52 miles away from New York City in the state of Connecticut, the welcoming port town of Westport provides a bounty of beautiful attractions beside the Saugatuck River. Founded by five Bankside farmers in the year 1648, Westport was thrust into the world scene for its filmic settings for which TV and movies like Billions, American Housewife, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, The Stepford Wives, and more were filmed. For decades, Westport has been one of the most close-knit communities in Connecticut, and whether you are watching mesmerizing performances at Levitt Paviliion or gallivanting through Cockenoe Island and Sherwood Island State Park, you will undoubtedly feel connected to this small Connecticut town beside the Saugatuck River. Admire the remains of British cannons at Compo Beach, and sleep well and dreamily in resplendent abodes like The Inn at Longshore.
Kittery, Maine
Kittery, the first town in Maine since the year 1647, was originally called Amiciskeag by the Native Americans in Maine, which in Algonquin meant “fishing point.” When it became a major plantation, it was turned into Piscataqua Plantations. Later on, it was renamed into Champernowne’s after local pioneer Captain Francis Champernowne until it finally became Kittery Court or Kittery. Throughout these transition periods, Kittery has been a major fishing town due to the abundance of fishes at the Isles of Shoals, Kittery Point, and Badger’s Island.
The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard on Seavey's Island has been a site of naval history—among the historic figures who operated the shipyard was General William Whipple, who fought Battle of Saratoga and was also one of the people who signed the Declaration of Independence. The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard also serviced the American fleet during World War II. Elsewhere, places like Appledore and Smuttynose Islands are rumored to contain the lost treasures of renowned pirates like Captain Kidd and Blackbeard. So if you are intrigued by this small town in Maine, you ought to book a room in either The Kittery Inn and Suites or The Water Street Inn.
Experience something new in one or all of the six states composing New England. Where the original 13 colonies broke away from the British Empire and forged the influential nation of the US, and where your new adventures and vacations can begin, New England does not disappoint with its many close-knit towns to visit this year. Between a town like Kittery in Maine where both the present and the past come alive, and in recognizable destinations like Westport in Connecticut that showcase the sentimental and seminal beauty of a laidback Americana town, these communities have continued to be amicable and loyal to each other ever since the American Revolutionary War. So open your calendar for a chance to go on a long vacation in some of the most close-knit towns to visit in New England.
