#AtoZ Stay Home! Wear a Mask! “J” is for JERUSALEM

It seemed appropriate this year to feature a theme that kept me close to home, so I give you my A to Z within the small acreage that is Rhode Island. I tried to be creative (you’ll see!) but I hope you learn something about Little Rhody, too. Whether you’ve lived here all your life, grew up within the boundaries, or have never set foot on one of our many beaches, come along for a virtual tour.

Jerusalem, as you would know from my “G” post, is a fishing village in the town of Narragansett, and across the channel from Galilee.

Jerusalem might be a village in the town of Narragansett, but it is not attached to any other part of Narragansett by land; its only land border is with Matunuck (‘Mah-TOON-uck’), which is in South Kingstown. Although Jerusalem is not technically in the town of South Kingstown, SK provides fire and police service.

You’ll also know how Jerusalem got its name by reading my “G is for Galilee” post from a few days ago. It’s a tiny place, and probably its most famous road is Succotash Road.

In 1935, the U.S. Public Works Administration constructed two piers and dredged a 35-acre portion of harbor just inside the entrance to Point Judith Pond. Those improvements would be of tremendous help to the state’s fishing industry. But the destructive Hurricane of 1938 ravaged the area, destroying 125 of the 150 houses that were situated in Galilee.