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.
Thanks to the Coventry Historical Society, the little village of Summit, a stop on the Providence, Hartford, & Fishkill railroad line, survives. Summit is one of many little villages within Coventry, a town in western Rhode Island that covers sixty-two square miles.
Back in the 1860s, Summit had a church and five white houses, a library, and the general store you see pictured above. It added a saw mill, a grist mill, a blacksmith shop, and a comb factory as more houses were added. Back in the 1700s, it was known as Perry’s Hollow, and the name “Summit” signified a high point on the rail line. The Coventry Greenway bike path, built along the old rail line, does climb as it reaches Summit, the end of the bike path.
If you can read this map, you’ll see the railroad line is indicated horizontally about two-thirds down the picture. “H.P. & F. R. R.” stands for Hartford Providence & Fishkill Railroad, and there is the depot, the store, a Christian church, and homes for familiar old Rhode Island names such as Tillinghast, Vaughn, Austin, Franklin, Nichols, Matteson, and Capwell.
The general store was built in 1855 by Giles Nichols, who served also as the station agent and postmaster. Nixon Hall was built in 1888 to serve as a public hall. Various societies including the Order of Patrons of Husbandry (official name of what we usually refer to as a grange, or a farmers’ association) met there.
There are plans to continue the bike path from here. My friend Stephanie, lives around the corner from here and insist she lives in Greene RI and gets mad if you call it Coventry!
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I have a friend who lives in Greene (not Coventry), too!
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We have some great hiking trails along old rail lines here in Maine too. The Sebago to the Sea trail is one that comes to mind. Weekends In Maine
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Nice they had a library for such a small community. Finally, a RI name I can pronounce!
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Haha! There’s at least one more tongue-twister coming tomorrow!
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Wow, you sure have dug deep into Rhode Island history! Love it. I wonder how much of this will turn up in one of your next novels.
Beth
https://bethlapinsatozblog.wordpress.com/
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Hi Beth – actually, a couple of friends have suggested I turn these posts into a small book. Even though I’m trying to get two novels completed this year, I can’t say no to that idea!
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I get it…and I have a friend at the Newport magazine…I wonder…
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Hari Om
Oh, I do like an old map and love that the family names are appended to the buildings!!! YAM xx
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These small villages had only a handful of families, and if there were six to eight (or more) children (to work the farms), usually there was some marrying within those families. So a Waterman boy married a Nichols girl, and a Nichols boy married a Richmond girl, and a Richmond girl married a Nichols boy!
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You got me with this one, Martha. I’ve lived all of my sixty-eight years and Rhode Island and have never heard of this Coventry hamlet.
I love the lettering of name sign.
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Connie, it’s a tiny hamlet in Coventry. Jim bikes the Coventry Greenway bike path often and is always happy to make it to Summit!
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