We also discovered Warren, RI that is a quaint town just north of Bristol and has one of the sweetest libraries I've been in. It is called the George Hail Free Library and it was established in 1888. Actually, it started in 1871 as an association but later this Romanesque Revival styled structure was built using a substantial donation by George's widow, Martha. At first glance, I thought it was church turned into a library but staff shared with me that it has always been a home for books. You can read about its history here.
Well, I was so smitten with both experiences, I decided to take another daytrip down to both locations. I stopped in Warren to grab a coffee before driving down to the park last Sunday morning. I had a grand plan: take walk around parts of the 400+ park and then sit my butt down in my chair by the bay, to read and even nap.
I continued my stroll into the woods and towards a structure I caught a glance of the last time I was at the park. As it turned out, it is the park office, believe it or not. Originally, it was the barn for the former landowner's prized cows and horses. The offices are in the former trophy room.
I patiently waited for the older gentleman in the room to finish his very important report on the 'strange truck he saw driving in the area' and asked for a bit of history on the property and structure. I was given a very informative handout but in summary, Samuel P. Colt built the farm. He comes from the DeWolf family who developed the port of Bristol and were very powerful. They also carried on the Slave Trade after it was outlawed by Rhode Island. They pretty much owned the town and when things imploded in the 1840s, they also dragged the whole town into bankruptcy.
Many years later Samuel restored the family's money and erased much of their bad reputation. He purchased several parcels of land that would eventually become Colt Farm and it was something to behold. It had a main house, barns, a party casino, and stables. Statues of mythical Greek gods and goddesses could be found all over the grounds.
And he loved his cows. No expense was spared in the care of his beloved bovines: each cow had its own designated caretaker who would polish its horns and wash its tails, everyday. Cork and rubber covered the concrete floors where the cows stood. It was spotless and heated in the winter season.
There is a historic farm called Coggeshall that has been in operation since 1750 (!) that I plan to visit when I return to the area.
After my history chat, I walked back to the water and plopped myself down to read and take a nap. As I did so, the park filled with hundreds of people hosting baby showers, barbecues, family reunions, and just hanging out by the bay for the day. It was an idyllic space and with that cool wind coming off the water, I was in heaven. So many different languages and I was also surrounded by laughter. I even sketched the scene before me of deep blue water, puffy white clouds, and a sprinkle of sailboats. What a day!
Well, fast forward about a week's time and I was back in Warren with my friend, Ellen. We headed down to check out some music but as it turned out, we messed up on the time but no worries, we came up with a tasty Plan B: Blount Clam Shack on the Waterfront. O.M.G. - was that lobstah roll, delish. If they aren't world famous, they should be. I can't wait to go back!
If you ever plan on visiting Rhode Island, be sure to check out Bristol and Warren. Oh, and you better call me so we can go get ourselves a lobstah roll, okay?
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