Perhaps no village in Rhode Island can boast the history of Kingston; or �Little Rest� as it was called. Once a seat of government (its library was one of Rhode Island�s five state houses); Kingston has been home to some of the state�s most illustrious residents as well as the now sprawling University of Rhode Island. A center of intellectual life long before the university began; Kingston was characterized by social; civic; and dramatic clubs; academies for both men and women; taverns for the weary traveler; and an imposing church atop Kingston Hill whose influence was felt broadly in the village.More than 200 photographs take the reader back tonineteenth-century Kingston; where Stephen Knowles waits atop his carriage to take travelers to Kingston Station; hat maker Cyrus French regales the menfolk in Joe Reynolds�s tavern with his expansivestories; and the villagers gather on a summer evening to listen to a musicale on the library�s lawn. Within Kingston�s pages; the reader can meet people like Solomon Fayerweather; the village blacksmith and church sexton with a unique wisdom about village doings; and Quaker Billy Rose; whose fine weaving work was sought by the likes of Mrs.Theodore Roosevelt. See the familiar; Colonial-style houses that still line Kingstown Road as well as others that have fallen victim to the wrecking ball. Photographs of nearby �Biscuit City� and West Kingston are also included. These photographs; mostly from the collection of the Pettaquamscutt Historical Society; chronicle church; school; and business life in this picturesque village that has played such an important role in Rhode Island�s history.
#2857255 in eBooks 2006-05-31 2006-05-31File Name: B009A556OQ
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