Dozen Distinctive Destinations
Westerly, RI
Year Listed: 2002
Beach and lighthouse at sunset in Westerly, Rhode Island.
Credit: William R. Haase
Tucked into Rhode Island's southwest corner, coastal Westerly is one of the Ocean State's best-kept secrets. With beautiful beaches, sprawling gabled Victorian cottages with vast green lawns and awe-inspiring ocean views, Westerly is the quintessential New England beach town. The area's scalloped coastline of bays and inlets is a paradise for fishermen, and the town itself has been a favorite -- though relatively little-known -- vacation resort for more than a century.
First incorporated in 1669, Westerly in its early days was the frontier town of the Rhode Island colony. Many diversified industries eventually grew in the region, but Westerly was best known for the granite that was once taken from its quarries. In 1846, Orlando Smith discovered granite on his property; his home, the 1734 Babcock-Smith House, is open to visitors. Much of the town's impressive history is represented in the handsome buildings of its commercial district, beautifully revitalized with the help of the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Main Street program. The town center is anchored by the 17-acre Wilcox Park, where garden enthusiasts will swoon over the acres of specimen trees and perennial borders, collections of dwarf conifers and daylilies - plus a fountain, monuments and a large koi pond.
In mid-June, the Chorus of Westerly presents an outdoor Summer Pops concert here, complete with a Grucci fireworks display. More than 25,000 spectators turn out for this free, family-oriented event. Just a few miles south of Westerly is Watch Hill, a charming Victorian village and longtime hideaway of jet-setters - though early visitors arrived by carriage or car, not jet. Squeezed between the ocean and the bay and graced with rugged rock formations and sandy beaches, Watch Hill has attracted a long list of famous guests, including Groucho Marx, Isadora Duncan, David Niven, Clark Gable and Douglas Fairbanks - all of whom were drawn by the beauty, privacy and refreshing bayberry-scented breezes of this seaside retreat. From May through September, days here are filled with leisurely picnicking, sailing, golf and beach going at windswept Watch Hill Beach and Napatree Point. Children love riding Watch Hill's historic Flying Horse Carousel, the nation's oldest operating carousel. Couples stroll hand-in-hand along the main street, stopping to browse in quaint shops or sharing a frosty treat at an old-fashioned soda fountain.
