Did You Know? Fun Facts About Narragansett, RI

Let's begin this edition of 'Did you Know?' with a Pop Quiz and the first fun fact! What famous Narragansett landmark survived not one, but two major fires? If you guessed the Point Judith light tower, you would be wrong. The answer is the The Towers.

(Photo courtesy of www.thetowersri.com)

Over the last 125 years, not only have the Towers survived two fires, they have also survived many severe storms and hurricanes, including the major hurricanes of 1938, 1954 and 1991. Over that time, many of the surrounding structures have seen major damage or total destruction, due to mother nature. Yet, The Towers manage to survive. In fact, they have even gained a reputation for being "indestructible". To learn more about the history of The Towers, click here.

Fun Fact #2

The Point Judith Lighthouse that Rhode Islanders know so well is not the original lighthouse. The first lighthouse in Point Judith was built in 1810. Five years later, it was destroyed in a major hurricane.

The lighthouse that stands today was built five years later in 1815. This lighthouse has had to go through several changes and upgrades over the years. For example, in 1855 alone, 16 ship wrecks still occurred within site of the lighthouse. The mechanism that made the light turn weighed 200 pounds and the light took almost two and a half minutes to make one rotation. A combination of a slow turning light and heavy fog made it difficult for ships to navigate the waters entering Narragansett Bay.

Click here to learn more about the history of the light tower, including an interesting story of how Point Judith got its name.

(Photo from 1857 courtesy of Dorothy Bicknell from the Edward Rowe Snow Collection)

Fun Fact #3

Narragansett got its current name due to a mispronounciation of the original Algonquin Tribe word for the native people of the area, the Nanhigganeuck, which means "people of the small point."

Fun Fact #4

Narragansett is home to four of Rhode Island's approximately 20 public salt water beaches, including Scarborough Beach, Narragansett Town Beach, Roger Wheeler State Beach and Salty Brine State Beach.

(Scarborough State Beach South. Photo courtesy of Visit Rhode Island)

Fun Fact #5

Several scenes for the movie Me, Myself and Irene, starring Jim Carey, were filmed in Narragansett.

Real Estate Bonus Fact

The average sales price of single family homes in Narragansett for 2022 was $1,001,548.

If you are thinking of buying or selling a house in Narragansett, contact me today!