History of The Town of Warwick 

WARWICK is a flourishing commercial and manufacturing township, situated about five miles southwesterly from the city of Providence, and contains more villages than any other town in the state. It is bounded on the north by Cranston, on the east by Narragansett bay, on the south by East Greenwich, and on the west by Coventry. The prevailing soil is a gravelly loam, generally strong and fertile, affording facilities for the successful cultivation of many of the principal grains and vegetables. The numerous thriving manufacturing villages scattered throughout its borders demand a large portion of the products of the farm. Following is a list of the principal places of interest in the town:

Villages.—Apponaug, Pawtuxet (Warwick side), Norwood, Old Warwick, Oakland Beach, Buttonwood Beach or Nausocket, Coweset, Greenwood, Hill's Grove, Bayside, Conimicut, Pontiac, Natick, Arctic, River Point, Clyde, Lippitt, Phenix, Birch Hill, Centreville, Crompton, Warwick Neck, Spring Green, Elm Lawn, Rocky Hill, Riverside, Potowomut.

Hills.—Spencer's, Bald, Carpenter's near Drum Rock, Prospect, Andrew's.

Rivers.— Pawtuxet. Potowomut, Weeweonk creek, Old Mill creek.

Brooks.—Tuskatucket, Kickemuit, Aponakee, Mill, Sweet's Meadow, Masquachug.

Ponds.—Posnegansett, Warwick, Gorton's (formerly Coweset), Three.

Coves.—Pawtuxet, Occupessatuxet or Spring Green, Old Mill, Warwick, Horse Neck, Brush Neck, Apponaug, Passconuquis or Patiunco, Mud, Turtle, Coweset Bay.

Necks.—Potowomut, Warwick, Horse, Brush, Arnold's.

Rocks.-—Sally, Potowomut, Crack, Flat, Longmeadow, Round, Drum, Mark, Wakefield Ledge, Atwood Ledge, Hunt's Ledge, Gould's Ledge, Barron Ledge.

Points. -Conimicut, Namquid, called Gaspee since June 10th, 1772, Choppaquanset, Rocky, Wood, Cedar Tree, Sandy, Marsh, Long.

Islands.—Chepiwanoxet, Greene's, Marsh, Rock,

Swamps.—Warwick Great, Cedar.

Fort.—At Old Warwick Cove (siege of 1643), Greene's stone castle at Old Warwick, residence of Thomas Greene and descendants, 1660 to 1795.

Trees.—At Buttonwood Beach, a tree that gave name to the place; Black Ash, back of town house; Buttonwood on the Briggs place, Coweset road.

Indians.—The Cowesets were tributary to the Narragansetts, and there were several petty branches of this tribe, whose seats were known and pointed out years ago by the late Chief Justice Brayton.

Historic.—Spring Green was once the home of John Greene, Jr., John Brown and John Brown Francis; House at Potowomut, in which General Nathanacl Greene was born; Inscription on a stone found at Pastuxet, on Cole's farm, near Cole's Station; "Here lieth the bodie of Sara Tefft interred March 16, 1642." The Governor Greene house was the center of social life and the seat of political wisdom during the revolutionary period.

The Providence & Stonington railroad passes through the central portion of the town, affording excellent facilities for communication with the southwestern towns, Connecticut and the West. The Providence, Hartford & Fishkill railroad passes through the northwestern corner of the town and enters Coventry on the central line between the two towns. The Pawtuxet valley and Pontiac branches form a junction with this main road, the former at or near River Point and the latter near the north line, where the Providence, Hartford & Fishkill railroad enters the town. The Warwick railroad was chartered in 1873, and subsequently built and run from Old Warwick along the eastern border of the town and formed a junction with the Providence & Stonington railroad in the southeastern portion of the town of Cranston. The receipts of this road fell so far short of its expenditures that it was abandoned at one time.

The first meeting of the general assemblv of Rhode Island and Providence plantations was held at Portsmouth on the 19th of March, 1649, for the purpose of formally adopting the charter and organizing a government under it. Providence, Newport and Portsmouth were the only towns mentioned in the charter at the time. Warwick was subsequently admitted with the same privileges and immunities as Providence. On the 8th of August, 1647, the following men were chosen town councilmen: John Greene, Ezekiel Holliman, John Warner, Rufus Barton, John Wickes and Randall Holden, Rufus Barton and John Wickes were magistrates; John Warner was chosen clerk; Henry Townsend constable and Christopher Helme sergeant. Randall Holden was first assistant from Warwick, an office answering to that of state senator to-day.

John Warner was the first town clerk under the charter, and the penmanship of the earlier portion of the old volume corresponds with that of his autographic signature attached to the "act of submission."

Some of the town laws enacted during the first year of the chartered government are of a somewhat novel character, and throw light upon the condition of things at the time. They are not always expressed with the precision that marks the statutes of the present day, but they harmonize with the mode of thought and expression of that time. Here are a couple passed by the town: "Wee conclud that Towne meeting [council meeting?] to bee held ye first Monday in every moonth, and that ye Clarke is to have 2s. 6d. for each day of meeting." And " That by major consent of ye whole Towne, it is ordered that if 12 Townsmen meet in one day appointed for Towne meeting, they shall have power to act in Towne affairs as though all were present."

The following is a list of the inhabitants of the town previous to June 5th, 1648. "Rufus Barton. Hend. Townsend, Chris. Unthanke, Ezek. Holliman, Jo. Lipet, Richard Townsend, Peter Greene, Tho. Thorncraft. James Greene, Thomas Greene, Steuk. Westcot, Mr. Jo. Smith, Mr. Nic. Hart. Mr. Walter Tod, Jo. Cooke, John Greene, Jr., Robert Westcott, John Sweete, John Townsendn Peter Burzecott, John Downinge, Edward Inman, James Sweete, John Durbin, Thomas Erington, George Palmer, Amos Westcote, John Garreard, John Hayden, Mr. Robert Coles, John Potter."

Lots of land, generally of six acres, were set off to these persons, but no formal deeds of these lands were made until 1650. Mr. Holliman, Mr. Warner and Henry Townsend were appointed a committee "to draw up a forme for recording of lands and makinge each man a deed and appoint ye Clarke shall be paid for his pains and so men are to repaire to the Clarke and he to do it."

It will be seen from the above that the inhabitants of the town were comparatively few in number, while the natives were numerous; and because of the Indians who disregarded their rights owing to the disfavor shown them by Massachusetts, the settlers of Shawomet and Pawtuxet were constantly apprehensive of an outbreak. In view of this stale of affairs John Smith, assistant, in behalf of the town. September 7th, 1648, sent a letter to the New England commissioners complaining that the Indians had killed their cattle and committed other acts of violence, and requested their advice on the subject. The commissioners wrote to the sachems "advising them to abstain from such conduct." The Indians took no notice of the advice, as they knew well they need not, and the year following the town authorities wrote again, but with no better result.

February 22d, 1632, it was "ordered to adjourne the meetinge and forthwith to repair to the house of John Warner, where Thomas Avington dwells, and there being mett orderly, it was ordered by the Towne that henceforth their place of meeting be at the house of John Warner, aforesaid Thomas Avington consenting thereto, and the said Thomas Avington is to have twelve shillings for the use of the house; and this to bee until see cause to alter it."

April 5th, 1653, the two following orders were placed upon record: "Ordered that two men shall watch every day (a guard against the Indians) until they shall see cause to alter it." "Ordered that the watch shall consist of eight men, any order formerly notwithstanding." So great were their fears of an outbreak from the Indians, that on March 22d, 1652, Samuel Gorton, Randall Holden and ten others made a proposition to sell out and remove from the region.

May 2d, 1653, it was ordered that "Randall Holden, Richard Townsend, Stuckely Wascote, James Sweete, Christopher Hauxhurst and John Cole are appointed to agree with the Indians about Nausaucot and their way about fencingc in their fields." An appropriation of £12, 10s. was subsequently made on report of the committee to pay the Indians for fencing their lands.

Previous to the organization of the town under its charter, an order had been passed regulating the disposition of the lands among the inhabitants of the town. An individual, before becoming an inhabitant, was required to be compounded and received by a formal vote. He was then required to pay the sum of £10, which would entitle him to all the rights and privileges enjoyed by the original purchasers of the natives. Certain portions of territory in the more compact part of the settlement were assigned as house lots. As the inhabitants increased in number, other regulations were found to be necessary.

By far the larger number of acts passed by the town up to this time related to the disposition of the lands. The grants were generally of six acres as house lots, to which were added other portions at different times. The consideration, if any, was not usually mentioned at the time the grant was made. Besides these the unoccupied lands were apportioned among the settlers for a limited time. The following, under date of May 17th, 1650, illustrates the point: "At a meclinge of the Townsmen of Warwicke it is ordered that the medows at Potowomet and Pawtuxet that are now lotted out to the inhabitants shall remain to each man, appropriated but for this yeare and be allotted the next year if the Towne see cause." In the following, passed the same year, a consideration is mentioned: "It is ordered that John Sweete shall have two, ackers of medow for himself and Henry Townsend, in any place where he can find it, that is yet undivided, for some pains he has taken in surveying the medow at Pawtuxet river within the bounds of this towne." Also the following without a consideration in the same year: "Ordered that Mr. John Greene shall have the medow at the northeast side of the pond called by the Indians Cacouneke, lying by a brooke that runs out of the aforesaid pond."

The proprietorsof the grist mill, to whom a land grant had been made, in consideration of their agreement to grind the town corn at the rate of two quarts per bushel, were suspected of having too large a measure, and to meet this suspicion the following was passed: " It being complained of that the Toll Dish is too bigg: ordered that Mr. Holliman doe gett a pair of skaills for the mill by the sixst of May following."

The following bears the date of February 8th, 1657: "It is ordered that a parcel of land, adjoining to Massapoge pond westward, be for a horse pasture for the Towne's use accordinge as may be the most conveniently made use of for to save fencinge, that the horses may be there kept during the time they are apt to damnify the corne."

To meet one of the less serious troubles to which the settlers were subject, it was ordered, October 10th, 1658, "that if anyone kill the great gray woolfe that hath done so much mischiefe in the Towne hee shall have five pounds for his pains and for any other woolfe fower pounds." As John Sweete subsequently received five pounds for killing a wolf, it is probable that the old "gray" came to grief by his hands. An Indian received forty shillings the same dav for a similar service.

February 4th, 1659. "Ordered that Mr. John Greene shall have as much land at his medow Cacowanch, known by the name of Coeset pond for to fence his medow in, he leaving out so much of his land at Occupasnetuxet."

"April 4, 1660, Ordered that henceforth any inhabitants that shall hereafter bee received shall not have any land, accordinge to any former order, but so much onely as the Towne shall by particular order grant them, and where the Towne shall see fitt, any order formerly not withstandinge."

"At a Towne meeting held in Warwick the 2d of November Mr. Smith chosen moderator, the Towne tacking it into serious consideration the regeneration of the mill dame, and beinge it cannot be done until the inhabitants doe generally assist in the worck, have therefore thought fitt to order that all the inhabitants doe generally assist in the worck; and those that requier satisfaction for their time Mr. Harvi doth engage to pay them; and for the belter effectingeof the mater the Towne doth apoynt Mr. Weeks, Mr. John Greene, to give order when and who shall come in as ocation shall requier, as allso when all the inhabitants shall come in; and if any refues upon such warning from the deputed men above sayd, they shall bee lyable to pay a fine at the discretion of the Towne, accordinge as the damage shall appear for their neglect."

"Ordered that Mr. John Greene is apoynted to write to the President and Assistants about the Indians pressing in upon our lands and spoiling our timber --desiring their assistancts to supres their violence."

"Jan. 6, 1661-2. Ordered whereas at a Towne meeting the 3d of February in the year 1657 there was granted a peace for a horse pasture for the towne's use it is now ordered, that all those free inhabitants that are now willing to fence in a pasture for horses, heave liberty, granted by the Towne to tacke in either three quarters of a mile, or a mile square, more or less, on the west side of Massapoge pond; and that the said pasture bee only proper for them that fence."

"May 10, 1662. Ordered that Goodman Hedger is apoynted to give notis to ye inhabitants of ye Towne to repayer ye fence at Toskeunk and he to oversee the work."

"Ordered that any man's share of meddow at Potowomet and Papepieset aliasTosceunek be recorded by ye Clarke in ye towne Booke."

At a meeting of the general assembly held in this town June 17th, 1662, permission was granted certain petitioners, viz.: Edmund Calverly, Thomas Ralph, William Burton, James Sweet and John Sweet, of Warwick, to purchase of the natives a tract of land lying together and not exceeding "fower thousand akers," At the same session John, James and Thomas Greene, with two others, obtained leave to purchase "fifteen hundred akers according to the former rule."

At the commencement of the settlement of the town in 1642, Warwick Neck was selected as the most appropriate place for the immediate abode of the settlers, and small portions of territorv were annexed to each house and lot for each inhabitant. To these house lots were added six acres of what became known as the "Four Miles Commons," or the 14 Four Mile Town," which extended from the head of the Neck to Apponaug.

John Smith, by order of the proprietors in 1658, laid out a plat of farms in Coweset. This tract is also known as the "Seventeen Farms," and included the territory bounded on the north by the present road leading from Apponaug to Centreville, on the east by Apponaug and Coweset bay, on the south by Greenwich, and on the west by the present town of Coventry, with the exception of 1,500 acres in the northeast corner, which had previously been mortgaged to Stephen Arnold and was held by him at the time the plat was made.

The lots of the middle division were assigned as follows: The 1st to Rufus Barton; 2d, Ezekiel Holliman; 3d, Francis Weston; 4th, John Smith ; 5th, Randall Holden; 6th, John Greene, senior; 7th, John Smith-Sweet's; 8th, John Smith; 9th, Henry Towusend; 10th, John Wickes; 11th, Stukely Westcott; 12th, John Greene, Jr.; 13th, Richard Carder; 14th, John Warner; 15th, Richard Waterman; 16th, Robert Potter; 17lh, Samuel Gorton.

The lots of the larger division contained about 240 acres each.

March 25th, 1673, 4,200 acres were set apart for ten of the settlers, one half of which grant became known as the " Wecochaconet Farms" and the other half as the " Natick Lands."

Under the above date is the following record: " For ye farms fronting on ye towne commons as they are this day determined; from Warwick township at ye west end thereof to be laid out westward and a square as near as may be. It is further agreed that Mr. Samuel Gorton, Senior, Mr. Randall Holden, Stukely Westcott, John Potter and Elyza Collins for one of his shares, shall have the other 2100 acres laid out to them [words illegible] Coesset Township and Pawtuxet river aforesaid, fronting on Warwick Township: thence due west, and this to be their full proportion for their shares in ye towne lands, videlesett: five shares and they are to enter and possess at their own charge and thereby are excused of any other charge with the rest in the tract of farm lands."

The Wecochaconet farms were five in number and were surveyed and platted by Joseph Carder. The plat was drawn May 14th, 1692. These farms were sometimes referred to as the four hundred acre farms and were assigned to Samuel Gorton, John Potter, John Smith, Stukely Westcott, and the fifth, which was bounded on the river, to Randall Holden. The eastern line of this tract was also the western boundary of Old Warwick.

In 1673 the proprietors of Warwick lands assigned to John Greene, senior, Richard Carder, John Warner, Benjamin Barton and Henry Townsend as their portion of the undivided lands extending from Moshanticut brook (which empties into the Pawtuxet river between the railroad bridges of the New York and New England railroad and the Pawtuxet Valley railroad below Natick) westerly, bounding southerly on the north branch of the Pawtuxet river, northerlv on the north line of Warwick grand purchase, extending as far west as was necessary to comprise 2100 acres. This tract of land was described as lying and being in that part of the town of Warwick called Natick. This included the land where the Phenix and Lippitt villages are now situated.

In June, 1855, a proposition was made to divide the town into voting districts. The subject was referred to the November meeting, at which time the proposition was laid upon the table. At this meeting, a proposition being before the general assembly, for the setting off of Potowomut from this town, and joining it to East Greenwich, it was voted:

"That the Senator and Representatives of this town, be, and they are hereby instructed to oppose, by all honorable means, the Granting of the Prayer of the Petition of John F. Greene, et al." "Voted, that John Brown Francis, John R. Waterman, Simon Henry Greene, William Sprague, Cyrus Harris and Benedict Lapham, be a committee, with full power to employ counsel, and do all things necessary to the proper conducting of the opposition of this town to said petition."

The efforts of this committee were successful, and this fair portion of the town's domain, the birth-place of General Nathanael Greene, and the residence of the late Chief Justice Richard Ward Greene, remains still a part of the town, though separated from it bv the waters of Coweset bay.

Highways.—The highway running from Apponaug to Centreville was the subject of some contention as early as 1734. On September 1st, of that year, a committee was appointed, which reported work done November 24th, 1735. The decision of the committee was not satisfactory, however, and the town council summoned a jury of twelve or more men to "revise the highway that leads from Apponage between ye farms of Wecochaconet and Coweset, so far west as the head of Coweset farms extends, and in case they can find no old way to run out a new one." This jury made their report October 18th, 1738, which is as follows:

"We the subscribers being appointed by the Town Council being appointed as jurors to Inspect into ye Premises, and to Revise ye bounds of a highway between ye lands of Wecochaconet and Coweset, according to ye former bounds and plat, and by what Information we could find, we find that a line from ye red oak tree that stands oposit from Philip Arnolds northwest corner on the north side of ye highway that already laid out by Moses Lippit, Thomas Rice and John Whitman, is six degrees and scant half, north, which we conclude to be ye north side of said way that leads to ye head of said farms."

Previous to 1737 there were no public roads in the northwestern part of the town, where the village of Phenix is now located. April, 1736, John Wickes, Joseph Edmonds, Jonathan Remington and others petitioned the town council of Warwick, asking them to lay out a highway through the Natick lands. The town council replied: "In answer to ye within petition it is the opinion of ye council that for as much as the proprietors have neglected laying out a sufficient highway thro' their property, that in case they will allow the land and pay all charges in laying out the same, ye council will order a jury to lay out the same." The town council at that time were "Capt. Benjamin Greene, Capt. John Rice, Major Moses Lippitt, Lieut. Amos Stafford, Major Fones Greene and Major Israel Arnold." The town council refusing to lay out any highway at the expense of the town, the proprietors of the lands, unable to comply with their conditions, as several of the proprietors being orphans, and some others not being willing that any way should be laid through their lands except they were paid for the same, petitioned the general assembly at their session held the second Monday in June, 1736 and the following action was taken upon that petition:

"WHEREAS, Sundry inhabitants of the town of Warwick did by petition set forth to this assembly, that they with several others, being concerned in a tract of land situated in the grand purchase of Warwick, in that part called Natick near fifty years past, and likewise others in a tract of land called Weceecheconet, and there being no provisions made for highways whereby the proprietors and others, the neighboring inhabitants, may pass and repass through each others lands to mill or to market without being exposed to great difficulty; and several of the present proprietors being orphans and some others not being willing that any way should be laid through their lands except satisfaction be made for the same, and the petitioners having laid the matter before the town council of said Warwick which they were willing to grant, provided the present proprietors would find the land and be at all charges relating to the same, which cannot be compiled with for the reasons aforesaid, whereupon the petitioners prayed this assembly to authorize the said town council to summon a jury to run out the same according to the laws of this colony and determine the charge which may be binding to said orphans and others through whose land the said highway shall be laid.

"Upon consideration whereof it is the opinion of this assembly as the town council of the several towns in this colony are already fully authorized and empowered to lay out highways that the town Council of Warwick proceed according to law if they judge the same necessary."

The proprietors of the lands again went before the town council of Warwick, asking them to lay out the road, but the council adhered to their former decision and refused, unless they would give the land through which said road should be laid and pay all the expense of laying out the same. The proprietors of the lands were determined to have a road, and again went to the general assembly with another petition, and at the May session of 1737 the following order was passed directing the town council to lay out a road:

"Whereas, Several persons by petition did set forth to this assembly the great necessity of laying out a highway from near the house of Capt. John Rice in Warwick, to the grist mill called and known by the name of Edmonds mill, in said Warwick, and from thence to extend to the southeast corner of the town of Scituate, at or near the house of James Colvin; and the petitioners having divers times requested the town council of said Warwick that they would layout said highway, which by the council was always refused unless the proprietors of the lands through which the said way should go, would be at all cost and charge of laying it out and allow the land on which the same shall be laid, which conditions were not in the power of the petitioners to perform, not having authority or right to oblige the proprietors to comply with such proposals and the same have been a means of hindering a way being laid out as aforesaid, although the council have judged a necessity therefor, which being duly considered, be it enacted by the General Assembly and by the authority of the same it is enacted that from or near the house of Capt. John Rice in Warwick, there be a highway laid out in the most near and convenient manner to the grist mill, commonly called Edmonds mill, and from thence to extend westerly to the southeast corner of the town of Scituate, at or near the land of James Colvin, and for effecting the same the town council of the said town of Warwick are hereby directed to grant a warrant to the sheriff of the county of Providence [the county of Kent was not set off from Providence county till July 15, 1750] or to his deputy to summon a jury for the laying out of the same as the law directs; but in case the town council should refuse or neglect to grant forth their warrant as aforesaid for the space of two months, then it shall and may be lawful for any two assistants or justices of the peace of the town to grant forth a warrant as aforesaid for the laying out of said highway,and that the charge thereof be paid out of the town treasury of the town of Warwick."

The proprietors having received authority from the general assembly for a road to be laid out, requested the clerk of the town council to call a meeting of the town council. He issued his warrant dated August 20th, 1737.

"To Stephen Low, sergeant of Warwick, Greeting.
"Whereas, Joseph Edmonds and Samuel Barton of said town hath desired that ye town council be commanded to meet at ye house of Maj. Joseph Stafford, ye 23 of this inst. August, at 12 o'clock midday, to give the said Edmonds, Barton and the rest of the petitioners of ye lands at Natick an answer whether they will lay out ye highway or ways according to ye acts of ye General Assembly, made at their last meeting at Newport."

October 22d, 1737, the council issued their warrant to the sheriff to summon an impartial jury as the law directs to run out a highway through the lands of Natick. The jury summoned to layout said highway made the following report:
"Warwick, November, ye first day. A. D. 1737.

Will ye subscribers being appointed a jury by ye town council of Warwick to lay out a highway through lands of Natick and Wecachoconnit in said Warwick, and having viewed said lands, have accordingly laid out an open highway through said lands &c. signed "George Wightman. foreman, Adam Casey, Caleb Carr, Amos Lockwood, William Utter, Samuel Stafford, John Wightman, Philip Sweet, Peleg Cook, Benoni Price, John Budlong, Jr., and John Andrews."

The proprietors had obtained a layout of a highway but it was not satisfactory, as they again petitioned the general assembly in October, 1742, and made their report in March, 1742-3. William P. Spencer describes this road as follows:

"At the place where this highway crossed the river below Natick was a fording place and a considerable piece of land more than was occupied for the use of the highway belonged to the town. The committee who laid out this highway where it crosses the river laid it out five poles wide. Some of this land has been enclosed by adjoining owners and buildings placed on other parts, one building being put on this town's land by contractors when building the Providence, Hartford and Fishkill railroad, and after they had no further use for it was converted into a store and tenement. This piece of land that belongs to the town, unless looked after, will soon pass from the memory of the inhabitants of the town and will be supposed to belong to those occupying it. The plat of said highway is in the office of the secretary of state, in the state house in the city of Providence.

"The highway that was finally established by act of the General Assembly at their session the second Tuesday in March, 1742-3, is the same highway that is now used running from Apponaug to Natick where it crosses the river, thence over Natick hill until it comes to Edmonds' mills, now Lippitt factory, thence over the hill past the new school house at Phenix, continuing westerly until it comes to the river near where Philip Duffy's store is situated. At one time this highway ran further south, diverging from where it now runs when it crossed what was then the Coventry and Cranston turnpike near where George P. Atwood now lives, and running as near the south part of the hill as possible until it came opposite where George Handy now lives, where it again entered the old highway. There were no buildings on this hill at that time except the house now owned by the heirs of Hugh Carroll. The Roger Williams Manufacturing Co. owned the land and after the road had run through their land several years refused to allow the land to be used for that purpose any longer and the road was changed to where it now runs.

"After the road came to the river it then took a northwesterly course, followed the north bank of the river running: where the Harris old mill now stands, and following as near the stream of the river as practical until it came to the northwest line of the town of Warwick and the southeast corner of the town of Scituate. There were no building's very near this highway in Phenix, and in 1810 the highway was changed from the bank of the river to where it now runs. After Elisha Harris erected his factory he had the road changed, removing it further north, where it now runs; when the Arkwright Manufacturing Company erected a saw mill and grist mill below their factory, the highway ran south of the saw mill. At every rise of the river it overflowed its banks and washed the highway, and they soon after built the highway where it now runs and the town councils of the several towns legalized the changes.

"After several years the proprietors of the farms succeeded in getting a highway legally established through their lands, which has remained as then located with but few changes, which the buildings erected in the villages necessitated."

Town House.—The town meetings and the meetings of the general assembly when first held in this town were held either in private houses or in taverns. The attention of the people was called to this subject on February 20th, 1663, when Edmund Calverly and Goodman Westcott were added to a committee appointed for this purpose.

"It is ordered and agreed by those that were appointed by ye town to lay out Peter Burzecott's acker of land which is for a tenement, is laid out 8 poles wide on ye front; and ye side adjoininge to ye northerern end of Goodman Westcott's house Iot being twentie one pole in length: and ye other side but nineteene poles in length joininge to ye lott layd out for ye Towne house, which saide lott is six poles wide on ye front, that is to say, to ye way that leadeth through ye Towne, it being easterly from ye front of ye said Towne lott and ye length of ye sayde lott to be nineteene poles on that side next to Peter Burzecott's, and ye other end fower poles and half wide next to ye common, and ye other side bounded by ye highway that leadeth into ye common by James Sweet's hous lott, which sayde highway is six poles wide at ye least, and ye buryinge place layd out for ye Towne is eight poles squaer, joining; to ye western end of Peter Berzecott's aker of land adjoininge to Goodman Waskott's hous lott, which is ye southern bounds of ye buryinge place and on ye west by ye common and northerly by common."

Nothing further seems to have been done about the town house until March. 1075, when the town ordered "That every man in this towne that hath not a teeme shall give a day's work at digging and loading stones, and every man that hath a teeme shall allow a day's work with his teeme to draw ye said stones into a place at such time they shall be warned thereto by a beate of the drum or other ways, which worke will be a good preparative towards building the sayd house."

Anything further pertaining to the meetings of the town fathers is not found until the year 1812, when the following is given:

At a Town Meeting held at Daniel Whitman's Inn on the 25th of July, 1812, it was "Voted that the holding of the Town Meetings be sold to the highest Bidder, to any person within the Town of Warwick, for one year, and that the money arising therefrom be paid into the Town Treasury; and the same was according Struck off to Benjamin Greene. (S. C.) for the sum of One Hundred and Sixty-five Dollars, who was the Highest bidder; that the same be paid into the Treasury at the Expiration of the Year, and that Security be given to the satisfaction of the Town Treasurer within Ten Days."

At a subsequent meeting the town accepted the note of Benjamin Greene, endorsed by Caleb Greene, jr., "for the sum the town meetings were bid off for.'"

The Town House now standing was erected in 1834-5. In 1849 the grounds about the town house presented a barren and desolate appearance. This year, by the authority of the town,five elm trees were planted on the grounds and a strong fence was made around each tree.

In April. the Kentish Artillery were granted the privilege of building an armory on the eastern portion of the town house lot.

TOWN CLERKS.—A list of the town clerks of Warwick from 1647 to the present time: John Warner, 1647—9; John Greene, Jr., 1649-56; Ezekiel Holliman, 1650 58; Mathias Harvey, 1658-59; John Greene, 1659-60; Mathias Harvey, 1660-61; James Greene, 1661-64; Edmund Calverly, 1664-77; John Potter, 1677-87; Peter Greene,1687-1710; John Wickes, 1710-41; Jeremiah Lippitt, 1741-75; Adam Comstock, 1775 to February, 1776; Jeremiah Lippitt, February, 1776, to November, 1776; James Gerauld, November, 1776-1802; Jonathan Gorton, 1802-4; Charles Brayton, 1804 to December, 1834; George A. Brayton, December, 1834-44; William D. Brayton, 1844-45; William Harrison, 1845-53; Samuel W. Clarke, 1853-58; Caleb R. Hill, 1858-66; Samuel W. Clarke. 1866-78; Stephen W. Thornton, 1878-80; Rinaldo Hoyle, I880 to November, 1886; pro tem., Dwight R. Adams, November, 1886, to December, 1886; John B. Allen, December 1886-87; James T. Lockwood, 1887--.

TOWN OFFICERS.--Officers of the town of Warwick in 1888: Town clerk, James T. Lockwood; town council and cour ot probate: Enos Lapham, Webster Knight, M. Joseph E. Legris, William Johnson, Oliver P. Sarle; town treasurer, Dwight R. Adams; overseer of the poor, William J. Wells; assessors of taxes: Benjamin F. Dawley, Henry L. Johnson, Clarence O. Carpenter, Benjamin Hill, William V. Slocum; justices of the peace: Albert R. Greene, James T. Lockwood, Cyrus Holden, William V. Slocum, John J. Arnold, Frank Cole, Charles A. Lufkin, Oliver P. Park, Elihu R. Shippee, Daniel Warner, John B. Allen, Henry A. Wood; members of the school committee: Oliver P. Sarle, John H. Northup, Webster Knight, Dwight R. Adams, Gideon Spencer, Oliver C. Williams; collector of taxes, John E. Sherman; sealer of weights and measures, John C. Brown; officer district court, Henry Smith; officers in charge police stations: Apponaug, Henry Smith; Centreville, John H. Tiffany; Lippit, Jonah Titus; Pawtuxet, William A. Aborn; town physician, J. B. Hanaford; health officer, Albert G. Sprague; coroner, Albert R. Greene; town solicitor, Albert R. Greene.

Transcribed by C. Anthony

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