Tiverton (Rhode Island)

Tiverton is a town in Newport County, eastern Rhode Island, that borders Massachusetts. Founded in 1694, Tiverton has grown from its origins as a farming community into a picturesque summer resort and residential suburb.

Understand
The town was incorporated as a part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In 1746 the final settlement of a long colonial boundary dispute between Rhode Island and Massachusetts annexed Tiverton to Rhode Island by Royal Decree, along with bordering towns along the eastern shore of Narragansett Bay: Barrington, Bristol and Little Compton, as well as the town of Cumberland, to the north of Providence. Tiverton was then incorporated as a town of Rhode Island in 1747. Until it was annexed, Tiverton controlled the area of East Freetown, Massachusetts as an outpost.

During the Revolutionary War men from the Tiverton outpost took part in the Battle of Freetown, on May 25, 1778. For about three years, from December 1776 to late 1779, Rhode Island proper (also known as Aquidneck Island, historically) was occupied by the British. During this time Tiverton became a refuge for Americans fleeing the occupation, a mustering place for Colonial forces gathering to drive away the British. The occupying forces eventually withdrew strategically, as General Clinton marshalled his forces for the 1780 British invasion of South Carolina.

In its early days, Tiverton was chiefly a farming community, with some fishing and boat construction. Until 1900 the manufacture of menhaden oil, a fish derivative, was one of the town’s primary industrial pursuits. Cotton and woolen mills were established as early as 1811, when Colonel Joseph Durfee built a spinning mill at Cook Pond in what it now the city of Fall River, Massachusetts.

In 1856, the northern part of the town separated from Tiverton and was re-named Fall River, Rhode Island by the Rhode Island General Assembly. Then, on March 1, 1862, in a decision made by the United States Supreme Court, Fall River was made part of Massachusetts, and the state boundary placed in its current location along State Avenue.

Mark's Stadium is a former soccer stadium located in North Tiverton, Rhode Island. During the 1920s and early 1930s it was the home of Fall River Marksmen, one of the era’s most successful soccer teams. It is one of the earliest examples of a soccer-specific stadium in the United States. After the demise of the Marksmen, the stadium was used as a home ground by other local teams, most notably Fall River F.C. and Ponta Delgada S.C.

Get in
Tiverton rests on the eastern shore of Narragansett Bay, separated from Aquidneck Island (also known as the Island of Rhode Island) by the Sakonnet River. The area is disconnected from the rest of the state of Rhode Island by the Narragansett Bay. You can also reach Tiverton by traveling west of the town of Westport and south of the city of Fall River located in Massachusetts.

By bus

 * RIPTA, +1 401 781-9400, . Services across all of Rhode Island. Rates: One-Way: $2.00, Transfer: $0.50, One-Day Pass: $6.00.

By plane

 * T.F. Green International Airport in Warwick.

See



 * Fort Barton, Highland Road, +1 401 625-6700. Open: year round, sunrise to sunset. An authentic Revolutionary War fortification, Fort Barton was the troop staging area for the invasion of Aquidneck Island and Newport and, eventually, the Battle of Rhode Island in 1778. The park contains three miles of trails and an observation tower, crowning the park at 30 feet high and offering panoramic views of the Sakonnet River, Mount Hope Bay, and the Portsmouth and Bristol shorelines. The vast trails are well maintained, and carefully constructed stairs allow easy travel up and over steep hills. Deep into the trail network, hikers will find a quiet path beside a stream.
 * Fort Barton, Highland Road, +1 401 625-6700. Open: year round, sunrise to sunset. An authentic Revolutionary War fortification, Fort Barton was the troop staging area for the invasion of Aquidneck Island and Newport and, eventually, the Battle of Rhode Island in 1778. The park contains three miles of trails and an observation tower, crowning the park at 30 feet high and offering panoramic views of the Sakonnet River, Mount Hope Bay, and the Portsmouth and Bristol shorelines. The vast trails are well maintained, and carefully constructed stairs allow easy travel up and over steep hills. Deep into the trail network, hikers will find a quiet path beside a stream.


 * Ruecker Wildlife Refuge, Seapowet Ave., +1 401 949-5454. Open: daily, sunrise to sunset. Over 48 acres and wound through with 1.5 miles of trail, this refuge is home to a variety of animal and plant life. Parceled with woods and salt marshes, and offers fine views of the Sakonnet River. Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, and Glossy Ibis are among the birds that frequent the marsh. Jack's Island, a peninsula that extends into the Sakonnet River, is home to breeding Ospreys.
 * Ruecker Wildlife Refuge, Seapowet Ave., +1 401 949-5454. Open: daily, sunrise to sunset. Over 48 acres and wound through with 1.5 miles of trail, this refuge is home to a variety of animal and plant life. Parceled with woods and salt marshes, and offers fine views of the Sakonnet River. Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, and Glossy Ibis are among the birds that frequent the marsh. Jack's Island, a peninsula that extends into the Sakonnet River, is home to breeding Ospreys.

Eat




Go next
Other Rhode Island cities you might want to visit:
 * Bristol Most noted for its historic 4th of July parade and sea-side scenery.
 * Newport A beautiful city most noted for its historical mansions.
 * Providence The biggest city in Rhode Island and the state capital and cultural center.