Watch Hill

Watch Hill is a district in Westerly, which is a town in Rhode Island. Watch Hill is a wealthy, summer tourist district comprised of two main streets. Most of the homes are summer mansions. In the winter, almost all of Watch Hill shuts down, apart from two stores.

Understand
If you're not planning on staying in Watch Hill, the district makes a perfect day trip with shopping, restaurants, beaches, and the historic carousel. Many people from Florida to North Carolina take their yacht to Watch Hill and sleep on their yacht, rather than staying in a hotel in town.

History
Watch Hill sits at the southwestern point of Washington County on a peninsula that stretches out into Block Island sound. Watch Hill and Napatree Point form ‘little Narragansett Bay’. This small bay offers excellent protection from strong currents, and provides a harbor where many sailboats and yachts moor and dock. On clear days, both Fishers Island and Long Island NY, can be seen to the South of Napatree Point.

Watch Hill was occupied in the 17th century by the Nianticks, a part of the Narragansett Native American tribe. Watch Hill was used as a watch point in the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War by Europeans, which is how Watch Hill got its name. Napatree Point was once used as a military installation by the U.S. military, and an abandoned cement fort can be found at the end of Napatree.

In 1882 the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations purchased Watch Hill from the remaining Nianticks for $5,000.

Primarily a summer vacation area, due to the pristine beaches, Watch Hill is known for its mansions. Aside from the breathtaking scenery, Watch Hill was once a hideout for Albert Einstein and Isadora Duncan.

By plane

 * Westerly Airport, 56 Airport Road, +1 401 596-2357, Even though it does have its own airport code, don't expect flights to leave from this airport to leave for big cities like Las Vegas any time soon. It's more of a private airport, with scheduled trips to Block Island as well as avionic related sales and maintenance. It also has its own association which is dedicated to the preservation and development of the airport as a resource to the community as well as the region.

By train

 * Amtrak, 14 Railroad Avenue, Westerly, +1 401 596-2335, Unfortunately for travelers, the train station is not located near any bus stops. Due to this, upon arrival one must either wait to get picked up, take a taxi to get around, or just walk to their desired location.

By boat

 * Watch Hill Boat Yard Inc., 13 Pasadena Avenue, +1 401 348-8148
 * Watch Hill Municipal Docks, +1 401 596-7807

Get around
Summer parking is a hassle in Watch Hill. There is a limited amount of two-hour parking along Bay Street, but other than that non-Rhode Island residents cannot park on any other streets; they must park in selected parking lots for a varied fee, but usually a $20 fee on the weekend and a $10 fee during the week.

See
The lighthouse in Watch Hill was built not to guide ships at sea, but to warn residents of a naval attack. The original lighthouse was operational through the French and Indian war, and it is believed that the main tower was destroyed in a storm in 1781. The 35-foot-tall light tower was rebuilt as an order of congress and its operation began again in 1808. By the 1850s much of the wooden structure of the lighthouse and innkeeper's residence were rotting away. It was decided that repairs of the old lighthouse would be too expensive, so the current lighthouse was constructed in 1856. The new structure is built of granite and brick. The light keeper’s house now contains 3 bedrooms, a sitting room, a dining room, a kitchen, a maintenance room and a cellar. The lighthouse has survived many storms including the Great New England Hurricane of September 21, 1938 where waves were breaking over the top of the tower. The lighthouse was automated in 1986 and now serves as a museum. It can be found on the National Register of Historic Places. Additional Lighthouse information: The station is open to the public year round, and offers great views of the ocean and Fishers Sound. A museum located in the fog signal building contains the fourth-order Fresnel lens used in the tower, but it is only open during the summer months.



Amusement

 * Watch Hill Merry-Go-Round, 151 Bay Street, +1 401 348-6007. Back in the village is one of the nation’s oldest merry-go-rounds called the Flying Horse Merry-Go-Round. Around 1876, the Charles W. Dare Company, a traveling carnival, came and built the merry-go-round and left around 1879, leaving the merry-go-round as a gift to the village of Watch Hill. Over 100 years later the merry-go-round is considered a United States Historic landmark and is on the United States National historic register of historic places. The merry-go-round is on the bend of Bay Street, under a wooden gazebo that has big, stone columns. Inside of the gazebo is the merry-go-round. It is called "the flying horse" because horses are suspended by chains and not fastened to poles, so when the merry-go-round spins, it appears that the children are flying on horses through the air. There are two rows of horses; a set of smaller horses in the inside and a set of larger horses on the outside. All of the horses were carved by hand out of a single piece of wood. The horses are simple, complete with a cracked leather saddle, reins, mane and tail. Each winter the horses are stored and restored after the exposure to the summer weather. The horses’ manes were real horsehair. Legend has it that back in 1879 when the it was permanently placed in Watch Hill, the horse of the caravan when he died, his mane was placed into one of the horses. The eyes of the horses are the original agate eyes from 1879. In 1993, a local woodcarver named Gary Anderson from Pawcatuck, Connecticut, cleaned the horses of fifty years worth of paint. Upon stripping the horses from the paint, he uncovered horses are actually hollow, like rocking horses. 	The thing that attracts many children to the horses is the brass ring game. Riding on the outside horses, youngsters can reach out and grab rings and collect them on the horse’s ears. However, there is one special ring, the brass ring, and to the person who grabs it, they get a free ride on the merry-go-round. The Flying Horse Merry-Go-Round is the inspiration behind two children’s books: The Brass Ring by Nancy Tafuri and The Flying Horses by Lynn Anderson.
 * Watch Hill Beach You have to pay to use this beach.  Watch Hill Beach is exclusive.  Payment gets you an umbrella, parking, restaurant, and cabana use. Also, placed in the water is a black "dock" where people can swim to and play on. It is a big hit for the children.
 * East Beach This is a public beach with no fee near the top of Watch Hill, This beach is pretty hidden: you have to walk on a sandy path from the road to get to it.  This beach has great waves and attracts many surfers.  If you are interested in a long walk, Misquamicut Beach, located in Westerly, is about a 30-minute walk to the right.
 * Napatree Point This is also a public beach, next to Watch Hill Beach.  Napatree Point is an official Conservation Area, protecting endangered species that inhabit the dunes, such as the Roaseate Tern, Piping Plover, Osprey, and American Beach grass.  Be aware that no dogs are allowed on this beach May 2 through Labor Day, from 8AM - 6PM  This rule is strictly enforced by beach patrol.  After Labor Day, however, leashed dogs are allowed on the beach.  Napatree is great for a casual jog--the length of the strip is about 1 mile. Napatree Point is the long stretch of beach and dune grass that help form ‘little Narragansett Bay’.  The long stretch of beach is approximately 1.5 miles long. The term Napatree can be broken down into ‘nap’ (neck) of trees. The point was heavily wooded until 1815, when a large hurricane came and wiped out the trees. At the end of the point is Fort Mansfield, an abandoned military fort. It was built as part of several other forts on the Atlantic coast to protect New York City. Fort Mansfield was operational 1901 to 1909, then in 1926 the land was sold, and the military deserted the fort. In 1926, residential homes were built on the beach. When the Hurricane of 1938 came, the hurricane decimated the properties on the point, including the road that ran along the point. Only 15 out of the 42 people who were in their homes when the hurricane struck died.  There are no longer any homes or roads on the point. Napatree Point is a nature preserves that is an excellent place to bird watch, collect seashells, swim, walk, or enjoy nature. Parts of the beach are closed in the spring, so the Piping Plover Birds’ nests are not disturbed; after all piping plovers are federally endangered. Napatree point is also home to ospreys. The Watch Hill Conservancy works with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect the plovers and the rest of the wildlife.
 * Sport fishing on the Bonita II, Captain Tim Terranova, +1 401 596-6433, For those hardcore fishers out there, take a trip on the Bonita II! Catch bass, blue fish, marlin, tuna, swordfish offshore.  This activity is sponsored by Watch Hill Outfitters.  The dock is to the right of Watch Hill Yacht Club.

Arts

 * Ocean House (1 Bluff Ave.).
 * Ocean House (1 Bluff Ave.).

Buy
Most of the stores in Watch Hill are in a shopping plaza called Larkin Square, comprised of Bay Street and a tiny street called Fort Road. Along with the stores listed below, there is Comina, Island Outfitters, the Sunglasses Shop, Elle Summers Shoes, Hall Marine Supply, Coppola's, Kisses, Yvonne's, J.C.'s of Watch Hill, Aqua Shop, and Seaport Next Door. There is 2-hour parking along both Bay Street and Fort Road. Larkin Square is a great place to grab a cool drink, buy a Watch Hill sweatshirt, or enjoy an upscale dining experience.

Jewelry




Apparel



 * Seaport Surf, Bathing suits are sold here and the primarily brands are Hurley and Billabong. The suits are not mix and match.  This store also sells Reefs, which are a staple in a summer wardrobe due to the comfort of the sandal and its versatility in matching with many different outfits, its makes a very casual vibe for strolling around the village.  Seaport Surf is targeted towards a younger audience.







Eat






Sleep
Some inns have restaurants.



Cope
There is only one public restroom in Watch Hill, behind the carousel. While restaurants would also have restrooms, those are generally reserved for their customers.