Squantum Association
Squantum Association | |
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| Location | East Providence, Rhode Island |
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| Coordinates | 41°47′24″N 71°22′25″W / 41.79000°N 71.37361°WCoordinates: 41°47′24″N 71°22′25″W / 41.79000°N 71.37361°W |
| Area | 2.75 acres (1.11 ha) |
| Built | 1870 |
| Architect | Martin & Hall |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| MPS | East Providence MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 80000010 [1] |
| Added to NRHP | November 28, 1980 |
The Squantum Association is a private club in East Providence, Rhode Island on 947 Veterans Memorial Parkway. Its main Club House overlooks the Providence River on a rocky promontory. This Colonial Revival building was constructed in 1900 by Martin & Hall and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. The brick bakehouse was built in 1899 and has weathered numerous hurricanes from its lofty perch right on the rocky coast. The "Cottage" is the oldest building on the property and was originally built as a billiard hall. Also surviving from the 19th century is the club office, formerly the manager's residence.
History[]
As with Squantum Point in Quincy, Massachusetts, Squantum Point in Riverside was named in honor of the influential and welcoming and Native American Sachem, Squanto, who was a guide and translator for the Mayflower settlers in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Squantum Point in Quincy was so-named for him in the 18th century. Additional indigenous names were given to prominent points in Rhode Island such as Nayatt Point in Barrington, and Watchemoket Cove.
In 1870, two groups of local men purchased Squantum Point to serve as a gathering spot to perfect their clambake. In the two decades prior to this purchase, Providence merchants and sea captains would row and sail from Providence to a small island just south of Squantum Point for their clambakes. When, in time, the island's owner objected, Shubael Cady, the club's first president, purchased Squantum Point. The island has had various names (Huckleberry Island, Whortleberry Island, but early maps have it named Scopulous Island, which is Greek in origin and means "place of rocks". The Squantum Association purchased the island in 1914, and built the causeway to the island in 1916.
The first clubhouse, built in June 1871, was a simple open-framed pavilion. In 1872 the Squantum Association was incorporated and permanent clubhouses were erected with the richness of detail that characterized fine period architecture. The large current club house is the third.
The Main Club House, built in 1900 overlooking the entrance to the Providence River, features ornate woodwork, polished brass, luxuriant drapery, an artisan stone foundation and a sunroom with southerly views of the bay. The Bakehouse was built out over the rocky coastline in 1889, and provides views of the Providence River and Narragansett Bay.[2]
The membership of the Squantum Association is diverse and has been traditionally drawn from business leaders of Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
See also[]
References[]
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
- ^ "Historic Resources of East Providence, Rhode Island (PDF pages 50-51)" (PDF). Rhode Island Preservation. Retrieved 2014-09-14.
External links[]
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- Clubhouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Rhode Island
- Buildings and structures in East Providence, Rhode Island
- National Register of Historic Places in Providence County, Rhode Island
- Providence County, Rhode Island Registered Historic Place stubs