Make A Date With Your Fave Rhody History Fan To Tour Or Have Tea At This NK "Castle"

Driving Up To The House Museum On Sunday Afternoon…

While driving down Post Road you’ve probably spotted the sign for Smith’s Castle.

I’ve walked the grounds a few times, but up until yesterday my awareness of the house (one of the oldest in the whole entire state) and land (the location of a trading post established in 1638 by none other than Roger Williams when he was setting up the “lively experiment” also known as the Rhode Island colony) was pretty much rooted in the sad story of Hannah Robinson (1746 - 1773).

From a prominent Narragansett family she ended up eloping with the French music teacher she had rendezvoused with at Smith’s Castle.

And the marriage did not end on a happy note.

(The 40 foot wooden tower over on Tower Hill Road is oft referred to as the Hannah Robinson Tower because there is — or was — a large rock in that general area on which Hannah would sit when she was a girl, and gaze out at the ocean.)

Also, spoiler alert, Hannah’s ghost is one of several that has been whispered about when it comes to paranormal activity at (or haunting of) the main house situated at 55 Richard Smith Drive in North Kingstown.

The dining room at Smith’s Castle. As far as the menu during the era of the Updike families, be sure to listen up when the docent talks about a certain pie that was considered (eek) a delicacy back then.

Originally I had planned on going to the Strawberry Festival that they host there every June, but we ended up going to Rose Island instead. Flash forward to yesterday afternoon, when we were finally able to hop on one of the tours they do on Sunday afternoons.

The history of the Castle (it’s not a castle in the traditional sense and was deemed one apparently because the original English style abode built in 1650’s was “fortified” with a fence) or Richard Smith’s Block House is complicated, messy, and at times, downright shocking.

Case in point, 40 soldiers who died at the Great Swamp Fight during King Philip’s War (1675) are buried in a mass grave on the property. The original house, built by Richard Sr., was also burned to the ground by the Narragansetts during that War and subsequently rebuilt by Richard’s son.

One Of Two Gardens That Have Been Revived From The Estate’s Colonial And Early American Days

Luminaries from national and local history who either visited or resided at the Castle over the years?

First off, let me name drop Ben Franklin who visited in the 1700’s when he was setting up the mail and post office system (hence the name Post Road).

I would also be remiss if I didn’t mention Daniel Updike, the Attorney General of the RI colony from 1722 to 1732 who helped settle border disputes with neighboring Massachusetts. You can actually see Daniel’s waistcoat and walking stick in the room of the Castle that functioned as his law office back in the day.

Views From The Shoreline Of Rabbit Island

After being vacant for some time in the early 1900’s, the house and grounds were saved in 1948 by a non-profit established for the sole purpose of restoring and preserving them, the Cocumscussoc Association. (Cocumscussoc is a Narragansett word for the land in that area.)

The estate these days includes two (2) gardens that have been designed to mimic ones that were thriving there beginning in colonial times. In addition, the main house underwent a major renovation a few years ago and is looking sharp and by sharp, I mean restored to look like it did when the Updike families occupied the place back in the 1700’s.

Frankly I don’t want to give too much away here. I do, however, highly recommend signing up for a guided tour and one of their upcoming special events like a Saturday tea in the dining room or one of their lectures out on the lawn.

For more details, do go to SmithsCastle.org.

As always if you find yourself at Smith’s after reading this, please let them know you heard about them via Patty J and PattyJ.com.

Photo Credits: All Of The Above Images Are Courtesy Of Me.