Elder John Crandall (15 February 1618 – 29 November 1676) was a Baptist minister, born in Westerleigh , Gloucestershire, England and was one of the founding settlers of Westerly, Rhode Island .
41-577: Misquamicut State Beach ( MISS -kwahm-eh-kut ) is a seaside public recreation area in the town of Westerly, Rhode Island . It occupies a portion of Misquamicut Beach , a 3-mile-long (4.8 km) barrier island that extends westward from Weekapaug to Watch Hill and separates Winnapaug Pond from the Atlantic Ocean. The state beach covers 51 acres (21 ha) and features a large beach pavilion with multiple public facilities. A series of hurricanes in 1938 , 1944 , and 1954 laid waste to
82-452: A municipality in 1669. Westerly is a beachfront community on the south shore of the state with a population of 23,359 as of the 2020 census. The Pawcatuck River flows on the western border of Westerly, and was once renowned for its own species of Westerly salmon , three of which are displayed on the town's official seal. The Pawcatuck River flows from 15 mi (24 km) inland, emptying into Little Narragansett Bay . It also serves as
123-589: A shooting happened at the Babcock Village, in which three women ended up shot. The police identified the shooter, and two surviving victims. The shooting was done by 66-year old Joseph Giachello, who was found dead in his room after taking the life of 47-year old Julie Cardinal, the manager of the complex. During this shooting, all the schools in Westerly managed by Westerly Public Schools were put into lockdown, although Westerly Public Schools stated: “there
164-842: A storm surge of 12–15ft all along the coast of Rhode Island . Many factories, mines, houses, and more structures collapsed during the hurricane, and the New Haven and Hartford Railroad was damaged, shutting down transport to Westerly, RI. Following this, westerly would be struck again 6 years later in 1944, and again1954 by major hurricanes. In 1966, the Guild Guitar Company , founded in 1952 by Alfred Dronge in New York City, moved production to Westerly, and continued to make their well-respected archtop , acoustic , and solid body guitars there, until 2001, when they were bought by Fender Musical Instruments and production
205-497: A bathhouse building with composting toilets , a concession building with gift shop and offices, a lifeguard tower, and shade gazebos. The Misquamicut Business Association sponsors various events throughout the year at the state beach and other locations. The beach is open seasonally. Westerly, Rhode Island Westerly is a town on the southwestern coastline of Washington County , Rhode Island , United States, first settled by English colonists in 1661, and incorporated as
246-776: A beachfront community with small amounts of nightlife and several hotels; Potter Hill, where the Town Forest is located; Shelter Harbor; Watch Hill , with beaches and summer cottages; Weekapaug ; White Rock; and Winnapaug, with public golf courses. The town holds a number of annual events, such as the Pawcatuck River Duck Race in April, Virtu Art Festival in May, Shakespeare in the Park and the Summer Pops (hosted by
287-518: A household in the town was $ 44,613, and the median income for a family was $ 53,165. Males had a median income of $ 37,887 versus $ 26,800 for females. The per capita income for the town was $ 24,092. About 4.3% of families and 6.7% of the population were below the poverty line , including 9.6% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over. The most frequent ancestries among the town's population are Italian (34.2%), Irish (17.9%) and English (14.2%). Many Italians moved to Westerly from Italy around
328-546: A large tract of land belonging to Stonington, Connecticut . He and Tobias Saunders answered the complaint on behalf of the Westerly people. He was conservator of the peace at Westerly in 1670, and deputy to the general assembly again in 1670-71. The Connecticut authorities arrested him on May 2, 1671, but the Rhode Island government advised him not to give bond and promised to pay his expenses and defend him. He had at least seven children by his first wife. His second wife
369-432: A tract of land at Westerly where they desired to settle. He and Joseph Torrey were appointed commissioners on May 14, 1669 to treat with Connecticut concerning the jurisdiction of disputed territory, and the colony of Rhode Island gave him 35 shillings to pay his expenses to Connecticut. On November 18, 1669, he received a letter from the governor and assistants of Connecticut complaining that he and others had appropriated
410-547: Is Westerly Public Schools , including the Westerly High School , the Westerly Middle School, Westerly High School Career and Tech (WHS- CTE ), and the local elementary schools, State Street Elementary School, Springbrook Elementary School, and Dunn’s Corners Elementary School. Westerly has a mayor–council government system, which the mayor is called the council president. The current mayor
451-576: Is William J. Aiello since 2022. The Town of Westerly has other positions, including the school committee, and administration, with town manager being Shawn Lacey. Terms of the local council, senator and representative in the Rhode Island General Assembly last two-years, and school committee officials having four-year terms. Westerly has a set budget of $ 102 million for the Westerly Police Department in
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#1732793785522492-533: Is approximately 5 miles away and can be reached by Connecticut Route 2 and by Rhode Island Route 3 . John Crandall Crandall was born in 1618 (baptized February 15, 1617/8) in Westerleigh , Gloucestershire , England to James Crandall, a yeoman of Kendleshire in that parish, and his first wife Eleanor. The name was probably taken from Crundelend in Abberley , Worcestershire , where people bearing
533-646: Is in 1643 when he appears as a grand jury member in Newport. He became a prominent member of the First Baptist Church in Newport , and subsequently the first elder of the denomination at Westerly, Rhode Island . He went to Lynn, Massachusetts with John Clarke and Obadiah Holmes to hold services for the Baptists; he was arrested there on July 21, 1651 and sent to prison in Boston . Ten days later, he
574-537: Is no verifiable threat to any of the buildings.” In August of 2021, Tropical Storm Henri made landfall in Westerly, causing significant damage and power outages. Following Henri’s impacts, in November 2021, three tornadoes were confirmed in Rhode Island, the first being an EF-1 tornado which went from Stonington, Connecticut to Westerly. According to the United States Census Bureau ,
615-598: The Bradford Village Historic District . Physician, American Revolution general, and Rhode Island Supreme Court justice Dr. Joshua Babcock was born in Westerly. Rhode Island Governor and Chief Justice Samuel Ward also lived here for many years. During the American Revolution , Westerly did not play any major battles compared to the nearby Battle of Newport , which happened in Rhode Island. Lieutenant-Colonel Samuel Ward Jr
656-919: The Chorus of Westerly ) in June, and Riverglow in July. In recent years, the Westerly-Pawcatuck Chamber of Commerce's events have attracted many visitors, including big screen movies on the beach through July and August, Westerly's Columbus Day parade in October, and several beachfront events. Also, the Westerly-Pawcatuck Veterans Board of Control hold two of the oldest parades in the United States. The Memorial Day Parade started in 1867, held in May on Memorial Day, and
697-551: The Misquamicut beach community, so Governor Dennis J. Roberts instigated condemnation proceedings that culminated in the creation of Misquamicut State Beach in 1959. The beach's 40-year old septic system failed in 1992, at which time waterless composting toilets were introduced which allowed the park to stay in operation. A beach pavilion was added to the site in 1999 at a cost of $ 1.5 million, named for Westerly native State Senator James J. Federico, Jr. (1946-1997). The project
738-488: The Pawcatuck River is the municipal seat of the area, with the old town post office, library, YMCA, railroad station, former police headquarters (the current headquarters is located on Airport Road), granite buildings, and Wilcox Park. Other villages include Avondale, with antique colonial-style and Queen Anne-style homes; Bradford , with its own post office and postal code; Dunn's Corners; Mastuxet; Misquamicut ,
779-639: The 2024–2025 fiscal budget. Westerly, RI has a general crime rate of 10 per 1000 residents, with most crime happening in Downtown Westerly , and along the coast. Westerly has a total crime rate that is 59% lower than the national average per 100,000 residents. Westerly is marked as one of the safest towns within the entirety of the United States , with 68 violent incidents per 100,000 residents. In total, there are 0.62 daily crimes (0.04 violent daily crimes and 0.57 daily property crimes) in
820-579: The Ashaway and Westerly Railway converged in Westerly and shared track between the railroad station and Dixon House Square downtown. The lines were built in the 1890s and 1900s and ran until the 1920s. Because of the towns location, Westerly would be devastated in 1938 by the Hurricane of 1938 , with the village of Napatree Point being completely destroyed, along with Misquamicut, Galilee, Jerusalem, Green Hill, and Quonochontaug being heavily destroyed, with
861-529: The English had build an outpost, and forced the Narragansett people out of the region by 1661, allowing for the permanent settlement on the coast line. The English village was the home of Elder John Crandall ( c. 1618 –1676), one of Westerly's founding fathers. Crandall settled in Westerly in 1661, and the early history of Westerly contains many references to him and his sons. In 1669, Westerly
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#1732793785522902-542: The Veterans Day Parade started in 1917, held in November on the Saturday of Veterans Day week. As of the census of 2000, there were 22,966 people, 9,402 households, and 6,130 families residing in the town. The population density was 763.3 inhabitants per square mile (294.7/km ). There were 11,292 housing units at an average density of 375.3 units per square mile (144.9 units/km ). The racial makeup of
943-557: The boundary between Westerly and Pawcatuck, Connecticut . Three large salt ponds lie along the coast of Westerly which serve as shallow, reef-like pools whose outer walls form the long, white beaches for which the town is renowned, such as the Misquamicut State Beach . From west to east, these ponds are Maschaug Pond , Winnapaug Pond , and Quonochontaug Pond . The Westerly area was known for its historically important granite mining and stone-cutting industry, until
984-486: The coldest month and at least 22 °C (72 °F) in the warmest month. Annually, Westerly has a long warm/hot season from April to mid-November, and a cool/cold season from late November through March. Westerly averages 2300 hours of sunshine annually (higher than the USA average), and receives about 1,087 mm (42.8 in) of precipitation annually. Westerly consists of a number of small villages. Downtown Westerly on
1025-536: The first quarry in Westerly, to produce Westerly White and Blue granite. The Westerly area was known for its historically important (1870-1950s) granite mining and stone-cutting industry, which quarried a unique stone known as Westerly granite. This pinkish granite is ideal for statuary and has been used in numerous government buildings of several states on the eastern seaboard . Its quarries produced blue granite, in addition to pinks and reds. The Smith Granite Company employed many granite cutting craftsmen and
1066-477: The last Ice Age. A pristine sample of the moraine encompasses a 140-acre (0.57 km ) preserve owned in perpetuity by the Westerly Land Trust. Within the trust land are the rare kettle formations that extend out under the sea to Block Island . Westerly has a humid subtropical climate ( Köppen Cfa ), defined as having a mean monthly temperature between 0 and 18 °C (32 and 64 °F) in
1107-556: The name were concentrated in the 16th century. Crandall's great-grandfather Nicholas Crundall (died 1589) of Tewkesbury , Gloucestershire came to south Gloucestershire in 1572 as the vicar of the parish of Winterbourne . Nothing else is known of John Crandall's life in England prior to his emigration to America, except that his relatives started spelling the name "Crandall" around 1610. The first documentation for Crandall in America
1148-456: The platform. Additionally, there have been proposals for CT rail to extend its Shore Line East service eastwards to Westerly station. Westerly has U.S. Route 1 and state routes 1A , 3 , and 91 . Route 78 forms a bypass around Westerly downtown and ends near Westerly Airport, with three interchanges in Rhode Island; the other endpoint is in Stonington, Connecticut . Interstate 95
1189-483: The quarries stopped operating in the 1950s. Westerly becomes a notable tourist destination during the summer months when the population nearly doubles. Its well-known beaches include Weekapaug Beach, Westerly Town Beach, Misquamicut State Beach , East Beach, and Watch Hill Beach. Westerly, R.I. prior to English colonization was known as Misquamicut , home to the Narragansett people prior to 1637, before
1230-608: The start of the 20th century (particularly from Sicily and Calabria ), and Italian dialects are still spoken at the homes of many older residents. Washington Trust Bancorp Inc., a publicly traded regional bank with operations in Rhode Island and Connecticut, is headquartered in Westerly. Another regional bank centered directly in Southwest Rhode Island is the Westerly Community Credit Union or WCCU. The main school system of Westerly
1271-617: The town has a total area of 74.8 square miles (194 km ), of which, 30.1 square miles (78 km ) is land and 44.7 square miles (116 km ) (59.78%) is water. The Bureau includes Westerly in the RI-MA Providence metropolitan area (defined at the county level) but in the CT-RI Norwich-New London NECTA (defined at the municipal level ). Westerly sits atop a glacial moraine , a series of small hills of debris left behind by receding glaciers in
Misquamicut State Beach - Misplaced Pages Continue
1312-611: The town of Westerly. In Westerly, there is the Westerly State Airport , which offers services by New England Airlines . Along with Westerly State Airport, Amtrak also offers services by the Westerly Amtrak Station between Washington, DC and Boston , stopping at the Westerly station near downtown. The station itself was closed in October 2016, but passengers can still board and disembark at
1353-562: The town was 95.17% White , 0.71% Black or African American , 0.57% Native American , 1.99% Asian , 0.34% from other races , and 1.22% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 1.18% of the population. There were 9,402 households, out of which 29.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.2% were married couples living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.8% were non-families. Of all households, 29.0% were made up of individuals, and 12.5% had someone living alone who
1394-449: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.98. In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.5% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.6 males. The median income for
1435-445: Was Hannah Gaylord (born 1647), daughter of William and Ann (Porter) Gaylord of Windsor, Connecticut . She died in 1678. He died at Newport, where he had moved in 1676 because of King Philip's War . Crandall's children were: John, James, Jane who married James Babcock, Sarah who married Josiah Witter, Peter whose wife's name was Mary, Joseph who married Deborah Burdick, Samuel who married Sarah Colby (or Celbey), Jeremiah, and Eber. He
1476-664: Was a resident of Westerly, Rhode Island, commanding the 1st Rhode Island Regiment, the only black regiment in the Continental Army , and its important role in the Revolutionary War’s Battle of Rhode Island . In the early 1800s, prior to the War of 1812 , Westerly had become a shipbuilding center under U.S. Navy Officer Oliver Perry, having built Gunboats . In 1834, the Crumb Quarry, began operations,
1517-401: Was completed with the addition of a 2,700-space paved parking area in 2000. Hurricane Sandy blew much of the beach into the parking area in 2012; the state moved some 30,000 cubic yards of sand back onto the shoreline, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completed the beach replenishment project in 2015, using an inland sand source. The James J. Federico, Jr. State Beach Pavilion includes
1558-410: Was convicted of breaking the law by holding services and fined five pounds, in default of which he was to be publicly whipped. He was released upon his promise to appear at the next term of court. In 1655, he was a freeman of Rhode Island; he was a commissioner in 1658-59 and 1662–63. He signed a letter with eight others to the court of commissioners of Rhode Island dated August 27, 1661 in relation to
1599-613: Was moved to Corona, California . In 2012, Hurricane Sandy left beaches along the Westerly shoreline devastated and nearly unrecognizable, including Misquamicut . Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee stated that Misquamicut was "our New Jersey," referring to the amount of damage that was received in the State of New Jersey . The damages caused by Hurricane Sandy caused $ 11.3 million dollars in damages, with almost 100,000 power outages reported in Rhode Island . In December of 2019,
1640-585: Was named for the settlement's location respective to Rhode Island 's geography, being the westernmost town in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations . In 1738, the Town of Charlestown was partitioned off from Westerly, and 19 years later Hopkinton was also partitioned off from Westerly, leaving Westerly in its modern borders. Bradford , a village built in 1732, following the partition of Hopkinton remained shared between both Hopkinton and Westerly with
1681-555: Was one of the town's major employers until the quarries stopped operating in the 1950s. Hundreds of examples of their work can be seen on the battlefields of Gettysburg and in city squares, municipal buildings, cemeteries throughout the United States, and even the Georgia State Capitol . The four trolley lines of the Groton and Stonington Street Railway , Norwich and Westerly Railway , Pawtucket Valley Street Railway, and