Of Old Stone Walls and LiDAR

"Something there is that doesn't love a wall..."

A LiDAR image showing a network of stone walls
 in the Glen Rock Road area.

So begins Robert Frost's poem about the stone walls that are all around us in Rhode Island. 

But what would Frost have thought about LiDAR? In this article by Exeter historian Gary Boden, we go back to prehistoric times to learn why the stones are here, as well as explore new technology that allows us to see lost stone walls that have been swallowed by the forest.

click the link below to read the article:

 Stone Walls of Exeter

The Civilian Conservation Corps in Exeter

Many of us know about the LeGrand Reynolds Horseman's Area in western Exeter, near Stepping Stone Ranch. Did you know that area was  cleared  as part of a national program designed to revitalize the U.S. economy in the midst of the Great Depression? 




Named "Beach Pond Camp" after the first buildings were constructed there in 1935, the area was a shining example of the efforts of the Civilian Conservation Corps, one of the keystones of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal.

Exeter Historical Association President Sheila Reynolds Boothroyd and Vice President Gary Boden collaborated to write a fascinating article on the history of this camp. 

click the link below to read the article:

The Civilian Conservation Corps in Exeter, Rhode Island

Beach Pond Mess Hall,  constructed by the
Civilian Conservation Corps,
1936

The Mess Hall is gone, but the
fireplace and chimney remain.
Reynolds Horseman's Area, 2014.

Historic Districts in Exeter

When you hear the words "National Register of Historic Places", you usually think of 18th century houses where famous politicians once lived, or majestic Civil War battlefields. So would it surprise you to learn that there are 9 sites in the town of Exeter that are included in the National Register?

In the late 1970's and early 1980's, just after our country's Bicentennial, the Rhode Island Historic Preservation Commission identified areas around the state of which were of historical or archaeological significance. Exeter, of course, was included. 

Each site was researched, surveyed and documented. All of this information was then typed (yes, typed! On a typewriter!) onto National Register of Historic Places nomination forms, and submitted to the National Park Service. 

waterwheel foundation
at Fisherville 

Biographies of some of the site's past owners are included too. For example, the textile mill that is the centerpiece of the Fisherville Historic District was named for its owner, a man named Schuyler Fisher.  Fisher was an unsuccessful Temperance Party candidate in the 1852 race for Lieutenant Governor. "Temperance" was a relatively new movement at that time, and came about over the growing incidence of public drunkenness in the state, especially on holidays like the Fourth of July.






The Exeter sites that were accepted to the National Register are listed below. Select each name to open a PDF that contains the nomination forms, supporting documentation, maps and acceptance letters (the "Parris Brook" document is currently unavailable). The great thing about all of this paperwork is the level of detail about the history and archaeology of each of the sites.

• Austin Farm Road Historic District
    Austin Farm Road, west of U.S. Route 95
• Fisherville Historic and Archaeological District
    William Reynolds Road
• Hallville Historic and Archaeological District
    Hallville Road
• Parris Brook Archaeological District
    Mount Tom Road
• Sodom Mill Historic and Archaeological District
    Sodom Trail off Hallville Road
• Queen's Fort
    Stony Lane
• Simon Lillibridge Farm
    Summit Road
• Chestnut Hill Baptist Church/Baptist Church in Exeter
    Ten Rod Road
• Lawton's Mill/Albro Mill
    Ten Rod Road 

For a complete listing of all Rhode Island sites included in the National Register, see the Rhode Island Historic Preservation and Heritage Commission's "Rhode Island Properties" page.