South Shore, Rhode Island

Since Native Americans camped by its ponds and waterfront, Rhode Island’s South Shore has been a magnet for recreational activity, drawing summer visitors whose accommodations ranged from tents to opulent hotels and summer homes. From Narragansett Pier to Watch Hill Point, this book tells the story of our fascination with life by the sea. Drawn by its clean air and pastoral shores, visitors for generations have come back to “South County” year after year to fish, swim, sunbathe, and simply rest. Some craved the social whirl of Narragansett, while others opted for the slower lifestyle in rural villages like Matunuck and Jerusalem. Each village and resort had its own identity, which is explored in this collection of postcards and photographs, most from private collections. These pictures show the dramatic changes wrought by the Hurricane of 1938, urban renewal, and development.