Burlingame State Campground History

 

LOCATION: Charlestown

AREA: Total 2672 acres, Land 2100 acres, Water 572 acres

DISTANCE from PROVIDENCE: 41 Miles

OWNERSHIP: D E M

ACQUISITION: Purchase and Condemnation

DATE ACQUIRED: Opened as Burlingame State Reservation in 1934 with 2098 acres. (Was originally named just Burlingame Reservation developed as a wildlife preserve in 1930)

TOTAL ACREAGE: 3100 acres

LIST OF PREVIOUS OWNERS:

1. Washington Trust Co. - Thomas (Lyman), Lyndon, & Thomas Arnold - land purchased for $2,470.00 on May 17, 1930.

2. Mary Burdick - land purchased for $5,230.00 on May 18, 1930

3. Chomowauke Lodge-purchased for $100.00 and certain considerations ( lodge members were to have lifetime use of the property )- Senator Greene was the last to join on September 20, 1930. The  purchase included 498 acres of land of which 32.9 acres were developed but not transferred to the state until January 10,1960. At the time, the following items were also included in the purchase:

1. Two story "Lodge Building"- valued at $12,500.00

2. Two story "Caretaker's House"- valued at $7,500.00

3. Shed-valued at $100.00

4. Two outside toilets-valued at $150.00 each

 

All this land has since grown into woods and there are only two buildings left-the lodge which is vacant and the Caretakers house which is rented by Charles Lamphear.

4. 1931- purchased 500 acres for $13,190.00. 1932- purchased 131 acres for $ 1,488.00. 1933- purchased 133 acres for $ 1,466.00. 1934- purchased 103 acres for $1935. Acquired  889 acre through condemnation which the Metropolitan Park Commission voted for at a meeting held on November 13, 1934. 

The owners of the property taken are as follows:

 

Emma C. Anders Charlestown, R.I. Land/Bldg.

Thomas L. Arnold (Est) " " Land

Frank Bliven " " Land

Gertrude/Ethel Burdick " " Land

James A. Burdick " " Land

Mary T. Burdick " " Land/Bldg.

Casmorfont Realty Co. Westerly, R.I. Land

Elisha P. Crandall Charlestwon, R.I. Land

Ulysses E. Crandall Westerly, R.I. Land

Charles G. Eldrgidge Noank, Ct. Land

Thurman F. Eldridge Narragansett, R.I. Land

Federal Bank Springfield, Ma. Land

Albert A. Griswold Prov., R.I. Land/Bldg.

Asa T. Hoxie Charlestown, R.I. Land

Henry W. Hoxie Charlestown, R.I. Land

Joseph M. Hoxie (Est.) Charlestown, R.I. Land

Williard M. Hoxie Charlestown, R.I. Land

Vincenzo Laudone Bradford, R.I. Land

Emil Matson Bradford, R.I. Land/Bldg.

Metropolitan Park Comm. Prov., R.I. Land/Bldg.

Eugenia Mosley Dedham, Ma. Land

Arthur E. Monroe

c/o Title Guarantee Co. Prov., R.I. Land

Clarence Peckham Stonington, Ct. Land

Issac T. Prosser Charlestown, R.I. Land/Bldg.

William Ruhalla Charlestown, R.I. Land

Henry Saunders Rockville, R.I. Land

M. Leana Saunders Hoosick Fall, N.Y. Land

Hanna Smethburg Charlestown, R.I. Land

Charles Stanton Charlstown, R.I. Land

Walter Stanton New London, Ct. Land

Mary Stark Charlestown, R.I. Land

John Taylor Charlestown, R.I. Land

Ann Tomkin (Est.)

c/o Floyd Tomkins Wilmington, Del. Land

Franz Towmi Charlestown, R.I. Land

Turk Club

c/o John Barret Edgewood, R.I. Land/Bldg.

Mrs. William Wheeler Westerly, R.I. Land

Mrs. Howard Wilcox Wakefield, R.I. Land

Mrs. Leo Wood St. Albans, Vt. Land/Bldg.

5. Purchased a 50 foot roadway from Route 1 to the picnic area  from George and Rufus Prosser for $4,250.00 on October 30, 1959. Spent about $10,000.00 to improve and oil the road and parking lot.

6. Purchased a plot of land and three houses from Peter A. Gallagher in the North Camp area.   Two of the buildings have been torn down, the remaining building was new when purchased.

WHERE DID THE NAME OF THE PARK ORIGINATE:

The park was named in honor of Edwin Alysworth Burlingame who was the chairman of Rhode Island's Metropolitan Park Commission in the early 1930's.

 

DID THIS PARK HAVE AND OTHER NAMES?

Burlingame Reservation (1930-1934), Burlingame State Reservation (1934-1952)

 

WAS THERE A DEDICATION? No

OTHER INFORMATION:

1. Mrs. Genevieve Phillips authorized demolition of her house on Burlingame property on January 18, 1966.

 

2. The American Legion leased 250 acres for "Legiontown Camps" from 1946 to 1961.They gave their totom pole to a boyscout troop.

 

3. The  Audubon Society's "Kimball Wildlife Refuge" is nearby.

 

4. For many years all the Christmas trees for the State House were cut in Burlingame, but no longer.

 

OTHER INFORMATION:

1. FEES DAILY WEEKLY

1934-1958 ...........$ .50, $ 2.00

1959-1964 .......... $ 1.00, $ 5.00

1965-1974 .......... $ 2.00, $ 2.00

1975- .................. $ 3.00, $ 21.00

2. ACCOMMODATIONS

1934-1948 ...90 campsites

1952 ....130 campsites, 60-70 tables and fireplaces 1959 160 campsites

1965 ....355 campsites adopted first come first served policy

1975 ....755 campsites adopted,126 tables and 86 fireplaces

 

During  World War II, the park was used as a naval base, an army camp, and a rest stop for the British Navy. At one time, prisoners of war were held here.

 

BURLINGAME STATE PARK AND FOREST

The 3,100 acres of rocky woodland belonging to this area nearby surround Watchaug Pond in Charlestown. The entrance to the park headquarters and camping area is off U.S. Route #1 just south of the entrance to the Naval Auxiliary Landing Field. Between these two points is located the entrance to the main park, picnic area and the Kimball  Sanctuary via Prosser Trail, now being resurfaced and straightened. Rather extensive picnic facilities, 73 fireplaces, toilets, drinking water, swimming beach and bathhouse make this one of the most popular state recreation  areas.

 

It is about a ten minute drive from here to several of the larger salt water beaches in the state. Roads into the park headquarters are bordered with large pines, spruces, and  hemlocks.

 

The land in this park was purchased by the state from  1927 to 1934 and was named in honor of Edwin A. Burlingame, chairman of the former Metropolitan Park Commission.  The site of the first C.C.C. camp in the state is within the park and the old buildings have been used as boys' camp in recent years.

Burlingame was acquired as a state park and land-management area beginning in 1927. [Time line information: three years after the first national conference on outdoor recreation.] It is named in honor of Edwin A. Burlingame, chairman of the former Metropolitan Park Commission during the 1930’s. During the depression, the reservation was the headquarters of Burlingame Camp,141st Company, Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), the first CCC camp in the state. Civilian Conservation Corps development began in 1933 and until the corps was disbanded in 1942, it laid out miles of trails and roads. [Time line information: CCC national begun in 1933 employing more than two million in forestry flood control, soil erosion, and beautification projects to boost the economy while addressing the needs of the land.] During World War II several units of the Yankee Division, which did beach patrol, were stationed here. The American Legion leased 250 acres of the campground from 1946 through 1961 for "Legiontown Camps", boys’ camp that used the old CCC buildings.

DESCRIPTION

Burlingame park and management area consists of 3100 acres of rocky, forested, hilly terrain with campgrounds and Watchaug Pond south of Buckeye Brook Road in Charlestown. Activities include camping at 755 campsites, fishing, swimming, picnicking, boating and hiking. The area north of Buckeye Brook Road, which abuts the Pawcatuck River, is primarily a hunting area.

Animals at Burlingame include white-tailed deer, eastern cottontail, gray squirrel, eastern chipmunk, muskrat, mink, raccoon, red fox, white-footed mouse, short-tailed shrew, river otter, and short tailed weasel.

There are probably as many as 80 species of birds that nest in Burlingame, and many more species can also be seen there during migration periods and in the winter. For example, Watchaug Pond has been notable in recent years as a place to look for wintering bald eagles.

A representative sampling of species that nest in Burlingame includes Canada Goose, wood duck, broad-winged hawk, great horned owl, downy woodpecker, great nested flycatcher, blue jay, white-breasted nuthatch, house wren, hermit thrush, cedar waxwing, red-eyed vireo, ovenbird, scarlet tanager, rufous-sided towhee, and chipping sparrow.

A representative sample of amphibians and reptiles include wood frog, spring peeper, green frog, redback salamander, spotted salamander, eastern box turtle, northern water snake and eastern garter snake.

Half of Watchaug Pond is surrounded by Burlingame. Watchaug Pond is the site of a current study seventy (70) percent funded by a $100,000 Clean Lakes Grant from the Federal Environmental Protection Agency, with the remaining funds coming from the Department of Environmental Management. The study to examine a yearly cycle for the pond began in April 1992. Preliminary results indicate the pond is still very clean. Watershed Watch volunteers also have conducted sampling for four years at the pond.

CONSTRUCTION

New maintenance facility is part of a four phase construction project designed to upgrade public services at the area.

The project is partially funded through a $360,000 grant from the National Park Service. The rest of the funding is from the State’s recreation Area Development Fund which is generated by park and beach receipts.

Phase I, replacement of the park entrance dump station, by D.E.M. staff at a cost of $14,000 for material, was completed in May 1991. It provides for sewage disposal for camping vehicles for Burlingame and for Charelstown Breachway camping facilities and is designed to handle 69 vehicles a day. System was constructed by personnel from the Division of Parks and Recreation.

Phase II, completed in 1991, provides a new visitor registration station at the park entrance, and includes a $50,000 computer system for camper registration in its $350,000 total cost.

Phase III, consists of four main elements: The maintenance facility, replacement of restroom/shower facilities at two camping locations, and the upgrading of related underground electrical distribution systems.

The $200,000 Fishermens' Camp sanitary facility finished in July, provides showers, toilets, sinks for 286 campers per day and replaces dilapidated, inadequate facilities.

Completion of the $220,000 Legiontown Camp sanitary facility  will serve 622 campers per day and was completed on December15th. It will replace the existing dilapidated, inadequate structure.

The new maintenance building, built at a cost of $430,000 contains areas for storage of grass mowers and related equipment, areas for vehicle storage and maintenance, a woodworking shop, offices and crew quarters, and related sanitary facilities. It replaces outdated shop buildings, and is designed for a maintenance staff of 28. The building shell was fabricated by Inland Buildings of Brookfield, Wisconsin, and contains 6.100 square feet.

Architect for the total project is Robert Haig Associates of East Providence. Contractor for the replacement of the restroom and shower facilities as well as the new maintenance facility is the Stand Corporation of Warwick.