Goddard Memorial State Park

 

History

 

Goddard Park ’s 489.2 acres in Warwick has had a colorful history down through the years. As a private estate Goddard Park was richly endowed with spacious lawns, fields, and forested areas with a variety of trees from all over the world, including 62 deciduous and 19 evergreen species.

 

This wealthy inheritance of the State still largely remains in spite of the extensive damage caused by the 1938 hurricane. Located along two miles of Greenwich Cove, the park was formally opened to the public on June 1, 1930.

 

Today, Goddard Park attracts thousands of visitors each year as Rhode Island ’s most popular Metropolitan Park . Starting in 1979, the State has embarked on a major restoration of the park’s existing facilities including: it’s nine hole golf course, road systems, bathhouse and saltwater beach area, two restroom facilities, and maintenance facility. Work also included the renovation of the old carousel building into a new performing arts center, the construction of a new park entrance "fee" building, and also a new picnic shelter for large group outings.

 

This work with other renovations at the Rhode Island State Parks and Beaches assures the State’s dedication to continue efforts to maintain and improve it’s State Park System as one of the finest in the country.

 

DATE PARK WAS ACQUIRED: NOVEMBER 29, 1927

 

TOTAL ACREAGE: 489.2 ACRES

 

NAMES OF PREVIOUS OWNERS: R.H. IVES GODDARD AND HIS SISTER MADELINE MARQUISE D'ANDIGNE

 

WHERE  DID NAME ORIGINATE: NAME IN MEMORY  OF DONORS' FATHER COL. ROBERT H.I. GODDARD

 

MERRY-GO-ROUND: GIVEN TO THE STATE BY JOSEPH L. CARROLO. PLACED IN GODDARD PARK IN 1931

 

GODDARD PARK GOLF COURSE: AUTHORIZED BY A 1959 LEGISLATIVE ACT.

 

DEDICATION: FORMALLY OPENED TO THE PUBLIC JUNE 1, 1930

The main entrance to Goddard Park was once the entrance gates to "THE OAKS". All stone for the boundary wall along Ives Road was quarried on the estate. Power for the house was generated in the Power House-now restroom facilities-near the stable.

 

The  farmhouse at "THE OAKS" was built in 1858 and is now the  location of the Golfhouse.

" Clammers Road " - the path to Round Meadow - is now the road to the  beach. The mansion was destroyed by fire in 1975.  Previously the lower floors of the mansion housed the first insect zoo  to be established in the United States .

 

Today, Goddard Park offers to the public by reservations only, 395 picnic tables, 72 fireplaces and 11 game fields and of course, a beach front of about one-half mile long.

 

GODDARD MEMORIAL STATE PARK - ACQUISITION

 

1.On November 29, 1927 R.I. Ives Goddard and his sister Madeline Marquise d' Andigne gave to the state their family's 472 acre country estate situated in the Potowomut section of the City of Warwick . The land is bordered by the waters of Greenwich Bay and Greenwich Cove. The new park under terms of the deed was to be named Goddard Memorial Park in memory of the donor's father Col. Robert H.I. Goddard.

 

2. Under the terms of the deed certain provisions must forever be observed by the state or the land and buildings shall once again vest in the original owners. The provisions are as follows:

 

a. That the premises shall at all times be used and maintained by the state as a public park designated as Goddard Memorial State Park .

 

b. That no horse race, race of motor vehicles or professional athletic contest shall be any time be permitted upon the premises, nor shall the same be used for political or religious meetings or gatherings, nor shall any admission fee be charged for any athletic contest or other entertainment which may be given on said premises.

 

c. That an area equivalent to the forested area on the estate at the time of the gift shall always be kept under forestation.

 

d. That motor vehicles shall be excluded from the roads and paths of the forested area except for main roads of direct access to the shores necessary for the proper use thereof.

 

3. As a private estate Goddard Park had been richly endowed with spacious lawns and fields and forested areas wherein there were trees from all over the world; 62 deciduous, and 19  evergreen varieties. This wealthy inheritance of the state still largely remains in spite of the extensive damage caused by the 1938 hurricane.

 

4. Buildings acquired with the gift were as follows:

 

a. The beautiful 33 room Goddard Mansion known as "The Oaks". Unused for many years it still stands as a relic of  a  by gone age. Still hanging on the walls of its spacious  ball room  are tapestries brought from Germany in 1876 the  year in  which  the house was built. Note: The "Oaks"  was  destroyed by fire in 1973.

 

b. The home of the estate's horticulturist (10  rooms)  and the green house next door.

 

c. The carriage house now used as a riding academy.

 

d. A small storage building which was reconverted to be and still is a large comfort station.

 

e. Two small buildings which housed the estates' pumps.

 

f. The large house which was the home used by the head farmer now used as the caretaker's home.

 

g. The huge barn which was for years the center of activity on the estate and now used by the state as a place to store equipment.

 

h. A smaller building now used for the storage of firewood.

 

i. An ancient wagon shed now used as a woodcutting center.

 

5. Immediately upon acquisition of the estate preparations got underway for the opening of the new park. Fields were put into shape and construction of a new bathhouse began. The new bathhouse then the latest in planning and design, was built to accommodate 700 bathers at once. This and two miles of road in the park cost $102,171.41 which was part of a $600,000.00 bond issue approved April 4,1929. A parking lot which could hold 1,000 cars was built adjacent to it and the beach was cleaned and made ready for use. A few fireplaces were also constructed as was a refectory next to the bathhouse. A nine hole golf course was laid out.

 

6. Goddard Park was formally opened to the public on June 1, 1930.

 

7. The year 1931 saw many improvements. Much was done to improve the golf course. Additional fireplaces were built and the first campsites became a reality. Much of this work, and work on other state reservations at that time was made possible from the $600,000.00 bond issue of 1929. During this same year Goddard Park 's well known merry-go-round was erected.

 

8. The year 1933 saw the advent of the Works  Progress Administration and much work was done in the next few years by men supplied by that organization. The many beautiful fireplaces seen in Goddard Park to this day were erected in this period. Extensive work in maintaining and beautifying the forested areas was carried on at this time. The roads throughout the park were improved.

 

9. In 1935 the beautiful, rustic clubhouse which graces the  parks golf  course was constructed. Much of this work was done by the W.P.O.

 

10. The 1935 hurricane raised great havoc with the wooded areas of the reservation and many valuable trees and plants were lost. With the help of the W.O.A., a reforestation program was begun and today the fruits of this work are to be seen as they come closer to their full development.

 

11. In 1945 a large new comfort station was erected near the camp site, and in that same year a dock was constructed adjacent to the bathhouse. Simultaneous with the erection of the dock was the construction of a walls and bulkhead running the full length of the beach. The dock and bulkhead combined cost $7,900.00.

 

12. Goddard Park due to its unique history and setting has long attracted visitors from far and near. It has proven to be the ideal spot wherein to have displays and exhibits. Notable among these have been the Indian Village which was erected there during the Rhode Island Tercentenary celebration of 1936, and the insect zoo which was located in the Mansion  House  in 1935. The mansion due to its size and many rooms served as an ideal museum, and was capable of handling sizable crowds.

 

Goddard Memorial State Park at Potowomut Neck, on the shores of Narragansett Bay in Warwick was donated to the State of Rhode Island in 1927 by Robert Hale Ives Goddard of Providence , Rhode Island and his sister Madeleine, the Marquise d'Andigne of Paris , as a man to their father, the late Co. Robert H.I. Goddard. This property consists of 472 acres of wide beached, extensive open spaces and stately forest, was part of  the  Goddard summer estate and offers extraordinary opportunities for development  for public enjoyment.

 

The wooded portion which amounts to more than 200 acres abounds  with  fine specimens of red and white pine, red  and  white oak, larch, Douglas fir and almost every kind deciduous trees which are hardy in this climate. This tract is the result of a carefully thought out course of reforestation covering a long period of years, and has been described by the United States Department of Forestry, as "the finest example of private forestry in America ".

 

This unusual  park  is  situated 19 miles from Providence and  is  being converted  by the Metropolitan Park Commission into the finest  park in the State of Rhode Island .

 

WARWICK DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

 

"The Oaks" estate, donated by Madeleine Marquise d'Andigne and R.H. Ives Goddard to the State of Rhode Island for a public park for the enjoyment of recreation and for the education of the people in 1927. A picturesque park with winding roads, woods and surviving buildings from the Goddard estate: Bathing Pavilion-early 20th century: A one and a half story bathhouse, originally clapboard, now stucco. Carousel Building-1931:A  one  story, octagonal structure with domed roof and cupola constructed to house a carousel which was moved to Goddard   Park from Rocky Point Park in 1931. Gates and Gatehouse-1876 & 1927: A one story cross-gable clapboard gatehouse built into a stone wall. The gates bear the inscription: Goddard Memorial Park : Donated by Madeleine Marquise d'Andigne and R.H. Ives Goddard  to the State of   Rhode Island for a public park for the enjoyment of recreation and education of the people. 1927 Ice House-1876: One story gable-roof ice house with cupola; stone walls built  into adjacent stone retaining wall. Stables-1876: One and a half stories, cross-gable roof with cupola, clapboard.

 

In 1684, James Greene settled at Potowomut. His son Jabez together with Thomas Hill established a forge, saw and grist mill.  Jabez's descendants  built a prosperous community called "Greene's Fort  or "Puttywoome." (Nathaniel Greene, Rhode Island 's famous  Revolutionary War general was Jabez's grandson.). Thomas Green, Jabez's nephew, settled at Potowomut in 1698 and after his death the land descended to his grandson Richard, called "King Richard" for his noted Tory sentiments. By 1792 Nicholas Brown had acquired the land in settlement of "King Richards's" debts. The farm was given to Hope Brown in 1792 upon her marriage to Thomas Poynton Ives. The Ives family  subsequently acquired  most of Potowomut Neck and named the  estate "Hopelands."

 

The estate passed to Charlotte Ives Goddard, wife of Brown University  William C. Goddard in 1857. In 1876 her daughter, Hope Brown Ives and Hope's husband Henry C. Russell, built the mansion "The Oaks" which once stood at the center of  the Goddard estate. Destroyed by fire in 1973, the house was a  large three-story late Victorian country villa with both Queen Anne and stick style architectural elements, beautifully sited in a  rolling  park landscape.

 

Colonel Robert H.I. Goddard, a cousin, inherited "The Oaks" after Mrs. Russell's death in 1909. His son and daughter presented the house, stables and most of the estate to the State of Rhode Island in 1927 to become a public park.

 

Recommendation:

 

The historic integrity of the park landscape and surviving buildings should be maintained. Alterations to the park should only be undertaken after consulting with the Historical Preservation Commission.

 

HISTORY OF GODDARD MEMORIAL STATE PARK

 

Potowomut, "land of fires", the Narragansett Indians named the neck of land over three hundred years ago when they spent the growing seasons farming and fishing here. In the 1680's, the first white settlers encroached upon the Indian lands of Potowomut when James Greene built at the head of the tidal river which became known as Greene's River. Here, his son, Jabez, built a dam an a mill, later; his descendants established a forge. Upon James' death, the property passed to his son Richard. A fondness for lavish hospitality and fancy living plunged  Richard Greene deeply in debt.

 

Among the creditors at his death were the Brown brothers of Providence . Nicholas Brown had enjoyed the Greene's hospitality and admired  the estate which he wanted to purchase for his daughter, Hope. While his death prevented him from personally making her this gift, his executors purchased the estate shortly after Hope married Thomas Poynton Ives.

 

In 1802, the Ives added to their property a narrow strip running across the neck from Greene's River to Greenwich Cove, south of Shippee Hollow. A later purchase included  the meadows directly north of this, extending to the Paul Greene farm (which later became the "Thorncliff estate of R.H.I. Goddard ). In 1857 Mrs. Ives died leaving the property on the west side of Ives Road to the two children of her deceased son, Moses B. Ives. The boy, Thomas P.  Ives, developed the farm, building the house and barn in 1858 and planting the elms and maples that grow on each side of Ives Road and along the roads in Goddard Park .

His sister, Hope Brown Ives, inherited the more southerly portion of the estate.

 

At the beginning of the Civil War, Thomas  P.  Ives offered himself and his yacht to the government. He was assigned the rank of Captain and stattionedat Chesapeake Bay, where a New Bedford man, Henry  Grinnell  Russell, became an intimate  friend. Mr. Russell later married Hope Brown Ives, who had  inherited her brother's property when he died in 1865.

 

Thus, the entire area of Goddard Park came under one ownership; and as the Russell's began to develop "The Oaks", as they named their home, the magnificently wooded acres that characterize the park today took shape. A huge ledge of rock located in a grove of ancient oaks was quarried for the stonewall that still edges Ives Road . On the sight of this ledge, Mr. and Mrs. Russell's summer home, "The Oaks" was built in 1876.

 

Mr. Russell's interest in improving the farm at "The Oaks" led to an extensive forestation project. The land at Potowomut was open and sandy with the wind blowing away any good soil. Enlisting the technical aid of Professor Charles S. Sargent of the Arnold Arboretum, Mr. Russell raised thousands of seedlings which were later transplanted along the shores of Greenwich Cove to break the wind.

 

When  walking  about the grounds, Mr. Russell  would  fill his pockets with acorns and plant them in holes punched with his  cane. Three acorns were planted for each oak one for the squirrels,  one for the worms, and one to grow.

 

Mr. Russell died in 1904, followed five years later by his wife. In dying, Mrs. Russell returned the estate at Potowomut to her family, leaving it to her cousin Col. R.H.I. Goddard. In his turn, Col. Goddard added to the forests of the estate many thousands of red and white pines, firs, and spruce. After his death in  1916, everything south of Clammer's Road (the present road to the beach) passed to his daughter, Madeleine, the Marquise d'Andigne; while the northern section was added to his son's property, "Thorncliff".

 

In 1927, Madeline and her brother joined in donating to the people of Rhode Island the property now known as Goddard   Memorial State Park .

 

The handsome wooden mansion house served the state well before its  fiery destruction in 1975. The first insect zoo to be established in the United States was set up in the lower floors by  the well known entomologist, Brayton Eddy. In 1936, "The Oaks" became the headquarters for the State Division of Forests, Parks and Parkways of the Department of Agriculture and Conservation, with additional offices for the U.S. Forest Service. Offices were there for the U.S. Resettlement Administrations SubMarginal Land  Purchase Project.

 

In 1940, the Division of Forests, Parks and Parkways moved back to  Providence but for 4 or 5 more summers, conservation  workshops were held at the mansion under the direction of Harold Madison. With the gift to the state of this property,  Potowomut  once again  became the "land of fires", as thousands of families  enjoyed picnics and cookouts on the grounds of "The Oaks".

 

GODDARD MEMORIAL STATE PARK

 

Goddard Park 's 489.2 acres in Warwick has had a colorful history down  through the years. In 1654 Chief Taccomanan of the Narragansett Indians deeded to "Randall Houlden" and  "Ezekiel Hollyman"  the peninsula of Potowomut . By 1700 the Greene family had gained control of the tract and Richard Greene an older cousin of General Nathaniel Geene lived there in old-world splendor. He was a Tory sympathizer and was known as King Richard Greene.

 

After the Revolutionary War, his holdings were confiscated by the State and sold at an auction to John Nicholas Brown of Providence.This land was next given to Brown's daughter Hope at the time of her marriage in 1792, to  Thomas Paynton Ives. Mrs. Hope Brown Ives died in 1855 and the estate was divided among her three children;--Robert Ives received the land bordering Greene's River,  Mrs. Charles Ives Goddard was given Hopeland, now Rocky Hill Day School , and Moses B. Ives received the land bordering Greenwich Cove, now Goddard Park . At the death of Moses B. Ives in 1957, the property was inherited by his son and daughter, Thomas B. Ives and the second Moses Brown Ives, later wife of Henry G. Russell. Mr. Russell maintained the Mansion house as a summer home and from 1784 gradually reforested his sandy acres with oak, pine, larch, fir and spruce.

 

Col. Robert Hale Ives Goddard, a cousin, came into possession of  the estate in 1909 at the death of Mrs.Russell and continued the work of reforestation. He married Rebekah B. Goesbeck of Cincinatti. Their two children, Robert H.I. Goddard  and  Madeleine Marquise d'Antigne, gave the property to the state in 1927. The State has added hard surfaced drives, a large parking lot for 1,000 cars  near  the beach, a sandy beach 800 feet long, an attractive bathhouse to accommodate 672 bathers, with wide veranda  overlooking Greenwich  Bay, a well kept golf course, many stone  fireplaces  and picnic tables among the groves, and eight miles of  winding bridle paths through the stately pines and oaks.

 

There are saddle horses available and a merry-go-round is located by the shore. The great expanses of lawn, the birds and the trees, and the soft lapping of the waves make truly a rare combination of woodlands, landscaped grounds, and sandy salt water beach for bathing and boating.

 

An insect zoo conducted by Brayton Eddy in 1934 and 1935 at the Mansion  House attracted many inquisitive children and  adults. And for several years from 1946, a Rhode Island Conservation Workshop was carried on. In1936 the Rhode Island Indians held an Indian Day celebration in the park, complete with an authentic Indian Village which included a stockade attached to a "long house", three circular houses, a teepee, a corn and squash garden, and dugout canoes parked on the grounds. Under terms of the deeds to the State, "the property shall be developed as a natural reservation, with no automobiles being allowed in the woods, no horses or auto racing and no political or religious meetings, and no fees for any entertainments."

 

It is free and much appreciated by the people as a public park for their enjoyment, education, and entertainment.