The Towers is a historic structure located at 35 Ocean Road in
Narragansett, Rhode Island
Narragansett is a town in Washington County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 14,532 at the 2020 census. However, during the summer months the town's population more than doubles to near 34,000. The town of Narragansett occupie ...
. It is the only remnant of the Narragansett Pier Casino built in the 1880s. On November 25, 1969, it was added to the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
.
History (1883–1900)
The Narragansett Pier Casino was the center of social life in Narragansett during the late 19th century. The Narragansett Pier Casino rivaled the
Newport Casino
The Newport Casino is an athletic complex and recreation center located at 180-200 Bellevue Avenue, Newport, Rhode Island in the Bellevue Avenue/Casino Historic District. Built in 1879–1881 by '' New York Herald'' publisher James Gordon ...
’s popularity as a resort for the social elite until it burned to the ground in 1900.
Built between 1883–1886, the Narragansett Pier Casino was a fine example of Victorian
Shingle style architecture (a variation of
Queen Anne style architecture in the United States
Queen Anne style architecture was one of a number of popular Victorian architectural styles that emerged in the United States during the period from roughly 1880 to 1910. Popular there during this time, it followed the Second Empire and Stick s ...
), designed by
McKim, Mead, and White
McKim, Mead & White was an American architectural firm that came to define architectural practice, urbanism, and the ideals of the American Renaissance in fin de siècle New York. The firm's founding partners Charles Follen McKim (1847–1909), W ...
. The Casino offered a variety of sports, including boating, tennis, billiards, bowling, cards, and shooting, restaurants, stores, reading rooms, a theater, a bandstand, a ballroom, and a beautiful beach.
The Narragansett Pier Casino thrived during the
Gilded Age
In United States history, the Gilded Age was an era extending roughly from 1877 to 1900, which was sandwiched between the Reconstruction era and the Progressive Era. It was a time of rapid economic growth, especially in the Northern and Wes ...
until it burned down during the Great Fire of September 12, 1900. That day, a fire broke out in the neighboring Rockingham Hotel. The flames spread quickly to the Casino, leaving only the granite walls of The Towers standing. More recently Hurricane Sandy has uncovered the foundation and part of the old boardwalk belonging to the old casino that had been buried by sand.
Recent history
Today, having survived a number of fires, nor'easters, and hurricanes, the Narragansett Towers are the only remaining part of the original Narragansett Pier Casino. One of the most recognizable landmarks in Narragansett, The Towers currently hosts weddings, dances, dinners, plays, and fashion shows. Its location, adjacent to Narragansett town beach, makes it an ideal venue for social events.
File:Narragansett Towers and casino postcard.jpg, Narragansett towers attached to the casino, ca. 1885
File:Narragansett Towers Casino ruins and lifeguard station.jpg, Narragansett Casino ruins and lifeguard station, ca. 1905 after the fire destroyed most of the complex
Image:Narragansettbuilding.jpg,
Image:RI_towns_Narragansett.png,
In popular culture
Many events take place on the land adjacent to The Towers, as well as the land next door, where the Casino once stood, that now includes a lawn and a courtyard with a fountain. Events such as The Blessing of the Fleet road race and festival, local art festivals, the Lighting of the town Christmas tree, and many beautiful weddings.
The Casino at the Narragansett Towers is also the location of the first reports of the now-popular seafood dish "
clams casino."
The Towers can be seen in the background of the Rhode Island-based cartoon ''
Family Guy
''Family Guy'' is an American animated sitcom originally conceived and created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The show centers around the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their ch ...
'', episode "
Peter's Got Woods
"Peter's Got Woods" is the 11th episode and the mid-season premiere of the fourth season of the American animated television series '' Family Guy''. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on September 11, 2005. In the episode, Brian offe ...
," when Peter rides by on a tandem bicycle with James Woods, both engaged in song.
See also
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References
Narragansett Towers History
External links
The Historic Narragansett Towersfrom the other side
{{National Register of Historic Places in Rhode Island
Buildings and structures in Narragansett, Rhode Island
Towers in Rhode Island
Buildings and structures completed in 1886
Towers completed in 1886
Event venues on the National Register of Historic Places in Rhode Island
Historic district contributing properties in Rhode Island
National Register of Historic Places in Washington County, Rhode Island
1886 establishments in Rhode Island
McKim, Mead & White buildings
Queen Anne architecture in Rhode Island
Shingle Style architecture in Rhode Island
Victorian architecture in Rhode Island