Little Compton, Rhode Island
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Little Compton is a coastal town in
Newport County, Rhode Island Newport County is one of five counties located in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. As of the 2020 census, the population was 85,643. It is also one of the seven regions of Rhode Island. The county was created in 1703. Like all of the counties in ...
, bounded on the south by the
Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...
, on the west by the
Sakonnet River The Sakonnet River is a tidal strait in the state of Rhode Island which flows approximately 14 miles between Mount Hope Bay and Rhode Island Sound. It separates Aquidneck Island from the eastern portion of Newport County. Crossings Below is ...
, on the north by the town of Tiverton, and on the east by the town of
Westport, Massachusetts Westport (Massachusett: ) is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 16,339 at the 2020 census. The village of North Westport lies in the town. Other named areas of the town are "Westport Point," which has a do ...
. The population was 3,616 at the 2020 census.


History

Little Compton was originally inhabited by the Sakonnet Indians and their settlement was called Sakonnet or Saughonet."Little Compton Common Historic District nomination form"
/ref> The name has been interpreted in a variety of ways including "where the water pours forth". The first European settlers were from
Duxbury, Massachusetts Duxbury (alternative older spelling: "Duxborough") is a historic seaside town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. A suburb located on the South Shore (Massachusetts), South Shore approximately to t ...
in the
Plymouth Colony Plymouth Colony (sometimes Plimouth) was, from 1620 to 1691, the British America, first permanent English colony in New England and the second permanent English colony in North America, after the Jamestown Colony. It was first settled by the pa ...
, which granted them their charter. The ruler of the Native Americans was a female
sachem Sachems and sagamores are paramount chiefs among the Algonquians or other Native American tribes of northeastern North America, including the Iroquois. The two words are anglicizations of cognate terms (c. 1622) from different Eastern Al ...
named
Awashonks Awashonks (also spelled Awashunckes, Awashunkes or Awasoncks) was a saunkskwa, a female sachem ( chief) of the Sakonnet (also spelled Saconet) tribe in Rhode Island. She lived near the southern edge of the Plymouth Colony on Patuxet homelands, not ...
who was friendly to the newcomers and remained so during and after
King Phillip's War King Philip's War (sometimes called the First Indian War, Metacom's War, Metacomet's War, Pometacomet's Rebellion, or Metacom's Rebellion) was an armed conflict in 1675–1676 between indigenous inhabitants of New England and New England coloni ...
. With her acquiescence, the new settlers divided the land into standard-sized lots for farms. Among the 29 original proprietors was Colonel Benjamin Church, who would become well known for his role in the late 17th-century conflicts with surrounding Indian tribes, initially the
Wampanoags The Wampanoag , also rendered Wôpanâak, are an Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands based in southeastern Massachusetts and historically parts of eastern Rhode Island,Salwen, "Indians of Southern New England and Long Island," p. ...
and later, the
Narragansetts The Narragansett people are an Algonquian American Indian tribe from Rhode Island. Today, Narragansett people are enrolled in the federally recognized Narragansett Indian Tribe. They gained federal recognition in 1983. The tribe was nearly lan ...
. In 1675, Church built a house in Little Compton, just prior to King Philip's War. Today, a plaque marks the location on West Main Road. In 1682, Sakonnet was incorporated by the Plymouth Colony and was renamed Little Compton, probably in reference to
Cullompton Cullompton () is a town and civil parish in the district of Mid Devon and the county of Devon, England. It is north-east of Exeter and lies on the River Culm. In 2011 the parish as a whole had a population of 8,499 while the built-up area of ...
, Devon, England. After the "Old Colony" was merged into the Massachusetts Bay Colony to the north, a local colonial representative to the General Court in Boston boasted that all the stone walls in Little Compton would stretch to the State House and back, if laid end to end. A Royal commission changed the state border in 1747, and Little Compton along with Tiverton and
Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...
became part of Rhode Island. Setting them off from the area of
Old Dartmouth Old Dartmouth was the first area of Southeastern Massachusetts settled by Europeans. It was purchased on behalf of the Plymouth Colony in 1652 from the indigenous Wampanoag people. The lands included all of modern-day Dartmouth, New Bedford, ...
. All probate and land records prior to 1746 are kept in
Taunton Taunton () is the county town of Somerset, England, with a 2011 population of 69,570. Its thousand-year history includes a 10th-century monastic foundation, Taunton Castle, which later became a priory. The Normans built a castle owned by the ...
and
New Bedford, Massachusetts New Bedford (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ) is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, Bristol County, Massachusetts. It is located on the Acushnet River in what is known as the South Coast (Massachusetts), South Coast region. Up throug ...
. Beginning in the late Victorian era, the town became a destination for summer visitors drawn to its beaches and farms seemingly untouched by modernity, and for its relatively cool, maritime climate. Sites of historic interest in Little Compton include the Wilbor House, built in 1692 by
Samuel Wilbore Samuel Wilbore (c. 1595–1656) was one of the founding settlers of Portsmouth in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. He emigrated from Essex, England to Boston with his wife and three sons in 1633. He and his wife both j ...
and now the home of the Little Compton Historical Society, the Friends Meeting House and Cemetery, and the William Whalley Homestead. There are about 57 historic cemeteries in the town. Little Compton is home to one of only three town commons surviving in Rhode Island; the others are in Bristol and
Warren A warren is a network of wild rodent or lagomorph, typically rabbit burrows. Domestic warrens are artificial, enclosed establishment of animal husbandry dedicated to the raising of rabbits for meat and fur. The term evolved from the medieval A ...
. Land for the common was designated in August 1677 and has been used ever since as both a religious and civic center, the location of churches, a school, the town hall, town library, and other government buildings and civic institutions. The Common contains a large cemetery. Benjamin Church and his family are buried in the cemetery, as is
Elizabeth Pabodie Elizabeth Pabodie (1623–1717), also known as Elizabeth Alden Pabodie or Elizabeth Peabody, was allegedly the first white child born in New England. Life Elizabeth Pabodie was born Elizabeth Alden in 1623, the firstborn child of the Plymouth Col ...
, the eldest daughter of
John Alden John Alden (c. 1598 - September 12, 1687) was a crew member on the historic 1620 voyage of the ''Mayflower'' which brought the English settlers commonly known as Pilgrims to Plymouth Colony in present-day Massachusetts, US. He was hired in Sou ...
and
Priscilla Mullins Priscilla Alden (, ) was a noted member of Massachusetts's Plymouth Colony of Pilgrims and the wife of fellow colonist John Alden (1687). They married in 1621 in Plymouth. Biography Priscilla was most likely born in Dorking in Surrey, the dau ...
of
Mayflower ''Mayflower'' was an English ship that transported a group of English families, known today as the Pilgrims, from England to the New World in 1620. After a grueling 10 weeks at sea, ''Mayflower'', with 102 passengers and a crew of about 30, r ...
fame. The stones in the cemetery reflect a style of carving similar to that found both in Newport and
Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
during the same time period. The entire common is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as an
historic district A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal protection from c ...
. Another distinctive feature of the town is the c.1905 " Spite Tower" found in the hamlet of Adamsville. Built as a water tower, local lore claims that it was constructed to obscure the sightlines of a rival abutting neighbor. Fort Church was built near Sakonnet Point during
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
and was named for Benjamin Church. The largest of the four batteries was Battery Gray with two 16-inch guns, an area that became the Sakonnet Golf Club.


Demographics

In 2021, there were 3,600 people in 1,592 households. Of the 2,444 housing units in Little Compton in 2021, only 65% were reported as occupied, leaving 855 units (35%) vacant for seasonal use only. The population density of Little Compton was 175 people per square mile, which classifies as rural. In 2021, 98% of residents were
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 2% were
Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...
. More than half (59%) had earned a bachelor's degree or higher, which was 1.5 times greater than the rate of Rhode Island (34%). The median age in town was 58 years, considerably older than Rhode Island as a whole (40 years). The largest plurality of people (21% of the town) was between the ages of 60–69. And the largest plurality of residents moved to town in 2015 or later (28%). Only 2% of the town's population was under 10 years of age, far below the statewide average of 10%, and zero percent of women of childbearing age (ages 15–50) gave birth in 2021. In 2022, the median value of owner occupied units was $797,000, more than double the value in Rhode Island as a whole ($319,000). A household needed an annual income of $174,000 to afford a median priced home in Little Compton, placing the town among the three most expensive zip codes in Rhode Island, ranking third most expensive behind only Block Island (New Shoreham) and Providence (East Side). As of 2021, the median household income in Little Compton was $96,111, which was 1.3 times higher than Rhode Island ($74,489). The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...
in Little Compton was $81,912, more than double that of Rhode Island ($39,603). Of Little Compton's households, 416 (or 27%) were classified as cost-burdened for having to spend more than 30% of their income on housing costs. About 4.8% of the population lived below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, which was less than half the rate of Rhode Island (12.4%). Rhode Island State Law 45-5356 establishes a goal that 10 percent of every city or town’s housing stock qualify as Low- and Moderate-Income Housing. In 2022, only 0.56% of Little Compton's housing stock qualified as meeting that goal, the lowest of any municipality in Rhode Island, leaving Little Compton as the most unaffordable town in Rhode Island and 235 units shy of the state target of 10 percent.


Geography

According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the town has a total area of , of which, is land and (27.79%) is water. One of the largest bodies of fresh water in Little Compton is Quicksand Pond. Sakonnet Point is the town's southernmost point, offering views of the Sakonnet Lighthouse and several small rocky islands, including East Island and West Island. On a clear day, it is possible to view the inhabited islands of
Cuttyhunk Cuttyhunk Island is the outermost of the Elizabeth Islands in Massachusetts. A small outpost for the harvesting of sassafras was occupied for a few weeks in 1602, arguably making it the first English settlement in New England. Cuttyhunk is loc ...
and Nashawena, in Buzzards Bay, as well as Newport, Rhode Island to the west. Along with its scenic coastline, another defining feature of Little Compton's landscape is its abundant stonewalls. According to Bruce Irving, author of the book ''New England Icons'', "There were once some 250,000 miles of stone walls in the Northeast, enough to stretch to the moon, their epicenter generally sited in a fifty-mile radius around the meeting point of Rhode Island and Massachusetts, with the Rhode Island town of Little Compton especially rich in stone walls."


Agricultural Conservancy Trust

Little Compton is unique for its real estate transfer tax, which was enabled by state statute in 1985 to preserve farmland in town and protect limited drinking water resources from overdevelopment. Effective July 1, 2016, real estate property transfers are taxed at a 4% rate, with the first $300,000 is exempted, paid by the buyer in the transaction to the town's Agricultural Conservancy Trust. As of 2021, the Ag Trust has preserved 2,162 acres of land, more than 671 acres of that owned outright by the Ag Trust, with 133 acres of that leased to local farmers.


Education

There is one school in Little Compton, the Wilbur and McMahon School on School House Lane near the Common, originally known as the Josephine Wilbur (or Central) School; residents simply refer to it as "Wilbur School." It had 12 classrooms and housed the town's K–12 facilities. It was renamed after additions were built in the mid 1900s. Approximately 350 students attend classes in Kindergarten through 8th grade. High school students usually attend Portsmouth High School in
Portsmouth, Rhode Island Portsmouth is a town in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 17,871 at the 2020 U.S. census. Portsmouth is the second-oldest municipality in Rhode Island, after Providence; it was one of the four colonies which merged ...
, about a 25 minute drive away.


Rhode Island Red

The
Rhode Island Red The Rhode Island Red is an American breed of domestic chicken. It is the state bird of Rhode Island. It was developed there and in Massachusetts in the late nineteenth century, by cross-breeding birds of Oriental origin such as the Malay wit ...
is a native breed of poultry first bred by William Tripp in Adamsville, a hamlet that is part of Little Compton. According to The Livestock Conservancy, "The Rhode Island Red is not only America's best known breed, but is perhaps the world's best known fowl. It is the most successful dual purpose bird aised for both eggs and meat and remains an excellent farm chicken r non-industrial breed" In 1925, the Rhode Island Red Club of America donated funds for a monument to the Rhode Island Red in Adamsville, at the intersection of Main Street and Westport River Road. Another plaque honoring the Rhode Island Red was erected by the state on the breed's 100th anniversary in 1954, south of Adamsville on the wall of what was William Tripp's farm. The two memorials reflect a dispute between poultry fanciers and farmers over who should have received credit for the breed's success.


Notable people

*
Awashonks Awashonks (also spelled Awashunckes, Awashunkes or Awasoncks) was a saunkskwa, a female sachem ( chief) of the Sakonnet (also spelled Saconet) tribe in Rhode Island. She lived near the southern edge of the Plymouth Colony on Patuxet homelands, not ...
(–), female
sachem Sachems and sagamores are paramount chiefs among the Algonquians or other Native American tribes of northeastern North America, including the Iroquois. The two words are anglicizations of cognate terms (c. 1622) from different Eastern Al ...
( chief) of the Sakonnet tribe * Jack Brennan (born 1937), president
Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...
's post-
resignation Resignation is the formal act of leaving or quitting one's office or position. A resignation can occur when a person holding a position gained by election or appointment steps down, but leaving a position upon the expiration of a term, or choos ...
chief of staff The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supporti ...
; has a summer home in Little Compton *
Sydney Richmond Burleigh Sydney Richmond Burleigh (July 7, 1853 – February 25, 1931) was an American artist, known primarily for his watercolors but also for his oil paintings, drawings, illustrations, and building and furniture designs. Biography He was born in Littl ...
(1853–1931), painter and illustrator; building and furniture designer; born in Little Compton *
J. C. Chandor Jeffrey McDonald Chandor (born November 24, 1973), better known as J. C. Chandor (), is an American filmmaker, best known for writing and directing the films ''Margin Call'' (2011), '' All Is Lost'' (2013), '' A Most Violent Year'' (2014), '' Tri ...
(born 1974), writer, director, and
Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
nominee for the screenplay of ''
Margin Call ''Margin Call'' is a 2011 American drama film written and directed by J. C. Chandor in his feature directorial debut. The principal story takes place over a 24-hour period at a large Wall Street investment bank during the initial stages of the ...
''; summer resident of Little Compton * Colonel Benjamin Church (–1718), founder of Little Compton. Known as the father of the
United States Army Rangers United States Army Rangers, according to the US Army's definition, are personnel, past or present, in any unit that has the official designation "Ranger". The term is commonly used to include graduates of the US Army Ranger School, even if t ...
and commander of Colonial forces during
King Philip's War King Philip's War (sometimes called the First Indian War, Metacom's War, Metacomet's War, Pometacomet's Rebellion, or Metacom's Rebellion) was an armed conflict in 1675–1676 between indigenous inhabitants of New England and New England coloni ...
(1675–1676); died and is buried in Little Compton *
Isaiah Davenport Isaiah Davenport (November 3, 1784 – October 16, 1827) was an American master builder, prominent in the American city of Savannah, Georgia, during the early 19th century. The first property Davenport constructed in Savannah was what is today k ...
(1784–1827), master builder"Savannah's Master Builder"
– ''Savannah Magazine'', March 6, 2017
* Sylvester Graham, pastor, early vegetarian, namesake of the
Graham Cracker A graham cracker (pronounced or in America) is a sweet flavored cracker made with graham flour that originated in the United States in the mid-19th century, with commercial development from about 1880. It is eaten as a snack food, usually ho ...
*
Christopher R. Hill Christopher Robert Hill (born August 10, 1952) is an American diplomat who is United States Ambassador to Serbia. Previously, he was professor at George W. Ball adjunct Columbia University in the City of New York, the Chief Advisor to the Chance ...
(born 1952), former
Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs The Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs is the head of the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs within the United States Department of State. The assistant secretary guides operation of the U.S. diplomatic estab ...
and former United States Ambassador to Iraq; lived in Little Compton *
Carnegie Family Carnegie may refer to: People *Carnegie (surname), including a list of people with the name *Clan Carnegie, a lowland Scottish clan Institutions Named for Andrew Carnegie * Carnegie Building (Troy, New York), on the campus of Rensselaer Polyte ...
, Pamela Mitchell, Courtney Sweeney, Dylan Evans. Great grandchildren of robber baron Andrew Carnegie. Lived in Little Compton *
Henry Demarest Lloyd Henry Demarest Lloyd (May 1, 1847 – September 28, 1903) was a 19th-century American progressive political activist and pioneer muckraking journalist. He is best remembered for his exposés of the Standard Oil Company, which were written before ...
(1847–1903), political activist and
muckraking The muckrakers were reform-minded journalists, writers, and photographers in the Progressive Era in the United States (1890s–1920s) who claimed to expose corruption and wrongdoing in established institutions, often through sensationalist publ ...
journalist; lived in Little Compton * J. William Middendorf (born 1924), United States Ambassador to the
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
, Permanent Representative to the
Organization of American States The Organization of American States (OAS; es, Organización de los Estados Americanos, pt, Organização dos Estados Americanos, french: Organisation des États américains; ''OEA'') is an international organization that was founded on 30 April ...
,
Secretary of the Navy The secretary of the Navy (or SECNAV) is a statutory officer () and the head (chief executive officer) of the Department of the Navy, a military department (component organization) within the United States Department of Defense. By law, the se ...
, composer, and artist; lives in Little Compton *
Arden Myrin Arden VanAmringe Myrin () is an American actress and comedian. Myrin was a cast member on the Netflix series '' Insatiable'', playing the role of Regina Sinclair, and starred in the world premiere of Steve Martin's play ''Meteor Shower'' at the ...
(born 1973), comedian and actress (''
MADtv ''Mad TV'' (stylized as ''MADtv'') is an American sketch comedy television series originally inspired by ''Mad (magazine), Mad'' magazine. In its initial run, it aired on Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox from 1995 to 2009. After a one-off reuni ...
,
Chelsea Lately ''Chelsea Lately'' is an American Late night television, late night Television comedy, comedy talk show created by Brody Stevens and hosted by comedian Chelsea Handler which was broadcast on E! The show debuted on July 16, 2007, and was produced ...
''); born in Little Compton *
Elizabeth Pabodie Elizabeth Pabodie (1623–1717), also known as Elizabeth Alden Pabodie or Elizabeth Peabody, was allegedly the first white child born in New England. Life Elizabeth Pabodie was born Elizabeth Alden in 1623, the firstborn child of the Plymouth Col ...
(1623–1717), daughter of
Plymouth Colony Plymouth Colony (sometimes Plimouth) was, from 1620 to 1691, the British America, first permanent English colony in New England and the second permanent English colony in North America, after the Jamestown Colony. It was first settled by the pa ...
settlers
John Alden John Alden (c. 1598 - September 12, 1687) was a crew member on the historic 1620 voyage of the ''Mayflower'' which brought the English settlers commonly known as Pilgrims to Plymouth Colony in present-day Massachusetts, US. He was hired in Sou ...
and
Priscilla Mullins Priscilla Alden (, ) was a noted member of Massachusetts's Plymouth Colony of Pilgrims and the wife of fellow colonist John Alden (1687). They married in 1621 in Plymouth. Biography Priscilla was most likely born in Dorking in Surrey, the dau ...
, recognized as the first
white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
girl born in
New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...
; buried in Little Compton *
Abel Head "Shanghai" Pierce Abel Head Pierce (June 29, 1834 – December 26, 1900), known as Shanghai Pierce, was a Texas rancher. He was born in Little Compton, Rhode Island and was a direct descendant of John Alden and Priscilla Mullins, with nine generations in between. H ...
(1834–1900), a
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
rancher and cattleman; known as an authority on cattle; born in Little Compton * Jacob Frank Schulman (1927–2006), Unitarian Universalist minister, theologian, and author of several books. Summer resident with wife Alice Southworth Schulman, descendant of
John Alden John Alden (c. 1598 - September 12, 1687) was a crew member on the historic 1620 voyage of the ''Mayflower'' which brought the English settlers commonly known as Pilgrims to Plymouth Colony in present-day Massachusetts, US. He was hired in Sou ...
,
Priscilla Mullins Priscilla Alden (, ) was a noted member of Massachusetts's Plymouth Colony of Pilgrims and the wife of fellow colonist John Alden (1687). They married in 1621 in Plymouth. Biography Priscilla was most likely born in Dorking in Surrey, the dau ...
and Constant Southworth, one of the original 16th century settlers * Charles Upham Shepard (1804–1886), mineralogist; born in Little Compton * John Simmons (1796–1870), clothing manufacturer; founder of
Simmons College Institutions of learning called Simmons College or Simmons University include: * Simmons University, a women's liberal arts college in Boston, Massachusetts * Simmons College of Kentucky, a historically black college in Louisville, Kentucky * Ha ...
; born in Little Compton * Henry Tillinghast Sisson (1831–1910), American Civil War era colonel in the
Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...
;
Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island The current lieutenant governor of Rhode Island is Sabina Matos, who was sworn in on April 14, 2021, after Daniel McKee succeeded to the office of governor. The first lieutenant governor was George Brown. In Rhode Island, the lieutenant gover ...
; inventor of the three-
ring binder Ring binders (loose leaf binders, looseleaf binders, or sometimes called files in Britain) are large folders that contain file folders or hole punched papers. These binders come in various sizes and can accommodate an array of paper sizes. The ...
; lived and died in Little Compton *
Paul Suttell Paul Suttell (born January 10, 1949) is the chief justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court. Suttell graduated from the Moses Brown School in Providence, Rhode IslanHe then attended Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, from which he gr ...
(born 1949), current Chief Justice of the
Rhode Island Supreme Court The Rhode Island Supreme Court is the court of last resort in the U.S. State of Rhode Island. The Court consists of a Chief Justice and four Associate Justices, all selected by the Governor of Rhode Island from candidates vetted by the Judicial No ...
; lives in Little Compton * Charles Edwin Wilbour (1833–1896), journalist and
Egyptologist Egyptology (from ''Egypt'' and Greek , '' -logia''; ar, علم المصريات) is the study of ancient Egyptian history, language, literature, religion, architecture and art from the 5th millennium BC until the end of its native religious ...
who produced the first English translation of ''
Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original ...
''; born in Little Compton *
Isaac Wilbour Isaac Wilbour (April 25, 1763October 4, 1837) was an American politician from Rhode Island holding several offices, including the sixth Governor of the state. Biography Wilbour was born in Little Compton in the Colony of Rhode Island and Pro ...
(1763–1837), 6th
Governor of Rhode Island The governor of Rhode Island is the head of government The head of government is the highest or the second-highest official in the executive branch of a sovereign state, a federated state, or a self-governing colony, autonomous region, o ...
; US
congressman A Member of Congress (MOC) is a person who has been appointed or elected and inducted into an official body called a congress, typically to represent a particular constituency in a legislature. The term member of parliament (MP) is an equivalen ...
; 34th Chief Justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court; born and died in Little Compton *
Rupert von Trapp The Trapp Family (also known as the von Trapp Family) were a singing group formed from the family of former Austrian naval commander Georg von Trapp. The family achieved fame in their original singing career in their native Austria during the in ...
(1911–1992), eldest son of the Trapp Family Singers, whose family story inspired ''
The Sound of Music ''The Sound of Music'' is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the 1949 memoir of Maria von Trapp, '' The Story of the Trapp Family Singers''. Se ...
''; lived in Little Compton


Attractions and sites on National Register of Historic Places

* Friends Meeting House and Cemetery (1815) * Little Compton Common Historic District, including the United Congregational Church and the Town Hall, among other buildings *
Rhode Island Red Monument The Rhode Island Red Monument in the hamlet of Adamsville of Little Compton, Rhode Island, at the intersection of Main Street, Adamsville Road, and Old Harbor Road, commemorates the Rhode Island Red breed of chicken, Rhode Island's state bird. T ...
(1925) * Sakonnet Light Station (1884) * Stone House Inn (1854) * Wilbor House Museum (1692) * William Whalley Homestead


Gallery

File:Stone House Inn from SW, Little Compton.jpg, The Stone House Inn was built in 1854 as a home for industrialist David Sisson. At the time of completion, it was the biggest residence in the area. File:Renovated Sakonnet Lighthouse 2016 crop.jpg, The Sakonnet Light Station was built in 1885 and renovated in 2012. It sits on a rock in the Sakonnet River off of Sakonnet Point File:Sakonnet Lodge, Common HD, Little Compton.jpg, The Sakonnet Lodge was built in 1840 as a Methodist Church. It is part of the Little Compton Common Historic District(Source
Little Compton Common Historic District NRHP nomination form
/ref> File:UCCLC.jpg, The United Congregational Church dates to 1704. The current meeting house was built in 1832. Its 100' steeple is the tallest structure in town.(Source
Little Compton Common Historic District NRHP nomination form
/ref> File:First Methodist Meeting House, Common HD, Little Compton.jpg, The First (or Old) Methodist Meeting House was originally built in another location in 1825, and moved to its current location in 1839 and a new front section was added. File:Spite Tower, Adamsville, Little Compton 2.jpg, The "Spite Tower" in Adamsville, a hamlet of Little Compton, is a water tower which is purported to have been built out of spite. File:William Whalley Homestead, Little Compton.jpg, The William Whalley Homestead is a 19th century farmstead which includes a house, barn and outbuilding.William Whalley Homestead NHRP nomination form
/ref>


See also

* *
National Register of Historic Places listings in Newport County, Rhode Island __NOTOC__ This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Newport County, Rhode Island. This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Newport County, ...


References


External links


Little Compton official webpage

Little Compton Historical Society

Little Compton Census Data 2010

"In Search of The Commons"
{{authority control Towns in Newport County, Rhode Island Narragansett Bay Populated coastal places in Rhode Island Providence metropolitan area Towns in Rhode Island