Fort Adams State Park is a public recreation and historic area preserving

Fort Adams Fort Adams is a former United States Army post in Newport, Rhode Island, Newport, Rhode Island, that was established on July 4, 1799, as a Seacoast defense in the United States#First System, First System Coastal defence and fortification, coas ...

, a large coastal fortification located at the harbor mouth in Newport,

Rhode Island Rhode Island ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Is ...

, that was active from 1841 through the first half of the 20th century. The

state park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "Federated state, state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on accou ...

hosts the annual

Newport Jazz Festival The Newport Jazz Festival is an annual American multi-day jazz music festival held every summer in Newport, Rhode Island. Elaine Lorillard established the festival in 1954, and she and husband Louis Lorillard financed it for many years. They hire ...

and

Newport Folk Festival The Newport Folk Festival is an annual American folk-oriented music festival in Newport, Rhode Island, which began in 1959 as a counterpart to the Newport Jazz Festival. The festival was founded by music promoter and Jazz Festival founder Geor ...

and is the home of Sail Newport and Eisenhower House.

History

The area was originally owned by William Brenton, who called the region "Hammersmith," a name that survives in the name of the adjacent Hammersmith Farm. Following its long tenure as a military installation, the State of Rhode Island took possession of Fort Adams for use as a state park in 1965.

Activities and amenities

In addition to panoramic views of the harbor and

Narragansett Bay Narragansett Bay is a bay and estuary on the north side of Rhode Island Sound covering , of which is in Rhode Island. The bay forms New England's largest estuary, which functions as an expansive natural harbor and includes a small archipelago. S ...

, the park offers swimming, boating, picnicking, and athletic fields. The Joseph "Jay" Kirwin Memorial Rugby Pitch is home to Newport Rugby Football Club and to the rugby teams of

Salve Regina University Salve Regina University is a private coeducational Roman Catholic university in Newport, Rhode Island, United States. It was founded in 1934 by the Sisters of Mercy and is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. The univer ...

. In addition to the dedicated Kirwin rugby pitch, there are two soccer fields/rugby pitches. The annual Newport

Rugby Sevens Rugby sevens (commonly known simply as sevens, and originally seven-a-side rugby) is a variant of rugby union in which teams are made up of seven players playing seven-minute halves, instead of the usual 15 players playing 40-minute halves. R ...

Tournament is held at the fort each summer. The Fort Adams Trust offers seasonal guided tours of Fort Adams, the Fort Adams Advanced Southern Redoubt, and the Eisenhower “Summer White House." Fort Adams State Beach is a small, shallow, roped-off area for swimming, with slightly rocky sand. The adjacent Dr. Fred Alofsin Special Events Building has bathrooms, showers, picnic tables, and a small parking lot.

References

External links

Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management Division of Parks & Recreation
Fort Adams and the Fort Adams Trust
The Fort Adams Trust {{authority control State parks of Rhode Island Narragansett Bay Geography of Newport, Rhode Island Protected areas of Newport County, Rhode Island Tourist attractions in Newport, Rhode Island Sports venues in Rhode Island Protected areas established in 1965 1965 establishments in Rhode Island

History

Activities and amenities

Further reading

References

External links