Description
A highly visual and new study of the rustic and whimsical shingled houses of Jamestown, Rhode Island from the colonial era to the development of the town as a picturesque resort set in a coastal landscape.
Jamestown, Rhode Island, set on the shimmering waters of Narragansett Bay, is marked by cliffs and fields looking out to the sea – a vision of paradise, a place of natural abundance and scenic beauty. For centuries, builders devised architecture that seamlessly rose from and merged back into stony coast and rolling meadows. This island is home to a timeless landscape of pastoral richness and picturesque views; its buildings a testament to those who sought their fortunes and fulfilled their fantasies, within sight of the mainland, but a world apart. In each case, there is a remarkable relationship between the island’s topography and its architecture.
Through maps, paintings, poetry and prose, this book illustrates the vibrant heritage of Jamestown, its role as a place of refuge and retreat through the ages, a paradise shaped by the visions and labours of its inhabitants.
John R. Tschirch is an award-winning architectural historian and Honorary Member of the Garden Club of America.
David E. Weisman is a native Rhode Islander and a collector of 19th and 20th century French art.
Table of Contents
- Foreword
- A Note from the Author
- Introduction
- A Place of Contrasts: Topography
- Island Refuge and Retreat: An Historical Overview
- A Bountiful Land: The Narragansetts and Colonial Settlement
- The Case of Remembrance
- Revolution: An Island Exposed
- Romantic Retreat: The Resort Era
- The Case of Charles Bevins
- Conclusion: A Picture of Past and Present
- Endnotes
- Selected Bibliography
- Index
- Image Credits
