Quonochontaug, Rhode Island facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Quonochontaug, Rhode Island
Village
Babcock House
Quonochontaug, Rhode Island Location in Rhode Island
Country	United States
State	Rhode Island
County	Washington
Town	Charlestown
Elevation	322 ft (98 m)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP Code	02813
Area code(s)	401
GNIS feature ID	1217618

Quonochontaug (say it like KWAH-nə-kon-tog), often called Quonnie, is a small village in Washington County, Rhode Island. It is made up of three beach communities and is part of the larger town of Charlestown.

History of Quonochontaug

In the 1880s, the famous inventor Thomas Edison tried to mine iron in Quonochontaug. He found black sand on the beach that contained tiny iron pieces. Edison planned to use magnets to pull out the iron and then melt it down. However, this project didn't work out. Cheaper iron was found elsewhere, and Edison's mining idea in Quonochontaug was stopped.

Geography and Nature

Quonochontaug is located between two "salt ponds": Ninigret Pond and Quonochontaug Pond. Salt ponds are bodies of water that are partly separated from the ocean but still connect to it, so they have salty water. Both ponds have natural barrier beaches that protect them.

The village has three main beach areas: West Beach, Central Beach, and East Beach. Many people live here, especially during the summer. A lot of houses are rented out for summer vacations.

You can visit Blue Shutters Beach, which is owned by the town. It's at the end of East Beach Road. If you go east from Blue Shutters, an unpaved road leads to the Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge. This refuge is a special place for protecting wildlife and their homes.

Historic Place

• Babcock House

See also

In Spanish: Quonochontaug (Rhode Island) para niños