Westerly, Rhode Island facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Westerly
Town
Westerly, Rhode Island
The Westerly Town Hall and Court House (2021) The Westerly Armory (2005) Westerly High School (2017)
Flag Seal
Westerly Location in Rhode Island Show map of Rhode Island Westerly Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Rhode Island
County	Washington County
First settled	1661
Incorporated	1669
Villages	List Watch Hill Bradford Misquamicut White Rock Shelter Harbor Weekapaug Dunn’s Corners Mastuxet Avondale Downtown Westerly Winnapaug
Government
• Type	Mayor–council government
Area
• Total	74.8 sq mi (194 km2)
• Land	30.1 sq mi (78 km2)
• Water	44.7 sq mi (116 km2)
Elevation	36 ft (11 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	23,359
• Density	777/sq mi (300/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes	02891 02808 (Bradford)
Area code(s)	401
FIPS code	44-77000
GNIS feature ID	1220091

Westerly is a town located on the southwestern coast of Washington County, Rhode Island, United States. English settlers first arrived here in 1661, and it officially became a town in 1669. Westerly is a popular beach community with a population of 23,359 people, according to the 2020 census.

The Pawcatuck River flows along Westerly's western border. This river was once famous for its own special type of Westerly salmon, and you can even see three of them on the town's official seal! The Pawcatuck River travels about 15 miles inland before flowing into Little Narragansett Bay. It also marks the boundary between Westerly and Pawcatuck, Connecticut.

Along Westerly's coast, there are three large salt ponds: Maschaug Pond, Winnapaug Pond, and Quonochontaug Pond. These ponds create shallow, reef-like areas, and their outer edges form the beautiful, long white beaches that Westerly is known for, like Misquamicut State Beach.

Westerly becomes a very popular place for tourists during the summer months, when its population almost doubles. Its well-known beaches include Weekapaug Beach, Westerly Town Beach, Misquamicut State Beach, East Beach, and Watch Hill Beach. Historically, Westerly was famous for its important granite mining and stone-cutting industry, which continued until the quarries closed in the 1950s.

History of Westerly

Today, Westerly's main industries are making textiles (like fabrics) and tourism. However, the town was once very famous for its granite. This granite was dug up from quarries in at least two places in Westerly: Bradford and Potter Hill.

Westerly was likely named because of its location. It is the westernmost town in Rhode Island. But it might also have gotten its name from an English village called Westerleigh in Gloucestershire. This English village was the home of Elder John Crandall, one of Westerly's founding fathers. Elder John settled in Westerly in 1661, and he and his sons are mentioned often in the town's early history.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, four trolley lines met in Westerly. These lines were the Groton and Stonington Street Railway, Norwich and Westerly Railway, Pawtucket Valley Street Railway, and the Ashaway and Westerly Railway. They shared tracks in downtown Westerly. These trolleys ran until the 1920s.

Some important historical figures were born in Westerly. Dr. Joshua Babcock was a physician, a general in the American Revolution, and a Rhode Island Supreme Court justice. Samuel Ward, who was a Chief Justice and Governor of Rhode Island, was also born here.

Tropical Storms and Hurricanes

Because of where it is located, Westerly can be affected by tropical storms and hurricanes. Major hurricanes caused a lot of damage in Westerly in 1938, 1944, and 1954. In 2012, Superstorm Sandy also caused severe damage to the beaches along the Westerly shoreline, making places like Misquamicut almost unrecognizable.

Geography of Westerly

The town of Westerly covers a total area of 74.8 square miles (193.8 km²). About 30.1 square miles (77.9 km²) of this is land, and 44.7 square miles (115.8 km²) is water. This means that almost 60% of Westerly's total area is water!

Westerly is built on top of a glacial moraine. This is a series of small hills made of rocks and dirt left behind by melting glaciers during the last Ice Age. A special part of this moraine is a 140-acre preserve owned by the Westerly Land Trust. This land has rare "kettle" formations that even extend out under the sea towards Block Island.

Villages within Westerly

Westerly is made up of several smaller villages. Downtown Westerly is located on the Pawcatuck River and is the main center of the area. Here you'll find the old town post office, the library, the YMCA, the train station, and many granite buildings, along with Wilcox Park.

Westerly Town Beach on Atlantic Ave. in Westerly.

Other villages include:

• Avondale, known for its old colonial and Queen Anne-style homes.
• Bradford, which has its own post office.
• Dunn's Corners.
• Mastuxet.
• Misquamicut, a beach community with some nightlife and hotels.
• Potter Hill, where the Town Forest is located.
• Shelter Harbor.
• Watch Hill, famous for its beaches and summer homes.
• Weekapaug.
• White Rock.
• Winnapaug, which has public golf courses.

Most people who live in Westerly identify with the town as a whole, rather than just their specific village. However, residents of Bradford, Shelter Harbor, Watch Hill, Weekapaug, and White Rock often identify with their village.

Fun Events and Local Industries

Westerly hosts many annual events. These include the Pawcatuck River Duck Race in April, the Virtu Art Festival in May, and Shakespeare in the Park and The Summer Pops (by the Chorus of Westerly) in June. Riverglow is a popular event in July. The Westerly-Pawcatuck Chamber of Commerce also organizes events like Big Screen Movies on the Beach in July and August, Westerly's Columbus Day Parade in October, and several beachfront events.

The town's history is closely tied to its granite mining and stone-cutting industry. Westerly's quarries produced beautiful blue, pink, and red granite. The Smith Granite Company employed many skilled stone cutters and was one of the town's biggest employers until the quarries closed in the 1950s. You can see examples of their work in famous places like the battlefields of Gettysburg, city squares, public buildings, and cemeteries across the United States, and even the Georgia State Capitol.

The Guild Guitar Company, which makes well-known guitars, started in New York City in 1952. They moved their production to Westerly in 1967 and continued making their respected archtop, acoustic, and solid body guitars there until 1996.

Many famous people have lived in Westerly. Former major league baseball manager Eddie Sawyer and pitcher Dave Stenhouse are from Westerly. Frankie Frisch, a famous baseball player and manager, retired and lived the rest of his life here. Elisson "Tarzan" Brown, one of the world's best marathon runners, is also from the Westerly area. Country pop singer Taylor Swift also has a beachfront home in the Watch Hill area.

Neighboring Towns

	North Stonington, Connecticut	Hopkinton
	Stonington, Connecticut		Charlestown
		Westerly
		Atlantic Ocean

Population and People

In 2000, there were 22,966 people living in Westerly. The population density was about 763 people per square mile. Most of the people (95.17%) were White. Other groups included African American (0.71%), Native American (0.57%), and Asian (1.99%). About 1.18% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

The average age of people in Westerly was 39 years old. About 23.5% of the population was under 18 years old.

The most common family backgrounds in Westerly are Italian (34.2%), Irish (17.9%), and English (14.2%). Many Italians moved to Westerly from Italy around the early 1900s, especially from Sicily and Calabria. Even today, many older residents in the town still speak Italian dialects at home.

Economy and Jobs

Westerly is home to two regional banks. One is Washington Trust Bancorp Inc., which is a publicly traded bank with branches in Rhode Island and Connecticut. The other is the Westerly Community Credit Union.

Education in Westerly

The Westerly High School seen from the front.

The main school system in Westerly is Westerly Public Schools. This system includes Westerly High School, Westerly Middle School, and several elementary schools: State Street Elementary School, Springbrook Elementary School, and Dunn’s Corners Elementary School.

Westerly High School and Career Programs

According to USnews, Westerly High School is ranked highly, both across the United States and within the State of Rhode Island. Westerly High School also has a Career and Technical Education (CTE) branch, called WHS-CTE. This program offers special technical training in different fields, certified by the RIDE. Westerly High School, along with other Rhode Island high schools, takes part in SkillsUSA, a national competition for students in trade, technical, and skilled service occupations.

Local Media

Westerly has its own local media. This includes The Westerly Sun, a daily newspaper that also publishes a weekly paper called The Express. There are also two local radio stations, WBLQ (AM) and WVEI-FM. The Westerly Sun is the biggest local media source in the town. It also covers news in other towns in Washington County, Rhode Island and even parts of Connecticut.

Transportation in Westerly

The Westerly Amtrak Station.

Westerly has the Westerly State Airport, which offers flights through New England Airlines. You can also travel by train with Amtrak at the Westerly Amtrak Station. This station is near downtown and offers services between Washington, DC and Boston. The station building itself closed in 2016, but passengers can still get on and off trains at the platform. There have also been ideas to extend the Shore Line East train service to Westerly station.

Major roads in Westerly include U.S. Route 1 and state routes 1A, 3, and 91. Route 78 goes around downtown Westerly and ends near Westerly Airport. Interstate 95 is about five miles away and can be reached using Connecticut Route 2 or Rhode Island Route 3.

Places to Visit

• Westerly High School
• Westerly Town Beach
• Misquamicut State Beach
• Watch Hill
• Westerly (Amtrak station)
• Westerly State Airport
• Wilcox Park
• Christopher Columbus Memorial statue by Charles H. Pizzano

Historic Sites to Explore

Westerly has many places listed on the National Historic Register. These are important sites that are preserved for their historical value:

• Babcock-Smith House
• Bradford Village Historic District
• Flying Horse Carousel
• Former Immaculate Conception Church
• Lewis-Card-Perry House
• Main Street Historic District
• North End Historic District
• Nursery Site, RI-273
• Perry Homestead Historic District
• Ram Point
• U.S. Post Office (Westerly, Rhode Island)
• Watch Hill Historic District
• Weekapaug Inn
• Westerly Armory
• Westerly Downtown Historic District
• Wilcox Park Historic District

Famous People from Westerly

See also

In Spanish: Westerly para niños