Rhode Island
 

Narragansett Pier in Washington County


Narragansett Pier, as its names implies, is in a town in Washington County, Rhode Island called Narragansett. It is commonly referred to as ‘Gansett by the town’s residents. Narragansett was named after the Narragansett Indian tribe which settled in the area during the late 1650s after being dispersed from their original settlements by King Phillip’s war.

 

Narragansett, according to the United States Bureau, has a total land area of a little over thirty-six square kilometers with bodies of water that total sixty one square kilometers in area. Putting that together, Narragansett has a combined land and water area of approximately ninety-seven square kilometers.

Within Narragansett are a number of villages. They are Saunderstown which is shared by Narragansett with North Kingstown, Salt Pond, Great Island, Point Judith, South Ferry, Mattatuxet, Bonnet Shores, the Narragansett Pier, and the fishing villages of Galilee and Jerusalem, the latter is partially in South Kingstown.

Narragansett pier in Washington County, RI
Galilee, on the other hand, is near Point Judith Lighthouse.  The lighthouse, apart from being one of the town’s landmarks, is a very important beacon for Cost Guards. Along Rhode Island Sound is Narragansett’s most distinctive landmark: The Towers. The Towers, with its old-fashioned stone walls and grey gables, make a very unique archway over the Ocean road thoroughfare that leads into the villages of Narragansett.


Most of the town’s locals are Americans, though part of the population is made up of a mix of African Americans, Native Americans, Asians, Pacific Islanders and people of other races. Narragansett natives have the pleasure of being near a number of beaches that tourists flock to during summers. The most popular are the Narragansett Town Beach, the Scarborough State Beach and the Roger Wheeler State Beach. The Narragansett Town Beach is located at the heart of Narragansett. Unlike the other two previously mentioned beaches, people have to pay an admission fee, which is higher for non-residents. The Scarborough State Beach is divided into two areas: The North and the South. Both areas have, for the enjoyment of visitors, a pavilion, several picnic tables, boardwalks, showers and an observation tower.


Narragansett contains a census-designated place in the form of the Narragansett Pier. According the United States Census Bureau, the Narragansett Pier has a total area of about ten square kilometers. Of that, a little over nine square kilometers is land, and the remaining small percentage is water.


The pier serves the ships and boats from the Narragansett Bay, which is an inlet of the North Atlantic. From Rhode Island Sound, the bay extends forty-five kilometers north into Rhode Island. At its widest point, the bay measures twelve miles across, and at its narrowest, it measures three miles across. The Providence, Sakonnet and Taunton rivers run into the Narragansett Bay.