Our Cumberland office recently underwent a service upgrade for internet. In the process of this effort, we’ve discovered that the house (that is our office) was formerly the home of Ray Mullin, owner of Ray Mullin Music. His popular store was founded in 1929 and originally headquartered in Pawtucket next to the LeRoy Theater. In fact, there was a tunnel between the theater and the music store, so when big acts performed, they could sneak out through this passage. Sandy Soares got her first guitar (a Les Paul) from Ray Mullins and Debby Smith used to babysit his grandchildren. Today, both the Pawtucket store and the LeRoy Theater are gone; the Company has relocated to Swansea.
This got us thinking. Time works differently in Rhode Island. Instead of living by that clock thing hanging on the wall, nostalgia seems to be the dominant rhythm of life here. While new construction may change the terrain, the Rhode Island conscious is embedded in the past. Just ask a true Rhode Islander for directions. Instead of street names, they will most likely be given by landmark. And usually this landmark will be outdated, like where the old I-195 used to be. With this trait in mind, we’ve created a list of some famous Rhode Island Used-To-Be’s that are important to our culture.
If you live in the Ocean State and are over the age of 20, there’s a really good chance you have some childhood memory of Rocky Point Amusement Park. This Warwick Park, established in 1847, grew quickly in popularity, and from the 1850’s through the 1980’s it was the most popular attraction in New England. Tom Flanagan remembers spending Saturdays there, full of laughter and cotton candy. The park closed in 1995 and was demolished in 2007. The town of Warwick is currently looking to make the land into a public park.
Much like Rocky Point, Crescent Park in East Providence (named for the crescent shape of the Riverside beach) was renowned in its time. Founded in 1886 by George Boyden, the venue was known as the “Coney Island of the East”, with hot air balloons and extravagant carousels providing the Park’s main attractions. Tom Flanagan also remembers the delicious candy apples he enjoyed here (there is a theme here with Tom about amusement venues). The park closed in 1979, and the surrounding area was developed. The only remnant of these sweet roots is the Crescent Park Carousel, which remains open to this day.
Today, The Towers set the backdrop to the Narragansett social scene, but they once provided entrance to the Narragansett Pier Casino, another source of turn-of-the-century entertainment. The Casino was completed in 1886 and provided a refuge for the areas social elite, offering a variety of recreational opportunities, such as boating, tennis, billiards, bowling, cards, and shooting. The venue also had restaurants, stores, reading rooms, a theater, a bandstand, a ballroom, and a beautiful beach. While Residential Properties Ltd. has been around for a long time (this year is our 30th anniversery!), none of us were there to enjoy the pleasures of The Casino, since the building burned down in 1900. However, locals like Anita Langer cherish The Towers for uniting a community with their granite walls.
Our final used to be is much less romantic, but is a part of Rhode Island history none-the-less. In the 1980s, Providence was included in the Guinness Book of World Record for holding the distinction of World’s Widest Bridge. Known as the Crawford Street Bridge at 1,147 feet, the structure grew when several normal sized bridges were covered with decking and turned into a parking lot. Oh yeah, this monstrosity was located across the Providence River. Ed Hardy remembers thinking this bridge was gross in his youth. This monstrosity has since been dismantled; the river has been moved; Waterfire caldrons line the center of where the bridge was; and the whole transformation turned the area into an asthetically pleasing area. While this demolition was integral in developing our Capital Center, we just couldn’t let you erase this Used-To-Be from your memory. So, remember, you can get to the downtown area from the East Side by crossing over the river where the world’s widest bridge was.
Admittedly, we’ve left out numerous landmarks that could be used for directions, so you can expect another Used-To-Be compilation in the near future.
Although there are many events, a few caught my eye. This Friday is your last chance of the year to venture out on the Lighthouse Cruises and Newport Harbor Tours, departing from North Kingstown. You will be able to view beautiful islands, light houses and the famous Jamestown and Newport Bridges one last time before cold weather hits. If the stars catch your eye while you are out there, another idea is heading over to the Frosty Drew Conservatory in Charsletown to stargaze and see the night sky in an entirely different way.
There’s nothing quite like a Rhode Island Fourth of July Parade. Whether you’d like to get decked out in a patriotic costume, or just enjoy some nationalistic music, there’s a Rhode Island Parade to provide your ultimate Fourth of July experience.