Common Fence Point Global Awareness Local Action - CFP GALA

Beach Cleanups - One mission: Pristine waterfront from Bridge to Bridge. Since 2016 over 9,000 lbs of trash have been removed by volunteers from Common Fence Point Beaches. Each week an estimated 25 lbs of additional trash washes ashore from the Bay.

Looking Ahead

Sustainaraisers - Like a Barn Raising, but not limited to barns, where the community works together to build rain gardens, solar driers, food forests, and community gardens.

Tool Library - Sharing of lawn mowers, snow blowers, garden tools, and everything in between.

Progressive Dinner Night - Community dinners at neighbors’ houses followed by desert at the Community Center.

Re-skill-ience Workshop Series - Hands-on workshops focusing sustainable living. Workshops are designed to help participants develop skills and knowledge that strengthen personal and community resilience.

Summer Solstice Sunset Bike Parade

Beach Cleanup Art

History - Since the glaciers began to recede after the last ice age 10,000 years ago, as many as 30,000 Native Americans called the forests and coastal plains of Narragansett Bay and Aquidneck Island home. The Wampanoag and Narragansett people managed the land for hunting and farming, and the salt marshes and bay for clamming and fishing. http://omp.gso.uri.edu/ompweb/doee/history/nativeam/na2.htm

Founded in 1638, Portsmouth is said to be the first town in the nation established by a woman (Anne Hutchinson), and, according to many, is America's first true democracy. The island was purchased from the Narragansett Sachems for a collection of beads, coats, and hoes. The colonists settled at Founder’s Brook, known by the Narragansetts as Pocasset (Where the River Widens), and used Common Fence Point as a common grazing area for livestock.. The Portsmouth Compact of 1638 marks the first authentic guarantee of civil and religious freedom in the New World. https://www.newportri.com/de4e0f08-72b4-5222-9e59-a273d8e8a184.html

A Borden family genealogy gives us the root cause for the name Common Fence Point: “To the northeast of the spring a neck of land extends about two miles, which was nearly separated by creeks, marshes and the town pond from the rest of the island. This strip of land, called by the natives Pocasset Neck, was set off by the settlers as a common by running a fence from the south end of the pond to a cove on the east side of the island. This common was called the fence common, to distinguish it from the lands outside to the south and west of it, which were all common; and the north point then received the name of common fence point. “ The original settlement of Portsmouth took a pattern that was familiar to the English – homes were in a central village location and their animals grazed on common land around the homesteads. Recording how each family branded their animals was very important with their stock intermingled in the commons. While this may have been a good pattern the first year when they needed to be close together for safety, this land use soon gave way to larger scattered farm lots which included their homes.

With the coming of the settlers, the native populations found themselves unable to live in their normal style. Their hunting grounds and summer camp areas were “sold” to the Europeans. Towns like Portsmouth restricted them and they found it impossible to live on their own. After King Philip’s War, many Native Americans found themselves sold into slavery. It was not unusual for them to be in servitude to colonial farmers in Portsmouth. The Portsmouth 1790 Federal Census lists 19 slaves in Portsmouth. By 1821 there are no slaves listed on the census for Portsmouth. https://portsmouthhistorynotes.com/category/portsmouth-history/page/2/

In 1717 a good lawful and passable highway fit for horses and carts to pass and repass was built to serve the Durfee family farm, which included geese, cattle, horses, sheep and swine. Also among the family’s possession was a slave.

In 1865 a charter was granted to several men to build and operate the Rhode Island Oil and Guano Company on Common Fence Point.

By 1900 part of Common Fence Point held the largest fish factory in the country using a rebuilt menhaden fish processing factory in Maine, disassembled it and rebuilt it in CFP. The Church Brothers Fisheries barn burned in 1928. https://portsmouthhistorynotes.com/2019/04/14/portsmouth-place-names-common-fence-point/?fbclid=IwAR1JWD9S7prjRNr2-90DNhO71huSqtwDMB5RYo3DdiRA7DnFFPeg5fQVlpY

The Common Fence Point neighborhood was established in 1926 by a deed from Henry A. Brown for $1 establishing the communal property held in trust by all community property owners and managed by a Board of Trustees. The Community Arts and Wellness Center as well as community events are managed by an annually elected Common Fence Point Improvement Association Board that has been active since the 1950s.

Sakonnet River Bridge History

Howland’s Ferry went across the narrowest part of the Sakonnet River, and that is just where the first bridge off Aquidneck Island was constructed. In colonial times the main roads in Portsmouth led to the ferry landings. What we call East Main Road was known as the Path to Howland’s Ferry. Its location was close to where the remains of Stone Bridge are today. This location is one of the narrowest points on the Sakonnet River between Tiverton and Portsmouth. The ferry may date back to 1640. It was also known as Anthony’s Ferry and Pocasset Ferry. Howland’s Ferry played an important part during the Battle of Rhode Island. American forces used the location to pour onto Aquidneck Island to fight the British who occupied the island. When they were forced to retreat, many of the American forces used that route to make their escape. Howland Ferry was less used once the Bristol Ferry was established. https://portsmouthhistorynotes.com/2012/04/16/the-old-howland-ferry/

West Main Road in colonial times was known as the Path to Bristol Ferry. Howland Ferry to Tiverton came first in 1640, once the ferry to Bristol was established, it became the primary way off the island to the mainland and Providence. The ferries on the Portsmouth side were known as the Tripp’s Borden’s and Gifford’s ferries after the owners. Early records show John Tripp was paid for ferrying the colony’s general assembly across to Bristol. John’s son Abiel built a wharf around 1680. In 1698 John Borden had a ferry operation alongside the Tripp ferry. In 1766 Thomas Tripp sold his wharf and land to Joseph Borden (John’s brother) and after that the ferry was generally known as the Bristol Ferry. In 1774 Joseph Borden sold the land, ferry house and ferry privileges to David Gifford. All ferries were discontinued during the British occupation of Aquidneck Island during the Revolutionary War. Gifford’s sons, Gideon and Jeremiah, bought even more land to form “Ferry Farm” to care for the horses that were used to power the new type of ferries. Horseboats were not all that practical at the Portsmouth ferry, so that ended in 1845. https://portsmouthhistorynotes.com/2012/04/08/bristol-ferry/

A toll bridge was constructed by the Rhode Island Bridge Company in 1795. The bridge was rebuilt and washed away again in 1798 and remained closed until 1808. The Great September Gale of 1815 destroyed it and it was rebuilt again under the name of the Stone Bridge. The draw part of the bridge was washed away in 1869, and the owners sold the Stone Bridge to the towns of Tiverton and Portsmouth. The towns, in turn, gave the bridge to the state to maintain. The bridge was rebuilt and reopened in 1871 as a free bridge without a toll. More damage was done by storms and ships that rammed the bridge and it closed after Hurricane Carol. Ferries such as the West Side were used while the bridge was out. In 1957 it was replaced by the then new Sakonnet River Bridge. What remains of the Stone Bridge is used as a fishing pier today. https://portsmouthhistorynotes.com/2012/04/15/the-old-stone-bridge/ , https://portsmouthhistorynotes.com/2012/04/22/sakonnet-river-bridge-2/

1899 tell us that the stone to construct the railroad bridge from Tiverton to Portsmouth was taken from the high bluffs of the Hummocks – just as it had for the first railroad bridge there. It was a “swing” bridge with part of the bridge staying anchored and the other part swinging back to allow boats to pass through. The bridge was damaged and closed in 1980 when it was damaged by a heavy train load. A barge ran into the open bridge in 1988 and it was removed in 2006 to 2007. https://portsmouthhistorynotes.com/2018/02/15/portsmouth-places-the-hummocks/, https://portsmouthhistorynotes.com/2012/04/22/railroad-bridge-3/

Railroad History

Newport County was no exception to the railroad fever that was sweeping the country during the middle years of the nineteenth century.The Old Colony Railroad terminated in Fall River in 1854, and that city was taken with its importance as a commercial center. Aquidneck Islanders (Newport) desired to be part of the growing national rail system. At the time Newport was well served by coastal steamboats and the Old Colony had little interest or inclination to buy an expensive right-of-way from the Massachusetts state line to Newport involved residents of Newport County agreed among themselves to offer the Old Colony Railroad a 50 foot wide right-of-way from the Massachusetts state line to Newport if the carrier would construct a southerly extension. This action had the desired effect as the property offered was prime and located almost entirely along the level shore of Narragansett Bay. It would be scenic as well as useful. On April 9, 1861, the Old Colony was authorized to build and operate a railroad from the end of track in Fall River, to the Rhode Island state line, to connect with a railroad to be built from Newport in a northerly direction. http://www.ocnrr.com/history1.htm

In 1862, The Fall River line was extended toward Newport under the corporate title of Newport and Fall River Railroad. This line was merged into the Old Colony and Fall River Railroad which was then renamed the Old Colony & Newport Railway. The citizens of Fall River felt dismay and chagrin over the prospect of becoming patrons of a way station. Construction proceeded according to schedule with the exception of the bridge across the Sakonnet River. Initial attempts at overcoming this major obstacle met with failure due to tidal currents; however, substitution of stone for dirt fill solved the problem. A passenger train was run to Stone Bridge Village, Tiverton, on November 19, 1863. Regularly scheduled through service commenced on February 1, 1864. http://www.ocnrr.com/history1.htm

By 1867 the Taunton Copper Works was in operation using Portsmouth coal. At that time there were about 40 workers and eight one and a half story tenements were constructed to house them. The coal mine wharf was extended out into the bay making it 280 feet long. There was a spur connection to the Old Colony and Newport Colony Railroad. The railroad line extended from Fall River to Newport. The Willow Lane Station by the Coal Mines became the major station for Portsmouth. Raw materials came into the Coal Mines area and coal and finished copper products were shipped out both by water and railway. https://portsmouthhistorynotes.com/2018/04/29/an-introduction-to-the-coal-mine-community-of-portsmouth/

Another feature designed to attract business was a railroad sponsored summer development at "The Hummock" in Portsmouth. Land was available at bargain process for seasonal rentals and many Fall River residents took advantage of the offer. They also bought commuter tickets to get to their jobs in the city. Eventually the tenants bought the land from the railroad and became permanently established. http://www.ocnrr.com/history1.htm

For many years the Newport Line was served by a handsome express train known unofficially as "The Dandy Express". It's consist included a Pullman parlor car to care for first class clientele who insisted on privacy and comfort. "The Dandy" was a morning train from Newport to Boston with a late-afternoon departure from the "Hub". The travel time was under two hours. http://www.ocnrr.com/history1.htm

Regularly scheduled passenger service reached an all-time high during the summers of 1912 and 1913 when 24 trains a day arrived and departed Newport between 5:55AM and 11:03PM. Added to this impressive total were two scheduled freight trains a day, extra excursion specials and frequent private charter used by summer colonists who owned "cottages" in the environs of Bellevue Avenue and the Ocean Drive. Several yard tracks were reserved for private cars. http://www.ocnrr.com/history1.htm

After World War I, the frequency of service went into a decline that was never reversed. The early 1930's, the private automobile and expanding bus service was cutting deeply into the New Haven's branch line revenues. Patronage on the Fall River Line ships was poor during the fall and winter months. By Mid-1937, the great steamers were gone and one train a day was serving Newport. During the 1960's the impact of the Interstate Highway System was felt by Newport's rail freight service. Daily service was reduced to tri-weekly and then once a week. In 1968 the New Haven Railroad was bankrupt, and as such, was ordered taken over by the new giant Penn Central System. Two years later the state of Rhode Island bought the line from the "estate". Title Passed on the southerly 18.6 miles. http://www.ocnrr.com/history1.htm