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Kent County Courthouse (Rhode Island)

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99-632: The Kent County Courthouse , now the East Greenwich Town Hall , is a historic court building at 127 Main Street in East Greenwich, Rhode Island . Kent County was set off from Providence County in 1750. The same year, a courthouse was constructed in East Greenwich, then the largest town in the new county. By 1799 the courthouse was too small, and the state legislature appointed a committee for

198-453: A "horrid Popish plot." His council engaged in a lengthy process to harmonize dominion and English laws. This work consumed so much time that Andros, in March 1687, issued a proclamation stating that pre-existing laws would remain in effect until they were revised. Since Massachusetts had no pre-existing tax laws, a scheme of taxation was created that would apply to the entire dominion. Developed by

297-483: A 265,000 square foot facility dedicated to classrooms, technical labs, medical suites for training simulations, and administrative services. The current East Greenwich Free Library, at 82 Pierce Street, was endowed by Daniel Albert Peirce in 1913. Pierce was a local resident and co-founder of the Narragansett Electric Company . The library building is built of granite from Coventry, Rhode Island , and

396-468: A committee of landowners, the first proposal derived its revenues from import duties, principally alcohol. After much debate, a different proposal was abruptly proposed and adopted, reviving previous Massachusetts tax laws. These laws had been unpopular with farmers who felt the taxes on livestock were too high. To bring in immediate revenue, Andros also received approval to increase the import duties on alcohol. Many Massachusetts communities stiffly resisted

495-456: A community had developed, complete with a schoolhouse and a graveyard. However, citizens of the town complained that attending town meetings was too difficult due to the size of the town, which prompted the splitting of West Greenwich into its own town in 1741. The town erected a courthouse when East Greenwich was designated the shire town of the newly formed Kent County, which had been separated from Providence County in 1750. On June 12, 1772,

594-595: A directive issued by dominion councillors remaining in Boston, who ordered frontier militia commanders to take into custody any Abenaki suspected of participating in the raids. This directive sparked a problem in Maine, when twenty Abenaki, including women and children, were taken into custody by colonial militia. The local authorities faced the dilemma of housing the captives, shipping them first to Falmouth and then to Boston, angering other natives, who seized English hostages to ensure

693-410: A force to the duke's territory in Maine, where they established a fort at Pemaquid (present-day Bristol ). Andros annoyed Massachusetts fishermen by restricting their use of the duke's land for drying fish. In November 1677, Andros departed for England, where he would spend the following year. During this visit, he was knighted as a reward for his performance as governor, and he sat in on meetings of

792-556: A friendly personal relationship between Andros and Governor Carteret, the governance issue eventually prompted Andros to have Carteret arrested. In a dispute centering on the collection of customs duties in ports on the Jersey side of the Hudson, Andros, in 1680, sent a company of soldiers to Philip Carteret's home in Elizabethtown . According to Carteret's account of the incident, he was beaten by

891-692: A frontier war with the Iroquois to the north, having persuaded the intervening Susquehannocks to move to the Potomac River , well within Maryland territory. Furthermore, the Lenape , who dominated Delaware Bay , were unhappy with seizures of their lands by Virginia and Maryland settlers, and war between these groups had been imminent in 1673 when the Dutch retook New York. When Andros came to New York, he moved to stabilize

990-470: A garrison house on the city's south side, where many officials took refuge. The old Massachusetts colonial leadership, restored due to the rebellion and headed by ex-governor Simon Bradstreet , then summoned Governor Andros to surrender, for his safety because of the mob which they claimed "whereof we were wholly ignorant". He refused, and instead tried to escape to the Rose , the only Royal Navy ship near Boston at

1089-459: A mass eviction order by the town council left most of its buildings vacant. Scalloptown had been the attention of reformers in town for some time. Scalloptown was the site of "Neighborhood House", a settlement house run by Sarah Fernandis from 1908 on. But, historian Catherine Streich argues, the racial prejudices of white East Greenwich residents and their dwindling desire for social reform led to their destruction of Scalloptown. East Greenwich

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1188-533: A region home to many Puritans . His actions in New England resulted in his overthrow during the 1689 Boston revolt . He became governor of Virginia three years later. Andros was considered a more effective governor in New York and Virginia. However, he became the enemy of prominent figures in both colonies, many of whom worked to remove him from office. Despite these enmities, he managed to negotiate several treaties of

1287-406: A reputation as a "shantytown" of "low and lawless nature" by white writers and community leaders. The neighborhood's height was from 1890 to 1913. In 1913, the town council condemned many of the residences of Scalloptown as unfit for habitation. Currently, only one shellfish processing business remains on the street. Most of East Greenwich's neighborhood of Scalloptown was destroyed by 1926, after

1386-740: A resolution was passed by the Rhode Island State Assembly to form the United States' first Navy in East Greenwich, which included two ships, the Katy and the Washington. The Assembly put Captain Abraham Whipple in charge of this new military branch and these ships, with the formal title commodore. In its colonial days, the town was also home to followers of a former Quaker who, after a severe illness, claimed to have died and been resurrected as

1485-502: A spy, offering the idea of going to Paris, ostensibly to meet with the exiled James, but to actually attempt to acquire French military plans. This plan was rejected. He married his second wife, Elizabeth Crisp Clapham, in England in July 1691. She was the widow of Christopher Clapham, who was connected by that marriage to his first wife's family. Andros' next opportunity for employment came with

1584-454: Is a coastal town, located on the western side of Narragansett Bay. Of its total area of 16.71 square miles, 16.58 square miles is land and 0.14 square miles is water. 20 percent of the land in East Greenwich consists of undeveloped woods and farmland, although development continues to bring this proportion down. Various roads form approximate borders with some of its neighboring towns. Division Street sits between East Greenwich and Warwick, to

1683-532: Is included in Rhode Island's 2nd congressional district and is represented by Democrat Seth Magaziner . In presidential elections, East Greenwich is one of the very few towns in deep blue Rhode Island that has a tendency to lean Republican. Barack Obama managed to carry the town by just over 4.5 points in the Democratic wave year of 2008 and in 2020, Joe Biden won East Greenwich by just over 23 points, marking

1782-567: Is said to have attempted an escape dressed in women's clothing. The story, although it circulated widely, was disputed by the Anglican minister Robert Ratcliff, who claimed that story and others had "not the least foundation of Truth" and that they were "falsehoods, and lies" propagated to "render the Governour odious to his people." He escaped Castle Island on 2 August after his servant plied the sentries with alcohol. He managed to flee to Rhode Island but

1881-587: The Covenant Chain with the Iroquois , establishing a long-lived peace involving the colonies and other tribes that interacted with that confederacy. His actions and governance generally followed his instructions upon appointment to office, and he received approbation from the monarchs and governments that appointed him. Andros was recalled to England from Virginia in 1698 and resumed the title of Bailiff of Guernsey. Although he no longer resided entirely on Guernsey, he

1980-496: The Earl of Craven , one of the queen's closest advisors, and a friend who served as his patron for many years. In 1672 he was commissioned major . After his father died in 1674, Edmund Andros acquired Sausmarez Manor which added to his family's already substantial landholdings in Guernsey that included the fief of Anneville (from 1659) and several other fiefs. He was then appointed as

2079-634: The Great Swamp Fight against the Narragansetts in December 1675, and specifically outlawed the sale of munitions to tribes known to be allied to Philip. The charges poisoned the atmosphere between Andros and Massachusetts leaders, even though Andros' conduct met with approval in London. In the meeting with the Iroquois, Andros was given the name Corlaer , a name historically used by the Iroquois to refer to

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2178-455: The Kennebec and St. Croix Rivers , but with the intervening Dutch retaking of the territory, Charles issued a new patent to James. Andros arrived in New York harbor in late October and negotiated the handover of the Dutch territories with local representatives and Dutch Governor Anthony Colve , which took place on 10 November 1674. Andros agreed to confirm the existing property holdings and allow

2277-457: The Lords of Trade in which agents for Massachusetts Bay defended its charter, and gave detailed accounts of the state of his colony. The southernmost territories of the duke, roughly encompassing northern Delaware , were desired by Charles Calvert, Baron Baltimore , who sought to extend the reach of his proprietary Province of Maryland into the area. At the same time, Calvert was seeking an end to

2376-618: The Virginian and Maryland settlers. He also extended an offer given by the Mohawk for the Susquehannocks to settle among them. These offers were well received, but Maryland authorities could not convince their Indian allies to accept Andros' offered peace terms, organizing them to march toward the Delaware to fulfill the goal of strengthening the Maryland claim to the area. Andros responded by urging

2475-551: The relief of Copenhagen in 1659. As a result of these experiences he gained fluency in French , Swedish , and Dutch . He remained a firm supporter of the Stuarts while they were in exile. Charles II , after his restoration to the throne, specifically commended the Andros family for its support. Andros served as a courtier to Elizabeth of Bohemia from 1660 until she died in 1662. During

2574-460: The " Public Universal Friend "; these followers financed a meeting house within the town. In the 19th Century, East Greenwich attracted a wave of immigrants from Ireland, Italy, Germany, and Scandinavian countries, as well as free Blacks. Many settled in a small community which came to be known as Scalloptown, as many residents made a living from fishing and selling scallops. As it grew, the neighborhood of immigrants and mixed ethnicities developed

2673-509: The 1660s he served in the English army against the Dutch . He was next commissioned a major in the regiment of Sir Tobias Bridge , which was sent to Barbados in 1666. He returned to England two years later, carrying despatches and letters. In 1671, he married Mary Craven, the daughter of Thomas Craven of Burnsall in the West Riding of Yorkshire (now North Yorkshire ), the son of a cousin to

2772-756: The 8th oldest town in Rhode Island, was founded in October 1677 by the General Assembly in an attempt to solidify land claims against those of Connecticut and the Narragansett Proprietors. The Assembly designated 5,000 acres to the new town and provided lots to settlers who would agree to live there—land was deeded to 48 men who had fought in King Phillip's War against the Wampanoag. Locals quickly took

2871-574: The Bailiff of Guernsey, succeeding his father. This appointment was for life and came with the authority to appoint a lieutenant bailiff, a position he filled with his uncle, Charles Andros, seigneur of the fief d'Anneville. This allowed Edmund Andros to travel to America. He was appointed by the James, Duke of York to be the first proprietary governor of the Province of New York . The province's territory included

2970-664: The Dutch governor in New Netherland and continued when the English took over the colony and renamed it New York (in the same way the French governor was dubbed Onontio ). One other consequence was the establishment at Albany of a colonial department for Indian affairs, with Robert Livingston as its first head. Philip was known to be in the Berkshires in western Massachusetts that winter and New Englanders accused Andros of sheltering him. Historian John Fiske suggests that Philip's purpose

3069-474: The English flag. Andros came ashore, had a brief conversation with the fort commander, read his commission, and returned to New York City. This was the full extent of Andros' attempt to claim the territory, but it would be remembered in Connecticut when later attempts were made to assert New York authority. Following his Connecticut expedition, Andros traveled into Iroquois country to establish relations. He

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3168-534: The Iroquois by referring to them as "children" (implying subservience to the English) rather than "brethren" (implying equality). He returned to Boston amid further attacks on the New England frontier by Abenaki parties, who admitted that they were doing so in part because of French encouragement. During Andros's presence in New York, the situation in Maine deteriorated again, with groups of colonists raiding Indian villages and taking prisoners. These actions were taken per

3267-581: The Iroquois. In a council held at the Lenape village of Shackamaxon (site of present-day Philadelphia ) in February and March 1677, all of the major parties met; still, no final agreements were reached, and Andros ordered the Susquehannocks remaining with the Lenape to disperse to other parts of New York in April. Maryland sent Henry Coursey to New York to engage Andros and eventually the Iroquois in peace talks, while at

3366-525: The Jerseys also created problems for Andros. James had awarded the territory west of the Hudson River to proprietors John Berkeley and George Carteret , and Berkeley had then deeded the western portion (which became known as West Jersey ) to a partnership of Quakers . Berkeley had not transferred his proprietary rights to this group, and the exact nature of the rights James had given both Berkeley and Carteret

3465-475: The Massachusetts governor Sir Edmund Andros , who had authority to settle the dispute, ruled in favor of the existing East Greenwich settlement. In the 18th century, the government released previously reserved waterfront property in small lots. Beginning in 1711, the local government granted these lots to any person who would pay one shilling and promise to build a commercial building of a minimum size. By 1725,

3564-535: The Patent to the Lordship of Alderney . A less contentious standoff also occurred when settlers sent by William Penn sought to establish what is now Burlington, New Jersey . Andros insisted they had no right to settle there without the duke's permission. Still, he agreed to allow their settlement after they agreed to receive commissions falling under the authority of the New York gubernatorial administration. This situation

3663-534: The Puritan churches in Boston if its meetinghouse could be used for the Church of England services. When he was rebuffed, he demanded and was given keys to Samuel Willard 's Third Church in 1687. Services were held there under the auspices of Rev. Robert Ratcliff until 1688, when King's Chapel was built. These actions highlighted him as pro-Anglican in the eyes of local Puritans, who would later accuse him of involvement in

3762-423: The Susquehannocks to retreat into New York, where they would be beyond Maryland's reach, and delivering a strongly worded threat to Maryland, that it would either have to acknowledge his sovereignty over the Susquehannocks, or they would have to take them back peaceably. He also offered his services as a mediator, pointing out that the absence of the Susquehannocks now left Maryland settlements open to direct attack by

3861-403: The assembly up on this offer, and the quick establishment of the town helped hold back plans of Connecticut in pushing their border eastward. East Greenwich was therefore the only Rhode Island town established by an act of government, not commercial interests. In 1687, the Narragansett Proprietors attempted to settle land north of Wickford which overlapped with the land of East Greenwich; however,

3960-403: The average family size was 3.12. In the town, the population was spread out, with 27.5% under the age of 18, 4.6% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 27.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.5 males. The median income for a household in the town

4059-482: The best performance for a Democratic presidential nominee in the town in over three decades. Biden also became the first major party candidate to win over sixty percent of the vote in the town since also then vice president George H. W. Bush . Sir Edmund Andros Sir Edmund Andros (6 December 1637 – 24 February 1714; also spelled Edmond ) was an English colonial administrator in British America . He

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4158-571: The buildings in Providence and Newport were used. In 1901, when the new Rhode Island State House was first occupied, Providence became the state capitol, and the buildings in Bristol , South Kingstown , and East Greenwich were turned over to the counties. By the early twentieth century, the courthouse was in need of modernization. In 1908 the Providence architectural firm of William R. Walker & Son

4257-478: The charter. In October 1687, Andros finally decided to travel to Connecticut to see the matter personally. Accompanied by an honor guard, he arrived in Hartford on 31 October and met with the colonial leadership that evening. According to legend, the charter was laid out on the table for all to see during this meeting. The lights in the room unexpectedly went out, and when relit, the charter had disappeared. The charter

4356-436: The colonial administration often suffered from defects of the form (for example, lacking an imprint of the colonial seal), and most of them did not include a quit-rent payment. Land grants in colonial Connecticut and Rhode Island had been made before either colony had a charter, and there were conflicting claims in some areas. How Andros approached the issue was necessarily divisive since it threatened any landowner whose title

4455-415: The colonial charter not long after he arrived in Boston. Unlike Rhode Island, whose officials readily acceded to the dominion, Connecticut officials formally acknowledged Andros' authority but did little to assist him. They continued to run their government according to the charter, holding quarterly legislature meetings and electing colony-wide officials, while Treat and Andros negotiated over the surrender of

4554-507: The colonies in the dominion having reverted to their previous forms of governance. Massachusetts and its surrounding territories were reorganized into the Province of Massachusetts Bay in 1691. Andros was well received at court upon his return to England. The new king, William III , recalled that Andros had visited his court in the Netherlands and expressed approval of Andros' service. In search of employment, Andros offered his services as

4653-444: The colonies the dominion absorbed. Still, because of the inconvenience of travel and the fact that travel costs were not reimbursed, the council's quorums were dominated by representatives from Massachusetts and Plymouth. The Lords of Trade had insisted that he govern without an assembly, something he expressed concern over while his commission was being drafted. In a brief work, Sir Edmund Andros , historian Henry Ferguson attested to

4752-408: The construction of a new building. The old building was sold and dismantled, and a new courthouse built on the site in 1804–05. It was designed and built by Revolutionary war veteran and contractor Oliver Wickes . Rhode Island had an unusual "rotating legislature" from 1759 to 1901. In order to keep state government local, the legislature occupied each county seat on a rotating schedule. In 1854, only

4851-635: The dominion council formally extended its laws over Connecticut, completing the assimilation of the New England colonies. On 7 May 1688, the provinces of New York , East Jersey , and West Jersey were added to the Dominion. Because they were remote from Boston, where Andros had his seat, New York and the Jerseys were run by Lieutenant Governor Francis Nicholson from New York City . Nicholson, an army captain and protégé of colonial secretary William Blathwayt , came to Boston in early 1687 as part of Andros' honor guard and had been promoted to his council. During

4950-580: The fact that the deliberation of certain policies by an assembly of legislators may have proven inefficient. The Dominion initially consisted of the territories of the Massachusetts Bay Colony (including present-day Maine ), Plymouth Colony , Rhode Island , Connecticut and New Hampshire , and was extended to include New York, and East and West Jersey in 1688. Andros' wife, who had joined him in Boston, died in 1688, not long after her arrival. Shortly after his arrival, Andros asked each of

5049-485: The first attempts to enforce the revenue laws. Several towns refused to choose commissioners to assess the town population and estates, and officials from a number of them were consequently arrested and brought to Boston. Some were fined and released, while others were imprisoned until they promised to perform their duties. The leaders of Ipswich , who had been most vocal in opposing the law, were tried and convicted of misdemeanor offenses. The other provinces did not resist

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5148-520: The former territories of New Netherland , ceded to England by the Treaty of Westminster , including all of present-day New Jersey , the Dutch holdings on the Hudson River from New Amsterdam (renamed New York City ) to Albany , as well as Long Island , Martha's Vineyard , and Nantucket . In 1664, Charles II granted James all of this territory, as well as all of the land in present-day Maine between

5247-411: The imposition of the new law, even though, at least in Rhode Island, the rates were higher than they had been under the previous colonial administration. Plymouth's relatively poor landowners were hard hit because of the high rates on livestock, and funds derived from whaling, once sources of profit for the individual towns, were now directed to the dominion government. One consequence of the tax protest

5346-440: The later revisions to Connecticut's boundaries, but Andros pressed his claim, arguing that York's grant had superseded those revisions. Andros used the outbreak of King Philip's War in July 1675 as an excuse to go by ship to Connecticut with a small military force to establish the duke's claim. When he arrived at Saybrook at the mouth of the river on 8 July, he found the fort there occupied by Connecticut militia, who were flying

5445-1009: The north and west until Route 2. South and east is North Kingstown which is roughly separated from East Greenwich by Frenchtown Road. According to the Köppen climate classification , East Greenwich has either a hot-summer humid continental climate (abbreviated Dfa ), or a hot-summer humid sub-tropical climate (abbreviated Cfa ), depending on the isotherm used. East Greenwich is home to six public schools in its school district. The district contains two zoning districts for its elementary schools. Students in one district, which primarily consists of households east of South County Trail, attend Meadowbrook Farms Elementary from kindergarten to second grade, then proceed to George R. Hanaford School for third grade to fifth grade. Most students who live west of South County Trail will attend Frenchtown Elementary for kindergarten to second grade before attending James H. Eldredge School for third grade to fifth grade. All students in

5544-525: The now-vacated colonial charter, Andros essentially declared them void. He required landowners to recertify their ownership, paying fees to the dominion and becoming subject to the charging of a quit-rent. Andros attempted to compel the certification of ownership by issuing writs of intrusion, but large landowners who owned many parcels contested these individually rather than recertifying all of their lands. Since Andros' commission included Connecticut, he asked Connecticut Governor Robert Treat to surrender

5643-408: The old shingle-style town hall, formerly a block north on Main Street. The probate court continues to meet in the building, making it the oldest active courthouse in the state. East Greenwich, Rhode Island East Greenwich is a town and the county seat of Kent County , Rhode Island . The population was 14,312 at the 2020 census . East Greenwich is the wealthiest municipality within

5742-450: The other complaints, led the duke to order Andros back to England to explain the situation. Andros left the province in January 1681, charging Anthony Brockholls with the administration of the New York government. Expecting a short visit to England, his wife remained in New York. During his time in New York, he was thought to have demonstrated good administrative abilities. Still, his manner

5841-428: The people. It was noted that those who made these complaints had, during the colonial charter, excluded large numbers of voters through the requirement of church membership and then taxed them. Andros had been instructed to bring colonial land title practices more in line with those in England and introduce quit-rents to raise colonial revenues. Titles previously issued in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine under

5940-407: The population. There were 4,960 households, out of which 36.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.5% were married couples living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.6% were non-families. 24.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and

6039-526: The power centers and the unexpected end of the dominion in 1689. In 1687 the governor of New France , the Marquis de Denonville , launched an attack against Seneca villages in what is now western New York . His objective was to disrupt trade between the English at Albany and the Iroquois confederation, to which the Seneca belonged, and to break the Covenant Chain , a peace Andros had negotiated in 1677 while he

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6138-528: The public school district then attend Archie R. Cole Middle School for sixth grade to eighth grade. The district's single high school is East Greenwich High School . In 2015, Newsweek magazine ranked East Greenwich High School first in Rhode Island and 186th in the United States. The town also contains the Our Lady Of Mercy Regional School a private Catholic school serving students from pre-kindergarten to eighth grade. East Greenwich

6237-667: The resignation in February 1692 of Lord Effingham as governor of the Province of Virginia . Although Francis Nicholson, formerly dominion lieutenant governor, was then serving as lieutenant governor of Virginia and sought the superior position, William awarded the governorship to Andros, and awarded Nicholson yet another lieutenant governorship, this time that of Maryland . This was destined to make Andros' tenure more complicated because his relationship with Nicholson had deteriorated for other reasons. The exact reasons for this hostility are unclear: one contemporary wrote that Nicholson "especially [resented] Sir Edmund Andros, against whom he has

6336-507: The safe return of the captives. Andros castigated the Mainers for their unwarranted acts and ordered the Indians released and returned to Maine. A brief skirmish during exchanging captives resulted in the deaths of four English hostages and sparked discontent in Maine. Faced with this discord, Andros returned to Maine with a significant force and began constructing additional fortifications to protect

6435-480: The same time, they sent surveyors to lay out plots on land also claimed by New York on Delaware Bay. Coursey was instructed to offer Andros what was, in essence, a £100 bribe that an Indian peace might be reached in exchange for that land. Andros refused the bribe, and Coursey ended up being compelled to negotiate further through Andros and the Mohawk in Albany. The peace agreed upon in negotiations that followed in Albany in

6534-502: The settlers, including Fort Andross . Andros spent the winter in Maine and returned to Boston in March upon hearing rumors of revolution in England and discontent in Boston. On 18 April 1689, soon after news reached Boston of the overthrow of James II of England , the colonists of Boston rose against his rule . A well-organized "mob" descended on the city, arresting dominion officials and Anglicans. Andros had his quarters in Fort Mary,

6633-669: The situation. He befriended the Lenape sachems (chiefs), convincing them to act as mediators between the English and other tribes. Peace appeared to be imminent when Bacon's Rebellion broke out in Virginia, resulting in an attack on the Susquehannock fort on the Potomac. The surviving Susquehannocks sneaked out of the fort one night, some making their way east toward Delaware Bay. In June 1676, Andros offered, in exchange for their moving into his jurisdiction, to protect them from their enemies among

6732-515: The southern end of Greenwich Cove, built atop the old town landfill. However, it is not part of historical Scalloptown, which was another name for the waterfront in earlier times. Home to a poor community of squatters in the late nineteenth century to the earliest twentieth century, Scalloptown became a community untethered from the rest of East Greenwich. In contrast to the other villages in East Greenwich, Scalloptown consisted primarily of poor whites and African Americans. The true Scalloptown goes from

6831-512: The state of Rhode Island. It is part of the Providence metropolitan statistical area and the Greater Boston combined statistical area. Formed as Greenwich in 1677, it was named for Greenwich , England. It was renamed Dedford in 1686 but reverted to its original name in 1689. In 1741 the more rural western three quarters of the town was set off as West Greenwich , the remaining quarter of it thenceforth being called East Greenwich. Until 1854, it

6930-434: The summer of 1677 is considered one of the foundations of the set of alliances and treaties called the Covenant Chain . Although Andros could not prevent Baltimore from granting some land on the Delaware, he successfully blunted the Maryland leader's attempt to control an even greater portion of land. The duke eventually deeded those lands to William Penn, and they became part of the state of Delaware . The governance of

7029-399: The summer of 1688, Andros traveled first to New York and then to the Jerseys to establish his commission. Dominion governance of the Jerseys was complicated because the proprietors, whose charters had been revoked, had retained their property and petitioned Andros for what were traditional manorial rights . The dominion period in the Jerseys was relatively uneventful due to their distance from

7128-684: The territory's Dutch inhabitants to maintain their Protestant religion. Andros was also involved in boundary disputes with the neighboring Connecticut Colony . Dutch claims had initially extended as far east as the Connecticut River , but these claims had been ceded in the 1650 Treaty of Hartford and reduced to a boundary line 20 miles (32 km) east of the Hudson in 1664. York's territorial claim did not acknowledge these, and Andros announced to Connecticut authorities his intentions to reclaim that territory (which included Connecticut's capital, Hartford ) in early 1675. Connecticut leaders pointed out

7227-454: The time. However, the boat sent from the Rose was intercepted by militia, and Andros was forced back into Fort Mary. Negotiations ensued, and Andros agreed to leave the fort to meet with the rebel council. Promised safe conduct, he was marched under guard to the townhouse where the council had assembled. He was told that "they must & would have the Government in their own hands" and that he

7326-659: The town dock down past the clubs to Finn's Marina. As of the United States Census of 2000, there were 12,948 people, 4,960 households, and 3,541 families residing in the town. The population density was 781.0 inhabitants per square mile (301.5/km ). There were 5,226 housing units at an average density of 315.2 per square mile (121.7/km ). The racial makeup of the town was 96.64% White , 0.69% African American , 0.06% Native American , 2.50% Asian , 0.01% Pacific Islander , 0.29% from other races , and 0.82% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.90% of

7425-477: The town is in the 35th District, currently represented by Democrat Bridget Valverde , while a tiny sliver of the northwestern quadrant of the town is in the 33rd District, which is currently represented by Democrat Leonidas P. Raptakis . In the Rhode Island House of Representatives , East Greenwich is in the 30th district represented by Democrat Justine Caldwell. At the federal level, all of East Greenwich

7524-509: The troops, who jailed him in New York. A jury acquitted Carteret on all charges in a trial over which Andros presided. Carteret returned to New Jersey, but injuries he sustained in the arrest affected his health, and he died in 1682. In the aftermath of the incident, the Duke of York surrendered his claims to East Jersey to the Carterets. Andros acquired in 1683, from the widow of Carteret, for £200,

7623-544: The year, raiding several Indian settlements. He also raided the trading outpost and home of Jean-Vincent d'Abbadie de Saint-Castin on Penobscot Bay . His careful preservation of the Catholic Castin's chapel would be a source of later accusations of " popery " against Andros. When Andros took over the administration of New York in August 1688, he met with the Iroquois at Albany to renew the covenant. In this meeting, he annoyed

7722-510: Was "strange" that they would do so, considering their previous behavior, and refused to help. In July 1676, Andros established a haven for the Mahicans and other Indian war refugees at Schaghticoke . Although the conflict came to an end in southern New England in 1676, there continued to be friction between the Abenakis of northern New England and New England settlers. These prompted Andros to send

7821-495: Was $ 142,648, the highest in Rhode Island. East Greenwich and the adjacent Warwick neighborhoods of Cowesett and Potowomut are served by several media outlets: East Greenwich News (daily) East Greenwich Patch (daily), The East Greenwich Pendulum (weekly), The North East Independent (weekly) and East Greenwich magazine (monthly). In the Rhode Island Senate , East Greenwich is split in terms of representation. Most of

7920-487: Was $ 98,063, and the median income for a family was $ 130,221. Males had a median income of $ 101,578 versus $ 90,934 for females. The per capita income for the town was $ 58,593. About 2.5% of families and 4.7% of the population were below the poverty line , including 4.1% of those under age 18 and 7.0% of those age 66 or over. In 2012–2016, according to the Rhode Island Department of Labor, the median family income

8019-559: Was also home to the East Greenwich Academy , an eminent preparatory school; however, the school closed in 1943. East Greenwich is also home to the main campus of the New England Institute of Technology , known informally as New England Tech. The site was purchased by the school in 2007, and opened to students in summer 2011. A major expansion begun in 2014 added dormitories and new instructional space. The campus includes

8118-406: Was appointed lieutenant governor of the island and served in this position for four years. Andros died in 1714. Andros was born in London on 6 December 1637. Amice Andros, his father, was Bailiff of Guernsey and a staunch supporter of Charles I . His mother was Elizabeth Stone, whose sister was a courtier to the king's sister, Queen Elizabeth of Bohemia . Although it has been claimed that Andros

8217-459: Was considered imperious by his opponents among the colonists, and he made numerous enemies during his tenure as governor. In 1686 he was appointed governor of the Dominion of New England . He arrived in Boston on 20 December 1686, and immediately assumed power. His commission called for governance by himself, with a council. The initial composition of the council included representatives from each of

8316-497: Was dedicated on June 29, 1915. The library includes special collections on Rhode Island history and genealogy. Many restaurants, bars, and clubs sit on the waterfront. East Greenwich Cove also has ample boat parking. There is also a public dock good for fishing and eating, and a dock with a small beach . Across from the coast is Goddard Memorial State Park, which has many beaches including Sandy Point and has easy access from East Greenwich Cove. Scalloptown Park has been completed at

8415-554: Was disputed, in part, because James believed that the second patent granted to him in 1674 overrode the earlier grants he had made to Berkeley and Carteret. This resulted in conflict when Andros attempted to extend his government over East Jersey , the territory governed on behalf of Carteret by the latter's cousin Philip . Possibly based on orders given to him during his visit to England, Andros began to assert New York authority over East Jersey after George Carteret's death in 1680. Despite

8514-400: Was dubious. Some landowners went through the confirmation process, but many refused since they did not want to face the possibility of losing their land, and they viewed the process as a thinly veiled land grab. The Puritans of Plymouth and Massachusetts, some of whom had extensive landholdings, were among the latter. Since all of the existing land titles in Massachusetts had been granted under

8613-488: Was governor of New York. New York Governor Thomas Dongan appealed for help, and King James ordered Andros to render assistance. James also entered into negotiations with Louis XIV of France , easing tensions on the northwestern frontier. On New England's northeastern frontier, however, the Abenaki harbored grievances against New England settlers and began an offensive in early 1688. Andros made an expedition into Maine early in

8712-612: Was hired to renovate the structure. However, as soon as work had begun, it was revealed that the building's structural integrity had been compromised over the years. The courthouse was gutted and the interior was completely rebuilt in the Colonial Revival manner. The work was completed in 1909. In 1974, a new courthouse was built in Warwick. The building in East Greenwich was repurposed as the East Greenwich Town Hall, replacing

8811-464: Was in captivity, the New York government of Lieutenant Governor Francis Nicholson was simultaneously deposed by a military faction led by Jacob Leisler , Leisler's Rebellion . Leisler would govern New York until 1691 when he was captured and executed by a force led by newly appointed provincial governor Henry Sloughter . Andros was eventually allowed to depart for England; by that point, the Dominion of New England had effectively ceased to exist, with

8910-595: Was not to draw the Iroquois into the conflict but instead to draw the Mahicans into the conflict to attack Albany. An offer by Andros to send New York troops into Massachusetts to attack Philip was rebuffed based on the idea that it was a covert ploy to assert authority over the Connecticut River again. Instead, Mohawks from the Albany area did battle with Philip, driving him eastward. When Connecticut authorities later appealed to Andros for assistance, Andros replied that it

9009-458: Was one of the five state capitals for Rhode Island. The General Assembly, when meeting in East Greenwich, used the local courthouse , which is today the town hall. East Greenwich Village is located in the northeastern part of the town and extends north about 0.93 mi (1.5 km) into the city of Warwick, Rhode Island . The town is now known for its waterfront, renowned school district, and downtown restaurant/shopping district. East Greenwich,

9108-486: Was permanently resolved in 1680 when York renounced in favor of Penn his remaining claims to West Jersey. The political opponents of Andros in the colony brought several charges against him to the Duke of York. Among them were accusations of favoritism toward Dutch business owners and engaging in business for private gain rather than that of the duke. Statements were also made to the duke that claimed that his revenues were lower than they should have been; this, in addition to

9207-511: Was present at the surrender in 1651 of Guernsey's Castle Cornet , the last royalist stronghold to surrender in the English Civil War , there is no firm evidence to support this. It is possible that he fled Guernsey with his mother in 1645. In 1656, he was apprenticed to his uncle, Sir Robert Stone, captain of a cavalry company. Andros then served in two winter campaigns in Denmark , including

9306-590: Was quickly recaptured and thereafter kept in virtual solitary confinement. He and others were held for ten months before being sent to England for trial. The Massachusetts agents in London refused to sign the charges made against him, so the court summarily dismissed them and freed him. When Andros was questioned about the various accusations that had been leveled against him, he pointed out that all of his actions had been taken to bring colonial laws into conformance with English law, or they were specifically taken in pursuit of his commission and instructions. While Andros

9405-494: Was said to have been hidden in a nearby oak tree (referred to afterward as the Charter Oak ) so that a search of nearby buildings would not locate the document. Whatever the truth of the account, Connecticut records show that its government formally surrendered its seals and ceased operation that day. Andros then traveled throughout the colony, making judicial and other appointments, before returning to Boston. On 29 December 1687,

9504-512: Was that Andros sought to restrict town meetings since these were where that protest had begun. He, therefore, introduced a law that limited meetings to a single annual meeting solely for electing officials and explicitly banned meetings at other times for any reason. This loss of local power was widely hated. Many protests were made that the town meeting and tax laws were violations of the Magna Carta , which guaranteed taxation by representatives of

9603-470: Was the governor of the Dominion of New England during most of its three-year existence. At other times, Andros served as governor of the provinces of New York , East and West Jersey , Virginia , and Maryland . Before serving in North America, he served as Bailiff of Guernsey . His tenure in New England was authoritarian and turbulent, as his views were decidedly pro- Anglican , a negative quality in

9702-410: Was under arrest. Daniel Fisher grabbed him by the collar and took him to the home of dominion official John Usher and held under close watch. After Fort Mary fell into rebel hands on the 19th, Andros was moved there from Usher's house. He was confined there with Joseph Dudley and other dominion officials until 7 June, when he was transferred to Castle Island . During this period of captivity, he

9801-460: Was well received and agreed to continue the Dutch practice of supplying firearms to the Iroquois. This action successfully blunted French diplomatic successes with the Iroquois. It also led to charges in New England that Andros provided arms to Indians allied to King Philip (as the Wampanoag leader Metacom was known to the English); in fact, Andros provided gunpowder to Rhode Island that was used in

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