Fort Adams State Park is a public recreation and historic area preserving

Fort Adams Fort Adams is a former United States Army post in Newport, Rhode Island that was established on July 4, 1799 as a First System coastal fortification, named for President John Adams who was in office at the time. Its first commander was Capt ...

, a large coastal fortification located at the harbor mouth in Newport,

Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...

, that was active from 1841 through the first half of the 20th century. The

state park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...

hosts the annual

Newport Jazz Festival The Newport Jazz Festival is an annual American multi-day jazz music festival held every summer in Newport, Rhode Island. Elaine Lorillard established the festival in 1954, and she and husband Louis Lorillard financed it for many years. They hire ...

and

Newport Folk Festival Newport Folk Festival is an annual American folk-oriented music festival in Newport, Rhode Island, which began in 1959 as a counterpart to the Newport Jazz Festival. It was one of the first modern music festivals in America, and remains a foca ...

and is the home of Sail Newport and

Eisenhower House Eisenhower House, formerly known as the Commandant's Residence or Quarters Number One of Fort Adams, is a historic house that is part of Fort Adams State Park in Newport, Rhode Island. History The building was built by George C. Mason & Son i ...

History

The area was originally owned by

William Brenton William Brenton (c. 1610–1674) was a colonial President, Deputy Governor, and Governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, and an early settler of Portsmouth and Newport in the Rhode Island colony. Austin and other hist ...

, who called the region "Hammersmith," a name that survives in the name of the adjacent

Hammersmith Farm Hammersmith Farm is a Victorian mansion and estate located at 225 Harrison Avenue in Newport, Rhode Island, United States. It was the childhood home of First Lady Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy, and the site of the reception for her wedding to U.S. Sen ...

. Following its long tenure as a military installation, the State of Rhode Island took possession of Fort Adams for use as a state park in 1965.

Activities and amenities

In addition to panoramic views of the harbor and

Narragansett Bay Narragansett Bay is a bay and estuary on the north side of Rhode Island Sound covering , of which is in Rhode Island. The bay forms New England's largest estuary, which functions as an expansive natural harbor and includes a small archipelago. Sma ...

, the park offers swimming, boating, picnicking, and athletic fields. The Joseph "Jay" Kirwin Memorial Rugby Pitch is home to Newport Rugby Football Club and to the rugby teams of

Salve Regina University Salve Regina University is a private Roman Catholic university in Newport, Rhode Island, United States. It was founded in 1934 by the Sisters of Mercy and is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. The university enrolls mo ...

. In addition to the dedicated Kirwin rugby pitch, there are two soccer fields/rugby pitches. The annual Newport Rugby Sevens Tournament is held at the fort each summer. The Fort Adams Trust offers seasonal guided tours from June through October of Fort Adams, the Fort Adams Advanced Southern Redoubt, and the Eisenhower “Summer White House." Fort Adams State Beach is small, with a shallow-roped off area for swimming, with slightly rocky sand. The adjacent Dr. Fred Alofsin Special Events Building has bathrooms, showers, picnic tables, and a small parking lot.

References

External links

Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management Division of Parks & Recreation
Fort Adams and the Fort Adams Trust
The Fort Adams Trust {{authority control State parks of Rhode Island Narragansett Bay Geography of Newport, Rhode Island Protected areas of Newport County, Rhode Island Tourist attractions in Newport, Rhode Island Sports venues in Rhode Island Protected areas established in 1965 1965 establishments in Rhode Island

History

Activities and amenities

Further reading

References

External links