The Rhode Island Red Monument in the hamlet of
Adamsville of
Little Compton, Rhode Island
Little Compton is a coastal town in Newport County, Rhode Island, bounded on the south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by the Sakonnet River, on the north by the town of Tiverton, and on the east by the town of Westport, Massachusetts. The pop ...
, at the intersection of Main Street, Adamsville Road, and Old Harbor Road, commemorates the
Rhode Island Red
The Rhode Island Red is an American breed of domestic chicken. It is the state bird of Rhode Island. It was developed there and in Massachusetts in the late nineteenth century, by cross-breeding birds of Oriental origin such as the Malay wit ...
breed of chicken, Rhode Island's state bird. The sculpture was completed in 1925 by
Henry L. Norton from
Winthrop, Massachusetts
Winthrop is a town in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 19,316 at the 2020 census. Winthrop is an ocean-side suburban community in Greater Boston situated at the north entrance to Boston Harbor, close to Logan Int ...
.
The text of the monument reads:
To commemorate the birthplace of the / Rhode Island Red breed of fowl which / originated near this location / --red fowls bred extensively by / the farmers of this district and later / named "Rhode Island Reds" and brought into / national prominence by the poultry fanciers -- this tablet placed by the / Rhode Island Red Club of America / with contributions of Rhode Island Red / breeders throughout the world / on land donated by / Deborah Manchester / 1925
The monument was added to the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
in 2001.
History
By 1925, the Rhode Island Red was no longer a practical hen for farmers. New, better breeds, were established, and they were just called "Reds". Rhode Islanders, Little Compton boosters, and the many poultry fanciers who still raised them, wanted to call attention to the breed. They were inspired, in part, by the new memorial in
Winterset Iowa for the delicious apple – if an apple could have a memorial, why not a hen?. The Rhode Island Red Club of America, a chicken-breeder organization founded in 1898, raised the funds for the monument.
There was significant debate about the proper location for the monument. While there was agreement that Little Compton was the right place for a monument as the Rhode Island Red had originated as a breed there in the 1850s, and became a key part of the local economy from about 1870 to 1910, there was disagreement about just where in town it should be built. Two sites were initially considered. The Rhode Island Red Club of America, which represented poultry fanciers wanted it in Adamsville, a more prominent spot for tourists. Some locals wanted it nearer to the Tripp farm, where the breed was created. The debate continued up to the unveiling of the memorial, and beyond: The ''
Providence Journal
''The Providence Journal'', colloquially known as the ''ProJo'', is a daily newspaper serving the metropolitan area of Providence, Rhode Island, and is the largest newspaper in Rhode Island. The newspaper was first published in 1829. The newspape ...
'' devoted a page to the story with the headline "Adamsville give hen place in the sun." But many prominent Rhode Island Red enthusiasts were not there. Another headline: "Monument to Hen divides breeders."
The debate continued even after the unveiling of the monument. The following year, the town council gave approval for a second memorial, at the intersection on West Main Road and the road to the Commons. This was to be a hen, not a rooster. The ''Providence Journal'' covered the story with glee, writing "The Little Compton hen will go far toward assuaging the grievances which have divided the two villages into hostile camps, for Adamsville will have its rooster and Little Compton will have its hen, and peace will reign forever. Hallelujah!"
Centennial monument
Though the second monument was never built, another memorial was. In 1954, the 100th anniversary of the Rhode Island Red, the same year that the Rhode Island legislature voted the Rhode Island Red the state bird, the Rhode Island Red Club and local residents installed a plaque at the location where William Tripp raised his famous chickens, at the intersection of William Sisson Road and Long Highway.
[''A History of the Rhode Island Red, 1854 -1954: A Presentation of Documentary Articles and Photographs Describing the Rhode Island Red, The Breed of Fowl Which Helped To Begin the Poultry Industry in America''. Printed For The Rhode Island Red Centennial Committee, State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Providence, 1954]
The text of the plaque on the centennial monument reads:
On this farm / was originated / the / Rhode Island Red / breed of poultry / 1854 - 1954
See also
*
References
External links
*Little Compton Historical Society video o
Rhode Island Red Memorial
{{National Register of Historic Places in Rhode Island, state=collapsed
Monuments and memorials in Rhode Island
Monuments and memorials on the National Register of Historic Places in Rhode Island
1925 sculptures
Bronze sculptures in Rhode Island
Buildings and structures in Little Compton, Rhode Island
National Register of Historic Places in Newport County, Rhode Island