History:

Below is a summary history of the town of Barrington. It has been expressly prepared for the Barrington Website. As such, it is not intended to be comprehensive in any way.It can be noted that the history of Barrington contains little that is unusual. In McLoughlin's 1978 history of Rhode Island, Bristol is referenced on seventeen pages, Warren on five pages, but Barrington on none. Barrington escaped the deleterious effects of the industrial revolution and the rapid population influx that plagued northern Rhode Island. Instead the town has been blessed, for the most part, with peace and prosperity, which continue to this day.

Before the Pilgrims landed, Barrington was occupied by the Wampanoag Indians. Archeological evidence indicates that the American Indian migrated into North America from Asia about 10,000 years ago, as the Ice Age was ending. However, evidence of Indians living in the Rhode Island area goes back only about 8000 years.

Some allege that the Northmen (Vikings) visited Barrington prior to 1492, but there is no documented evidence to support this theory.

It is known that the Italian explorer Verrazano visited Narragansett Bay and the Wampanoags in 1524; however, it is not clear that he visited Barrington.

The early history of Barrington is tied closely to the arrival of the Pilgrims in 1620. Barrington occupied part of what was then the Wampanoag Indian Empire. Massasoit was the Chief Sachem of the Wampanoags. In 1621, two Wampanoag braves visited the Pilgrims. A week later, Massasoit visited with his retinue. He agreed to accept the King of England as the sovereign of his lands provided the English would protect his tribe in the event of attack. In 1623, upon hearing that Massasoit was ill, Edward Winslow and John Hampden traveled to see him. After giving him some jelly and water, Massasoit revived. The site of these happenings is believed to be the present Hampden Meadows. In 1632 a trading post was established at Tyler Point near the present Barrington Yacht Club. What is now called Barrington was then called by its Indian names, Sowams and Pokanoket.

In 1652, the Land Court in Plymouth decided to distribute the lands then occupied by the Wampanoags; Massasoit was paid 35 pounds in return for them. Myles Standish received much of the land in West Barrington north of the present Rhode Island CC, although he chose not to live there. Other proprietors were Thomas Prince (Prince's Hill),Thomas Willett, Joseph Peck, John Allin, and Thomas Chafee. Thomas Willett lived most of his life north of Bullock's Cove, in Riverside. He was a Baptist, and with others founded a Baptist church at Nockum Hill, north of Hundred Acre Cove. He is considered one of the founders of this town. In 1665, because of his knowledge of Dutch, he was selected to be the first English-speaking mayor of New York City; after a second year in New York, he returned to Riverside. Reverend John Myles was the pastor of the Baptist Church, as well as the local school teacher (tutor). The church later burned; there is a memorial stone at the location today.

In the 1600's Barrington was known as the "garden of the colony "(Plymouth) because of its fertile soil and scenic location.

In 1667, the town of Swansea was incorporated; it includes the land we now call Barrington. However, residents of Sowams, being Baptist, had religious differences with the rest of Swansea and petitioned for separation from that town in 1711. Hence, in 1717 Barrington was incorporated. It was probably named after Barrington parish in England [which was in Somerset County, from which most of Barrington's early settlers came].

Relations with the Indians grew tense in the area as more settlers arrived . In 1674, some young Indian braves started looting empty homes. Troops arrived from Plymouth to help defend the settlers. The Indians later attacked a group of churchgoers and killed one man. King Phillip, Massasoit's son and then the Wampanoag leader, fled from Rhode Island and continued his looting. In Dec. 1675, Captain Benjamin Church led Massachusetts and Connecticut troops in a battle with the Indians in southern Rhode Island. A number of Wampanoags and Narragansetts were killed there; this became known as the Great Swamp Fight. Sporadic raids continued until King Phillip was slain the following summer in Bristol. Peace then returned to Barrington. Pastor Myles also returned and a new church was built at Tyler Point.

In 1710, a Congregational church was founded on the present Jenny's Lane by persons dissatisfied with the Baptist Church. In 1737 it moved to the site of the present Congregational Church. The church also served as the town hall until 1856.

When Barrington separated from Swansea, it was still part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. It had a town meeting form of government, but only landholders could vote. In 1747 Bristol County, including Barrington, became part of the Rhode Island Colony; however, Barrington was made part of Warren. In 1770 the Rhode Island General Assembly decreed it to be an independent town (separate from Warren). During this period Barrington had a primarily agricultural economy, with some fishing and ship building as well. In fact, Barrington remained largely agricultural into the early 20th century. In the 1700's the town had several shipyards. Nathaniel Brown had a shipyard on the south side of Bullock's Cove. Martin's shipyard was located at the foot of what is now called Ferry Lane.

Prior to the Revolutionary War there were no bridges between Warren and Barrington, and Colonel Nathaniel Martin maintained a ferry at the foot of Ferry Lane