In Search of Rhode Island's Lost Stony Fort (by JimP)

by JimP

"LAYING OUT OF A HIGHWAY.

The following laying out is believed to have been about 1703. It is recorded in the L.E. in the Secretary's office.

. . . until it comes to an old pair of barrs and the road to run to the eastward of Samuel Tifft's fence, until it comes to William Knowles NE corner and so by marked trees or bushes until it comes to the stony fort and then by marked trees through Ebenezer Shearman's farm, till it comes to a great rock not farr from a brook and so to untill it meets with marked trees in a corner of Jeremiah Harzard's farm . . ." (Collections 1835:224) 

COLLECTIONS of the Rhode Island Historical Society, Vol. III. 1835. Pg. 224. Providence, RI: Marshall, Brown and Company.

   Growing up, I heard local legends about the Narragansett Indian's "stony fort complexes". Certainly I have made dozens of visits to Queen's Fort, which is on the National Register of Historic Places and includes a complex of stone walls, standing stones, talus caves, and other features in and around a hill of enormous boulders. I knew about the Great Swamp Fort and Fort Ninigret with their contemporary accounts of partial construction with stone walls. I have also visited the Rolling Rock site with its interesting stone walls, possible use of quartz symbolism, stone-lined springs, and nearby "poor" graves. I am also familiar with the Gungywamp site in nearby Connecticut and its possible connection to a colonial account of a stony fort, "neare Pequot". But could there possibly be more?

One of two green epidote standing stones leaning against a boulder in the western wall at Queen's Fort.

There had also been some scant evidence of another stony fort. I have never been able to track down descriptive accounts in local histories, but I have found another piece to the puzzle -- the aforementioned quote found in the 1835 book from the Rhode Island Historical Society.

First, let me fill you in about what initially led me to believe there may be a lost stone Indian fort in Rhode Island. The screenshot below from Google maps shows two placemarks. The first, to the north, is the site of Queen's Fort -- the only stone Indian fort in New England that is recognized as a historic landmark. But more than six miles to the south -- lined in blue -- is a road named Stony Fort Rd. I had always found this curious. I thought Stony Fort Rd. would have been named after Queen's Fort. There is no stone fort that I know of within six miles of Stony Fort Rd. How can there be a connection to Queen's Fort if Stony Fort Rd. is six miles to the south?

The exact spot where the placemark for Stony Fort Rd. sits is on railroad tracks that run north/south. To the east of the placemark/tracks the road is called Stony Fort Rd. To the west of the placemark/tracks it is Wolf Rocks Rd.

Google Map showing the site of Queen's Fort to the north,
and Stony Fort Rd./Wolf Rocks Rd. six miles to the south.

It has been a mystery to me for decades -- but very recently I found the reference to the "stony fort" that I quoted at the top of this post and it has given me an important new piece to the puzzle. Although I am not entirely certain, it appears that the highway that is being laid out is what is today called the Old North Rd. to the south and Shermantown Rd. to the northeast.

But whatever that old highway is called today, the stony fort described in the entry cannot be Queen's Fort. The entry refers to the farm of William Knowles. From town records we know William Knowles owned land at a place called Little Rest Hill. In 1726, the Village of Little Rest was renamed Kingston, and today it is home of the University of Rhode Island as well as one of only two Amtrak stations in the state. Then, according to the entry, after reaching the stony fort the highway ran through Jeremiah Hazard's farm. Again, from town records, we know Jeremiah Hazard lived not far from Little Rest. At no point does the road laid out go six miles to the north where Queen's Fort is situated. So I can now, for the first time ever, rule out Queen's Fort as the origin of the name "Stony Fort Rd."

So now that we know the "stony fort" in the entry is definitely not Queen's Fort, what stony fort is being referenced? Since Stony Fort Rd. is also named Wolf Rocks Rd. to the west of the train tracks, could the entry be referring to Wolf Rocks? Wolf Rocks is a geological wonder in Rhode Island - a large 50-foot deep ravine filled with giant boulders. At one time, Wolf Rocks was a popular place for visitors. But since the 1970's, local landowners surrounding the site have discouraged visitors. As far as I know, Wolf Rocks has become all but forgotten except to locals.

The 50-foot deep ravine filled with boulders known as Wolf Rocks.

Queen's Fort is certainly a natural geological wonder itself. Most of it was made entirely by nature. Humans have embellished the site by building stone walls and other features. Could Wolf Rocks have been regarded as a stone fort in early colonial Rhode Island simply because it was an important place to the Narragansett Indians? Could the early colonists have called Wolf Rocks a stony fort simply because it reminded them of Queen's Fort to the north? Or is there another stone fort somewhere nearby, lost, forgotten, hidden in the North Kingstown woods?

An unknown collection of boulders between the site of Wolf Rocks and Wolf Rock Rd. Could this be the lost stony fort?

Of course, I still have more questions than answers. But I have a solid lead. Now all I need is a volunteer in or near Rhode Island to search a few land records and pin down an approximate location for the lost "stony fort". I need someone to help me poke around town records for the origin of the name Stony Fort Rd. Who wants to help this poor Arizonan solve a mystery and find the lost stone fort? Shoot me an email if you're interested! jimtheump@cox.net