Westerly, Rhode Island

Westerly Westerly, Rhode Island
Town
The Westerly Town Hall and Court House (2021) The Westerly Armory (2005) Westerly High School (2017)
Flag Seal
Interactive map of Westerly
Westerly Location of Westerly in Rhode Island Show map of Rhode Island Westerly Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 41°22′39″N 71°49′38″W / 41.37750°N 71.82722°W / 41.37750; -71.82722
Country	United States
State	Rhode Island
County	Washington County
First settled	1661
Incorperated	1669
Villages	List Watch Hill Bradford Misquamicut White Rock Shelter Harbor Weekapaug Dunn’s Corners Mastuxet Avondale Downtown Westerly Winnapaug
Government
• Type	Town Council
• Council President	William J. Aiello
• Council Vice-President	Philip M. Overton, Jr.
• Councilors	Kevin J. Lowther, II Joy L. Cordio Dylan J. LaPietra Mary E. Scialabba Robert L. Lombardo
Area
• Total	74.8 sq mi (194 km2)
• Land	30.1 sq mi (78 km2)
• Water	44.7 sq mi (116 km2)
Elevation	36 ft (11 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	23,359
• Density	777/sq mi (300/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes	02891 02808 (Bradford)
Area code	401
FIPS code	44-77000[1]
GNIS feature ID	1220091[2]
Website	westerlyri.gov

Westerly is a town on the southwestern coastline of Washington County, Rhode Island, United States, first settled by English colonists in 1661, and incorporated as a municipality in 1669. Westerly is a beachfront community on the south shore of the state with a population of 23,359 as of the 2020 census.

The Pawcatuck River flows on the western border of Westerly, and was once renowned for its own species of Westerly salmon, three of which are displayed on the town's official seal. The Pawcatuck River flows from 15 mi (24 km) inland, emptying into Little Narragansett Bay. It also serves as the boundary between Westerly and Pawcatuck, Connecticut. Three large salt ponds lie along the coast of Westerly which serve as shallow, reef-like pools whose outer walls form the long, white beaches for which the town is renowned, such as the Misquamicut State Beach. From west to east, these ponds are Maschaug Pond, Winnapaug Pond, and Quonochontaug Pond.

The Westerly area was known for its granite and stone-cutting industry,^[3][4] which quarried a unique stone known as Westerly granite. This pinkish granite is ideal for statuary and has been used in numerous government buildings of several states on the eastern seaboard.^[5]

Westerly becomes a notable tourist destination during the summer months when the population nearly doubles.^[6] Its well-known beaches include Weekapaug Beach, Westerly Town Beach, Misquamicut State Beach, East Beach, and Watch Hill Beach.

Westerly, R.I. prior to English colonization was known as Misquamicut, home to the Narragansett people prior to 1637, before the English had build an outpost, and forced the Narragansett people out of the region by 1661, allowing for the permanent settlement on the coast line.^[7]

The English village was the home of Elder John Crandall (c. 1618–1676), one of Westerly's founding fathers. Crandall settled in Westerly in 1661, and the early history of Westerly contains many references to him and his sons. In 1669, Westerly was named for the settlement's location respective to Rhode Island's geography, being the westernmost town in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.

In 1738, the Town of Charlestown was partitioned off from Westerly, and 19 years later Hopkinton was also partitioned off from Westerly, leaving Westerly in its modern borders. Bradford, a village built in 1732, following the partition of Hopkinton remained shared between both Hopkinton and Westerly with the Bradford Village Historic District.

Physician, American Revolution general, and Rhode Island Supreme Court justice Dr. Joshua Babcock was born in Westerly. Rhode Island Governor and Chief Justice Samuel Ward also lived here for many years. During the American Revolution, Westerly did not play any major battles compared to the nearby Battle of Newport, which happened in Rhode Island. Lieutenant-Colonel Samuel Ward Jr was a resident of Westerly, Rhode Island, commanding the 1st Rhode Island Regiment, the only black regiment in the Continental Army, and its important role in the Revolutionary War’s Battle of Rhode Island. ^[8]

In the early 1800s, prior to the War of 1812, Westerly had become a shipbuilding center under U.S. Navy Officer Oliver Perry, having built Gunboats.^[7]

The four trolley lines of the Groton and Stonington Street Railway, Norwich and Westerly Railway, Pawtucket Valley Street Railway, and the Ashaway and Westerly Railway converged in Westerly and shared track between the railroad station and Dixon House Square downtown. The lines were built in the 1890s and 1900s and ran until the 1920s.

Because of the towns location, Westerly would be devastated in 1938 by the Hurricane of 1938, with the village of Napatree Point being completely destroyed, along with Misquamicut, Galilee, Jerusalem, Green Hill, and Quonochontaug being heavily destroyed, with a storm surge of 12–15ft all along the coast of Rhode Island.^[9][10] Many factories, mines, houses, and more structures collapsed during the hurricane, and the New Haven and Hartford Railroad was damaged, shutting down transport to Westerly, RI. Following this, westerly would be struck again 6 years later in 1944, and again1954 by major hurricanes.

In 2012, Hurricane Sandy left beaches along the Westerly shoreline devastated and nearly unrecognizable, including Misquamicut. Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee stated that Misquamicut was "our New Jersey," referring to the amount of damage that was received in the State of New Jersey.^[11] The damages caused by Hurricane Sandy caused $11.3 million dollars in damages,^[12] with almost 100,000 power outages reported in Rhode Island.

In December of 2019, a shooting happened at the Babcock Village, in which three women ended up shot. The police identified the shooter, and two surviving victims. The shooting was done by 66-year old Joseph Giachello, who was found dead in his room after taking the life of 47-year old Julie Cardinal, the manager of the complex.^[13] During this shooting, all the schools in Westerly managed by Westerly Public Schools were put into lockdown, although Westerly Public Schools stated: “there is no verifiable threat to any of the buildings.”^[14]

In August of 2021, Tropical Storm Henri made landfall in Westerly, causing significant damage and power outages. Following Henri’s impacts, in November 2021, three tornadoes were confirmed in Rhode Island, the first being an EF-1 tornado which went from Westerly to Stonington, Connecticut.^[15]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 74.8 square miles (194 km²), of which, 30.1 square miles (78 km²) is land and 44.7 square miles (116 km²) (59.78%) is water. The Bureau includes Westerly in the RI-MA Providence metropolitan area (defined at the county level) but in the CT-RI Norwich-New London NECTA (defined at the municipal level).

Westerly sits atop a glacial moraine, a series of small hills of debris left behind by receding glaciers in the last Ice Age. A pristine sample of the moraine encompasses a 140-acre (0.57 km²) preserve owned in perpetuity by the Westerly Land Trust. Within the trust land are the rare kettle formations that extend out under the sea to Block Island.

Westerly has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa), defined as having a mean monthly temperature between 0 and 18 °C (32 and 64 °F) in the coldest month and at least 22 °C (72 °F) in the warmest month. Annually, Westerly has a long warm/hot season from April to mid-November, and a cool/cold season from late November through March. Westerly averages 2300 hours of sunshine annually (higher than the USA average), and receives about 1,087 mm (42.8 in) of precipitation annually.

Westerly consists of a number of small villages. Downtown Westerly on the Pawcatuck River is the municipal seat of the area, with the old town post office, library, YMCA, railroad station, former police headquarters (the current headquarters is located on Airport Road), granite buildings, and Wilcox Park.

Other villages include Avondale, with antique colonial-style and Queen Anne-style homes; Bradford, with its own post office and postal code; Dunn's Corners; Mastuxet; Misquamicut, a beachfront community with small amounts of nightlife and several hotels; Potter Hill, where the Town Forest is located; Shelter Harbor; Watch Hill, with beaches and summer cottages; Weekapaug; White Rock; and Winnapaug, with public golf courses.

The town holds a number of annual events, such as the Pawcatuck River Duck Race in April, Virtu Art Festival in May, Shakespeare in the Park and the Summer Pops (hosted by the Chorus of Westerly) in June, and Riverglow in July. In recent years, the Westerly-Pawcatuck Chamber of Commerce's events have attracted many visitors, including big screen movies on the beach through July and August, Westerly's Columbus Day parade in October, and several beachfront events. Also, the Westerly-Pawcatuck Veterans Board of Control hold two of the oldest parades in the United States. The Memorial Day Parade started in 1867, held in May on Memorial Day, and the Veterans Day Parade started in 1917, held in November on the Saturday of Veterans Day week.

The former granite mining and stone-cutting industry is historically important. Its quarries produced blue granite, in addition to pinks and reds. The Smith Granite Company employed many granite cutting craftsmen and was one of the town's major employers until the quarries stopped operating in the 1950s. Hundreds of examples of their work can be seen on the battlefields of Gettysburg and in city squares, municipal buildings, cemeteries throughout the United States, and even the Georgia State Capitol.

The Guild Guitar Company was founded in 1952 by Alfred Dronge in New York City. They moved production to Westerly in 1966 and continued to make their well-respected archtop, acoustic, and solid body guitars there until 2001, when they were bought by Fender Musical Instruments and production was moved to Corona, California.

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 22,966 people, 9,402 households, and 6,130 families residing in the town. The population density was 763.3 inhabitants per square mile (294.7/km²). There were 11,292 housing units at an average density of 375.3 units per square mile (144.9 units/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.17% White, 0.71% Black or African American, 0.57% Native American, 1.99% Asian, 0.34% from other races, and 1.22% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 1.18% of the population.

There were 9,402 households, out of which 29.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.2% were married couples living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.8% were non-families. Of all households, 29.0% were made up of individuals, and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.5% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $44,613, and the median income for a family was $53,165. Males had a median income of $37,887 versus $26,800 for females. The per capita income for the town was $24,092. About 4.3% of families and 6.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.6% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over.

The most frequent ancestries among the town's population are Italian (34.2%), Irish (17.9%) and English (14.2%). Many Italians moved to Westerly from Italy around the start of the 20th century (particularly from Sicily and Calabria), and Italian dialects are still spoken at the homes of many older residents.

Washington Trust Bancorp Inc., a publicly traded regional bank with operations in Rhode Island and Connecticut, is headquartered in Westerly. Another regional bank centered directly in Southwest Rhode Island is the Westerly Community Credit Union or WCCU.^[20]

The main school system of Westerly is Westerly Public Schools, including the Westerly High School, the Westerly Middle School, Westerly High School Career and Tech (WHS-CTE), and the local elementary schools, State Street Elementary School, Springbrook Elementary School, and Dunn’s Corners Elementary School.^[21]

Westerly has a mayor–council government system, which the mayor is called the council president.^[22] The current mayor is William J. Aiello since 2022.^[23] The Town of Westerly has other positions, including the school committee, and administration, with town manager being Shawn Lacey.^[24] Terms of the local council, senator and representative in the Rhode Island General Assembly last two-years, and school committee officials having four-year terms.^[23]

Westerly has a set budget of $102 million for the Westerly Police Department in the 2024–2025 fiscal budget.^[25] Westerly, RI has a general crime rate of 10 per 1000 residents, with most crime happening in Downtown Westerly, and along the coast.^[26] Westerly has a total crime rate that is 59% lower than the national average per 100,000 residents.^[27]

Westerly is marked as one of the safest towns within the entirety of the United States, with 68 violent incidents per 100,000 residents. In total, there are 0.62 daily crimes (0.04 violent daily crimes and 0.57 daily property crimes) in the town of Westerly.^[27]

In Westerly, there is the Westerly State Airport, which offers services by New England Airlines. Along with Westerly State Airport, Amtrak also offers services by the Westerly Amtrak Station between Washington, DC and Boston, stopping at the Westerly station near downtown. The station itself was closed in October 2016, but passengers can still board and disembark at the platform. Additionally, there have been proposals for CTrail to extend its Shore Line East service eastwards to Westerly station.

Westerly has U.S. Route 1 and state routes 1A, 3, and 91. Route 78 forms a bypass around Westerly downtown and ends near Westerly Airport, with three interchanges in Rhode Island; the other endpoint is in Stonington, Connecticut. Interstate 95 is approximately 5 miles away and can be reached by Connecticut Route 2 and by Rhode Island Route 3.

• Westerly High School
• Westerly Town Beach
• Misquamicut State Beach
• Watch Hill
• Westerly (Amtrak station)
• Westerly State Airport
• Wilcox Park
• Christopher Columbus Memorial statue by Charles H. Pizzano

• Babcock-Smith House
• Bradford Village Historic District, in Hopkinton and Westerly
• Flying Horse Carousel
• Former Immaculate Conception Church
• Lewis-Card-Perry House
• Main Street Historic District
• North End Historic District
• Nursery Site, RI-273
• Perry Homestead Historic District
• Ram Point
• U.S. Post Office (Westerly, Rhode Island)
• Watch Hill Historic District
• Weekapaug Inn
• Westerly Armory
• Westerly Downtown Historic District
• Wilcox Park Historic District

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Washington County, Rhode Island
• The United Theatre, a performing arts center in the town
• Stonington, Connecticut, a nearby town to Westerly.
• Westerly Hospital

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Westerly, Rhode Island.

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Westerly.

• Official website