By Don D'Amato

Buttonwoods, originally part of the area known as Naussauket, was owned in large part by the Greene family in the 1680s. Its attraction as a pleasant seaside area was noted and the Kinnecom family started to hold clambakes there as early as 1830. Hope you are planning to attend the 162nd Claflin Family Reunion in Warwick, RI. Invitations were sent last month and we are ready for a great day near the beautiful beaches of Rhode Island. We have a wonderful location, the Old Buttonwoods Casino (see previous post). For more details, email claflinfamilyassociation@gmail.com.

Today, Warwick, with a population exceeding 86,000, is Rhode Island's second largest city. It is conveniently located near all the major business, cultural and recreation centers of New England. Providence is only ten minutes away; Boston but one hour. Cape Cod can be reached in about seventy-five minutes and the Connecticut Casinos in less than an hour. With the airport, interstate highways and rail service New York is easily reached, as are the ski slopes of the northern states. Warwick is at 'The Crossroads of New England.'

Warwick's natural beauty along Greenwich Bay, its historical significance and modern potential continue to attract tourists, business, movie producers and those looking for the serenity of a suburban area with the advantages of a modern city. Warwick provides that and more as it has made a dynamic impact on Rhode Island in the late 20th and 21st centuries.
A large part of the city’s significance and charm can be traced back through its more than 370 year history. Thanks to many spirited leaders in both the community and City Hall, Warwick has come to realize that its heritage mirrors that of the state and the country. Warwick, probably more than any other community in Rhode Island, has had many trials and tribulations in its fight to establish the freedoms we so dearly cherish today. Much of the struggle and the success can be found by studying the history of its villages and their impact on the city.

Hopefully, this series of articles on Warwick’s villages and historic places, then and now, will develop into a useful tool in order that we, as well as our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, will have a better understanding of our world. An understanding of the past may help us cherish and preserve the values that have been established and are part of our heritage.

Old Buttonwoods Casino Restaurant

The steamboats in the bay were kept busy during the 19^th century taking large numbers of merrymakers to the shore resorts of Mark Rock and Rocky Point. While this was considered a great boon to many, there were those who felt that they wanted to enjoy the beauty of Warwick’s shores, but frowned upon the style of living the popular parks and hotels offered.

One group especially felt the need for a different kind of resort for themselves and their children. In 1871, members of the Cranston Street Baptist Church in Providence sought to take advantage of the recreational possibilities in Warwick, but shied away from the popular but boisterous Mark Rock and Rocky Point resorts. Instead, they sought the quiet beauty of Buttonwoods.

Buttonwoods, originally part of the area known as Naussauket, was owned in large part by the Greene family in the 1680s. Its attraction as a pleasant seaside area was noted and the Kinnecom family started to hold clambakes there as early as 1830. It was during this period that the name Buttonwoods began to be used as there were many buttonwood trees in the area.

Old Buttonwoods Casino Club

Buttonwoods –Early Period

During the early Colonial Period, James Greene, son of Surgeon John Greene, owned much of the area we today call Buttonwoods. In 1686, his son, also named James, built a house on his large farm which, somewhat modified, still exists today.

According to Oliver Payson Fuller’s History of Warwick, written in 1875, the east end of the house was made of brick, “the clay of which was taken from Warwick cove…the mortar was made of shell lime…” Fuller tells us, “A few rods from the building stands one of the ancient Buttonwood trees, from which the farm receives its familiar appellation of the Buttonwoods. This old tree measures, near the ground, seven feet in diameter.” The tree is long gone, but James Greene’s house and that of his son, Fones Greene remain to this day.

In 1806, the Greene farm was divided and the western section, which contained the older house, became the property of Henry W. Greene, while the eastern portion was passed to Fones Greene Hill. In 1871, the Buttonwoods Beach Association purchased 130 acres from H. W. Greene and Fones Green Hill for $22,000. In 1872, the association erected a hotel at Buttonwoods at the cost of $20,000. While the hotel no longer exists, many of the fine cottages built by the association stand today.