Lincoln
Eleazor Arnold House, Great Road, Lincoln
There are many treasures to be found in Lincoln. From the historic colonial houses along Great Road to the rare plants found in the Lime Rock Preserve and the mill worker’s homes in Manville, Lincoln provides a wonderful Blackstone River Valley experience.
Great Road Historic District is one of the Blackstone Valley’s treasures, where 300 years of history can be found in 3 miles. Many of the specific sites are listed on this page.
Self-guided tour of Great Road Historic District, Lincoln, RI: Great Road Driving Tour (PDF)
Blackstone River State Park/ Blackstone River Bikeway
Eight miles of the Blackstone River Bikeway is now open in the towns of Lincoln and Cumberland. Eventually, the Bikeway will run 48-miles, from Worcester to Providence; 3.5 miles of the Bikeway run on top of the preserved Blackstone Canal towpath.
Read more about Blackstone River State Park and Blackstone River Bikeway:
Captain Wilbur Kelly House Transportation Museum
Located along the Blackstone River Bikeway and the Blackstone Canal is the Kelley House, home of ship's captain and mill owner Wilbur Kelley, that has been transformed into a museum on transportation in the Blackstone Valley.
Read more about the Captain Wilbur Kelly House Transportation Museum:
Chase Farm
This 118-acre dairy farm was active for a century, until 1965. The park contains 80-acres of charming hills and meadows demonistrating the rural character of the Great Road Historic District. Now preserved as a green space, it is used for a number of activities, such as summer concerts. Also on site is a butterfly garden.
Read more about Chase Farm: www.hearthsidehouse.org/chaseFarmHouse/
Eleazer Arnold House
The oldest home in Lincoln (c. 1693) is also the finest example of a “stone-ender” in Rhode Island. Its most distinctive feature is the great stone-end chimney that makes up the western end of the house. The house features stone work that reflects the origins and skills of the settlers who emigrated from the western part of England.
Read more about Eleazer Arnold House: www.historicnewengland.org
Friends Meeting House
This Meetinghouse, built in 1704 and expanded in 1745, exhibits the plainness and simplicity which 18th-century Quakers mandated in their lives. This meeting was the center of Quaker life in northern Rhode Island for several decades and the home of the Providence Monthly Meeting after 1718.
Read more about Friends Meeting House:
Hannaway Blacksmith Shop
Adjacent to Hearthside and Chase Farm Park on Great Road is the Hannaway Blacksmith Shop. Turn-of-the-century blacksmithing demonstrations and classes help to keep this old time craft alive. Visitors can stop in and experience the ring of the anvil and the odor of coal and hot steel as blacksmiths forge pieces of the metal into hinges, nails, and other household items.
Read more about Hannaway Blacksmith Shop: www.hearthsidehouse.org/hannaway
Hearthside
The Hearthside is a unique 1810 Federal style home, built by Stephen Smith. According to the legend of the house, Smith was courting a woman who wanted to marry the man who could build her the most magnificent home in Rhode Island. Smith won $50,000 in the Louisiana Lottery, and used it to build this home.
Read more about Hearthside: www.hearthsidehouse.org
Lime Rock Preserve
The Lime Rock Preserve is a beautiful and unique habitat that supports more rare plant species than any other site in Rhode Island. It is an excellent place to watch the seasons change, explore walking trails, or look for animals and plants like migrant warblers, raccoons, and trout lilies. The preserve is laced with trails illustrating a wide variety of distinctive New England habitats.
Read more about Lime Rock Preserve: www.nature.org
Lime Rock Village
Built along the Great Road, this village was based on mining, not on the textile industry. In the mid-1600s, the Dexter and Harris families began to quarry Limestone in this area, much of which was used to make mortar for building. The Conklin Limestone Company continues in operation today.
Read more about Lime Rock Village: www.blackstonedaily.com
Lincoln Woods
Lincoln Woods State Park is one of Blackstone Valley's great treasures. Lincoln Woods is where over 600 acres are available for swimming at the fresh water beach, trout fishing, hiking, jogging, horseback riding, or just relaxing under a shade tree.
North Gate Toll House
Built in 1807, it served as a toll house for the Louisquisset Turnpike Co. and as a hotel and grange hall in the mid-1800s. On site is a library with holdings pertaining to the Blackstone Valley, a small museum room with early 18th century furniture. It is also home of the Blackstone Valley Historical Society.
Read more about North Gate Toll House: www.bvhsri.org
Valentine Whitman House
Whitman's home is one of a few surviving "stone-end" houses built in the 17th century. This 17th Century Stone Ender is the second oldest house in Lincoln and the site of the first town meeting in Smithfield.
Read more about Valentine Whitman House: www.lincolnri.org/historic