'Watch Hill Merry-Go-Round, 151 Bay Street, (401) 348-6007, Back in the village is one of the nation’s oldest Merry-Go- Rounds called The Flying Horse Merry-Go-Round. Back around 1876, the Charles W. Dare Company, a traveling carnival, came and built the Merry-Go-Round and around 1879, the traveling carnival company left, leaving the Merry-Go-Round as a gift to the village of Watch Hill. Over 100 years later the Merry-Go-Round is considered a United States Historic landmark and is on the United States National historic register of historic places. The Merry-Go-Round is located on the bend of Bay Street, under a wooden gazebo that has big, stone columns. Inside of the gazebo is the Merry-Go-Round. The reason why this Merry-Go-Round is called the flying horse Merry-Go-Round is because horses are suspended by chains and not fastened to poles, so when the Merry-Go-Round spins, it appears that the children are flying on horses through the air. There are two rows of horses; a set of smaller horses in the inside and a set of larger horses on the outside. All of the horses were carved by hand out of a single piece of wood. The horses are simple, complete with a cracked leather saddle, reins, mane and tail. Each winter the horses are stored and restored after the exposure to the summer weather. The horses’ manes were real horsehair. Legend has it that back in 1879 when the Merry-Go-Round was permanently placed in Watch Hill, the horse of the caravan when he died, his mane was placed into one of the horses. The eyes of the horses are the original agate eyes from 1879.
In 1993, a local woodcarver named Gary Anderson from Pawcatuck, CT, cleaned the horses of fifty years worth of paint. Upon stripping the horses from the paint, he uncovered horses are actually hollow, like rocking horses. From, 1993 on, the Watch Hill Improvement Society has worked hard to keep the Merry-Go-Round's appearance pristine. Aside from the Merry-Go-Round's beauty the one thing that attracts many children to the horses is the brass ring game. Riding on the outside horses, youngsters can reach out and grab rings and collect them on the horse’s ears. However, there is one special ring, the brass ring, and to the person who attains it, they get a free ride on the Merry-Go-Round.
The Flying Horse Merry-Go-Round is a staple of the Watch Hill village and is also the inspiration behind two children’s books: The Brass Ring by Nancy Tafuri and The Flying Horses by Lynn Anderson.
Watch Hill Beach You have to pay to use this beach. Watch Hill Beach is exclusive. Payment gets you an umbrella, parking, restaurant, and cabana use. Also, placed in the water is a black "dock" where people can swim to and play on. It is a big hit for the children.
East Beach This is a public beach with no fee. Located near the top of Watch Hill, this beach is pretty hidden. You have to walk on a sandy path from the road to get to it. This beach has great waves and attracts many surfers. If you are interested in a long walk, Misquamicut Beach, located in Westerly, is about a 30 minute walk to the right.
Napatree Point This is also a public beach, located right next to Watch Hill Beach. Napatree Point is an official Conservation Area, protecting endangered species that inhabit the dunes, such as the Roaseate Tern, Piping Plover, Osprey, and American Beach grass. Be aware that no dogs are allowed on this beach May 2 through Labor Day, from 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. This rule is strictly enforced by beach patrol. After Labor Day, however, leashed dogs are allowed on the beach. Napatree is great for a casual jog--the length of the strip is about 1 mile.Napatree Point is the long stretch of beach and dune grass that help form ‘little Narragansett Bay’. The long stretch of beach is approximately 1.5 miles long. The term Napatree can be broken down into ‘nap’ (neck) of trees. The point was heavily wooded until 1815, when a large hurricane came and wiped out the trees. At the end of the point is Fort Mansfield, an abandoned military fort. It was built as part of several other forts on the Atlantic coast to protect New York City. Fort Mansfield was operational 1901 to 1909, then in 1926 the land was sold, and the military deserted the fort. In 1926, residential homes were built on the beach. When the Hurricane of 1938 came, the hurricane decimated the properties on the point, including the road that ran along the point. Only 15 out of the 42 people who were in their homes when the hurricane struck died. Presently, there are no homes or roads on the point. Napatree Point is a nature preserves that is an excellent place to bird watch, collect seashells, swim, walk, or enjoy nature. Parts of the beach are closed in the spring, so the Piping Plover Birds’ nests are not disturbed; after all piping plovers are federally endangered. Napatree point is also home to ospreys. The Watch Hill Conservancy works with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect the plovers and the rest of the wildlife.
Sport fishing on the Bonita II, Captain Tim Terranova, (401) 596-6433, For those hardcore fishers out there, take a trip on the Bonita II! Catch bass, blue fish, marlin, tuna, swordfish offshore. This activity is sponsored by Watch Hill Outfitters. The dock is located to the right of Watch Hill Yacht Club.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Watch Hill
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Watch Hill - updated May 2024
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Watch Hill Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
