East Greenwich, the eighth-oldest town in the state, was named for the original Greenwich in Kent County, England. The eastern edge rests on the Narragansett Bay, and the western land gracefully rises up four picturesque hills. Originally owned by the Narragansett Indians, the territory was acquired by King Charles II in 1644. It was incorporated as a town on October 13, 1677, when the Rhode Island General Assembly granted land to men who served during King Philips War. The towns sheltered cove nurtured a thriving seaport community, and successful boatbuilding, rope making, and fishing industries emerged. Inhabitants of the western part of the village focused on farming, and a prosperous textile industry lasted until the end of World War II.

During the 1930s in the United States, the Works Progress Administration developed the Federal Writers’ Project to support writers and artists while making a national effort to document the country’s shared history and culture. The American Guide series consists of individual guides to each of the states. Little-known authors—many of whom would later become celebrated literary figures—were commissioned to write these important books. John Steinbeck, Saul Bellow, Zora Neale Hurston, and Ralph Ellison are among the more than 6,000 writers, editors, historians, and researchers who documented this celebration of local histories. Photographs, drawings, driving tours, detailed descriptions of towns, and rich cultural details exhibit each state’s unique flavor. The WPA Guide to the smallest state in the United States, Rhode Island, is by no means the shortest guide in this series. The Ocean State has a rich and extensive history which provides plenty of material to be covered. Despite a small geographic region, there is plenty of historical sites, photographs of churches and houses, and plenty of driving tours.