Colt State Park occupies on Poppasquash Neck adjoining the town of
Bristol, Rhode Island and includes trails, picnic groves, a public boat ramp, an observation tower and the open air Chapel by the Sea. The park lands were previously owned by Bristol industrialist
Samuel P. Colt. The park is situated alongside the
East Bay Bike Path connecting Bristol with
East Providence.
History
thumb | right | 300px | Colt State Park shoreline In or around 1905, Samuel P. Colt purchased and consolidated the Chase, Church and Van Wickle farms. He built a summer house ("The Casino") on the grounds, as well as a stone barn to accommodate a prize herd of
Jersey cattle. The marble gates of the main entrance, modeled after the approach to the
Petit Trianon at
Versailles and unveiled in 1913, bear an inscription: "Colt Farm, Private Property, Public Welcome". A pair of life size bull statues, named Conrad and Pomeroy, guard the gate to the park.
Colt died in 1921, and the lands passed to his Industrial Trust Company. According to the previsions of Colt's
will, the farm remained open to the public. Over time, the grounds suffered from vandalism, and a number of statues were destroyed or stolen. Many of the statues were relocated to Linden Place for safe keeping.
In 1965, the
State of Rhode Island purchased Colt Farm, and on August 21, 1968, the lands were dedicated as Colt State Park by
Rhode Island Governor John Chafee. A statue of Chafee now stands in the park.
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