Along the western shore of the Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island is an area known as Cocumscussoc, which is part of the ancestral homeland of the Narragansett People. Cocumscussoc was also the location of trading posts established by Roger Williams and Richard Smith in the late 1630s. Nestled among the cattails and holly trees at Cocumscussoc is a handsome house that has existed on the site since 1678, known for centuries as Smith’s Castle. Although not a castle by today’s definition it was given that name due to its size and sturdy construction. It was home to the Smith family, their heirs- the Updikes, and dozens of enslaved people for over a century-and-a-half. Smith’s Castle is the oldest surviving plantation house in America and is recognized on the National Register of Historic Places. The site on which Smith’s Castle sits, Cocumscussoc, is also identified independently as a National Historic Landmark. The historic property is also part of the Rhode Island Slave History Medallion program, which promotes public awareness about slavery at historic sites across Rhode Island.

SCHOOL TOURS/YOUTH ED 

Smith’s Castle at Cocumscussoc offers tours and trunk shows presented by trained docents in colonial attire to bring history alive for students and youth groups.  All programs are age appropriate and standard-based, with portions of the tours offering optional hands-on enrichment for children to experience wool carding,  handling pelts, corn meal grinding using a mortar and pestle, and trying on yokes and buckets which would have been used for fetching water. All docents undergo an annual BCI (criminal background check).

We can accommodate up to 60 children for house tours.  This is accomplished by breaking the students up into groups of no more than 10 with each group rotating through rooms staffed by docents.  It is recommended that a planned visit to the Castle should allow for at least a one-and-one-half to two-hour stay so that each stop at a designated station lasts approximately 15 minutes. PLEASE BE SURE TO SEND IN YOUR REQUEST BY FORM ONE MONTH IN ADVANCE OF YOUR REQUESTED TOUR DATE.

Activities are used to reinforce covered topics.  Again, we offer them based upon the abilities evidenced by specific ages, and we defer to modern, safer methodology when necessary.  For example – we use plastic jars to make butter, and we have constant access to cell phones in case of emergency.  We also adjust our programming when we are notified of any personal disabilities within any given group.  For example, for those who cannot climb stairs, we provide a video version of a tour of the upstairs that can be displayed on a laptop or projected on to a screen for large groups.

If transportation to Smith’s Castle is not feasible, docents can go to classrooms or meeting locations bringing transportable items to explain Cocumscussoc’s history. Items brought for trunk shows include:a wetu model, a model of the Castle as it was originally designed, wampum beads, metal impements, animal pelts, mortar, pestle, flint corn, flax, raw wool and carders, samples of dried foods, and yoke with buckets.  A trunk show can be customized based upon the requested topic to be covered. Read below to see if you are eligible for a grant covering travel and admission expenses.

We are pleased to announce that Smith’s Castle has been awarded a generous grant from the Horace A. Kimball and S. Ella Kimball Foundation to expand educational opportunities for elementary students across South County. With this funding, elementary schools from the region are eligible to have transportation and admission costs covered for up to $400.00 per school. Be sure to check the box on the form below to indicate your eligibility and need for funds. The request for funds to cover transportation costs must be accompanied by a letter from the bus company or school official with an estimate of the cost.

More information and details at https://www.smithscastle.org/school