Urban Renewal in Narragansett - Part One

The first presentation will cover the history of downtown Narragansett from 1900 to 1969. Major hurricanes in 1938 and 1954 flooded downtown and led to an effort by the Army Corps of Engineers to build storm protection. This was voted down by the residents in 1965. Ultimately a group of citizens led by Royal Little embarked on a plan to transform what some called an old downtown into a vibrant commercial district under the aegis of the Federal Urban Renewal Program. Plans were developed and town residents largely supported the effort in a vote in 1969. A video that was utilized by the town to win approval for that 1969 vote will complete this lecture. This will be presented by Terry Fleming and Robert Muller of the Narragansett Historical Society. There is no fee to attend, but please register on the Library's Events Page.