Travel Back In Time: A Place Of Pride

For a building that is more than 100 years old, the Neighborhood Guild is still looking mighty fine. The beautiful granite building at 325 Columbia St. was funded by Mrs. Augusta Hazard and was opened in 1909. It has served the South Kingstown community ever since.

Of course, South Kingstown itself was established long before the Guild. Rhode Island's founder, Roger Williams, first negotiated settlement rights for the new European arrivals in 1635 with the Sachems of the native American Indian tribes who had lived on these lands for hundreds if not thousands of years. Those original rights allowed Williams to found Providence town.

As more immigrants arrived to the area a further negotiation in 1657 resulted in the Pettasquamscutt Purchase, which opened wide swaths of land in what is now Washington County to European settlement. The Village of Wakefield was founded that year as well. In 1674, all the little villages in the area were gathered together and incorporated as KingsTowne by the early colonial government. The swelling of population continued unabated and by 1722 the government split KingsTowne in two, and that is how North Kingstown and South Kingstown officially came to be named.

The Hazard family was one of the largest and most influential families in the region during the early history of the town. Stand on the Village Green on Kingstown Road and spin around and you will see their legacy all around you. The Peace Dale Library, the mill buildings, the Guild were all built by the family. They were integral to helping to make South Kingstown the beautiful place to live that it remains today.

Augusta Hazard, the wife of John Newbold Hazard, had already established classes in sewing, cooking and furniture making for the local women of the area. They were held in what is now the Peace Dale Office Building. As they population grew she recognized the need for a larger space and funded the construction of the Neighborhood Guild.

As one of the only buildings with indoor plumbing at that time, it was also used as a sort of community bath house. Women were able to bathe there in the morning and men were welcomed in the afternoon. Room was set aside for the arts and a gym was included to encourage young athletes.

The Hazard family maintained the building and programs themselves for 31 years before turning the building over to the Town of South Kingstown in 1940. The family also created a trust to fund the recreation commission. Today the Guild is the home of the town's Parks & Recreation department and a shining example of a thriving community program. The building itself, built of native granite blocks has not changed over the years, in appearance or use, and remains the centerpiece of an enduring family legacy.

• South Kingstown was originally incorporated in 1674 as part of a larger parcel of land known as KingsTowne.

• KingsTowne was split into two towns called North Kingstown and South Kingstown in 1722 with North Kingstown allowed to keep the earlier incorporation date.