Roger Williams Park

The land for the park was a gift to the people of Providence in 1872, in accordance with the will of Betsey^[Note1] Williams, the last descendant of Roger Williams to inherit his land. It had been the family farm and was the last of the original land granted to Roger Williams in 1638 by Canonicus, chief of the Narragansett tribe. The family farmhouse was built in 1773 and is now known as the Betsey Williams Cottage; the cottage and the Williams family burial ground (including Betsey's grave) are still maintained within the park.[2]

The original bequest consisted of about 100 acres.[3] Additional land to the south was purchased in 1891 at a cost of $359,000,[3] consisting mostly of unimproved land that was covered with woods and ponds; it brought the total area of the park to about 400 acres.[3] The natural history museum opened in 1895.[3]

2016 renovations

New bike lanes in Roger Williams Park

The Rhode Island Foundation began a renovation effort in the park in 2016 as a celebration of their centennial,[4] beginning with the park's historic bandstand in December 2016. The renovations will expand to other park buildings and entrances.[4] In June 2017, a dedicated bike and pedestrian lane was added to Frederick Green Memorial Boulevard as part of these renovations,[5] although this change was opposed by some Cranston residents,[6] including Cranston mayor Allan Fung.[7]

Swan Boat Pond in Autumn

The park contains seven lakes which comprise approximately 98 acres (40 ha), and it is located in the southernmost part of the city of Providence bordering the city of Cranston. It was designed by Horace Cleveland in 1878 and was constructed in the 1880s. Many of the roads, bridges, and sidewalks were built by the Works Progress Administration from 1935 to 1940. The National Trust for Historic Preservation called Roger Williams Park one of the finest urban parks in the US in their 2000 annual report.[8]

It contains:

• The Roger Williams Park Zoo
• The Roger Williams Park Museum of Natural History and Planetarium
• The Roger Williams Park Botanical Center
• Japanese Gardens
• Victorian Rose Gardens
• The Providence Police Department's Mounted Command center
• The Dalrymple Boathouse and boat rentals
• historical tours
• a Carousel Village
• The "Hasbro Boundless Playground" which is accessible for handicapped children
• The Temple to Music
• The Roger Williams Park Casino
• many miles of walking paths

• 
  Dalrymple Boathouse
• 
  The Bandstand
• 
  Betsey Williams Cottage
• 
  Joseph Williams House (son of Roger Williams) ca. 1690, originally across from Roger Williams Park waiting area until it was demolished in 1886
• 
  Roger Williams Statue and Betsey Williams cottage at Roger Williams Park
• 
  Stereoview of the Betsey Williams Cottage, built in 1782, contains an early American flag supposedly stitched by Betsey Williams
• 
  Temple to Music

• Roger Williams Park Zoo, third oldest in the U.S., and one of the top 20 zoos in the country
• Roger Williams National Memorial, a distinct park in downtown Providence
• Prospect Terrace Park, park located in Providence's College Hill neighborhood
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Providence, Rhode Island

^Note1 Her headstone name is spelled as "Betsey Williams," but she has been mistakenly called "Betsy" through the centuries, as it appears on numerous articles, postcards, and books.

• "Roger Williams Park". Rhode Island Foundation. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
• Roger Williams Park Map

Media related to Roger Williams Park at Wikimedia Commons