South Kingstown is the largest town in this small state, comprised of picturesque villages with surprisingly varied geological terrain and small-town character. Home to the University of Rhode Island and South County Hospital, South Kingstown serves as the intellectual, technological, and cultural hub of South County. From the rolling coastal plains abutting white-sand barrier beaches and dotted with large salt ponds, to the deep, clear, spring-fed kettle ponds of the Matunuck hills covered with mountain laurel and rhododendron, the terrain of South Kingstown has made possible a rich history of farming, industry, and appreciation of natural beauty.
Over many generations of successful farming, South Kingstown accumulated a long history of gentleman’s farms, intact estates crisscrossed with stonewalls that define the visual aesthetic of the region. Grand public buildings from the town’s industrial period remain in use to this day, including the South Kingstown Public Library, the Neighborhood Guild, and the Peace Dale Congregational church. History is alive here: even the abandoned railroad that once connected South Kingstown to the booming resort at Narragansett Pier has found a new life as a 7-mile bike path from downtown Wakefield to the beach. Amtrak still runs here via Kingston Station, so commutes to Providence, Boston, and New York are a snap. With T.F. Green Airport only 20 minutes away, these small historic villages are remarkably connected to the world.
Today, much of the land is conserved, kept open for hiking trails and farming. The village centers have been preserved and continue to thrive. Downtown Wakefield, one of the most beautiful and vibrant historic Main Streets in the region, hosts a weekly River Fire in the summers, and draws people from all over the state to its locally owned shops, restaurants, galleries, brewery, and theatre company. Farmer’s Markets are abundant, as is a new movement – Pond to Table – the result of a thriving aquaculture industry in the town. With public and private school available from Pre K through grade 12, South Kingstown is an idyllic place for the whole family.