From URI to Ocean Mist, here are 5 things to know about South Kingstown

When was South Kingstown founded?, South Kingstown population?, South Kingstown main attractions?, South Kingstown villages, South Kingstown fun fact

Rhode Island may be the smallest state, but it's packed with history, scenic trails for hiking and biking, pristine beaches, museums, entertainment venues and dining options galore. 

But how much do you really know about the Ocean State? We broke it all down town-by-town to give you the most interesting things to know about each municipality Rhode Island. 

Whether you just want to refresh your memory, or you want to be a tourist right in your home state, we've got you covered with "Knowing RI." 

When was South Kingstown founded?

South Kingstown is located on land first settled by ancestors of the Narragansett Indians as far back as 2000 B.C. European settlement began around 1657, and the town was incorporated in 1723, according to the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.

The Great Swamp Massacre, which took place here in Dec.19, 1675, was the largest and most dramatic battle of King Philip's War. Estimates of the number of Indian fighters killed range from 40 to 300 and the Puritan army lost 80 fighters, according to the Rhode Island Historical Society.

South Kingstown population?

South Kingstown main attractions?

University of Rhode Island, the state’s public research institution, began as an Agricultural Experiment Station and agricultural school chartered in 1888 on ancient traditional lands of the Narragansett People. The 1,200-acre main campus is located in the historic village of Kingston.

Kenyon’s Grist Mill is the oldest manufacturing business in the state. While they’ve been consistently grinding on the site since 1696, the current building wasn’t built until 1886. And it didn’t become Kenyon’s Grist Mill until C.D. Kenyon bought the mill in 1906. He was the one who had the idea to brand the meal in sacks and make it more readily available. Kenyon's makes pancakes mixes, corn muffin mix, bread mixes, and other meals and flours, but it's best known for its Johnny Cake Meal and Clam Cake Mix.

Ocean Mist, the venerable beach bar and music venue, clings to the eroding shoreline along Matunuck Beach Road. On a good high tide, its deck of high tables and chairs hangs over the waves rattling over the beach pebbles, with where the actual Atlantic Ocean splashing under the deck.

Matunuck Oyster Bar, an award-winning restaurant that suffered a devastating fire in May 2025, reopened temporarily in a new tented dining space on the channel between Point Judith and Potter Pond, in part of the restaurant's parking lot. Owner Perry Raso is rebuilding and hoping for a May 2026 opening. 

When was South Kingstown founded?, South Kingstown population?, South Kingstown main attractions?, South Kingstown villages, South Kingstown fun fact

Trays of oysters awaits guest at the oyster bar as RI Governor Dan McKee signs a bill allowing the Matunuck Oyster Bar that lets them reopen al fresco for the summer.

Bill Hanney's Theatre By The Sea produces a successful four-musical subscription season along with a children’s theater and concert series. 

The Kinney Azalea Garden, a botanical garden and nursery specializing in azaleas and rhododendrons, also offers walking trails and is open daily, sunrise to sunset.

The International Museum of World War II is among the top World War II museums in the world, according to an August article in National Geographic. The small museum on Main Street in Wakefield has nearly 7,000 artifacts including rare items not found in any other museum in the world.

When was South Kingstown founded?, South Kingstown population?, South Kingstown main attractions?, South Kingstown villages, South Kingstown fun fact

John Cataloni, a docent at the International Museum of World War II, explains some of the equipment D-Day soldiers wore onto the beaches of Normandy.

South Kingstown villages

  • Bridgetown
  • Glenn Rock
  • Gould Crossing
  • Green Hill
  • Kingston
  • Matunuck
  • Peace Dale
  • Perryville
  • Rocky Brook
  • Tower Hill
  • Usequepaug
  • Wakefield
  • West Kingston

South Kingstown fun fact

Sculptor Daniel Chester French, who created the statue of Abraham Lincoln for the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., also made  “The Weaver,” a high relief bronze monument installed on the grounds of Peace Dale Library in South Kingstown. “The Weaver” was the brainchild of Caroline Hazard, a prominent Peace Dale resident who had served as president of Wellesley College from 1899 to 1910, who dedicated the piece to her father and brothers.

− With previous reports from The Providence Journal. 

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: From URI to Ocean Mist, here are 5 things to know about South Kingstown

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