Colt State Park History

DATE STATE ACQUIRED: By condemnation on August 3,1965

TOTAL ACREAGE: 464.165

PREVIOUS  OWNERS:  The Colt Church and Coggeshall families.

ORIGIN OF NAME: From Samuel Pomeroy Colt

DEDICATION: August 21, 1968 by Governor Chafee

It is known that in 1915 Buster Crabbe the famous Tarzan of the movie screen as a youngster played with a former Park Manager, the late Manual Andrade on the old Colt Farm. Buster Crabbe's dad was the first farm superintendent for the Colt family.

Today  Colt State Park is opened year round and is proud of it's  popular open air Chapel by the Sea, ten playfields, six picnic groves with 300 picnic tables available on first  come first served basis, a 55 ft. observation tower, rest rooms, public boat ramp, four miles of walking and jogging trails, bicycle and bridle trails.

THE COLT FARM

Two  bronze  lions guard the stone barn built in  the early 1900's to house the prize Jersey herd of Colonel Samuel P.  Colt. Within  the huge barn is an elegant, octagonal room, designed  to display the trophies which the cows were to win.  In  1916  the finishing touches were added to the barn. An artist, brought from Paris to paint in Colt's Bristol home, came to the farm and painted muralsin Colt's barn office. That same  year, Colonel Colt purchased the first Jerseys to occupy his magnificent  barn. From these he hoped to breed the world's finest Jersey herd.

Samuel  Colt, chairman of the board of the United States Rubber Company, created an extraordinary farm. He bought and combined  three farms and designed a system of roads that  linked them together as one...the Colt farm. The stone bridge which still spans the Mill Gut was part of this road system. His large summer house, the Casino, was constructed on the shore of  Narragansett Bay. Two smaller guest houses were also built near the water. Closer to the stone barn was a farmhouse where some of his employees lived. Bronze statues of horses, deer and Greek gods and goddesses looked out over the meadows where Colonel Colt's prize Jersey herd grazed.

Personal  care was lavished upon the Jerseys. A  large barn staff  tended the herd, one man for every five cows. The  cows' horns  were polished and their tails washed daily. When in  their stanchions, the cows always had a thick bed of fresh straw. Cork and  rubber covered the concrete floor where the cows stood.  The spotless, comfortable barn was even heated in the winter.

Each summer Colonel Colt's finest Jersey cows, and his prize Berkshire  sows,  were transported in specially padded  railroad cars to state and county fairs throughout the  East. The show season ended in September with the annual Eastern States Exposition in Springfield, Massachusetts. Every show season brought more trophies and ribbons to the elegant trophy room. In one year alone the Berkshire sows won 125 ribbons.

Tractors  were not used on the farm; Colt preferred to see Percheron draft horses working in the fields. During the summer, hay was carried in horse drawn wagons from the  fields  to  the hayloft  where  it was stored as winter food. Colonel Colt, who often visited  the farm from his home in Bristol, valued the Percheron  horses as much as he did his Jersey herd. If he saw that the horses were sweating from hauling wagon loads  of  hay, Colt  ordered  the haying stop for the day. In the winter, the same  horses were harnessed to snow plows for clearing the  roads of the farm. Colt insisted that the horses wear blankets for protection from the cold winter wind that blew off Narragansett Bay and across the exposed fields and roads of the farm. The Percherons were housed in a large wooden barn that still stands on a hill across the salt marsh from the stone barn.

Colonel Colt felt that the public should be able to share in his enjoyment of the farm. He had an open invitation engraved  in marble at the main entrance: "Colt Farm, Private Property, Public Welcome".  On  pleasant  days families walked from  the  town  of Bristol  to picnic in the fields, dig clams and quohaugs in the Mill Gut salt marsh or fish for flounder, tautog and striped bass from the shore. Workers in white guided people through the magnificent stone barn, pointing out prize cows and offering glasses of fresh milk to the visitors. The mangers (feeding troughs) were scrubbed after each feeding, and the white-tile ceiling was  kept mirror clean so that the entire herd of cows in their  stanchions could  be  seen reflected in the ceiling. A visitor to the farm once wrote, "If I were the biggest liar in the world, I could not exaggerate the magnitude and the wonders of the Colt Farm".

To  members of Rhode Island society, parties at  the Casino were an important part of the summer season. Friends of the Colts often came by train from Providence to Bristol where Colt's car or sometimes his carriage would meet them and bring them to the Casino.

Colonel Samuel Colt died of a stroke in 1921. The Industrial Trust Company, the bank he had founded, continued the operation of the farm. In 1965 the State of Rhode Island bought Colt Farm to preserve it as a State Park. Within this park, the stone barn stands  as reminder of the farm and the man who created  it. His words at the entrance still welcome the public to his farm.

The main entrance to Colt State Park is dominated by statues of two Jersey bulls which once grazed in the fields of Colt Farm. On  the right stands one of Colonel Colt's favorites, a  Grand Champion. The bull on the left, also from prize stock, was added to  the herd to sire future champions. However, soon after  being brought to the farm, this bull killed a farm worker. Colt ordered the bull shot, and had it buried behind the stone barn.

Colonel Colt sent photographs of the bulls to a sculptor in France, who created the bronze statues and shipped them to  Bristol. For more than half a century they have stood at the entrance on their marble pedestals.

THE MAN

Samuel Pomeroy Colt was born January 10,1853, in Patterson, New Jersey. His father was brother to the famous Samuel Colt of revolver fame  and whose family was centered in  Hartford.   His mother, Theodora De Wolf Colt, was Colt's link to Bristol.  The De Wolfs had been active in Bristol for years, building their homestead mansion, "Linden  Place", early in the 1800's. The mansion was later to become the home of Colonel Colt.

Bristol  endeared itself early to Colt, who went  to school there  before his enrollment in the Columbia law school  in  New York. His  regard for the town was so great that,  upon  Colt's graduation and admittance to the bar, he returned to Rhode Island and made Bristol his home.

What followed was an amazingly active life, incorporating business, politics and philanthropy. Even before his graduation from Columbia, Colt was active in public life, gaining the  title of Colonel during his service as aide-de-camp for Governor  Henry Lippett  of New York. In Rhode Island, he served in various  high level state posts and at one time ran for United States  senator. He withdrew from the race in order to keep the Republican party unified, indicative of his often selfless nature.

As a business man, Colonel Colt was extremely successful. He organized the Industrial Trust Co. in 1887 and developed it to the prestigious institution it was by the turn of the century.

His greatest achievement in world business, however, was as developer  of the U.S. Rubber Company. With characteristic foresight, Colt took over leadership of the bankrupt  India  Rubber Company,  based  in Bristol. Seeing the great potential  of the rubber industry in the world market, he undertook a thorough study of its culture and manufacture. In a short while after his takeover, the company began paying dividends to  its investors and, through acquisitions of smaller rubber companies  throughout the United States, the firm became the largest rubber conglomerate in the country, with Colt the acknowledged rubber king.

His concern for Bristol was evident even in  his business dealings.  When advisors counseled him to close the  Bristol plant, Colt refused in order to save the jobs of those who worked there.

Although his duties as a business executive often took Colt out of Bristol, he resided there as often as possible, maintaining his residence at Linden Place, often opening it to the Bristol  public for various festivities. His gifts to the  town  were numerous and future oriented. He did much to beautify the  town. His work on the Colt farm and gift to the town of the marble high school are but two of the examples of his philanthropic nature.

From  all newspaper accounts there seemed to be  little, if any, personal desire for fame in these actions. The motivation always was attributed to his deep seated affection for the town.

That the townspeople appreciated his works is exemplified in the  following excerpt from his obituary. The account deals  with Colt's  return to Bristol after a two year absence,  while  the Colonel was convalescing in a sanatorium. "Every man in the town and  most of the women seemed to be anxious to demonstrate  their pleasure  that the first citizen of Bristol had come back to his town. The President of the United States could not have received a  warmer reception than was tendered to Colonel Colt.  All the way from the railway station to the Hotel Bellvue he was cheered to the echo".

COLT FARM

In a move characteristic of his attitude towards Bristol, Colt, circa 1905, bought up choice acreage on Poppasquash Neck, with  the idea of transforming a large portion of it to a beauty spot unparallel in the state. That it should be opened to the public was the intention of the owner from the beginning.

The  newly acquired land came from the farms of old Bristol families, the Chase farm, in the western part of the  Poppasquash Neck, the Church farm in the center, running from Bristol  Harbor to  the mill gut and the Van Wickle farm, bounding southerly on the other two farms.

The great plans for the estate were put into action quickly, and by 1906, a great private roadway was finished, complete  with the  state's largest private bridge and ornamented with  thirteen pieces of statuary, with more to come later. These statues included five bronze castings and  seven  of white  stone  and were positioned as  follows. Approaching  the bridge from the north was a statue of Cupid, standing in the shadow  of the bronzed Apollo and Venus, each on an abutment  of the bridge.  Just  before the bridge  arches  were placed the "Maiden  of the Bath" and "Diana of the Bath", on opposing sides of the bridge, both of white stone. On the other end of the arch were two copies of Wild Boars, the originals housed in the  Vatican.  The south entrance of the bridge was guarded by a bronze "Diana of the Hunt" and "The Gladiator", of the same material.  A bronze dog also sat upon a rock in the water. At  the entrance of the drive leading from the  bridge  were figures of the "Neapolitan Wisher Children", on the right,"Child and Frog", on the left, "Child and Tortoise".

Later additions included the building of a  large casino, which  was used for entertainment and housing of overflow  guests of  the  Colt  family. Great parties were held  there,  with  the social elite of the state and much of the country reveling in  a royal atmosphere, which included a fountain of flowing champagne.

Also  added  were two statues of colts, the  family symbol, flanking the entrance to the Casino and two large Broghese vases. Colt  also  purchased four statues by Rodin, those of "le  Leon Douloureoux", "Eve", "Psyche", and "L'Epervier et la Colombe".

Marble  gates were erected at the entrance of the estate in August, 1913. The gates were made of Georgian marble and were situated  on the site of an old school house. They  carried  the inscription,  "Private  Property, Samuel P. Colt,  Open  to  the Public". On September 26, 1913, the final addition to the gateway was unveiled in an official opening ceremony for the driveway. When  the massive American flag was removed, the  public  caught sight  of  two large bronze bulls, each over six  feet high  and weighing  over  a ton. They were cast by Val D'Onse and  Co.  of Paris,  from models made by Isadore Bonheur, at a total  cost  of $7,000. The gate was an adaptation of the sentry boxes  guarding the approach to the Petit Trianon at Versailles and cost  $30,000 to erect.

The  town enjoyed the drive for six years  without incident until a dispute over twenty-six acres of town property deeded  to the  Colonel caused  a major dispute. In  1919,  two  gentlemen, insisting  that the letter of the law be carried out,  challenged Colt's right to the land north of Asylum Lane and proposed  that Colt  return the land to the town and be reimbursed his  purchase price.  Colt wrote a counter-proposal in a letter conveying  an understandably  irked attitude. He proposed that if one hundred voters  signed a petition saying that his method of acquiring  the twenty-six acres was unjust, then not only would he give back the land  (less  cost and improvements), but he would also  sell  the entire estate to Bristol for half the cost of its  purchase  and development.

In a town meeting shortly thereafter, former Governor Bourne proposed a resolution to decline the offer, with thanks and by public vote, ratify Colt's clear claim to the land. The resolution was passed, with two votes opposed.

Colt died two years later, August 13, 1921. His death caused grief  in  the town and his loss was keenly felt throughout  the state. However, even in his preparation for death, the Colonel showed an incredible amount of foresight. He knew that if  his estate  was  to serve as a public beauty spot, he would  have to make provisions for such in his will. He did, which caused  much controversy amongst his family.

THE WILL

In a long and complex will that generously provided for many people,  Colonel Colt specified the conditions by which the  Colt farm should be run. His son, Russell Colt, received the right to live on  the farm rent free, with the provision that it  not  be sold  and that it be kept open to the public. It was to be  held in trust and run by the Industrial National Bank.

The sons immediately thereafter sought to break  the

will, citing unsoundness of mind and coercion by associates. They dropped this first attempt before the case came to court.

Further  complications followed, for while Colt  was alive, the farm was run at a $40,000 deficit. The Industrial Bank had  to seek court advice in order to reduce the cost to $14,000 a year.

Another provision in the will, which called for the farm to remain  in  the family until the death of all but one of  Colt's grandchildren, caused complications. The ambiguity of the clause left  confusion over which grandchildren Colt had in mind,  those born during his life or after his death.

A  second  complication caused by this provision  was  of a financial  nature. An argument was developed, based on the  assumption that the will's author had the benefit of the grandchildren  in mind. If so, the will should be broken "on the  grounds that the expense of maintaining the estate is so great that it is all out of proportion to the benefits to be derived if the  trust provisions of Colonel  Colt's  will were carried  out...(the heirs)...seek termination of the will." This was the basis of the  attempt  by the heirs to break the will again in 1926.  The heirs  went  so  far as to state that if no other  way  could  be found, the trust could sell the estate and hold the money for the ultimate grandchild, in an attempt to cut expenses.

The  court  disagreed,  upholding the will  and  citing the provision that the property not be sold. As an added proof  that the  will intended to benefit more than just the grandchildren, the court cited the gate inscription of "Public Welcome".No further action that amounted to any change in policy took place  during the next twenty-five years or so, until 1957, when the heirs once again tried to get around the will.

At this time, the heirs consisted of Russell Colt, Samuel's son, and four grandchildren. The heirs had arranged a sale of the farm  to  the Studley Land Co., if the court approved  the  sale. The  price  agreed upon was $400,000. If  the  purchase  was approved,  the land company would develop the acreage  along  the lines of the Governor Francis development in Warwick, R.I., i,e. upper class residential housing. The heirs felt that if all  the survivors named in the will agreed to sell the land, one of  them was  to  be the ultimate survivor and therefore the  court  could grant the request to sell. And it might have, if not  for  Mrs. Elizabeth C. Morey, granddaughter of Colt.

In  January  of 1959, Mrs. Morey expressed a desire  not to sell,  wishing to occupy the Casino from time to time. The  judge granted her plea. In response to the Studley Company's objection and those of her fellow heirs, Mrs. Morey stated that the  agreement had expired. The other heirs were not pleased, but abided by her wishes.

Although  the estate was saved from residential development at  this time, there were still other problems facing its  existence, one of the greatest being the problem of vandalism. From time to time since its opening, the farm was the object of senseless destruction. It's statues had been defaced and fires set  in its buildings. As a result, many of the statues, including  those adorning  the  bridge, were removed to  safer surroundings. The bronze dog had been a target for marksmen and eventually, it was stolen from its site.

Finally,  in retaliation, Mrs. Morey placed a  chain across the  bridge  and closed the farm in the evenings. The  farm  was opened  several days later, but not before pranksters had  stolen the locks and chains. In 1961, two youths from a neighboring town were apprehended after they had entered the Casino and destroyed a brass bed, then toppled  and cut off the tails of the two bronze  colts guarding the driveway. Their conviction and punishment did little to deter the destruction. What did result, however, was the loss of easy access to a multitude of works of art.

STATE ACQUISITION

As early as 1935, interest in the purchase of the farm was expressed  by  the state when the  Metropolitan  Park Commission recommended that the state buy the area. The next  thirty years saw a battle over the farm: issue divided mainly along partisan lines. The battle intensified in 1959, when the state announced its intention to buy the estate as part of a multi-million dollar statewide recreation plan. The plan was supported by  Republican Governor DelSesto. The Democratic house didn't like the plan for funding such a program, and killed the bill.

In July 1959, the Rhode Island Developmental Council gave a description of the plans to the Bristol  Town Council, which included a multi-faceted recreation facility including tennis courts, ice rink, golf course and a private motel. The town beach obtained  by the town from the Colt Estate in 1955, would  remain in the hands of the town as the only bathing facility and all revenues from concessions open to the public would go to  the town. The  spokesman went further, saying  that  the  assembly's rejection of the park program decreased the opportunities to make Rhode Island the most desirable east coast state to live in.

Bills  of a similar nature were brought before the assembly until, under Governor Chafee, a bill was cautiously  okayed  by the  house  that, if the public approved of the park  plan  in  a public  referendum, the plan could be implemented.  Further,  the town  of Bristol had to be receptive to the idea. The plan  would be financed through a bond issue.

There were several objections raised in Bristol towards the formulation  of the park. Basically, all of them centered  around the issue of tax loss if the area were turned into a public facility. A counter objection raised; if the land was developed residentially, the influx of people would raise the cost of  town services. There  was  a fear of increased traffic to the park causing problems to the townspeople.

Finally, however, the question was thrown to the Bristol voters  in a straw vote outside the polling places. The park was supported three to one, with over 2,300 voting.

The  state,  with it's way cleared, acquired the estate through condemnation for park purposes under the Green  Acres Program on August 3, 1965. The will clause held out payment of the purchase  price until all but one of the  grandchildren and died. The will was never completely broken.

To: Mrs. George Downing, Chairman - Rhode Island Historical Preservation Commissions

From: Elizabeth S. Warren, Assistant State Survey Directors

Date: June 1, 1972

Re: Church Homestead, Bristol, Rhode Island

The  "Church  House"  lies at the northern  end  of Bristol Harbor  in the narrow section of Poppasquash Neck with the  "Mill Gut" directly southwest opening into Narragansett Bay and "Toot's Pond"  on  the east; it is sited on the original  86  acre  share granted to John Walley in 1684. The "Homestead" is an  excellent example of  a  large colonial farmhouse built  around 1801 and renovated  in the Early Victorian style about 1860.   At present the house is used by the Andrade family who act as caretakers for Colt  State  Park and is not threatened with  demolition by  the State of Rhode Island.

Immediately south of this "Homestead" lies the "Colt House" (c.1880)  which  is scheduled for removal or demolition  by  the Rhode  Island Department of Natural Resources. Use of these  two buildings  within a State park must by considered  together  with full recognition of their architectural and historical value  and environmental relationship.

The "Church Homestead" was built by Thomas Church who ran one  of  the largest and most successful farms in  Rhode Island. Outbuildings which show on the 1864 map of "Bristol Harbor, Rhode Island" have now been demolished. Only the basic 42' x 44'  main house remains with a magnificent curving gable breaking the  main gable  added around 1860 when the roof was raised to create more living space.

The  front door is a fine example of Georgian design with a full  pediment, elliptical pierced fanlight and central console block,  The  windows are unusually large and appear  to  be  the original pegged  frames. An ell on the  northwest  corner  with attached corn-crib was removed about 1940 with loss of the original corner quoins: brackets under the main roof cornices are all intact.

The  "Homestead" lies in a remote corner of the present-day Colt State Park. A narrow dirt road leads north from Poppasquash Road and a winding dirt road gives easy access to the new main park  road on its north side. The location is tranquil;  a  long sunny meadow slopes gently to Bristol Harbor. Giant oaks, maples and  elms are near the house and an old formal garden  is  still evident  on the north side of the house. Huge boxwood lines  and almost obscures the front walk. Part of the meadow is now  under cultivation by the Andrade family.

Conclusions:

1.  The "Church Homestead" is and excellent example of late 18th century architecture and received a survey rating 4A/2A.   This  rating  qualifies  the  structure   for possible nomination to the National Register  following an interior examination.

2: At present the "Church Homestead" or "Andrade House" is not  threatened.  The  Department   of   Natural Resources State Property Inventory Inspection  Record indicates that the interior needs repair.

Recommendations:

1. Every  effort  should  be  made  to  preserve  this structure.

2. Use as a museum should be explored.

3. Combination with Coggeshall Farm operation should be explored. The small "farm-house" might be moved  to this site which is more  easily accessible by  access  roads than  the  present  site  of the Coggeshall  Farm. The full story of the  development of  Early Rhode Island Farm life with both  the  1750 "farmhouse"  and the early nineteenth-century  manor could   then  be  told  with increased   educational benefit   for  the  public.  The "Homestead"  was offered  to the Bristol Historical Society along with Coggeshall Farm. Many members of the society are still  interested in this  historic  house and would work for its preservation.

PRESENT

Colt State Park is known as the gem of the State Parks System. The entire western border of the park is an open panorama onto Narragansett Bay. Colt State park is open year round. Four miles of bicycle trails pass along the Bay and through 464 acres of groomed fruit trees, carefully nurtured flowering bushes, and manicured lawns. Rich in history, it proudly displays its popular open air Chapel-By-The-Sea, ten large playfields, and six picnic groves containing 200+ picnic tables.

In recent years, Colt State Park has taken on new significance as the nucleus of State plans to preserve open space and provide additional recreational opportunities along the east side of Narragansett Bay. Two recent projects are worth noting:

First is the recent construction of a new fishing pier and dock on the northwest shore of the park.

The second project for the East Bay Bicycle Path was completed and the path runs from India Point Park in Providence, along the northeast side of the Bay and will terminate and intergrade with the existing bike path system in Colt State Park in Bristol.

In both of these projects Colt State Park has been the cornerstone to providing important public access to recreational opportunities on Narragansett Bay and along the northeast shore of upper Narragansett Bay.

Colt State Park hosts a variety of activities including: picnicking, hiking, jogging, saltwater fishing, boating, bicycling, snowmobiling and naturalist programs. In the past, concerts have been a favorite summer pastime drawing attendance of anywhere from 200 to 10,000 people to it’s spacious lawns for sunset programs overlooking Narragansett Bay.