The Towers, also known as the Tower entrance to the Narragansett Casino is a historic structure located on Ocean Road in Narragansett, Rhode Island

Narragansett, Rhode Island

Narragansett is a town in Washington County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 15,868 at the 2010 census, but there is a greater population in the summer. The nickname for the town is "Gansett". The town of Narragansett occupies a narrow strip of land running along the eastern bank...

. It is the only remnant of the Narragansett Pier Casino built in the 1880s. On November 25, 1969, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places

National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

.

History (1883–1900)

The Narragansett Pier Casino was the center of social life in Narragansett during the late 19th century. The Narragansett Pier Casino rivaled the Newport Casino

Newport Casino

The Newport Casino is located at 186-202 Bellevue Avenue, Newport, Rhode Island, United States. It was designated a National Historic Landmark on February 27, 1987.- 1879 - 1900 :The complex was commissioned in 1880 by James Gordon Bennett, Jr...

’s popularity as a resort for the social elite until it burned to the ground in 1900.

Built between 1883–1886, the Narragansett Pier Casino was a fine example of Victorian Shingle Style architecture, designed by McKim, Mead, and White

McKim, Mead, and White

McKim, Mead & White was a prominent American architectural firm at the turn of the twentieth century and in the history of American architecture. The firm's founding partners were Charles Follen McKim , William Rutherford Mead and Stanford White...

. The Casino offered a variety of sports, including boating, tennis, billiards, bowling, cards, and shooting, restaurants, stores, reading rooms, a theater, a bandstand, a ballroom, and a beautiful beach.

The Narragansett Pier Casino thrived during the Gilded Age

Gilded Age

In United States history, the Gilded Age refers to the era of rapid economic and population growth in the United States during the post–Civil War and post-Reconstruction eras of the late 19th century. The term "Gilded Age" was coined by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner in their book The Gilded...

 until it burned down during the Great Fire of September 12, 1900. That day, a fire broke out in the neighboring Rockingham Hotel. The flames spread quickly to the Casino, leaving only the granite walls of The Towers standing.

Recent history

Today, having survived a number of fires, nor'easters, and hurricanes, the Narragansett Towers are the only remaining part of the original Narragansett Pier Casino. One of the most recognizable landmarks in Narragansett, The Towers currently hosts weddings, dances, dinners, and fashion shows. Its location on Crescent Beach makes it an ideal venue for social events.

In Popular Culture

The Towers can be seen in the background of the Rhode Island based cartoon, Family Guy

Family Guy

Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...

, episode "Peter's Got Woods," when Peter rides by on a tandem bicycle with James Woods, both engaged in song.

External links

• The Historic Narragansett Towers
• Image gallery including high res view from the other side