Curator: Gregg A. Mierka, Address:  50 Taft Street, Coventry,

Rhode Island 02816-5314 Admission:  $2.00 for adults and $1.00 for children.  All photographs courtesy of Lydia Rapoza of the Cranston Historical Society.

         The Nathanael Greene Homestead was built in 1770.   Spell Hall, as it was originally known, is located on a hillside facing the Pawtuxet River.  Nathanael Greene lived here from 1770 to 1776.  Afterwards, it fell under the ownership of Nathanael's brother Jacob Greene and his wife, Margaret.   Jacob had actually managed the house during the war for his brother.  The Homestead is located in the village of Anthony, Coventry, (Kent County) Rhode Island.   There are two main floors to the structure.  Each consists of four rooms, divided by a dominant central hall.  Each room contains a paneled fireplace and three large double-hung windows.  The interior was restored between 1919 and 1924, when the house was first turned into a museum.  The rooms are furnished with period furniture and Greene family memorabilia.

        The house is now a museum run by the General Nathanael Greene Homestead Association.  It is open to the public from April 1st to October 31st on Wednesdays and Saturdays between 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM and on Sundays between 12:00 and 5:00 PM. It can also be viewed by appointment by calling (401) 821-8630. Since it is often closed on days even when it is scheduled to be open, you should call in advance.  Directions: From Interstate I-95 take exit 10, Route 117, West Warwick.  Take 117 through West Warwick to Coventry.  Turn left on Laurel Avenue, then take another left on Greene Street, which leads to the Homestead.  Look for the small green signs on the side of the road.  It is in a residential area and very easy to miss.

       The cannon in the front of the house was probably made at the family forge in Potowomut.   It was donated to the Homestead in the 1920s.  This "eight-pounder" was recently restored to rest on a replica Revolutionary War Carriage designed for the gun.