Like most of Rhode Island, Warwick was predominantly farmland for centuries follwing its initial settlement by Samuel Gorton in 1642. After the industrial revolution, the western portion of Warwick along the Pawtuxet River quickly became the population and business center of the town. The eastern portion of Warwick (east of Rt. 2) remained pastoral, even into the early 20th century. In 1913, local political leaders and mill owners in the western part of the city voted to separate from the rest of Warwick and founded West Warwick.
Agriculture in the eastern part of town was eventually abandoned for industry. In just a few decades, Warwick became the second largest city in Rhode Island. As the population boomed, former homesteads and farms of prominent Warwick citizens were cleared for subdivisions and commercial land.
A keen eye can reveal Warwick's past. Warwick contains 161 documented historic cemeteries, a large number considering how much the land has changed and become urban. Many of these historic cemeteries are tucked in between houses or in the middle of a parking lot. A few, however, are more difficult to spot.
This multi will lead you to 5 historic cemeteries within the Cowesett section of Warwick. Cowesett remained farmland/woods well into the 20th century. This single neighborhood contains 21 historic cemeteries, 13% of Warwick's total. Notable farms included the Remington, Dawley, Spencer, Gorton, and Bennett farms. Each cemetery is somewhat tucked away and not particularly easy to find to the casual passerby. You will start your journey in an aptly-named development whose name pays homage to the farm-rich history of the Cowesett area. From there, you will travel to two cemeteries that contain descendents of Samuel Gorton, the founder of Warwick. The remaining cemteries are family plots on what was once large tracts of farmland owned by the Bennett and Spencer families.
This tour is by no means all the cemeteries in Cowesett. Warwick Historical Cemetery #40 on Love Lane is easily my favorite historic cemetery; a former governor is buried there, and the grounds are quite beautiful. Dumbledore's Phoenix is another cemetery cache worth checking out. The cemetery is located next to the nearby Showcase Cinema and features a beautiful stone wall. I own a cache located at Warwick Historical Cemetery #60. Another cache is located within the well kept grounds of Warwick Historical Cemetery #61.
Other cemeteries include Warwick Historical Cemetery #57. This cemetery looks intriguing, but it is located within the cloverleaf on ramp for Route 95 South and would be dangerous to access. The Joseph Briggs Lot (Warwick 59), at the corner of Cowesett and Love Lane, is also a well kept cemetery, but it directly adjacent to the Cedar Hill Elementary School. Warwick 83 and 85 are located on Katelyn Court next to private residences. Warwick 96 is supposedly located on Major Potter/Shadow Brook Drive, but I can't see the sign from the road. Warwick 109 is tucked away behind a house on Shenandoah Road. Warwick 112 and 153 are also surrounded by residential homes on Birkshire Drive. Warwick 124 was located at the corner of Cowesett and Post Road, but was destroyed to build a gas station in the 1980s (A Zoots is currently at the site). Online references show a beautiful cemetery at Warwick 126, but there is no public ROW to the cemetery. Finally, there was a cache a few years ago located at Warwick 137 on Major Potter Road. I have included several reference waypoints to bring you to these cemeteries in case you wanted to drive by and see them for yourself.
Difficulty is mostly for the hides at stages 3 and 4. Please be sure each stage is reassembled correctly once you have recorded the coords. In terms of access, the City of Warwick owns the ROW to the cemetery at Stage 3 and the entire property at Stages 4 and 5.
Please be respectful at each stage. No stage is located within the stone walls or under a grave marker. In addition, please do not visit these caches at night. Please be sure to record the parking/access waypoints in the containers at stages 2, 3, and 4. Additional waypoints are given to help you navigate your way to the very hidden cemeteries at stages 3, 4, and 5.
High fives to Hobo for the ftf!