Strolling Through History

A stroll through downtown Westerly can tell people a lot about the rich history of this nearly 350-year-old community. On our walking tour we will see eight of the dozen murals that were created during a 2017 painting festival sponsored by the nonprofit Bricks and Murals to capture the story of the town: the New London Steamboat Company (depicting coastal and island transportation), Mrs. Harriet Wilcox (patron of Wilcox Park), the granite industry, the Westerly Band (oldest community band in the country), the 1938 hurricane (dedicated to first responders and rebuilders), the Pawcatuck River (natural boundary used by the Narragansett and Pequot people and referenced in the 1663 charter), the Rivalry (Stonington vs. Westerly), and the mills of Pawcatuck Village.