Little Compton, Rhode Island: A Peaceful
Small New England Town That Hasn't Changed Much At All
Twilight at Sakonnet Point in Little Compton, R.I.
by Eric J. Hurwitz. Article updated on May 27, 2021
Share
this
New
England travel article with your friends...
In an increasingly developed commercial, residential and industrial New
England, how refreshing it is to discover relatively unspoiled
communities like Little Compton, R.I. With a pretty town common (rare in Rhode Island),
cemetery, a few stores and fueled by peace and solitude, Little Compton
never subscribed to the expanding suburban way of life. It is
very quiet here, a true small town wonder.
Quite, simply, it's a beautiful little place by the sea that has very little to do with a commercialized, industrialized, artificially gentrified, fast-paced society. Thank goodness!
Flowers, stone wall, cemetery, old homes in Little Compton, Rhode Island center.
Quaint downtown district.
United Congregational Church of Little Compton.
As part of what is known as the FarmCoast region, Little Compton
wonderfully combines the sea with farm land...
Flowers, farm land at the coast.
The outskirts like Sakonnet Point, at the end of Route 77, afford
beautiful views of the ocean...
Sakonnet Point in Little Compton.
A nice, off-the-beaten path swimming beach can be found at Little Compton Beach (125 South Shore Rd., and open to non-residents for a fee)...
Little Compton Beach.
Fishing on a cooler day at Little Compton Beach..
Plant life perfectly co-exists with the sea...
A beautiful scene near Sakonnet Point.
When visiting the blink-of-an-eye downtown, we
recommend getting out of your car and walking this charming small
neighborhood. You'll find the old-fashioned C.W.
Wilbur General Store (50 Commons, 401-635-2356) with a retail shop,
supermarket and deli counter.
A classic, historic New England general store, the Wilbur General
Store
dates back to 1893 and remains, to this very day, the "anchor store" of
tiny yet beautiful Little Compton...
Wilbur General Store in Little Compton.
The Commons Lunch Restaurant (48 Commons 401-635-4388) is a local gem where
everyone seems to know each other. The Commons — open for breakfast and
lunch — is famous for its delicious johnnycakes. A Rhode Island
culinary staple dating back to colonial New England, johnnycakes have a
distant relation to pancakes but could be described better as a
cornmeal flatbread.
The Commons Lunch restaurant is a local landmark in Little Compton.
Johnnycakes with bacon and eggs from The Commons Lunch.
The Commons also offers an impressive full menu with sandwiches salads, soups, chowders and dinners that often feature fresh local seafood.
Scallops dinner at The Commons.
Also definitely worth checking out: Carolyn’s Sakonnet Vineyards (162
West Main Road, 800-919-4637) has its business roots going back to 1975
and offers tours and daily tastings, as well as “international
award-winning wines” for sale in an idyllic vineyard setting.
There might not be a lot to do in Little Compton, but that's the point.
In this beautiful small town, you can get back to a way of life that we
once knew before the bombast of expanding suburbia became commonplace.
So, if you like virtually unchanged New England destinations, Little
Compton comes up big!
A stretch of Little Compton Beach.
Town common in Little Compton.
Book a hotel at the lowest rate near Little Compton
Related articles:
How
to enjoy a day trip in Warren, Rhode Island
Take
in the scenic wonders of Ocean Blvd. in Newport
Wickford
Village: A hidden, historic coastal village in Rhode Island
Visiting
beautiful Bristol, R.I.
Riding a
coastal bike path in Rhode Island
If you enjoyed this story on Little Compton, please share the graphic below on Pinterest. Thanks!
If you
enjoyed
this article, please share through any of the social media buttons
below --
thanks!
Books by
VisitingNewEngland.com Publisher Eric Hurwitz
Massachusetts
Town Greens -- Discover New England's first travel attractions:
town commons!
The
Best Diners in New England --
If you love
classic diners, New England has them! In my book, I write in detail on
50 top local diners.
Stay
connected with VisitingNewEngland at 
Facebook
Twitter 
Pinterest
Google+
FREE
SUBSCRIPTION
Sign up for our
free VisitingNewEngland.com E-NEW ENGLAND TRAVEL NEWSLETTER
Featuring our
latest New England travel insider's news updates and stories, discounts
and coupons!
