Friday, December 19th, 2025
3pm to 5pm | Book-signing event
The Colony House | Washington Square, Newport
Jamestown, Rhode Island, set in the shimmering waters at the entrance to Narragansett Bay, is marked by cliffs and fields looking out to the sea- a vision of paradise, a place of natural abundance and scenic beauty. For centuries, builders devised architecture that seamlessly rose from and merged back into stony coast and rolling meadows. This island is home to a timeless landscape of pastoral richness and picturesque views; its buildings are a testament to those who sought their fortunes and fulfilled their fantasies, within sight of the mainland, but a world apart. In each case, there is a remarkable relationship between the island’s topography and its architecture. Through maps, paintings, poetry and prose, this book illustrates the vibrant heritage of Jamestown, its role as a place of refuge and retreat through the ages, a paradise shaped by the visions and labors of its inhabitants.
John Tschirch’s Jamestown: Architecture, Landscape, and the Making of a Rhode Island Paradise is a highly visual and new study of the rustic and whimsical shingled houses of Jamestown, Rhode Island, from the colonial era to the development of the town as a picturesque resort set in a coastal landscape.
Please join us at the Colony House on Friday, December 19th, from 3:00-5:00pm, for a book signing where you can purchase your copy of Jamestown: Architecture, Landscape, and the Making of a Rhode Island Paradise, and have it signed by the author!