I was recently looking back over the map of my journey, and I realized that Rhode Island was the only state in the 48 contiguous United States that I hadn’t visited yet.  Clearly I had to rectify that omission and visit RI!  On my way there from Cape Cod, I decided to make a quick stop to see Plymouth Rock, since it was almost on my route anyway, and ended up spending most of the day there.  Plymouth is a lovely town!  I parked close to the Rock, and accidently paid for 5 hours of parking instead of one, so had plenty of time to explore.

According to Wikipedia:  “Plymouth Rock is the traditional site of disembarkation of William Bradford and the Mayflower Pilgrims who founded Plymouth Colony in 1620. The Pilgrims did not refer to Plymouth Rock in any of their writings; the first known written reference to the rock dates to 1715 when it was described in the town boundary records as “a great rock.” The first documented claim that Plymouth Rock was the landing place of the Pilgrims was made by Elder Thomas Faunce in 1741, 121 years after the Pilgrims arrived in Plymouth. From that time to the present, Plymouth Rock has occupied a prominent spot in American tradition and has been interpreted by later generations as a symbol both of the virtues and flaws of the first English people who colonized New England. In 1774, the rock broke in half during an attempt to haul it to Town Square in Plymouth. The top portion (the fragment now visible) sat in Town Square, was moved to Pilgrim Hall Museum in 1834, and was returned to its original site on the shore of Plymouth Harbor in 1880.”

So this may or may not be… a portion of… the rock the Pilgrims first set on.  But I guess as a symbol that’s been used for about 275 years it has value.  And I remember being in school and loving the idea of knowing exactly where the Pilgrims first landed, so it’s fun from an educational perspective too.

The Rock is kept in a sort of Grecian-inspired prison that’s open to the bay.  A guide told me that the cage is necessary for the Rock’s protection, because many years ago people would chip off pieces to take home as souvenirs!

But the Rock is safe now.  It has many visitors and a lovely view of the bay.

Having plenty of parking time left and only a short drive ahead of me, I set out to explore more of the town of Plymouth.  I first walked up Leyden Street, which was claimed to be the oldest continually occupied street in the US.  (However I Googled “oldest street in the US” and there seems to be some debate about this!)  The houses there looked old, but not that old, so I suspect that most or all of them have been replaced, although the street may still be in the same place it was originally!

At the end of Leyden Street was the First Parish Church in Plymouth.  The current building was erected in 1897, but a sign on the front states that it’s the fifth meeting house, and stands at the site where the Mayflower passengers held their first church gatherings.

The inside, although currently undergoing some repairs, is really spectacular, with the most amazing arched wooden beams and chandeliers.  I’ve seen beautiful churches before, but this struck me as quite unique.

The woodwork and carvings were really something special.

As seems to be a developing pattern with me, I ended up in the cemetery behind the church, looking for the oldest burials.

This is the oldest I found there, and the inscription reads: “Here lyeth ye body of Edward Gray, Gent, aged about 52 years & departd this life ye last of June 1681.”  It’s likely that the grave originally had a wooden marker, which was replaced with slate when it deteriorated.  The slate marker is now embedded in a concrete frame, presumably to protect it from damage.

Another ‘resident’ of interest in the cemetery was William Bradford, who was governor of Plymouth Colony from one year after the Mayflower landed until he died in 1657 (“except 5 yrs which he declined”).

He had a lovely view of the bay from where he was buried on the hill, and there’s a statue of him located near the Rock.

I saw a sign for ghost walks at night in the cemetery, and with crypts like these there, I’m guessing that I’d get creeped out pretty quickly!  I might have to go back and do that! 😉

After leaving the cemetery I headed over to see the oldest surviving house in Plymouth, the Richard Sparrow house, built in 1640.  The left side of the house was the oldest, the right side having been added much later, perhaps about 1725.

I went in and looked around, and aside from being slightly tipsy, the house actually felt very sturdy and cosy.  I wouldn’t have thought that of a 377 year old house!  The “newer” section is still used as a shop, selling pottery, crafts, and gifts.

My next, and last, stop in Plymouth was the old grist mill.  Unlike the old house, this is actually a faithful reproduction of the mill that originally stood at this spot, but it still operates using old methods, and there are regular orders for the corn meal it produces.  The miller gave us a nice demonstration of how the mill operated.

I went outside where I could watch the water wheel turning, and listen to the grinding of the millstones.

After I left the mill, I wandered back down to the waterfront, where I found my parking meter finally running out.  I’m rather glad that my inability to use the meter correctly gave me an excuse to look around Plymouth.  I certainly found much more there than I expected, and reconnected with some American history that I probably was taught at one time, but had mostly forgotten.  Isn’t it nice when history comes to life?