FAQ
The questions below are the ones we receive most often. The building’s history is documented — in General Assembly records, census entries, newspaper archives, and court documents spanning 230 years. If something is not covered here, contact our staff and we’ll be able to assist.
The Building
When was the building constructed?
The Second Kent County Jail was commissioned by the Rhode Island General Assembly in January 1795 and completed by February 1796. Richard Mathewson of East Greenwich was appointed to build it, contributing 260 days of personal labor alongside his partner Earl Mowry. The final accounts were audited at a total cost of £1,751 14s 4¼d — roughly $4,208.83 at the time. The building has stood at 110 King Street for 230 years.
How long did it operate as a jail?
161 years. The Second Kent County Jail opened in 1796 and closed in 1957, when the State of Rhode Island formally ended its operations. Frederick Sunderland, the final jailkeeper, was 81 years old when he locked the cell doors for the last time. The building passed to the Town of East Greenwich and was later deeded to the East Greenwich Historic Preservation Society, which restored the structure including the original jail cells.
Is the original structure intact?
Largely, yes. The building underwent a significant rebuild in 1889, when the original wooden jail block at the rear was demolished and replaced with a two-story brick structure funded by the Rhode Island General Assembly. That 1889 brick building is what stands today. The original brick, ironwork, masonry, and structural fabric from that rebuild are intact throughout. Modern systems have been introduced where the building required them — not where it didn’t.
What was here before the Inn?
A county jail, continuously operational from 1796 to 1957. Before that, the lot sat at the foot of King Street near the town dock, on legally defined ground established by a state-appointed committee in October 1795. The building briefly operated as the Antediluvian Calaboose Youth Center after the jail closed before standing largely dormant until its restoration. Nothing about this building has been invented or reconstructed for atmosphere. What you are looking at is what was here.
What are the figures over the door?
Two hand-carved wooden figures, each approximately 30 inches tall, were originally mounted above the front entrance. One was painted black, one white — one depicted a murderer, one a robber — and they were handcuffed together to symbolize equal justice under the law at a time when most people could not read. One of the original figures was donated to the Rhode Island Historical Society in 1859 and remains in their collection. The whereabouts of the second figure have been lost.
The Rooms
How many rooms does the Inn have?
Fourteen. They range from 203 to 437 square feet and occupy both floors of the building — the residence side at the front, which once housed the jailkeeping family, and the jail block side at the rear, where the cells were. The two anchor suites are The Everlin Suite on the second floor, at 437 square feet, and The Mathewson Suite on the third floor, at 308 square feet.
How are the rooms named?
Every room is named for a figure documented in the verified history of this building — jailers, committee members, and inmates whose stories are traceable to primary sources including General Assembly records, census data, period newspaper archives, and court documents. No names have been invented. No stories have been embellished. Eight rooms are named for jailers and founding figures. Five are named for documented inmates. One — the Liberty Room — takes its name from the legal language used in the building’s founding documents: the Liberties of the Gaol-Yard.
Are all rooms the same?
No. Each of the fourteen rooms carries the proportions and character of its original footprint. Some are larger. Some have original windows. The residence side rooms differ in character from the jail block side rooms, reflecting the building’s historic split between the domestic quarters at the front and the institutional spaces at the rear. Each room is documented separately on the rooms page.
Do the rooms have plaques?
Yes. Every room includes a plaque with a two to four sentence explanation connecting the room’s name to the verified documentary record. Guests staying in the Burns Room, for example, will find a brief account of Charles Burns — described by the Boston Globe in 1901 as the most difficult prisoner in twenty years of Everlin Smith’s service. The plaques are not decorative. They are documentation.
Which room should I book?
That depends on what you are looking for. The Everlin Suite is the largest room in the building and belongs to the person who knew it best — Everlin Place Smith, jailkeeper for nearly fifty years. The Mathewson Suite sits at the top of the building and is named for the man who built it from the ground up. The Liberty Room is near the front entrance and carries the founding legal language of the property. The inmate rooms — Burns, McCaughey, Congdon, Carr, Boulanger — occupy the jail block side and tend toward the more compact end of the range. Each room is a different chapter of the same building.
The History
Who was Everlin Smith?
Everlin Place Smith was the jailkeeper of Kent County for nearly fifty years, beginning in 1880 after her husband Jotham died in office. She was born into the Place family, who had served as jailers of this building for decades before her. She grew up here, raised two daughters here, and managed daily operations — cooking meals, maintaining order, overseeing prisoners — in an era when female jailers were almost unheard of. In her first year on the job she discovered the body of murderer Isaiah Carr in his cell while serving breakfast. She managed Charles Burns, described as the worst prisoner in twenty years, without incident. She held William “Tug” McCaughey during a nationally covered murder case. She was profiled by the Boston Globe in 1901. She died in this building in 1925, at age 80. The largest suite in the Inn bears her name.
Who were the Sunderlands?
Frederick E. Sunderland was a former Chief of Police of East Greenwich, appointed jailkeeper of Kent County on May 17, 1928 — the last person to hold the position. His wife Martha, born in Australia in 1881, served as matron, cook, and, when necessary, the person who appeared with a shotgun. Former prisoners sent letters and gifts after their release, several expressing the desire to taste her cooking again. In 1931, two inmates beat Fred severely enough that Martha held the remaining prisoners at gunpoint while he recovered. In 1950, a 19-year-old prisoner named Bernard Boulanger hoarded pepper for weeks, threw it in Martha’s eyes on bean night, locked her in a cell, and fled. She was 68 years old. He was recaptured at gunpoint within minutes. Fred was 81 when he locked the jail doors for the last time in 1957. He died in 1960. Martha followed in 1968.
What was the Fosburgh case?
In 1901, William “Tug” McCaughey — a member of the notorious wire gang — was held at the Kent County Jail in connection with the murder of 24-year-old socialite May Fosburgh in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. McCaughey had implicated the gang in the killing, and the case drew newspaper coverage from across the country. The victim’s mother traveled to East Greenwich to interview him in his cell. The case was later documented in the book Pittsfield’s Fosburgh Murder Mystery: Scandal in the Berkshires, published by The History Press in 2016. The McCaughey Room is named for him.
What crimes were committed here?
The building held murderers, thieves, debtors, highway robbers, and people arrested for drunkenness in roughly equal measure. In 1899, there were 82 commitments — 30 for drunkenness. In 1900, 118 were committed for offenses ranging from assault and embezzlement to larceny, non-support, peddling without a license, threats, and blackmail. The more serious cases included Isaiah Carr, who murdered his nephew and later strangled himself in his cell; George Congdon, convicted of shooting a man at Oakland Beach; and the members of the wire gang held during the Fosburgh murder case. One local family, it was noted, had the distinction of having six generations serve time in this building.
Were there escapes?
Several, across 161 years of operation. In 1786, three prisoners broke gaol — one of the earliest documented escapes in Rhode Island, advertised with a fifteen-dollar reward in The United States Chronicle by Sheriff Richard Fry. In 1889, the first prisoners housed in the newly built brick jail escaped through fresh mortar within days of being moved in. In 1907, four prisoners sawed through the bars while stamping horses outside masked the noise — reported by the Boston Globe under the headline “Stamping Horses Drown Noise of Workers.” In 1950, Bernard Boulanger threw pepper in Martha Sunderland’s eyes and locked her in a cell before being recaptured at gunpoint within minutes. The building held most of them.
Your Stay
Is the experience themed?
It is not. There is no haunted-house theatrics, no invented history, no dramatized embellishment. The building is 230 years old. Every name, every panel, every plaque references a primary source — General Assembly records, census data, newspaper archives, and court documents. The real stories are compelling enough on their own. They did not require a theme.
Is the Inn suitable for families?
Yes. The history of this building is documented and presented with accuracy and respect rather than theatrical sensationalism. The hallway panels and room plaques tell real stories plainly. Children who are curious about history will find the building genuinely interesting. Families are welcome.
Is the Inn accessible?
The building dates to 1796 and 1889. We have made every reasonable accommodation consistent with the preservation of a historic structure. Please contact us directly before booking if you have specific accessibility requirements and we will advise on the most suitable room and access arrangements.
Is parking available?
Yes. Private parking is available for guests. Details are provided at the time of booking and noted on individual room listings where applicable.
Is the Inn available for private events?
The building has hosted events since it was built — though the nature of those events has changed considerably. The Inn is available for private gatherings, small celebrations, and events suited to the character and scale of a historic boutique property. Contact us directly to discuss availability and arrangements.
How far is the Inn from Providence and Newport?
Providence is approximately twenty minutes north by car. Newport is approximately thirty minutes south. T.F. Green Airport in Warwick is fifteen minutes by car. The Inn sits at the geographical center of Rhode Island, which makes it a practical base for exploring the wider region without sacrificing the character of where you are staying.
