James C. Buttrick with the Jamestown Historical Society

Jamestown (Ri) (Images of America) James C. Buttrick with the Jamestown Historical Society

Jamestown's history has ranged from sheep farming to gilded-age resorts to military installations for coastal defense. These transitions changed the look of the island, bringing grand summer hotels, an energetic new architecture (the Shingle style), the boats and yachts of the summer population, and fortifications that spanned three centuries. A succession of distinctive ferries, now vanished, linked the island to the outside world. Jamestown tells the story of these chapters in the island's history up to the 1940s in compelling photographs that document the many changes in landscape, views, buildings, and activities that have occurred over time.