The Bay View and Thorndike Hotels
Jamestown has historically been a summer attraction for vacationers. Spending a summer or vacation in Jamestown today is much different than it was in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. Today, vacationers spend their time in summer homes or rentals. However, between the eighteen-seventies to the late nineteen-thirties, seaside hotels were the predominant accommodation. The hotels were the primary reason for the transformation of Jamestown from an agricultural town to a summer resort. They also contributed to the introduction of modern technology and improvements in the village, which included electric street lights, water supply, and sewers. One of the more famous hotels on the island was the Bay View Hotel. If you look opposite the bay and to the right of Narragansett Avenue you will see the current structure where the Bay View Hotel once stood.
The original Bay View Hotel was built in 1873 by W.H. Knowles. It was two and a half stories tall and had porches on both the first and second floors. In 1889, it was moved to the eastern side of the island, close to the East Ferry. This new hotel was four and a half stories tall and could accommodate 200 guests. As with the other hotels in Jamestown, it operated on the "American plan". A typical lodging package would include three meals a day, laundry, tailoring, entertainment, and even cash loans so visitors could avoid bank fees. The Bay View Hotel was widely considered to be the social gathering spot on the island. After decades of decline, the hotel was converted into a commercial building with offices and a shop in 1975, and in 1984 it was demolished after being sold to Ronald J Joblin, of Commerce Oil Company. The present-day structure was rebuilt on the same spot and was finished in 1989, the 100th anniversary of when the hotel was first built on the eastern side of the island. The new condominium building maintained many of the same features present in the old hotel. Some of these features include the old one-steep rooflines, the Victorian trim, and the large tower. It is also ten feet taller than the original and twice as big. From 1873 to the present day, the Bay View Hotel has remained an important landmark in the town of Jamestown.
During the Hurricane of 1958, local resident Michael Smith witnessed the destruction of the devastating hurricane from the lobby of the Bay View Hotel. A young boy at the time, Michael’s father, who was a ship captain of a naval destroyer stationed in Newport, sent him to the Bay View Apartments to check on one of his sailors who was residing at the Bay View Apartments. These apartments are still present today on the second floor of the East Ferry Deli building. Instead of going to the apartment, young Michael mistakenly went to the Bay View Hotel. By the time he had arrived at the hotel, the hurricane was making landfall. The Hurricane of 1958 was one of the strongest hurricanes to ever hit the state of Rhode Island, with sustained wind speeds ranging from 90-105 miles per hour. The hotel manager told him to remain in the lobby until the storm had passed. He later recalls seeing boats being washed up and over the sea wall and almost to Narragansett Avenue.
Another large hotel was the Thorndike, built by Patrick H Horgan of Newport. This 4-story, Colonial Revival structure, with broad and deep verandas, contained 113 guest rooms. Its first floor housed two stores, the Jamestown Pharmacy, and an ice cream and confectionery store. The Thorndike Hotel stood at the site of the current Newport Bank, on your left.
The very first telephone on the island was at the Thorndike Hotel. On May 16, 1894, a call was placed to the manager of the hotel, Charles E Weeden, to be sure the line was working, and it was. The telephone was open for business. From that Thursday to the following Monday, any placed calls were free, after that, there would be a fee. This was a great business strategy, as many Jamestown residents had never even used a telephone. Because most of the hotels and summer cottages were used by wealthy families, the telephone was a popular attraction.
The Thorndike Hotel sadly burned down in 1912. In about two hours, the hotel was completely destroyed.
Now proceed West on Narragansett Avenue to stop number 3. It is best to use the sidewalk on the right.