Original subtitles

to the very exclusive newport shipyard,

have long since left newport,

the technology titans of the 20th century

have arrived here along with hedge fund managers--

not as conspicuously, though,

unless you head to newport harbor.

considered to be america's yacht racing mecca,

the playthings of today's rich and famous

are on display at the marinas that line newport harbor

along america's cup avenue and thames street.

from bowen and bannister's wharfs

while the corporate giants of the industrial age

where they are said to not just have yachts, but mega-yachts.

newport is considered the sailing capital of the world.

the america's cup,

the most prestigious regatta and match race

in the sport of sailing,

were held here until 1983.

but newport still hosts

both national and international regattas here.

the abundant supply of water

it's rumored that j.s. lovering wharton

on the maiden voyage of the titanic.

mrs. widener survived,

but both her husband and son harry perished.

miramar, spanish for "behold the sea,"

stayed in the widener family.

in 2006, the mansion sold for just over $17 million--

the most ever paid for a property on the island.

the least paid might have been for this mansion,

set on a rock in narragansett bay.

isn't only a source of pleasure for rhode islanders;

built his home on a rock so no one could bother him.

friends and neighbors were skeptical

that the house could exist here,

or that the owner would stay in it.

but wharton spent every summer here until he died in 1938.

his wife remained here until her death in 1941.

for the next 20 years, the house stood empty,

when architect henry wood bought the home in 1961 for $3,600.

he's owned it ever since.

scholars believe that one of the ships was the lord sandwich,

than any other state.

lying deep beneath these pristine waters

are more than 2,000 wrecks,

including colonial trading ships, ships of war

and luxury passenger vessels from the 19th century.

and it seems that lighthouses alone

aren't enough to prevent these disasters.

in 2006 researchers discovered the remains of four ships

sunk by the british during the american revolution

in newport harbor.

have more shipwrecks per square mile

originally named the endeavor,

which would have dwarfed these smaller vessels with ease.

captain james cook sailed the endeavor

on his famous voyages across the pacific ocean,

to new zealand and the eastern coast of australia.

a series of lighthouses have been built on narragansett bay

to keep sea travelers safe.

one of the first was on point judith

at the bay's entrance.

developed here in the 19th century

it's also an important part of the economy here.

the united states navy

saw the strategic importance of this area

and created an experimental torpedo station on goat island,

seen here just off the mainland.

80% of the submarine torpedoes

manufactured for world war one and world war two

were made here.

a thriving fishing industry

when the widener family sailed from england

and continues today.

galilee is a working fishing village in narragansett.

the ocean waters off the coast are exposed to warm water eddies

that break off from the gulf stream,

bringing with them whales, sharks, tuna and marlin.

sport fishing is very popular here.

but more than just fish can be found

under these beautiful blue waters.

not surprisingly, rhode island's rocky shores

is cliff walk, a three-and-a-half mile path

doris duke died in 1993.

most of her estate went to charity and to her butler.

rough point is now owned by the newport restoration foundation

and open for tours.

through the foundation,

duke also preserved hundreds of other houses in newport,

making it home to one of the most significant concentrations

of 18th century architecture in the country.

adjacent to duke's estate,

and backing up to many other bellevue avenue mansions,

kept on her property while she lived here.

through the majestic beauty of newport's rocky shoreline.

originally used as a hunting path

by the narragansett tribe,

today it's newport's most popular tourist attraction.

over the last 150 years,

the public and some estate owners

have often clashed over access rights

both along the shore and to the shore.

willing to do just about anything

she oversaw its design and construction over four years.

it's brought jazz greats and their fans to newport

every august for more than 50 years.

marble house, an exquisitely detailed home,

is owned and maintained

by the newport preservation society.

but it began as the property of another vanderbilt.

in 1888, william vanderbilt, cornelius's brother,

gave his wife alva the money to build marble house

as a 39th birthday gift.

to keep the common people away from their palaces,

vanderbilt loved european architecture so much

that she brought in more than 300 different artisans

from italy to complete her estate.

rough point was one of five homes

owned by heiress doris duke.

duke was only 13 years old

when she inherited her family's $80 million fortune.

these camels are here in honor of the two real camels

that mrs. duke, an animal lover,

and married a much younger woman in a ceremony at beechwood.

the richest man in america

through fur trading and real estate.

as recently as 1999, john jacob astor was listed

as the fourth wealthiest american ever.

bill gates was fifth.

the family presided over countless social occasions,

including their famous summer ball.

mrs. astor retired from social life in 1906

and died two years later.

astor's son, john jacob iv, divorced his first wife

the german immigrant who made himself

to escape the scandal,

the couple fled to europe after the wedding.

they booked their passage home on the rms titanic.

astor's young pregnant wife survived, but he did not.

and astor wasn't the only newport resident

on the ship that fateful day.

miramar, the summer home

for george widener and his wife eleanor,

was under construction in 1912

just having money isn't enough in newport.

owners have built walls and fences,

planted bushes and trees to block access--

and posted dogs and even bulls to scare people away.

but the path is a public right-of-way open to everyone.

while the wealthy weren't able to keep the riff raff

off of cliff walk,

they were more successful at bailey's beach.

this beach is reserved for people of a certain pedigree

and taking a swim here is by invitation only.

at one time this point saw more ship traffic

one must have long lines of established social background.

this mansion was home

to the undisputed queen of american society.

caroline astor insisted that her friends and family

mrs. astor."

her home here, called beechwood, was built in 1853.

when her husband, william astor, bought the estate in 1881,

it became the social center of new york society.

william was the grandson of john jacob astor,

on how to preserve the island's beauty

first began to settle in the northeast

they came here and created a settlement

around great salt pond.

these people were the ancestors of the manissean indians.

today, pleasure boaters come from all over

to enjoy the pond's sheltered waters.

on a summer day as many as 2,000 boats can fill the pond,

and several marinas line the harbor

to welcome their visitors.

as in many natural places, there's an ongoing debate

archeologists believe that when humans

while also benefiting from tourism.

conservationists see the boats as a threat

to the pond's fragile ecosystem,

which is part of a national wildlife refuge.

although block island is only 12 miles

off rhode island's coast,

it's a world of its own.

the nature conservancy included the tiny island

on a list of 12 sites it called "the last great places"

as well as lighthouses

a stark contrast to the opulent playgrounds of newport,

block island residents prefer just to be left alone.

thousands of years ago a glacier left the rolling hills

that were to become known as block island.

dutch explorer adrian block arrived here in 1614

and gave the island its name.

boat wrecks happened often here given the island's position

and the rocky shoals that surround it.

a life-saving station was put in

in the western hemisphere.

on the northern and southern ends of the island.

since block island has no natural harbors,

in 1870, breakwaters were created to form old harbor

and give steamers and ferries safe entry to the island.

today, ferries shuttle visitors

to the old harbor from the mainland.

in 1895, another channel was dug

to create new harbor on the west side of the island.

it connects the great salt pond to the atlantic ocean.

from roger williams' ideas about freedom of religious thought,

if the use of mopeds wasn't restricted on the island.

they got their way.

conservation has a long tradition here.

from its ponds, beaches and bluffs,

more than 43% of the island is protected from development.

several of rhode island's other small towns and islands

are moving toward conservation

and limiting new development to preserve open spaces.

although it may be small in size,

rhode island's historical significance in america is huge.

and, in 1984, they threatened to secede from the state

which are included in the constitution,

to the colonial era influences,

the start of the industrial age and the gilded age--

this tiny state packs a lot of history into its borders.

combined with the breathtaking vistas

and the independence, still today,

of the people who live here,

rhode island is a tiny gleaming treasure

on america's east coast.

he organized his neighbors

home to restored victorian hotels...

beautiful beaches...

and a fragile but thriving ecosystem--

islanders here want to keep things

just as they are--idyllic.

so when a pair of new york real estate developers

wanted to divide the island up and fill it with houses,

lifelong resident captain john robinson lewis

was intent to stop the plan.

block island.

to create the block island conservancy

and ultimately bought back the land

the developers were planning to parcel out.

the conservancy has been active on the island ever since.

no task is too large or too small.

in the '90s,

they literally moved this historic southeast lighthouse

back 245 feet from the cliffs

to keep the coast guard from demolishing it.

conanicut lighthouse sits on the northern tip

after years of negotiation with the property's owner.

finally, the owner relented

and sold the land to the government for one dollar.

although not open to the public, the lighthouse is accessible

to guests of the nearby castle hill inn and resort.

the lighthouse has a red light

that flashes about every eight seconds at night.

imagine sailing in complete darkness--

the only sight a small red light flashing every eight seconds.

it could be yards or miles away.

castle hill lighthouse was lit in 1890

of conanicut island.

it was activated in 1886.

the tower is attached to the wood-framed keeper's house.

by the 1930s there was no longer enough ship traffic

to justify having a manned lighthouse here.

it was deactivated

and the buildings and property were sold at auction for $2,874.

today the station is a private residence.

only once in america history

between nayatt point and the reef off conimicut point,

than new york harbor.

on one infamous night in 1896,

five vessels ran aground here during a storm.

now the lighthouse is automated

and it shares the property with a u.s. coast guard station.

now rhode island has 21 lighthouses.

13 of them are active and the others are privately held,

like nayatt point.

built in 1828 to mark the narrow channel

has a lighthouse been named after its keeper,

this lighthouse was poorly built

and needed repairs almost immediately.

it was auctioned off in 1890 to private owners.

since that time the lighthouse has been greatly expanded

and is used as a private residence.

the nayatt point lighthouse

is listed in the national register of historic places,

and in 2001 sold for nearly $1.3 million.

built into the cliff face,

the job is involved.

except for one part of the summer

when it becomes a sanctuary for nesting birds--mostly gulls.

when the last ferry leaves,

the island is off limits except for a very few people.

when the lighthouse became rundown

due to decay and neglect,

the rose island lighthouse foundation came to its rescue.

the foundation came up with a fundraising plan--

the lighthouse keeper of the week.

for a small price, guests can serve as honorary keepers.

the island is open to the public

the honorary keeps must do everything

from dusting the windowsills

to keeping the light burning through the night.

it may sound like an odd vacation,

but it's wildly successful,

and usually fully booked two years in advance.

one of the most remote lighthouses

is on the northern end of a small island

only accessible by air or water.

to rescue those stranded on the rocks or drowning.

and this is where it stood.

in 1854 hosea lewis was named innkeeper

of the lime rock lighthouse.

soon he suffered a stroke,

and his duties fell to his wife and their oldest daughter, ida.

ida handled most of the work here

and, when her mother also died, ida became the light keeper.

she also became known as the bravest woman in america,

enduring the ice-cold water

as the home of the newport jazz festival.

she is credited with saving at least 18 people

during her time here.

the rhode island state legislature

changed the name of the lighthouse

from lime rock to the ida lewis lighthouse.

today it's the site of the ida lewis yacht club.

the rose island lighthouse sits on a small island

that was used for military purposes

from the revolutionary war through world war two.

"the hardest working river in america."

sits the john hay library.

hay, a brown alumnus,

served as abraham lincoln's private secretary

during the civil war

and later became secretary of state.

the library houses a collection of rare books,

including three that feature an unusual binding: human skin.

although it sounds grisly, in the late 1800s

it wasn't unusual to bind books with human skin from cadavers.

this 46-mile-long river has long been called

across the street from the main quadrangle at brown

the blackstone river runs from inland massachusetts

to the north end of narragansett bay.

this is a national heritage corridor,

and it's here that america's industrial revolution began.

slater's mill stands at the falls of the blackstone river.

british immigrant samuel slater came to america with a plan:

to take english mill plans and build them in america.

with his knowledge

and capital provided by moses brown from providence,

sits one of america's oldest and most prestigious universities.

planned to raze and redevelop part of historic benefit street,

which runs through this area.

the providence preservation society,

established to protest the razing,

offered up a plan to preserve the whole street.

today, benefit street is home

to one of the largest concentrations

of historic architecture in the nation.

a few blocks to the east of benefit street

slater built the first successful u.s. textile mill.

brown university opened its doors to students in 1765

and was the only school that welcomed students

of all religious persuasions.

the university began as rhode island college

but was renamed in 1804

after a man named nicholas brown gave what, at the time,

was a large financial gift:

$5,000.

in today's money, the equivalent of about $76,000.

the layout of the city is based on a grid plan

by the force of the sea wearing away the rock.

it's carved nearly 100 feet into the shore from the cliff.

some people have unwisely tried to jump the chasm,

instead falling between the giant slabs of rock.

like the rivers that shaped the early life

of providence and pawtucket,

narragansett bay is the lifeblood

of the towns that surround it.

in the east bay is bristol,

an unpretentious coastal town established in 1680.

it's more likely that purgatory chasm was created

with a large common at its center,

the only one of its kind in rhode island.

bristol's deepwater harbor

helped it to become a thriving commercial port

before the american revolution,

and by 1800 it was the fourth busiest port in the country.

fortunes were made from maritime trading,

whaling and shipbuilding.

hereshoff boatyard was famous for the yachts it built

showing harsh conditions for child laborers,

the industrial revolution had begun.

the mills on the site are still powered by the blackstone river.

while celebrated for bringing

the industrial revolution to america,

the mill was also infamous.

slater employed many children ages seven to thirteen.

some of lewis hine's famous child labor photographs

were taken at slater mill.

hine's photographs,

in the 1950s, the city of providence

resulted in new laws being created to protect children.

today, some believe that the centuries-old mill

is haunted by some of the children who worked here.

visitors often talk about feeling a presence--

especially by the old machine shop.

this 10-foot-wide and 50-foot deep abyss

is another rhode island landmark known for its legends.

it's said that purgatory chasm was created

by the powerful swing of the devil's ax.

the first european to set foot

of american progress and american excess.

it's called the ocean state,

and to see it from the air it's easy to understand why.

great swamp, located in southern rhode island,

was home to the first residents of rhode island:

the narragansett indians.

the name narragansett means

"people of the small, narrow point,"

and archaeological evidence suggests that the narragansett

have lived on this land for more than 30,000 years.

rhode island's history is rich with the stories

in what would become the state of rhode island

was giovanni de verrazano in 1524.

he actually arrived here on block island,

a small island off the coast of the mainland.

verrazano's legacy lives on in narragansett bay

in the form of this bridge, which is named after him.

rhode island has always had a reputation

as a fiercely independent state,

and nowhere is it more evident than here in providence.

60% of rhode island is covered in woodland and parks

only 37 miles wide and 48 miles long.

but while it may lack the wide open spaces

of some of america's larger states,

rhode island is home to more than 20%

of america's national historic landmarks,

from the breakers

and the other fabulous mansions of the gilded age,

to slater's mill,

which ushered in america's industrial revolution.

even its state capitol,

to protect the natural environment.

a journey through rhode island's bays and coves

reveals nearly 400 miles of pristine tidal shoreline--

with an incredible array of lighthouses

and even more incredible stories of rum runners and pirates

off of newport's rocky shores.

all of this glimmering water has enticed explorers and puritans,

those fleeing persecution

and those seeking to start a revolution.

became known more for its corruption and rundown factories

of a thriving shipping economy

for the so-called triangle trades

of slaves, rum and molasses,

as well as the china trade.

soon providence and newport

were among the busiest ports in the new world.

since the prosperous days of the colonial era,

providence has seen its fortunes rise and fall more than once.

in the late mid-20th century,

providence, home of religious freedom in america,

the colonial waterfront was the site

than its historical significance.

but in the 1980s that all changed.

just down the hill from the state capitol building,

what was once an eyesore became the center of a renaissance.

providence's waterfront is not the only part of the city

that has been revitalized.

its historic corridors have also been restored

to their revolutionary-era glory,

but that almost didn't happen.

one of the church's meeting houses,

modeled after the u.s. capitol in washington, d.c.,

has a statue on top called simply "independent man."

providence was founded by roger williams

who came to the massachusetts bay colony

to escape the religious intolerance of england.

in 1636, he arrived in rhode island,

where he purchased land from the narragansett indians.

he called the new settlement providence in thanks to god.

williams created the first baptist church in america.

here in the harbor.

dating back to 1775, still stands today,

and the church is currently being renovated.

its 185-foot steeple was built on the ground

by sailboat makers in just three days.

williams established a policy of religious and political freedom

in his new settlement,

and soon after colonists with similar beliefs

began to arrive in rhode island.

rivers shaped the life of providence.

as they gear up for another saturday match

where jackie and her family spent many summers.

the young couple continued to summer in newport,

and the city was often called kennedy's summer white house.

every saturday in the summer,

the newport international polo club

holds matches here at the historic 100-acre glen farm.

newport calls itself

"the international polo capital of the world."

matches have taken place here for more than 100 years.

these ponies at glen farm are taking a rest

a 300-acre oceanfront estate overlooking narragansett bay

before a crowd of well-heeled onlookers.

there's a certain social and economic exclusivity

associated with polo, and with newport itself.

but today's version pales in comparison to the gilded age.

there are few places in the world

where the pastime is yacht watching.

but there were few places like newport in the gilded age.

it was the coastal resort of choice

for american business magnates like the vanderbilts and astors.

and others called savvy businessmen.

who traveled north to escape the summer heat in the south.

with its sheltered harbor, beautiful beaches,

and awe-inspiring architecture,

newport, rhode island, is a shining gem

on new england's atlantic coast.

these so-called "summer cottages"

are another remnant from the industrial revolution.

they were built from the vast fortunes earned

by what some called robber barons

the term "gilded age" was coined by mark twain

on the islands across newport harbor,

a new american aristocracy had been born.

one of the world's most famous weddings

took place here in september of 1953.

more than 750 guests filled st. mary's church to watch

as senator john f. kennedy and jacqueline bouvier

exchanged wedding vows.

afterward, 1,200 guests attended the reception

at hammersmith farm,

and continued until the middle of the 19th century.

make it a popular destination.

beacon rock, near ocean drive, overlooks newport harbor.

built for the brother of j.p. morgan,

eventually the home was owned by the sculptor felix de weldon

who is famous for sculpting the iwo jima memorial

in washington, d.c.

this magnificent home is right near fort adams state park.

fort adams is the largest coastal fortification

in the united states.

construction of the fort began in 1824

its wide porches and sweeping views of the bay

british attacks on washington during the war of 1812

inspired the federal government

to increase security on the coastline.

the fort has a line of vaulted bombproof chambers

along its five-feet-thick perimeter walls.

the commanding officer's house, to the south of the fort,

was used in the late '50s

as a vacation spot for president dwight d. eisenhower.

today, fort adams is well known

built by tycoon cornelius vanderbilt,

and referred to the extravagant displays of wealth and excess

of america's super rich.

others call it conspicuous consumption.

in newport, renowned architects were designing enormous homes

that mimicked the castles and palaces of europe...

each family seeking to one-up their neighbors.

the breakers is probably the most spectacular

of newport's summer cottages.

this 70-room victorian mansion,

were wealthy merchants from south carolina and georgia

is a symbol of the vanderbilt family's

social and financial preeminence at the turn of the century.

vanderbilt built his wealth

in the railroad and shipping industries.

today many of the homes are preserved.

some are open for tours.

others are hotels like castle hill.

this was one of the first major summer houses

built along newport's ocean drive.

and is a popular place for watching yacht races.

overlooks narragansett bay where it meets the ocean.

this area is filled with stories of pirates and privateers.

local legend holds that captain kidd's treasure

was hidden here when he was in town visiting his friend,

privateer captain thomas paine.

to this day, people search the caves

at what is now fort wetherill state park,

hoping to find kidd's bounty,

but so far no one has scored.

this site is also known for its spectacular views...

wharton's house, marbella,

until 1940, jamestown was an island

with no connection to the mainland of newport.

then the jamestown-verrazano bridge was built.

the pell bridge opened to traffic in 1969,

connecting jamestown to newport.

originally called the newport bridge,

in 1992 it was renamed for u.s. senator claiborne pell.

but most residents still refer to it as the newport bridge.

it is the largest suspension bridge in new england.

with extensive open farm fields

several were winners of the world cup.

the large homes built for local merchants and shipbuilders

make up the heart of old bristol.

today, bristol harbor offers ferries

to several islands in the bay, including this one,

which takes visitors to prudence island.

bristol has become a popular destination for summer homes.

so has its neighbor to the south, jamestown.

jamestown still retains much of its agricultural feel

jamestown isn't the only rhode island town

and even a still functional windmill.

the jamestown windmill powered a grain mill

for more than a hundred years.

in 1912, it was given to the jamestown historical society

that has maintained and restored the mill.

in the late 19th century,

wealthy industrialist joseph wharton

and other philadelphia quakers

built summer homes in jamestown.

another says that the governor of newport

since it opened, flo's buildings have been completely ruined

four times by hurricanes.

most recently hurricane bob washed it away in 1991.

so far, the newest building has survived nature's wrath.

there is another building in newport

that has survived much longer.

the old stone mill is shrouded in mystery.

there are many theories about how this tower came to be.

some believe it was built by norsemen

before columbus ever arrived in the new world.

its luck hasn't been as good with buildings.

commissioned the tower as a windmill

during colonial times.

its 24-foot high walls are made of fieldstone,

and its interior is open to the sky.

new theories about the tower's origins

fill websites and articles.

but the mystery will continue on,

because no one knows for sure who built the old stone mill.

the first summer visitors to arrive in newport

and you can still have a drink here today.

with pirate stories.

in this tavern a notorious pirate

was also a popular business owner.

the whitehorse tavern was built in 1673.

it was the meeting place

for the rhode island colony's general assembly,

criminal court and city council.

and it was owned by a pirate named william mayes.

it's one of the oldest taverns in the united states

rhode island. america's smallest state.

possibly with a ghost,

since many say the whitehorse tavern is haunted.

another eating establishment with almost cult status

is flo's clam shack.

there's nothing pretentious or expensive about this clam shack,

which started serving

traditional rhode island shore fare in 1936.

from clam cakes to clam chowder and stuffed clams,

flo's wins award after award for its food.