Governor Chafee will tour Charlestown's "Main Street" on Tuesday

General Stanton Inn - oldest business on Old Post Road

NEWS RELEASE
from Representative Donna Walsh

At my invitation, on August 16, Governor Lincoln Chafee will visit small business owners along Charlestown’s historic “downtown,” on Old Post Road to discuss the challenges small businesses face in small towns and rural areas.

The Governor’s visit will begin at 9 AM at the newly renovated and expanded Pat’s Power, 3992 Old Post Road, and end at the western entry to the historic district, the site of the recently re-built Charlestown Package Store at 4625 Old Post Road. The Package Store, Charlestown’s first 100% green business, uses state-of-the-art energy efficiency design and technology.

In between the two anchors of his trip along Old Post Road, Governor Chafee is scheduled to visit new business Adare’s Boutique (4000 Old Post Road), the innovative designers and architects at the Oyster Works (4202 Old Post Road) and the construction site of the Charlestown Historical Society’s museum next to the Cross Mills Public Library. If the Governor’s time permits, more stops may be added.

Rural coastal communities like Charlestown don’t get a lot of attention in Providence. We are very proud of our town and our efforts to encourage small business creation. We’re very pleased that Governor Chafee has made the time to see Charlestown and talk to our citizens.

Old Post Road (also known as Route 1A) has been Charlestown’s “Main Street” since before the colonists arrived and it was still a Native American trail. The white settlers called it the “Pequot Trail” until the mid-1600s when it became the “King’s Highway.” By the mid-1700s, it became the “Old Post Road” and was part of the system that linked all the colonies in the northeast. Many travelers passed this way, including General George Washington, who stayed at the General Stanton Inn (built in 1667).

Today, Charlestown works hard to maintain the historic flavor of the area while encouraging small businesses to locate there and prosper.