Grave of Governor Benedict Arnold, President of Rhode Island

Entrance to the Arnold Family Burial Ground By Sarnold17 (talk) (Uploads) - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36110660

This is the burial ground for the Arnold family, including Governor and once-President (of Rhode Island) Benedict Arnold (not that one). This guy spoke BOTH Wompanoag and Narragansett and negotiated contracts on behalf of those tribes, only once being accused of misrepresenting them (a pretty good track record for English settlers), although history suggests most English contracts were faulty at best. He enforced religious tolerance way back in 1658, even though he didn’t like the Quakers and their “extravagent outgoinges.”

Governor Benedict Arnold is the great grandfather of the infamous Benedict Arnold, revolutionary traitor.

This is a beautiful little site, and a great excuse to wander the historic hill neighborhoods with a coffee. It’s just a few blocks away from Arnold’s mysterious tower. http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/newport-tower

Know Before You Go

This is a residential block, so think about this as if you were visiting a friend's back yard. It sort of feels that way (only with gravestones). The actual stone is inside, past the gate--go ahead in! Like everything in little New England cities, you'll enjoy this much more if you park in a parking area and walk over to it.