Little Compton, Rhode Island

Episode 139 / 3 October 2019 / 144 min / full

The Murder Portal Is Open

"We're going to Little Compton, Rhode Island, in the far southeastern corner of the state; this is in Newport County." about 0:06:03

The case: Murder of Angela Spence Shaw (May 30, 1999). Read the case file.

The figures, as told in 2019

Population

3,521

Median age

53.9

Median household income

about $70,000

Median home value

$515,000

Two-bedroom rent

$1,160

Cost of living

159

Religious

47%

Property crime

▼ about half

Violent crime

▼ about one third

Murder

first murder in 34 years

History, in brief

• Little Compton was originally inhabited by the Sakonnet Indians, related to the Wampanoag and speakers of the Massachusetts language. about 0:08:07
• The name is most often interpreted as meaning 'where the water pours forth'. about 0:09:05
• Colonial settlers came from Massachusetts with a charter to start a new settlement, and the land was divided into lots. about 0:09:26
• Twenty-nine original settlers established the town, with frequent conflict with nearby Native Americans. about 0:09:40
• A house was built in 1675 as the settlement finally took hold. about 0:10:06
• In 1747 Little Compton became part of Rhode Island. about 0:10:06
• Town records date back to about 1746. about 0:10:35
• The town has fifty-seven historic cemeteries. about 0:10:41
• Only three Rhode Island towns have town commons, and Little Compton is one of them; Warren is another. about 0:11:44
• The town common was designated in 1677 as a central gathering place. about 0:12:06
• The common contains a large, creepy-looking cemetery. about 0:12:21
• Spite Tower, a water tower, was built in 1905 purely to block a neighbour's view. about 0:12:35
• Spite Tower still stands and is now treated as a historic structure that cannot be taken down. about 0:13:14
• Fort Church was built during the Second World War, named for Benjamin Church, and the site is now a golf club. about 0:15:23
• The Reverend Sylvester Graham, a Presbyterian minister and dietary reformer, was from Little Compton; his preaching inspired graham flour, graham bread and graham crackers. about 0:17:34
• Graham has been called the father of vegetarianism in America; he lived to fifty-seven. about 0:18:24
• The town is described as an unspoiled old New England town that is deliberately out of the way at the end of the line. about 0:16:07

Open the episode file