The Newport Tower
The Newport Tower is a round stone tower that is located in Touro Park, Newport Rhode Island. The tower is thought to have been originally built as a windmill in the mid 17th century. There has been some speculation recently that the tower is actually several centuries older and would represent evidence of pre-columbian trans oceanic contact. Since it was constructed on top of a hill, it was thought that it would have been visible to passing mariners in Narragansett Bay. The Newport tower’s height is 28 feet with an exterior width of 24 feet. The Tower is also not exactly circular. Taking measurement from southeast to northwest the diameter measures 22 feet 2 inches, but when measured from east to west, the diameter lengthens to 23 feet 3 inches. From the outer wall’s remains we know that at one point the sides were coated with a smooth coating of white plaster. The tower is supported by eight cylindrical columns that form stone arches, two of which are slightly broader than the other six. Above the arches and inside the tower is evidence of a floor that once supported an interior chamber. The walls are approximately 3 feet thick, and the diameter of the inner chamber is approximately 18 feet. The inside chamber has four windows on what used to be the main floor, and three very small ones on the upper level. Slightly opposite of the west window is a fireplace that is backed with grey stone and flanked by nooks.
