The historic Knight Estate is a rare and valuable gem of 19th-century genteel farm life, unique for the number of buildings that remain and for its location outside the better-known historic districts of Providence and Newport. Though the land now plays host to the Community College of Rhode Island's vibrant Knight Campus, its pastoral heritage is still evident.

The Knights, one of the state's most prominent families during the 19th century, made their fortune in the textile industry. They are best remembered as the owners of the Fruit of the Loom Company, although historians also recognize their significant contribution to the local economy and culture. Brothers Robert and Benjamin entered the textile industry in 1948when they bought the nearby Pontiac Mills, adding to their holdings in 1873 when they acquired the Sprague Mills and this historic Knight estate from the bankrupt Sprague family.

The brothers converted the estate into a model “gentleman’s farm,” continuing to work it until the 1960s. The farm’s boundaries extended across Route 113 to what is now the Rhode Island Mall but was then a track for harness racing. The Knight family deeded the estate and the surrounding acreage to the state of Rhode Island in 1965 for the new home of the Community College of RI.

Since that time, few Rhode Islanders have been aware of this valuable resource, hidden from view and steadily deteriorating. Those who have walked through the farm are keenly aware of the sad state of decline of most of the outbuildings, including the corn crib, the greenhouse and the cider mill. The water tower is described by the Department of the Interior in its nomination of the estate to the National Register of Historic Places as “the most important outbuilding” on the estate, being “a particularly notable example of picturesque late Victorian design” due to its distinctive architecture as a gable-roofed summer house with a practical purpose. However, little of that early grandeur remains.

To counter this loss of valuable history and architecture, the Knight Restoration Committee convened in 2004 to research the estate and the Knight family, raise funds for restoration of the buildings and create educational programs and activities. Walking Tours are available Wednesdays, from 1-4:00, April through June, September through October and by appointment at other times throughout the year. Speaking programs are offered in October and May, with the first of the series, “Captains and Squires: The Knight Estate, 1875-1964,” presented on October 2, 2005. Kate Dunnigan, chair of CCRI's social sciences department, and John Tschirch, architectural historian for the Preservation Society of Newport County, presented.

Those interested in supporting these important efforts may become charter members of the Friends of the Knight Estate by emailing foundation@ccri.edu or calling 333-7150.