WESTERLY – The Weekapaug Inn, at 25 Spray Rock Road, today announced it has been added to the official National Register of Historic Places.
“With this designation,” Thomas Wright, president of the Westerly Historical Society, said in a statement, “it will be protected for years to come … serving its original purpose and maintaining its unique beauty.”
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Jim and DeeDee Buffum, the inn’s fourth-generation owners and operators, had applied for historic status for the Westerly landmark in May 2005. The current building was constructed in 1938-1939, after the original, built in 1899 by Frederick Cyrus Buffum, was destroyed by Hurricane of 1938.
In explaining why it accepted their petition, the National Register said: “Since the 18th century, Rhode Island’s beaches and coastal waters have drawn summer visitors, but historic buildings associated with this phenomenon are rare – most have been victims of harsh weather and later development. The Weekapaug Inn is a notable exception. … [Its] significance is enhanced by an unusually complete archive documenting the Buffum’s tenure in Weekapaug.”
The Buffums currently are in the planning and permitting stages of a renovation of the historic facility.
