Clement Weaver-Daniel Howland House - History

History

Clement was a son of the Weaver family who moved from Glastonbury, England, to Newport, Rhode Island. Clement Weaver was one of fifty veterans of the King Philip's War of 1675–1677 given large parcels of land in what was then a barren outpost now known as East Greenwich." This made Clement one of the town’s original grantees. Clement Weaver and his young wife Rachel Andrews moved in the winter of 1679 to his 100 acres (0.40 km2) of land "by the sea," where he built the house only two years after the official founding of the town of East Greenwich. His home remains a rare and unique architectural showplace.

Clement Weaver’s family of eight children grew up in this little farmhouse. His son, Joseph, succeeded him with his own family of four. Up until the mid-19th century, several generations of Weavers had run the old White Horse Tavern (no longer standing) on Division Street in East Greenwich. This tavern may have been related to the White Horse Tavern of the same time period in Newport, Rhode Island. Three descendants of the original Clement Weaver served during World War I.

In 1784, Daniel Howland purchased the home from the Weavers. Daniel Howland was a Quaker and chaplain during the Revolutionary War. Daniel willed the house to his son Daniel and his wife, Philadelphia of Portsmouth, Rhode Island. The home remained with the Howlands for nearly two centuries. This home has had only six owners since it was built, 328 years ago.

While most of the outbuildings have since disappeared, there remains a building that was originally a horse barn. After the Hurricane of 1938, this barn was converted into a smaller barn with an attached two-car garage. From the street, this building still retains its older look.

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