Author: Colin Murphy
Stillhouse Cove 2025 Earth Day Cleanup a Wet and Wonderful Success! Thanks to everyone!
Join Us for the Stillhouse Cove International Coastal Cleanup on September 28, 2024
The cleanup will take place 9-11 AM.
Over 40 people turned out for a rainy and productive 2024 Spring clean-up. And about the same number showed up for the subsequent rain date on May 4.
Cranston Herald recognizes EWPA Clean Up
https://cranstononline.com/stories/cranston-celebrates-earth-day,248836
Join the movement! First Lady Susan McKee has a challenge for all Rhode Islanders: Pick up one piece of litter every day!
If all one million RI residents pledge to pick up one at least piece of litter every day, there will be 365,000,000 fewer pieces of litter by the end of the year!
One million RI residents could easily remove one million pieces of litter from our state each day. On your way to work, shopping, dining, or walking to school, if each one of us picks up just one piece of litter every day, the results will be dramatic.
Get your friends, co-workers, and family members to each pick up one piece of litter, or more if you get in the groove. Then take a picture and post your photos on social media with the hashtag #RIMillionPieces.
Litter doesn’t have to stay in RI. If we all just pick up one piece, RI will be one million pieces cleaner!Let’s keep the momentum going Rhode Island!
Learn more at litterfree.ri.gov
Over 60 neighbors and friends joined the Edgewood Waterfront Preservation Association (EWPA) at Stillhouse Cove Salt Marsh and Park for our Annual Clean Up. Hundreds of pounds of trash and debris was removed including plastics, syringes, and lumber. Thanks to everyone that participated in the clean up.
Spring Clean Up
April 29, 9-11:30 AM
MORE 2023 CLEAN UP PHOTOS
CLEANING UP THE CLEAN UP
Your support helps us to protect and conserve Stillhouse Cove Salt Marsh and Park, our local environmental treasure.
Each year we raise funds to maintain, and improve Stillhouse Cove Salt Marsh and Park to keep it a sustainable, clean, beautiful, and safe waterfront.
Please give today.
Please Support Us
Maintained and improved the Stillhouse Cove Palmeri Rose Garden.
Members of the board and dedicated volunteers worked throughout the growing season to maintain the park, salt march, rotary, and storm water area.
Worked with horticulturist Nick Cokonis to prepare the site in early Spring and educate the board and volunteers on site preparation.
Supported STEM students discovering sea creatures in Stillhouse Cove.
Held two clean-ups that attracted more than 200 volunteers that removed trash from around the cove.
We facilitated installation and landscaping for a sculpture, The End of the Line, made from old trolley track removed from Narragansett Boulevard.
Each year, we need to raise funds to sustain improvements the park and salt marsh. Join us in this neighborhood effort. Help us to keep Stillhouse Cove the clean, beautiful, and safe waterfront park it has become.
Please help to conserve Stillhouse Cove Salt Marsh and Park with your donation today.
By Trent Batson
May 27, 2022
Years ago, one of our daughters took up residence on Ocean Avenue and I, a retired university professor, had the privilege of walking her dog at Stillhouse Cove when she and her husband were at work. I loved the Cove as did Calypso, the dog.
More recently, I’ve had another privilege — serving on the Board of the Edgewood Waterfront Preservation Association that maintains Stillhouse Cove. I’ve stepped down from the Board now but wanted to continue to contribute to the EWPA in some way. My current research work is about human evolution and climate change — and, in these blogs, I’ll write about how those two relate to the good work at Stillhouse Cove.
I am launching, with the support of the EWPA Board, a monthly series of blogs about Stillhouse Cove and resilience work as climate change presents ever greater challenges to that work. The EWPA has done model work on resilience in the Cove and this blog series celebrates that work while also describing the larger context of how humanity is dealing with the climate crisis.
What happens at Stillhouse Cove is a microcosm of shorelines around the world and so is well worth following.
Musing on the Cove
You can sit on a bench in Stillhouse Cove in Pawtuxet, Rhode Island, facing east, looking out over the bay, and watch the dawn break. Many do. Sometimes, in the rain. I told my granddaughter, when fog obscured the far shore, that the East Bay part of Rhode Island had floated away.
As you sit, song sparrows may sing or, in season, you may hear redwing blackbirds. You might see an Osprey bank over the water — or seagulls or cormorants — and geese or ducks feeding on the shoreline.
The sun reflecting off the Bay glitters. Dogs, walking their owners, sniff on by. Runners, silent on their feet, ghost past. Cars are surprisingly quiet as drivers slowly take in the scene.
In season, the sight of sailboats and “stinkpots” at the Yacht Club adds a sense of elegance and adventure.
Out in the channel, large freighters slip on down the bay, or churn up the Bay, heading for the Port of Providence.
And the Bay water, ever moving, full of life, remains unconcerned.
One can slip out of time sitting on that bench.
The Site Committee, including board members and volunteers, spent a productive morning seeding the infiltration area damaged over the winter.
The infiltration area acts as a natural filter for storm water that flows into the bay. Catching bacteria and other organisms and larger items like trash before the water flows into Stillhouse Cove, this important feature protects the cove from bacterial or other blooms as well as from trash and plastics.
Thanks to the volunteers and board members that showed up to do this important work.
Interested in volunteering? Join us!
The EWPA “Site Management Committee” keeps the park and salt marsh healthy with ongoing maintenance and improvements. On Saturday we met to prepare for Spring. Volunteer with us and join us! http://stillhousecove.org/volunteer-with-us/
The Edgewood Waterfront Preservation Association (EWPA), Pawtuxet Village Association (PVA) Annual Stillhouse Cove Salt Marsh and Park and Pawtuxet Park Clean-Up.
Spring Clean Up
April 23, 9-11 AM
We had perfect weather and a great crowd for our Stillhouse Cove cleanup today, hosted in partnership with Save the Bay and the Pawtuxet Village Association. Close to 100 people worked picking up garbage and pruning vegetation while at the same time connecting with neighbors and friends. Over (insert number) pounds of refuge was collected and Cranston Mayor Ken Hopkins joined in himself.
EWPA President Barbara Rubine received a proclamation from the State of Rhode Island delivered by Rep McNamara and Mayor Hopkins, thanking the organization for all of the work done over the years to nurture and grow this beautiful waterfront space. Other notable attendees included Councilwoman Vargas, Senator Miller, Councilwoman Marino, Congressional candidate Joy Fox and EWPA Founding Board member Hy Goldman.
There were many conversations about how far the EWPA has come over the years, including stories about how way back in 1996, one neighbor used his car to tow the trees out of the cove area and one time a tow truck had to be called to help!
Thank you to everyone who came out.
Building Local Climate Resilience – From Hazards to Solutions
How we can best prepare our community for current and future climate change and rising sea level? A Presentation by Shaun O’Rourke, Managing Director at the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank.
Annual Meeting Presentation
April 13, 6:30 PM, Via Zoom
At the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank, O’Rourke manages a portfolio of lending and grant programs to help accelerate infrastructure investment statewide. Shaun led the development of “Resilient Rhody,” the state’s first climate resilience action strategy under Governor Raimondo in 2018 and continues to work closely with municipalities to move from planning to action. His talk title is “Building Local Climate Resilience – From Hazards to Solutions” and will focus on how we can best prepare our community for current and future climate change and rising sea level.”
The “Site Mangement Committee” first meeting getting ready for Spring. Join us! Volunteer!
Cranston Herald Article – February 10
By EMMA BARTLETT
Two hundred eighth grade students from Park View Middle School and Hugh B. Bain Middle School will advance their education on ocean exploration this spring thanks to a $24,953 grant Mystic Aquarium received from the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Ocean Exploration. The program’s curriculum will provide projects and local excursions for students.
Your support helps us to protect and conserve Stillhouse Cove Salt Marsh and Park, our local environmental treasure.
Each year we raise $10,000 to maintain, and improve Stillhouse Cove Salt Marsh and Park to keep it a sustainable, clean, beautiful, and safe waterfront.
Please give today.
Please Support Us | Volunteer with Us
Selected plants including “bee and polinator” friendly plants like this unique variety of hydrangia.
Protected the marsh and conservation area at Stillhouse by treating and removing invasive weeds and seedlings.
Improved gardens and the rotary with native plants and grasses that withstand drought and attract bees.
Maintained gardens with new plants and moving others to better locations.
Hosted two successful clean-ups that removed trash from around the cove.
Installed new “coir logs”to protect the salt marsh and park from erosion and storm damage. These “logs” were installed at the base of the slope in the salt march to help the cove stay stable and healthy.
Please help to conserve Stillhouse Cove Salt Marsh and Park with your donation today.
The Edgewood Village invited Board President Barbara Rubine to tell their group about the history of Stillhouse Cove, Salt Marsh and Park. Here are her comments, The Short Story.
November 18, 2021
I want to thank Michael for his invitation to talk today about the history of Stillhouse Cove, I think. I say that because I have been so immersed in various aspects of this property for so long that, honestly, it is very challenging to focus on a short or quick study of this property that is historically accurate. I am going to do my best to keep you interested for the few minutes I have to generally outline how this property became a park, why it is so historically and environmentally important to the neighborhood, the City, the State of Rhode Island, and the country.
This park land that we are standing on was agricultural property that was part of the Brattle Farm. The property that comprises the park spans from Ocean Avenue to Strathmore Place, about one half mile of waterfront. The name “Stillhouse” came from a distillery that was owned by Joseph Rhodes and was located approximately where Trinity Church is situated today. The home and distillery owned by Joseph Rhodes no longer exists.
Coir logs perform an important function in the cove. Made to control erosion and protect the cove in the event of a significant storm, these “logs” help the cove stay stable and healthy.
And Ray and Wenley? Ray Mooney and Wenley Ferguson have been supporters of the EWPA for many years, adding expertise and helping out in many ways and lately heling in acquiring and installing coir logs in the cove.
This spring Ray saw logs posted on a social media site for a price substantially below what we have spent for similar items in the past. Given the Covid-19 situation and the difficulty of transporting them to Rhode Island, we passed on these items this spring. However, Ray noticed last week that they were still available. He drove to New Hampshire with his trailer and brought 15 logs back.
Wenley is lending her expertise in how these should be installed to gain the greatest benefit from them. She will advise the landscaping company that will be installing them.
The work of EWPA couldn’t happen without the assistance of such important friends of EWPA and we thank them for their generous and important efforts.
Thanks Ray and Wenley!!
Maintaining the park includes keeping a close eye on the plants that are doing well and the ones that need some help. It also means always improving.
Last year Winterberry were planted in the northern curve of the park. The berries feed the birds throughout early winter and add a nice look to the edge of the park. Several of the plants did quite well while a few seemed to struggle.
In an effort to give them a better location to thrive, we, led by Nick Cokonis, moved the winterberry to a location a with more sun and less competition for water. Where the Winterberry were removed, they were replaced by a variety of smooth hydrangea called ‘Invincibelle Ruby.’
A Better Hydrangea for Pollinators (including Bees!)
“The pollinators love these Hydrangeas” said Nick Cokonis. He continued explaining that the variety of hydrangea chosen to replace the spots where the Winterberry were have reproductive organs and nectar available. Most commercial hydrangea are cultivated to lose the nectar and reproductive organs so they won’t produce nectar or pollen. In these commercial plants, the sterile flowers can be four times the size, making them thirstier.
Asphalt: The Nasty Gift that Keeps on Giving
The slow release of petroleum from asphalt dumped on the site years ago is the nasty gift that keeps on giving. While preparing beds, the crew took the time to remove as much of the tar that they could find.
On Saturday, October 2, 2021 Board Members from the EWPA worked in the early morning sun to remove invasive growth from the cove. This removal, done once per year, allows the naturally occurring growth room to thrive. The removal included a surprising number of young “pear” trees, that, according to understanding, are a variety that never actually produce pears!!
Your neighbors joined together for a Stillhouse Cove Clean Up in cooperation with Save the Bay.
Saturday September 18, 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Here are some photos from the event.
By DANIEL A. KITTREDGE (CRANSTON HERALD)
Read this story using the link below
Summer and science?
It might not be the combination most students have in mind when the school year ends. But for students in the STEM Advantage program, the two went hand-in-hand over the past several weeks.
“You’ve got to be precise with what you do. You’ve got to double check everything, triple check, test things out … One thing about learning is that you just have to do trial and error,” Andy Wu, an incoming 10th-grader at Cranston High School East, said while demonstrating a series of circuit experiments last week at Park View Middle School…
Read about this on Cranston Herald Online https://cranstononline.com/stories/summer-of-stem-through-six-week-program-students-focus-on-fighting-pollution-finding-potential,164328
EWPA has hosted this local historic and art project. Donating on this page supports continued maintenance of the site. If you would like to donate to support the work of EWPA please visit http://stillhousecove.org/donate/
The sculpture and historic marker at the corner of Narragansett Boulevard and Sefton Drive stand at the precise terminus of the former ‘Eddy Street – Edgewood’ streetcar line. The site commemorates the 1890s trolley routes that transformed Edgewood from farmland and recreation area into the neighborhood we know today.
After Filmmaker David A. Goldenberg witnessed the removal of the rails from the Boulevard in 2017, he retrieved some pieces and asked sculptor David Karoff to weld them into a monument. Then, using a myriad of archival sources, Goldenberg produced a documentary film: End of the Line: The Tracks That Shaped Our RI Streetcar Suburb. In the documentary, local voice-over artists recreated period descriptions of the routes that traversed our neighborhood, as well as accident reports, realty advertisements, and transport procedures. A link to the film is provided below.
It was critical to connect the project with the waterfront and public park in a site sensitive manner and the Edgewood Waterfront Preservation Association (EWPA) partnered with Goldenberg and Karoff on the promotion, siting, design, and landscaping of the “End of The Line” project and played a key role in completing it. As with all its preservation efforts, the EWPA also coordinated with the City of Cranston and local representatives. EWPA also provided the funding, with some help from donors, to complete the project. The site is located next to another EWPA project – the Stormwater Bioretention Area.
Mason Dennis Conte built the base and created the brick surround. Community members supported the project with materials and financial contributions.
The sculpture, made from rails from the former trolley line, is an interesting historical artifact that brings together art and history along a busy promenade within sight of historic Stillhouse Cove. This effort was consistent with EWPA’s mission to educate the community and to protect and preserve publicly-owned property within the waterfront area.
Please send your tax-deductible contributions to EWPA (Edgewood Waterfront Preservation Association) 1438 Narragansett Blvd. Cranston RI 02905 and mark checks “trolley memorial” or select the link below
In July with the help of a large number of volunteers led by Nick Cokonis, we planted Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum ‘Shenandoah’) and Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium ‘Standing Ovation’) grasses on the top of the banks.
Both grasses are prairie grasses that are recognized in the category of “warm season grasses” known for their long roots to control erosion and their drought tolerance. These were chosen to protect the embankment from erosion and for their color in the fall to add more interest to the park.
Save The Bay generously donated over 400 plugs of Switchgrass to our planting effort to help patch in spotty growth in existing Switchgrass stands and to control erosion. They are all native plants used where the soil is dry and nutrient deficient.
If you love Stillhouse Cove as much we do, please join us to preserve it.
EWPA is an all volunteer organization and working together with board members and volunteers we protect and improve Stillhouse Cove!
The EWPA organizes cleanups, plantings, and removing invasive plants among other volunteer work. There are also organizational tasks including communications and other office duties.
Come join us making a difference in an important environmental and recreational gem!
Complete the Volunteer form HERE
How can you help? Here are the committees that need YOU!
Communications Committee Help EWPA develop and implement marketing, communications, and public relations strategies to advance the organization’s mission and enhance its public profile. This committee would be a great place for marketing professionals, communications specialists, public relations experts, and anyone passionate about storytelling and digital engagement.
Finance Committee Provides financial oversight and guidance to ensure the organization’s fiscal health, including developing the annual budget for EWPA. This committee is perfect for individuals with backgrounds in financial management, budgeting, investments, accounting, or financial planning.
Fund Development Committee Love storytelling and have a passion for reaching out to our community? This committee creates and executes the EWPA annual appeal, corporate giving, special events, and grant applications to ensure the organization’s financial sustainability. This committee is perfect for fundraisers, grant writers, event planners, storytellers, and anyone passionate about public engagement.
Government Relations Committee Help EWPA maintain its strong partnerships in the government and ensure regulatory and permitting compliance. This committee is ideal for individuals with experience in public relations, liaising between programs and public officials, project management, government documentation, or regulatory compliance.
Site Committee Love the park? Want to help us keep it beautiful, sustainable, and safe for generations to come? The Site Committee coordinates and oversees all site-related work to ensure our park, cove and marshes stay beautiful, clean and cared for. This committee welcomes individuals skilled in landscape management, gardening, hands-on manual labor, and anyone who enjoys park beautification.
Volunteer Management Committee EWPA is volunteer-lead, volunteer-run! This Committee develops comprehensive volunteer management strategies, including recruiting, training, and engaging volunteers across all organizational activities. This committee is perfect for individuals with strengths in relationship building, volunteer coordination, event planning, and community organizing.
Over 80 neighbors joined together at this socially distanced outdoor clean up on April 24th, 9:30-11:30 am.
Teams worked on clean ups at Stillhouse Cove, Pawtuxet Park, and Sheldon Street.
With cooperation from the Pawtuxet Village Association, Save the Bay, RI Yacht Club, Cranston Rotary Club, Pawtuxet Cove Marina, Edgewood Garden Club, the City of Cranston and the City of Warwick the clean-ups were a huge success.
With everyones cooperation, we followed RI Department of Health guidelines. Thanks to everyone for the great event.
About EWPA
MISSION: The EWPA is an independent, volunteer-led nonprofit organization whose mission is to preserve, plant, maintain and enhance the Narragansett Bay waterfront in the Edgewood section of Cranston, Rhode Island, including marshes, wildlife, waterscape and parks for historic preservation, scenic beauty and physical protection for the benefit and enjoyment of the public. This important work is done in collaboration with the City of Cranston and other community partners, and by fundraising from public and private sources.
The Edgewood Waterfront Preservation Association (EWPA) was founded in 1996 to revive a neglected 5.5- acre waterfront park, fronting the historically significant Stillhouse Cove adjoining Narragansett Bay in Cranston, Rhode Island. Originally designated as a park in 1915 by the Metropolitan Park Commission, it remained in the possession of the State of Rhode Island (Department of Environmental Management) until 1984 when it was deeded to the City of Cranston as a conservation area for passive recreation.
For many decades this property was neglected and abused. When Narragansett Boulevard was created and again during the installation of public sewers in the City, construction materials were dumped along the public shoreline. In the 1940s and 1950s it was used as a turnaround for electric buses. After the February 1978 Blizzard it was a dumping ground for polluted snow. During the 1970s and 1980s the Park was overrun with invasive weeds and trash; and the public had lost its access to the shoreline. The adjoining salt marsh had accreted so much sediment carried by storm water that few native species could survive. The waterfront was colonized by Phragmite Australis and Japanese Knotweed, tall invasive plants that proliferated in the marsh and along the shoreline.
Over the last 26 years, under the stewardship of EWPA, Stillhouse Cove has undergone tremendous environmental restoration. Water entering the Cove is now filtered through a storm water infiltration area or re-directed toward Vortechnic units located in the southern end of the park that filter sediment out of runoff. EWPA volunteers regularly clean the shoreline and hold annual maintenance activities in the salt marsh. After years of treating invasive vegetation, native flora and fauna are re-establishing. The Park has been preserved through the vigilant curbing of shoreline erosion, the planting of native grasses and bushes, the management of trees, and the introduction of native perennial flowers to provide visual interest and color.
The Park has become the focal point of the entire Edgewood neighborhood. Twelve months a year it hosts joggers and walkers, bench sitters, bird watchers, kayakers and picnickers, outdoor yoga participants, football throwers, painters and photographers. It is the meeting place for dog walkers who are provided with EWPA-supplied waste bags. Wedding parties and school graduates come to pose by the water. The Park regularly hosts school kids doing science projects on the shoreline.
The EWPA’s goals for 2025 and beyond are to maintain these advancements for the enjoyment of all of our neighbors and visitors. The EWPA is a non-profit 501 (c) 3 organization governed entirely by volunteers. Although EWPA receives some in-kind assistance from the City of Cranston, most of the work maintaining the park has been carried out by volunteers with some paid labor supported entirely by donations from the community or small grants for specific purposes.
Board of Directors
Contact Us
| Board of Directors | |
| Brian Moretti | Joined 2025, President 2025 |
| Colin Murphy | Joined 2018, Vice President 2021 |
| Greta Francis | Joined 2022, Treasurer, 2022 |
| Richard Finlay | Joined 2010, Secretary 2025 |
| Barbara Rubine | Joined 1996 |
| Donna Fieldman | Joined 2022 |
| Melissa Carden | Joined 2022 |
| Doug Shemin | Joined 2022 |
| David Goldenberg | Joined 2023 |
| Hannah Van Akkeren | Joined 2025 |
| Tim Kearns | Joined 2026 |
| Danielle Rieger | Joined 2026 |
2020 saw a significant increase in the use of the park at Stillhouse Cove. Your support enables us to protect and preserve Stillhouse Cove, our local environmental treasure.
Some of What We Did in 2020 with Your Help
Completed the new rose garden with stepping stones and a plaque recognizing our supportive donor.
Protected the marsh and conservation area at Stillhouse by treating and removing invasive weeds and seedlings.
Re-planted 5 gardens and the rotary with native plants that withstand drought and attract bees.
Re-hydroseeded the stormwater infiltration area with our City of Cranston partner and Save the Bay.
Repaired the vandalized sprinkler system and damage to the park lawn.
Provided dog waste bags to neighbors and visitors, including adding a third dispenser to the park this spring when demand increased and maintained walkways to the beach area.
Each year, we need to raise $10,000 to sustain improvements and to keep Stillhouse Cove the clean, beautiful, and safe waterfront park it has become.
Please give today.
Donations are collected through a secure PayPalpayment.
Please give today.
Donations are tax deductible.
Donate here.
Thank you!
A Peek into the Future
Climate Change & Rising Sea levels in Cranston RI
Monday, March 22, 6:30pm
Live Via Zoom
RSVP HERE - EVENT FULL
Please join us for an exciting evening looking into our future at Stillhouse Cove, at the Annual Meeting of the Edgewood Waterfront Preservation Association (EWPA).
Free and Open to the Public.
Space is limited. RSVP Required.
Annual Meeting Presentation
Have you wondered how our neighborhood might be impacted by climate change and rising sea levels?
A Peek into the Future: Climate Change & Rising Sea levels In Cranston RIPlease join us for a presentation by Teresa Crean as she guides us through a discussion of the future of sea level rise predictions, Storm Tools and remediation efforts to plan for the future in our community.
About the Speaker
Teresa Crean is a community planner and coastal management extension specialist with the Coastal Resources Center (CRC) and Rhode Island Sea Grant at the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography. Teresa facilitates municipal-scale projects in Rhode Island that address coastal adaptation to climate change and sea level rise. Her work involves evaluating the results of mapping exercises to clearly communicate anticipated challenges and opportunities for municipal stakeholders while collaboratively considering policies and projects that may increase resiliency in the face of potential impacts from coastal hazards and storm events.
RSVP HERE - EVENT FULL
Stillhouse Cove, along Narragansett Blvd. Restored salt marsh is at right.
Pawtuxet’s Stillhouse Cove has undergone a remarkable transformation. Since 2004, almost $1 million has been invested in projects that have restored the 3-acre salt marsh, protected the embankment from erosion, enhanced the parkland, replaced a derelict boat ramp, and calmed traffic.
Stillhouse Cove Park is managed by the Edgewood Waterfront Preservation Association (EWPA), a non-profit incorporated in 1996. EWPA has developed partnerships with agencies and organizations critical to the funding and installation of these great projects. Partners include: Save the Bay, the City of Cranston, DEM, CRMC, the US Natural Resource Conservation Service, the Narragansett Bay Commission and the Edgewood Garden Club.
2003 2015
Improvements in a coastal zone are very expensive, require environmental permits, and have to be carefully managed. Projects are complicated and time-consuming. However, EWPA and its partners have been tenacious. The result? Note the following projects and milestones completed in the past fourteen years:
2004
Coastal erosion project. Stone rip-rap was installed on about 1000 linear feet of the southern embankment, and the embankment to the north was cleared and planted with special “warm season” grasses, with root systems capable of holding the steep slope in place.
2004-5
Salt marsh restoration project. The invasive phragmites grasses were cut away. The
streambed channels were dug out, removing accumulated sediment, and restoring infiltration of salt water critical to allowing native marshland ecology to recover.
Vortechnics catch basin unit installed, 2005
2005
Installed “Vortechnics” catch basin units in the lawn area, capable of filtering out sand, metals and other contaminates before reaching the marsh.
Installed new sidewalks and granite curbing on Narragansett Boulevard.
2005-09
Installed six memorial benches, for park patrons to enjoy.
2008
Garden improvements installed by the Edgewood Garden Club
2009 ditching enhancements / Unsuccessful hydroseed project, 2009
2009
Additional channels dug to control mosquitoes and increase salt water infiltration
2012
Installed wooden fence at northern end of park
2013
Recovery from Hurricane Sandy
Hurricane Sandy grant enabled stabilization of embankment
2014-15
EWPA wins National Historic Register designation for Stillhouse Cove
EWPA wins Hurricane Sandy restoration grant for new erosion project
Water service installed at site, 2015
Water service and sprinklers installed on lawn area, which was regraded and reseeded as well.
Narragansett Boulevard traffic calming installed, including two speed tables and a new rotary at the intersection with Ocean Avenue.
New boat ramp installed.
Ten new gardens planted on site.
Annual Cove Clean Up, 2015
EWPA has ongoing initiatives and the annual Cove Clean Up every April. Pawtuxet neighbors who use or appreciate Stillhouse cove are encouraged to check out www.stillhousecove.org and sign up to become a member. Thanks for your support!
Phoebe Bean did not disappoint in presenting a fascinating talk on “Relics, Rebels and Rum” of Stillhouse Cove. Thanks all that attended, to our presenters, President Barbara Rubine, Secretary Susan Hartman, and Treasurer Piers Curry, and of course, Phoebe Bean!
At the Edgewood Yacht Club, 3 Shaw Avenue, Cranston
Wednesday, October 2, 2019. Doors open 6pm, Presentation begins at 6:30pm
Lecture:
Relics, Rebels & Rum: Stillhouse Cove Through the Ages
The Edgewood Waterfront Preservation Association has been awarded a Hurricane Sandy Disaster Relief Grant for Historic Properties. This grant, administered by the Rhode Island Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission (RIHPHC), is funded by the National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior.
Important components of this new project include the following:
• Replanting the entire 49,000 square foot lawn with a drought tolerant seed. The lawn will be repaired in areas where depressions in the park surface currently contribute to erosion of the banks.
• Additional erosion control vegetation will be planted to replace plants lost during the storm. These plants, to be installed at the top of the riprap, will help stabilize the park surface in the event of a future storm surge.
• During the restoration of the lawn the park will be closed until the grass is established enough for public use. Thank you for your anticipated patience as we attempt to make another important improvement to this historically and environmentally important property.
We are very thankful for this new grant, and look forward to coming together as a community to repair Stillhouse Cove.
See pictures of Stillhouse Cove during Hurricane Sandy and the 2013 restoration.
Stillhouse Cove During Hurricane Sandy
During the fall of 2013, more than 10 feet of eroded shoreline was reconstructed with assistance from the Natural Resource Conservation Service (USDA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Technical assistance for the 2013 post-Sandy project was provided by both the Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC), and Save the Bay (STB).
The annual Stillhouse Cove Clean-Up is scheduled for Saturday, April 12th, from 10am to noon.
As always, we have to coordinate the cleanp-up with the low tide, but we are doing it a little early this year so that we can get a chance to clean up the site before all the recently planted warm-season grasses start to emerge from the ground.
We are also partnering with Save The Bay on this project, and have a few specific tasks planned:
- Cut phragmite stalks.
- Clean the creeks of vegetation to ensure that water flows in and out of the marsh. This is important for controlling the fresh water invasive vegetation like phragmite.
- Clean the riprap of debris and weeds.
- Clean both beach areas.
- Clear Strathmore Place path of weeds.
If it rains, May 10th, 10am to noon, is our alternate date. If the weather looks sketchy, check back here on the morning of April 12th, and we’ll post an announcement if the date has been changed.
Participants are asked to wear sturdy shoes, bring gloves, and be prepared to do a variety of jobs. Bring a shovel if you have one that you don’t mind getting muddy. School groups should pre-register or contact Barbara Rubine at 401-529-6643, or email at brubine@verizon.net.
We look forward to everyone’s support.
As the ground freezes deeper and deeper, take a look back at these pictures from October showing the great progress made with re-vegetating the slopes in Stillhouse Cove between the marsh and the park.
Not only will these plants help prevent more serious continued erosion, but the park will look nicer with an array of native plants.
Cranston Mayor Allan Fung has scheduled the public meeting on the Narragansett Boulevard traffic calming plan for Wednesday July 24 at 6 PM at Cranston City Hall in the City Council chambers. The meeting will include the engineering firm hired to design the project and is open to the public.
Note: the meeting is not yet confirmed on the Cranston City Calendar; stay tuned for details.
Senator Joshua Miller and Providence Water Company officials will be hosting a meeting at the Rhode Island Yacht Club on Monday, June 10th, 2013, to address chronic water quality issues in the Edgewood community.
The meeting begins at 6pm. Please park on Ocean Avenue, and proceed around to the rear of the Clubhouse to the northerly staircase (the central foyer will be inaccessible at this time).
Upstairs, go along the North wall and enter through the Members’ Room. Go through the Members’ Room to the larger Commodore Room for the meeting. Feel free to stop in to the bar to buy a drink as well!
Here’s a glimpse into what we’re trying to do to save the banks from eroding even more.
First, an analysis of the most severely eroded areas:
Next, plans drawn up by the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service showing us how to best restore the park:
Over six months later, the banks of Stillhouse Cove continue to suffer from the effects of Hurricane Sandy.
A few more shots…
A big thank you goes out to everyone who came down to help us get the cove back in shape for another year.
Here are a few pictures of our helpers hard at work:
Mark your calendars, the 20th Annual Stillhouse Cove Clean-up is scheduled for Saturday, April 20th, from 10am to 1pm (rain date: May 4th, 10am to 1pm). We always have to work around the tides and these Saturdays are our only options.
Participants are asked to wear sturdy shoes, bring gloves, and be prepared to do a variety of jobs: pick up trash that washed in from Hurricane Sandy and the Blizzard of 2013; remove invasive vegetation; and possibly help plant plugs of switchgrass if the site preparation is complete at that time. Also, we need people to bring shovels to help clear the ditches of debris. We will provide water, sunscreen, and basic first aid.
School groups should pre-register or contact Barbara Rubine at 401-529-6643, or email at brubine@verizon.net.
Been hearing about all the accidents happening around Stillhouse Cove lately? There have been many more than you think.
Check out this spreadsheet listing all the auto accidents that have occurred around Stillhouse Cove in the past 10+ years.
We’ve created this new web site and blog to keep you informed of what’s going on in and around the cove.
Stay tuned!
