Westerly - State of Rhode Island: Division of Planning

The Westerly Comprehensive Plan8.2 Cultural ResourcesThere exists a variety of non-profit cultural institutions and events which are important to thecommunity and its tourist industry. Foremost, perhaps, among these are the Westerly Public Libraryand its Wilcox Park, the Chorus of Westerly which has programs year round in its concert hall, andthe Summer Pops concerts, held in June, in Wilcox Park. The Park is also the site of productions ofShakespeare-in-the-Park and of the Salt Marsh Opera, and, by its location, the non-profit GraniteTheatre, complements the performing arts activities in Wilcox Park. While largely privatelysupported, some of the town’s cultural institutions also receive municipal funding. In addition,special benefits are provided artists and art facilities at specially designated areas of downtownWesterly. Artists who live and work in the state-recognized Westerly Arts District are eligible forcertain beneficial tax incentives. (See Rhode Island State Council on the Arts(http://www.arts.ri.gov/projects/districts.php) The Granite Street Overlay District provides forprofessional offices and artistic studios to be located in an otherwise residential district. (See §60-58Westerly Code of Ordinances)The Memorial and Library Association of Westerly owns and operates the Westerly Public Library,itself built as a Civil War memorial, and the surrounding 14-acre Wilcox Park, the original portion ofwhich was designed in 1898 by Warren Manning, a protégé of Frederick Law Olmstead. The Park isperhaps the single most character-generating feature of the town and is often referred to as a “jewel”of the town. Although Westerly is a medium-sized community, its Library collection is the secondmost actively used in the state. Both the Library and the Park are currently undergoing a majorrestoration. The Westerly Armory, which houses the Westerly Band, the oldest civic band in thecountry, was recently restored.Westerly, Rhode Island 121