Rhode Island Red Monument

The Rhode Island Red Monument is a historic commemorative sculpture in Little Compton, Rhode Island in the village of Adamsville, Rhode Island commemorating the Rhode Island Red, Rhode Island's state bird. The sculpture was completed in 1925 by Henry L. Norton.[2] In 2001, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Rhode Island Red
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Monument in 2008
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Location	Little Compton, Rhode Island
Coordinates	41°33′13″N 71°7′44″W
Built	1925
Architect	Henry L. Norton
MPS	Outdoor Sculpture of Rhode Island MPS
NRHP reference No.	01000465 [1]
Added to NRHP	October 19, 2001

The text of the monument reads: "To commemorate the birthplace of the/Rhode Island Red breed of fowl which/originated near this location/--red fowls bred extensively by/the farmers of this district and later/named "Rhode Island Reds" and brought into/national prominence by the poultry fanciers--this tablet placed by the/Rhode Island Red Club of America/with contributions of Rhode Island Red/breeders throughout the world/on land donated by/Deborah Manchester/1925"

In 1925, the Rhode Island Red was no longer a practical hen for farmers. New, better breeds, were established, and they were just called “Reds.” Rhode Islanders, Little Compton boosters, and the many poultry fanciers who still raised them, wanted to call attention to the breed. They were inspired, in part, by the new memorial in Winterset Iowa, for the delicious apple – if an apple could have a memorial, why not a hen?[3]. The Rhode Island Red Club of America, a chicken-breeder organization founded in 1898, raised the funds for the monument.

There was significant debate about the proper location for the monument. While there was agreement that Little Compton was the right place for a monument (the Rhode Island Red had originated as a breed in Little Compton, in the 1850s, and became a key part of the local economy from about 1870 to 1910) there was disagreement about just where in town it should be built. Two sites were initially considered. The Rhode Island Red Club of America, which represented poultry fanciers wanted it in Adamsville, a more prominent spot for tourists. Some locals wanted it nearer to the Tripp farm, where the breed was created. The debate continued up to the unveiling of the memorial, and beyond: The Providence Journal devoted a page to the story with the headline “Adamsville give hen place in the sun.” But many prominent RI Red enthusiasts were not there. Another headline: “Monument to Hen divides breeders.” [4]

And in fact, the debate continued even after the unveiling. The following year, the town council gave approval for a second memorial, at the intersection on West Main Road and the road to the Commons. This was to be a hen, not a rooster. The Providence Journal covered the story with glee: “The Little Compton hen will go far toward assuaging the grievances which have divided the two villages into hostile camps, for Adamsville will have its rooster and Little Compton will have its hen, and peace will reign forever. Hallelujah!”[5]

Though that monument was never built, another one was.In 1954, the hundredth anniversary of the Rhode Island Red, the same year that the Rhode Island legislature voted the Rhode Island Red the state bird, the Rhode Island Red Club and local residents installed a plaque at the location where William Tripp raised his famous chickens at the intersection of William Sisson Road and Long Highway.[6]