This article ("A Bit of History") was published in the 4th edition of the BONNET BEACON (July/August, 2006) Photos were added from Historical section of this website.....

A BIT OF HIST ORY (AND HER STOR Y TOO ) . . .
I’ve gathered a few interesting facts about the Bonnet Shores community as well as about the Beach Club.  I think you might enjoy reading about our local history.  You can find more information on our website where our webmaster, Joe Herbold, has posted several pages of information as well as a few old photos.  Thanks also to Emily Listro (a Beach Club owner and a Fire District resident) and to Bill Giannini (the 1991, 1992, and 1993 BS BCC A President) who also helped.

The term “bonnet” is derived from the shape of the pond to the right of the causeway when going out of the Beach Club.  Check it out the next time you’re flying overhead in a hot air balloon.

Bonnet Shores was developed as a summer residential community in 1928 by state Senator Harry Bodwell.  At that time, the proposal included a 9-hole golf course between Camden Avenue and Bonnet Shores Road .  Some lots originally sold for $500.  By 1935, there were a total of 65 cottages.

The Beach Club was also first built in 1928 with 71 bathhouses.  In 1945, it was bought by a group that included U.S. Attorney General J. Howard McGrath (also a former RI Governor).

In the 1950s, the Beach Club had a 44x60 recreation room (that was used for movies, dances, and other activities), four bowling alleys, 537 bathhouses, and an umbrella shack right on the beach.  Part of the Main Deck was covered to shade benches and picnic tables that were located there.  There were also cabanas/homes for the lifeguards as well as one for the Beach Club Manager.

The Beach Club was purchased in 1985 by Anthony Mansolillo for $2.4 million.  Following that purchase, $7million worth of improvements and additions were made by the late 1980s, including the pool and the second floor of the main pavilion.  The facility was turned into a condominium community in 1987, at which time the formerly rented units were sold as condos.

The Beach Club presently has 930 units, of which 2 are deluxe live-ins, 4 are live-ins, 285 are cabanas, 26 are double bathhouses, 206 are mini-double bathhouses, and 407 are bathhouses with approximately 2,000 owners and just under 5,000 members.  The property encompasses some 28 acres with 1700 feet of waterfront.  The 75-foot pool holds 85,000 gallons of water which are turned over twice every 24 hours. We have about 100 employees, five of whom are year-round employees.  

The Beach Club was managed by an off-site property management company until 2001, at which time we became self-managed.  The food services (restaurant, snack bar, and bar) were run as a concession until 2002; this is our fourth season of running the food services ourselves.

The Beach Club was just about wiped out by the 1938 Hurricane, was heavily damaged by Hurricane Carol in 1954, 

and sustained $1.7 million worth of damage by Hurricane Bob in 1991.  The 1991 damage included plumbing, electrical, and structural damage as well as significant beach erosion.  Moreover, the pool filled with mud that had to be removed shovel-full by shovel-full and then placed on a conveyor belt to be deposited in waiting trucks.  Amazingly, the facility re-opened the following year.

There are presently 825 homes in the Bonnet Shores Fire District. 

Sitting on the Beach and looking out to sea, you can see the Beavertail Lighthouse to the left (at about 11 o’clock ) and Whale Rock to the right (at about 1 o’clock ).  

The beach to the left is Kelly Beach and the beach to the right is Wesquage Beach .  The houses to the left are in the Fire District, the houses on the cliffs to the right (at about 2 o’clock ) are in Anawan Cliffs, and the houses to the right (at about 4 o’clock ) are in either the Bonnet Terrace Association or the Wesquage Association.

visitors to this page since 7/27/06

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