The Oldest Unit, the Oldest Stories
Clarke Street is one of Newport's quieter lanes, a short walk from the bustle of the waterfront. Halfway along it stands a squat stone building with the look of a small fortress. This is the armory of the Artillery Company of Newport, and the unit that calls it home is older than the country.
Old militias have long memories. Their members come back for reunions, parades, and funerals across generations. According to the stories told in Newport, some of them have kept coming back long after their own.
A Militia Older Than the Nation
The 1741 Charter
The Artillery Company of Newport was chartered in 1741 by the Rhode Island General Assembly, and it is described as the oldest military unit in the United States still operating under its original charter. Its first commander was Captain Jahleel Brenton.
The Clarke Street Armory
The company's stone and brick armory on Clarke Street was built in 1835 in the Greek Revival style. After a fire in 1906, it was rebuilt with a second story added. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
Revere's Cannons and a Museum
Today the armory houses a military museum with a large collection of uniforms from around the world. Among its treasures are four bronze cannons cast for the State of Rhode Island by Paul Revere in 1798. The company still takes part in ceremonies and parades, and it fired salutes and served as honor guard during Queen Elizabeth II's visit in 1976.
Check the company's current museum hours before planning a visit.
The Ghost Stories of the Armory
A Century of Rumors
According to Discover Newport, the city's tourism bureau, the armory has been the subject of rumored hauntings for more than a hundred years, and it is a favorite stop for paranormal investigators and local ghost tour guides.
The Investigation
On one occasion, investigators worked with the company to open the building for an exclusive tour with guest ghost hunts. They reported recording more than 150 electronic voice phenomena, the faint voices that investigators say turn up on audio recordings, along with a number of orbs in their photographs. As Discover Newport puts it, the building is still considered to have an unexplained energy.
Who Might Remain
Nobody can say who those voices might belong to. But it is easy to see why people wonder. The armory has been the gathering place of the same company for nearly two centuries, holding the uniforms, flags, and equipment of men who served Rhode Island. If any building in Newport has a reason to keep its members close, it is this one.
Still on the Muster Roll
The Artillery Company of Newport is still active, still parading, still firing salutes on the days that matter to Rhode Island. Its armory is still full of the gear of those who came before.
Walk past on a quiet night and look at the dark windows on Clarke Street. If the stories are right, the oldest militia in America may have a few members who never answered the final roll call.
