This image is the cover for the book Rocky Point Park, Images of Modern America

Rocky Point Park, Images of Modern America

In 1938, a tremendous hurricane devastated southern New England, including Rocky Point Park. The shore dining hall was washed away, and the roller coaster lay in ruins. Owners began to look into other options for this beautiful 80 acres of land along the coastline of Narragansett Bay. The park's future was in jeopardy until 1948, when Providence businessman Vincent Ferla bought it and brought it back to life. He revitalized the midway and brought in new and exciting rides, and on the park's first day back, more than 35,000 people visited. The park thrived for nearly 50 years until its eventual closure in 1995. Today, this scenic spot along the Atlantic Ocean has been returned to the people of Rhode Island as a nature preserve and is flourishing once again.

David Bettencourt

Rhode Island native David Bettencourt has many fond memories of Rocky Point Park, where he spent many childhood summers. In 2007, he produced and directed a documentary about the park called You Must Be This Tall, and many of the images for this book are drawn from that film's extensive research and photograph archive. In 2009, Bettencourt coauthored Arcadia's Images of America: Rocky Point Park.

Arcadia Publishing