When you look for South County, RI, on a map, you’ll find yourself searching for a while and will eventually come up empty. The reason is that the region doesn’t actually exist, at least in geographical terms.
South County’s official name is Washington County, and as you might expect, it is named after George Washington. The name makes sense because there’s evidence that Washington spent significant time in the region before, during, and after the American Revolution.
For one, Washington’s most trusted general from the Revolutionary War, Nathanael Greene, lived in Coventry, RI. Coventry isn’t part of Washington County but is often included as part of South County, which is easy to do since South County doesn’t physically exist. Washington likely visited Greene numerous times and would have traveled through the entire area on these trips.
In addition, Dr. Joshua Babcock, one of Washington’s best friends, lived in Westerly, RI. Babcock was a major general during the American Revolution and regularly hosted Washington and Benjamin Franklin at his home in Westerly.
The Homestead of General Nathanael Greene and Babcock Smith House Museum, two locations where Washington probably stayed, are still found in those communities to this day, so you can visit them during your vacation for more insight.
But where did the name South County come from, and why do locals use it instead of Washington County? Here’s a look at how South County got its name and why locals still use this unofficial title today.
Kings County to Washington County
Before the American Revolution, present-day South County was mainly inhabited by English colonists. They arrived in the region in the late 1600s and set up plantations, making most of these landowners incredibly wealthy.
In 1729, these landowners established Kings County inside the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, selecting the name because of their loyalty to the British monarch. The name stuck for a little while because life was good for landowners in this part of the country.
However, tensions arose in the colonies in the 1760s. Namely, the Stamp Act of 1765 and the Townshend Acts of 1767 and 1768 saw taxes increase substantially in the colonies to help Britain pay for the expenses associated with governing North America.
These tensions between the American colonies and Great Britain eventually led to the American Revolutionary War. In 1781, as the war was coming to a close, people in the region decided to rename the county in honor of George Washington and to distance themselves from the British crown.
Why South County?
The official name of South County is Washington County, and it was named after the first American President, who had a connection to the area. So, why isn’t the official name used?
We don’t know the answer for sure, but the popular theory is that South County residents had significant distrust in the federal government following the Revolutionary War. They didn’t like the power this new government had over the region, so they refused to use the name.
Old newspapers dating back to the early 1800s refer to the region as South County, suggesting the Washington County name never truly caught on with locals.
In addition, text written in 1767, before the Revolutionary War, uses the name South County. The official name was still Kings County at that time, so it’s likely that locals started using the name South County to protest British rule in the mid-1700s and kept using the name out of habit and as a protest after the region was renamed Washington County.
It’s believed that the name South County came to be because it’s at the state’s southernmost spot. That explanation makes a lot of sense, especially since it’s a nickname from the earliest days of colonization.
South County Today
Perhaps the main reason South County is still in use today is that it’s far catchier than Washington County. It’s easier to say and easier to write, which could be why the South County Tourism Council used the name and started promoting the region as such in the 1980s.
South County isn’t an official geographical area, but that doesn’t prevent it from being Rhode Island’s top holiday destination. Book your South County vacation rental today to ensure you end up in the perfect spot to enjoy the beaches, sunshine, and history of this special area on the Rhode Island shoreline.