Warren, Rhode Island | Accidentally Wes Anderson

Created by

Matthew Dickey

It’s a wee place. Warren, Rhode Island is quite possibly the smallest town, in the smallest county, in the smallest state. It’s a town of cafes, bookstores, and even a professional snackery. Home to one of the largest collections of Victorian-era storefronts in New England, Warren proves that small doesn’t mean lacking in history. Join us on the smallest trip to explore the artisans, chefs, musicians, and creative residents who call this tiny town home!

arc{hive} book + snackery.

Used bookstore, bar, AND snackery? What more could you want? Not quite a restaurant, not really a library, this lounge-like atmosphere encourages visitors to pursue rare and odd used books that have been hand selected by the owners. We suggest perusing the shelves while sipping a cocktail and grabbing a snack (or two)!

4 Market St, Warren, RI 02885

Warren Comfort Station

Warren is not only a charming small town, but also aims to share and promote native history. Located in Burr’s Hill Park, this little comfort station is readily accessible from the Town Beach. The park was a Royal Pokonoket Burial site and it is believed that their leader, Massasoit, is buried on site. Massasoit is known for meeting the pilgrims and ensured their survival in the early 1600s. We can’t help but commend Warren for its preservation and educational efforts!

533-559 Water St, Warren, RI 02885

Carriage House

Once serving as marines to the navy’s militia police, the Warren Federal Blues now serve a very different purpose. As honorary community guards they oversee historic education of Warren, run the armory museum, and on occasion are allowed to fire off a ceremonial musket or cannon during holiday parades.

42 Baker St, Warren, RI 02885

Galactic Theatre

Created by music lovers David and Victoria Podsnap, their vision of yesteryear is encompassed in the form of a vaudeville meets rockabilly meets a classic tattoo shop where music and art are at the core. Although there is a bar, it’s not really a bar, rather a meeting place for those interested in a haven for talking tunes, and encountering some rocking noise. Regulars and visitors alike will describe it as a spot where everyone is weird, everyone is valued, and everyone is welcome. We can cheers to that!

440 Main St, Warren, RI 02885

Old St. Mark's Church

Prior to congregating in the old church, the parishioners of St. Marks would meet at a local hotel for their weekly liturgy. Although it wasn’t the typical religious setting, it allowed them to save up and in 1829 they built the perfect home for their congregation. When a developer threatened to demolish this piece of history in 2013, Warren locals took action to save it. Ultimately, it was saved by a local community member who has turned it from a parish to a home. No ones wiping out this piece of history!

21 Lyndon St, Warren, RI 02885

Imagine Gift Store

Built at a time where motion pictures were brand new, and locals flocked to see the newest flick, this old theater has been converted into a playful wonderland. From the oustide, the shop looks like a theater of every kid’s colorful dreams. And the inside doesn’t disappoint: it is now one of the largest gift stores in New England with over 500 different types of… candy!

5 Miller St, Warren, RI 02885

William Schaff Art Studio

This Victorian era storefront is both the home and studio of local artist William Schaff’s. Known for his peculiar album artwork, Schaffer spends his days working on commissions and drawing. As many people know, life as an artist can lead to fickle income at certain points in time, so his home has lovingly, and fittingly been nicknamed “Fort Foreclosure” by the artist himself and other Warren residents. But that hasn’t stopped him from pursuing his dream and having the fort become a meeting place for local and visiting artists.

164 Water St, Warren, RI 02885

Ed McAloon Art Studio

This late Victorian beauty was once the quarters of a local dry-goods store, but has been converted into an artist studio. Once the workshop of renowned illustrator David Macaulay, it is now occupied by Ed McAloon and Darby Pontes, Ed being a mixed-media artist and Darby being a huge supporter of local artists in Warren. The building is charmingly known to the locals as a “chocolate shop.”

146 Water St, Warren, RI 02885

292 Walter Street

Is it the smallest house, in the smallest town, in the smallest county, in the smallest state? Quite possibly so! Its small sign states, “Captain Charles Collins House, c 1780” but that’s a half truth. (You can’t always trust the plaque.) The shed is likely an outbuilding for the larger home it’s next to, but it has its own address today. The larger home was owned by Captain Charles Collins and was built in the 1770s – so one has to ask, what kind of captain was he? The town shares the story on a board across the street, not shying away or hiding the fact that Warren was once a port for human slavery. Could this charming home have once housed the enslaved? We can’t know for sure, but it’s an important question to ask so that we don’t hide devastating stories under the interesting and beautiful.

292 Water St, Warren, RI 02885

The Warren Armory

Built in 1842, the armory was at the center of Warren civic life for over 150 years. After World War II, the American Legion Post bought the building for a deal of the century- just $10! It is now owned by the town, and a multitude of projects have taken place to restore the building to its old splendor and reinstate it to civic life.

11 Jefferson St, Warren, RI 02885

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Matthew Dickey

arc{hive} book + snackery.

Warren Comfort Station

Carriage House

Galactic Theatre

Old St. Mark's Church

Imagine Gift Store

William Schaff Art Studio

Ed McAloon Art Studio

292 Walter Street

The Warren Armory

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