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The area now known as Misquamicut Beach wasn't
always so!
Up until the early 1900s, the area was formally
known as Pleasant View, RI. The majority of the beach area was owned
by the Indians. In the 1890s, settlers purchased the beach area
property from Sosoa, a Montauk Indian chief. It was then that the
development of the beach area began.
The Pleasant View name stuck around until 1928,
when it was officially changed to Misquamicut. Misquamicut is an
Indian word which means "red salmon at this place."
 The
hurricane of 1938 brought about some major changes to the physical
look and shape of the beach area. It also brought about some major
destruction and devastation to the buildings and properties of the
area. Most of what was there previous to the hurricane was not there
afterward. A major rebuilding of the area was in order. It was then
that the prominence of the Misquamicut Beach area began to take
shape.
In 1958 a 152 acre parcel of land was purchased
by the State of RI, from the previous owner, the Department of Public
Works and the Division of Harbors and Rivers. That parcel of land
is now what is officially known as Misquamicut State Beach. The
land had been severely damaged by the 1954 hurricane. The State
of RI made the necessary repairs and the beach officially opened
in 1959. The first official bathhouse was dedicated in June of 1960.
Misquamicut Beach was considered then to be a popular
surf beach by RI residents. It is now considered by many to be RI's
best known and most popular beach… particularly by beach goers visiting
from nearby Connecticut.
In 1992, the beach's 40 year old septic failed
and Misquamicut State Beach was almost forced to close for good.
The construction of a new septic system was not allowed, which forced
the Dept. of Parks and Recreation to seek other alternatives. Working
closely with a Massachusetts engineering firm, a new type of waterless
toilet was developed and put into service, allowing the beach to
remain open to the public.
 In
1999, a new $1.5 million pavilion was constructed. The new pavilion
includes a bathhouse building with coin-operated hot showers, a
concession building with an office and a gift shop, outdoor cold
showers, shade gazebos and a lifeguard tower. The new pavilion also
has a large boardwalk-style deck, constructed of a wood-and-recycled-plastic
compound.
In the year 2000, in the final phase of rebuilding
and improvement, a $700,000 parking lot renovation project was completed
that now allows the parking lot to hold a maximum of 2700 cars.
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