Newport Tower in Touro Park Remains a Mystery

Many of us wonder about mysteries like the construction of the pyramids and stonehenge. Who carved the giant statues on Easter Island adn how exactly did the Olmecs haul those stones that eventually became giant heads? With so many beautiful mysteries around the world, its easy to remain ignorant or simply forget that the U.S. is not without its own mysteries. In Newport, Rhode Island, the tower in Touro Park remains shrouded in mystery. When was it built and whom? These questions and many others surround this tower, but they only serve to add to the beauty of a tower that is slowing wearing away.

The earliest written documentation about the tower is located in the will of Benedict Arnold (the great-grandfather of the traitor). He refers to the tower as, "my stone built Windmill," however it does not mention whether he had the tower built or if it was already on the land when he bought it. Speculators suggest that Arnold saw the Chesterton Windmill in Warwickshire, England before traveling to America and used it as his inspiration.

In 1949 archaeologists found 17th century artifacts around the tower. Because they found no items from other time periods, they believed they had proven the Arnold theory; however, new evidence has been brought to light. Carbon dating showed that mortar from the tower was probably used between 1635 and 1698. Unfortunately, the process used to date the material has been invalidated. There is also evidence that breaches in the tower's walls have been patched numerous times throught the years.

In 1839, a new theory emerged, when a Danish scholar named Carl Christian Rafn suggested that they tower was built by the Norse in the 12th century. Between the years 1112 and 1121, Bishop Eric Gnupsson came over from Greenland to Vinland. Rafn argued that Vinland was really New England. Many resemblances between the tower and old Norse buildings have since been noted. Archaeologist Philip Means went so far as to suggest that Arnold converted an already existing structure into a winmill. He cited the unlikelihood of a windmill's housing a fireplace as evidence of his theory. Because windmills typically housed flammable dust, a fireplace would have been too dangerous.

Another theory poses that Prince Henry Sinclair built the tower during a 1398 visit. The Sinclair clan believes that the tower chares similarities with buildings of the Scottish Isles. They also claim that the tower was measured in ells, a Scottish measurement that equals three Norse feet. Further evidence was given by the Narragansett Indians who passed down a story that attributes the tower to, "fire-haired men with green eyes who sailed up river in a ship like a gull with a broken wing." Further significance may be placed on the fact that many of the Indian words of the region seemingly resemble those of Norse and Gaelic.

Other theories credit the Portuguese and the Chinese. Further excavations has revealed primitive stone tools under the layers previously dug. We may never know who built the beautiful stone tower surrounded by arches, but that doesn't detract from the beauty of it.