Title 42
State Affairs and Government

Chapter 1
Sovereignty and Jurisdiction of State

§ 42-1-3. Tracts ceded to United States — Reserved jurisdiction.

The tracts of land hereinafter referred to are within the exclusive jurisdiction of the United States subject to the reservations and conditions contained in the acts of the general assembly ceding jurisdiction thereof, respectively; provided, that all civil and criminal process issued under the authority of this state may be executed thereon in the same manner as if the jurisdiction of the lands had not been ceded; that is to say:

(1) A tract of land at Beaver Tail, in the south part of the town of Jamestown;

(2) A tract of land at Whale Rock, at the entrance to Narragansett Bay;

(3) A tract of land at Watch Hill, in the town of Westerly;

(4) A tract of land at Point Judith, in the town of Narragansett;

(5) A tract of land at Poplar Point, in the town of North Kingstown;

(6) A tract of land at Old Gay Rock, in the harbor of Wickford, in the town of North Kingstown;

(7) A tract of land on the northwest point of Block Island, in the town of New Shoreham;

(8) A tract of land at the breakwater at Block Island, in the town of New Shoreham;

(9) A tract of land on the southeast point of Block Island, in the town of New Shoreham;

(10) A tract of land at Warwick Neck, in the city of Warwick;

(11) A tract of land at Sandy Point, on the island of Prudence, in the town of Portsmouth;

(12) An island or place in the harbor of Newport, known as Lime Rock;

(13) A lot of land near Bristol Ferry, in the town of Bristol;

(14) A shoal known as the Bullock’s Point Shoal, in Providence River, and so much of the land below low water surrounding the same as is included within a circle of one hundred feet (100′) radius from the center of the lighthouse thereon; an island in the outer channel of Providence River known as Pomham Rock; with Fuller’s Rocks, in Providence River, and so much of the land below high-water mark as is within the circle of one hundred feet (100′) radius from the center of the lighthouse, beacon light, or range light at Fuller’s Rocks; and so much land below high-water mark as is included within a circle of one hundred feet (100′) radius from the center of the lighthouse, beacon light, or range light at Sassafras Point, in Providence River; all of which several tracts of land have been acquired by the United States as sites for lighthouses;

(15) A tract of land covered by the navigable waters of the state within a circle, seven hundred feet (700′) in diameter, the center of which shall be the Little Cormorant Rock, so-called, situated at the mouth of the Seaconnet River, on a course northwest from the northwesterly point of West Island, and distant therefrom about nine hundred feet (900′), as a site for a lighthouse, beacon, or other aid to navigation;

(16) A tract of land covered by the navigable waters of the state within a circle, three hundred feet (300′) in diameter, the center of which shall be the rocks known as Gull Rocks, in mid-channel between Rose Island and Coaster’s Harbor Island, in Newport Harbor, as a site for a lighthouse or other aid to navigation;

(17) A tract, piece or parcel of land lying and being in the Warren River, for the erection thereon of a light in aid of navigation, more particularly described as a circular plot one hundred feet (100′) in diameter including what is known as Allen Rock, the center of the plot being located in latitude forty-one degrees (41°), forty-two minutes (42ʹ), forty-nine seconds (49″), north; longitude seventy-one degrees (71°), seventeen minutes (17ʹ), thirty-seven and three-quarters seconds (37.75″) west, and further described by a circle in red ink adjacent to the words “Allen Rk” on a copy of the U.S. coast and geodetic survey chart, marked exhibit “A” and attached to chapter 1879 of the Public Laws of 1932;

(18) A tract of land on Brenton’s Neck, in Newport, being the site of Fort Adams;

(19) Goat Island in the harbor of Newport, being the site of Fort Walcott and a lighthouse;

(20) Dutch Island, between Jamestown and Narragansett, purchased for the purpose of a lighthouse and the location of a fort;

(21) An island called Castle Island, at the entrance of Bristol Harbor;

(22) An island between Newport and Jamestown, known as Rose Island, ceded for a fort;

(23) A lot of land on the east side of Weybosset Street, in the city of Providence, purchased for a customhouse, post office, and United States courtroom;

(24) A lot of land on the east side of Thames Street, in the city of Newport, purchased for a customhouse;

(25) A lot of land in the town of Bristol, purchased for a post office and customhouse;

(26) A lot of land in the city of Pawtucket, purchased for a post office and other public purposes;

(27) Coaster’s Harbor Island in Narragansett Bay, ceded for the location of the United States naval training school;

(28) A lot of land on Exchange Place in the city of Providence, purchased for a post office, courthouse, and customhouse;

(29) A tract of land south of Jamestown, on Conanicut Island, Rhode Island, being the site of Fort Wetherill;

(30) A tract of land on the northwesterly shore of Conanicut Island, commonly known as Fox Hill, being the site of Fort Getty;

(31) A tract of land south of Saunderstown, on the westerly shore of Narragansett Bay, commonly known as Boston Neck, being the site of Fort Kearny;

(32) A tract of land at Point Judith, being the site of the landing for the upper shore arm of Point Judith breakwater;

(33) A tract of land under water at the entrance of Great Salt Pond Harbor on Block Island in the town of New Shoreham for lighthouse purposes; the land being all that tract, piece or parcel of land situate, lying and being in a circle, two hundred feet (200′) in diameter, the center of which is in latitude north forty-one degrees (41°), eleven minutes (11ʹ), fifty-seven and six-tenths seconds (57.6″), and longitude east, seventy-one degrees (71°), thirty-five minutes (35ʹ), thirty-eight and four-tenths seconds (38.4″), and bears north thirty-nine degrees (39°), eighteen minutes (18ʹ) west true from Great Salt Pond inner end light and distant from it by one thousand five hundred seventy-five feet (1,575′). Also a line parallel to and one hundred feet (100′) from the center line of the existing breakwater and another line perpendicular to the above-mentioned line at a point southerly of and one hundred feet (100′) distant from the northerly extremity of the breakwater intersect each other in a point which is the center of the circle. The area or content of the property thus limited and defined being seven hundred twenty-one one-thousandths (⁷²¹/₁₀₀₀) of an acre more or less;

(34) A tract of land situated, lying and being within the city of Newport, the county of Newport and the state of Rhode Island, approximately one thousand five hundred feet (1,500′) north of Coaster’s Harbor Island and six hundred feet (600′) west of Coddington Point, and surrounded by the waters of Narragansett Bay, known as and called Bishop’s Rock, containing about six-tenths (⁶/₁₀) of an acre;

(35) A parcel of land lying within the reservation of the Peters-Fournier Airport of Rhode Island situated in the towns of Lincoln and Smithfield, ceded to the United States for the express purpose of establishing and developing upon the land a specialist training center for the United States air force reserve and for the erection of buildings, utilities, and other structures for military uses in this regard;

(36) A parcel of land lying within the reservation of the Peters-Fournier Airport of Rhode Island situated in the towns of Lincoln and Smithfield, ceded to the United States for the express purpose of constructing and operating upon the land a tactical site support facility to provide logistical support to installations in the Providence defense area and for the erection of buildings, utilities, and other structures for uses in this regard;

(37) A tract of land situated in the town of Middletown and the city of Newport, located between the Rhode Island department of transportation railroad right-of-way and the portion of Narragansett Bay known as Coddington Cove, referred to as AREA V-A in the attached deed;

(38) A tract of land situated in the town of Middletown, located within the Naval Station’s security perimeter of Coddington Cove, referred to as AREA V-B in the attached deed;

(39) A tract of land situated in the town of Middletown, located within the Naval Station’s security perimeter of Coddington Cove, referred to as AREA V-C in the attached deed;

(40) A tract of land situated in the town of Middletown, located within the Naval Station’s security perimeter of Coddington Cove, referred to as AREA V-D in the attached deed;

(41) A tract of land situated in the town of Middletown, located within the Still Water Basin area, referred to as AREA VI in the attached deed;

(42) A tract of land situated in the town of Middletown, said parcel containing the combined Naval Station Police and Fire Headquarters, referred to as AREA VII in the attached deed;

(43) A tract of land situated in the town of Middletown, lying adjacent to the easterly border of the Rhode Island department of transportation railroad right-of-way; referred to as AREA VII-A in the attached deed;

(44) A tract of land situated in the town of Middletown, encompassing the Naval Station Newport’s Fire Fighter Trainer complex; referred to as AREA VIII in the attached deed.