Rhode Island's Largest Landowner Controls a Ridiculous 70,000 Acres

Rhode Island’s largest landowner is actually the government of Rhode Island itself. The State of Rhode Island currently has around 70,00 acres of land. The state itself only has about 1,214 square miles, so that many acres is around 10% of the whole state.

As you’d probably guess, much of this land is in state parks, islands, beaches, wildlife areas, and campgrounds. The state has converted most of it into public use, making it one of the most accessible states in the country. If you want to go hiking, camping, or swimming, there are plenty of places to do it.

The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management controls all of this land. According to their website, this government agency’s role is to protect the state’s ecosystem. They control all the parks, beaches, and other wildlife areas.

If you travel to any state park in Rhode Island, you benefit from the state government being such a large landowner.

Who’s the Largest Private Land Owner in Rhode Island?

It isn’t exactly surprising that the largest landowner in Rhode Island is the government. After all, the state is full of parks and beaches. However, who is the largest private land owner in the state?

That would be the Brown Family, who owns 1,700 acres. This family has been in Rhode Island for a very long time. Chad Browne was the first member of this family to come to America, and he arrived during colonial times. He was one of the founding members of Providence, Rhode Island, and the family grew in significance after that.

The Brown family is who Brown University is named after, as they were a very big supporter of the college during its founding.

This family still has a significant spot in Rhode Island hundreds of years later. When their history home went up on the real estate market in 2018, there was a big media following. The property itself occupied an entire block of Bellevue Avenue, and it had been the home of the Brown family for some time.

While this family owns a lot of land, they don’t own nearly as much as the Rhode Island government or the many not-for-profits that own land around the state.

Other Significant Landowners

There are also several other large landowners beyond the State of Rhode Island. Many of these are not-for-profits that focus on protecting wildlife, which explains why they must own so much land.

For instance, the Audubon Society of Rhode Island owns about 7,325 acres, though they technically control over 9,000. This society operates several public parks that allow for visitors.

Other government agencies also own a lot of land. For instance, the federal U.S. government owns just over 5,000 acres in Rhode Island.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © DenisTangneyJr from Getty Images Signature, Veronika Gotovceva/ via Canva.com