Editing Little Compton, Rhode Island (section)

==Geography==
[[File:View from Sakonnet Harbor.jpg|thumb|View of Sakonnet Harbor]]
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|28.9|sqmi|km2}}, of which, {{convert|20.9|sqmi|km2}} is land and {{convert|8.0|sqmi|km2}} (27.79%) is water. One of the largest bodies of fresh water in Little Compton is [[Quicksand Pond]]. Sakonnet Point is the town's southernmost point, offering views of the [[Sakonnet Light|Sakonnet Point Lighthouse]] and several small rocky islands, including East Island and [[West Island (Rhode Island)|West Island]]. On a clear day, it is possible to view the inhabited islands of [[Martha's Vineyard]], [[Cuttyhunk]] and [[Nashawena Island|Nashawena]] in [[Buzzards Bay]], as well as [[Newport, Rhode Island|Newport]], Rhode Island to the west.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sakonnet Point- Little Compton|url=https://trailsandwalksri.wordpress.com/2014/07/19/sakonnet-point-little-compton/|website=Trails and Walks in Rhode Island|date=July 19, 2014 }}</ref>

Along with its scenic coastline, another defining feature of Little Compton's landscape is its abundant stonewalls. According to Bruce Irving, author of the book ''New England Icons'', "There were once some 250,000 miles of stone walls in the Northeast, enough to stretch to the moon, their epicenter generally sited in a fifty-mile radius around the meeting point of Rhode Island and Massachusetts, with the Rhode Island town of Little Compton especially rich in stone walls."<ref>Irving, Bruce (2011) ''New England Icons: Shaker Villages, Saltboxes, Stone Walls, and Steeples''. Woodstock, Vermont: Countryman Press.</ref>

At times, Little Compton has been considered a part of the [[South Coast (Massachusetts)|South Coast]] region of Massachusetts despite the town residing entirely within Rhode Island. By its most literal definition, the South Coast encompasses the geographic area of Massachusetts that borders [[Buzzards Bay]] (excluding the [[Elizabeth Islands]], [[Bourne, Massachusetts|Bourne]] and [[Falmouth, Massachusetts|Falmouth]]), [[Mount Hope Bay]] and the [[Sakonnet River]]. It has been argued that Little Compton and Tiverton share more in common with the regional identities of the South Coast communities of [[Westport, Massachusetts|Westport]] and [[Dartmouth, Massachusetts|Dartmouth]] (and to an extent [[Fall River, Massachusetts|Fall River]]) than the rest of [[Newport County, Rhode Island|Newport County]].<ref>"Ambrose F. Keeley Library the Information Center of B.M.C. Durfee High School: History of Fall River, Massachusetts and Rhode Island Boundary question" (PDF). ''www.sailsinc.org''.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Graves |first=Annie |date=June 18, 2018 |title=A Hidden Beauty {{!}} Exploring the Massachusetts and Rhode Island Farm Coast |url=https://newengland.com/travel/new-england/a-hidden-beauty/ |access-date=July 22, 2023 |website=New England |language=en}}</ref> 

In recent years, Little Compton has also been included within a sub-region of the South Coast known as the [[South Coast (Massachusetts)#Farm Coast|Farm Coast]] which consists of several surrounding rural towns that are considered the last coastal farming communities left in [[Southern New England]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 14, 2021 |title=Carter Wilkie on "Keeping the Farm in 'Farm Coast'" |url=https://littlecompton.org/exhibits/everyone-was-a-farmer/carter-wilkie-on-keeping-the-farm-in-farm-coast/ |access-date=July 22, 2023 |website=Little Compton Historical Society |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Farmcoast New England |url=https://www.farmcoast.com/ |access-date=July 22, 2023 |website=Farmcoast New England |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Localities ===
[[File:Sakonnet Point Club, Little Compton.jpg|thumb|The Sakonnet Point Club is a member-only club located in the Sakonnet locale of Little Compton]]
There are several localities located in Little Compton, however, none are considered [[Census-designated place|census-designated places]]: [[Adamsville, Rhode Island|Adamsville]], Pottersville, the Commons, Sakonnet, Warren Point and Chase Point. Adamsville is a village situated in the northeast corner of Little Compton and overlaps with the towns of Tiverton and Westport in Rhode Island and Massachusetts respectively. Adamsville is the only locality in Little Compton that has its own regional post office. Pottersville is a sparsely settled [[Hamlet (place)|hamlet]] located south of Adamsville and is concentrated at the junction of Pottersville Road, John Dyer Road and Mullin Hill Road.

The Little Compton Commons encompasses the area that includes and surrounds the historic town common. The majority of Little Compton's civic buildings are located in the Commons, and the town hosts many events in this area. The Sakonnet neighborhood consists of the area located within and surrounding Sakonnet Point, which is situated at the mouth of the [[Sakonnet River]]. Several exclusive leisure clubs are located at Sakonnet Point - this includes the Sakonnet Golf Club, the Sakonnet Yacht Club and the Sakonnet Point Club.

Warren Point is located east of Sakonnet Point and is composed of residential waterfront properties; the exclusive Warren's Point Beach Club is located at Tappens Beach on Warren Point. Chase Point is located at the southeastern point of Little Compton and is composed of private roadways and residential properties which occupy former sheep pastures.

=== Beaches ===
[[File:Goosewing Beach and Quicksand Pond.jpeg|thumb|View of South Shore Beach, Goosewing Beach and [[Quicksand Pond]]]]There are five beaches in Little Compton; however, only two are permitted for public use. South Shore Beach and Goosewing Beach, which are located adjacent to each other, are considered the only public beaches in Little Compton. South Shore Beach requires either a season pass, day pass, or proof of residency for parking access.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Welcome to Little Compton, RI |url=https://www.littlecomptonri.org/explore_little_compton/beaches.php |access-date=August 12, 2023 |website=www.littlecomptonri.org}}</ref>

Briggs Beach and Tappens Beach are private beach clubs and are only permitted for members and their guests. Briggs Beach is located adjacent to Briggs Marsh and offers amenities such as changing rooms and parking. Tappens Beach is the shoreline property for the Warren's Point Beach Club which offers concessions, parking and changing rooms for members.

Lloyd's Beach, a gravel beach located near Sakonnet Point, is only accessible to residents of the surrounding Sakonnet neighborhood and requires proof of residency for entry.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Coastal council won't probe woman's complaint about guard at Little Compton beach |url=https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/local/2021/10/26/coastal-council-wont-probe-complaint-guard-little-compton-beach/8553520002/ |access-date=August 12, 2023 |website=The Providence Journal |language=en-US}}</ref>