OAKLAWN, RHODE ISLAND

'Oaklawn' is a historical village in south west Cranston. The Edward Searle house, built in 1677, and one of the oldest standing structures in Rhode Island, is located in Oaklawn. The village is also well known for its annual May Breakfast. This New England tradition began in Oaklawn in 1865 at as a way for the members of the Oaklawn Baptist Church to raise money for local American Civil War veterans. Oaklawn was also the site of an important archeological excavation in the 1950s when archeologists discovered bowls and other Native American artifacts dating over 10,000 years old which had been carved from soapstone. Today, much of the Village of Oaklawn has been designated as a historical district by the National Historical Society.