In the mid-19th century John Manwaring, a local farmer, took on workers in nearby granite quarries as boarders.

Manwaring continued to take summer boarders after the quarries closed in the 1870s, with his son expanding the business around the turn of the 20th century, building a hotel called the Oswegatchie House.

Trolley service ended in the 1920s, and the Great Depression led to the downfall of the Oswegatchie House, which finally burned in 1935.

[2] The historic district is essentially U-shaped, hugging the shoreline along the eastern bank of the Niantic River and the west and north sides of Keeny Cove.

Its northwestern boundary is at East Drive, from which it runs south, around Sandy Point, and along Oswegatchie Road nearly to the head of Keeny Cove.