Smith's Castle was built in 1678 as a replacement for an earlier structure which was destroyed by the Narragansett Tribe during King Philip's War. The land on which the house was built was known as Cocumscussoc and was the original site of Roger Williams' trading post.
The Slave Dwelling Project has visited over 50 sites across 14 states and Cuba, with overnight stays at each.
Joseph McGill, Founder of the Slave Dwelling project, is also a Civil War interpreter as a member of the legendary 54th Massachusetts Colored Regiment.
The Updike family was one of the most aggressive purveyors of the slave trade in Rhode Island. The nineteen slaves noted in Daniel Updike's probate inventory is the largest slave-holding listed in a primary source from Narragansett.