Elephant hut currently serving as Allen Harbor Marina.

History

The Navy used the Advance Base Depot area to develop and test construction equipment, vehicles, engines and water treatment plants. This facility also acquired the work of the Pontoon Experimental Area, which had originated at Quonset. The significant developments in pontoon technology that took place here were used extensively throughout the war, and played a crucial role in strategies used during the D-Day invasion at Normandy.

As with most of Davisville and Quonset, the terrain at the ABPG was substantially altered by Naval operations, including dredging and filling projects around Allens Harbor. Despite these changes the Proving Ground contains several of the few undisturbed, archeologically significant sites to be found on either base. This fact is especially interesting given that bulldozer and construction equipment training areas were located here.

Today, Allens Harbor is enjoying some revitalization under the auspices of the town of North Kingstown and its residents. After many years, a public marina and boat ramp have re-opened public access to Narragansett Bay via the harbor, and several war-era buildings have been refurbished for use by the North Kingstown Yacht Club.

On the northern edge of Allens Harbor lies Calf Pasture Point, former farmland that served for years as a landfill and dump. This area is reputed to contain a beautiful sand beach, and at one time the Navy constructed a beach pavilion here. At present, however, the site has fallen into extensive disrepair and is inaccessible except by water.