Historical and Genealogical Links and Resources

Discover Rhode Island! It's not just the old license plate slogan.

Genealogy

• African Slave Markers in Colonial Newport.
• American-French Genealogical Society.
• Association for Gravestone Studies.
• Boston to Providence Genealogical Society.
• Joseph Bucklin Society.
• Crandall Family Association.
• DistantCousin.com.
• Find A Grave.
• National Aldrich Family Association.
• New England Historical Genealogical Society.
• Newport County Genealogical Society, PO Box 4762, Middletown, RI 02842, contact: Karen MacKnight, newport_ri_genie@hotmail.com
• Plymouth Ancestors.
• The Political Graveyard.
• Rhode Island Cemeteries Database.
• Rhode Island Consortium of Genealogical and Historical Societies.
• Rhode Island Genealogical Society.
• Rhode Island Historical Cemeteries Transcription Project.
• Rhode Island Historical Cemetery Commission.
• Rhode Island USGenWeb Genealogy and History Project.
• Society of Stukely Westcott Descendants of America.
• Whipple Website.
• Roger Williams Family Association.

Historical, Heritage, and Preservation Societies

• Barrington Preservation Society.
• Blackstone Valley Historical Society.
• Block Island Historical Society, PO Box 79, Block Island, RI 02807, (401) 466-2481, blockhistory@me.com.
• Bristol Historical and Preservation Society, 48 Court Street, Bristol, RI 02809, (401) 253-7223 or (401) 253-7223.
• Burrillville Historical and Preservation Society.
• Charlestown Historical Society, on the grounds of the Cross Mills Public Library, 4417 Old Post Road, Charlestown, (401) 364-6211.
• Coventry Historical Society.
• Cranston Historical Society.
• East Providence Historical Society.
• Exeter Historical Association.
• Foster Preservation Society.
• Glocester Heritage Society.
• Historical Society of Smithfield.
• Hopkinton Historical Association, Town House Road, Hopkinton, RI 02833, (401) 337-2219.
• Italian American Historical Society of Rhode Island.
• Jamestown Historical Society.
• Johnston Historical Society.
• Little Compton Historical Society.
• Massasoit Historical Association.
• Middletown Historical Society, Paradise Avenue, Middletown, RI 02842.
• Newport Historical Society.
• Newport Restoration Foundation.
• North Smithfield Heritage Association, School Street, North Smithfield, RI 02896, (401) 766-0701.
• Pawtucket History Research Center, 30 Fruit Street, Pawtucket, RI 02960, (401) 725-2541.
• Pawtuxet Valley Preservation and Historical Society.
• Pettaquamscutt Historical Society.
• Portsmouth Historical Society
• Portuguese Cultural Foundation.
• Preservation Society of Pawtucket.
• Providence Preservation Society.
• Rhode Island Black Heritage Society.
• Rhode Island Consortium of Genealogical and Historical Societies.
• Rhode Island Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission.
• Rhode Island Historical Society.
• Rhode Island Jewish Historical Association, 130 Sessions Street, Providence, RI 02906, rjhist@aol.com.
• Tiverton Historical Society, PO Box 95, Tiverton, RI 02878, contact: Anne Titcomb, annetitcomb@msn.com
• Warwick Historical Society, 25 Roger Williams Circle, Warwick, (401)467-7647.
• Westerly Historical Society.
• Western Rhode Island Civic Historical Society.
• Woonsocket Historical Society, 42 South Main Street, Woonsocket, RI 02895, (401) 769-9846.

Internet Archives

• The American Colonist's Library
• American Memory: Historical Collections for the National Digital Library
• Images of Rhode Island

Libraries

• Rhode Island Library Index by Library Name

Maps

• A Map of New England, woodcut by John Foster, Boston, 1677
• Old Maps of New York and New England
• Panoramic Maps from the Library of Congress
• Rhode Island USGenWeb Project Maps
• The University of Rhode Island's MIT Digital Orthophoto Server

Museums and Historic Houses

• Aardvark Antiques, Newport.
• Aldrich House, (1822), Providence.
• American Diner Museum.
• Elijah Angell House, (c. 1825), Johnston.
• Eleazer Arnold Arnold House (c. 1687), Lincoln.
• John Waterman Arnold House (late 1700s), 25 Roger Williams Circle, Warwick, (401)467-7647.
• Artillery Company of Newport.
• Astors Beechwood Mansion (1851), Newport.
• Babcock-Smith House (c. 1734), 124 Granite Street, Westerly.
• Isaac Bell House (1883), Newport.
• Blithewold Mansion, Gardens, and Arboretum (1906), Bristol.
• Belcourt Castle (1894), Newport.
• The Breakers (1895), Newport.
• Bristol Train of Artillery Armory and Museum, 135 State Street, Bristol, (401) 521-9136.
• John Brown House (1786), Providence.
• Cape Verdean Museum Exhibit, East Providence.
• Casey Farm (c. 1750), North Kingstown.
• Chase-Cory House (1730), 3908 Main Road, Tiverton Four Corners, Tiverton, (401) 624-2096.
• Chateau Sur Mer (1852), Newport.
• Clemence-Irons House (c. 1680), Johnston.
• Clement Weaver House (c. 1679, private residence), East Greenwich.
• Clouds Hill Victorian House Museum (c. 1870), Warwick.
• Coggeshall Farm Museum, Bristol.
• Culinary Arts Museum, Providence.
• Daggett House (1685), 16 Second Drive, Slater Park, Pawtucket, (401) 722-6931.
• Jeremiah Dexter House (c. 1754), Providence.
• The Doll Museum, Newport.
• The Dorr Rebellion Museum, Chepachet, Glocester.
• The Elms, (1901), Newport.
• Fayerweather House (1859), 1859 Moorsefield Road, South Kingston, (401) 789-9072.
• Fireman's Museum, 42 Baker Street, Warren, (401) 245-7600.
• Lysander and Susan Flagg Museum and Cultural Center, Central Falls.
• General Nathanael Greene Homestead (1770), Coventry.
• Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology, Bristol.
• Hannaway Blacksmith Shop (late 19th century), 100 Old River Road, Lincoln, (401) 333-1100.
• Hearthside (1810), Lincoln.
• Heritage Harbor Museum, Providence.
• Herreshoff Marine Museum, America's Cup Hall of Fame, Brisol.
• Governor Stephen Hopkins House (1707), 15 Hopkins Street, Providence, (401) 421-0694.
• International Tennis Hall of Fame, Newport.
• Jamestown Fire Department Memorial Museum, Jamestown.
• Jamestown Museum, Jamestown.
• Jamestown Windmill (1787), Jamestown.
• Juliet 484 Russian Submarine Museum, Providence.
• Kingscote, (1841), Newport.
• Linden Place (c. 1810), Bristol.
• Governor Henry Lippitt House (1865), Providence.
• Malbone Castle, (c. 1848), Newport.
• Marble House, (1892), Newport.
• Maxwell House (1752), Warren.
• Mount Hope Farm, Bristol.
• Museum of Natural History and Planetarium, Providence.
• Museum of Newport History, Newport.
• Museum of Primitive Art and Culture, 1058 Kingstown Road, South Kingstown, (401) 783-5711.
• Museum of Work and Culture, Woonsocket.
• Museum of Yachting, Newport.
• National Museum of American Illustration, Newport.
• Naval War College Museum, Newport.
• New England Wireless and Steam Museum, East Greenwich.
• Newport Postcard Museum.
• Old Town Hall Museum, Westerly (under construction).
• Old Washington County Jail, Kingston, South Kingstown.
• Old Washington County Jail, 2636 Kingstown Road, South Kingstown, (401) 783-1328.
• Paine House Museum, Coventry.
• Quonset Aviation Museum, North Kingstown.
• Redwood Library and Athenaeum, Newport.
• Rhode Island Black Heritage Society, Providence.
• Rhode Island Computer Museum, North Kingstown.
• Rhode Island Fishermen and Whale Museum, 18 Market Square, Newport, (401) 849-1340.
• Rosecliff (1902), Newport.
• Rough Point (1889), Newport.
• Slater Mill Historic Site, Pawtucket.
• Sloop Providence, Providence.
• Slater Mill Historic Site, Pawtucket.
• Smith-Applebee House (1696), Smithfield.
• Smith's Castle (1679), Wickford, North Kingstown.
• South County Museum, Narragansett.
• Sprague Mansion, Cranston.
• Steamship Historical Society of America, East Providence.
• Gilbert Stuart Birthplace (1751), Saunderstown, North Kingstown.
• Ukelele Hall of Fame Museum, Cranston.
• U.S.S. Saratoga Museum Foundation, North Kingstown.
• Tomaquag Indian Memorial Museum, Exeter.
• General James Mitchell Varnum House Museum (1773), East Greenwich.
• Wanton-Lyman-Hazard House (1675), Newport.
• Warren Fire Department Museum, 38 Baker Street, Warren.
• Watson Farm, Jamestown.
• Watson House (1790), Farm House Road, University of Rhode Island campus, South Kingstown, (401) 792-8296
• Whitehall House Museum (c. 1729), Middletown.
• Samuel Whitehorne House Museum, Newport.
• Wilbor House (c. 1690), 548 West Main Road, Little Compton.

Newspapers, Periodicals, and Blogs

• All Pawtucket All the Time
• The Bay
• Block Island Times
• Blog on the Halfshell by Doug Norris.
• Brown Alumni Magazine
• Brown Daily Herald
• College Hill Independent
• Connect Providence
• Cranston Herald
• EastBayRI.com
• East Side Monthly
• edible Rhody
• Federal Hill Gazette
• The Hummel Report
• Indian Country
• Indianz.com
• Jamestown Press
• Johnston Sunrise
• A Lively Experiment
• My02818.com
• Natural News Network
• Newport Daily News
• Newport Life Magazine
• Newport Mercury
• Newport Now
• North Kingstown-East Greenwich Independent
• Pawtucket Times
• Prospect
• Providence Business News
• Providence College Cowl
• Providence Daily Dose
• Providence History Examiner by Betsy Cazden.
• Providence Journal
• Providence Monthly
• Providence Phoenix
• Rhode Island College Anchor
• Rhode Island Diogenes
• Rhode Island Monthly
• Rhode Island Roads Magazine
• RhodyBeat.com
• RICentral.com
• SO Rhode Island
• South County Independent
• University of Rhode Island Good 5 Cent Cigar
• Valley Breeze
• Warwick Beacon
• Westerly Sun
• Woonsocket Call
• Your Smithfield Magazine

Miscellaneous Links of Interest

• Abandoned and Little-Known Airfields of Rhode Island by Paul Freeman.
• American Forts: Rhode Island by Pete Payette.
• American Indian Place Names in Rhode Island: Past and Present by Frank Waabu O'Brien, Ph.D.
• The American Revolution
• Antique Bottles of Rhode Island, compiled by the Little Rhody Bottle Club
• Artillery Pieces on Public Display in Rhode Island, by John Mead Gould.
• ArtInRuins.com, focusing on Providence-area architecture
• Base: Advancing a Post-Military Landscape, by Erik Carlson and Erica Carpenter, documenting the last days the Quonset Point Naval Air Station and the Davisville Naval Construction Battalion Center.
• Battery B, First Rhode Island Light Artillery.
• The Blizzard of 1978 by Elaine M. Zeman
• Henry Sweetser Burrage by Renee Gamache; Brown University schooldays on the eve of the Civil War.
• Burrillville History by Patricia Mehrtens.
• Captor of the Barefoot General by Leonard Falkner.
• Class and Leisure at America's First Resort: Newport, Rhode Island, 1870-1914 by Kay Davis
• Crescent Park Amusement Park by Don Gregory.
• Rose Marie Ferron.
• The Forgotten by Kari Molvar; Black at Brown in the 1890s.
• A Gould Island Chronology and Some Associated Historical Notes by Captain Frank Snyder (USN Ret).
• Historic Ales, Beers, and Breweries of Rhode Island by Ed and Greg Theberge.
• Homelessness is not a Crime: Elizabeth Buffum Chace and Creation of the State Home and School for Children, 1875-1885 by Elizabeth C. Stevens
• How Rhode Island Decriminalized Prostitution by Lynn Arditi. Response: How I Advanced the Cause, by Matthew J. Smith.
• The Hunt for the Regicides by Alexander Winston.
• Hurricane Carol by Greg Stone; "The 1954 hurricane as seen through the eyes and camera of a Barrington boy."
• Kate was too Ambitious by Marva Robins Belden and Thomas Graham Belden.
• The Kentish Guards.
• The Ladd School.
• Tony Lepore, The Dancing Cop.
• Lippitt Mill and Related Textile History by J.E. Hayes, III
• Little Caeser by Austin Kennedy; about the fortunes of Italian immigrant Giuseppe Zambarano, based on his 1894-1909 diary.
• Lost Rhode Island Ski Areas.
• H.P. Lovecraft.
• The H.P. Lovecraft Archive.
• Mad Peck Studios.
• Rose Martin.
• Narragansett Bay: A Friend's Perspective by Stuart O. Hale.
• Narragansett Brewing Company, 1890-1981.
• Naval History in Rhode Island.
• New Hope Diner Restoration Project.
• Newport Postcard Museum.
• Nipmuc Place Names of New England.
• Oh What Fun We Had!: A Look at Recreation in Rhode Island by Aaron Markavitch.
• Old Stone Mill, Newport.
• One-Room Schoolhouses of Exeter, 1766-1952.
• On Frozen Pond: The Tom Eccleston Story
• The Pawtuxet Rangers.
• The Providence Grays.
• The Providence Mob by Allan May.
• Public Archaeology Lab.
• Rhode Island Farmways.
• Rhode Island Highways by Shawn De Cesari
• Rhode Island Highways by Michael Kendricks
• Rhode Island Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission survey publications
• Rhode Island Lighthouse History
• Rhode Journey.
• Rhombic Antennas on Chopmist Hill Help Win World War II by Jim McDonald
• Rocky Point Amusement Park by Joe.
• Shipwrecks of Rhode Island by Dave Clancy.
• Slavery in Rhode Island from Slavery in the North by Douglas Harper.
• So eager were we all... by Private Lewis Herbert Melcalf with an introduction by Bruce Catton.
• State of Rhode Island Historic Property Search.
• Station Fire Memorial Foundation.
• Stephanie Does..., a blog about living locally.
• 328 Headlines and a Protest by Jennifer Leighty; about the Brown University suicide pill controversy of 1984.
• Beatrice Turner.
• The Unrighteous Traffick: Rhode Island's Slave History by Paul Davis.
• Voices and Visions of Pawtuxet Village.
• Waiting, 1938 by Alice Lovejoy; a story of the Providence Journal and the Hurricane of 1938
• Warwick Musical Theatre.
• Wickford Tales by Anita W. Hinckley.
• The Wonderful Leaps of Sam Patch by Richard M. Dorson.
• Zion in the Forest by Roger Burlingame.

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This article last edited November 6, 2009