The Rhode Island Historical Society is a privately endowed membership organization, founded in 1822, dedicated to collecting, preserving, and sharing the
history of Rhode Island
The history of Rhode Island is an overview of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations and the state of Rhode Island from pre-colonial times to the present.
Pre-colonization
Native Americans in the United States, Native Americans oc ...
. Its offices are located in
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay ...
.
History
Founded in 1822, the Society is the fourth oldest state historical society in the United States (after the
Massachusetts Historical Society,
New-York Historical Society
The New-York Historical Society is an American history museum and library in New York City, along Central Park West between 76th and 77th Streets, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The society was founded in 1804 as New York's first museum. ...
, and
Maine Historical Society
The Maine Historical Society is the official state historical society of Maine. It is located at 489 Congress Street in downtown Portland. The Society currently operates the Wadsworth-Longfellow House, a National Historic Landmark, Longfellow ...
). The Rhode Island Historical Society was founded and funded by many of Providence's early
Yankee
The term ''Yankee'' and its contracted form ''Yank'' have several interrelated meanings, all referring to people from the United States. Its various senses depend on the context, and may refer to New Englanders, residents of the Northern United St ...
philanthropists, including
Moses Brown
Moses Brown (September 23, 1738 – September 6, 1836) was an American abolitionist and industrialist from New England, who funded the design and construction of some of the first factory houses for spinning machines during the American industr ...
and
Henry J. Steere. In 1854 the "Southern Cabinet" of the Rhode Island Historical Society became reorganized as the
Newport Historical Society
The Newport Historical Society is a historical society in Newport, Rhode Island that was chartered in 1854 to collect and preserve books, manuscripts, and objects pertaining to Newport's history.
History of the society
Although the society ...
.
As of October 2022, the organization’s executive director is C. Morgan Grefe, Ph.D., and the board chair is Robert H. Sloan, Jr.
Description
The Society has the largest and most important historical Rhode Island collection within its main library and two museums. The Society's collections include some 25,000 objects, 5,000 manuscripts, 100,000 books and printed items, 400,000 photographs and maps, and 9 million feet of motion-picture film. Through the Newell D. Goff Center for Education and Public Programs, the Society offers a variety of educational programs including workshops, lectures, films, and walking tours of Providence. In recent years the Society has been very active in teacher-training programs seeking to improve the quality of history teaching in Rhode Island. The Society also presents exhibits, films, concerts, and many other community activities and programs. The Society publishes its journal ''Rhode Island History'' in either two or three issues annually covering various aspects of Rhode Island history from pre-colonial to recent.
The Society’s most noteworthy recent advances include its first on-line collection access catalog
and the first major restoration of the historic
John Brown House, a $2.5 million project that should be complete in 2010.
Properties
The Society owns and operates the following notable museums and properties:
*The Robinson Research Center (library) (121 Hope Street, Providence)
*
John Brown House Museum
The John Brown House is the first mansion built in Providence, Rhode Island, located at 52 Power Street on College Hill where it borders the campus of Brown University. The house is named after the original owner, one of the early benefactors ...
, (52 Power Street, Providence) (a
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...
) built in 1786;
*
Nelson W. Aldrich House (Society Headquarters/Goff Center) (110 Benevolent Street, Providence), also a National Historic Landmark, built in 1822;
*
Museum of Work and Culture
The Museum of Work and Culture is a museum in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, that features exhibits focusing on the city's textile manufacturing heritage. The museum is operated by the Rhode Island Historical Society
The Rhode Island Historical Socie ...
(42 South Main Street,
Woonsocket
Woonsocket ( ), is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 43,240 at the 2020 census, making it the sixth largest city in the state. Being Rhode Island's northernmost city, Woonsocket lies directly south of ...
), a regional history museum devoted to the ethnic history of northern Rhode Island.
See also
*
List of libraries in Rhode Island
This is a list of public and private and university libraries in Rhode Island, USA.
External links
Ocean State Libraries
{{DEFAULTSORT:List Of Libraries In Rhode Island
*
Libraries
Rhode Island
Libraries
A library is a collection of D ...
References
External links
*
{{authority control
State historical societies of the United States
Organizations based in Providence, Rhode Island
Buildings and structures in Providence, Rhode Island
Education in Providence County, Rhode Island
Libraries in Rhode Island
Rhode Island culture
History of Rhode Island
Historical societies in Rhode Island
1822 establishments in Rhode Island
Historic preservation organizations in the United States
Historical society museums in Rhode Island