Local Sites

Simon Willard Thayer is celebrated today as one of Rhode Island’s earliest historic preservationists, though he perhaps never intended to be. Tragically, Thayer was killed on the very day that …
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Did you know that Slater Mill, one of the most important historic sites in Rhode Island, was transferred in March 2021 to the U.S. National Park Service? I am embarrassed …
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As you know, the Online Review of Rhode Island History (aka smallstatebighistory.com) focuses on Rhode Island history. We don’t like going over a state line — particularly now during a …
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Although the death rate of King Philip’s War, which raged in New England from 1675 to 1676, was higher among Americans than either the American Revolution, Civil War, or World …
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[Editor’s Note: Fittingly, the following biographical entries for these three outstanding architects appear consecutively in Dr. Patrick T. Conley’s The Leaders of Rhode Island’s Golden Age (History Press, 2019). The …
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Researching stenciled decorations found on walls of historic American homes must be similar to investigating the cold cases tackled by today’s television detectives. In both such investigations, there are many …
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In last week’s article, I listed my top ten most interesting and amusing street names in Rhode Island. This article includes a list of fifteen honorable mention most interesting and …
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Here are my top ten most interesting and amusing street names in Rhode Island. The names of the persons who provided me with the idea for the name and related …
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While Carolyn Richard was a member of the Richmond Town Council, she was approached by a resident who complained about the name of the street where she lived—Smallpox Trail. Carolyn …
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To our contemporary eyes the Victorian mansion at 299 Broadway in Providence is an ostentatious mash-up of architectural styles—a little bit of Gothic, a little Romanesque, with a four-story octagonal …
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