A list of Rhode Island Libraries and Genealogical Resources
| American French Genealogical Society 78 Earle St, Woonsocket, RI 02895 (401) 765-6141 |
| East Greenwich Free Library 82 Peirce Street East Greenwich, RI 02818 (401) 884-9510 |
| Greenville Public Library 573 Putnam Pike Greenville, RI 02828 Phone: 401-949-3630, Fax: 401-949-0530 TDD: 401-745-5555 |
| National Archives at Boston 380 Trapelo Road, Waltham, MA, 02452-6399 Toll Free Telephone: (866) 406-2379 Telephone: (781) 663-0144 Serves Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont |
| Newport Historical Society 82 Touro Street Newport, RI 02840 (401) 846-0813 |
| North Kingstown Free Library 100 Boone Street North Kingstown, RI 02852 (401) 294-3306 |
| One Rhode Island Family Diane MacLean Boumenot, CG’s website of Rhode Island resources and tips for genealogists researching in the Ocean State. |
| The Online Review of Rhode Island History Rhode Island is a small state, smaller in size than some of our country’s counties and smaller in population than a host of cities. Yet it has a wonderful history all out of proportion to its small size. The Online Review of Rhode Island History (smallstatebighistory.com) has been formed to promote that history. We intend to offer a variety of articles intended for a popular audience, but with an eye for accuracy over legend. We hope to make the state’s history interesting and fun, and eventually create an impressive archive of articles for both readers and researchers. We want to publish articles on narrative history, but also want to cover newly-published books on Rhode Island history, as well as Rhode Island history sites, artifacts, architecture, and historic preservation. |
| Portsmouth Free Public Library 2658 East Main Road, Portsmouth, RI, 02871 (401) 683-9457 |
| Providence City Archives Providence City Hall 25 Dorrance Street Providence, RI 02903 (401) 421-7740 |
| Providence Public Library 150 Empire Street Providence, RI 02903 (401) 455-8000 |
| Rhode Island Historical Society Library Address: 121 Hope Street Providence, Rhode Island 02906 (401) 273-8107 x410 The Rhode Island Historical Society, believing that a sense of history is fundamental to understanding human experience, collects, preserves, and shares materials from Rhode Island’s past, so that present and future generations can comprehend more fully their predecessors, their communities, and themselves. Pursuing the highest standards of collection, preservation, presentation, and management, the Society encourages and assists people of all backgrounds and interests to learn more about Rhode Island’s varied history. |
| Rhode Island Jewish Historical Association 401 Elmgrove Avenue Providence, RI 02906 (401) 331-1360 |
| Rhode Island Society of the Sons of the American Revolution The Rhode Island Society (RISSAR) is the state affiliate of the National Society. The State Society was organized in Providence on February 1, 1890 and received a charter from the Rhode Island General Assembly in 1894.The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution was organized on April 30, 1889 to perpetuate the memory of those who, by their services or sacrifices during the war of the American Revolution, achieved the independence of the American people. The Society’s purposes are patriotic, historical and educational. |
| Rhode Island Secretary of State Rhode Island State Archives 33 Broad Street Providence, RI 02903 (401) 222-2353 Rhode Island Digital Archives Direct link to the digital resources of the RI State Archives, including vital records. |
| Rhode Island State Society Daughters of the American Revolution RI State society of the DAR with over 400 members who locally support our national society’s mission of promoting patriotism, education, and historic preservation since our state society was established in 1891. |
| Roger Williams Family Association This web site has been designed for the purpose of honoring and preserving the memory of Roger Williams and promoting communication among his descendants. |
| Sheldon Family Association The Sheldon Family Association was founded in 1939 by a group of Sheldon descendants, with the purpose of furthering interest in their heritage and preserving their family history.The genealogical data with which the SFA began was originally collected by Reverend Henry O. Sheldon, a circuit preacher, as he rode from village to village in the 1800s. Rev. Sheldon documented five apparently unrelated Sheldon families dating back to Colonial times; SFA members are descendants of these five families. Over the years, this original database has been researched and continually updated, now containing over 70,000 names, including Sheldon spouse data. |
| Society Of Colonial Wars In The State Of Rhode Island And Providence Plantations The General Society of Colonial Wars is an historical, genealogical, educational and social organization with constituent societies in 30 states, including Rhode Island, as well as the District of Columbia and the British Isles. It was instituted to perpetuate the memory of those events in American colonial history which took place within the period May 13, 1607 to April 19, 1775. |
| Society of Mayflower Descendants in the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations The Rhode Island Society is one of the fifty-two Mayflower Society chapters that operate under the governance of The General Society of Mayflower Descendants. The General Society was organized in Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1897. There are 50 state societies, plus one in Washington D.C. and one in Canada. We are a membership organization. Membership is based on proof of descent from one or more of the passengers aboard the Mayflower, the ship that landed in Plymouth, New England, in December of 1620. A primary objective of the society is to honor the memory of these pilgrims. This small group overcame many hardships and worked together to establish what would prove to be the first permanent English settlement in New England. |
| Soule Kindred in America, Inc Soule Kindred in America, Inc., is a non-profit organization dedicated to furthering the knowledge and understanding of American Colonial history, and the Pilgrims and their descendants, with special emphasis on George Soule. |
| South County History Center 2636 Kingstown Road, Kingston, RI 02881 (401) 783-1328 The South County History Center was originally founded as the Pettaquamscutt Historical Society in 1958 by a group of local residents interested in history and historic preservation. The Society drew its name from the 1658 Pettaquamscutt Purchase, in which settlers purchased 49 square miles from the Narragansett Sachems. In 2015, the Society embarked on a comprehensive strategic planning process, possible thanks to generous support from the Rhode Island Foundation, in order adapt the Society’s strategies and practices to better meet the changing needs of our community. Through this community-focused effort, the Society developed a new vision for the future: to become a leading research and archival center dedicated to the preservation and promotion of South County’s rich and diverse history. To better represent this new vision, the Society began operating under a new name, the South County History Center, in May 2016. |
| Steere Family Association In 1930, John P. Steere, Sr., founded the Steere Family Association to organize annual family reunions and to gather information on the family genealogy. In addition to updating and publishing genealogical information, the Association is active in the preservation of family cemeteries and other vital records. All descendants of John Steere, their spouses, and extended families are welcome at the annual reunions, which feature fun, games, meals, and prizes, as well as business meetings, historical tours, and talks. |
| West Warwick Public Library 1043 Main St., West Warwick, RI 02893 Phone: (401) 828-3750 |
| Woonsocket Harris Library 303 Clinton St, Woonsocket, RI 02895 (401) 769-9044 |