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East Greenwich Historic Preservation Society
Est. 1967
Our headquarters: the Old Kent County Jail, 110 King St., East Greenwich
When the Colonel Micah Whitmarsh House, the Brick House, at 294 Main Street, East Greenwich, was to be razed to make way for a parking lot, a number of the townsfolk foresaw what the future could hold. Already the Old Town Hall had disappeared and a number of lovely old houses had been demolished to make way for nondescript purposes. The whole character of the town was going to change if this were allowed to continue.
In 1967 the East Greenwich Preservation Society was formed, primarily to acquire and save the Brick House. The building was refurbished, financed with money obtained from dues, donations, grants and bank loans, and became a working asset of the town.
In 1969 the “Old Kent County Jail” at 110 King Street was scheduled to be torn down or moved to change the traffic pattern on Water Street. The Society rallied in support of the Jail, purchased the structure and it remains on its original site as the headquarters of the East Greenwich Historic Preservation Society.
Note: The East Greenwich Historic Preservation Society has removed the reproduction carved figures of the black and white shackled prisoners on the front of the “Old Jail” building in East Greenwich, as they could be viewed as insensitive or offensive. The reproduction statues are currently safe and we will soon open discussions with members as to where they will, with appropriate signage, be displayed next.
Your membership and participation are the most
important parts of our organization! Join Today!
Ongoing Projects
- Encouraging the protection and preservation of buildings, neighborhoods, documents, photographs and items of historic significance.
- Monthly programs which are open and free to the public.
- Continued restoration of the Old Jail.
- Sponsoring programs that foster community growth.
- Publishing The Packet, a newsletter with in-depth history of the Town.
- Participating in educational and civic events.
Help Protect and Preserve the History of
East Greenwich, Rhode Island!
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November 16
All Aboard the Seaview: South County’s Trolley to the Beach
Historian and author Brian Wallin will present: All Aboard the Seaview: South County’s Trolley to the Beach By the 1870’s, Narragansett Pier was firmly ...
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Until 1854, East Greenwich was one of the five state capitals in Rhode Island. The others were Providence, Newport, South Kingstown and Bristol.
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Dr. Eben Tourgee, founder of the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, was a descendent of one of the Frenchtown Huguenots who were here in 1682. Dr. Tourgee also taught at the East Greenwich Academy when it was known as the Providence Conference Seminary and Musical Institute.
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