Town Hall Lobby Displays
WPS has curated three photograph exhibits in the lobby of the Warren Town Hall.
The current exhibit is titled "Vintage Postcards" and features eleven beautiful reproductions of classic vintage postcards from our collection, including streetscapes and iconic buildings that are still part of Warren today. The display was made possible with our R.I. State Legislative Grant.
Our first exhibit was titled "Spanning the Century-Bird's-Eye Views of Warren". The exhibit features four images taken from the steeple of the Methodist Church by Warren artist Henry Lady in 1888 and five images taken by Lombard Pozzi in 1988.
Our second exhibit was titled "Two Centuries of Warren Architectural Styles" and featured nine architectural styles found throughout Warren, from Colonial to Victorian to Mill House to Bungalow, capturing the history and variety of of dwellings in our historic town.
The hanging system, installed in 2021 with funding from a R.I. State Legislative Grant, was donated by WPS to the Town Hall for future exhibits for a wide variety of themes to educate the public on Warren's rich history.
Luminous Coasts: The Life and Works of Henry N. Cady (1849-1935)
This digital project celebrates the life of Warren born artist Henry Newell Cady. Largely self-taught as an artist, his paintings were predominantly New England coastal scenes in the luminist style inspired by the Hudson River School. He was also a photographer, photo-engraver, and illustrator. He died in Warren in 1935. In his lifetime his work was exhibited at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, the St. Louis Exposition of 1904, and the Exposition of American Artists in Springfield, MA.
This exhibit seeks to highlight Cady's connections to the town of Warren by focusing on items from within local historic collections. This exhibit was created by archivist Jessica Rogers-Cerrato on behalf of George Hail Library in association with the Warren Preservation Society and the Massasoit Historical Association. The project was supported by funding by the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities (RICH) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).
A Tale of Two Centuries:
Mary Merchant DeWolf (1870-1947) & Rachel Howard DeWolf (1913-2004)
Click Here to Access A Tale of Two Centuries
This digital project is curated from a diverse selection of items found within the Merchant DeWolf Family Collection, one of the largest collections currently housed in the archives of the Warren Preservation Society. With this site, we have chosen to specifically highlight the life of Mary Jolls Merchant DeWolf and daughter Rachel Howard DeWolf. This mother and daughter inspired suffrage, public service, and the modern spirit of Warren at the turn of the 20th century.
This digital exhibit was made possible through funding support from the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities (RICH). The Council supports and strengthens public history, cultural history, cultural heritage, civic education, and community engagement by and for all Rhode Islanders. We would also like to thank the Massasoit Historical Association and the George Hail Free Library for sharing items from their collections for this exhibit.
The Warren Middle Passage Project
The Warren Middle Passage Project is an all-volunteer group researching the history of the slave trade and enslavement in Warren, Rhode Island. Our goal is to document that history, build a memorial to those Africans who died or were sold into slavery, identify those people who were enslaved here as well as their descendants and recognize the crucial role African-Americans played in the building of Warren, Rhode Island and the United States.
Visit their blog at warrenmpp.wordpress.com or contact them warrenmpp@gmail.com
The Samuel Randall House (31 Baker Street), built shortly after 1808, is a structure with classic Federal era proportions. The house was built for Patty Maxwell, the daughter of James Maxwell, a wealthy ship merchant and her husband Samuel Randall. When the organization purchased the building in 1998 it had aluminum siding and most of the architectural details had been removed. After an architectural survey was completed in 2001, WPS was able to begin structural repairs to the building. Structural repairs included chimney restoration, replacement of the roof and, electrical and heating system upgrades, as well as a complete restoration of the windows and the exterior. The garage and the monitor have also been completely restored.
In 2019, with almost all of the restoration on the property completed, WPS decided it was time to return the building to private ownership. The proceeds from the sale of the Samuel Randall House will be used to fund future projects and programs.
The first project revolved around a collection of nine interviews with Warren residents that were members of the generation born between the depression and the Second World War that are known as the "Silent Generation". The exhibit opened on November 14, 2013 and was a collaborative show with Imago Foundation for the Arts also featuring artistic impressions of Warren. The exhibit was well attended by the families of the interview subjects, the public and was a field trip destination for third grade students from Hugh Cole Elementary School.
The second project began with a collection of twelve interviews with ties to the Touisset area of Warren, representing both the farming and the summer colony communities of the area. The interviews lead to an exhibit titled "A Place Apart: The Evolving Landscape of Touisset" which opened at Touisset Point Community Club on May 19, 2016. The exhibit was moved to the Historic Warren Armory where is was featured at the Warren Walkabout in November 2016. The documentary film based on the interview is available for purchase on our Shop page.
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Historic Site Marker located on the Warren Town Wharf installed and dedicated on June 20, 2019 |
Visit their blog at warrenmpp.wordpress.com or contact them warrenmpp@gmail.com
Samuel Randall House
In 2019, with almost all of the restoration on the property completed, WPS decided it was time to return the building to private ownership. The proceeds from the sale of the Samuel Randall House will be used to fund future projects and programs.
Oral History Project
The Oral History committee completed two major oral history exhibits:
"Warren: A Point of View" (2013) & "A Place Apart: The Evolving Landscape of Touisset" (2016)
The first project revolved around a collection of nine interviews with Warren residents that were members of the generation born between the depression and the Second World War that are known as the "Silent Generation". The exhibit opened on November 14, 2013 and was a collaborative show with Imago Foundation for the Arts also featuring artistic impressions of Warren. The exhibit was well attended by the families of the interview subjects, the public and was a field trip destination for third grade students from Hugh Cole Elementary School.
The second project began with a collection of twelve interviews with ties to the Touisset area of Warren, representing both the farming and the summer colony communities of the area. The interviews lead to an exhibit titled "A Place Apart: The Evolving Landscape of Touisset" which opened at Touisset Point Community Club on May 19, 2016. The exhibit was moved to the Historic Warren Armory where is was featured at the Warren Walkabout in November 2016. The documentary film based on the interview is available for purchase on our Shop page.
The Warren Mill Project
In 2009, Deborah Baronas partnered with the Warren Preservation Society to study the textile mills and workers who helped shape the community of Warren, Rhode Island. Funded in part by The Rhode Island Council for the Humanities, The Warren Mill Project was born, featuring artwork, historical research, video and music. The Project has developed into an ongoing investigation of the mills and the people who helped build the textile industry in this country.
The Warren Mill Project made its debut on the evening of Thursday, September 16, 2010. An opening reception was held for the exhibit on the third floor of the former Warren Manufacturing Mill (aka American Tourister Mill).
The evening was the culmination of months of effort put forth by Ms. Baronas, Mr. Greenwood, Mr. Doug Hinman, and the members of the Warren Preservation Society responsible for coordinating, organizing, and installing this inspiring exhibit. The opening reception was very well attended not only by members of WPS, but also by the community as a whole.
The Warren Mill Project moved to Imago Gallery at 36 Market Street, Warren, from September 28th to October 10th and continued at the Cutler Mills, 30 Cutler Street, Warren from mid-October through December 2010.
Follow the link below to view a video chronicling the inspiration behind the exhibit as well as scenes from the installation and opening night:
For more information on Deborah Baronas visit her website: http://www.baronasart.com/
Download PDF of Warren Mill Project
The North End Walking Tour
The North End Walking Tour is a detailed history of the properties in Warren's historic north end, from the Barrington line to Baker Street. The research was the work of historian and founding member Walter Nebiker.
Download PDF Walking Tour map of North End
Download PDF Walking Tour map of North End
