Join us for a morning visit to the newly-revamped Joshua's store featuring items made by our docents and then enjoy some free soup, freshly-baked cookies and muffin tops, and hot cider. Take home some of our justly well-known cookie platters, choose some baskets to drop some raffle tickets in, and shop for holiday presents at […]
Granite used for infrastructure was and is a mainstay of the Westerly industry. Hugh Barton will discuss the use of granite for paving stones for streets, crushed granite for airplane landing strips, and larger pieces for seawalls and breakwaters. These uses date from the earliest days of the granite industry to present day. Free for […]
Presented by John Linton Part 1 will deal with David Wills and the creation of the Gettysburg National Cemetery and Soldiers' National Monument, David McConaughy and the creation of the Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association, the formation of the Grand Army of the Republic and its lobbying of state legislatures to fund their regimental monuments, and […]
Presented by John Linton Part 2 will deal with the Smith Granite Company's monuments and the sculptors and stonecutters who produced them along with the Gettysburg National Military Park's commitment to repairing the damage to its monuments. Free for members: $5.00 for not-yet members
Presented by Hugh Barton Matilda Browne, the only woman member of both the Cos Cob and Old Lyme artist colonies, was known for her paintings of cows, impressionist landscapes, and still lifes. She was a lifelong friend of Frederick R. and May F. Hoisington. Hoisington's Cayey-Caguas Tobacco Company had plantations and cigar factories in Puerto […]
This cemetery tour at River Bend celebrates Rhode Island Historical Cemeteries Month and is a repeat of the tour done in the summer of 2024. There is no rain date.
Following a short presentation at 2 pm by Hugh Barton of the history of the Smith Granite Company Store and the 1884 Stone, there will be free tours of the mansion. We will also be debuting the placement of the 1884 stone, our self-guided tours, and the Clio Chilcot painting., Free to all
Presented by Robert Madison How American poets saw and wrote about heroism, tragedy, hope and despair. Free to members; $5.00 for not-yet members
** This event has been cancelled due to extreme heat.**
Our new summer cemetery tour will include some one-of-kind features of River Bend. This tour may include a bit more walking than previous tours. Rain date will be Thursday July 10 and the tour will be repeated on Thursday, August 7. Free for members; $5.00 for not-yet members.
If you missed this tour in July, now is your chance. This is a repeat and may require a bit more walking than our previous tours. Rain date is Tuesday August 12 Free for members; $5.00 for not-yet members.
If you have missed our downtown tours, you are in for a treat. Bring a friend and grab dinner afterwards. Meet at the Wilcox Park Esplanade. Free for members: $5.00 for not-yet members
Presented by Ashley Hanson James G. Batterson started his life as a son of a stone-cutter and went on to become so much more. Come learn about Batterson's work in Westerly and beyond presented by his descendant Ashley Hanson. Free for members; $5.00 for not-yet members.
Sponsored by the Westerly Historical Society, this gathering of local history societies and museums will be held at the Westerly Armory. Each group will have a table to share information about itself. The Babcock-Smith House Museum will be selling local history or colonial-themed books culled from our library. This is a great opportunity to find […]
Presented by Joe Coduri Joe's program will give us a sneak peek at his latest book of postcards sure to elicit nostalgia from local folks and be a perfect "learning tool," for those who arrived more recently. His captions are a history lesson in themselves. Joe will happy to sign books following the program. This […]
