Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission

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Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission A Rhode Island State Agency

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The Old State House is older than the United States -- but what do we really know about this place? Who built it? How ha...
10/08/2026

The Old State House is older than the United States -- but what do we really know about this place? Who built it? How has it changed? What has it meant to Rhode Islanders since it was constructed in 1762?

During the recent restoration of the building, historian Kathryn J. Cavanaugh conducted new research on the Old State House to find answers, fill gaps in the historical record, and shed light on the oldest civic building in Providence. Join us on October 20 to hear what we've learned.

More information available at preservation.ri.gov.

It's Archeology Month! And yes, there will be many opportunities to get dirty. Every October we dive deep into the histo...
10/01/2026

It's Archeology Month! And yes, there will be many opportunities to get dirty.

Every October we dive deep into the history of Rhode Island's below-ground sites. This year's schedule includes scholarly lectures, hands-on activities, and walking tours of significant landscapes. And it's all free!

Full updated list of Archaeology Month programs available at preservation.ri.gov.

Honored to be included in this year's class of Rhody Awardees! 🎉We've been taking care of the Old State House for 50+ ye...
08/27/2026

Honored to be included in this year's class of Rhody Awardees! 🎉

We've been taking care of the Old State House for 50+ years and, after more than a decade of comprehensive facility upgrades, she's ready to shine for another 50. Thanks for the stewardship recognition, Preserve Rhode Island!

Two new listings in the National Register of Historic Places celebrate Rhode Island’s contributions to industrial histor...
07/29/2026

Two new listings in the National Register of Historic Places celebrate Rhode Island’s contributions to industrial history and architecture.

Eagle Steam Mill (1829) anchored the Olneyville neighborhood of Providence for over 100 years, and adapted to both a changing city and a volatile textile industry. The mill closed in 1954, but it was recently restored and repurposed into workspace for artists using the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Credit.

By contrast, Grant’s Mill (ca. 1818) in Cumberland preserves early industrial history and is the last intact example of its kind still on its original foundations in Rhode Island. The nomination for Grant’s Mill was prepared using a Certified Local Government grant awarded to the Town of Cumberland by the Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission in 2024.

1. Grant's Mill
2. 1831 map depicting the location of Grant's Mill
3. Eagle Steam Mill, credit to Art in Ruins
4. 1889 Sanborn Insurance map depicting Eagle Steam Mill under one of its many alternate names, Harrison Steam Mills

50 years ago, the Bicentennial became a flashpoint for whose history was being honored. June 26 marks the 50th anniversa...
06/26/2026

50 years ago, the Bicentennial became a flashpoint for whose history was being honored.

June 26 marks the 50th anniversary of gay rights activists winning the legal right to assemble at the Old State House and participate in state-sanctioned Bicentennial celebrations. Rhode Island's first Pride march followed.

This year's Semiquincentennial commemoration is a timely reminder that there is still much to be done to tell a full American story. You can find more information about the 1976 parade, including oral histories from some of the original Pride participants, in the Providence Public Library's LGBTQ+ Community Archives.

We've got an opening on our team for a RIDOT Project Review Coordinator. If you think we should talk, apply by April 27....
04/20/2026

We've got an opening on our team for a RIDOT Project Review Coordinator. If you think we should talk, apply by April 27.

Full description: tinyurl.com/4kdufsyw

If the last few days of false summer have you wanting to touch grass, consider spending your weekend helping to clean up...
04/18/2026

If the last few days of false summer have you wanting to touch grass, consider spending your weekend helping to clean up your local cemetery!

Cemetery Preservation Weeks brings you dozens of free programs to choose from between now until the end of May. Keep checking the calendar, new events are added often: tinyurl.com/mrz8xdv6

🪦APRIL 18🪦
Newman Cemetery Clean-Up
Johnston Governor King Cemetery 21 Clean-Up
Historic Hotchkiss Cemetery Clean-Up
Earth Day Clean-Up at the North Burial Ground
Clean-Up & Talk at the Tillinghast Family Burial Ground
Zebina Cool Lot Clean-Up

🪦APRIL 19🪦
Equal Rights School Tour at North Burial Ground
Honoring the Patriots of Northern RI Buried in Union Village

From the top of Neutaconkanut Hill, you can almost forget that you're still in Rhode Island's capital city. Now, this bu...
02/12/2026

From the top of Neutaconkanut Hill, you can almost forget that you're still in Rhode Island's capital city. Now, this bucolic spot, part of one of the oldest and largest public parks in Providence, is on the National Register of Historic Places.

"Neut" or "the Hill," as it is sometimes known, has been serving residents of Silver Lake and Olneyville for centuries, but the park wasn't formally established until 1903. As the metro area's population boomed, local advocates and city leaders pushed to expand public greenspace to provide recreational opportunities and a pastoral escape from urban life.

Today, Neutaconkanut Hill Park is one of 120 properties in the 1600-acre Providence Parks System, and its long history is visible throughout the park's 85 acres. Ruins of a family farm, WPA park infrastructure, the remnants of a toboggan slope, and an old Chevy Camero are all evidence of the evolving neighborhood. The National Register listing is the culmination of a decades-long partnership between the Providence Parks Department and the Neutaconkanut Hill Conservancy.

Read more about this beloved spot: https://shorturl.at/25bpl

Photos: 1. Credit to Kenneth Zirkel. 2. View from the summit ca. 1950, credit to Providence Public Library. 3. View from the summit today.

Address

150 Benefit Street
Providence, RI
02903

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Monday 9am - 4pm
Tuesday 9am - 4pm
Wednesday 9am - 4pm
Thursday 9am - 4pm
Friday 9am - 4pm

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+14012222678

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