A Shelter for Persons Distressed

In 1636, Roger Williams bought land from the Narragansett chiefs and established a colony here near the site of a fresh water spring. Naming the town for God's providence to him, Williams declared the settlement a shelter for the persecuted ...

A Howling Wilderness

Though uninhabited on the eve of its settlement by Europeans, this area already had a 7000 year history of activity by native Americans. In 1636, this land was the low, marshy shoreline of a large saltwater cove to the west, ...

The Original Water Supply

Left Plaque

The Spring on this lot was the original water supply around which Roger Williams gathered the first settlers was in 1721 by reservation in the deed from the Proprietors of Providence made accessible to the townspeople forever

Right Plaque

This ...

Constitution Island Redoubts

Redoubts 5, 6 and 7 were built between 1776 and 1779 to protect Constitution Island batteries and overland approaches. Redoubt 5 (on high ground to right of Warner House) was built in 1779 to protect the island’s eastern side ...

Stewartsville Cemetery

Begun 1785. Congressman James Stewart gave land. J. C. McLaurin, who founded Laurinburg, and many Scots buried here. Two miles southwest.

Marker is at the intersection of U.S. 74 and Rocky Ford Roud, on the right when traveling east on U.S. ...

Steeple Street Complex

1827 - 1847

The Steeple Street Complex was built in three main stages between 1827 and 1847 during a key period in Providence's growth into a leading commercial and industrial city. When Joseph Congdon and Randall Green built the first section, ...

Revolutionary War Fortifications

Fortifications were constructed with the most readily available materials: earth, stone and wood. Forts, redoubts and batteries were normally built with a dry masonry stone foundation topped with some combination of earth, fascines (bundles of sticks) and logs. Forts ...

Oil Field Boom Towns

Oil field towns such as Oil Hill and Midian were built and maintained by oil companies such as Cities Service. These towns were fast growing and held an excitment in the early years when people moved in at all hours ...

Forts Webb, Wyllys and Meigs

In 1778, three forts were built by Connecticut regiments on the ridgeline east of Fort Putnam. They covered the low ground approach to Fort Arnold along the river, the ridgeline itself, and the low ground between Fort Putnam and ...

Flare

From the former Midland Refinery. Used to burn off gasses as gasoline and propane were transferred from the refinery into the railroad tank cars. ca. 1920's

Donated by: Frontier Refinery

Courtesy hmdb.org