Rhode Island State Archives




 * Open Monday - Friday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm
 * Contact by email: statearchives@sos.ri.gov
 * Rhode Island Historical Records Advisory Board: Resources for Researchers

The State Archives, a division of the Office of the Secretary of State, is charged with maintaining the permanent records of state government. The collection of historical records dates from 1638 to the present and runs the gamut of Rhode Island's history from the reports of the Colonial Agent to the King of England (1638) to the papers of the Rhode Island Share and Deposit Indemnity Corporation (RISDIC) Commission (1993).

Holdings include state census records for the years 1865-1935 (in ten year intervals); state birth and marriage records for the years 1853-1897, state deaths for the years 1853-1947; military records; legislative records; and records of state departments, agencies, boards and commissions. The archives also maintains a large map collection and over 50,000 photographs.

Their website: http://sos.ri.gov/archives/

To browse/search the State Archives Online Catalog, go to http://sos.ri.gov/archon/ ( This became available October 16, 2013.)