Rhode Island Archives and Libraries

United States Rhode Island  Archives and Libraries

These repositories preserve sources, maintain indexes, and provide services to help genealogists document their ancestors who lived in Rhode Island.

Wiki Articles on Major Repositories in Rhode Island
American Antiquarian Society· American-French Genealogical Society· Brown University Rockefeller Library· Davisville Free Library· East Greenwich Free Library· Judicial Records Center· National Archives at Boston· New England Historic Genealogical Society· Newport Historical Society· Providence City Hall· Providence Public Library· Rhode Island Genealogical Society· Rhode Island Historical Society· Rhode Island State Archives· Rhode Island State Library· Roger William University Library· Tiverton Public Library· University of Rhode Island Carothers Library· Westerly Public Library

Online Records of Rhode Island
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National Archives at Boston
National Archives at Boston 380 Trapelo Road Waltham, MA 02452-6399 Phone: (781) 663-0130 Fax: (781) 663-0154 E-mail: [mailto:waltham.archives@nara.gov waltham.archives@nara.gov] Website: National Archives at Boston
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 * The National Archives at Boston collects Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Rhode Island documents, photos, and maps of 80 federal agencies, War of 1812, fortifications, coastal facilities, World War II research at Harvard and MIT, federal bankruptcy courts, First Circuit Court of Appeals, Navy, Coast Guard, westward expansion, ethnology, genealogy, Revolutionary War, Civil War, captured German records, territorial papers, censuses, passenger arrival records for Boston and New England, and Canadian border crossings.

Judicial Records Center
Judicial Records Center 5 Hill Street Pawtucket, Rhode Island 02860 Telephone: 401-721-2641 Website: Judicial Records Center


 * Rhode Island state and county civil, criminal, and divorce cases 1671-1900, and naturalizations 1671-1982.

Rhode Island Genealogical Society
Rhode Island Genealogical Society P.O. Box 433 Greenville, RI 02828 Email: [mailto:info@rigensoc.org info@rigensoc.org] Website: Rhode Island Genealogical Society


 * Website provides some listings of holdings in Rhode Island libraries pertaining to RI genealogical and historical research. Some online resources available to members only.

Rhode Island Historical Society
Rhode Island Historical Society 121 Hope Street Providence, RI 02906 Telephone: 401-331-8575 Fax: 401-351-0127 Website: Rhode Island Historical Society


 * Houses the state's largest genealogical collection including local histories, manuscripts, census, cemetery, military, economic, social, church records, family Bibles, family histories, newspapers, genealogy, women’s history, and business records.

Rhode Island State Archives
Rhode Island State Archives 337 Westminster Street Providence, RI 02903-3302 Telephone: 401-277-2353 Fax: 401-277-3199 E-mail: Contact Us e-mail form Website: Rhode Island State Archives


 * The earliest town records collection from 1638 to the present, state censuses at ten year intervals between 1865-1935; state birth and marriage records for the years 1853-1897, state deaths for the years 1853-1947; and military records. The archives also maintains a large map collection.

Rhode Island State Library
Rhode Island State Library
 * They have the largest book collection in the state, including almost all state and town histories, biographies, and genealogies.

American-French Genealogical Society
American-French Genealogical Society P.O. Box 2010 78 Earle Street Woonsocket, RI 02895 Telephone: 401-765-6141 Fax: 401-765-6141 E-mail: [mailto:database@afgs.org database@afgs.org] Website: American-French Genealogical Society


 * Has collections pertaining to cultural, genealogical, historical and biographical matter relating to Americans of French and French Canadian descent. Collections include databases, cemetery, headstone and obituary records, as well as French-American marriage records for Rhode Island (see The Forget Files). The website has genealogy links and includes a section on Acadian heritage.



Brown University Rockefeller Library
Brown University Rockefeller Library 10 Prospect Street / Box A Providence, RI 02912 Telephone: 401-863-2165 E-mail: [mailto:rock@brown.edu rock@brown.edu] Website: Brown University Rockefeller Library


 * Virtually a second state archives with a huge book collection, manuscripts regarding New England settlers, biographies, and genealogies.

Davisville Free Library
Davisville Free Library 481 Davisville Road North Kingstown, RI 02852 Telephone: 401-884-5524 E-mail: [mailto:askref@askri.org askref@askri.org] Website: Davisville Free Library


 * This a good book collection with good genealogical reference works. It includes genealogical periodicals and family folders.

East Greenwich Free Library
East Greenwich Free Library 82 Peirce Street East Greenwich, RI 02818 Telephone: 401-884-9510 E-mail: E-mail a Librarian form Website: East Greenwich Free Library


 * Researchers will find town histories, digital RI newspaper archives, and the RI Sanborn map collection online (this last requires user ID and password). Also, they have a good collection of genealogical reference books periodicals, and family folders.



Newport Historical Society
Newport Historical Society 82 Touro Street Newport, RI 02840 Telephone: 401-846-0813 E-mail: [mailto:bsullivan@newporthistorical.org bsullivan@newporthistorical.org] Website: Newport Historical Society


 * The Library dates to the founding of the Newport Historical Society in 1854 and includes works on the history of Newport County and the surrounding area. The collection contains approximately 12,000 volumes reflecting the settlement and development of Newport County. Because Rhode Island was established by settlers and refugees from other colonies, the collection includes works on early Southeastern New England families and governments that contributed to the history of Rhode Island and the Providence Plantations. Also included are general reference works.Providence Rhode Island City Hall.jpg

Providence City Archives
Providence City Hall 25 Dorrance Street Providence, RI 02903 Telephone: 401-421-7740 E-mail: City Archives e-mail contact form Website: Providence City Archives


 * Holdings include early town records, vital records (including indexes to births, marriages, and deaths 1636 to mid-20th century - some restrictions may apply), tax records, probate records and indices, various property records, records of government proceedings, etc. For additional information, see Basic Holdings and Research.



Providence Public Library
Providence Public Library 150 Empire Street Providence, RI 02903 Telephone: 401-455-8000 E-mail: [mailto:askref@askri.org askref@askri.org] Website: Providence Public Library


 * This is a very good collection of published genealogies, biographies, periodicals and family folders.

Roger Williams University Library
Roger Williams University Library One Old Ferry Road Bristol, RI 02809 Telephone: 800-458-7144, or 401-253-1040 E-mail: [mailto:libref@rwu.edu libref@rwu.edu] Website: RWU University Libraries


 * Their huge book selection includes periodicals, newspapers, biography indexes, genealogies, family folders and histories, indexes and the largest Baptist collection in New England.

Tiverton Public Library
Tiverton Public Library 34 Roosevelt Avenue Tiverton, RI 02878 Telephone: 401-625-6796 E-mail: [mailto:staff@tivertonlibrary.org staff@tivertonlibrary.org] Website: Tiverton Public Library


 * They have a good collection of published genealogies.

University of Rhode Island Carothers Library
University of Rhode Island Carothers Library


 * This collection has books, maps, biographies, and histories about Rhode Island residents.

Westerly Public Library
Westerly Public Library 44 Broad Street Westerly, RI 02981 Telephone: 401-596-2877 x3 E-mail: [mailto:cbadowski@westerlylibrary.org cbadowski@westerlylibrary.org] Website: Westerly Library and Wilcox Park


 * There large genealogical book collection includes family folders, family histories, and indexes regarding Rhode Island families.

American Antiquarian Society
American Antiquarian Society 185 Salisbury Street Worcester, Massachusetts 01609-1634 Telephone: 508-755-5221 Fax: 508-753-3311 E-mail: [mailto:Library@americanantiquarian.org Library@americanantiquarian.org] Website: American Antiquarian Society


 * The AAS is best known for its U.S. newspaper collection of over 18,000 bound volumes 1704-1820, history, genealogy, Bibles, maps, biography, directories, Native Americans, women, canals, railroads, photos, manuscripts. They have Rhode Island vital records, newspapers, and town histories. One of the best genealogy centers in America.

New England Historic Genealogical Society
New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) 101 Newbury Street Boston, Massachusetts 02116-3007 Telephone: 617-536-5740; Library 617-226-1231 Fax:  617-536-7307 E-mail:  [mailto:info@nehgs.org info@nehgs.org] Website: AmericanAncestors.org


 * Best overall collection for New England (and Rhode Island) vital records and probates, and excellent collection for Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, and Europe. The manuscript collection for members-only has diaries, letters, account books, business papers, church and town records, sermons, maps, wills, deeds, unpublished town and family genealogies, photos, and papers of the region's best genealogists since 1850.

For Further Reading

 * Clarence S. Brigham, Annual Report of the American Historical Association for the Year 1903, Volume 1 (Washington, D.C.: American Historical Association, 1904) ; . An important inventory of manuscript records including Rhode Island state, county, and town archives.