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 for Rhode Island
American Antiquarian Society (Worcester MA)· American-French Genealogical Society· Brown University Rockefeller Library· Connecticut State Library (Hartford CT)· Davisville Free Library· Department of Health Office of Vital Records· East Greenwich Free Library· Judicial Records Center· National Archives at Boston (Waltham MA)· New England Historic Genealogical Society (Boston MA)· Newport Historical Society· Providence City Hall· Providence Public Library· Rhode Island Black Heritage Society· Rhode Island Genealogical Society· Rhode Island Historical Society· Rhode Island Jewish Historical Association· Rhode Island State Archives· Rhode Island State Library· Roger William University Library· Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence· 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
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.

Department of Health Office of Vital Records
3 Capitol Hill Providence, RI 02908 USA Telephone: 401-222-5960 E-mail: Contact Us form Website: How to Get a Copy of Vital Records
 * Birth and marriage records 100 years or older and death records 50 years or older are considered public records and may be obtained from the city or town hall where the event happened or through the Rhode Island State Archives. City and town clerk offices have records for all the births, deaths, marriages, and civil unions that occur in those cities and towns. All 39 cities and towns can also provide copies of most birth certificates for anyone born in the state on or after January 1, 1960.

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 Black Heritage Society
110 Benevolent Street Providence, RI 02906 USA Telephone: 401-588-5177 E-mail: [mailto:info@riblackheritage.org info@riblackheritage.org] Website: Rhode Island Black Heritage Society
 * As one of the oldest African Heritage organizations in the country, the Rhode Island Black Heritage Society has recorded, retained and interpreted historical facts and preserved the documents and artifacts of African-American and African descendant’s history and accomplishments in Rhode Island.

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
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 Jewish Historical Association
130 Sessions Street Providence, RI 02906 Telephone: 401-331-1360 E-mail: [mailto:info@rijha.org info@rijha.org] Website: Rhode Island Jewish Historical Association
 * City directories, organization records, synagogues, publications such as Jewish Herald, Jewish Voice, and The Jewish Voice and Herald, material about individual members of the Rhode Island Jewish community, and many obituaries.

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
State House 2nd floor 82 Smith St Providence, RI 02903 Telephone: 401-222-2473 Fax: 401-222-3034 E-mail: [mailto:statelibrary@sos.ri.gov statelibrary@sos.ri.gov] Website: Rhode Island State Library
 * They have the largest book collection in the state, including almost all state and town histories, biographies, and genealogies.

Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence
Archives One Cathederal Square Providence, RI 02903 Telephone: 401-278-4500 Fax 401-831-1947 E-mail: [mailto:webmaster@dioceseofprovidence.org webmaster@dioceseofprovidence.org] Website: Archivist
 * Miscellaneous collection of papers, manuscripts, correspondence, books, diocesan newspapers and directories, photographs and memorabilia. Few items predate 1872. Please note: sacramental records (i.e., baptismal and marriage certificates) are maintained at the individual parishes, and not in the Archives.

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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
15 Lippitt Road Kingston, RI 02881 Telephone: 401.874.2672 E-mail: [mailto:libadmin@etal.uri.edu libadmin@etal.uri.edu] Website: University Libraries
 * This collection has books, maps, biographies, and histories about Rhode Island residents.

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
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.

Connecticut State Library
231 Capitol Avenue Hartford, Connecticut 06106 Telephone: 860-757-6500 or toll free: 866-886-4478 E-mail: E-mail Us form Website: Connecticut State Library Website: History and Genealogy Home
 * Has the Barbour Collection, Bibles, census, church, Hale Collection newspaper marriages and deaths, cemeteries, probates, vital records, directories, land, local histories, military, naturalization, passenger arrivals, and e-mail questions. Large genealogy collection of newspapers, books manuscripts, town histories, maps and lots of genealogies. Holdings include the collection, "Connecticut Archives," 1629–1820. Many Rhode Island residents eventually settled in Connecticut. A helpful inventory of this collection is:
 * Connecticut State Library, Guide to Archives in the Connecticut State Library, 3rd ed. (Hartford, CT: Connecticut State Library, 1981). Online digital version; ;.



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.

Family History Centers
Some of the above collections are partially duplicated at the Family History Library and its branch Family History Centers around the world. Most centers can help you by: There are several centers located in Rhode Island, for example:
 * Giving you limited, personal, one-on-one research suggestions (but they do not do research for you)
 * Providing access to genealogical records either through the premium online Internet FHC Portal for free, or a microfilm loan program
 * Offering free how-to classes (varies by location)
 * Fostering contact between genealogical enthusiasts
 * Providence Rhode Island Family History Center 1000 Narragansett Pkwy Warwick, RI 02888 USA Telephone: 401-463-8150
 * Each center is staffed by volunteers and has varying hours and services. Telephone in advance to verify their hours.

To locate one of these 4,500 centers in your own neighborhood, see Find a Family History Center.

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.