Beyond the Monument: Reconsidering the History of Enslavement in Barrington, R.I.

This report focuses on the brave men who joined the ‘First Black Regiment’ during American Revolution and sacrificed all in their quest for freedom from enslavement as well as British rule. The report, delivered at the New England Historical Association 2021 Fall Conference, October 23rd, 2021, was written and presented by Stephen Venuti, BPS President with introduction by Roger Williams University (RWU) Associate Professor Charlotte Carrington-Farmer the session organizer.

Video: Celebrating Barrington’s History

The year 2017 was an important one for the Town of  Barrington, marking the 300th anniversary of the granting of its original charter.  The Town and a newly formed Committee thus organized a year long series of events specifically for the occasion.  This short video takes us through a brief history of the Town, as told through the Barrington 300 Celebration.

Take a Rhode Tour: Taverns to Temperance in Old Barrington Village

Take A Rhode Tour:

Taverns to Temperance:
A Spirited Tour of Old Barrington Village

Curated by Stephen Venuti
President, Barrington Preservation Society

Before the center of town shifted further south to its current location with the opening of the Town Hall in 1888, much of Barrington life centered around the Congregational Meetinghouse at 461 County Road. This area, now known as “Old Barrington Village,” was a vibrant community inhabited by farmers, shoemakers, cabinet makers, blacksmiths, stage-coach drivers, mariners, shipwrights, ferrymen, and statesmen. It was also the home of at least four now long-gone taverns. This interactive web/smartphone tour focuses on that small but fascinating piece of Barrington history.

Click image to launch this Rhode Tour:

Rhode Tour is a joint initiative of the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities, Brown University’s John Nicholas Brown Center for Public Humanities and Cultural Heritage, and the Rhode Island Historical Society. Rhode Tour is a smartphone app and website that uses text, sound, and images to bring Rhode Island stories to the palm of your hand.

 

New Barrington Book: Barrington Massachusetts Town Meeting Records

The Barrington, Massachusetts, town meeting records, for which BPS co-sponsored preservation treatment two years ago, have now been published, as the 2020 volume of “Gleanings from Rhode Island Town Records”,  the annual supplement to Rhode Island Roots, the journal of  the Rhode Island Genealogical society.

The records cover the years 1718 to 1744, and are arranged and indexed to search for specific Barringtonians. Two introductions cover the place of these records in Barrington history, and the making of the new publication.

This book will shortly be available for order from Rhode Island Genealogical Society at the following online store link:

https://rigensoc.org/store.php?sid=1&cid=4

Video: A Virtual Tour of Barrington Town Government

Barrington Preservation Society is proud to be part of the annual third grade field trips to learn about Barrington’s Town Hall, Town Museum, and adjacent Prince’s Hill Cemetery. This video introduces Barrington’s Town Hall and government for all those who cannot make the field trip in person this year. Thanks to all who participated in making this Virtual Tour of Barrington Town Government!