Charlestown Historical Society

Charlestown Historical Society Our Mission: To Learn, Teach and Preserve the History of Charlestown, RI
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On this day 90 years ago, Narragansett Tarzan Brown won the 1936 Boston Marathon. It is a good day to remember all of ...
04/21/2026

On this day 90 years ago, Narragansett Tarzan Brown won the 1936 Boston Marathon. It is a good day to remember all of his accomplishments and also to remember the man who made not only the Narragansett people proud, but made all of Rhode Island proud!

The Boom, 1940s photos from the Browning Farm along the Old Post Road in Charlestown when potato farming was in its heyd...
04/14/2026

The Boom, 1940s photos from the Browning Farm along the Old Post Road in Charlestown when potato farming was in its heyday from the 1930s through the 1950s. 
This period marked a peak in commercial potato growing in southern Rhode Island with many farmers shifting to specialized "chipper" potatoes to supply the growing snack food industry.

Narragansett Allen Hazard Shares the Art of Keeping a 4,500-Year-Old Tradition Alive. Please join us for this remarkab...
01/27/2026

Narragansett Allen Hazard Shares the Art of Keeping a 4,500-Year-Old Tradition Alive. Please join us for this remarkable presentation on the ancient art of wampum at the Cross Mills Public Library on January 31st, at 1:00 pm.
The Charlestown Historical Society will hold a brief annual meeting afterwards for anyone interested in joining in. Light refreshments served. See you there!

Photo taken November 20, 1948, at the Cross Mills Fire Station during the wedding reception of John and Pauline Masson. ...
01/03/2026

Photo taken November 20, 1948, at the Cross Mills Fire Station during the wedding reception of John and Pauline Masson. Pictures are of auxiliary members and fireman, the working crew.
You may know many of these folks, relatives, friends, and well-known names of Charlestown's community.

Early 1900s photos of Shannock and Kenyon baseball teams. Rivalry was big between mill village communities as part of th...
10/17/2025

Early 1900s photos of Shannock and Kenyon baseball teams. Rivalry was big between mill village communities as part of their past time when not working at the mills.

Please join the Charlestown community to celebrate the kickoff of our country’s upcoming 250th Birthday Celebration!!
08/31/2025

Please join the Charlestown community to celebrate the kickoff of our country’s upcoming 250th Birthday Celebration!!

Charlestown Beaches - 1900s Style
07/30/2025

Charlestown Beaches - 1900s Style

Please join the Charlestown Historical Society for Treasures Inside the Museum, on Rhode Island PBS, back for its sixth ...
06/23/2025

Please join the Charlestown Historical Society for Treasures Inside the Museum, on Rhode Island PBS, back for its sixth season!
You can see the show on Friday, June 27th at 8:30 PM or, Saturday, June 28th, 12:30 PM.

One of our featured treasures will be the historic stenciled murals of George Washington and the Marquee de Lafayette, discovered in the Card house of Charlestown, built circa 1732.

These murals were most likely completed in the 1830s by an unknown artist. Although the artwork appears to be possibly that of a well-known stencil artist such as Moses Eaton or Erastus Gates, particularly known for their work in New England, the murals were damaged over the years and show no signatures.

Pictured here are Betty Jo Cugini and Jim Karpeichik of RIPBS  during the filming in August 2024, at the CHS museum.

The Perry Gristmill on Moonstone Beach Road also aired on Treasures on June 20th at 8:30 PM. The restoration and presentation of this site has been fostered by members of the CHS in the past and present, and now is owned by the South Kingstown Land Trust.

This Memorial Day, we honor four exceptional naval aviators who came to Charlestown to train as night fighter pilots.The...
05/26/2025

This Memorial Day, we honor four exceptional naval aviators who came to Charlestown to train as night fighter pilots.
They are pictured here with their squadron.
Of the seven men pictured in the front row, only three returned from battle alive. Charles Gibson, Richard, Gould, Bill Sanders, and George Krause made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
We honor you today.

Charlestown Naval Auxiliary Airfield, 1944. Dummy bomb to the left reads: “Through These Portals Pass the Hottest Pilo...
05/25/2025

Charlestown Naval Auxiliary Airfield, 1944. Dummy bomb to the left reads: “Through These Portals Pass the Hottest Pilots in the World”.

Here at the ‘Charlietown’ air base came young men from all over the country to train to become Night Fighter Pilots during WWII.
George H. W. Bush was the youngest pilot to train here.

We Remember, We Honor, We Will Never Forget.

Address

4417 Old Post Road
Charlestown, RI
02813

Opening Hours

Friday 11am - 1pm
Saturday 11am - 1pm

Telephone

(401) 364-1838

Website

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