Welcome to the East Providence Historical Society

The East Providence Historical Society was founded in 1967 and initially held meetings at the Roger Williams Grange, Rumford Grange, and the former Rumford Community Center.

In 1989 the Society was granted a lease from the city of East Providence to occupy the historic John Hunt House in the picturesque Hunt’s Mills section in Rumford. The house, built between 1750-1790, is a 5 bay center chimney Georgian style residence typical of a well-to-do family living in a country setting during that time.  The John Hunt House functions as our headquarters for regular and special events and is located in the southernmost tip of the Blackstone Valley National Heritage Corridor. Society members and volunteers have repaired and restored the building appropriate to the original design of the house.

The mission of the East Providence Historical Society is to enrich and educate the citizens of East Providence and surrounding communities about its history through excellent museum experiences and quality educational programs that are relevant and accessible to everyone.  Our vision is to be a valued, well-known and well-utilized resource for the East Providence Community as well as other surrounding cities and towns that East Providence was once a part of, thereby serving as a central hub for other historical and cultural organizations.