May 13, 2025 – A group of Pennfield School student toured the museum. “Period” actors Gloria and Richard Schmidt, Dave Duggan and Jim Garman provided ‘living history’ and Becky Sattel and Rich Talipsky assisted.
The Portsmouth Historical Society has announced that the museum and grounds will be open for the 2025 summer season. Opening day is Sunday, June 8th at 2pm. The museum will be open the 2nd and 4th Sunday of each month from 2 to 4 pm. Additional details can be found here. Check out our events
Portsmouth celebrated its 387th birthday on March 7, 2025. This year’s commemoration was held at the Portsmouth Friends Church. The church recently celebration a milestone of its own ; construction of the structure began in 1699, making it 325 years old. As part of the celebration, the original Portsmouth Compact from 1638 once again traveled
Dec 5, 2024 Annual Meeting and Holiday Gathering Featured Presentation was a screening of RIPBS Treasures Inside the Museum featuring Portsmouth Historical Society. Heavy Hors D’ouevres and Cocktails followed A video is available at the PHS You Tube Channel
Dec 5, 2024 – PHS Annual Meeting and Holiday Party Read More »
Oct 24, 2024 – Trolleys Lecture Oct 24, 2024 – Fresh off the Portsmouth Historical Society’s historic trolley tour, Portsmouth Town Historian Jim Garman presented a lecture on the history of Aquidneck Island trolleys where he showed many of the photos in his impressive collection. Come learn about the Island Line that traversed the east
Oct 24, 2024 – “Aquidneck Island Trolleys” Lecture Read More »
Sept 8, 2024 – It was ‘Family Fun Day at the Museum. For the kids – Schoolmaster James Preston was back for another lesson at the Southermost School. Go back to 1725 at the schoolhouse to take part in a Spelling Bee. “Students” wrote their answers in chalk on their slate and maybe learned some
June 27,2024 – The Portsmouth Historical Society hosted a talk, Anne Hutchinson: The Woman who co-founded Rhode Island and Told the Boston Puritans they were going to Hell” on Thursday, June 27th, 6:30 PM at the museum. In 17th Century Boston, a woman dared to challenge the ruling theocracy by preaching first to women,
The Portsmouth Historical Society is pleased to announce the award of a $50,000 grant from the Alletta Morris McBean Charitable Trust for the installation of an ADA-compliant vertical lift, which will allow visitors access to the second floor of the museum at 870 East Main Road. The project will include a weather-tight enclosure that will
Jun 17, 2024 – PHS Receives $50k Grant for ADA Lift Read More »
May 23rd – Stephen Luce talked on the subject of Puritans, Pirates, and Portuguese at the Museum. In 1630 Robert Rich, the 2nd Earl of Warwick, together with other prominent English Puritans, claimed the Spanish island of Santa Catalina, re-named it Providence, and started the Providence Island Company. They envisioned this small, isolated island as
May 23, 2024 – Puritans, Pirates, and Portuguese Read More »
Mar 14, 2024 – Christian McBurney spoke on his new book, Machine Guns in Narragansett Bay: The Coast Guard’s War on Rumrunners (History Press, 2023) During World War I and World War II, Rhode Island was dotted with coastal forts filled with large caliber guns. Yet they were never fired in anger. By contrast, from
