The South County Room of the North Kingstown Free Library is the home to several special collections which are held in locked archival storage. Items in these collections are available to view by appointment. Please contact nkiref@nklibrary or 401-294-3306 to make an appointment. In addition to the collections listed below, information about additional collections can be found at RIAMCO.org.
Daniel Berkeley Updike Merrymount Press Collection
Daniel Berkeley Updike (1860-1941) was a prominent printer and book designer and the founder of the Merrymount Press in Boston. A descendant of the Updike and Smith families, the earliest European settlers of Wickford, he maintained a lifelong connection to the village. He was a major supporter of the library as well as the Old Narragansett Church and the Wickford Grammar School, furnishing the latter with historic artworks, many of which are now in the library's collection. The library also holds a collection of publications produced by Merrymount Press widely regarded to be among the finest examples of bookmaking of their time.
David Plante Collection (1971-2009)
David Plante is a highly regarded modern American writer who was born in Providence, Rhode Island.
The collection consists of manuscripts of both published and unpublished material, papers, correspondence by and about the author, page notes, notebooks and other personal documents dating from 1971 through 2009. It also includes books by the author, books about the author, and books that comprise a representative collection from the author’s personal library during the years 1986 through 2009 when he was on the faculty of the Writing Division in the School of the Arts at Columbia University and was living part of every year in New York City.
Guide to the David Plante Collection
Davisville Mill Records (1803-1875)
These are the records of one or more textile mills that operated in the village of Davisville in North Kingstown, RI. It is unclear from the records themselves if the materials all belong to one mill or to a group of mills. Names of mill owners found inside the books include Ezra and J. Davis, E. and J. Davis, Davis Reynolds, J. D. and S. and Davis and Sweet. The collection includes 14 ledgers, 16 daybooks and a pattern book with examples of the textiles the mills produced.
Guide to the Davisville Mill Records
Edith May Collection (1909-1967)
After a remarkable career teaching and running schools in Europe and working with relief organizations during both World Wars, Edith McClees May retired to her family home in Wickford, RI, where she lived until her death in 1970. Her legacy includes founding the Travel School for American Girls and the Villa Collina Ridente in Florence, Italy, as well as her significant humanitarian work with the American Red Cross and the French Wounded Emergency Fund during World War I. This collection includes photographs from her work during World War I and her ground breaking educational programs.
Guide to the Edith May Collection
Digital items from the Edith May Collection
First Baptist Church of North Kingstown Records (1782-1856)
The First Baptist Church of North Kingstown was established in the village of Allenton in 1782. These record books document the early formation of the church, the appointment William Northup as Pastor, details of the building of the first meetinghouse and include membership lists and meeting minutes.
Guide to the First Baptist Church of North Kingstown Records
Digital items from the First Baptist Church of North Kingstown Records
Hammond Family Papers (1741-1913)
This collection centers on Pardon Tillinghast Hammond (1792–1872) of Wickford, RI, longtime cashier of North Kingston Bank, and includes his papers on banking, Revolutionary War pensions, and an 1847 draft letter to President Polk. It also features 48 documents from Washington Academy and records from the Wickford Library Society. Additional materials include family papers from the Hammonds and related families, letters from William Hammond in Cuba, genealogical notes, copies of early Indian deeds, an 1814 letter by Daniel E. Updike describing a bout of “partial insanity”, a 1740 bill of sale for an enslaved man to Joseph Hammond (1690-1776) and a 1783 work agreement between Jeremiah Gardiner and Black man Lonnon/London Phillips.
Guide to the Hammond Family Papers
Digital items from the Hammond Family Papers
John Ward Collection (c.1890-1986)
John Ward, born in Wickford, RI in 1911, lived most of his life on West Main Street and dedicated himself to preserving the town’s history. After graduating from North Kingstown High School in 1932, he began a long career at the Providence Journal-Bulletin, becoming a reporter covering North Kingstown, Exeter, and Jamestown, until retiring in 1974. Ward was active in the North Kingstown Fire Department for 25 years and served on the committee that founded the North Kingstown Ambulance Association. Through his professional work and civic involvement, Ward collected photographs, documents, and memorabilia, which he began donating to the library in 1980 and continued until shortly before his death on June 26, 1986.
Guide to the John Ward Collection
Digital items from the John Ward Collection
Paule Loring Collection (c.1940-1979)
Paule Loring (1899-1968) was a nationally recognized artist and one of Wickford's most widely known residents of the 20th century. Loring worked as a editorial cartoonist for the Providence Journal for 33 years, was widely published in several magazines and was prolific watercolorist, painting local scenes especially of the Wickford maritime community. He was well known in the community for his sailing knowledge and his Pleasant Street artists shop Loring's Shanty. After his death in 1968, Loring's family donated a large collection of his works to the library including cartoons and papers related to his work during World War II, original watercolors and prints, original cartoons, mural works, pen and ink sketches and prints, and published materials.
