February is Black History Month, an opportunity to take a brief look at an important aspect of General James Mitchell Varnum’s illustrious career: the inclusion of men of color into the 1st Rhode Island Regiment, known as Varnum’s Continentals and from which we take our name and heritage as a historic state militia.
[MAY 14 DINNER MEETING] John Duchesneau on the Life and Times of General James Mitchell Varnum
Join us on Monday, May 14 as John Duchesneau, past president of the Rhode Island Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution and fellow Varnum Continentals member, takes us back in time for a look at our organization’s namesake, General James Mitchell Varnum. Although many of us may be familiar with the General’s background […]
[GALLERY] Varnum House Colonial Yuletide 2017 a Big Success!
On December 10, 2017, the Varnum House Museum hosted its Annual Colonial Yuletide Celebration featuring festive holiday decorations, live music, refreshments, and guided tours by docents in period costume. Our many visitors toured the museum and took in many new exhibits and revamped rooms in this 1773 mansion museum. Built in 1773 by General James […]
Varnum House Museum Yard Cleanup a Big Success!
We’d like to thank all the volunteers who came to the Varnum House Museum on April 15, 2017 to help us clean up the grounds and yard perimeter. Between Varnum volunteers and the community service volunteers from CCRI last weekend, the house grounds are really starting to come together! There was lots of work to […]
Varnum House Museum gets a yard cleanup thanks to CCRI volunteers
Many thanks to the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) community service volunteers who came to the Varnum House Museum today! They did a ton of work to spruce up the museum grounds, including rounding up over 60 bags of leaves and yard waste. The Varnum Continentals deeply appreciate all the community volunteers who help […]
Varnum House Museum Announces Tour Hours for 2017 Season!
We’re pleased to announce that the Varnum House Museum will be open for the 2017 tour season in June, July, and August on Saturdays and Sundays from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM. Tours include a dynamic program featuring costumed interpreters leading our guests through this house museum’s rich history. Contact the Varnum House Museum by calling […]
[FEATURE ARTICLE] James Mitchell Varnum and the 1st Rhode Island Regiment (“Black Regiment”)
This past December 17th, we marked the 238th birthday of General James Mitchell Varnum. This year, the Varnum Continentals observe the 110th anniversary of our founding: all in all, a pretty rich history. So, for the benefit of our new members and as a refresher for all Varnum members, let’s take a look at one […]
Roger Williams University Volunteers a Huge Help at the Varnum House Museum
The Varnum House Museum was happy to host Roger Williams University volunteers as part of their Community Connections program. We had about ten students on the grounds helping us clean up the house grounds. They filled dozens of organic refuse bags and cleaned up the brush around the outer edge of the grounds. This program […]
[FEATURE ARTICLE] What’s New at the Varnum House Museum: A Chat with Varnum VP Barbara Weaver
Last fall, longtime Varnum Continentals member and trustee Barbara Weaver took on a new role as Varnum House Museum Vice President. Since then, she and her husband Bill, another member and trustee, have been hard at work assessing the needs of this valued historic asset and putting hours and elbow grease — along with volunteer […]
Varnum House Yard Cleanup a Huge Success!
We’d like to thank all the volunteers who came to the Varnum House Museum on April 9, 2016 to help us clean up the grounds and yard perimeter. There was lots of work to be done including the cleaning of leaves and yard debris, pruning bushes, limbing up trees, and a lot more. As you […]