Varnum Continentals

Preserving and Sharing Rhode Island History

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You are here: Home / Tour the Varnum Memorial Armory Military Museum!

Tour the Varnum Memorial Armory Military Museum!

armory_small
Varnum Memorial Armory

In 1913, just six years after their formation, the Varnum Continentals began construction of a medieval-style armory at the corner of Main and Division Streets in East Greenwich, RI. In the mid 1800’s, the site had been the location of the Rhode Island Central Bank, the first bank in the town.

When completed about a year later, the armory included a 40′ by 110′ drill hall, meeting rooms, headquarters for “Varnum’s Regiment”, a chartered unit of the Rhode Island Militia, and a home for the organization’s respected collection of weaponry, uniforms, historic artifacts, and militaria. From 1918 to 1996, the State of Rhode Island leased a majority of the building to house units of the National Guard and (during World War II and the Korean War) the State Guard. The Varnum Armory is one of only a few armories not owned by the State to have housed a National Guard unit.

During World War II, an aircraft spotter’s tower was located on the north tower part of a coastal early warning network operated by the US Army Air Corps and staffed by civilian volunteers.

CLICK HERE TO BOOK A TOUR NOW!

 

1883 Canon-Mounted Gatling Gun (fully operational)
1883 Canon-Mounted Gatling Gun (fully operational)

OUR MILITARY HISTORY MUSEUM

The Varnum Armory Museum includes representative examples of weaponry, uniforms and artifacts dating from colonial America and through the 20th century. Among the more unusual items: a functioning 1883 Gatling gun, a Civil War era James Conversion six-pound rifled cannon, and a collection of more than 600 American and foreign patriotic and propaganda posters from World Wars I and II.

Visitors can view a variety of militaria including vintage sabers, flags and banners, a rare Revolutionary War leather helmet worn by a Rhode Island artillery officer at the Battle of Long Island and firearms ranging from colonial flintlock pistols and muskets (including a British carbine captured at the Battle of Saratoga) down to automatic weapons from World Wars I and II. Among the latter is a German Maxim machine gun and a Browning water-cooled .30 caliber machine gun, both from WWI. The museum’s unique displays offer scholars, students and history buffs a visible timeline of the evolution of weaponry and related materials, both American and foreign.

VARNUM MEMORIAL ARMORY ARCHITECTURE

Jenks Rifles
Jenks Rifles

The armory (and the James Mitchell Varnum House on Peirce Street in East Greenwich, RI) is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A 1984 survey of State Historic Buildings describes the armory as follows: “This brick building has remained in perfect condition; front central entrance is recessed into the façade, double doors, wooden, heavy hardware, all incorporated into an arched paneled recessed entrance; multiple pointed arched windows; 2 small square towers are on the front corners; brick buttresses; low brick real ell.”

PRESERVATION AT THE VARNUM MEMORIAL ARMORY

As part of its mission to preserve the armory building (and Varnum House) and its treasured collections for future generations, the Varnum Continentals Board of Trustees has embarked on a strategic plan that includes an updated accessions and catalog policy, enhanced fund raising, volunteerism, educational initiatives, and membership development. In recent years, the trustees have addressed facilities preservation at the armory including a new roof, window replacement and newly completed state-of-the-art dehumidification and air handling system to preserve the museum collections. Further improvements are planned.

Touring the Varnum Memorial Armory Museum
Touring the Varnum Memorial Armory Museum

Tour the Varnum Memorial Armory Museum

The Museum is open on special occasions and by appointment for school and small group tours (book a tour at the armory).


Join the Varnum Continentals for $35!

At only $35 per person annually, membership keeps you in the Varnum loop and supports our efforts to preserve U.S. history and educate the public. Members get a monthly newsletter and can also attend our monthly dinner programs that feature authoritative and engaging speakers on historic and military topics. CLICK HERE TO JOIN NOW!



Make a Donation!

We’re a private nonprofit organization receiving no state or federal funding. We depend on your donations to support out valuable work to preserve U.S. history and support our two museums. MAKE A DONATION TODAY!


[FEATURE ARTICLE] Thomas Nichols Letter at the Varnum Armory … a Stunning 18th-Century African American Artifact

February 11, 2021 By Patrick Donovan

Tired and tempted to just throw it all away, I stuck my hand one more time into a large moldy cardboard box filled with random receipts, notes, and other mid-20th-century detritus. It had belonged to one of our founding members who had long since passed. Digging through this old box was part of a (still on-going) gargantuan effort to properly re-pack everything in storage at the Varnum Memorial Armory Museum located at 6 Main St. here in East Greenwich, RI.

About the Varnum Continentals

The Varnum Continentals are committed to the preservation of the historic heritage of our community, our state, and our nation. Please take a virtual tour of our museums to learn more about our mission to encourage patriotism. You can participate with us through active membership and/or philanthropic support in our non-profit organization. Donations are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Museum tours are welcomed and our facilities may be rented for suitable events.

Our Mission

The Varnum Continentals are committed to encourage patriotism through the Varnum Armory Museum, the Continental Militia, and the James Mitchell Varnum House and thus to preserve, support, and communicate the military history of our community, our state, and our nation.

Recent Posts

  • [FEATURE ARTICLE] Thomas Nichols Letter at the Varnum Armory … a Stunning 18th-Century African American Artifact
  • [FEATURE ARTICLE] Rhode Island’s Namesake Warships: Past, Present, and (Maybe) Future
  • [FEATURED EXHIBIT] New Display Cases at the Armory

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