Airman Stephen E. Roomes and the Air Force’s “Prime BEEF” Unit
Airman Stephen E. Roomes (left) of Providence, RI, was the first and only Black American to serve in the Air Force’s first “Prime BEEF” unit (Prime Base Engineer Emergency Force). This highly rapid deployment, special civil engineering unit was created to establish and maintain bases and airfields, as well as respond to chemical, biological, and radiological emergencies.
Varnum Continentals Contribute to RI Public School Curriculum
The Varnum Continentals will work with the RI Foundation, RI Historical Society, and the RI Black Heritage Society to introduce teachers to a new public school curriculum on the famed First Rhode Island Regiment of the Revolutionary War.
Varnum House Museum 2022 Tour Season
The Varnum House Museum will be open to the public for the 2022 tour season on Sundays from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM weekly starting on July 10, 2022. Tours for groups are available by appointment. Visit the 1773 mansion of General James Mitchell Varnum, a prominent figure in the Revolutionary War and early-American politics. […]
Watch “A STITCH IN TIME” filmed at the Varnum Memorial Armory Museum
If you weren’t able to watch the PBS documentary “A Stitch in Time” on it’s original May 29 air date, we’ve got you covered! Follow the link to watch this fascinating half-hour documentary showing the journey of America’s oldest colonial militia flag, from the First Company of Bristol County Militia in the 1690s to the […]
General George S. Patton: Master of the Sword
In the Varnum Memorial Armory Museum collection, we have an outstanding representation of American and foreign saber evolution. Among them is the last American design: the M1913 Army model, designed and advocated by none other than General (at the time, Lieutenant) George S. Patton, Jr.
T. Fred Brown’S Battery B 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery Cap
Wrapped in newspaper for about 140 years and kept on a dirt floor garage in Daytona, Florida, this American Civil War cap had bits of paper fused to the heat-melted cap visor. It was in pretty rough shape when it arrived at the Varnum Memorial Armory Museum. This artifact was worn by T. Fred Brown […]
Grand Army of the Republic Post 6 Guidon Reunited with a Former Commander
This Grand Army of the Republic Post 6 guidon has just been reunited with one of its former commanders, Lyman Aylesworth, at the Varnum Memorial Armory Museum. This American Civil War flag was acquired thanks to generous donations from our Facebook friends. Thank you! This guidon will be professionally conserved and mounted for display. Reno […]
Thomas Nichols Letter at the Varnum Armory … a Stunning 18th-Century African American Artifact
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.
New Display Cases at the Armory
At the Varnum Memorial Armory Museum, our new display case is coming along nicely. Most of its contents are related to the First Rhode Island Detached Militia, our state’s first volunteer infantry regiment to fight in the American Civil War.
Caring for the Varnum Memorial Armory Museum’s Treasured Artifacts: Conservator Maria Vazquez
The Varnum Continentals collect artifacts that represent our national and local military history. A key aspect of museum management is the conservation of artifacts ensuring they are properly preserved. Our collection includes firearms, bladed weapons, and personal gear used by soldiers. Many soft goods, such as flags and uniforms, require a special type of conservation expertise. And, it is here that the Varnums have gained the valued presence Maria Vazquez, a highly skilled textile conservator as a member of our volunteer family.