History

History of the Varnum House

In 1773, James Mitchell Varnum, a young lawyer, purchased a large plot of land overlooking Greenwich Bay in East Greenwich, RI, for the sum of $90.

The property he chose was located immediately behind and uphill of the Kent County Courthouse (now East Greenwich Town Hall) where the most powerful and influential colonial leaders frequently met.

Varnum hired a prominent East Greenwich architect and builder, John Reynolds, to design and construct his house. Construction began in 1773 and was completed about 5 years later.

James Varnum and his wife, Martha (known as Patty), lived in the Varnum mansion until Varnum’s death in 1788. The House was sold to the architect who built it. It passed through many owners before it was purchased by the Varnum Continentals in 1939, who wanted to preserve the property in honor of General James Mitchell Varnum and keep it from being subdivided into smaller lots. The Varnum Continentals, under the leadership of the Continental Ladies, restored their namesake’s mansion and continue to operate it as a museum to this day.

Notable Varnum House Owners/Occupants

James Mitchell Varnum, Revolutionary War General & Lawyer, and his wife Patty (Child) Varnum, 1773 -1788
Ethan Clarke, Revolutionary War Captain, banker, merchant & founder of East Greenwich Academy, and his wife Anna (Ward) Clarke, daughter of RI Governor Samuel Ward, 1802 – 1819
Celia (Padgett) Brayton and her husband George Brayton, Chief Justice of the RI Supreme Court, 1850 – 1882 (approx.)
Clarissa (Brayton) Bowen and her husband William Shaw Bowen, physician & journalist, 1882 – 1907
Walter F. Angell, lawyer, 1921- 1939
Varnum Continentals, patriotic organization, 1939 – present

The Architecture

The house was built in keeping with the best architectural standards of the late 18th century. This 2-1/2 story Georgian-styled mansion has a hipped roof, modillioned cornices, heavily moulded caps, and a central pedimented doorway with columned porch.

In its day, the Varnum House was considered an opulent mansion. Its high ceilings, wide central hallway, and well-executed architectural details spoke of wealth and the prominence of its owners. Some called it “Varnum’s Folly,” but today the house is considered a jewel in the crown of the historic structures of Rhode Island.

The Varnum House Museum is on the National Register of Historic Places.

A Hub of Political and Civil Discourse
As a prominent figure in the Revolutionary War and early-American politics, Varnum attracted a “who’s who” of guests to his mansion including George Washington, Marquis de Lafayette, Comte de Rochambeau, John Sullivan, Nathanael Greene, William Greene, and many others. Legal and military strategy were frequent topics of discussion, as were many of the ideals upon which our country was built.