Varnum Continentals

Preserving and Sharing Rhode Island History

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Varnum House Docent’s Give Tours to over 100 Elementary School Students

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Varnum House Docents prepared for a school tour.
Varnum House Docents prepared for a school tour.

The Varnum House Museum was thrilled to launch its new docent program by giving tours to over 100 elementary school students in East Greenwich, RI.

It was all hands on deck on June 2 when the new docents showed off our newly-renovated Varnum House Museum to the kids.  As usual, the children showed great interest in the the rich history contained in our 18th-century mansion museum originally built and owned by General James Mitchell Varnum in 1773.

We’re looking forward to officially opening the Varnum House to the public on Saturday, June 18 (see full hours below).  If you’d like to book a tour, then email house@varnumcontinentals.org or call 401-884-1776.

Varnum House Museum Operating Hours

Tours of the Varnum House Museum are closed for the season. Call 401-884-1776 or email house@varnumcontinentals.org if you have questions.

 

Renovations Continue at the Varnum Armory Museum!

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Armory Curator Patrick Donovan and Varnum Continentals Treasurer Tim Jackson (along with other volunteers) have made great progress toward the renovation of the Varnum Memorial Armory Museum’s exhibit spaces.  There’s be demolition, new LED lighting for display cases, lining of display cases with unbleached linen, and overall painting.  Once that’s done, we will put down a new floor. The goal is to finish all of it before Memorial Day.

The renovation is taking place in a small part of the museum, so we’re still open for tours.
CLICK HERE TO TOUR THE ARMORY!

Varnum House Yard Cleanup a Huge Success!

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Volunteers for yard cleanup at the Varnum House Museum.
Volunteers for yard cleanup at the Varnum House Museum.

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 can see from the images, we filled up a ton of yard debris bags.

Pitching in to help maintain our historic properties is just one of the rewarding activities that come with Varnum Continentals membership.  If you’d like to help out as well, just click here to join the Varnum Continentals.

Filled refuse bags at the Varnum House Museum.
Filled refuse bags at the Varnum House Museum.

 

Varnum House Museum Preparing for Spring

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The Meeting Room at Varnum House is getting spruced up for spring. Here, Trustee Bill Weaver applies a fresh coat of paint.
The Meeting Room at Varnum House is getting spruced up for spring. Here, Trustee Bill Weaver applies a fresh coat of paint.

The Varnum House Museum is gearing up for its 2016 season, and we are currently seeking volunteers to act as docents (tour guides). Training will be provided.

Built in 1773, the House is the former manor home of General James Mitchell Varnum. Please contact Barbara Weaver at house@varnumcontinentals.org or call 401-377-0047.

[FEBRUARY 15 DINNER MEETING] Barbed Wire College: Rhode Island and the Secret POW Camps of World War II

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Brian Wallin, a veteran broadcast news reporter and producer, is the November 2015 guest speaker for the Varnum Continentals.
Brian Wallin, a veteran broadcast news reporter and producer, is the February 2016 guest speaker for the Varnum Continentals.

EVENT UPDATE: Due to the possibility of a winter storm, the Varnum Members Meeting scheduled for February 8 has been postponed one week. The new meeting date is MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15.

PLEASE RSVP AGAIN: If you have already RSVP’d and plan to attend the February 15 meeting, please RSVP again by FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, to Scott Seaback at 401-413-6277 or scott@ritemps.com.  Again the new meeting date is Monday, February 15.

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On Monday, February 15, Varnum Trustee Brian L. Wallin takes us back to the waning days of World War II and a unique experiment in democracy. Working with Washington attorney and fellow Varnum member Christian McBurney, Brian researched the secret purpose of three World War II Prisoner of War camps located in Saunderstown and Jamestown, Rhode Island: an organized effort to educate a select number of German POWs in the basics of democracy. The goal? A cadre of individuals who would plant the seeds of a new post-war Germany to succeed the Nazi regime of Adolph Hitler.

In late 1944, President Franklin Roosevelt authorized the program, the legality of which fell within the terms of the Geneva Convention. German prisoners would be exposed to American values and the basics of a democratic government. Brian will take us behind the scenes, introduce us to key players, both German and American, and reveal the ultimate impact a program that was kept under such tight security that only then Rhode Island Governor J. Howard McGrath was privy to its actual purpose.

Little has been written about the camps since the end of the War. Last year, research by Brian and Christian took them on a trail that led from Rhode Island to the National Archives in Washington and elsewhere. Their story was recently published in the Online Journal of Rhode Island History.

Brian Wallin, a graduate of Stonehill College and American International College, spent 20 years as a television news reporter before turning his career to hospital administration. He retired in 2009 as Vice President of Kent Hospital where he continues to be active in an advisory capacity. In addition to his contributions to the history blog, he writes a monthly column for the Varnum Continentals newsletter.

This meeting is open to Varnum Members and their guests.

DATE: Monday, February 15, 2016
TIME: 5:30 p.m. (social hour); 6:30 p.m. (dinner followed by program)
MENU: Steak Tips & Peppers ( Bourbon), Chicken Marsala, Vegetable, Salad, Rolls & Butter, Coffee & Pastries
FEE: $15/person
RSVP: Please RSVP by FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, to Scott Seaback at 401/413-6277 or by email at scott@ritemps.com.

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Books by Christian M. McBurney

Christian M. McBurney is an independent historian who has written several books about the American Revolutionary War (several focusing on Rhode Island). He is an attorney in a Washington, D.C. law firm and resides in Kensington, Maryland. In addition, he is is the editor and publisher of the website “Small State, Big History,” the online review of Rhode Island History.

CoverTitle
The Rhode Island Campaign McBurney"The Rhode Island Campaign: The First French and American Operation in the Revolutionary War" by Christian M. McBurney
Abductions in the American Revolution Attempts to Kidnap George Washington, Benedict Arnold and Other Military and Civilian Leaders by Christian M McBurney"Kidnapping the Enemy: The Special Operations to Capture Generals Charles Lee and Richard Prescott" by Christian M. McBurney
"World War II Rhode Island" by Christian M. McBurney, Brian L Wallin, Patrick T Conley
"Abductions in the American Revolution: Attempts to Kidnap George Washington, Benedict Arnold and Other Military and Civilian Leaders" by Christian M. McBurney
"Untold Stories from World War II Rhode Island" by Christian M. McBurney, Norman Desmarais, Varoujan Karentz
"George Washington's Nemesis: The Outrageous Treason and Unfair Court-Martial of Major General Charles Lee during the Revolutionary War" by Christian M. McBurney
"Spies in Revolutionary Rhode Island" by Christian M McBurney

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.

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