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Gen. James Mitchell Varnum House

Buildings and structures in East Greenwich, Rhode IslandHistoric American Buildings Survey in Rhode IslandHistoric district contributing properties in Rhode IslandHistoric house museums in Rhode IslandHouses completed in 1773
Houses in Kent County, Rhode IslandHouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Rhode IslandKent County, Rhode Island Registered Historic Place stubsMuseums in Kent County, Rhode IslandNRHP infobox with nocatNational Register of Historic Places in Kent County, Rhode IslandNortheastern United States museum stubsRhode Island building and structure stubs
Varnum House Museum, East Greenwich Rhode Island
Varnum House Museum, East Greenwich Rhode Island

The General James Mitchell Varnum House is an historic house at 57 Peirce Street in East Greenwich, Rhode Island. The 2+1⁄2-story wood-frame house was built in 1773 for James Mitchell Varnum, who later served as a general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. It is five bays wide, with two interior brick chimneys. Its main entry is sheltered by a portico supported by fluted Ionic columns and pilasters. A 19th-century addition extends from the rear of the main block. Notable later residents of the house include George A. Brayton, who served as Chief Justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court. The house was purchased in 1939 by the Varnum Continentals, and has since served as a museum.The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Gen. James Mitchell Varnum House (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Gen. James Mitchell Varnum House
Division Street,

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N 41.663611111111 ° E -71.451666666667 °
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Division Street 40
02818
Rhode Island, United States
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Varnum House Museum, East Greenwich Rhode Island
Varnum House Museum, East Greenwich Rhode Island
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Kent County Courthouse (Rhode Island)
Kent County Courthouse (Rhode Island)

The Kent County Courthouse, now the East Greenwich Town Hall, is a historic court building at 127 Main Street in East Greenwich, Rhode Island. Kent County was set off from Providence County in 1750. The same year, a courthouse was constructed in East Greenwich, then the largest town in the new county. By 1799 the courthouse was too small, and the state legislature appointed a committee for the construction of a new building. The old building was sold and dismantled, and a new courthouse built on the site in 1804–05. It was designed and built by Revolutionary war veteran and contractor Oliver Wickes.Rhode Island had an unusual "rotating legislature" from 1759 to 1901. In order to keep state government local, the legislature occupied each county seat on a rotating schedule. In 1854, only the buildings in Providence and Newport were used. In 1901, when the new Rhode Island State House was first occupied, Providence became the state capitol, and the buildings in Bristol, South Kingstown, and East Greenwich were turned over to the counties.By the early twentieth century, the courthouse was in need of modernization. In 1908 the Providence architectural firm of William R. Walker & Son was hired to renovate the structure. However, as soon as work had begun, it was revealed that the building's structural integrity had been compromised over the years. The courthouse was gutted and the interior was completely rebuilt in the Colonial Revival manner. The work was completed in 1909.In 1974, a new courthouse was built in Warwick. The building in East Greenwich was repurposed as the East Greenwich Town Hall, replacing the old shingle-style town hall, formerly a block north on Main Street. The probate court continues to meet in the building, making it the oldest active courthouse in the state.