January 22, 2023: Bathsheba Spooner: A Revolutionary Murder Conspiracy. Andrew Noone gave a presentation on his book “Bathsheba Spooner: A Revolutionary Murder Conspiracy.” Bathsheba Ruggles Spooner (1746 – 1778), from Worcester, Massachusetts was the first woman in American history to be executed following the Declaration of independence.
February 19, 2023: The RIHS Drop-Scene Project. Richard Ring, RIHS, gave a talk about the RIHS Drop-Scene Project. The RIHS’s Theater Drop-Scene is the earliest known surviving American theater backdrop, and it features a panoramic view of Providence from the base of Federal Hill looking east, painted by John Worrall in about 1809-1810. The RIHS has been engaged in a massive project to restore and make available this image of Providence, and it has taken four years, from 2018 to 2022.
April 16, 2023: Jim Bailey Returns to BVHS. Jim Bailey spoke about his current project: discovering the location of the Portsmouth estate of Metcalf Bowler, a prominent resident of Rhode Island, who served for many years in the colonial assembly, and was its speaker from 1767 to 1776. He served as an associate justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court from May 1768 to June 1769, and from June 1770 to August 1776, and as chief justice from August 1776 to February 1777. In the 1920’s, it was discovered that he had been a paid informer for the British.
May 21, 2023: Annual Meeting and Chistine Nowak Lecture, Slater Mill to Slatersville by Kevin Klyberg, Blackstone River Valley National Historic Park.
September 13, 2023: Learn about Upcoming Back to Back Solar Eclipses. Francine Jackson, Staff Astronomer at Ladd Observatory and BVHS Secretary, gave a talk about the eclipses on October 14, 2023, and April 8, 2024.
September 23, 2023: Great Road Open House Day. North Gate and the Bakery open. BVHS had an exhibit on the history of North Gate Toll House. The dollhouse hand made by Claire Boutiette from Manville was also on display.
October 15, 2023: Ann and Hope. Dave Lawlor from Run of the Mill Productions showed his film on the Ann and Hope in Cumberland.
November 19, 2023 : Exhibit: The Train Wreck that Changed Time. An exhibit on the Valley Falls/Central Falls train wreck in 1853 and its role in railroad reform and the establishment of time zones.