March 28, 2024

East Providence Historical Society News

Posted

“2nd Sunday” Fall Open Houses

November 12 - December 10
1:00 - 3:30pm

John Hunt Museum - 65 Hunts Mills Road - 02916

“Hikes”: meet Ernie Germani of the EP Conservation Com. at the Gazebo -1:30

December Special: Mark your calendars for the annual family hayride
co-sponsored with Councilman Brittos’s family. Hayrides 1-3pm only!

Fall Exhibit: “All Quiet on the Rappahannock Tonight: the Civil War letters of Lt. Peter Hunt -1861-1964”

Peter Hunt, of the Huntts of Hunt’s Mills, was born in 1843 at Hearthstone House, sister house of the John Hunt House. His father and uncle ran the mills and the families visited across the 10 Mile River via footbridge. At 18, Peter insisted upon volunteering for the RI Artillery and was in basic training by August 1861. Peter wrote home every Sunday evening (when not in battle) from Oct 19861 - May 1864, 161 letters which his mother carefully saved. There are two branches of his brothers’ families still in RI and they have loaned Peter’s personal effects for this exhibit to celebrate the publishing of the letters in book form after 156 years. Come and “Sunday visit” in the Hunt parlor where young Pe-ter was, most likely, rarely allowed to enter!

EPHS General Meeting -Riverside Library
475 Bullocks Point Avenue 02915
Monday, November 27- 7 PM : refreshments at 6:45

The Hunt Family of Hunt’s Mills Sends a Son to War : 1861-1864 - Part 3

The third of three programs on Lt. Peter Hunt’s Civil War service centers on the Battle of Gettysburg. Philip DiMaria, captain of the recommissioned RI Light Artil-lery - Battery B, will speak about the RILA role in that battle and how a “big gun” from that battle came to be at the RI State House. If you’ve had questions about the Artillery’s role or what Peter’s job was in that Artillery, Philip is the man to answer them. And did you know that there is a fine portrait of Civil War General Burnside hanging somewhere in East Providence? Who knew?

The EPHS is a volunteer organization in its 50th year dedicated to the preservation of local history. We maintain the c.1751 John Hunt House Museum/ genealogy library at 65 Hunts Mills Road in the Hunts Mills Local Historic District, participate in the URI Master Gar-dening program, and provide educational programs open to the public. For more infor-mation visit info@ephist.org or call 401-438-1750


In August 1861, a young man, 18 years old, full of idealism and assured that “the Confederacy will fold before Christmas” refuses his family’s offer of a surrogate soldier and goes off to fight for the Union. Every Sunday evening, Peter Hunt of the Hunt’s Mills family, writes home to his mother, Nancy Waterman Hunt and his sib-lings. An accomplished writer, Peter describes his surroundings and adventures but soon enough writes lengthy tales of battle and of escaping with only what he carried with him.

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