East Providence Historical Society News

“2nd Sunday” Fall Open Houses

October 8 - 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
“Talks and Walks” - Master Gardener Programs - in the gardens - 2:30 -3:00
October: “Putting the Garden to Bed”

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

Peter Hunt, of the Hunt family 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 crossed the 10 Mile River via footbridge. At 18, Peter insisted upon volunteering for the RI Artillery and was in training by August 1861. Peter wrote home every Sunday evening (when not in battle) from Oct 19861 - May 1864, 162 letters which his mother carefully saved. There are two branches of his family still in RI and they have loaned Peter’s per-sonal 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 Peter was most like-ly rarely allowed to enter!

EPHS General Meeting - Tockwotton Home
500 Waterfront Drive 02914
Monday , October 23 - 7 PM

The Hunt Family of Hunt’s Mills Sends a Son to War: 1861-1864 - Part 2

The second of three programs on Lt. Peter Hunt’s Civil War service centers on the battles of Antietam, Chancellorsville and Fredericksburg. EPHS presents the 1st in a 4 part series of programs by historian David Norton for the Cable TV show, “Dis-covering RI History” based on the letters of Lt. Hunt. Phillip DiMaria, spokesman for the recommissioned RI Light Artillery - Battery B, will introduce the film and speak to the artillery’s educational work today.

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.