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Foster Preservation Society

founded in 1966

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Our Mission

The Foster Preservation Society is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to the preservation of historic buildings, rural character, colonial heritage and the orderly growth and development of the town.  The Society will work towards the attainment of these objectives through educational programs and publications, research into the town's history and acquisition of materials pertaining to all aspects of its history and will cooperate with historical societies and other agencies promoting compatible goals.


Our Headquarters

Foster Town House - 1796

180 Howard Hill Road

Foster, Rhode Island

 

The Society's office is  located in the lower level of the old Town House, built by members of the Second Baptist Church and deeded to the Town in 1822.  Town meetings were first held here in 1801 and have been held continuously over the years since that date.

Tours and Visits are available by appointment.

Please call: (401) 397-5687

Click Here for Directions


Who Are We?

 Learn more about

Our Mission,

Meeting schedule,

By-Laws, and

Board of Directors.


Other Interesting Places on the FPS Website

Audio/Video files.

Famous Foster Folks

Jerimoth Hill T-shirt pictures

Historical Cemetery Survey

Most Endangered Properties Program

Old Home Days Page

Preservation Society "Citizen of the Year" Award


Plaque Program

The Foster Preservation Society has promoted the identification of homes and buildings, some of which are listed in the State and/or National Register of Historic Places, and others which have local importance.  These buildings are awarded plaques which bear the name of the original owner and date the house was built.  To apply for a Foster Preservation Society plaque, access the Guidelines and/or Application at the links shown below.  For more information, feel free to contact us via phone 397-5687 or via email at fosterfps@msn.com.

Plaque Program Guidelines

 

Plaque Application



Image result for welcome to Foster, RI

 


 

Please contact us at our NEW Email Address:

 

 Fps181@gmail.com

THE NEWEST FPS NEWS


The Foster Preservation Society is happy to announce that on June 28, 2023, we acquired the Mt. Hygeia School House!

The building is currently in poor condition, but with the help of Society members and volunteers, we hope to bring it back to its original condition.  A description of the building appears below.

Mount Hygeia School House

(c. 1840, #68)

Located on the north side of Hartford Pike, just west of the intersection with Mt. Hygeia Road (route 94).

 

This typical 1-story, 1-room school house, with paired entrances in the south gable end, is the only un-remodeled school house in Foster and one of seven school houses surviving in any form.  In the last half of the 19th century Foster had eighteen school districts, by the time of school consolidation in 1952, however, only seven school houses remained in use; Mount Hygeia was one of them.  A 1755 deed for a school house lot in the Mount Hygeia area is the earliest known reference to any school or school building in Foster.

 

If you are interested in helping with the restoration effort, please feel free to contact the Society at the phone number or email located at the bottom of this page.

 

Thank you in advance!



The Foster Preservation Society would like to thank the following organizations who have been generous in their support:

RI CHARG logo

The activities of the Foster Preservation Society are made possible by a grant from the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities, through the Rhode Island Culture, Humanities, and Arts Recovery Grant (RI CHARG) program.  This program was made possible thanks to the National Endowment for the Humanities, via funds from the federal American Rescue Plan Act.



Each year, Historic New England awards one Herbert and Louise Whitney Fund Community Preservation Grant to a small-to-medium sized heritage preservation organization in each New England State.  This year the Foster Preservation Society received funds to support repairs to the roof of the Winsor Blacksmith shop.

FOSTER SHIRTS ARE HERE!

t-shirt

Swamp Meadow Bridge t-shirts

Shown above

 

Grey shirts are $12.00 each and are available in S, M, L, and XL.

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Click here for order form.


 Save the Barn!

Nehemiah Angell Barn

circa 1790

 

First phase of restoration completed

 

This historic barn has served a number of owners for more than 225 years. The interior still houses the original animal stalls, used by the families who lived in the adjacent house.  It most likely housed the family’s wagon and possibly a small sleigh for use in the winter months.  It would also have contained the various and sundry tools used by local farmers for clearing fields, planting and harvesting crops that kept the family fed though Foster’s long winters.

 

The change in the contour of the surrounding land can be clearly seen in the photo on the right.  The raised surface allowed water to infiltrate the foundation and rot the sills.  This in turn caused the building to settle. In the process, the tenons on the interior beams pulled out of their mortises.

 

 Over the past few years, the barn has been jacked up and new sills have been installed.  Interior structural beams have been repaired and or replaced in order to stabilize the building, new sliding entry doors have been installed on the main entrance, and exterior shingling repairs have been made.  And the progress will continue ... new windows are in our future plans.

 

The Foster Preservation Society will continue to raise money to restore this historic structure and will be writing grants and holding raffles at Old Home Days for this purpose.

 

In addition, donations to assist in this project would be most gladly accepted and can be mailed to the Foster Preservation Society P.O. Box 51 Foster, RI 02825, or stop by our offices any Wednesday morning  between 9:00 am and noon.   Be sure to write "Save the Barn" on your check.

Thank you!

 


If you want to visit the HIGHEST POINT in Rhode Island, you must come to Foster!

File:JerimothHill2.JPGJerimoth Hill, in Foster is, at 812 feet (247 meters) above sea level,  the highest point in Rhode Island. The hill is located on the south side of route 101 somewhat close to the Connecticut border with coordinates, according to the U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) at:

 

41° 50' 58'' N; 71° 46' 43'' W or,

41.8495431,  -71.7786810 (Dec Deg).

 

The Highpointers Club at one time considered Jerimoth Hill to be the most inaccessible highpoint in all of the 50 states due to the fact that the only access was across private property.  While previous owners were unwilling to allow hikers to cross their property to reach the "summit," the current owners allow hikers so long as they respect the land and their privacy.  So the next time you are in Foster,  climb Jerimoth Hill, and become a "Highpointer."


History of Foster Online

The book on the left is part of a series of books surveying the historical aspects of every Rhode Island City and Town.  These surveys were conducted over a number of years by the Rhode Island Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission (RIHP&HC), the survey of Foster shown above was originally published in 1982.  To access this book on the RIHP&HC webpage simply click on the photo of the book.  Once you reach the their webpage, scroll down under the "List of Publications" heading and click on "Foster."


 

Looking Out Our Office Window

To see today's weather in Foster, RI (or an up to date  forecast), please click on the link below:

 

Today's weather in Foster, RI

 

Foster Preservation Society

P.O. Box 51

Foster, RI 02825

Phone (401) 397-5687

Email: Fps181@gmail.com

 

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