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Foster Preservation Society
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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 Learn more about Our Mission, Meeting schedule, By-Laws, and Board of Directors. Other Interesting Places on the FPS Website Foster Preservation Society Newsletters Jerimoth Hill T-shirt pictures Most Endangered Properties Program 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.
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Nehemiah Angell Barn circa 1790
T his historic barn has served a number of owners over the past 200 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 left. 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. The barn requires being jacked up and new sills installed. A couple of the interior structural beams must be repaired or replaced to stabilize the building.
The Foster Preservation Society will be raising money to restore this historic structure and will be holding a raffle at this year's Old Home Days for this purpose, tickets will be available outside the Town House.
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!
FOSTER SHIRTS ARE HERE!
Golf (polo) shirts - now with pockets! Shown above on left. Logo shows picture of the Town House along with text that reads: "Foster, RI 1781"
Shirts are $20.00 each and are available in three colors: burgundy, dark green or navy blue. Available in S, M, L, XL and 2XL. ----------------------------------------------------- Jerimoth Hill T-shirts Shown on right above. Shirts are $15.00 each Available in five colors: forest green, rust, light blue, deep purple, safety orange and now in lime green as well. Available in S, M, L, XL and 2XL.
If you want to visit the HIGHEST POINT in Rhode Island, you must come to Foster!
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."
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
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Save
the Barn
