East Greenwich Historic Preservation Society
Newsletter
•E
 ast Greenwich Historic
Preservation Society Meetings
Monday, May 20th, 6:30 pm at the Old
Kent County Jail, 110 King St. - Roberta
Humble will present “The BIG Rhode
Island Quiz.” A quiz with the audience
to discover new things about RI includ-
ing geography, famous people, foods,
businesses, theaters, cities and towns,
shopping, historic sites and more.
EGHPS FUNDRAISER JUNE 17th
Join Us At Clouds Hill Museum
for a Victorian Summer Evening!
Monday, June 17, 6:30 pm at Clouds
Hill Museum, 4157 Post Road, Warwick,
RI. We will enjoy a private tour of the
Clouds Hill Museum and enjoy cool
refreshments and sweet treats on a
summer night, all in the peak glory of
its perennial gardens. Discover what has
been referred to as one of Rhode Island’s
great hidden treasures. Ticket price of
$15 will go entirely to fundraising efforts
for EGHPS, and we thank Clouds Hill for
their generous support. Spaces are lim-
ited, so act quickly to avoid disappoint-
ment! Purchase tickets in advance at
eghps.org/store or by contacting Susan
Curado at 884-4643 or lencu@cox net.
FUNDRAISING NIGHT!
Please join us in supporting
EAST GREENWICH HISTORIC
PRESERVATION SOCIETY
All proceeds will be donated for
the restoration of
the Second Kent County Jail
and our Educational Programs
Thursday, May 16th
Raffle Table -5: - 8: pm
10% Donation Night
Support our cause by presenting this invitation
to the listed Texas Roadhouse® location and
Texas Roadhouse® will donate 10% of your
total food purchases to our fundraiser!
(401) 884-4185
1200 Quaker Lane, Warwick, RI
The Upton Pottery in East Greenwich
by Justin W. Thomas
When Dr. Daniel Howland Greene pub-
lished History of the Town of East Greenwich
and Adjacent Territory From 1677-1877 in the
nineteenth century, he wrote, “At the com-
mencement of the Revolutionary War, a man
by the name of Upton came from Nantucket to
East Greenwich, and manufactured earthen-
ware for a number of years. The pottery where
the articles were made, and the kiln where they
were baked, stood on the lot now occupied by
the dwelling house of John Weeden, on the cor-
ner of King and Marlboro Streets. The articles
made there consisted of pans, bowls, plates,
cups and saucers.
The clay for making those articles was
brought from Quidnesett at a place called
Gould’s Mount, on the farm now belonging to
Henry Waterman, and where great quantities
of the same kind of clay still remains. Shortly
after the termination of the Revolutionary
War, Mr. Upton returned to Nantucket, and
no earthenware has been made here since.”
However, current research has found that
this pottery was operated by two brothers,
Isaac (1736-1824) and Samuel Upton (1748-
1819), who likely learned the potter’s craft
while they were employed in Berkley, Mas-
sachusetts in the 1760s, a town that largely
contributed to the well-known industry in
Bristol County, Massachusetts. They also
had family ties to the industry in Essex
County, Massachusetts.
It is important to note that Isaac Upton’s
name is found in a circa 1757-1766 account
book owned by Winterthur in Wilming-
ton, Delaware, which was kept by Preserved
Peirce (1736-1798), a merchant from Swan-
sea, Massachusetts, who traded along the
coast of Rhode Island and Connecticut. He
sold wooden and pewter goods, pottery, and
tools for craftsmen and potters. Isaac’s name
is among the potters who Peirce purchased
earthenware from in Berkley.
May 2019
In spite of the Upton’s remarkable history
as Colonial New England potters, there is
not a lot of documented information known
about their East Greenwich business. Over
the last century, there has been some pottery
attributed to the Uptons, but some of these at-
tributions are questioned today, seeing there is
a lack of physical evidence to prove this infor-
mation. The forms include skillfully thrown
pitchers and refined teacups and saucers.
To my knowledge, a great deal of wares
from Bristol County were shipped to Rhode
Island in the eighteenth and nineteenth cen-
turies, and some of the forms were probably
similar to what the Uptons made, in such a
way that it has created a great deal of con-
fusion. The wares from Bristol County have
also been found in eighteenth and early
nineteenth century archaeology contexts
throughout Rhode Island. But even so, it
is believed (or known) that the Uptons did
manufacture a vibrant green glaze, which is
considered to be very similar to the prized
green glazes produced in Bristol County, as
well as elsewhere in southeastern Massachu-
setts and Cape Cod.
The archaeology of the East Greenwich
pottery also seems to be lacking; although,
the remains of a large green glazed jar was
uncovered in the 1990s beneath an old barn
in East Greenwich. The whereabouts of this
jar is currently unknown, but it is thought
to have been made at the Upton Pottery.
Nonetheless, I would like to solve some of
the questions that hover around the history
of this business. I am in search of any known
archaeology, surviving pieces and the loca-
tion of the green glazed jar found beneath
the barn in East Greenwich. I would be very
grateful to any person who would be willing
to help with this information.
Justin W. Thomas
justin.thomas79@gmail.com
www.EarlyAmericanCeramics.com
 Roberta Humble:
Rhode Island?
nk You Know
So You Thi
Date: Monday, May 20th, 2019
Place: The Olde Kent County Jail
110 King Street,
East Greenwich, RI
Potluck: 6:30pm (R.S.V.P. to Susan Curado
884-4643 or lencu@cox.net)
Program: 7:30pm (Free - Open to Public)
Speaker: Roberta Humble
Roberta Humble will present “The BIG Rhode Island Quiz.” A Marine Corps of Artillery, and the Association of Rhode Island
quiz with the audience to discover new things about Rhode Island Authors. She is a graduate of Leadership Rhode Island.
including geography, famous people, foods, businesses, theaters, Educated at Westerly High School and the University of Rhode
cities and towns, shopping, historic sites and more. Island, Roberta is president of Westerly Armory Restoration. She is
A life-long resident of Rhode Island, Roberta Mudge Humble a well-known speaker, state wide and nationally, on Rhode Island
was professor of English at Community College of Rhode Island topics.
for 47 years. The first woman Rotarian on the East Coast, Roberta Roberta has published 6 Rhode Island books and created 6
has been Commander of the Military Order of Foreign Wars and Rhode Island games, including her newest, Rhode Map.
is a member of the Naval War College Foundation, the Providence

Robert Merriam (1923-2019) April Meeting Update Acquisitions

It is with sad hearts, we report the passing
of our life-time member, past president, and
founder, Robert Weis Merriam, age 95. He
was the beloved husband of Nancy (Allen)
Merriam. Besides his wife Nancy, he is sur-
vived by his children Susan Merriam and
her husband Terry Jones, Paul Merriam and
his wife Lindsey.
A Memorial Service will be held May 11,
at 1:00 pm at The New England Wireless
Steam Museum, in East Greenwich. Dona-
tions in his honor can be made to The New
England Wireless and Steam Museum, P.O.
Box 883, East Greenwich, RI 02818.
Without Bob’s involvement in the early
days of our Society, we would likely not ex-
ist today. Our condolences to the family.
Earth Day Clean Up
We had a rather small turn out of members
for our Earth Day Clean Up. Members Al-
ice Martin, Susan Curado, Gloria DePaola,
Virginia Schmidt Parker and Rachel Peirce
picked up about 50 lbs. of trash in the area
around the Old Jail. It was mostly cans, nip
bottles, dog waste, and a few car parts.
Zack Chelo, manager of Blu on the Water,
disposed of all the trash for us. We really ap-
preciate Blu’s efforts to help us keep the area
around the Old Jail clean. It certainly looked
a lot better after we were done. But it will be
an ongoing effort to keep this area clean!
James Ricci presented a slide show on the
history of the construction of the Newport
Bridge. Many do not know that there was
interest in building a bridge in the 1940s but
obstacles, such as WWII, the Navy’s objec-
tion, and Jamestown Ferry concerns delayed
the project for many years. The Newport-
Jamestown Civic Commission was formed to
study the proposal and five referendums were
held to finance the bridge’s construction.
3 people were killed during its construc-
tion. Several people who worked on the
bridge were in attendance, including mem-
ber Tom Plunkett!
Gov. Chafee played a large role as a pro-
ponent of the bridge as did Gerry Dwyer.
It opened on June 28, 1969 and now about
27,000 cars use it daily.
Support Us on amazonsmile.com!
Visit Smile.Amazon.com. It’s just like
shopping on their regular site. You can
use your existing Amazon account or
create a new one. After you’ve chosen
us as your charity (East Greenwich
Historic Preservation Society) a per-
centage of your purchases will be do-
nated to the EGHPS.
With many thanks we appreciate receiving:
1. From the East Greenwich High School, a lot of
Crimson Yearbooks.
3. F rom Keith Dauer and Sandy Senior-Dauer,
of the Chester Historical Society (CT), two
programs for a Piano Recital for Graduation
by Marie Ellis Theis at the East Greenwich
Academy from 1904.
New Reading Material
1. 41° N, Spring 2019
2. M
 iddletown Hist. Soc., Spring 2019
est. 1967
East Greenwich
Historic
Preservation Society
110 King Street,
East Greenwich, RI 02818
Board of Directors
President: Virginia Schmidt Parker
Vice President: Jen Suellentrop
Recording Secretary: Gloria DePaola
Treasurer: Susan Curado
Historian: Rachel Peirce
Officers 2018-2019
Programs/Publicity: Gloria DePaola
Archives/Membership: Rachel Peirce
Property Management: Joyce McGinn
Hospitality: Susan Curado
Members at Large: Mark Bennett, Joseph Coduri,
Karin Pierson Lukowicz, Marlene Haglund-Hatch
Committees:
Newsletter: Marion Helwig
Facebook: Marlene Haglund-Hatch
Obituary Files: KarenLu LaPolice
Fire Safety: Karin Pierson Lukowicz
Website: www.eghps.org
e-mail: info@eghps.org or eghps1677@gmail.com