The Jesse M. Smith Memorial Library

The library's Local History Collection is available to the public. For more information about the collection and its use, please call the library during regular hours.

September 2006:
Because of our new library construction project, most of the Stillwater Mills are gone now. Do you have Stillwater Memories to share? We'd love to hear about them. They're part of Burrillville's Local History. Please visit our blog to find out more— and please feel free to post your memories and pictures!

Jesse Smith Library History

The Stillwater News
The Stillwater News was a quarterly publication begun in December 1942 by Austin T.Levy, and written largely for his "boys and girls" in the service. It was a highly polished newsletter that covered local news and gossip.

The Assembly Theatre, Harrisville
(Includes some pictures from some 1937 productions)

Pictures

• Harrisville
  • The View from Stillwater Mill Chimney (December 1952)
  • Flood Slide Show from 15 October 2005
    and more flood pictures from around Burrillville: Burrillville.org

• Pascoag
  • The Last Train to Pascoag (September 15, 1962)

• Miscellaneous
  • The 1929 Burrillville High School Baseball Team

• On Frozen Pond
  "Coach Tom Eccleston's extraordinary gift was being a teacher on the ice and in the locker room. That, and his secret knowledge of where to find frozen ponds. Beginning in the woods of northern Rhode Island and reaching into the upper echelons of the National Hockey League, On Frozen Pond traces the influence of Rhode Island's champion mentor of student athletes in the 20th Century."

  > The library owns a circulating copy of the video.

  > Copies of the video are available for sale in the library
  and through the On Frozen Pond web site.

• Burrillville Memories
  This 98 minute video was created as part of the State's Millennium Celebration. The premiere showing was held in the town's historic Assembly theater on New Year's Day with about 300 people attending. The video will take you on a journey into Burrillville's past. There are over 700 old photos blended with beautiful videography from the present. The voices of the people of Burrillville are heard as various residents describe life of a bygone time.

  > The library owns a circulating copy of the video.

  > Copies of the video are available for sale through
  the Burrillville Memories web site.

Books of Local Interest

• Austin T. Levy
  This biography of early 20th-century Rhode Island textile mill owner, who was regarded as a great leader, philanthropist and humanitarian, was written by local historian Louis Bleiweis.

  > The library owns a circulating copy of the book.

  > Copies can be purchased from the library.

  Portrait of Austin T. Levy
  Portrait of June Rockwell Levy

• Mills of Burrillville in 1894
  "The Mills of Burrillville in 1894 taken from the Pascoag Herald Memorial Edition" was compiled and is presented by the Burrillville Historical & Preservation Society.

  > The library owns a copy of this publication.

  > Spiral bound copies can be purchased from the library.

• Burrillville Bicentennial Celebration 1806-2006
  This souvenir booklet was compiled by the Burrillville Bicentennial Commission. It outlines the many activities held during the celebration of Burrillville's 200th birthday, and it also includes one-page histories of each of the major villages (with historic pictures) and a short history of the Town.

  > The library owns a copy of this publication.

  > Spiral bound copies can be purchased from the library.

Online Resources of Local Interest

Over the past 26 years, the Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission has produced 60 survey publications for each of the state’s 39 towns, for specific neighborhoods, and for thematic projects. Although the publications are out-of-print, they remain invaluable resources for researchers, history buffs, and residents.

The following report on Burrillville is available online:

Historic and Architectural Resources of Burrillville, Rhode Island: A Preliminary Report
Please Note: This is the original report from 1982 in PDF format. Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to read it and print it. It is a very large file (75MB). If you have a dialup Internet connection you may not be able to download it. For assistance from the RIHP&HC in obtaining the report, please click here.

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