Washington County, Rhode IslandEdit This Page
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United States 
Rhode Island Washington County
Guide to Washington County Rhode Island genealogy. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Washington County, Rhode Island | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Rhode Island | |
 Location of Rhode Island in the U.S. | |
| Facts | |
| Founded | June 3, 1729 |
|---|---|
| County Seat | |
| Courthouse | |
Contents |
County Courthouse
Washington County Courthouse
4800 Tower Hill Road
Wakefield, RI 02879-2239
Phone: 401.841.835
Town and City Clerks have birth, marriage, death, probate and land records)
Twenty towns in Washington County Towns Organized Before 1800: Charlestown 1738, Exeter 1742-3, Hopkinton 1757, North Kingstown 1641, Richmond 1747, South Kingstown (Pettaquamscutt) 1656-7, Westerly 1669
There is no county government. The government is located at town and state levels.
Quick Facts
- Named for George Washington, the American Revolutionary general, and first president of the United States.
- Washington County is more commonly known as "South County."
Parent County
- Formed in 3 June 1729 as Kings County from part of Providence Plantations. [1]
- Renamed Washington County 29 October 1781.
Boundary Changes
Record Loss
- Lost census: 1890
Places / Localities
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Resources
Biographies
Cemeteries
Washington County Cemeteries Information provided by Rhode Island Cemeteries Database.
Census
For tips on accessing Washington County, Rhode Island census records online, see: Rhode Island Census.
Church
Court
Land
History
Maps
Military
Newspapers
Probate
Taxation
- Richmond Tax Book 1855 provided through USGenweb.org.
- Richmond Tax Book 1872 provided through USGenweb.org.
- Richmond Tax Book 1883 provided through USGenweb.org.
Vital Records
Vital Records Office
4800 Tower Hill Road
Wakefield, RI 02879
Tel. # 401-841-8350
Note: Colonial records: contact the town clerk's office in the town where the event occured. Towns in Washington County are:
- Charlestown: Town Clerk, 4540 South County Trail, Charlestown, RI 02813 (Tel. 401-364-1200)
- Exeter: Town Clerk, 675 Ten Rod Road, Exeter, RI 02822 (Tel. 401-294-3891)
- Hopkinton: Town Clerk, 1 Town House Rd., Hopkinton, RI 02833 (Tel. 401-377-7777)
- Narragansett: Town Clerk, 25 Fifth Ave., Narragansett, RI 02882 (Tel. 401-789-1044)
- New Shoreham: Town Clerk, Drawer 220, Old Town Rd., Block Island, RI 02807 (Tel. 401-466-3200)
- North Kingstown: Town Clerk, 80 Boston Neck Rd., Wickford, RI 02852 (Tel. 401-294-3331)
- Richmond: Town Clerk, PO Box 318, 5 Richmond Townhouse Rd., Wyoming, RI 02898 (Tel. 401-539-2497)
- South Kingstown: Town Clerk, PO Box 31, Wakefield, RI 02879 (Tel. 401-789-9331)
- Westerly: Town Clerk, 45 Broad St., Westerly, RI 02891 (Tel. 401-348-2500 or 2508)
South Kingstown Marriages: Some of the early marriages recorded at South Kingstown, RI courtesy of the town clerk at South Kingstown, RI and USGenWeb.org.
Societies and Libraries
Family History Centers
Websites
- The Washington County RIGenWeb Project, an member of The RIGenWeb Project
- The USGenWeb Archives Project for Washington County.
- The USGenWeb Archives Project for Washington County. (backup site)
- FamilySearch.org Family History Library Catalog for Washington County.
References
- ↑ WorldCat 50140092 FHL Collection Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed.] (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002)
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- This page was last modified on 18 April 2013, at 20:47.
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