The Library has an extensive collection of Rhode Island city directories and directories for some Massachusetts cities, including Attleboro and Fall River. Directories are located in the first floor reading room. City directories are arranged alphabetically by resident. Business listings are usually listed within the residential listings and in a separate section categorized by business type. Directories may also include lists of streets and wards, associations and organizations and advertisements.
For Providence, the library also has a run of house directories dating from 1892 to 1933. House directories are arranged by street address instead of resident.
The list below includes both Rhode Island and Massachusetts cities/towns in alphabetical order. Please note that in the actual directories, some cities/towns may be combined. For instance, Barrington, Bristol and Warren are listed separately below, but in many cases their respective directories will include two of the three towns or all three. Please contact our reference staff (reference@rihs.org) if you have any questions.
APPONAUG (WARWICK)
1907, 1909-1912
ATTLEBORO, MA
1897, 1899, 1901, 1907, 1909, 1911, 1913, 1915, 1917, 1918, 1923-1925, 1927-1933, 1935-1937, 1939-1942, 1944, 1946, 1949, 1951, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1968-1978, 1980, 1982-1985, 1986, 1988
BARRINGTON: see also Bristol or Warren/Barrington
1890, 1891, 1897, 1908, 1910, 1913, 1914, 1917, 1918, 1922, 1925, 1927, 1930, 1935, 1936, 1938, 1940, 1942, 1947, 1950, 1954, 1963, 1965-1969, 1971-1978, 1980 (1981-1997 title is “Bristol County”)
BELLINGHAM, MA
1928 (see suburban Woonsocket)
1968 (see Northwest Rhode Island)
BLACKSTONE, MA
1928 (see suburban Woonsocket)
1968, 1969 (see Northwest Rhode Island)
BLOCK ISLAND: see New Shoreham
BRISTOL, RI
1876, 1877, 1881, 1882, 1887, 1890, 1891, 1897, 1907, 1908, 1910, 1913, 1914, 1917, 1918, 1922, 1925, 1927, 1930, 1935, 1936, 1938 ,1940-1943, 1947, 1950, 1954, 1963, 1965-1969, 1971-1978, 1981, 1983-1985, 1987, 1990, 1993-1997 (1981-1997 title is “Bristol County”)
BURRILLVILLE, RI
1910, 1923
1968, 1969 (see Northwest Rhode Island)
CENTRAL FALLS: see also Pawtucket and Central Falls
1869-1881, 1887-1893, 1895-1907, 1909-1919, 1921-1953, 1955-1980, 1983-1985, 1987, 1989, 1991
CHARLESTOWN: see also Hopkinton and Charlestown
1917, 1922-1925
1965, 1966 (see Narragansett/Westerly)
COVENTRY
1892-1929 (see Pawtuxet Valley)
1936-1986 (see West Warwick)
CRANSTON
1890-1898 (see Johnston and Cranston)
1895, 1896, 1911, 1913, 1916, 1918, 1920, 1922-1934, 1936, 1938-1943, 1945, 1946, 1948, 1950, 1952, 1954, 1956, 1957, 1959, 1961, 1963-1965, 1967-1980, 1982-1984, 1987, 1990
CUMBERLAND
1909, 1911, 1913, 1915, 1917, 1919, 1922, 1925, 1927, 1930, 1931, 1937, 1939, 1941, 1954, 1955, 1966, 1968, 1970-1972, 1974- 1978, 1980, 1982-1983, 1985, 1986, 1988
1968-1969 (see Northwest Rhode Island)
DIGHTON, MA
1955, 1957, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1968, 1971
EAST GREENWICH
1907, 1909-1912 (see Apponaug)
1914, 1915, 1920, 1921, 1936, 1938, 1940, 1942, 1948, 1949, 1952
1980-1989 (see Warwick)
EAST PROVIDENCE
1887-1888 (see Bristol)
1890, 1892, 1894, 1896, 1898, 1902, 1905, 1906, 1913, 1915, 1917, 1919, 1921-1933, 1935, 1937, 1939, 1941-1944, 1946, 1949, 1951, 1953, 1955, 1957, 1959, 1961, 1963, 1965-1970, 1972-1978, 1980, 1982-1987
EXETER:
1965, 1966 (see Narragansett/Westerly)
FALL RIVER, MA
1876, 1878, 1882, 1884, 1885, 1887-1891, 1893, 1894, 1896-1901, 1906-1919, 1921-1947, 1949-1977, 1979-1981, 1984-1988
GLOCESTER:
1926, 1928, 1931 (see North Providence)
1968, 1969 (see Northwest Rhode Island)
HOPKINTON
1917, 1922-1923, 1924-1925
1965, 1966 (see Narragansett/Westerly)
JAMESTOWN
1912, 1915, 1918, 1920, 1922-1931, 1936, 1937, 1948, 1953, 1956, 1959, 1962, 1964, 1967
JOHNSTON: see also North Providence
1890, 1892, 1894-1896, 1898, 1910, 1916, 1924, 1926, 1928, 1931, 1937, 1939, 1941
LINCOLN: see also Cumberland/Lincoln
1909, 1911, 1913, 1915, 1917, 1919, 1922, 1925, 1927, 1930, 1931, 1937, 1939, 1941, 1954, 1955, 1966, 1968, 1970-1972, 1974-1978, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1988
1968, 1969 (see Northwest Rhode Island)
LITTLE COMPTON: see also Tiverton
1910, 1913-1917, 1919-1925, 1927, 1929, 1931, 1933, 1935, 1937, 1939, 1941
1951, 1953, 1956, 1959, 1962, 1964, 1967 (see Jamestown)
MIDDLETOWN:
1910, 1913-1914, 1916, 1917, 1919-1925, 1927, 1929, 1931, 1933, 1935, 1937, 1939, 1941 (see Tiverton)
1951, 1953, 1956, 1959, 1962, 1964, 1967 (see Jamestown)
MILLVILLE, MA: see Bellingham, Blackstone, Millville or North Smithfield
1928 (see suburban Woonsocket)
NARRAGANSETT: see also South Kingstown
(Narragansett Includes: Block Island, Exeter, Hopkinton, North Kingstown, Richmond, South Kingstown, West Greenwich and Westerly)
1910, 1915, 1925, 1927, 1930
1965, 1966 (see Narragansett/Westerly)
NEWPORT
1856-1858, 1863, 1865, 1867, 1869, 1870, 1879-1904, 1906-1964, 1966, 1968, 1970-1972, 1978-1979, 1981
NEW SHOREHAM: see also Jamestown
1912, 1915, 1918, 1920, 1922-1931, 1936-1937
1965, 1966 (see Narragansett/Westerly)
NORTH ATTLEBORO, MA: see also Attleboro
1897, 1899, 1901, 1907, 1909, 1911, 1913, 1915, 1917, 1918, 1923-1925, 1927-1933, 1935-1937, 1939-1942, 1944, 1946, 1949, 1951, 1953, 1956, 1958, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1968-1980, 1982-1986, 1988
NORTH KINGSTOWN
1907, 1909-1912 ( see Apponaug)
1914, 1915, 1920-1922 (see Warwick)
1922-1928 (see East Greenwich, North Kingstown or Warwick)
1965, 1966 (see Narragansett/Westerly)
NORTH PROVIDENCE
1910, 1916, 1924, 1926, 1928, 1931, 1937, 1939, 1941
1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1993, 1996, 1998 (see Providence)
NORTH SMITHFIELD: see also Woonsocket
1910, 1923, 1928, 1980-present
NORTHWEST RHODE ISLAND
1968-1969. Includes: Bellingham, Blackstone, Burrillville, Cumberland, Glocester, Lincoln, Smithfield, Woonsocket
PAWCATUCK, CT: see also Westerly
1885, 1886, 1888, 1890, 1892, 1894, 1896, 1898, 1900, 1901, 1904, 1906, 1908, 1910, 1912, 1914, 1916, 1918, 1920-1934, 1936, 1938-1943, 1945, 1946, 1948, 1950, 1952, 1954, 1956, 1958, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1965-1967, 1969, 1971-1980, 1987, 1990, 1992, 1993
PAWTUCKET
1857, 1858, 1869-1881, 1887-1893, 1895-1907, 1909-1919, 1921-1953, 1955-1980, 1983-1985, 1987, 1989, 1991
PAWTUXET VALLEY: includes parts of Warwick, West Warwick, Cranston, and Coventry
1894, 1896, 1908, 1909, 1911, 1913, 1915, 1917, 1919, 1920, 1924, 1927, 1929, 1944-1946
PLAINVILLE, MA: see also Attleboro
1897, 1899, 1901, 1907, 1909, 1911, 1913, 1915, 1917, 1918, 1923-1925, 1927-1933, 1935-1937, 1939-1942, 1944, 1946, 1949, 1951, 1953, 1956, 1958, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1968-1980, 1982-1986, 1988
PORTSMOUTH
1910, 1913, 1914, 1916, 1917, 1919-1925, 1927, 1929, 1931, 1933, 1935, 1937, 1939, 1941 (see Little Compton, Middletown, Portsmouth or Tiverton)
1948, 1951, 1953, 1956, 1959, 1962, 1964, and 1967 (see Jamestown, Little Compton, Middletown, Portsmouth or Tiverton)
PROVIDENCE
1824, 1826, 1828, 1830, 1832, 1836-1839, 1841, 1844, 1847, 1848, 1850, 1852-1870, 1874, 1878-1880, 1882, 1883, 1886, 1887, 1890, 1892, 1893, 1895-1901, 1903-1926, 1930, 1934-1937, 1939, 1941-1980, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1993, 1996, 1998, 1999 (some years are on microfilm)
PROVIDENCE HOUSE DIRECTORY
1892, 1894-1901, 1903, 1905, 1907, 1909, 1911, 1913, 1916, 1917, 1919-1933
PROVIDENCE NORTH AREA
1996, 1998
PROVIDENCE SOUTH AREA
1996, 1998
REHOBOTH, MA: see also Dighton, Rehoboth, Seekonk, Somerset or Swansea
1955, 1957, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1968, 1971
RHODE ISLAND BUSINESS DIRECTORY
1868-1902 (incomplete)
RICHMOND
1965, 1966 (see Narragansett/Westerly)
SEEKONK, MA: see also Dighton, Rehoboth, Seekonk, Somerset or Swansea
1955, 1957, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1968, 1971
SMITHFIELD: see also North Providence or Johnston
1916, 1924, 1926, 1928, 1931, 1937, 1939, 1941
SOMERSET, MA: see also Dighton, Rehoboth, Seekonk, Somerset or Swansea
1955, 1957, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1968, 1971
SOUTH KINGSTOWN
1910, 1915, 1925, 1927, 1930
1965, 1966 (see Narragansett/Westerly)
SWANSEA, MA: see also Dighton, Rehoboth, Seekonk, Somerset or Swansea
1955, 1957, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1968, 1971
TAUNTON, MA
1924-1944, 1985, 1986
TIVERTON
1910, 1913, 1914, 1916, 1917, 1919-1925, 1927, 1929, 1931, 1933, 1935, 1937, 1939, 1941
1948, 1951, 1953, 1956, 1959, 1962, 1964, 1967 (see Jamestown, Little Compton, Middletown, Portsmouth or Tiverton)
WARREN: see also Bristol
1876, 1877, 1881, 1882, 1887, 1890, 1891, 1897, 1908, 1910, 1913, 1914, 1917, 1918, 1922, 1925, 1927, 1930, 1935, 1936, 1940, 1942, 1943, 1947, 1950, 1954, 1963, 1965-1969, 1971-1978, 1981, 1983-1985 (1981-1997 title is “Bristol County”)
WARWICK
1914, 1915, 1920, 1921, 1936, 1938, 1940, 1942, 1948, 1949, 1952, 1959, 1960, 1963-1965, 1967, 1969-1985, 1987, 1989
1925-1928 (see East Greenwich, North Kingstown or Warwick)
WEST WARWICK (Coventry)
For 1894-1929 (see Pawtuxet Valley)
1936, 1938, 1940, 1946, 1949, 1951, 1953, 1955, 1957, 1962, 1964, 1966-1968, 1970-1973, 1975-1982, 1984-1986, 1991
WESTERLY
1875, 1876, 1879, 1881, 1882, 1884-1886, 1888, 1890, 1892, 1894, 1896, 1898, 1900, 1901, 1904, 1906, 1908, 1910, 1912, 1914, 1916, 1918, 1920-1934, 1936, 1938-1943, 1945, 1946, 1948, 1950, 1952, 1954, 1956, 1958, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1965-1967, 1969, 1971-1980, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1992-1995
WICKFORD: see also Apponaug
1907, 1909-1912
WOONSOCKET
For 1857-1873 (see Central Falls, Pawtucket and Woonsocket)
1875, 1877, 1878, 1880, 1881, 1888, 1889, 1891-1947, 1949-1981, 1983-1986, 1988, 1991, 1993, 1996
1968, 1969 (see Northwest Rhode Island)