The purpose of the directory is to establish  a detailed and extensive finding aid
                              for all the information in the Isham collection. The directory includes an inventory
                              and five databases.

The directory for the Isham Collection is located at:
Rhode Island Historical Society
121 Hope Street,
Providence, R.I.  02906
Telephone number: 401-331-8575.  (Ask for the Manuscript Division),
or by contacting Anne W. Baker. Email awb02@sprynet.com
 

Databases:
Because the houses in Ishan's notebooks are the backbone of this collection each house has a separate record in the database and includes a detailed description of what the record contains, a guide to related information, or the records can be computer sorted for specific similarities and characteristics. Computer sorting of the database is available by contacting Anne W. Baker.

Database I.     Rhode Island Notebooks 1-5 . .

Database II.  "Early Rhode Island Houses."

Database III.  Photographs.

Database IV.  Massachusetts Notebooks 6& 3.

Database  V.  Connecticut Notebooks 1 & 2.

Inventory:
In addition to the notebooks and photographs stored at the Society, there
is a large collection of Isham's manuscripts, letters, drawings, research
notes, deeds, inventories, 17th century record extracts, personal diaries, newspaper clippings, and his research on Maryland, Virginia, New Hampshire and New York houses. This subject matter is detailed in the inventory and is cross references to related material in the database.
 

Overall this collection should be of great interest to historians, students, genealogists, archeologists and individuals researching early New England
architecture.

If the need for restoration work is required, it should be noted that measurements, drawings and photographs of many of New England's older houses and churches are included in Isham's work.

Although the bulk of Isham's work is stored at the Rhode Island Historical Society, additional information can be found at the Newport Historical Society, the John Hay Library, Providence, R.I., Rhode Island School of Design, the Wickford Library, North Kingston, R.I.,  and the Society of New England Antiquities in Boston, 141 Cambridge Street, Boston, Massachusetts.
 

I would be pleased to hear from anybody who has any suggestions, would like more information, use of the database software, or knows of a private collection pertaining to Isham.
Anne W. Baker

 
 

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If you have comments or suggestions, email me at awb02@sprynet.com

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