City directories contain contemporary names, addresses, phone numbers and local business information. Often included are occupations, marital status, property ownership and boarders living at an address. We can also find information on churches, newspapers, courts and other local organizations.
The directories were expensive to produce, so there’s sometimes large gaps in the years. At the bottom of the page we have included a list from the Rhode Island Historical Society, detailing their large city directory collection. This may be useful to determine whether a particular year was ever published.
Below are all the Rhode Island city directories currently digitized and available free and full text.
Once you’ve opened a directory, try using the in-text search box to quickly find what you are looking for.
Providence City Directories
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1824 |
1826 |
1828 |
1830 |
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1836 |
1838 - 1839 |
1841 - 1842 |
1844 |
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1847 - 1848 |
1850 |
1853 - 1854 |
1855 - 1856 |
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1857 |
1880 Almanac |
1888 Streets |
1889 |
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1892 |
1895 |
1896 - 1897 |
1899 |
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1912 |
1913 |
1914 |
1919 |
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1920 |
1930 |
1932 |
1934 |
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1935 |
1938 |
1939 |
1940 |
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1941 |
1942 |
1943 |
1944 |
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1945 |
1946 |
1947 |
1948 |
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1949 |
1950 |
1951 |
1952 |
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1953 |
1954 |
1955 |
1956 |
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1957 |
1959 |
1960 |
1961 |
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1962 |
1964 |
1966 |
1968 |
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1970 |
1972 |
1976 |
1978 |
Warwick City Directories
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1914 - 1915 |
1920 - 1921 |
1922 |
1925 |
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1928 |
1936 |
1938 |
1940 - 1941 |
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1942 - 1943 |
1948 - 1949 |
1952 - 1953 |
1959 vol. 1 |
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1960 |
1963 |
1964 |
1965 |
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1967 |
1969 |
1970 |
1971 |
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1972 |
1973 |
1974 - 1975 |
1976 |
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1977 |
1978 |
1979 |
Warwick Tax Books
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1865 |
1867 |
1869 |
1870 |
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1872 |
1873 |
1874 |
1875 |
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1876 |
1877 |
1878 |
1879 |
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1880 |
1881 |
1882 |
1883 |
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1884 |
1885 |
1886 |
1887 |
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1888 |
1889 |
1890 |
1891 |
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1892 |
1893 |
1894 |
1895 |
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1896 |
1898 |
1899 |
1903 |
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1904 |
1905 |
1906 |
1908 |
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1909 |
1910 |
1911 |
1912 |
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1913 |
1914 |
1915 |
1916 |
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1917 |
1918 |
1919 |
1920 |
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1921 |
1923 |
1924 |
1925 |
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1926 |
1927 |
1928 |
1929 |
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1930 |
1932 |
1933 |
1934 |
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1935 |
Other City Directories
There are only twenty-four other Rhode Island city directories digitized at this time.
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Bristol Warren and Barrington 1877 |
East Providence 1896 - 1897 |
Fall River (parts of Tiverton) 1855 |
Fall River (parts of Tiverton) 1905 |
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Fall River (parts of Tiverton) 1915 |
Fall River (parts of Tiverton) 1918 |
Fall River (parts of Tiverton) 1921 |
Johnston 1891 – 1894 |
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Newport 1871 - 1872 |
Newport 1905 |
Newport 1907 |
Newport 1909 |
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Newport 1910 |
Newport 1914 |
Newport 1920 |
Pawtucket and Central Falls 1877 |
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Pawtucket and Central Falls 1919 |
Pawtucket and Central Falls 1920 |
Pawtucket and Central Falls 1922 |
Tiverton, Portsmouth, Middletown, and Little Compton 1906 |
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Tiverton, Little Compton, Portsmouth, Middletown 1910 |
Westerly and Pawcatuck 1885 – 1886 |
Westerly and Pawcatuck 1909 - 1910 |
Woonsocket 1910 |
Find Print Rhode Island City Directories
What if the directory you are looking for hasn’t been digitized yet?
The best place to find the original physical copies of the directories is through the various Rhode Island public libraries. The Rhode Island Historical Society also has a large collection of city directories. Their handout, which lists their collection, is below.
City Directories Owned by the Rhode Island Historical Society
Attached below.