The South County History Center was originally founded as the Pettaquamscutt Historical Society in 1958 by a group of local residents interested in history and historic preservation. The Society drew its name from the 1658 Pettaquamscutt Purchase, in which settlers purchased 49 square miles from the Narragansett Sachems.
In 2015, the Society embarked on a comprehensive strategic planning process, possible thanks to generous support from the Rhode Island Foundation, in order adapt the Society’s strategies and practices to better meet the changing needs of our community. Through this community-focused effort, the Society developed a new vision for the future: to become a leading research and archival center dedicated to the preservation and promotion of South County’s rich and diverse history. To better represent this new vision, the Society began operating under a new name, the South County History Center, in May 2016.
The mission of the South County History Center is to lead the discovery and preservation of South County’s history.