Tag: cole farmhouse

Gilbert Stuart Museum

July 16, 2023

Meet the painter of George Washington’s famous portrait

Gilbert Stuart Museum (Photography by #USA1731)

Gilbert Stuart , one of America’s master portrait artists is best known for his portraits of George Washington. His birthplace is Saunderstown, RI and the snuff mill of the Stuart family has been authentically restored and open to visitors — see visit information at the museum’s website: https://gilbertstuartmuseum.org/ (note: while the website indicates that Guided Tours are given on a regular basis, they depend on volunteer availability).

AMERICANREVOLUTION.ORG reveals the story behind the third and most famous painting of Washington: When Mrs. Washington wanted a picture of the President for herself, she persuaded her unwilling husband to submit a third time to Stuart’s brush and company. In the stone barn in Germantown he used as a studio, the painter waited anxiously for Washington to ride out for the first sitting… Washington entered the barn with cold courtesy, sat down in the chair Stuart had provided, and clamped his face into the rigid expression he saved for portrait-painters. Stuart plunged into his fund of anecdote, but the face did not relax… Stuart commented on a local horse race; Washington made an animated answer and his face came alive. Then Stuart ransacked his mind for all he knew about horses, and soon the two men were actually talking. Stuart’s brush flew merrily in rhythm with his tongue. The conversation moved on to farming, a subject it had never occurred to Stuart to discuss with the Commander-in-Chief, and again Washington was interested.

President Washington’s passion to horses and to farming probably explains his historic visit to Cole Farm in Providence, RI (see: http://sites.rootsweb.com/~rigenweb/articles/170.html “The Cole home has been preserved in as nearly as possible the form in which it was when early members of the Cole family entertained Washington and Lafayette, and contains among other relics of that day the chair in which the commander-in-chief sat.

Cole Farm was famous for its high-grade cows and for horse breeding. Read our blog post about one of the best Thoroughbred racehorses of the late 18th century : Hambletonian


#GilbertStuart #Washington #historic #RhodeIsland #USA1731#ColeFarm #Hambletonian

Photography by Chris Vaccaro https://www.rimonthly.com/gilbert-stuart-ris-most-famous-painter/

Cole’s Hambletonian – poster from 1884 🏇

January 16, 2023

This poster was shared by the Cole Family that owned the Cole Farm — thank you 🙏

Hambletonian racehorse
Hambletonian – top

The Cole family has been identified with the history of Rhode Island since the early years of the struggling colony. The family which was founded in Rhode Island by James Cole is a branch of one of the most ancient and honorable English houses.

“Washington L. Cole did much to make “Cole’s Farm” well known. Possessing hundreds of acres, he produced big crops, had a large dairy and went extensively into the breeding of racehorses. One of his mares, Messenger Girl,” after defeating all competitors in New England, was sold at Narragansett Park after some races, to Kentucky breeders, who paid $1000 for her. Many noted horses of present times trace their ancestry back through this mare.” (Source: Cow Paths on City Streets THE PROVIDENCE SUNDAY JOURNAL MAGAZINE, NOVEMBER 24, 1929)

Hambletonian, was one of the best Thoroughbred racehorses of the late 18th century, having won all of his race starts, except one, and was later a good sire (source: Wikipedia)


#colefarm #hambletonian #airbnb #historic #Providence #USA1731

Hambletonian poster – bottom

Happy Victory Day!

August 9, 2021

Did you know?
Rhode Island celebrates Victory Day today, 9 August 2021 (observed on the second Monday in August.)

Rhode Island is the only state that marks the end of World War II with this state holiday.

President Harry S. Truman declared 14th August as Victory Day in 1946

RI Residents many residents refer to it as V-J Day (Victory in Japan Day)


What is the history?
It commemorates the end of second world war when Japan’s surrender was announced on August 14th 1945.


“Rhode Island’s continuation of this holiday is said to have been reinforced due to the high number of veterans who retired to the state. Indeed, residents of the state suffered a higher proportion of war deaths than nearly any other state. It is also a state with strong union representation, so once a holiday made it onto the state list it is difficult to drop it. In 1990, the state General Assembly sought to clarify the meaning of the holiday and passed a resolution affirming that, though the holiday would continue, it was “not a day to express satisfaction in the destruction and death caused by nuclear bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki.”

While Rhode Island may be the only US state to observe the end of the war, in Europe, a holiday to mark the end of World War II is commonplace. The war in Europe ended late in the evening of May 8th 1945. This means countries like France and the Czech Republic observe Victory Day on 8th May, while countries further east, particularly those who were part of the Soviet Union celebrate Victory day on May 9th.

(source: https://www.officeholidays.com/holidays/usa/rhode-island/usa-victory-day)

Planning for your visit

Victory Day is a state holiday — not a federal holiday. State and local government offices are closed while Federal offices, including U.S. Postal Mail Service, remain open. Public transport may operate on a different schedule.