The guest speaker at our meeting was Charles VACCA, an attorney from Coventry, who is a member of the Western Rhode Island
Civic Historical Society. THe subject of his presentation was the Paine House, headquarters of the Society. It is located on Station Street
in Washington Village and you can't miss it because it is unique in that part of town. Over the years there have been several additions to the original structure.

The house was built by Francis Brayton, Sr. When he died in 1783 the property was left to his son Francis Brayton, Jr. who operated the house to the public as an inn and/or tavern.

in 1797 it was sold to Charles Holden who changed the name to Holden Tavern. After his death his heirs sold it to Thomas Whipple in 1849.
The Whipples held the property until 1866 when it was sold to Phebe Paine Johnson and through inheritance it remained in the Paine family for the next 87 years.

Herbert F. Paine was the last family member to live in the house. After his death in 1946 it was inherited by his half sister Mrs. Zilpha W. Foster.
She donated the property to the Western Rhode Island Civic Historical SOciety in 1953 as a memorial to her mother Phebe Paine Johnson and sister Orvilla Paine.

For close to 225 years the Paine house has stood on Station Street and with the help of the Society it will be there for many more. In 1974 it was added to the National Historic Register.
Taken from the Pawtuxet Valley Historian, March 2010, page 7, Volume 23, Issue 7 Home Page
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