The Jamestown Historical Society has just received the largest gift in its 103 year history.  Jim Buttrick has established an endowment to provide for the maintenance and improvement of Historical Society’s buildings and other historic sites such as the Conanicut Battery.

The endowment could also be used to support the acquisition of other historic properties. Jim’s initial gift to the Buttrick Building Fund is $500,000.

A summer Jamestowner since birth, Jim has been a Life Member of the historical society for many years.  One of his major interests is architecture.

Jim is the author of Images of America: Jamestown, a book of photographs from the Jamestown Historical Society collection that was published by Arcadia Publishing in 2003. He has also written two pamphlets about Jamestown architecture. His 2002 monograph “So Who WAS Charles Bevins?” was written in conjunction with his Jamestown Museum exhibit and presentation about the architect who designed many of Jamestown’s summer homes. “Architectural Styles in Jamestown, 1700-1950” originated with the 2013 summer exhibit that Jim curated at the museum. Jim gave a presentation on lost buildings of Jamestown in 2012.

The book and pamphlets are available through Publications.