Queer Places:
The John Brown House Museum, 52 Power St, Providence, RI 02906, United States
Swan Point Cemetery, 585 Blackstone Blvd, Providence, RI 02906, United States
Marsden Jasiel Perry (November 2, 1850 - April 15, 1935) was born on November 2, 1850, in Rehoboth, Massachusetts. He was a direct descendant of Anthony Perry (d. 1683),
one of the original English settlers of the town. His parents were Horatio Nelson Perry (1811–1853) and Malvina Wilson Perry (b. 1822).
Raised in Rehoboth, Perry attended local district schools. At just twelve years old—during the height of the American Civil War—he enlisted in a Massachusetts company and served in the Office of the Provost Marshal.
At age twenty-one, Perry moved to Providence, Rhode Island, and entered the financial sector. His sharp business acumen earned him a seat on the board of directors of the Bank of America, alongside leadership roles in numerous financial institutions.
By the turn of the 20th century, Perry had earned the moniker "the man who owned Rhode Island." His corporate acquisitions and utility consolidations directly impacted daily life across southeastern New England:
He consolidated gas, electric, and water service across the state. He gained virtual monopoly control over the region's electric streetcar networks and interurban rail lines.
After acquiring immense wealth, Perry shifted significant focus toward fine arts, rare literature, and civic philanthropy.
In 1901, Perry purchased the historic John Brown House in Providence (built 1786). He executed extensive architectural additions, installing hardwood floors, decorative plasterwork, and a custom subterranean paneled library to house his treasures:
Assembled what was widely considered the most complete private collection of Shakespearean folios, manuscripts, and literature of its era (later acquired for the Folger Shakespeare Library).
Filled his residence with 18th-century English and American furniture, rare Chinese porcelain, and works associated with William Morris and the Arts and Crafts Movement.
Acquired rare letters, manuscripts, and first editions from George Washington, Lewis Carroll, and other historic figures.
Perry donated his collection of rare books, manuscripts, and historical records covering the origins of Rhode Island directly to the Brown University Library. He also underwrote the restoration of Brown’s historic University Hall. Additionally, he donated the 53-acre historic Queen's Fort site to the Rhode Island Historical Society as a permanent public historic park.
In 1912, Marsden J. Perry was elected to the Horace Walpole Society, an exclusive invitation-only organization founded in 1910 by leading American collectors, antiquarians, and museum professionals. Named after the English writer and collector Horace Walpole), the society was created to promote the study, preservation, and appreciation of decorative arts and early American history.
The Walpole Society operated as an all-male enclave of high-society collectors, scholars, and aesthetes throughout much of the 20th century.
The organization's patron saint, Horace Walpole, is widely documented in queer history studies as a central figure in 18th-century homosocial and queer literary circles. Consequently, late 19th- and early 20th-century societies bearing his name frequently attracted bachelor collectors and prominent aesthetic figures of the era.
Although Perry married Marian Lincoln Bogert in 1901 and had a son, Marsden J. Perry Jr., his heavy involvement in all-male connoisseur networks (such as the Walpole Society) places his aesthetic collecting habits within the broader social ecosystem studied by modern LGBTQ and queer history scholars documenting early American decorative art circles.
After retiring from active commercial and utility management, Perry relocated his primary residence to New York City. He passed away at his home in Manhattan in 1935 at the age of 84.
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