Humphrey's Building Supply
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About Us

Here at Humphrey’s, we know a thing or two about living and building in Rhode Island – we’ve been doing it for over 130 years. This is our home, and our commitment to this community sets us apart from the big box stores. We’re here to provide you top-quality products and personal service you’ve come to expect from neighbors.

Founded in 1885 by Peleg Durfee Humphrey and Captain Nathaniel B. Church, P.D. Humphrey Co. has proudly served our community’s lumber, building material, hardware, heating and painting needs for more than 100 years. From 1885 to 1956, we operated on Riverside Drive in Tiverton. The Sakonnet River location was ideal because our coal shipments were delivered by barge, and much of the lumber came from Maine and Florida via schooner.

The P.D. Humphrey dock was the hub of waterfront activity and community interest for years. Visitors, customers and tourists would line our dock – the largest commercial dock in Tiverton – to watch for the arrival of the Alice Wentworth, a 72’ schooner that delivered our lumber.

In the early days when we relied on schooners, barges and steamers to transport products, we made and received local deliveries by horse and wagon. When fuel oil replaced coal, we grew with the times and became one of the area’s largest oil distributors as well as the largest local employer in Tiverton. Following extensive damage to the waterfront property from the 1954 hurricane, we moved to our present location on Main Road in 1956.

These days, Humphrey’s Building Supply continues to be a leader in the building and home improvement industry. We are a proud member of LMC (Lumbermans Merchandising Corporation) which is a collection of independent lumber and building material dealers across the nation representing all 50 states. This affiliation gives us the buying power to compete in today’s competitive market and allows us to purchase only the highest quality materials and pass the savings on to you.

For more than a century we have been proud to be your local building material supplier and we remain committed to excelling at offering you the best products and service around.