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Providence was founded by Roger Williams and his small band of Puritan reformers in 1636. Civic affairs were handled informally, with meetings of community leaders usually happening at churches, in the community commons, or within private homes. In 1731, the first town meeting house was built. It was destroyed by fire, and another community building was not completed until 1773. This building served mostly as a public market, as did another facility built in the 1800s that also held city offices. The completion of this building was delayed for many decades owing to conflicts regarding its design and location.&nbsp;<br><br>In the late 19th century, before the building was powered by electricity, residents came to tour the building largely to catch a glimpse-and a ride-one an elevator that was powered by water boilers and could carry as many as fifty passengers in a single trip. Others were amazed by the wide stairways made entirely from marble and the ornate cast-iron railings. The front of the building included a grand lobby, and the city's nearly three-story tall monument in honor of Civil War veterans from the state of Rhode Island. The building's enormous weight required the construction of a manufactured foundation supported by over three thousand&nbsp;pilings.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br><br>City Hall was also the center of many state and national political rallies throughout the 20th century. For example,&nbsp;Presidents Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, and John F. Kennedy have all given speeches from the steps of Providence's City Hall.&nbsp;<br>

Similar to other cities, Providence nearly approved a measure to demolish this building in favor of a modern structure that might be less expensive to maintain. 

This photo of Providence's City Hall was taken in the late 19th century. 

Providence suffered a major hurricane in 1938 that resulted in the flooding of the downtown area. The waterline is appears halfway up the first story in this old photo.

President Woodrow Wilson delivers a speech on June 3, 1916. America was officially neutral in World War I, but the President's speech called for preparedness. 

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History of the building from Providence city archives

Constructed between 1875 and 1878, this Second Empire Baroque structure has been the only building dedicated entirely to holding the offices of Providence's municipal government, despite many other buildings and meetinghouses serving in this capacity from the colonial period to the late 19th century. For example, the mayor and Board of Alderman had offices above the spaces reserved for vendors in the old Market Square building from the 1830s until the completion of this building. 

Providence City Hall

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Welcome to Providence and please enjoy some of the best historical, artistic, and architectural landmarks our city has to offer. This tour includes over two dozen historic buildings and makes a counter-clockwise loop through the heart of downtown Providence starting with the historic Biltmore and working its way to landmarks and historic homes along Westminster and Main Streets before turning towards the state capitol. Additional highlights that can be found in Clio include the nearby Waterplace Park which is home to the critically-acclaimed WaterFire Art Installation. 

<p>Civic leaders predicted that the hotel would make Providence a leading destination and fuel the growth of the city-a view that reflected the optimism of the 1920s. The hotel was best-known for its unique V-shaped design, an innovation that allowed every guest to enjoy a window and view of the city at a time when most hotels had a large number of interior rooms in their inventory. During the 1920s, the hotel's Bacchante Room was the center of Providence social life. The hotel held nightly parties with jazz music and the beautiful servers, known as "the Bacchante Girls" enchanting guests with their short skirts and stiff drinks. The hotel at that time featured its own print shop, photo lab, and drugstore, in addition to the Garden Room that featured entertainers such as Benny Goodman and Esther Williams.  </p><p>Reflecting the changing trends, the hotel that once held 600 guest rooms now includes a total of 229 rooms and suites. During the renovation, many walls were removed to provide larger standard rooms as well as the creation of numerous suites. </p><p>Famous guests have included John and Jacqueline Kennedy, Audrey Hepburn, and boxer Rocky Marciano. The hotel is a member of the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Historic Hotels of America program.</p>

<p>Reporting on the opening of the Biltmore on June 6, 1922, the Providence Journal declared that the event would be “the most elaborate social event ever to be held in the city.” Owners John Bowman and Louis Wallick did not disappoint, lighting the exterior of their hotel with 25,000 lights and inviting celebrities and prominent leaders from New York and other surrounding states. The Biltmore was the largest building in the city at the time and held six hundred guest rooms. Although the building survived several natural disasters, including a hurricane in 1938 that left the lobby under eight feet of standing water. However, the luxury hotel almost succumbed to the effects of suburbanization, the changing tastes of consumers, and the proliferation of smaller hotels. With fewer guests staying downtown and far more costs related to maintenance than newer hotels, the Biltmore closed in 1974. With the help of federal tax credits for historic buildings, a group of investors were able to purchase and renovate the property in the following years. The hotel re-opened in 1979 and has changed hands several times in recent years. Following several extensive remodeling projects in the 2010s, the hotel operates as the Graduate by Hilton Providence.</p>

Providence Biltmore (Graduate by Hilton Providence)

<p>According to research conducted for a documentary film about the Providence establishment, Anne Haven began the business in 1893, rather than 1888, as the restaurant advertises on the side of the diner car. In 1986, it appeared that the Havens Brothers had served their last greasy meal at this location, as city officials decided that the old truck and its greasy fare clashed with the gentrification efforts of the downtown area. For a short time, the truck was quarantined to a spot behind a bus station on West Exchange Street. Community members rallied behind the beloved food truck, which won a temporary return to its historic location with the aid of a court order. Providence locals worked to convince the city that the recent work to improve the appearance of Kennedy Plaza were only palatable if the historic food truck could be part of the new and improved downtown. By the end of the year, city officials backed down. As a result, visitors to the city can join residents in a beloved tradition of late night "double murder burgers" or any of the diner's other classics.</p>

<p>Perhaps the nation's oldest mobile historic landmark, this 1940s-era diner traces its heritage back to the late 19th century, when it began as a horse-drawn lunch wagon. After public outcry in the 1980s when city leaders tried to prevent the lunch wagon from operating next to city hall, the Providence institution has a reserved parking space and operates here from 5PM to sometime between 2 and 3AM each night. Despite many times when the business faced potential closure, the diner endured and remains one of the oldest continuously operating lunch wagons in the United States. When Patrick Haven died in 1888, his widow, Anne Philomena Haven, decided to establish a lunch wagon with the help of her daughter and son-in-law. Beginning sometime around 1893, the Haven family drove the cart (later upgraded to a rail diner car on a flatbed truck) to the same location in front of the Providence City Hall every day for several generations. In the 1950s, the Havens family sold the business, but little has changed with this popular Providence establishment. The diner's longevity has not been without controversy, as several city officials attempted to force the diner to stop parking next to the city hall at various times throughout the 20th century.</p>

Haven Brothers Diner

The Union Trust Bank was led by legendary Providence-based
financier and industrialist Marsden Jasael Perry, who had joined the institution
in 1881 and became its president in 1901. Perry was referred to at the time&nbsp;as “the man who owned
Rhode Island,” though he had been born a poor farm boy.&nbsp;Among the institutions Perry owned were&nbsp;the Narragansett Electric Company and the city's trolley system. (Perry also bought Providence's historic John Brown House
in the city in the same year.)&nbsp;After Perry took charge,&nbsp;the bank decided that it needed to construct its own building in the downtown area. The first and second floors of the Union Trust Building&nbsp;were reserved for the bank’s
use; other floors were rented as office space. The building was originally n<span>ine bays wide and four bays deep, but was expanded to seven bays deep when renovated in&nbsp;1920. <br><br><span>Union Trust Company was absorbed by the Industrial
National Bank in 1957, which sold the building. It was acquired by Greater Providence Deposit
and Trust company in 1980, which used it as a headquarters until 1991, when
the company&nbsp;was forced to close due to the banking crisis. In 2007, the building was sold for 6.7 million and o<span>n March 5th<span>, 2015, its current
owner, Providence Capital LLC, purchased the building for $4.4 million. It plans to convert all but the first two&nbsp;floors into apartments within the next five years; the second floor will be renovated as commercial space and the Dorrance Restaurant will remain&nbsp;on the&nbsp;first floor.<br><br></span></span>The first and second stories are of rusticated
granite. The third floor has its own distinct rustication, while the fourth through twelfth
floors are covered by brick and trimmed with white Georgia marble. T</span></span>he first floor has banks of 20-foot-high windows, each topped by a stained-glass rosette displaying the coat of arms of a
major European bank family or banking center. The west front entrance&nbsp;of the building has an elaborate stone
portico; the columnns of this portico support a massive
entablature and above this entablature is a balustrade with urns. Over the entrance&nbsp;is an unusual feature: a bas-relief sculpture by the distinguished sculptor Daniel Chester French&nbsp;(the designer of&nbsp;the Lincoln
Memorial), showing reclining figures representing "The Puritan and the Indian." The interior has two distinctive features: a 12-story staircase made of green glass
(elevators could not be built to accommodate such a tall building in those days) and&nbsp;the first double-doored bank vault in New England. These doors kept Union Trust’s currency dry during the
great flood of 1938.<br><br>

Designed by the local architectural firm of Stone, Carpenter and Wilson, the Union Trust Building - a twelve-story steel-framed structure, externally faced in brick and stone - was constructed by the Union Trust Bank, headed by prominent financier Marsden J. Perry, in 1901-1902. It is in the Renaissance Revival style and was among the tallest buildings in New England at the time it was completed. A banking publication of 1904 wrote of the building: “Rising to a height of 12 stories, it stands a graceful monument of prosperity based upon sound financial methods.” It is currently owned by Providence Capital LLC; the Dorrance Restaurant is on the first floor, where the bank's offices once stood. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

Union Trust Company Building

<h4>History of the Arcade Providence</h4>
<p>In 1828, Providence had a population of 14,000 residents, but its markets and commercial district were growing substantially and the urban core served a much larger market that the city's relatively small&nbsp;population might otherwise suggest. In an attempt to better promote the&nbsp;commercial development of&nbsp;downtown Providence, Cyrus Butler worked to build a single urban market&nbsp;with a multitude of connected shops. Owing to the harsh New England weather, Butler's envisioned this as an&nbsp;enclosed space that would make&nbsp;shopping a pleasurable&nbsp;experience throughout the year.&nbsp;</p><p>Architects Russell Warren and Tallman &amp; Bucklin designed the building for Butler’s venture, calling for three floors of arcaded lanes of shops and a skylight providing illumination, similar to many structures in European cities. The 216-foot Arcade building was finished in 1828, constructed entirely out of granite, and it featured twelve massive 21-foot granite columnns (the largest monolithic columnns in the country at the time). The total cost of the building was around $145,000 (approximately equivalent to around $30 million in 2015). After opening, the Arcade grew in its popularity, though garnering a profit was exceedingly difficult. Moreover, the Arcade Providence held widespread renown for its architecture; in fact, the Metropolitan Museum of Art once called it one of the finest commercial buildings in the history of American architecture.<sub>1</sub></p>

The Arcade Providence, also known as Westminster Arcade, is the first and oldest enclosed shopping mall in the United States. Built in 1828, the Arcade offers an example of Greek-revival architecture applied to a public market. When the Arcade opened in the early 19th-century, the mall featured three floors of shops, each designed around the central promenade. Skylights in the building's ceiling provided illumination until the incorporation of electric light. The historic shopping area and public space has survived a fire and three major hurricanes. More consequential to its survival, however, has been changes in consumer shopping patterns that has nearly led to the demolition of this structure on numerous occasions. 

Due to its historic significance as the first enclosed mall in the United States, and the broader role in played in the Providence community, the Arcade Providence was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and declared a National Historic Landmark in 1976.

Arcade Providence

<p>The Industrial National Bank Building was first constructed in 1928 as the company’s headquarters. At the time of its construction, it was the tallest building in New England. The building consists of 31 stories of masonry construction. It stands 428 feet tall.</p><p>The New York-based architectural firm of Walker and Gillette and local architect George Frederick Hall were given the task of designing the Industrial National Bank Building. A firm with experience in building several of New York City’s skyscrapers, the Starret Brothers, was hired for the actual construction. Soon after the Starret Brothers completed the Industrial National Bank Building, they were hired to build another iconic New York City landmark – the Empire State Building.</p><p>The skyscraper was constructed during the brief period where “Art Deco” was the fashionable architectural trend, which makes the structure unique in the Rhode Island skyline. Art Deco was an architectural style of applied decoration, with geometric, block forms and curved ornamentation. One of the key elements of the building are the setbacks at the 15th, 22nd, and 26th floors, referred to as stepped massing. These types of setbacks allowed tall buildings to adhere to the strict zoning laws of New York City, passed in 1916, which required skyscrapers to be built in a way that allowed light and air to filter down to the streets below.  </p><p>In the 1950s, another American icon was born. The “Superman” television series first aired in 1952. Quickly, residents of Providence realized that there was quite a resemblance between the Industrial National Bank Building near Kennedy Plaza, and the building which was home to the newspaper company (the “Daily Planet”) where Lois Lane and Clark Kent were employed.  Hence, the Industrial National Bank Building was aptly nicknamed the “Superman Building.”</p><p>The property was purchased by High Rock Development of Massachusetts in 2008 for $33.2 million. The company has a complex plan to renovate the structure from one that is entirely office space to one that is largely residential, with a few floors of office/retail space at the lower levels. Of course, a plan that substantial will require a massive amount of funds, which have not been raised to date. The building sits vacant at the edge of Kennedy Plaza in downtown Providence.</p><p>Note: The Industrial National Bank Building is known by two addresses: 55 Kennedy Plaza and 111 Westminster Street, Providence, Rhode Island.</p><p></p>

<p>There is one iconic structure marking the Providence skyline, commonly referred to as the “Superman Building.” It was erected for the Industrial National Bank in 1928 as a headquarters for their successful business. But since the 1950s, people have referred to it as the “Superman Building” because it resembles the famous skyscraper Americans were used to seeing in the popular television series. Currently, the building is vacant. Its most recent tenant, Bank of America, moved out of the building in 2013.</p>

Industrial National Bank Building a/k/a "The Superman Building"

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</p><p><span>The Turk’s Head Building in
downtown Providence is situated on land that was owned by a shopkeeper named
Jacob Whitman in the mid-eighteenth century.&nbsp;
Whitman built his shop on the corner, and over the front entrance he
placed a wooden effigy of an Ottoman warrior.&nbsp;
The bust served as a sign advertising his business – Whitman’s shop was
the one “at the sign of the Turk’s Head.” The warrior is said to be the
inspiration behind the Turkish head placed upon the front of the new
skyscraper.&nbsp; Hence, the new building
featuring the head of a Turkish man (possibly a warrior or a trader) became
known as the “Turk’s Head Building.”</span></p><p>

</p><p><span>There are several stories about
the Turk’s Head found in the various histories of Providence.&nbsp; The original statue may have been a
figurehead from the front of a Turkish trading vessel, which came into
Whitman’s possession after guiding the ship through many trips between the
shores of America and the Far East.&nbsp; It
scared the neighborhood children, whether it stood in Whitman’s yard or on the
front of his store.&nbsp; He did operate as a
Blacksmith so it certainly may have been used to attract visitors to his
shop.&nbsp; In 1815, a hurricane hit the area and
blew the figurehead away. The Merchants’ National Bank of Providence wrote that
the bust was recovered by some members of the family after the hurricane, and
then was shipped to other relatives in Alabama.&nbsp;
There, it was stolen by a small group of inebriated men and sent to the
state’s governor. The bust was eventually returned to the Whitman family.&nbsp; Unfortunately, they stored it in a warehouse
which, along with all its contents, burned in a fire years later. Therefore,
the Turk’s Head that adorns the front of the building today is merely a
representation of the original figure. </span></p><p>

</p><p><span>The Turk’s Head theme continues
inside the building.&nbsp; There is a
figurehead laid into the lobby floor, and a tile portrait hanging outside one
of the retail units. The floor piece looks like it is a copy of a coin that was
minted in Italy in 1842.&nbsp; The coin was
created in honor of the Ottoman ruler Mehmed II, who governed the Byzantine
Empire centuries earlier.&nbsp; Mehmed II’s
forces defeated Vlad III of Wallachia (also known as Vlad Dracula or Vlad
Tepes). Vlad III was a sadistic ruler who impaled his enemies, including some
of Mehmed II’s men, on stakes throughout his kingdom.&nbsp; </span></p><p>

</p><p><span>Over the years, a variety of
businesses have occupied the sixteen floors of the Turk’s Head Building,
including the first female attorney in Rhode Island (Ada Lewis Sawyer), law
firms, insurance agencies, investment firms, and a bank.&nbsp; The building has been owned by 76 Westminster
Street, LLC since 2008.&nbsp; The City of
Providence places a value of over $14 million on the real estate. </span></p><p>

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The Turk’s Head Building is an interesting structure built at the intersection of Westminster and Weybosset Streets in downtown Providence, Rhode Island. The v-shaped skyscraper consists of 16 stories and stands 215 feet tall. It was originally designed and built in the early twentieth century (1913).  The structure’s front entrance is ornamented with a sculpture of a Turkish man’s head.  Currently, the building is used primarily for office and retail space.  

Turk's Head Building

<div>The United States Customshouse in Providence Historic District symbolizes the period of local history where the city was becoming the economic hub of Rhode Island, mostly because of its success regarding In maritime commerce, which proved to be the primary factor in Rhode Island's financial prosperity during the eighteenth century.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Although industrialism supplanted trade as the principal economic driver in Rhode Island during the nineteenth century, the port of Providence remained a vital transportation center. Providence trade centers received and raw materials brought into the city and prepared manufactured goods earmarked for trade to locations outside Rhode Island. Furthermore, although Rhode Island’s nineteenth-century industrial activity was distributed throughout the state, the epicenter remained in Providence because banks, law firms, insurance companies, brokers, warehouses, and utilities operated in the city.&nbsp; In other words, the money flowed through Providence, no matter what drove the economy.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Thus, the Customshouse represents an era when urbanization and a centralized downtown proved significant to an economy, be it for the city or an entire state or region.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The Customshouse opened its doors in 1857, designed by Amrni B. Young who worked from 1852 to 1862 as the first Supervising Architect of the United States Treasury Department. The bold, granite building rose three stories high, and it was placed in a part of Providence that allowed it exists prominently among other structures.&nbsp; In addition to housing the offices of the Collector of Customs, the building also served as home to Steamboat Inspector, functioned as the city's main post office and was home to the District Attorney, a federal courtroom and (in later years) the Internal Revenue Service.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The completion of a much larger Federal Building in 1909 resulted in the Customshouse sitting vacant until 1921 when the U.S. Customs office and other federal agencies needing additional space returned. The Federal Government occupied the building until 1989. Extensive renovations to the building took place roughly from 1990-1992. When the renovations were completed, the state re-opened the building as the John E. Fogarty Judicial Complex.</div>

Built between 1855 and 1857, the U.S. Customshouse has been home to numerous federal offices for a century and a half. When erected, with the purpose to function as a customs house coincided with Providence's emergence as the financial and trade hub for the state. Even as the economy changed to one based on industry and manufacturing, Providence remained vital to the economy because banks, insurance companies, and other financial institutions -- as well as the customs house -- supported the industry that developed throughout the state. 

United States Customshouse

<div>The Rhode Island Hospital Trust Building (built 1917) remains an attractive building despite its age. The eleven-story steel-frame building, faced in marble at its lowest levels and limestone above, served the Rhode Island Hospital Trust banking institution for most of the twentieth century. The Trust had been founded in 1867 to manage the financial affairs of the Rhode Island Hospital, which had been chartered 1863 and then opened 1867 (delayed by the U.S. Civil War). Over the years, the building evolved into a significant local commercial bank. The Bank of Boston purchased the building in 1985 and then, as with many historic buildings in Providence, was acquired by the Rhode Island School of Design, who bought it in 2004 and continue to occupy the building today.&nbsp; The building stands as a reminder of the power of banks and financial institutions as the country gravitated towards the Gilded Age; extravagance in architecture and internal design, was a general rule for downtown buildings.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>In addition to its attractive design, the building also demonstrated examples of modernized engineering (for the time). For instance, pile foundations comprised of steel and concrete footings were driven well below the waterline of the Providence River. As well, the building including an elaborate ventilation system, which drew in fresh air from the roof of the building, filtered it through a spray chamber to remove dust, dried it chemically and then sent it through the heating stack.</div><div><br></div><div>Along with its novel, historic architecture, its original tenant enjoys historical value, too. Providence recognized during the late 1850s&nbsp;a need for a large, well-staffed hospital. As a result, the town chartered the Rhode Island Hospital in 1863, partially funded by local donations dating back to 1857. And, despite the U.S. Civil War forcing delays in construction, the hospital opened its doors in 1868. During the lengthy construction process, it became increasingly apparent that there was a need for proper administration and financial management. Thus, in 1867, the Rhode Island Hospital Trust Company was organized.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The Trust company started small, operating in rented rooms, but gradually took on other commercial banking functions as a way to aid the hospital and to invite citizen depositors and shareholders. As the company grew, a building became necessary (and desired), which resulted in the eventual construction of the now-historic Rhode Island Hospital Trust Building.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>In 2004, the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) purchased the building and began a renovation project that finished in 2005. Ten floors are used for student housing, dining, and activities while the lower levels are home to the RISD Fleet Library.&nbsp;</div>

The steel-framed Rhode Island Hospital Trust Building (built 1917) stands eleven stories and marked by its marble-faced low levels and limestone facing above. building, faced mostly in limestone, with marble at the lowest level. The building stands as a reminder of the significance of banking institutions as the country approached the Gilded Age. The historic structure served the Rhode Island Hospital Trust, a banking institution founded in 1867 to manage the financial affairs of 1863-chartered Rhode Island Hospital, founded in 1863. The building now exists as part of the Rhode Island School of Design, housing its Fleet Library and housing for roughly 500 students. 

Rhode Island Hospital Trust Building

<div>Situated within the heart of what is now downtown Providence, amidst the backdrop of modern skyscrapers, is the exceptionally narrow,&nbsp; six-story Merchants Building, built in 1855-57. When completed, it stood as Providence's tallest building and played a pivotal role in the city's economy, notably its vital maritime activities; the bank's location on the banks of the Providence River allowed it to cater to merchants arriving with cargo.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>By the 1850’s the neighborhood at the intersection of Westminster and Weyhosset streets emerged as the&nbsp;commercial and financial center of Providence. This reflected&nbsp;the centraility of the maritime economy coupled with increasing industrialization along the river and throughout this part of Rhode Island. Numerous financial institutions emerged in the area, including Merchants Bank. Locals referred to the area as "Bank Street" by the time of the Civil War.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The building functioned as the home of Merchants Bank from 1857 until it corporation’s merger with the Providence National Bank in 1920. The first floor continued to be used by banking institutions until the Automobile Association of America occupied the space. Meanwhile, the upper floors served as professional offices for several decades. The building was also utilized by the Rhode Island School of Design Works.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Over time, vacancies and increased maintenance costs led to an uncertain fate for the historic building. Rather than&nbsp;demolition, the building was preserved with renovations that facilitated a transition to mixed retail and residential space. The first floor of the building is now home to a restaurant while the upper floors are upscale apartments.&nbsp;</div>

Constructed in 1857, this uniquely narrow six-story building was home to Merchants Bank, a financial firm that was integral to the economy of Providence in the 19th century. Upon completion, the Italianate structure stood as the tallest building in Providence and as a hub of the city's financial district. The bank occupied this building until 1920. 

Merchants Bank Building, Providence 

<h4>The 1938 New England Hurricane in Rhode Island</h4>
<p>The hurricane of 1938 that violently struck New England formed near the coast of Africa on September 9th, 1938. It quickly became a category 5 hurricane but calmed to a category 3 before reaching landfall on Long Island around September 21st. Around 3:50 pm, the storm surge hit near Westerly, Rhode Island, and due to the combination of the 95 mph hurricane winds and the autumnal equinox and full moon causing high tides, the storm tides slammed the Rhode Island coast with waters from 14 feet to 25 feet high. Block Island was nearly underwater and about 13 feet of water flooded some areas of downtown Providence. Some motorists drowned, and due to economic strife caused by the Great Depression, looters began ransacking shops, even while the water was high.</p>
<p>Entire beach communities were completely obliterated. For instance, Napatree Point, located just off Watch Hill, Rhode Island, was swept away. Across New England, there were 682 recorded deaths, 57,000 destroyed homes, and about $306 million ($4.7 billion in 2016) in property damage. Because of the 1938 hurricane and the even higher flood waters of Hurricane Carol in 1954, the Fox Point Hurricane Barrier was finally completed to prevent future flooding. To this day, the hurricane of 1938 is the most powerful and deadly hurricane to strike New England, and it may only be eclipsed in intensity by the Great Colonial Hurricane of 1635.<sub>1</sub></p>
<h4>Inscription on the Historical Marker</h4>
<p><i>Top Marker</i></p>
<p>The Hurricane of September 21st 1938 driven by a wind velocity of 95 MPH max caused tidal waters to reach a new level as indicated below&nbsp;</p>
<p>13 feet 8½ inches above mean high water one foot eleven and one fourth inches higher than previous record of September 23rd 1815.</p>
<p><i>Bottom Marker</i></p>
<p>In the great gale of September 23rd 1815 the wind driven waters around the walls of this building rose to the level of this line&nbsp;</p>
<p>Eleven feet nine and one fourth inches above mean high water.<sub>2</sub></p>

The 1938 New England Hurricane was one of the deadliest and most destructive hurricanes to ever hit New England, killing 682 people and destroying 57,000 homes across the East Coast. At this site near Canal Walk and on the side of the Old Market House, the Hurricane of September 21st, 1938, historical marker displays the height of the water sea as it tore through Providence. The city was hit especially hard, sweeping summer cottages out to sea. Because of economic difficulties caused by the Great Depression, much of what remained of Providence was looted after the storm was hit (and before the flood waters retreated). The Fox Point Hurricane was finally built after the 1938 and the 1954 hurricanes to avoid such extreme surges from flooding downtown again.

The Hurricane of September 21st 1938 Historical Marker

The first bridge was poorly constructed and fell into disrepair by the late 1670s, so the townspeople and their livestock reverted to fording the river until 1711, when a second bridge was built at the same location. The second bridge fell victim to a flood in 1719; the fourth to a gale and high tides in 1761. In order to allow square-rigged ships carrying West Indies cargo to reach the Bowen Street Wharf, a drawbridge was built at the Weybosset Bridge site in 1764. The seventh bridge was destroyed in another gale in 1815, and was replaced by a fixed bridge the following year (preventing sea-faring vessels from entering the cove).<b><br><br></b>By 1940, expansions to the bridge had led to a width of 1,147 feet, the widest bridge in the world at the time, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. In 1984, the bridge size was reduced to improve the river and shoreline.<b><br><br>Historic Marker Inscription:</b><p></p><p>The History of The Weybosset Bridge</p><p>

</p><p><span>adapted from<br>
<i>The Civic and Architectural Development of Providence</i><br>by John Hutchins Cady</span></p>

<p>Just to the north of where you are now standing the first bridge across the Providence River was erected in 1660, connecting the shore of the Neck with Weybosset Neck and the Pequot path which provided access to the meadow lands. Previously, a ford in the river had been used as an approach to that path which led through Pawtuxet and the Narragansett country into the lands of the Pequots in Connecticut. Poor construction and lack of repairs caused the bridge to fail in the late 1670's.</p>For the next several decades the townspeople, their cattle, and their teams waded across the ford until a second bridge was constructed in 1711. It was destroyed by a flood and rebuilt in 1719. A fourth bridge, funded by the colony's lottery in 1745, was carried away by a gale and record high tides in 1761. During those years, farmers from the meadows to the west crossed over the bridge and sold their produce in what is still known as Market Square. The first drawbridge, constructed in 1764, allowed square rigged ships to unload their West Indies cargoes at the Bowen Street Wharf north of Steeple Street. The seventh bridge was destroyed by the great gale of 1815; its flood waters are recorded on a bronze plaque on the wall of nearby Market House.<br><p></p><p>In 1816 a fixed type replacement closed the cove to "sea going" vessels.</p><p>The trend to widen the bridge began in 1843 and continued in earnest until 1940 when its width reached 1147 feet and Guinness Book of Records acknowledged Providence as having constructed the widest bridge in the world. During its history it has supported two market places, Central Fire Station, Union Railroad Depot, Horse Car Depot, and a post office.</p>By 1983 only parked cars and congested traffic could be seen on the decking which covered the river. In 1984, after more than 300 years of bridge building, the city and state decided to reclaim the rivers and constructed the bridges and river park which are here today.<br><br>

Weybosset Bridge was he first bridge over the Providence River, constructed in 1660 in place of a ford crossing. This first bridge connected Weybosset Neck and the path leading to the Pequot lands in Connecticut. This historical marker offers a concise history of the former bridge which was destroyed and rebuilt at least seven times in its history. By 1940, expansions to the bridge had led to a width of 1,147 feet, the widest bridge in the world at the time, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. In 1984, the bridge size was reduced to improve the river and shoreline.

Weybosset Bridge Historical Marker

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</p><p>The home of Stephen Hopkins is
one of the oldest buildings in Providence, and can still be seen at the corner
of Hopkins and Benefit Streets. It was first built in 1707, the same year that
Hopkins was born.&nbsp; Prior to Hopkins’ purchase
of the land, the house was very small. &nbsp;It was a plain structure with one room on the
first floor, a small sleeping space above it, and an end chimney. Hopkins
bought the home in 1743 and significantly expanded it. He also added his own
warehouses and wharves nearby, where his ships docked. He lived in the home for
nearly forty years until his death in 1785. </p><p>

</p><p>Hopkins enlarged the one room
home into an L-shaped, 2 ½ story wood-frame structure. Inside, there is a main
parlor room on the right, a study room on the left, and a central hallway with a
staircase leading to the five sleeping rooms on the second floor. There is also
a small keeping room behind the parlor and another small bedroom located behind
Hopkin’s study on the first floor.&nbsp; By
1774 the view from his home at its original located (South Main Street) included
the new customhouse and his own warehouses and wharves, where his ships docked.</p><p>

</p><p>Stephen Hopkins led a successful
career as both a businessman and a politician. When he was just twenty-four
years old, he became the Town Clerk in Scituate, Rhode Island and was made
President of the Town Council three years later.&nbsp; Eventually, Hopkins moved to Providence with
his wife, Sarah. He and his brother, Esek, started their own
mercantile-shipping firm in the early 1740s. Their business built and fitted
vessels used for commercial shipping. During these years he served in the
colonial assembly and as a justice of the colonial high court. Hopkins served
as governor of Rhode Island for several terms during 1755 to 1768 (1755-1757,
1758-1762, 1762-1765, and 1767-1768), alternating with Samuel Ward of Newport. In
1776, Hopkins signed the Declaration of Independence and was a member of the
First Continental Congress. The house is the only significant structure
associated with Hopkins' life.</p><p>

</p><p>Alden Hopkins, a descendant of
the former governor, designed a small pocket-park around the home in the years
after Stephen’s death. The local chapter of the DAR saved the home from
destruction in 1927 and moved it to its present location. In the late 1920s the
house was carefully restored by Norman Isham. The house is now managed by the
National Society of the Colonial Dames of America, and is a museum open to the
public. A copy of the Declaration of Independence and a quill pen lie on the desk
in the study as a memorial to the homes most famous resident. </p><p>

</p><p>

</p>

The Governor Stephen Hopkins House is a museum and National Historic Landmark in Providence, Rhode Island. The house was the home of Stephen Hopkins, a local businessman, politician, governor of Rhode Island and signatory of the Declaration of Independence. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970, and declared a National Historic Landmark in 1978.

Governor Stephen Hopkins House

<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; In
order to properly present all of the histories surrounding this museum/library,
it’s only right to first begin with the building itself. According to the
libraries’ website, this is a “Greek Revival” style building that was dedicated
in 1838 to become a home for this institution. The construction cost was about
$18,955.76, and was built on land donated by the Moses Ivan Brown family. Also
according to the libraries’ official website, this is the only building in New
England designed by the famous architect William Strickland. William Strickland’s
major contribution to architecture was his Greek Revival style, which was
extremely popular in the America’s between the 1820’s – 1850’s. The main
building that sits here today is mostly original; however, some additions to
the building have been made. In 1914 an addition was made by Norman Isham in
order to give more space to a growing young readership. In 1978 another
addition was made by architect Warren Platner, also with the intended purpose
on providing more room. With the history of the building itself examined, a
look into details about the institution itself is needed.</p>

<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Like
mentioned previously, the Providence Athenaeum came into existence after the
merging of two previous institutions (Providence Athenaeum 1831 and Providence
Library Company 1753). It originally went simply by the name of “The Athenaeum,”
but changed in 1850 to “The Providence Athenaeum.” According to the libraries official
website, 195 men, two women, and four business firms raised the initial funds
for this institution. It was originally located in the Arcade downtown on
Weybosset Street, but finally completed and opened its doors at this location
on July 11th, 1838. This library attracted more collections and
materials throughout the 19th century. According to its official
website, a few notable acquisitions include the <i>Description de l’Egypte, </i>a 23 volume set describing Napoleons
expedition to Egypt in the 18th century, as well as <i>The Hours</i>, an ivory miniature painted by
Edward Green Malbone in 1801. </p>

<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The
first female employee hired to this institution was in 1872. Her name was Mary
Angell, and she was hired as an assistant librarian. According to the libraries
website, her main duty was working on a card catalog, which still remains in
the libraries main floor. These handwritten cards from the nineteenth century
can still be found here. Also according to the official website, Mary’s work
was continued by Grace Leonard, who in 1895 categorized the libraries 56,000
volumes into the Dewey decimal system. Grace eventually became the library’s
first female head librarian, and worked at this institution for a total of 46
years. </p>

<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; One of
the most fascinating facts surrounding this library is the people who have
visited here. H.P. Lovecraft, renowned cosmic horror author and Providence
native lived only a few blocks away from this library. According to its
official website, Lovecraft was a not a member here but made frequent visits to
the library and wrote about it in his stories and letters. A quote from him
reads, “…our old Athenaeum, where Poe spent many an hour, and wrote his name at
the bottom of one of his unsigned poems in a magazine…” (Letter to James F.
Morton, May 3, 1923). A beautiful bust of Lovecraft can be found on the main
floor of the Athenaeum, and was sculpted by Bryan Moore and donated to the
library in August 2013. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </p>

<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Another
famous visitor to this museum was Edgar Allan Poe. According to the libraries official
website, Poe travelled to providence in September 1848 in order to “meet and
court the wealthy Rhode Island widow, Sarah Helen Whitman.” Whitman was from
providence and spent a lot of her time at the Athenaeum, where she honed her
writing skills as a poet, critic, and spiritualist. She is mostly known for
being tied to Poe; however, her writing skills are ultimately what attracted
him to her in the first place. There is a very interesting story concerning the
two on the libraries official website. Apparently on December 23, 1848, both
Poe and Whitman were at the Athenaeum when a messenger delivered a message to
Whitman. This message explained how Poe had broken his sobriety and remained a
drinker. Whitman called off their arranged wedding and dramatically exited the
Athenaeum. According to this story on the official website, the two would never
see each other again following this encounter, and Poe would ultimately turn up
dead in a year. Whitman outlived him 30 more years and continued her visits to
the Athenaeum, always advocating the work of Poe.</p>

<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; This
Athenaeum has an extensive amount of history worth exploring. This little
glimpse into it has hopefully shed some light on some of the interesting things
that have happened here. Like mentioned previously, special thanks is needed to
the Athenaeum’s official website as well as Jane Lancaster for providing all of
the information given above. </p>

The Providence Athenaeum is a Library and Museum that was founded in 1836 after the merging of a previous Providence Athenaeum (1831) and the Providence Library Company (1753). According to the Libraries' website, both of these organizations dissolved and formed a new library, combining the collections of each institution. There is a ton of history wrapped up in this Library, including frequent visits from famous authors like H.P. Lovecraft, Edgar Allan Poe, and Sarah Helen Whitman. Any fan of  these authors would enjoy a visit to this Library, and any history buff would be fascinated by the extensive history embodied here.

The Providence Athenaeum

<div>People of other colonies held similar views reflected in similar ways. Famously, people of Boston threw tea unto the harbor in protest of tax laws. This dissatisfaction was build up from years of laws regarding taxation and the limit of trade. In 1733, the Molasses Act was passed by Parliament, which placed a duty in molasses purchases at all non-British owned ports. This was not heavily enforced and, for the most part, importers found ways to get around it. However, in the 1760s in an effort to establish greater control over the colonies, the British began passing stricter laws, including the Sugar Act of 1764. This law ensured that the duties introduced with the Molasses Act would be strictly enforced and introduced patrol boats in Nanagansett Bay in an effort to implement this.</div><div><br><div>More tax laws were to follow in years to come, including the Stamp Act of 1765. When the colony first received word, in August 1764, that a stamp act might be introduced, the then governor of Rhode Island, Stephen Hopkins, wrote "The Rights of the Colonies Examined." In this, he wrote, "All laws and all taxation which bind the whole must be made by the whole." The Stamp Act was declared null and void within the colony by the Rhode Island General Assembly. An angry mob was waiting to meet the people brining the stamps from London and the stamp distributor was forced to resign. The stamps were never unloaded and Parliament repealed the Stamp Act in 1766.</div></div><div><br><div>The repeal of the Stamp Act did not, however, indicate a change of heart on the part of the British. The Townshend Acts were passed by Parliament in 1767 and imposed duties on glass, lead, paper, and tea. The Tea Act was passed in 1773.</div></div><div><br></div>

Near the spot indicated by this marker, citizens of Providence burned British taxed tea to represent their views on unfair taxation. This happened on the night of March 2, 1775.


Burning of British Taxed Tea- Historical Marker

<div>In 1771, the Colonial Assembly of Rhode Island approved a petition in which created a lottery with profits being dedicated to&nbsp;the construction of this building which became Providence's first public market house. By 1775, the Georgian-style Market House construction was completed, just in time to become a strategic building during the Revolution. The Continental Congress Committee of Inspection was formed in 1775 and met at the Market House on March 1st of that year. While at the Market House, they burned 300 pounds of British-taxed tea. Later, during the Revolutionary War, French soldiers used the upper floors of the Market House as their barracks.&nbsp;<br><br>The building&nbsp;and associated town square became the center of the community during its formative years and continues to serve as both a market and meeting space.&nbsp; The building's lower level was designed to serve fishmongers, butchers, and other food vendors while the upper floors functioned as a meeting hall. The stalls used in the lower levels for the market functions were sold at auction in 1776.&nbsp;</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>After the war, the Market House served as the focus for many civic activities. For instance, in 1797, and&nbsp;after completing a new third story on the structure, St. John’s Lodge of Masons installed Rhode Island's first Masonic Hall.&nbsp; In 1802 Thomas Webb Smith organized St. John's Encampment (now Commandery) Number One, the oldest organization of the Knights Templar in the U.S. From 1820 - 1890, the Market House served&nbsp;as the seat of Providence's government.<br></div><div><br></div><div>After a thirty-year debate that lasted roughly 1845 to 1875, Providence&nbsp;also constructed a new City Hall. As a result, the city leased this building to the Providence Board of Trade five years later (1880) and relocated to the new city hall. However, this building and the associated market square continued to be the site of political gatherings and protests. For example, in&nbsp;September of 1897, anarchist and feminist Emma Goldman was arrested at this site and charged with&nbsp;unlawful open-air speaking and attracting a crowd.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Many years later, in 1948, Providence deeded the building to the Rhode Island School of Design, who have used it for classrooms and as a place to house student art displays. Market House also serves as a meaningful reminder of the architect, Joseph Brown, who designed many buildings in Providence including&nbsp; University Han at Brown University (1770),&nbsp; the First Baptist Meeting House (1775), and the John Brown House.&nbsp;</div><div><br>Market House demonstrates the connection between local and national histories and its prominent events serve as a timeline of major themes in American history. From hosting protests by colonial Patriots&nbsp;during the Revolutionary War, to the arrest of a&nbsp;feminist speaking out for women's rights, to important meetings by local organizations, the building has been at the center of the community's history in ways that reflect the larger history of the nation.&nbsp;<br></div>

Market House was constructed in 1775 by Joseph Brown, a prominent local architect, and  Stephen Hopkins, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. The bottom level originally functioned as a market place while meetings took place upstairs. the building was the site of numerous historically significant political events and protests while the building itself has hosted civic functions and meetings of local organizations nearly two-and-a-half centuries. During the American Revolution, French soldiers encamped in Providence used the Market House as their barracks. The Providence City Council used the building as their headquarters for decades before the city built a dedicated City Hall. 

Market House 

<div>The Dr. George W. Garr House endures as one of Providence's most striking examples of the early "Queen Anne" Style, while also displaying Medieval qualities. English architect Norman Shaw significantly influenced American architecture during the 1870s, which carried over into the design of the Garr House by Edward I. Nickerson during the mid-1880s, as seen by its steep roof sections, tall chimneys and overhanging bays and distinctive decor. In time, the collection of his many works in Providence became affectionately referred to as "Nickersonian Designs."&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) purchased the Carr House in 1916, converting it to a dormitory in 1923 followed by a variety of functions through the 1970s, ranging from an infirmary to a restaurant. As a result, the interior has been renovated and redesigned numerous times, though it's room-layout largely remains intact.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>In contrast, the Garr House's exterior remains much the same as it did in the late nineteenth century.&nbsp; When built, Nickerson accounted for the home's sloping lot by emphasizing the structure's vertical attributes rather than its horizontal features. A real sign of the times, as well, the house appears to exist as one substantial residence, but it was two separate dwellings (with a few openings that connected them) with its southern section, three-story house, intended to house a future son or daughter upon marriage.</div>

The historic Dr. George W. Carr House (1885) was one of Providence's most prominent Queen Anne style buildings, designed by architect Edward I. Nickerson. The Rhode Island School of Design purchased the building in 1916, and has since used it for a variety of functions. 

Dr. George W. Carr House

<div>The historic church building was erected in 1774–75 and held its first service in May 1775, but the history of the church in Providence dates back to 1638 when Roger Williams founded the first Baptist Church in America.</div><div><br></div><div>For the initial sixty years of the church's history,&nbsp; services were held in houses of members, although differences in doctrine and intra-church differences divided the church into two factions for a period. Nonetheless, the Baptist church enjoyed greater unity by the mid-1770s, which allowed the church's sixth pastor, Pardon Tillinghast, a chance to spearhead an effort to construct a church building.&nbsp; The Charitable Baptist Society committee formed and procured a Charter of Incorporation, which allowed the congregation an ability to receive and hold property. Meanwhile, the church hired Joseph Brown, amateur architect, and Jonathan Hammond, a master carpenter, to build the church building.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Brown and Hammond visited Boston to view churches and meetinghouses in the city, and Brown also took inspiration from several plates from James Gibbs' Book of Architecture, published in 1728. When completed, the 80-foot square building, with late Georgian church architectural influences, could seat nearly 1,200 persons.</div><div><br></div><div>Given the colonials long history of practicing religion freely, and changing attitudes in 1775 towards Britain, it is not surprising that many church designs of the day diverged from Anglican counterparts, and many Rhode Island Baptists felt that building a church building of any kind was an exercise in vanity.&nbsp; Construction of service halls for Baptists during that era in Providence (and greater New England) often resembled simple meeting houses. However, the First Baptist Church, with its grand design that included a steeple bell resembled traditional Congregational churches.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Brown University's commencement has been held in the Meetinghouse since 1776 (except for 1804 and 1832). One notable graduate,&nbsp; John D. Rockefeller Jr. -- the only son of John D. Rockefeller and father to U.S. Vice President Nelson Rockefeller and Arkansas Govoner Winthrop Rockefeller --- funded a complete rehabilitation of the church building in 1957-58. His philanthropic efforts, keeping in spirit with his father's late-life endeavors, allowed the old church to remain useful to town.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The external appearance of the building largely remains the same today as when erected, but the internal layout has changed a few times.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

Providence's First Baptist Church was constructed between 1774 and 1775 by a congregation first founded by Roger Williams in 1638. Church divisions and the belief that lavish church facilities were a sign of vanity thwarted previous efforts towards building a substantial church edifice. By the mid-1770s, a more unified congregation and an acceptance that a substantial meeting hall was necessary and proper led to the construction of this building. 

First Baptist Church in America 

<div>The Fleur-dé-Lys Studios (1885) stands as an indispensable&nbsp;architectural monument to the American Arts and Crafts Movement, both to the movement itself and to the broader aspects of American architecture.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>By the early 1880s, the Arts and Crafts Movement proliferated in England, existing as a contrast to the increasingly mechanized culture (and perceived lack of creativity)&nbsp;tied to nineteenth-century industrialization. The movement emphasized producing artwork by hand and discovering ways to intertwine art with everyday life, the embodiment of which exists in the Fleur-dé-Lys.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The Fleur dé Lys Studios emerged in 1885 just as the Arts and Crafts Movement took hold in the U.S. Sydney R. Burleigh, a painter, collaborated with Architect Edmund R. Willson in designing the building.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Burleigh studied painting in Paris between 1876 and 1880 before returning to Rhode Island. In addition to the Fleur-dé-Lys, his works were displayed regularly at the National Academy of Design in New York, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia, and Rhode Island School of Design. Burleigh also served on the Board of Directors of the Rhode Island School of Design from 1887 to 1893 and its Board of Trustees from 1919 until his death in 1931. Burleigh's</div><div><br></div><div>Willson attended Harvard College and the Ecole des Beaux-arts. His work enjoyed critical acclaim in prestigious professional journals, especially American Architect and Building News by academics of American architectural history.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The studio design is distinct in that it possesses a hand-carved facade comprised of various faux reliefs, unique ornate features, and an eye-catching yellow color scheme, among other characteristics that make it stand out considerably from the other buildings nearby.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Burleigh sought to use the building as his personal workspace, as well as a home to the newly formed Providence Art Club (1880), many of whom provided eclectic furniture that allowed the interior of the studio to be as artful as its exterior, but also welcoming and cozy unlike many art studios of that era.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>In 1939, Sydney Burleigh's wife deeded the building to Providence Art Club (located just east) with the stipulation that the structure remains a place for artist studios. Indeed, The Fleur-de-Lys Studio remains under the curation of the Providence Art Club, having hosted the club for more than a century.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

Built in 1885, the Fleur-de-lys Studios is a unique historical building in Providence. It was designed by Sydney Burleigh and Edmund Russell Wilson in the Tudor Revival style (other artists contributed to the building as well). It is a 2.5 story wood frame structure with decorative stucco artwork in between the timbers. The building was meant to serve as a place where artists could have their studios and this remains the function today. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.

Fleur-de-lys Studios

<div>The five-story Elizabeth Building building was built roughly in the 1875-1876 timeframe and stands today as one of Providence's few cast-iron fronts. The building represents a period in Providence (and the U.S.) when commercial architecture grew increasingly popular and distinct, a precursor to the age of the glass and steel skyscraper. The Elizabeth Building arose during a commercial construction boom in Providence during the 1870s and 1880s coinciding with a population boom (the city populace grew by more than 50% during the decade).&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The structure's Black-painted cast-iron front dually forms the main (east) street facade and also wraps around a two-bay section of the south side of the thin but sizable, rectangular structure, which allows one to see the ornamental detailing even if approaching the building from an angle as it wraps around the building. Moreover,&nbsp; an 1891 photograph offers evidence that the upper stories of the iron front minted in a light color imitated a stone facade.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Though the cast-iron cast facade enjoys four separate levels, the building contains five stories, which can be seen by looking at the rear of the building. Meanwhile, given its commercial purpose, the interior possessed little decoration or complexity.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>In the end, to look at the Elizabeth Building is to peer into a time when the Industrial Revolution was taking hold of the U.S. and commercial building dominated the urban landscapes. Cast iron facades served as the forerunner to city downtown regions and modern skyscrapers.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br><br>Today, the building functions as an apartment complex.&nbsp;</div>

The Elizabeth Building (1876) represents an era when cast-iron commercial building dominated urban downtown regions, both in Providence and throughout the nation, serving as the precursor to the modern, steel skyscraper. The building is one of the few remaining buildings built during the era. The structure arose concurrently with Providence's population boom (growing more than 50% during the 1870s) and commercial construction boom. 

Elizabeth Building

<div>The Russell house (1772) is a remnant of an era when Atlantic World trade, was in full-force and consumer culture in the American colonies had significantly grown in power and influence. The house is a monument to a time when Providence overtook Newport as the commercial hub. The Russell's skill in mastering trade relations with other merchants and shippers in the&nbsp;West Indies allowed their store -- The Sign of the Golden Eagle -- to sell vast amounts of imported fabrics, exotic spices, fine housewares, and large casks of rum. The rum trade was&nbsp;an industry heavily dependent upon slave labor.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The house was the second brick edifice and the first three-story structure in Providence, a sign that city was in the process of overtaking Newport as the local urban hub. The elegant entrance and luxuriant interior point to the common practice of American architects during that era to copy from English design books. The house design, as well as the brothers' work as retailers of goods, point to a Colonial culture where many had aspired to live in a manner akin to the English gentry class demonstrating the connection between social status and conspicuous consumption and display of material wealth.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>An intriguing feature of the house, as it appears today, is its entry door that exists on the second floor rather than at the ground level, a consequence of the house being raised one story in 1875 as part of its transformation into the Clarendon Hotel. In 1920 the building was purchased by Joseph Blazer, a retail merchant in Providence. Blazer&nbsp;sold many of the interior items from the late colonial period to museums such as Brooklyn Museum, the Minneapolis Art Museum and the Museum of the Rhode Island School of Design.<br></div><div><br><b>Goods shipped by Russell Brothers, per their store's newspaper advertisements, as described by the Minneapolis Institute&nbsp;of Art at (<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://new.artsmia.org/living-rooms/just-imported/">https://new.artsmia.org/living-rooms/just-imported/</a>)</b><br><br><div>Sugar Cone &amp; Nippers</div><div>Sugar, a precious commodity in the 1700s, would have come in a hardened cone shape and wrapped in paper. Nippers were used to pinch off the desired amount</div><div><br></div><div>Spices &amp; Tea</div><div>Spices and teas were sourced from many different countries in Asia, such as Indonesia, India, China, and islands nearby. Consumers used them as food preservatives, flavor enhancements, and stimulants, much as they do today.</div><div><br></div><div>Molasses</div><div>Molasses is a syrupy by-product of the refinement process of sugarcane. It is the key ingredient in the manufacture of rum, one of the Colonies’ main exports. Sugarcane was grown in the West Indies through the labor of enslaved people.</div><div><br></div><div>Indigo</div><div>An advertisement for The Sign of the Golden Eagle offers “French indigo,” probably from the French colony of Saint Domingue (Haiti). Like sugarcane, indigo was a crop grown by enslaved people.</div><div><br></div><div>Tobacco</div><div>An export good from the Colonies to Europe and Africa, tobacco was grown in Southern plantations that relied on the labor of enslaved Africans.</div><div><br></div><div>Jamaican Rum</div><div>West Indies molasses was distilled into rum in Providence for export and local consumption.</div><div><br></div><div>Olive Oil</div><div>Olive oil was enjoyed by many in colonial Rhode Island, including Portuguese whalers and fishermen who crewed ships, and the growing Jewish community, also from Portugal.</div><div><br></div><div>Writing Set</div><div>Before phones and computers, correspondence was handwritten. Writing tools and materials like quills, ink, and inkpots were in high demand.</div><div><br></div><div>Clay Pipes</div><div>A clay pipe would have made a useful companion to New World tobacco, grown in the southern Colonies.</div><div><br></div><div>Escutcheons</div><div>Brass drawer handles, pulls, and key locks were desirable goods for the elegantly furnished Colonial home.</div><div><br></div><div>Horn Comb</div><div>Grooming items like this comb were typically made of tortoise shell, ivory, or horn.</div><div><br></div><div>Sealing Wax &amp; Stamp</div><div>Stationery items like sealing wax and stamps kept personal and business letters shut and safe from prying eyes.</div><div><br></div><div>Hemp Rope</div><div>Ropes, used in ship rigging, would have been common around the harbor.</div><div><br></div><div>Codfish</div><div>A New England export, codfish would have been salted to preserve it for transport to the West Indies.</div><div><br></div><div>Metal Buttons</div><div>Apparel goods, like fabrics and finishes, were popular import items to the Colonies.</div><div><br></div><div>Buckram, Western Europe (probably invented in Bukhara, Uzbekistan)</div><div>Starched open-weave canvas. Used as a stiffening agent in clothing and furnishings.</div><div><br></div><div>Cambricks, Flanders, France</div><div>Plainwoven white textiles typically made of linen. Used in high-quality collars and ties for men, sleeve ruffles, and women’s collars and shawls.</div><div><br></div><div>Checks, India</div><div>Low-quality striped or checkered cottons. Used for clothing and household uses.</div><div><br></div><div>Velvet, Western Europe</div><div>A luxury fabric made of silk or cotton, in which case called velveteen or velveret. Used for curtains and fine garments.</div><div><br></div><div>Broadcloths, England</div><div>Thick, durable, weatherproof woolens. Used for outdoor activewear like military coats and women’s riding outfits.<b><br></b><br></div></div>

Constructed in 1772, the Russell house stands as a monument to a time when the Atlantic World economy -- including the slave trade -- was the cornerstone of Providence and the economic engine behind the growth of the American colonies. Joseph and William Russell were two of the leading merchants in colonial Providence thanks to their participation in the trade with the West Indies. This building was the first three-story structure in Providence. The British blockade of shipping lanes during the Revolutionary War caused the Russell Brothers to suffer financial peril, forcing them to sell the house in 1798 to another prominent Providence resident, John Corliss.  

Joseph and William Russell House

Shakespeare's Head (also known as the John Carter House) was
built in 1772. The owner was publisher John Carter, and the building functioned
not only as a home to his family, but also as a post office, bookshop, and
printing shop of the <i>Providence Gazette</i>,
Providence's first newspaper. Carter's advertising sign outside the building
depicted a bust of Shakespeare, earning the house its nickname. The house and a
restored Colonial-style garden are now owned by the Providence Preservation
Society of Rhode Island.



<p><b>History of the<i> Providence Gazette </i>and the
Shakespeare's Head</b></p>

<p>On October 20, 1762, the first issue of Providence's first
newspaper was printed by William Goddard on what is now North Main Street.
Publication was suspended in May of 1765 due to the reduced number of
subscriptions. When Goddard left Providence, his mother, Sarah Goddard,
operated the newspaper.&nbsp;

</p><p>Benjamin Franklin, as newly-appointed Postmaster General, assigned
his apprentice John Carter to the position of Postmaster of Providence in 1767.
Carter worked with Sarah Goddard from 1767-1768, when he took over the printing
of the <i>Gazette</i>. Through his marriage
to Almy Crawford, he acquired the property on which he built the Shakespeare's
Head, which was completed in 1772. Operating his press, post office, and
bookshop on the ground floor, Carter and his family lived on the upper floors
of the three-story building. In 1793, Carter's businesses were moved to Market
Square, which he continued to operate until February of 1814. At that time, he
sold the <i>Gazette</i> to Hugh H. Brown and
William H. Wilson. In an unofficial capacity, the Shakespeare's Head also
served as a meeting place for important figures in the community, and may have
been part of the Underground Railroad system.</p>



<p>Carter's heirs sold the house in 1854 to Stephen O. Metcalf,
who sold it to the New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railway Company in 1906. James
M. Stockard purchased the house in 1925. In 1938, the building was condemned,
and the Shakespeare's Head Association purchased the property to prevent its
demolition. Architects John Hutchins Cady and Philip D. Creer were in charge of
the restorations. The building now houses the Providence Preservation Society
offices.&nbsp;

</p><p><b>The Shakespeare's
Head </b><b>Garden</b></p><p>After damages
from a devastating hurricane in 1938, the Colonial-style garden behind the
Shakespeare's Head was restored by landscape architect James Graham. Slight modifications
have simplified maintenance and improved the accuracy of the garden's Colonial
history, under the care of Rhode Island School of Design landscape architect
Lalla Searle.</p>



<p>Some of
the plants featured include: Carolina Silverbell, Common Lilacs, Thift,
Foxgloves, Rosa Mundi, Scotch Rose, Fothergilla, Native Columbine, Gas Plant,
Dwarf Viburnum, Tree Peony, Common Boxwood, Magnolia, Germander, Rose of
Sharon, Barlett Pear Trees, Lady Fern, Herbacious Peony, False Fern, Herbaceous
Peony, False Indigo, Quince Tree, Linden Tree, Currants, Wisteria, Cork Tree,
and Goatsbeard.</p>

<b>Sign 1:</b><br>SHAKESPEARE'S HEAD<br>Built by publisher John Carter in 1772 to house
the printing press of the Providence <i>Gazette</i>, the post office and a bookshop as
well as Carter's growing family, this is one of the oldest three-story
structures in Providence. So named for the sign outside Carter's literary
establishment: a carved bust of William Shakespeare.



<p>The building was saved from demolition in the 1930s and has
been carefully preserved by the Shakespeare's Head Association.</p>

<b>Sign 2:<br></b>JOHN CARTER HOUSE<br>"Shakespeare's Head"<br>Built 1772<br><br><b>Sign 3:<br></b>21 Meeting Street<br>Shakespeare's Head-1772<br><br>Second Floor<br>Providence Preservation Society<br>Administrative Offices<br>PPS Resource Library<br>(through gate and up the stairs)<br><br>Garden Level<br>Junior League of Rhode Island<br>(through gate and down the stairs)<br>

Shakespeare's Head (also known as the John Carter House) was built in 1772. The owner was publisher John Carter, and the building functioned not only as a home to his family, but also as a post office, bookshop, and printing shop of the Providence Gazette, Providence's first newspaper. Carter's advertising sign outside the building depicted a bust of Shakespeare, earning the house its nickname. The house and a restored Colonial-style garden are now owned by the Providence Preservation Society of Rhode Island.

Shakespeare's Head (John Carter House)

The Meeting Street School (also referred to as the Brick Schoolhouse) was the first brick&nbsp; school structure in the city of Providence and one of the first free schools in the United States. Originally, the two-story structure was intended to separate the free school (on the first floor) from the private school maintained by the "subscribers" or "proprietors" (on the second floor). When Rhode Island College (which in 1796 became Brown University) moved from Warren to Providence in 1770, college classes were temporarily held in the school house, and the school served as a meeting place for the committee in charge of deciding on a permanent location for the university.<br><br>During the American Revolution, the Meeting Street School served as a colonial arsenal and gunpowder manufactory from 1776-1784. When the British landed at Newport in 1776, Rhode Island College classes were suspended, and the official campus was used to house French allies and a temporary military hospital until 1782; the schoolhouse may have served, once again, as a refuge for the college during this time. In 1786, the University Grammar School. John Howland, often credited as the father of public school in America, pushed for a public school system, inspiring the city of Providence to purchase the Brick Schoolhouse outright and open as a free school in 1800.<br><br>In 1828, the Brick Schoolhouse became the first public school to admit African American children, with around 100 students in its care. Though attendance decreased by 1836, the building was enlarged in 1850, and a cooking school took up residence in 1865. In 1908, the Schoolhouse became the first American "fresh air" school for children with tuberculosis. For this purpose, the building's upper windows were enlarged, requiring the removal of bricks from the south facade. Around 1913, the building was used by the School for Crippled Children and Adults of Rhode Island, and from 1946-1957 served as the Meeting Street School for children with developmental disabilities (the institution outgrew the building, but continues to operate in Providence).<br><br>The Providence Preservation Society took over the building in 1960, and restorations (including changes to the altered windows) took place. The second floor of the schoolhouse is used as a meeting room and lecture hall, and the building serves as the headquarters for the Providence Preservation Society.<br><br><div>Inscription [Upper Marker:]</div><div>"This building was erected in 1769 as a public school house by the town and its properties. Occupied by Brown University in 1770. One of the four first free public school buildings in 1800. Occupied by a school for colored children for many years. A 'Fresh Air' school established in 1907, was opened here in 1908."</div><div>[Lower Marker:]&nbsp;</div><div>"The Meeting Street School</div><div>The 1st public school to be open to Afro-American children in 1828</div><div>A project of the Rhode Island Black Heritage Society"</div><br>

Now the headquarters of the Providence Preservation Society, this historic building was the first brick school built in the city of Providence. The building was also used by Rhode Island College (Brown University today) and even served as an arsenal and temporary military hospital during the American Revolution. In 1800, education pioneer John Howland purchased the building and operated one of the first schools in the United States to be completely free and open to the public. In 1828, the school leaders decided to freely admit children of color, making this the first integrated public school in American history. 

Meeting Street School

<p>The home was originally built for John Mawney who was born into a wealthy family of Huguenots, French
Protestants who emigrated due to religious persecution. Mawney was still a boy, likely only twelve or thirteen years old at the time of the home's construction. He&nbsp;inherited
his father’s wealth at the age of three, and it is likely that his guardian
arranged to have the house constructed for him.&nbsp;</p><p>Mawney would later be involved
in the Gaspee Affair of 1772 when a group affiliated with the Sons of Liberty
movement attacked and burned a British customs ship that had run aground on a
sandbar in Narragansett Bay. This incident led the colonists one step further
towards rebellion, and when war broke out, Dr. Mawney, by then having obtained a
medical qualification, would serve as a regimental surgeon with the &nbsp;3rd
Company of Providence, Second Regiment, Providence County Militia.</p>

<p>Dr. Mawney sold the Benefit Street house in 1784&nbsp;to Stephen Harris who was married to Mawney's sister Hannah. By
all accounts, Harris and his wife did not live a long and happy life here. Harris’s
shipping business began to fail after several of his ships were lost at sea,
and Hannah had several stillborn children. Local legend has it that Hannah also
then lost her mind, and was confined to the attic. Hannah died in 1789 and Mawney remarried in
1792 and his second wife and several of their children lived in the home until the latter part of the 19th century. </p>

<p>By 1890, the last member of the Harris family listed as owning the
house had passed away, but the tax rolls still show the property as part of her
estate up until 1924. There was also at this time a co-owner named Sophia
Babbitt with her resident
caretaker, Lillian Phillips. Ms. Phillips resided at 135 Benefit Street
from 1919 through 1920, and during this time she was frequently visited by her
nephew, Howard Phillips Lovecraft. Although he was fond of his aunt, Mr.
Lovecraft (better known by his initials H.P.) found the house somewhat creepy. The house, which Lovecraft referred to in his correspondence as the Babbitt House, would play a&nbsp;starring role in a novella he published in a 1937 issue of pulp magazine <i>Weird
Tales</i>. The home became known as “The Shunned House” owing to his fictional story that took some of its details from a legend about a curse that had afflicted Hannah Mawney.&nbsp;</p><p>The house passed through several owners and
was in poor repair by the early 1970s. Thanks to a new owner who financed extensive
renovations in 1971, the home has increased in value. The new owners&nbsp;must have known something of the house’s horror story&nbsp;connection and had a sense
of humor about the urban legend as they held a grand housewarming party on Halloween of
that year.</p>

Benefit Street is the oldest street in Providence and home to the oldest house in the city. Constructed in 1763, this house once belonged to prosperous merchant Stephen Harris. The handsome 18th century clapboard has been well-preserved. The house A terrible tale full of dark deeds, horrible hauntings and fantastic fiction that has caused 135 Benefit Street to be known, both locally and world-wide, as the “Shunned House”.

Stephen Harris House

<div>The Sullivan Dorr House looks today much as it did when it was completed 1809, just as Jefferson was handing over the White House to James Madison. The striking architecture involves a mixture of Palladian, Georgian, and Gothic details, which speaks to a noticeable trend at the time that saw architects move away from adhering to Colonial styles. But, the house and lot also stand as a monument to several chapters of Providence and Rhode Island history. For instance, the home that lies on land that served as the initial burial site to Providence’s founder Roger Williams.&nbsp; As well,&nbsp; Sullivan Dorr's son, who grew up in the house, went on to lead what is now known as "Dorr's Rebellion."</div><div><br></div><div>Roger Williams, Rhode Island founder who was laid to rest in the land where the Door house occupies, strongly advocated religious freedoms (including separation of church and state) and disapproved of the practice of seizing land held by Native Americans.&nbsp; His remains were moved before Dorr purchased the lot early in the nineteenth century.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Door, who primarily made his fortune trading with China, and his wife Lydia were the parents of Thomas Wilson Dorr, who led the infamous Dorr’s Rebellion in 1842.&nbsp; Dorr had become an integral figure within the "Law and Order" Party, whose platform focused on suffrage reform. The party developed a new Constitution deemed the "People's Constitution," and afterward elected Dorr as governor of Rhode Island. However, the Rhode Island legislature refused to acknowledge the legitimacy of either the Constitution or Dorr's governorship. As a result, Dorr unsuccessfully attempted to take over the State Arsenal, and he also failed in an attempt to assemble a General Assembly. His failures ultimately forced him to flee the state, only to return -- he was convicted of treason and sentenced to life in prison.&nbsp; In 1845, Rhode Island legislatures passed a measure that deemed Dorr and others as wrongly convicted, which resulted in their pardons.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Many historians argue that both Williams' belief in the separation of church and state and Dorr's attempts to reform suffrage strong influenced American polity.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>In 1956, Sullivan Door's great-granddaughter, Margarethe Lyman Dwight, deeded the Dorr Mansion to the Providence Preservation Society,&nbsp; who subsequently financed and managed a project to restore the home.&nbsp;<br><br>To view the home and lot is to see changed in architectural history and be reminded of Rhode Island's founding, as well as its maturation, which included a small "Civil War."&nbsp;</div>

Designed by architect John Holden Greene and completed in 1809, this Georgian mansion appears much as it did in the early republic. The home was built for Sullivan Door, an important business leader and father of father of Thomas Wilson Dorr, the leader of Rhode Island's Dorr Rebellion which led to universal male suffrage in 1842. The mansion is also located at the site of the former home of Providence founder Roger Williams, who was once buried at this site (since moved). 

Architecture and History of Providence Extended Walking Tour

Providence City Hall

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information