Buildings of New England

A castle in Rhode Island! Well not quite. At the conclusion of the Dorr Rebellion, where a mini Civil War in the state occurred, the State of Rhode Island gave the Warren Artillery Company $1500 for their loyal support during the conflict for the construction of an armory. Architect Russell Warren was reported to have designed Armory Hall, which is a one-story gable roof, Gothic Revival structure with two hexagonal castellated turrets. The building’s two turrets stand on either side of large arched front doors and were designed to house two Revolutionary War cannon. These cannon, named Pallas and Tantae, were built in Strasbourg, France in 1862 and were also given to the Warren Artillery Company for their support during the Dorr’s Rebellion. During the American Civil War, the Warren Artillery Company served with the Ninth Regiment of Rhode Island.

By WWI, the Artillery Company effectively disbanded and Armory Hall was rarely used. After WWII, with large numbers of returning veterans, the American Legion Post in Warren purchased the building for just $10! Over the years the crenellations on the two turrets deteriorated and were removed. Since 2012, a group has been restoring the historic armory back to its former glory to be used for functions and events.