New England Architecture Blog

Merchants Bank Building // 1857

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The Merchants Bank Building on Westminster Street at the edge of Downtown Providence, is a rare surviving mid-19th century commercial block that survived periods of commercialization, urban renewal and eventual rebirth of this iconic New England city. The Italianate style, six-story flatiron building is sheathed in brownstone and was designed by architects Alpheus C. Morse and Clifton A. Hall as one of the first buildings in Providence’s financial district, which today is comprised of much larger modern skyscrapers. The handsome structure was built for the Merchants Bank, a financial institution that had been organized in February 1818 and was reorganized as a national bank in 1865. Royal C. Taft, governor of Rhode Island, was president of the bank for forty years, from 1868 to 1908. In May 1926 the Merchants National Bank merged with the Providence National Bank, with the combined institution taking the name of the Providence National Bank, but they moved into this building until they completed a new building in 1930. Since then, the building has been home to professional offices, and remains a well-preserved early banking building in Providence.

Arnold Building // 1896

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Located next door to the narrow George C. Arnold Building on Washington Street in Downtown Providence, the 1896 Arnold Building was constructed by George’s father, who was also a real estate developer. The Arnold Building was designed by local architect Clifton A. Hall for William Rhodes Arnold (1839-1912), who employed innovative design details to make the modestly priced building stand out architecturally and provide additional light inside. The yellow brick building is notable for its upper floors with segmental arched windows, prismatic bay windows, and patterned brickwork panels and cornice which adds a lot of texture to the facade. The building serves as an important low-rise commercial building in Providence, which enhances the walkable streets there. 

George C. Arnold Building // 1923

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The narrowest commercial building in Downtown Providence, the George C. Arnold Building, is only just over 12-feet wide and is one of the lesser-known landmarks tucked away amongst the larger commercial blocks and civic buildings. The block was built in 1923 for owner, George C. Arnold (1868-1938) by the local firm of William R. Walker & Son, who designed buildings all over the state. Arnold owned considerable property in Downtown and following a street widening on Washington Street in 1917, he sought to make use of his diminished lot by building the current structure rather than sell the sliver of land for a loss. The brick-sheathed building runs seven bays along Washington Street with Chicago style windows in these bays to bring light inside the building. In 2013, the building was acquired by the Providence Revolving Fund which collaborated with developer-builders Lori Quinn and David Stem to rehabilitate the building. It is currently in use as mixed-use property with two commercial spaces on the street level and three residential units on the upper floors.

Loew’s State Theatre – Providence Performing Arts Center // 1928

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The old Loew’s State Theatre, now the Providence Performing Arts Center in Downtown Providence, opened on October 6, 1928, as one of the grand movie palaces built by the Loews chain during Hollywood’s golden age. Designed by the Chicago firm Rapp & Rapp, the country’s leading theater architects at the time, the building blends Baroque and Rococo influences earning it the nickname “The Jewel of Weybosset Street.” The primary facade is a four-story, terra-cotta sheathed, steel-frame structure with with fluted pilasters, molded panels, finials at the parapet, and a large modified prismatic marquee. On the Richmond Street elevation, a one-story brick structure with terra-cotta trim and secondary entrance/exit provides additional flair to what would otherwise be a more stripped-down feature. After WWII, when theaters began to see declining revenue, the building cycled through names like the Palace Concert Theatre and Ocean State Theatre before a group of local preservationists and civic leaders saved it from possible demolition in the late 70s. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977 and the theater reopened as the Providence Performing Arts Center in 1982. The roughly 3,100-seat venue has since been carefully restored to its original splendor and today ranks among the largest and best-preserved movie-palace-era theaters in New England, hosting national Broadway tours, concerts, and comedy shows.

Union Trust Company Building // 1901

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Said to be the first skyscraper built in Providence, the Union Trust Company Building on Dorrance Street is one of the finest architectural masterpieces in Rhode Island. The twelve-story tower is finished in red brick with limestone trim and features the base-shaft-capital organization, a design standard for early skyscraper architects to make very tall buildings look balanced. The base here as the bottom two floors, entirely uses stone to show strength, holding the weight above and with large glass windows for the street edge; the shaft uses repeating window designs and showcases the height of the building, drawing your eyes upward; and the capital, which brings a strong cornice and intricate parapet serving as a crown, finishing the building. The architectural firm of Stone, Carpenter & Willson furnished the plans for the building for Marsden J. Perry, the President of the Union Trust Company, as the company offices with a banking hall at the ground level. Above the entrance a sculpture, Indian and Puritan by Daniel Chester French, greets visitors along with the many stained glass medallion windows. The Union Trust Company Building is really a feast for the eyes!

Slade Building // 1881

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The Slade Building on Washington Street in Downtown Providence represents the architectural flourish and blending of architectural styles that typified commercial blocks in major New England cities in the late 19th century. The commercial block was named and built for owner, George H. Slade, who was involved in real estate development along with his role as part-owner of Westcott, Slade and Balcom, a paint manufacturing company. The building was designed by Rhode Island architect, Clifton A. Hall (1826-1913) who primarily worked locally. After George’s death, the property remained in the family, and in 1895, the corner tower, also designed by Hall, was added as a way to modernize and bring in new tenants. The block has been rehabilitated and is one of the finest and best-preserved examples of a late 19th century commercial building in Downtown Providence.

Old Providence Custom House and Post Office // 1857

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One of the finest buildings in Downtown Providence, the old Custom House and Post Office is a landmark, showcasing how Federal buildings were once well designed and meant to show stability through high-quality design and materials. The stately building was completed in 1857 from plans by architect, Ammi Young, who became the Supervising Architect of the U.S. Treasury Department in 1852. Ammi Young designed a number of notable buildings all over New England, with his finest being the many custom houses and other Federal buildings. For the Providence Custom House and Post Office, he utilized granite from quarries in Quincy, Massachusetts for its walls to show strength, with a hipped roof and metal dome and corner quoins as additional design elements. The building can be classified as a blending of Greek Revival and Italianate styles with the use of both pedimented and arched window treatments and blocky form. The building housed federal offices until November 1909, when a new and larger Federal Building was erected a few blocks away. The Federal Government vacated the structure in 1989 and was ultimately bought by the State of Rhode Island and converted to office space for the State Courts System. After extensive renovation at a cost of $550,000, the building was opened by the state in 1992 as the John E. Fogarty Judicial Complex.

Providence Telephone Credit Union Building // 1976

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Located in the western part of Downtown Providence, this period-piece of 1970s architecture is one of the few interesting buildings constructed following the destruction of the surrounding neighborhood as part of the Weybosset Hill Urban Renewal program. The unique two-story brick commercial building was constructed in 1976 as the home to the Providence Telephone Credit Union, which was affiliated with the larger Providence Telephone Company located next door. This building is the work of local architect, Zane Anderson, who designed the edifice with brick facing and projecting cylindrical turrets, arched window openings and rounded corners, all typical design details in historic Downtown buildings, but as a modern interpretation.

Providence Telephone & Telegraph Building // 1916

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Despite the expansion of its Union Street building ten years earlier, by WWI, the growth of the Providence Telephone Company had made its original building inadequate. In 1916, the company began construction on its new Telephone Building at the corner of Washington and Greene streets. The 8-story, Colonial Revival style structure was designed by the Providence architectural firm of Clarke & Howe. The building is steel-frame and largely clad with red brick besides the arcaded first two stories in marble. At the roofline, a center gable projects above the cornice, likely in the 1950s renovation when the elevator headhouse was built on the roof. The building was again expanded in 1971 by a utilitarian addition that does not relate to its original design beyond the use of brick. The building is now home to the regional office of Verizon New England.

Old Providence Telephone Building // 1893

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Located on the narrow Union Street in Downtown Providence, Rhode Island, this stunning late 19th century building was designed by the most prominent architectural firm in the state, Stone, Carpenter & Willson as the home of the Providence Telephone Company. Telephones were originally introduced in Providence in 1879, and by 1893, the need for a centralized office led to the construction of this building. The structure was originally just three stories, but as demand and the use of the telephone grew, so did this building, which added two floors in 1906. The handsome brick and terracotta facade is extremely ornate and includes a more strong Classical base and foliate terracotta friezes and columns above with projecting bays to bring light into the building. The building was again outgrown and the Providence Telephone Company moved into a new, purpose-built office building nearby in 1917. This structure remained professional offices and today, the upper floors have been converted to apartments with lower levels occupied by live/work loft spaces and two commercial storefronts.

Caesar Misch Building // 1903

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One of the many great commercial blocks in Downtown Providence, the narrow Caesar Misch Building runs along Empire Street between Westminster and Chapel streets as a well-preserved early 20th century building. Designed by the architectural firm of Martin & Hall for owner, Caesar Misch (1857-1908) as one of his department stores. Caesar Misch was born in Berlin, Germany and immigrated to the United States, eventually settling in Providence. There, he opened a department store and saw immediate success, opening more throughout New England in the early 20th century. After his unexpected death in 1908, his wife, Marion Misch (1869-1941) took control of the business, becoming the first woman in New England to head a department store. The Downtown Providence building stands six-stories and is notable for its brick walls with contrasting elaborate stone frieze and window surrounds.

First Universalist Church of Providence // 1872

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The First Universalist Church of Providence is located in the bustling Downtown of this city and has stood as the surrounding area saw rapid commercialization, destruction under the guise of “urban renewal”, and rebirth. The structure stands as the third sanctuary for the congregation, which was founded in 1821 through the efforts of Reverend John Murray, who is said to be the founder of American Universalism. Designed by prominent local architect, Edwin L. Howland, the church was constructed in 1872 and is an excellent example of the High Victorian Gothic style executed in brick and trimmed with stone. Rather than leaning into the ornate decorative flourishes favored by Gothic Revival purists, Howland’s design reflects a sparer emphasis on form and materials in the spirit of critic John Ruskin’s reinterpretation of the style, a restraint fitting for a Universalist congregation. Inside, the well-preserved nave features a sanctuary lined by broad pointed arches supported by slender colonnettes, all colored by the sunlight filtering through the many stained glass windows.

Summerfield Building // 1913

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Built by the wealthy Harkness family as an investment property, this unique building on Weybosset Street in Downtown Providence, Rhode Island, takes its name from the Boston-based Summerfield Furniture Company, which occupied much of the building for many years. The six-story, reinforced concrete structure was designed by architect, Albert Harkness for his family, who gambled on the young designer who was seemingly inspired by the Chicago School of architecture, with its concrete and steel framing, large plate glass windows, ornamental terra cotta, and broad cornice. After Summerfield Furniture closed, the building was occupied in the mid-20th century by various companies until Johnson & Wales purchased the building, and have maintained the architecturally significant landmark ever-since.

Waite-Thresher Company Factory // 1911

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The Waite-Thresher Company Factory sits on Pine Street between the commercial Downtown and former industrial Jewelry District of Providence.The factory here was built in 1911 and is an excellent example of a light-industrial building of the early 20th century in Providence. The steel-frame building is sheathed with brick walls and retains its double-hung windows set within brick arches and classically designed storefronts. The Waite-Thresher Company was one of many jewelry manufacturing companies in Providence. Founded in 1885 from the merging of multiple companies, the Waite-Thresher Co. began primarily manufacturing thimbles and later became a leader in the American jewelry world as the kings of delicate, ornate filigree rings, pins, and accessories. The company eventually closed in the 1930s and after later uses, the building was acquired by Johnson & Wales University who in the 1980s, restored the building and opened it as the centerpiece of the John Hazen White College of Arts & Sciences on campus.

Plantations Clubhouse // 1927

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Tucked away behind Abbott Park, a small green in Downtown Providence, the Plantations Club has stood for 100 years as one of the city’s finest examples of Colonial Revival architecture and was long a vital women’s club organization. This Georgian Revival brick building was designed by the firm of Andrews, Jones, Briscoe & Whitmore, of Boston for the Providence Plantation Club, a women’s social organization founded in 1916. The club was a success, starting with about 150 members and it reached more than 1,300 members, just one year after its inception. As the only female architect of the society, Frances E. Henley got involved in promoting the Club in terms of its visuals and interior design of the building, working closely with the architects. Ms. Henley was the first woman to study architecture at the Rhode Island School of Design and the first woman to independently practice architecture in Rhode Island. When the club no longer needed such a building, Johnson & Wales University acquired the building in 1962, and since then, it has been known as Wales Hall, housing a variety of offices and services.