providence rhode island architecture

First Baptist Church, Providence // 1774

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The First Baptist Church of Providence, also known as the First Baptist Church in America is the oldest Baptist church in the United States. The Church was founded in 1638 by Roger Williams, who before building this church in 1774, often met in private residences or in more plain meetinghouses to not show vanity. By the early 1770s, a new building for Providence Baptists was needed, and it was conceived in a very large (and ornate) way. Built to accommodate over 1,200 people (just under a third of the entire population of Providence at that time), this church was built “for the publick Worship of Almighty God; and also for holding Commencement”, referring to the commencement ceremonies of Rhode Island College (later Brown University), also founded under Baptist auspices. The church was designed by local amateur architect, Joseph Brown, who was likely inspired by Sir Christopher Wren’s London churches in James Gibbs’s Book of Architecture (1728). The construction was greatly aided by the fact that the British had closed the port of Boston as punishment for the Boston Tea Party. Many shipwrights and carpenters were thrown out of work and came to Providence to build the meetinghouse there. The structure was dedicated in May 1775, and the 185-foot steeple was added shortly thereafter. This was the first Baptist meetinghouse in New England to have a steeple, and it has survived dozens of hurricanes and hundreds of years of change since. The church is a National Historic Landmark and remains as one of the most significant buildings in New England.

Joseph Brown House // 1774

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Constructed in 1774 by architect Joseph Brown (1733-1785) of the Brown family of Rhode Island as his personal residence, the John Brown House of Providence, stands as one of the oldest (if not the oldest) house built by an American architect for his own use. Joseph Brown, while a member of the Brown Family, was not as much in the shipping business as others in his family, instead turning his attention to scientific matters, becoming an expert in astronomy, electrification, and architecture. He was an architect in the Thomas Jefferson-gentleman mode, owning English architectural books from which he selected motifs for inclusion in his designs. It is believed that the eccentric curved ogee gable that caps the façade was adapted from the roof design of a garden house published in William Salman’s Palladio Londinensis, owned by Joseph Brown’s builder, Martin Seamans. The same ogee gable was later replicated in the Colonial Revival period in Providence. The residence’s entrance was originally raised above ground and accessed via symmetrical flights of stairs; in the late 18th century, the entrance was moved to street level in the brownstone basement level. Over a decade after Joseph’s death in 1785, the structure was acquired by the Providence Bank, an enterprise founded by Brown’s brothers John and Moses, and used as an office. The bank occupied the structure until 1929, and the Joseph Brown House was subsequently owned by the Counting House Corporation, and still appears to be owned by descendants of the Brown Family.

Providence Market Hall // 1773

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Located in Market Square between Downtown and College Hill in Providence, Rhode Island, the old Colonial Market House stands as one of the city’s oldest and most architecturally significant buildings. Constructed between 1773-1775, this Georgian-style structure originally served as a public market and meeting space. The building was originally two stories in height with an open arcade on the first story, it was used by vendors below and town officials above. The building was expanded in 1797 with a third floor, which housed the first Masonic Lodge in Rhode Island. The Market Hall was designed by local businessman, astronomer, and architect, Joseph Brown, who was also a brother of the founders and namesake of Brown University. Over the centuries, the Market House has played many civic roles. During the Revolutionary War, it was used for military purposes, and later became a hub of commercial and political activity in the growing city. It housed Providence’s first post office, and housed the Providence City Council in the decades before the completion of City Hall. In 1948, Mayor Dennis J. Roberts signed a deed to give the building to the Rhode Island School of Design, with the provision that the exterior of the building be maintained, an early preservation win! Architect John Hutchins Cady was hired to remodel the interior with classrooms and studios, and the Market House remains as a significant piece of the RISD campus. Its enduring presence on Market Square connects modern Providence to its colonial roots, embodying a rich legacy of adaptive reuse and historic preservation.

Rhode Island Hospital Trust Building // 1917

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Located at the eastern edge of Downtown Providence, the Rhode Island Hospital Trust Building is significant as one of the city’s finest examples of the Beaux Arts style of architecture and as the headquarters of what was once the largest banking institution in the state of Rhode Island. The Rhode Island Hospital Trust incorporated in 1867 as the first trust company in New England. It owes its unique name to the fact that it was chartered by the board of trustees of Rhode Island Hospital, founded four years earlier, with the trust company established to help finance operations of the hospital. The original, purpose-built bank was constructed in 1891, and quickly outgrown as the institution grew exponentially into the early 20th century. In 1916, the trust hired the New York architectural firm of York & Sawyer to furnish plans for the present structure. Construction began in 1917, and after delays caused by WWI, the building finally opened in 1919. The 11-story U-shaped building was designed in an exaggerated form of Renaissance palazzo, with steel-framed construction that is faced with marble on the two lower levels and limestone elsewhere. After a series of mergers throughout the 20th century, the building was owned by FleetBoston, who donated this pristine building to the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), which was renovated into a dormitory by RISD-alumni and architect Nader Tehrani of NADAAA Architects. It is today known as the Mandle Building.

Amos Beckwith Mansion // 1861

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To conclude this series on Stimson Avenue houses in Providence, I will showcase the grand dame of Stimson Avenue, the Amos Beckwith Mansion. Built in 1861, the large estate was essentially a country villa when built, as this section of Providence was sparsely developed before the Civil War. Amos Beckwith (1822-1890) was the son of Truman Beckwith and, like his father, was a wealthy cotton broker. He hired architect Alpheus C. Morse to design the house, which is an Italianate Villa, with prominent four-story tower. thick moulded trim, projecting eaves and balconies supported by large brackets and corbels, and the rounded arch windows. In 1882, Beckwith subdivided his land in the area to make half the building lots on Stimson Avenue. Amos Beckwith lived in the home with his wife, Clara, until her death in 1879. Unknown to many, Amos would secretly remarry his housekeeper, a fact that came out after his death when discussions about the estate were raised. Maria Sherman, the 35-year-old housekeeper, stated she was in the will. It is not clear if the family fought this claim and who inherited the property, but what an interesting story!

George H. Dart House // 1893

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Arguably the most restrained and modestly detailed residence on Stimson Avenue in Providence is this residence, the George H. Dart House, a late-Queen Anne dwelling built in 1893. The original owner, George H. Dart (1845-1897) worked as the President of the Rhode Island Tool Company before his unexpected death in 1897.  Four years prior to his death, Mr. Dart hired the local architectural firm of Stone, Carpenter & Willson, to design this single-family residence, which employs Shingle and Queen Anne detailing under a two-story gambrel roof with overhanging eaves sheltering recessed porches and bay windows.

Thurston-Gladding House // 1886

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One of the finest Victorian-era houses in the College Hill/East Side area of Providence is this stately residence at 30 Stimson Avenue, known as the Thurston-Gladding House. The house was built for newlyweds, John Russell Gladding and Ellen (Thurston), on land given to the couple by Ellen’s father, attorney and judge, Benjamin Thurston. John Gladding was originally from Connecticut and the couple split their time between their Providence home and a country retreat in Thompson, Connecticut. Architects Thomas J. Gould and Frank W. Angell (Gould & Angell) furnished the plans for the home, which features a ground floor faced with textured brick and walls adorned by continuous wood shingle siding above. A rounded tower, projecting bays and dormers, and a elongated front porch break up the massing into a pleasing composition.

Louis E. Robinson House // 1892

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Built in 1892, at the height of the convergence of tastes of the Queen Anne Victorian and more traditional Colonial Revival architectural styles, the Louis E. Robinson House at 60 Stimson Avenue in Providence, Rhode Island, showcases the intricacies and whimsy that can be designed when a house is a blending of styles. The residence was built for Louis Elmer Robinson (not Robertson like so many sources claim), a cotton dealer and merchant, from plans by architect Frank W. Angell of the firm, Gould & Angell of Providence. The Robinson House is a gambrel-roofed mass, set gable end to the street, leaving only the ground story and side elevations in clapboard. The polygonal half-tower attached to the side elevation and its paneled grouping of windows retains the older medieval allusion of the early Queen Anne style, but with a swans neck pediment topping the stair hall window showcased the Colonial influence. I am imagining the home with a more period-appropriate color palette, but it still shines!

Henry A. Waldron House // 1893

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The period of the late 19th through early 20th centuries provided architects the opportunity of blending the two prominent styles, Queen Anne and Colonial Revival into a single composition, and as a result, this period has provided some of the most whimsical yet stately homes in New England. This modestly sized residence sits on Stimson Avenue, one of the finest streets in Providence, and despite its unassuming size, packs an architectural punch with its materials and detailing. The Henry Waldron House was built in 1893 for Henry A. Waldron, a clerk in Providence. From deed research, it appears a member of his family, Nathan Waldron, a wealthy grocer, purchased the site in 1891 and likely funded some or all of the construction of the residence there. The architectural firm of Hoppin, Read & Hoppin is credited with the design of the residence, which employs a Colonial Revival form with the gambrel roof and Columned and ornate entrance porch with fan motif, while the use of varied siding materials and octagonal tower with pyramidal roof veers into the Queen Anne style.

Newton D. Arnold House // 1888

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Behold, a Queen Anne Victorian house in all her majesty! This residence, the Newton D. Arnold House, is located at 24 Stimson Avenue in Providence, and is one of the finest examples of its style in the city. Newton Darling Arnold (1843-1916) was employed at the Rumford Chemical Works serving as Treasurer for the company and from this position, accepted additional roles in banking and fraternal organizations, like the Freemasons, where he served a term as Grand Master of the secret society. Newton and his wife, Caroline, purchased a house lot on Stimson Avenue and set out to build one of the finest homes in Providence. To achieve this, they hired local architect, Edward I. Nickerson, to furnish designs. The Arnold House is covered by clapboard and shingle siding beneath a complex, cross-gabled roof of slate, with an ornate gable end and two-story corner tower.

Ellen and Charles Baker House // 1898

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The versatility of the Queen Anne style of architecture is unmatched! This stunning example is located at 67 Stimson Avenue in Providence, Rhode Island, and was built in 1898 for Charles H. Baker and his wife, Ellen. Mr. Baker was a superintendent at the Gorham Manufacturing Company, one of the largest manufacturers of sterling and silverplate tableware in America. Sadly, Charles Baker would not get to enjoy the house for long as he died within a year of the house being finished. Ellen and the couple’s daughter, Maude, would reside here for years later. The Providence architectural firm of Gould and Angell designed the house with a large brick Flemish gable breaking the shingled mass of the house in a really abrupt, yet pleasing way.

Goodwin House // 1886

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Queen Anne style buildings are a favorite as they are all so different and interesting to look at with all the ornate details, asymmetrical forms, varied siding, and rooflines. This example on Stimson Avenue in Providence is a great example of the style. The house was built in 1886 for William P. Goodwin (1852-1921), a banker, insurance executive, and author, who never married and lived in the house with his sister, Sarah Jane Goodwin. Keeping it in the family, William hired his brother, architect, John Bray Goodwin, to design his residence, with little expense spared. Interestingly, the house is built right at the street with its front door accessed up a stair and a brick base adjacent to enclose the property from the sidewalk, creating a high garden wall with gate. There is so much to look at here, it is spectacular.

Joseph Fletcher House and Stable // 1889

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With red brick and slate siding and all the finest trimmings, this house looks like a present wrapped under the Christmas tree! The Joseph Fletcher House is located at 19 Stimson Avenue in Providence, Rhode Island, and is an excellent example of a Queen Anne residence with the innovative use of siding types often found in the style. The residence was built in 1889 for textile manufacturer, Joseph Edward Fletcher (1866-1924), the son of wealthy, English-born manufacturer, Charles Fletcher. The Fletcher house and adjacent stable were designed by Stone, Carpenter & Willson, one of the most prestigious architectural firms in New England at this period. It is believed that the site was developed by Charles Fletcher, as a wedding gift to his 23-year-old son and daughter-in-law following their marriage. The home was recently sold, and the interiors are as stunning as the exterior!

Byron Thomas Potter House // c.1896

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The Byron Thomas Potter House is located at 8 Stimson Avenue in Providence, Rhode Island, and is one of the city’s few examples of the Beaux Arts architectural style in a single-family residence. The Beaux Arts style uses an Italian Renaissance form and materials (Roman bricks), classical Greek and Roman decorative elements like columns and balustrades, and a steep mansard roof punctuated by large dormers, to create a grand and imposing architectural statement. The house was designed by 1896 by local architect, Edward I. Nickerson, who was known for his use of traditional forms in an unconventional manner, with emphasis on ornament and differing materials; with this house being a great example of his work in his later years. The residence was built for newlyweds Helen Sheldon Potter and Byron Thomas Potter, a real estate and insurance broker. The residence is now occupied by the International House of Rhode Island, a non-profit that provides a “home away from home” for international students, scholars, professors, researchers, and their families by providing a venue for folks of different backgrounds, ethnicities, and life experiences to celebrate our similarities and differences and envision a world in which friendship and understanding beat anonymity, isolation, and ignorance. The world needs more of this.

Dexter Asylum // 1828-1958

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C.1958 photo before demolition. Courtesy of Library of Congress.

Built in 1828, Dexter Asylum was a “poor farm,” an institution housing the indigent, elderly, and chronically unemployed, located in the East Side of Providence, Rhode Island. Poor farms were common before the introduction of Social Security and welfare benefits in the United States, considered a progressive method for dealing with poverty. Ebenezer Knight Dexter (1773-1824) was a wealthy mercantile trader in Providence, who in 1800, built Rose Farm, a gentleman’s farmhouse on what was then, the outskirts of Providence. Upon his death in 1824, he bequeathed to the town 40-acres of the farmland to the north for use as a poor farm or almshouse site. The building was completed by 1828 and was originally three stories, and later expanded with a mansard roof and dormers sometime later in the 19th century. Dexter also stipulated that a stone wall would surround the site, and parts of it remain to this day. As with many poor farms and almshouses of the period, residents worked farmland and cared for pigs and a herd of dairy cows; they lived in this large building, strictly segregated by sex. Residents were essentially inmates, indentured for periods of six to twelve months, and could not leave the property without a ticket of permission. In the interwar period, “inmate” population there declined and changing views on how to assist the poor caused the City to abandon the facility. After decades of legal troubles and stipulations of the Dexter will, in 1956, the plot was auctioned off, and Brown University purchased the site. The grounds are now used by some of the Brown University athletic facilities. The city set aside the money from the sale to create the Dexter Donation, which gives annual grants to assist the city’s poor, providing an enduring legacy of Dexter’s Asylum.