Providence, the capital of Rhode Island, was founded in 1636 and is among the oldest cities in the United States. Like a number of other colonies, the city was a religious haven. Founder Roger Williams had been banished from Massachusetts Bay Colony for his belief in separation of church and state, and for opposing confiscation of Native American land.
Providence and Rhode Island were the first to revolt to revolt against King George, but the last to ratify the United States Constitution.
Downtown Providence now holds remnants of the city’s commercial past, as well as current government buildings and the new “knowledge industry” sites. The compact metropolis is eminently walkable. In fact, the Providence/Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau (goprovidence.com) has a series of five “Providence Walks” published as amazing 3×6-inch pocket guides.
The CVB staff is special: My wife and I visited in April, 2021 – during the pandemic. Though their offices were closed, a staffer we met in the street by chance welcomed us into the visitor center to give us maps and brochures, including the “Providence Walks” guides.
- Wikipedia: Providence, Rhode Island
- Wikipedia: List of National Historic Landmarks in Rhode Island
- Official Website: providenceri.gov
- Tourism Website: goprovidence.com
- Google Map
- Related: Providence Preservation Society: Guide to Providence Architecture
- Related: Buildings of New England: Providence
- For Your Bookshelf: Guide to Providence Architecture (Providence Preservation Society/American Institute of Architects Rhode Island Chapter)
Providence Photo Galleries
Much more to come! The table below lists current (↗) and future Downtown Providence photo galleries. East Side and West Side photo galleries will be listed later.
| Link | Number | Street | Name(s) | Year(s) | Architect(s) | Style(s) | Landmark |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ↗ | 1 | Citizens Plaza | One Citizens Plaza | ||||
| ↗ | 315 | Cranston Street | Cranston Street Armory | 1907 | William R. Walker & Son | NRHP | |
| ↗ | 10 | Dorrance Street | Westminster Square Building, Howard Building | ||||
| ↗ | 11 | Dorrance Street | Providence Graduate Hotel, Providence Biltmore Hotel | Warren & Wetmore | neo-Federal | ||
| ↗ | 25 | Dorrance Street | Providence City Hall | 1878 | Samuel J.F. Thayer | Second Empire Baroque | NRHP |
| ↗ | 101 | Dyer Street | Owen Building | ||||
| ↗ | 87 | Empire Street | Old Stone Bank, Empire Street Branch | 1929 | Howe & Church | Classical Revival | NRHP |
| ↗ | 150 | Empire Street | Providence Public Library | 1900, 1954 | Stone Carpenter & Wilson, Howe Prout & Ekman | ||
| ↗ | 100, 200 | Exchange Street | Waterplace Towers | ||||
| ↗ | 40 | Fountain Street | Gardner Building | 1925 | |||
| ↗ | 100 | Fountain Street | Palmer Block | ||||
| ↗ | 69 | Francis Street | IGT Center, GTECH Center | Postmodern | |||
| ↗ | 1 | Hasbro Place | Hasbro Headquarters | ||||
| ↗ | 15 | Hayes Street | Gloria Dei Lutheran Church | 1928 | Martin Hedmark | NRHP | |
| ↗ | 133 | Mathewson Street | Joseph P. Cory Building | ||||
| ↗ | 139 | Mathewson Street | Hotel Providence, Lederer Building | ||||
| ↗ | 175 | Mathewson Street | Grace Episcopal Church | Richard Upjohn | Gothic Revival | NRHP | |
| ↗ | 10 | Memorial Street | IGT Center, GTECH Center | Postmodern | |||
| ↗ | 90 | Smith Street | Rhode Island State House | 1901 | McKimm, Mead & White | neo-Classical | NRHP |
| ↗ | 19 | Snow Street | |||||
| ↗ | 112 | Union Street | Providence Telephone Company Building | ||||
| ↗ | 110-116 | Union Street | Providence Telephone Company Building | ||||
| ↗ | 124 | Washington Street | Downcity Inn | ||||
| ↗ | 201 | Washington Street | Emery's Majestic Theatre, Trinity Repertory Company | 1917 | William R. Walker & Son | Beaux Arts | NRHP |
| ↗ | 234 | Washington Street | Telephone Building, New England Telephone & Telegraph Building | NRHP | |||
| ↗ | 250 | Washington Street | First Universalist Church | 1872 | Edwin L. Howland | Gothic Revival | NRHP |
| ↗ | 202-206 | Washington Street | Packard Motor Car Company Building | 1912 | Albert Kahn | ||
| ↗ | 38-52 | Washington Street | Earle Building | ||||
| ↗ | 143 | Westminster Street | 143 Westminster Street | ||||
| ↗ | 180 | Westminster Street | Dorrance Building | 1891 | George Waterman Cady | High Victorian Gothic | NRHP |
| ↗ | 203 | Westminster Street | Providence Journal Building | Peabody & Stearns | Beaux Arts | NRHP | |
| ↗ | 217 | Westminster Street | Hannah Greene Estate Building | 1879 | NRHP | ||
| ↗ | 220 | Westminster Street | O'Gorman Building | NRHP | |||
| ↗ | 232 | Westminster Street | Burgess Building | 1870 | George Waterman Cady | ||
| ↗ | 276 | Westminster Street | WIT Building | ||||
| ↗ | 280 | Westminster Street | Lapham Building | ||||
| ↗ | 292 | Westminster Street | Tilden-Thurber Building | 1895 | Shepley Rutan & Coolidge | Beaux Arts | NRHP |
| ↗ | 375 | Westminster Street | Conrad Building | 1885 | Stone, Carpenter & Wilson | Venetian Gothic, Romanesque | NRHP |
| ↗ | 400 | Westminster Street | Caesar Misch Building | 1903 | Martin & Hall | ||
| ↗ | 144-146 | Westminster Street | Lauderdale Building | 1894 | Stone, Carpenter & Wilson | ||
| ↗ | 268-272 | Westminster Street | Trayne Building | 1893 | |||
| ↗ | 335-337 | Westminster Street | Charette High School | 1928 | |||
| ↗ | 11 | Weybosset Street | Turk's Head Building | 1913 | Howells & Stokes | neo-Classical | NRHP |
| ↗ | 24 | Weybosset Street | Custom House, Federal Building | 1857 | Ammi B. Young | NRHP | |
| ↗ | 262 | Weybosset Street | Dwight Building | 1892 | |||
| ↗ | 270 | Weybosset Street | Richmond Building | 1876 | |||
| ↗ | 274 | Weybosset Street | Del Sesto Building, Summerfield Building | 1913 | Albert Harkness | NRHP | |
| ↗ | 300 | Weybosset Street | Beneficent Congregational Church | James Buckland | NRHP | ||
| ↗ | 212-216 | Weybosset Street | Bush Building | 1873 | Italianate | ||
| ↗ | 244-248 | Weybosset Street | Warwick Building | 1891 | |||
| ↗ | 86-88 | Weybosset Street | Studley Building | 1894 | George Waterman Cady | NRHP |