Documenting Change since 2002

Benefit Street, north of Angell, western side, 2004

About half of the “Mile of History,” documenting the western side of Benefit Street as it looked in 2004

images of this Property

  • 188 Benefit Street
  • Parking for the Providence Art Club and others along Angell Street
  • More parking
  • Benefit Street Arsenal, built 1839, 176 Benefit Street
  • What Cheer Studio 101, 28 Meeting & 160 Benefit Street. Originally a livery and later rebuilt between 1926 and 1937, labelled “What Cheer Laundry” in a 1926 Map and “What Cheer Garage” in a 1937 map
  • About 156 Benefit Street, originally a garage built 1910
  • Back of the Old State House, 150 Benefit Street, built 1763, South Court Street to the left and North Court Street to the right
  • Old Court Bed and Breakfast, formerly St. John’s Church Rectory, built 1863–1866, 144 Benefit Street
  • 136 Benefit Street, built 1835
  • 134 Benefit Street, built 1839–1844
  • Charles Shaw house, built 1850–54, 132 Benefit Street with Cady Street to the right
  • Jonah Steere house, built 1867, 122 Benefit Street
  • Thomas Holden house, built 1814–18, 118 Benefit Street
  • Built c.1843, 112 Benefit Street, Bowen Street to the right
  • Jabey Gorham house, built c.1857, 108-110 Benefit Street
  • Nathaniel Smith house, built 1795–98, 106 Benefit Street, Howland Street to the right
  • Gershom Jones-John Howland house, built 1784, 102 Benefit Street
  • James Burr — Jabey Gorham house, built c.1786, 98 Benefit Street
  • William Snow house, built 1792, 94 Benefit Street, Church Street to the right
  • Sarah Helen Whitman house, built 1783–92, 88 Benefit Street
  • Josiah Crooker house, built 1837, 82–84 Benefit Street
  • Peleg Brown house, built c.1790, 80 Benefit Street
  • Thomas Burges house, built 1844, 78 Benefit Street
  • Jacob Seagrave house, built 1842, 74 Benefit Street
  • Lot overlooking Hallworth House and the State House in the distance
  • John Slater homestead, built 1833–35, 66 Benefit Street
  • Amos Alien house, built 1773–90, 62 Benefit Street
  • Looking over Star Street
  • Jabey Gorham house, built c.1792, 56 Benefit Street
  • Samuel Staples house, built 1795–98, 52 Benefit Street
  • Samuel Staples house, built 1798–1812, 50 Benefit Street
  • Elisha Angell house, built 1799–1810, 48 Benefit Street
  • Earl Pearce house, built 1827, 42–44 Benefit Street
  • 40 Benefit Street
  • Open lot between 34 and 40 Benefit Street
  • Earle D. Pearce house, built 1835, 34 Benefit Street
  • William G. Angell house, built 1869, 28–30 Benefit Street
  • Around 26 Benefit Street, looking at 369, 389, 397, 415 North Main Street
  • Samuel Staples, Jr. house, built 1828, 24 Benefit Street
  • 22 Benefit Street
  • 20 Benefit Street
  • 18 Benefit Street
  • 12–14 Benefit Street
  • Lot in between 12–14 and 4–8 Benefit Street
  • William P. Angell house, built c.1865, 4–8 Benefit Street
  • Triangular lot at the end of Benefit Street at the corner with North Main Street

47 images: Press to view larger or scroll sideways to see more.

About this Property

Streetscape Survey

Before there was Google Streetview and the history they preserve with access to older street views, ArtInRuins had an idea of documenting streets this way. It was a lot of work, and therefore something we haven’t been good at keeping up with. Thankfully, though, the aforementioned Google allows older views of streetscapes (for now).

There is good reason why Benefit Street is also known as the “Mile of History.” Buildings along this stretch date from as early as 1763 (the old State House) with nothing newer than 1869 (the William G. Angell house).

We documented the western side of Benefit Street, overlooking Smith Hill and the Capitol, back in 2004. (Unfortunately, the original photos can not be found, therefore we can not present larger versions of these photos.) Luckily, aside from house colors, not much has changed. These late 18th century buildings have been largely preserved and well-kept by their stewards. Many of them were designed by eminent architects at the time, as Benefit Street changed from its middle class roots as “Back Street” to a more affluent and prestigious street to build a house upon, with views over an expanding commercial district and downtown core.

Architecture

Since the buildings on this dense side of the street are so early in the development of Providence, they largely follow only a handful of styles that were prominent between 1760 and 1860. Later styles came into play less often as space permitted or as older homes were removed in favor of larger ones. The build dates and styles clump together in a way that shows how the architectural tastes changed over time. These are the identified examples of architectural styles in order of the first year they appeared:

  • 9 in the Colonial style from 1763, 1773-1790, 1786, 1783-1792, 1784, 1790, 1792, and 1795-98
  • 5 in the Federal style from 1795-98, 1798-1812, 1799, 1814-1818, and 1827
  • 6 in the Greek Revival style from 1828, 1833-35, 1837, 1842, 1843, and 1844
  • 7 in the Italianate style from 1835, 1854, 1857, 1863, 1863-1866, 1865, and 1867
  • 1 in the Victorian Gothic style from 1839
  • 1 in the Second Empire style from 1865
  • 1 in a pier & spandrel industrial style, the What Cheer Studio building at no. 160

Since Benefit Street homes were able to survive largely intact, the earlier Colonial style remains dominant on this portion of the street.

When it comes to architects of significance, there are not many noted on this side of the street. Many of the very early structures were likely designed by the builders and followed common patterns. A few notable names do come up, however. Russell Warren was responsible for the design of the Benefit Street Arsenal, also known for collaborating on the design of the Arcade. One of his collaborators, James Bucklin, was partially responsible for additions to the Old State House. The clock tower addition was designed by Thomas Tefft. Three houses and the former St. John’s Rectory were designed by Alpheus Morse in the later Italianate style.

History

Information about significant African-American history gathered by Bela Teixeira and Rosemary Santos. Teixeira was executive director of the Rhode Island Black Heritage Society, and Santos was on the board of directors of the Heritage Harbor Museum.

The Old Arsenal

The Providence Marine Corps of Artillery building, 176 Benefit St.

Built in 1840 by famed architect Russell Warren, the building looks unmistakably military with its turrets. The building was the site of an illegal meeting of the Ku Klux Klan on May 17, 1924. Usually associated with the South, the Klan was active in Rhode Island during the 1920s. It organized a meeting at the Arsenal that attracted some 200 men. The group had no permit to meet on state property and had obtained entrance to the Arsenal by claiming it would hold a religious meeting. Later, Rhode Island’s Gov. William S. Flynn denounced the Klan and forbade the group to use state property for meetings.

The Old State House

150 Benefit St.

Work began in 1760 and was largely completed by 1762, but funds for finishing the interior were appropriated as late as 1771. The building’s symmetrical composition and use of red brick with rusticated brownstone and painted wood trim reflect the late English Baroque architecture of the period of William and Mary and Queen Anne. It is now home to the Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission. Here, at the time of the American Revolution in the late 1700s, there were intense debates between factions represented by Brown brothers John and Moses over the issue of slavery and a proposal by some slaveholders to free their slaves in order to let them serve as soldiers. Moses Brown, being a Quaker, was as opposed to slavery as John was in support of it.

Charles Shaw House

132 Benefit St.

In the 1920s, this circa 1850 house served as the Providence home of the Prince Hall Masons. One of the country’s oldest Masons’ lodges, the all-black association was founded in 1797 by Prince Hall, a black Bostonian who had fought in the Revolution. Finding that blacks were not welcome in white Masons’ lodges, Hall started a lodge in Boston that sparked brother lodges in Providence and Newport.

Sullivan Dorr House

109 Benefit St. (Not included in our photos)

Built in 1810 for the prominent Dorr family, the Dorrs found themselves split politically during what later became known as the Dorr Rebellion of 1842, which challenged state government.

Judge Staples House

75 Benefit St. (Not included in our photos)

Built around 1850. A small cemetery behind the house contains the graves of members of four black families who lived in the house from the 1930s to the 1950s. Across the street in the graveyard behind St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral is a slate tombstone from the 1700s memorializing “Three Respectable Black Persons, Phillis, Rose and Fannie Chace, Who Served in the Family of Sam’l Chace Esq.”

Survey

From the College Hill Historic District nomination form, Edward F. Sanderson & Keith N. Morgan, January 1976

With two additions from the Mary A. Gowdey Library of House Histories.

Building Descriptions

188: Rufus Waterman house, Alpheus Morse, 1863. Italianate: irregular block plan; 2 1/2 story clapboard house; hipped roof with pedimented dormers; dentil and modillion cornice; quoins; irregular facade with Italianate window caps; one story Corinthian entrance porch.

176: Benefit Street Arsenal, Providence Marine Corps. of Artillery, Russell Warren, 1839. Victorian Gothic: traditional type for armories; gable roof set end to street with twin crenelated towers; lancet windows; handsome central Gothic doorway. Cement over rubble stone; moved from site just south.

160 & 28 Meeting Street: Now called “What Cheer Studio 101”, owned by RISD. Not documented in the survey

150: Old State House, 1763. Colonial public building: 2 1/2 stories; brick, with brownstone quoining and rusticated window surrounds; double hipped roof; 5 bay facade. Sympathetically enlarged and altered twice in the 19th century including a fine clock tower entrance on west (by Thomas Tefft) and Benefit Street addition (by James Bucklin) on east. Building housed sessions of the Rhode Island legislature 1763–1900 and Rhode Island courts.

144: St. John’s Church Rectory, Alpheus Morse, 1863-1866. Italianate: 3 stories; brick with brownstone trim; hipped roof with bracket cornice; symmetrical 3 bay facade with central entry with brownstone label.

136: Not documented in the survey. Built by Henry Packard in 1835 and listed as number 138 in the Mary A. Gowdey Library of House Histories.

134: Not documented in the survey. Built by Charles Shaw 1839–1844 according to records in the Mary A. Gowdey Library of House Histories.

132: House, c.1854. Italianate Cottage: 1 1/2 stories; clap­ board; cross gable roof (“T” plan) with cupola, bracketed cornice; Italianate window caps, round-headed windows, latticed porches filling arms of “T”.

122: Jonah Steere house, 1867. Italianate: 2 1/2 stories; clapboard; hipped roof with bracketed and pedimented dormers; bracket cornice; window caps over tall three-part windows; corner quoins. Asymmetrical plan with one story pillared entrance porch along south.

118: Thomas Holden house, 1814-1818. Federal: 2 1/2 stories; brick with stone trim; gable roof; 2 exterior chim­neys; 5 bay facade with recessed central fanlight doorway flanked by Corinthian pilasters; bay window on second story above entrance.

112: House, c.1843. Greek Revival: 2 1/2 stories; clapboard; pedimented gable end to street; paneled corner pilas­ters; 3 bay facade with off-center pedimented recessed entry, overhead and side lights, paneled pilasters.

108–110: Jabey Gorham house, c.1857. Italianate: 3 stories; brick with stone trim; low hipped roof, modillion and dentil cornice; entrance from side loggia with paired columns.

106: Nathaniel Smith house, 1795-8. Federal: 2 1/2 stories; clapboard; gable roof with center chimney; 5 bay facade with central pedimented fanlight doorway flanked by pilasters.

102: Gershom Jones-John Howland house, 1784. Colonial: 2 1/2 stories; clapboard; gable roof with center chim­ney; 5 bay facade with central pedimented doorway with flanking pilasters.

98: James Burr – Jabey Gorham house, c.1786. Colonial: 2 1/2 stories; clapboard; gable roof with center chim­ney; 4 bay facade with pedimented doorway and flanking Ionic pilasters.

94: William Snow house, 1792. Colonial: 2 1/2 stories; clapboard; gable roof with center chimney; 5 bay facade with central pedimented doorway flanked by pilasters.

88: Sarah Helen Whitman house, 1783-1792. Colonial: 2 1/2 stories; clapboard; gable roof with 2 interior chim­neys; 5 bay facade with central pedimented doorway flanked by Ionic pilasters. Victorian porch on south side.

82–84: Josiah Crooker house, 1837. Greek Revival: 2 1/2 stories clapboard; pedimented gable end to street; paneled corner pilasters; 3 bay facade with off-center re­cessed entrance flanked by paneled pilasters.

80: Peleg Brown house, c.1790. Colonial: 2 1/2 stories; clapboard; gable roof with center chimney; 5 bay facade with later Greek Revival doorway.

78: Thomas Burges house, 1844. Greek Revival: 2 1/2 stories; clapboard; pedimented gable end to street; paneled corner pilasters; 3 bay facade with off-center pedi­mented recessed entry flanked by paneled pilasters.

74: Jacob Seagrave house, 1842. Greek Revival: 2 1/2 stories; clapboard; gable roof end to street; paneled corner pilasters; 5 bay facade on north with central recessed entry and overhead light and sidelights flanked by paneled pilasters.

66: John Slater homestead, 1833-35. Greek Revival: 2 1/2 stories; brick with stone lintels; low hipped roof; 5 bay entrance facade on south with a large central tetra style Doric porch.

62: Amos Allen house, 1773-1790. Colonial: 2 1/2 stories; clapboard; gable roof with center chimney; 4 bay facade with pedimented doorway flanked by pilasters.

56: Jabey Gorham house, c.1792. Colonial: 2 1/2 stories; clapboard; gable roof with center chimney; 5 bay facade with splayed lintels and carved keyblocks; central pedimented doorway flanked by Ionic pilasters.

52: Samuel Staples house, 1795-8. Colonial: 2 1/2 stories; clapboard; gable roof with center chimney; 5 bay facade with central pedimented doorway flanked by Ionic pilasters.

50: Samuel Staples house, 1798-1812. Federal: 2 1/2 stories; clapboard; pedimented gable roof end to street; center chimney; paneled corner pilasters; 5 bay entrance facade on south with splayed lintels; central pedi­mented doorway with overhead light.

48: Elisha Angell house, 1799-1810. Federal: 2 1/2 stories; clapboard; gable roof with two interior chimneys; 5 bay facade with splayed lintels; central console capped doorway with traceried overhead light.

42–44: Earl Pearce house, 1827. Federal: double house; 2 1/2 stories; clapboard; gable roof with 4 exterior chimneys. Each town house is 3bays wide and their flat-top Ionic entrances are paired and centered.

40: Not documented in the survey

34: Earle D. Pearce house by Alpheus Morse, 1835. Italianate: 2 1/2 stories; clapboard; hipped roof with gable dormers; classic cornice; 3 bay facade with Italianate windows and central Doric entrance porch; projecting pavilion on south.

28–30: William G. Angell house, by Alpheus Morse, 1869. Italianate: 2 1/2 stories; brick with brownstone trim, quoining; hipped roof, decked with gable dormers; somewhat severe palazzo facade; 3 bay, pedimented windows; Ionic entrance porch with balustrade; pro­jecting pavillion on south; arcaded porches at rear of north and south sides; 2 story carriage house with cupola at north rear.

24: Samuel Staples, Jr. house, 1828. Greek Revival: small; 2 1/2 stories; clapboard; pedimented gable end to street; paneled corner pilasters; 3 bay facade with off-center doorway with fanlight and sidelights.

4–8: William P. Angell house, c.1865. Second Empire: 2 1/2 stories; clapboard; flared mansard roof with dormers and modillion cornice; corner site dictates almost triangular plan; paired Italianate windows on second story, shop windows on first; bracketed hood over recessed entry.

General History

The original town was laid out along the eastern shore of the Providence and Moshassuck rivers. Following an Indian path, the Town Street (now North and South Main Streets) served as the main community axis. Fifty-two long, narrow house lots, fronting on the mile-long Town Street, extended east over the hill to Ferry Road, known as Hope Street since 1807. Commercial and residential structures were mixed along the Town Street, with the lands to the east used for agriculture and the waterfront used for commerce. Built upon for the longest period of time, this area is now characterized by a mix of structures dating, from the early eighteenth century to the present. […]

A new neighborhood was created in 1756 when Benefit Street was laid out midway up the hill paralleling the Town Street. It was the first highway to disrupt the pattern of the original proprietors’ lots. Known at first as the Back Street, this area has the best remaining concentration of historic residential architecture in the city. Containing primarily houses from the end of the eighteenth through the end of the nineteenth centuries, the street boasts several structures of national significance. […]

The social history of College Hill can be followed in the develop­ment of its several neighborhoods. The first of these, chiefly along Main and Benefit Streets, is the original compact part of Providence where public and commercial building has been concentrated near the waterfront and where the eighteenth and early nineteenth-century residential area survives almost intact. […]

In literature, Edgar Alien Poe worked for a while in Providence, where, in the Athenaeum, he wooed and lost the Providence poetess Sarah Helen Whitman (whose house stands at 88 Benefit Street). The poems “To Helen” and “Annabelle Lee” are supposed to have been written for Sarah Whitman. Howard Phillips Lovecraft (1890-1937), the author of numerous Gothic horror tales, was a lifetime resident on College Hill, and his works abound with local references.