Providence's Benefit Street - Paperback

by Rhode Island Historical Soc (Author), Elyssa Tardif (Author), Margaret Chang (Author)

Providence's Benefit Street showcases the rich history of Rhode Island's capital, a tangible history that can be experienced firsthand by walking one mile through the heart of the city.

Officially established by 1772 for the benefit of all, Benefit Street is arguably the most historic thoroughfare in Rhode Island. Some of Providence's most prominent families, including the Browns (the namesake of Brown University), built stately homes on Benefit Street's hillside, many of which still stand today. Threatened by years of neglect, the Providence Preservation Society intervened in the 1950s to save the buildings that line the street. Benefit Street has survived the dangers of demolition and now bears witness to disparate time periods and communities. It is the site of important educational and community institutions, including the Rhode Island School of Design, Brown University, the First Baptist Church, and the Providence Athenaeum, the fourth oldest library in the United States.

Author Biography

Elyssa Tardif is the director of the Newell D. Goff Center for Education and Public Programs at the Rhode Island Historical Society. Peggy Chang serves as director of the Curricular Resource Center at Brown University. The images within the pages of Providence's Benefit Street were selected from the Rhode Island Historical Society's rich collection of materials, a significant collection that dates to the society's founding in 1822.