College Hill, Providence, Rhode Island

Last updated
College Hill
Fleur-de-lys Studios from the yard of the First Baptist Church.jpg
The Fleur-de-lys Studios (1885) and Deacon Taylor House (1785)
Providence College Hill Locator.svg
Location of College Hill within Providence
Coordinates: 41°49′45″N71°24′03″W / 41.82917°N 71.40083°W / 41.82917; -71.40083
CountryFlag of the United States.svg  United States
StateFlag of Rhode Island.svg  Rhode Island
City Providence
Area
  Total1.99 km2 (0.770 sq mi)
Population
  Total9,334

College Hill is a historic neighborhood of Providence, Rhode Island, and one of six neighborhoods comprising the city's East Side. It is roughly bounded by South and North Main Street to the west, Power Street to the south, Governor Street and Arlington Avenue to the east and Olney Street to the north. The neighborhood's primary commercial area extends along Thayer Street, a strip frequented by students in the Providence area.

Contents

College Hill is the most affluent neighborhood in Providence, with a median family income of nearly three times that of the whole city.

Portions of College Hill are designated local and national historic districts for their historical residential architecture. In 2011, the American Planning Association designated the neighborhood one of the "Great Places in America". [1]

Name

The toponym "College Hill" has been in use since at least 1788. [2] The name refers to the neighborhood's topography and numerous higher educational institutions: Brown University, Rhode Island School of Design, Pembroke College, and the since–relocated Bryant University.

Prior to Brown University's 1770 relocation to Providence, the area was known as Prospect Hill. [3]

History

The indigenous Wampanoag and Narraganset people inhabited the region prior to the arrival of English settlers.

Settlement

Early town layout of Providence. The plots are concentrated in the area now known as College Hill. Original Providence Rhode Island town layout of homesteads.jpg
Early town layout of Providence. The plots are concentrated in the area now known as College Hill.

In 1635, religious dissenter Roger Williams established the settlement of Providence Plantations near the confluence of the Moshassuck and Woonasquatucket Rivers. By 1644, this settlement had taken root around a natural spring at the base of what is now College Hill. In 1638, the settlers allotted home lots. Roughly six acres each, these narrow tracts extended from Towne Street (now Main Street) to Hope Street, falling largely within the bounds of modern College Hill. [4] Back Street—originally a series of paths running parallel to Towne and Hope—developed into what is now Benefit Street.

This 1795 engraving is the first known image of University Hall, built 1770-71, one of seven surviving American college buildings that date from the colonial period. Brown University 1792 engraving.jpg
This 1795 engraving is the first known image of University Hall, built 1770-71, one of seven surviving American college buildings that date from the colonial period.

In 1770, the college that became Brown University moved to College Hill, establishing its campus on land purchased by Moses Brown and John Brown.

By the time of the American Revolution, the foot of the hill was densely populated with wharves, warehouses, shops, public buildings, and residential houses. Benefit Street was home to several hotels, including the Golden Ball Inn which hosted noted guests such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Marquis de Lafayette. [5] [6]

19th century

In the nineteenth century, precious metals and jewelry trading drove much business on North Main Street.

In 1893, the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) moved from a space leased in Downtown Providence to its current home at the base of College Hill. [7] Over a century later, the school would expand by relocating its main library, undergrad dormitories, and graduate studios into Downtown buildings. [8] :21 [9]

20th century

In 1935, Bryant College of Business Administration moved from Downtown Providence to College Hill.

Beginning in 1922, Brown University began expanding its property holdings as an attempt to increase on-campus housing for its growing student body. These efforts culminated in the 1949-1957 construction of Keeney and Wriston Quadrangles, which involved the demolition of 59 historic homes. [10]

The Susan and William Huston House (1867) and First Unitarian Church (1816) on Benefit Street 309 Benefit and First Unitarian Church Providence, Rhode Island, 2 April 2011 - Flickr - PhillipC (1).jpg
The Susan and William Huston House (1867) and First Unitarian Church (1816) on Benefit Street

Through the middle of the 20th century, the area nearer to the waterfront and Statehouse became a working class neighborhood. Subdivided houses inhabited by these low-income communities became targets for demolition under one of the city's proposed urban renewal projects, spurred by slum clearance funds guaranteed by the Housing Act of 1949. [11]

Brown's expansion coupled with urban renewal proposals catalyzed the establishment of local preservationist organizations which sought to maintain the dominance of historic structures in the neighborhood. [10] In the mid 1950s, the newly-founded Providence Preservation Society (PPS) and the City of Providence together solicited $50,000 in research and renewal funds from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. This grant financed the development of a study and plan entitled College Hill: A Demonstration Study of Historic Area Renewal. Published in 1959 the report recommended the use of both public and private investment to restore and re-historicize North Benefit street with the goal of raising property values. The subsequent preservation efforts spearheaded by the PPS rehabilitated existing buildings, demolished decrepit structures, and relocated historic houses from other portions of Providence to the area.

This process, while lauded as a victory for historic preservation, directly resulted in the gentrification of the area, displacing the neighborhood's working class African-American and Cape Verdean communities. [12] [13] These efforts also resulted in the conversion of the formerly mixed-use area surrounding Benefit Street to an almost purely residential neighborhood. [10]

Architecture

Governor Stephen Hopkins House, built 1707 is the oldest extant house in Providence. Stephen Hopkins House 2014.jpg
Governor Stephen Hopkins House, built 1707 is the oldest extant house in Providence.

College Hill boasts architectural styles from the 18th century onward, including residences and institutional structures.

As Providence's colonial core, the neighborhood contains a number of the city's oldest structures. Among these are the Governor Stephen Hopkins House (1707), the Benjamin Cushing Sr House (c. 1737), the Jabez Bowen House (1739), and the John Corliss House (1746). [15]

College Hill is particularly noted for its 18th and 19th century mansions, many of which are situated on or near Benefit Street. Among these residences are the John Brown House (1786), Nightingale-Brown House (1792), Edward Dexter House (1795) and Thomas P. Ives House (1803), Corliss-Carrington House (1812), Thomas F. Hoppin House (1853), and Governor Henry Lippitt House (1865).

Other structures of note include the Fleur-de-lys Studios, Providence Athenaeum, Old State House, and Brick Schoolhouse. [1]

Nearly all of the buildings situated near historic Benefit Street have been rehabilitated in some form. Preservation guidelines ensure that period specific new construction can be woven into the existing collection of buildings.[ citation needed ] As the area is home to one of the finest cohesive collections of restored 18th- and 19th-century architecture in the United States, [16] the College Hill neighborhood experiences significant infrastructure and building reinvestment dollars compared to other regions throughout the state.

Government

Providence County courthouse Providence county courthouse, Rhode Island.jpg
Providence County courthouse

College Hill is divided along Angell Street between Ward One to the south and Ward Two to the north. [17] [18] As of 2021, Ward One is represented in the Providence City Council by John Goncalves [19] and Ward Two by Helen Anthony. [20] Both are Democrats.

The most prominent public building in College Hill is the Providence County Courthouse which has entrances both on South Main Street, at the foot of College Hill, and Benefit Street further uphill. The building houses the Rhode Island Supreme Court, the state's highest court of appeal, as well as the Superior Court of Providence County and the Rhode Island Office of the Attorney General. Several blocks north along Benefit Street is the Old State House, originally built as the Colony House in 1762. Another public building on Benefit Street is the State Arsenal designed by Russell Warren in 1839.

Demographics

75.6% of College Hill residents are white while 13.6% are Asian, both well-above the citywide averages of 54.5% and 6.2% respectively. African-Americans and Hispanics each comprise about 5% of the population. [21] A sizable portion of the population are seasonal students attending the local academic institutions and residing in collegiate housing or leases.

Median family income on College Hill is $121,521, well above the citywide average. About 5% of households live below the poverty line. Fewer than 1% of households receive any public assistance. [21]

Universities and schools

College Hill is home to Brown University's main campus, and most of the Rhode Island School of Design, whose buildings are adjacent to Brown, along the western slope of College Hill.

The Moses Brown School, on Lloyd Avenue (the summit of College Hill) and the Wheeler School, on Hope Street, are notable private schools in the neighborhood. Hope High School is located at the corner of Hope and Olney Streets, is one of Providence's major public high schools. [22]

Commerce

Thayer Street is the central commercial area of College Hill Avon Cinema (62451).jpg
Thayer Street is the central commercial area of College Hill

Thayer Street

Numerous cafes, restaurants, and shops are located along Thayer Street, adjoining Brown University at Soldier's Arch. Both streets are home to numerous small and independent shops, though Thayer Street has a few chain stores. Brown University's bookstore is located on Thayer. [23]

Thayer Street's Avon Cinema, dating back to the early twentieth century, is a noted College Hill landmark. [24]

Parks

Landmarks

First Baptist Church in America First Baptist Church in America from Angell St 2.jpg
First Baptist Church in America

The base (western edge) of College Hill is the oldest area of the city. The College Hill Historic District includes much of the area, and has been recognized as a National Historic Landmark District by the Department of the Interior. The Providence Preservation Society and the Rhode Island Historical Society have preserved numerous historic buildings in the College Hill area.

Landmarks include:

Notable people

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brown University</span> Private university in Providence, Rhode Island, US

Brown University is a private Ivy League research university in Providence, Rhode Island. It is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the US, founded in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. One of nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution, it was the first US college to codify that admission and instruction of students was to be equal regardless of their religion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhode Island School of Design</span> Art and design college in Rhode Island, US

The Rhode Island School of Design is a private art and design school in Providence, Rhode Island. The school was founded as a coeducational institution in 1877 by Helen Adelia Rowe Metcalf, who sought to increase the accessibility of design education to women. Today, RISD offers bachelor's and master's degree programs across 19 majors and enrolls approximately 2,000 undergraduate and 500 graduate students. The Rhode Island School of Design Museum—which houses the school's art and design collections—is one of the largest college art museums in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thayer Street</span>

Thayer Street in Providence, Rhode Island is a popular destination for students of the area's nearby schools of Brown University, Moses Brown School, Hope High School, Wheeler School, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence College, Johnson & Wales University, and Rhode Island College.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federal Hill, Providence, Rhode Island</span> Neighborhood of Providence in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States

Federal Hill is a neighborhood in Providence, Rhode Island. It lies immediately west of the city's Downtown, across Interstate 95. Since the late 19th century, Federal Hill has been an enclave of Providence's Italian American community; today the neighborhood is known as Providence's Little Italy and is noted for its abundance of Italian restaurants, markets, and cultural establishments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smith Hill, Providence, Rhode Island</span> United States historic place

Smith Hill is a neighborhood in Providence, Rhode Island. Its traditional bounds are the Woonasquatucket River, the Chad Brown public housing complex, Interstate 95 and West River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fox Point, Providence, Rhode Island</span> Neighborhood of Providence in Rhode Island, United States

Fox Point is a neighborhood in the East Side of Providence, Rhode Island. It is bounded by the Providence and Seekonk rivers, Interstate 195 and the College Hill and Wayland neighborhoods. Fox Point is the southernmost neighborhood in the East Side area of Providence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Side, Providence, Rhode Island</span> Collection of neighborhoods

The East Side is a collection of neighborhoods in the eastern part of the city of Providence, Rhode Island. It officially comprises the neighborhoods of Blackstone, Hope, Mount Hope, College Hill, Wayland, and Fox Point.

Elmwood is a neighborhood in the South Side of Providence, Rhode Island. The triangular region is demarcated by Broad Street, Elmwood Avenue, and Interstate 95.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhode Island School of Design Museum</span> Art & design museum in Rhode Island

The Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design is an art museum integrated with the Rhode Island School of Design, in Providence, Rhode Island, US. The museum was co-founded with the school in 1877. It is the 20th-largest art museum in the United States, and has seven curatorial departments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Downtown, Providence, Rhode Island</span> United States historic place

Downtown is the central economic, political, and cultural district of the city of Providence, Rhode Island, United States. It is bounded on the east by Canal Street and the Providence River, to the north by Smith Street, to the west by Interstate 95, and to the south by Henderson Street. The highway serves as a physical barrier between the city's commercial core and neighborhoods of Federal Hill, West End, and Upper South Providence. Most of the downtown is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Downtown Providence Historic District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wickenden Street</span>

Wickenden Street in Fox Point, Providence, Rhode Island is a popular destination for students of the area's colleges and schools. The street is surrounded by schools and universities on the East Side of Providence's College Hill, including Brown University, RISD, Moses Brown School, & The Wheeler School.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">College Hill Historic District (Providence, Rhode Island)</span> Historic district in Rhode Island, United States

The College Hill Historic District is located in the College Hill neighborhood of Providence, Rhode Island. It was designated a National Historic Landmark District on December 30, 1970. The College Hill local historic district, established in 1960, partially overlaps the national landmark district. Properties within the local historic district are regulated by the city's historic district zoning ordinance, and cannot be altered without approval from the Providence Historic District Commission.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brick Schoolhouse</span> United States historic place

The Brick Schoolhouse is a historic colonial school building at 24 Meeting Street in the College Hill neighborhood of Providence, Rhode Island. The structure is noted as the home of one of the first free schools in the United States and the first brick schoolhouse in the city of Providence. In 1828, the schoolhouse became the first public school to be open to African American children. Since the 1960s, the Providence Preservation Society has leased the structure from the city for use as a meeting hall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dr. George W. Carr House</span> Historic house in Rhode Island, United States

The Dr. George W. Carr House, also known simply as Carr House, is a historic house at 29 Waterman Street in the College Hill neighborhood of Providence, Rhode Island. The Queen Anne style house was built in 1885 by Edward I. Nickerson and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hope Block and Cheapside</span> United States historic place

Hope Block and Cheapside are two historic commercial buildings located at 22-26 and 40 North Main Street in the College Hill neighborhood of Providence, Rhode Island. The Hope Block was built in 1869 in the Second Empire style. It was probably designed by Clifton A. Hall, who designed a nearly identical building the year before. The Cheapside Block was built in 1880 and designed by architects Stone & Carpenter. They are the only two buildings to survive from the 1860s-70s development of the "Cheapside" area of Providence, north of the site of its colonial marketplace.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas F. Hoppin House</span> Historic house in Rhode Island, United States

The Thomas F. Hoppin House is a historic house at 383 Benefit Street in the College Hill neighborhood of Providence, Rhode Island. The house was built c. 1853 to a design by Alpheus C. Morse, and is an elaborate local example of an Italianate palazzo-style residence. The Library of Congress called the property "one of the largest and most elegant houses built in Providence in the mid-nineteenth century."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Providence, Rhode Island</span> Capital city of Rhode Island, United States

Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. The county seat of Providence County, it is one of the oldest cities in New England, founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He named the area in honor of "God's merciful Providence" which he believed was responsible for revealing such a haven for him and his followers. The city developed as a busy port, as it is situated at the mouth of the Providence River at the head of Narragansett Bay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alfred Stone (architect)</span> American architect (1834 - 1908)

Alfred Stone was an American Architect. He was a founding partner of the Providence, Rhode Island, firm of Stone, Carpenter & Willson. Mr. Stone was best known for designing many prominent Rhode Island buildings, including the Providence Public Library, Union Station, buildings at Brown University and the University of Rhode Island, and many private homes.

References

  1. 1 2 "Great Places in America | American Planning Association". Archived from the original on 2012-03-10. Retrieved 2012-03-27.
  2. Wheeler, Bennet (June 26, 1788). "Providence, June 26". The United States Chronicle: Political, Commercial and Historical. Vol. V., no. 235.
  3. Field, Edward (1902). History of the state of Rhode Island and Providence plantations. Mason Publishing Company. p. 444. Archived from the original on 2022-06-29. Retrieved 2021-04-22.
  4. "Roger Williams: In Providence - Roger Williams National Memorial (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Archived from the original on 2020-10-17. Retrieved 2020-10-16.
  5. "Letter: Barry Bayon: It's true — George Washington slept here". providencejournal.com. Archived from the original on 2020-12-09. Retrieved 2020-11-28.
  6. McGowan, Louis H.; Brown, Daniel (2006). Providence. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN   978-0-7385-4462-5. Archived from the original on 2022-06-29. Retrieved 2021-04-25.
  7. "Infinite Radius: Founding Rhode Island School of Design | Archives | Rhode Island School of Design". digitalcommons.risd.edu. Archived from the original on 2020-10-27. Retrieved 2020-09-29.
  8. Selected works. Providence Rhode Island, US: Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design. 2008. ISBN   978-0911517828.
  9. "Campus Map" (PDF). RISD. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-01-08. Retrieved 2022-02-07.
  10. 1 2 3 Li, Sophia (2009-10-23). "When building Brown meant burning bridges". Brown Daily Herald. Archived from the original on 2020-10-20. Retrieved 2020-10-18.
  11. Gast, Frances M. (2011-04-01). "A half-century of change on College Hill: institutional growth, historic preservation, and the College Hill Study". Planning for Higher Education. 39 (3): 139–149. Archived from the original on 2022-06-29. Retrieved 2020-10-18.
  12. Breitbart, Myrna Margulies (2016-05-13). Creative Economies in Post-Industrial Cities: Manufacturing a (Different) Scene. Routledge. ISBN   978-1-317-15832-5. Archived from the original on 2022-06-29. Retrieved 2021-11-15.
  13. Rymsza-Pawlowska, M. J. (2017-10-03). History Comes Alive: Public History and Popular Culture in the 1970s. UNC Press Books. ISBN   978-1-4696-3387-9. Archived from the original on 2022-06-29. Retrieved 2021-11-15.
  14. Tardif, Elyssa. "The Stephen Hopkins House". Rhode Tour. Archived from the original on 2021-06-12. Retrieved 2020-09-28.
  15. "Dr. Jabez Bowen House // Guide to Providence Architecture". guide.ppsri.org. Archived from the original on 2021-04-25. Retrieved 2021-04-25.
  16. "Providence, Rhode Island | Neighborhood Services | College Hill". Archived from the original on 2014-10-13. Retrieved 2012-03-27.
  17. ward1.jpg Archived 2006-11-15 at archive.today
  18. ward2.jpg Archived 2006-11-15 at archive.today
  19. "John Goncalves wins Ward 1 special election". WPRI.com. 2020-06-05. Archived from the original on 2021-04-22. Retrieved 2021-04-22.
  20. List, Madeleine. "Providence City Council, the city's most diverse ever, is sworn in". providencejournal.com. Archived from the original on 2021-04-22. Retrieved 2021-04-22.
  21. 1 2 College Hill Archived 2007-09-28 at the Wayback Machine
  22. Hope High School Arts Community Archived 2007-04-13 at the Wayback Machine
  23. "Brown University Bookstore". Archived from the original on 2011-09-02. Retrieved 2007-04-16.
  24. "Avon Cinema". Archived from the original on 2007-04-09. Retrieved 2007-04-16.
  25. "First Baptist Church in America". Archived from the original on 2007-04-03. Retrieved 2007-04-16.
  26. "Welcome to College Hill, the historic heart of Providence". Archived from the original on 2007-05-27. Retrieved 2007-04-16.
  27. "Benefit Street, an enduring elegance | Providence | Rhode Island news | projo.com | The Providence Journal". Archived from the original on 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2007-05-20.
  28. Rhode Island State Police: History Archived 2007-08-04 at the Wayback Machine
  29. "Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame: Major General Ambrose Everett Burnside, Inducted 2003". Archived from the original on 2021-02-26. Retrieved 2020-01-10.
  30. "Providence Architecture | Locations | Burnside House". Archived from the original on 2020-10-25. Retrieved 2020-01-10.

Further reading