State Arsenal (Providence, Rhode Island)

Last updated
State Arsenal
State Arsenal, Providence (crop).jpg
(2020)
USA Rhode Island location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location Providence, Rhode Island
Coordinates 41°49′42″N71°24′32″W / 41.82833°N 71.40889°W / 41.82833; -71.40889
Built1839
Built by Tallman & Bucklin
Architect Russell Warren
Architectural style Gothic Revival
NRHP reference No. 70000003 [1]
Added to NRHPApril 28, 1970

The State Arsenal, originally the Providence Marine Corps of Artillery Arsenal, and commonly called the Benefit Street Arsenal is a historic armory building located at 176 Benefit Street in the College Hill neighborhood of Providence, Rhode Island. It was built in 1839, was designed by Russell Warren in the Gothic Revival style, and was built by Tallman & Bucklin.

Contents

The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.

History

The arsenal was designed in 1839 by Russell Warren [2] and built by Tallman & Bucklin, all of Providence. [3]

In the 19th century the arsenal was used as the armory of the Providence Marine Corps of Artillery (PMCA) and associated artillery units in the Rhode Island Militia and was used as the mobilization site for 10 batteries of light artillery which were raised in Rhode Island during the American Civil War. [4] In addition to the PMCA the arsenal was used by a number of organizations including the Grand Army of the Republic, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War and United Spanish War Veterans. [4]

The building originally sat one lot south of its current location, where its parking lot is today, but was moved in 1906 when a railroad tunnel was built under that site. [5]

In April 1920, the Rhode Island General Assembly earmarked $3,800 for the purpose of repairing the arsenal. [6]

On May 17, 1924, the Ku Klux Klan held an illegal meeting at the arsenal which attracted about 200 men. Governor William S. Flynn denounced the KKK and forbade the group from meeting on state property. [4]

The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 28, 1970. [4]

In the 1980s the arsenal was in use by the Rhode Island National Guard's Education, Historical and Equal Opportunity offices.

As of 2008 the arsenal was in use as the location for the annual presentation of the Order of St. Barbara to soldiers of the 103d Field Artillery Regiment of the Rhode Island National Guard. It also serves as the headquarters of the PMCA (the de facto 103d Field Artillery veterans association) and houses a diverse collection of military artifacts.[ citation needed ]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Union Station (Providence)</span> United States historic place

Union Station describes two distinct, defunct train stations in Providence, Rhode Island. Parts of the latter one were renovated and the building contains offices and restaurants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Alexander Tefft</span> American architect

Thomas Alexander Tefft was an American architect, from Providence, Rhode Island. Tefft, one of the nation's first professionally trained architects, is considered a master of Rundbogenstil and a leading American proponent of its use. Prior to his untimely death, Tefft "offered the most advanced designs of [his] day in America"

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

The Westminster Arcade is a historic shopping center at 130 Westminster Street and 65 Weybosset Street in downtown Providence, Rhode Island built in 1828. It is notable as the first enclosed shopping mall in the United States and has been lauded as a fine example of commercial Greek Revival architecture. It served as a shopping center for many years before falling into decline in the late 20th century. It has since been closed for renovation and rehabilitation several times, and most recently reopened its doors in October 2013 as a residential and commercial mixed-use building. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1976.

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

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beneficent Congregational Church</span> Historic church in Rhode Island, United States

The Beneficent Congregational Church is a United Church of Christ Congregationalist church located at 300 Weybosset Street in downtown Providence, Rhode Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russell Warren (architect)</span> American architect

Russell Warren (1783–1860) was an American architect, best known for his work in the Greek Revival style. He practiced in Bristol and Providence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old State House (Providence, Rhode Island)</span> United States historic place

The Old State House on College Hill in Providence, Rhode Island, also known as Providence Sixth District Court House,Providence Colony House, Providence County House, and Rhode Island State House is located on 150 Benefit Street, with the front facade facing North Main Street. It is a brick Georgian-style building largely completed in 1762. It was used as the meeting place for the colonial and state legislatures for 149 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Customhouse Historic District</span> Historic district in Rhode Island, United States

The Customhouse Historic District is a historic district encompassing fifteen historic buildings in downtown Providence, Rhode Island. The district is bounded by Westminster, Exchange, Dyer, Pine, and Peck Streets, and includes eight buildings associated with the important functions of the business center Providence became in the mid-to-late 19th century. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975, and is completely contained within the Downtown Providence Historic District, listed in 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grace Church (Providence, Rhode Island)</span> Historic church in Providence, Rhode Island

Grace Church is an historic Episcopal church at 300 Westminster Street at Mathewson Street in downtown Providence, Rhode Island. It was built in 1845-46 and was designed by Richard Upjohn in the Gothic Revival style.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hay and Owen Buildings</span> United States historic place

The Hay and Owen Buildings are a pair of historic commercial buildings in Providence, Rhode Island, United States.

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

Shakespeare Hall is an historic commercial building at 128 Dorrance Street in downtown Providence, Rhode Island. It is a six-story masonry structure, originally built as a three-story Greek Revival structure in 1838 to a design by Tallman & Bucklin. Its main facade has retained the massive granite pilasters and five-bay configuration from this period. Originally built to house a theater, the building suffered a massive fire in 1844, leaving only its exterior shell standing. It was afterward rebuilt to its present height, and a separate brick building at its rear was incorporated into its structure in the late 19th century. It was used as a warehouse in the 1860s, and has also housed light industrial operations. Today, the building is used largely for law office space.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shepard Company Building</span> Historic building in Providence, Rhode Island, U.S.

The Shepard Company Building is a historic building at 255 Westminster Street and 72-92 Washington Street in downtown Providence, Rhode Island. A prominent landmark, it housed Shepard's, Providence's most prestigious department store, and one of the largest in New England, from 1903 to 1974, beginning as a single building built in the 1870s at Clemence and Washington and continually expanding until it occupied the entire block between Westminster, Clemence, Washington and Union Streets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Broadway–Armory Historic District</span> Historic district in Rhode Island, United States

The Broadway–Armory Historic District is a historic district encompassing a mainly residential mixed-used urban area west of downtown Providence, Rhode Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cranston Street Armory</span> United States historic place

The Cranston Street Armory is an historic building in the Broadway–Armory Historic District of Providence, Rhode Island. It was built in 1907 at a cost of $650,000.00. The building was occupied by the Rhode Island National Guard from its opening until 1996. Since then, parts of the building have been used as film studios, and some of its offices occupied by the Rhode Island State Fire Marshal. The National Trust for Historic Preservation listed the Armory as one of "America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places" in its annual list for 1997. Its distinctive yellow bricks, crenellated turrets, and decorative stonework mark it as a historically significant building and neighborhood icon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Holden Greene</span> American architect

John Holden Greene (1777-1850) was a noted early nineteenth century architect practicing in Providence, Rhode Island. The bulk of his work dates to the late Federal period, and is mostly in the architectural style of the same name. Greene is responsible for the design of over fifty buildings built in the city between 1806 and 1830, almost half of which are still standing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alpheus C. Morse</span> American architect

Alpheus C. Morse (1818-1893) was an American architect with offices in Providence, Rhode Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jackson, Robertson & Adams</span> American architectural firm based in Rhode Island, USA

Jackson, Robertson & Adams was an architectural firm out of Providence, Rhode Island. Established in 1912, it was originally made up of architects F. Ellis Jackson (1879–1950), Wayland T. Robertson (1873–1935), and J. Howard Adams (1876–1924).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">103rd Field Artillery Regiment</span> Military unit

The 103rd Field Artillery Regiment is a regiment of the United States Army. The only currently existing component is the 1st Battalion, 103rd Field Artillery Regiment, a unit of the Rhode Island National Guard. The regiment was originally constituted in 1917, but it descends from predecessor units dating back to 1801.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James C. Bucklin</span> American architect

James C. Bucklin (1801-1890) was an American architect working in Providence, Rhode Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles P. Hartshorn</span> American architect

Charles P. Hartshorn was an American architect practicing in Providence, Rhode Island. He was a popular designer there in the decade immediately following the Civil War.

References

  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
  2. Staff (March 15, 1839) Providence Journal
  3. "National Register of Historic Places : State Arsenal" (PDF). Preservation.ri.gov. Retrieved 2016-01-21.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Tardif, Elyssa (2013). Providence's Benefit Street. Arcadia Publishing. pp. 74–75. ISBN   9781439643471 . Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  5. Woodward, Wm. McKenzie (2003). PPS/AIAri Guide to Providence Architecture. Photography by William Jagger Photography (1st ed.). Providence, Rhode Island: Providence Preservation Society and American Institute of Architects Rhode Island Chapter. p. 37. ISBN   0-9742847-0-X.
  6. Acts and Resolves Passed by the General Assembly of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. State of Rhode Island. 1920. p. 528. Retrieved 19 January 2016.