Butler Exchange

About this Property

The Butler Exchange is the 400th property to be documented for ArtInRuins! Added September 17, 2024.

#Reason for Demolition

The former Butler Exchange building was a central commercial structure in Downtown Providence. Most of Downtown at the time was still full of small, wooden and brick residences with ground-floor commercial operations.¹ The building predates City Hall (cornerstone laid 1874) and larger multi-tenant buildings like the first Industrial Trust building (9 stories, 1893), the Banigan building (10 stories, 1896), the Turk’s Head Building (16 stories, 1913), and the Hospital Trust Building (11 stories, 1919).

Cyrus Butler’s heirs decided to construct a new building across the street from the Westminster-side of his Arcade. One side would face Exchange Place (later Kennedy Plaza), making Butler Exchange one of the more photographed buildings of the time. At its completion, it was the largest building in Providence.² Its style might have inspired the design of City Hall, though the designer, Samuel J. F. Thayer, also had a penchant for the French-style “mansard” roof design. “Second Empire,” as it came to be known, was very popular at the time.

The building was 6 stories in total, and Sanborn Insurance Maps detail its construction of iron posts and iron storefronts on the first floor, with three stories of brick and two stories of a french roof.³ From the photo of construction, it looks like the 5th and 6th floors were wood-framed. It suffered a massive fire in 1925 and was demolished. In its place rose the Art Deco 26-story Industrial Trust building.

#History

Architect

Lost New England states the architect of Butler Exchange was Arthur Gilman, a designer who is credited with the Equitable Life Building in New York City. While we certainly think this is possible, Mr. Gilman’s work was largely centered around Boston and New York City, where he lived for a time. We have not found any other references to verify this claim. Much like Samuel J. F. Thayer, Mr. Gilman also had many Second Empire-style buildings in his portfolio and favored the mansard roof at this time in his career.

Bryant University

The Butler Exchange building was an integral part of the history of Bryant University. In 1863, “Bryant and Stratton National Business College” opened a campus in Providence.⁴ In parallel, the RI Commercial School started at Butler Exchange in 1900 and expanded on the fifth and sixth floors. It’s name would be emblazoned across the facade, as seen in the 1915 postcard.

Both schools quickly grew in these early years. Harry Loeb Jacobs, principal of the RI Commercial School, purchased Bryant and Stratton in 1916 and merged the two. The sign across the fifth floor roofline at Butler Exchange would become “Bryant & Stratton R. I. Commercial School.” The school would continue to grant bachelor of commercial science and bachelor of accounting degrees.⁵

Providence Public Library

The Library first opened its doors to the public in February 1878. It was located on the second floor of the Butler Exchange in what is now Kennedy Plaza. In two short years, larger quarters were secured on Snow Street between Westminster and Washington Streets.⁶

The Start of the Triocchi Sisters Business

From a history of the Tirocchi Sisters, hosted by Brown University

Anna and Laura Tirocchi arrived in Providence in 1907 and one or both may have worked for a time for a popular dressmaker on the city’s fashionable East Side. The Providence City Directory indicates that by 1911, they had opened a business in the Butler Exchange on Westminster Street in the heart of downtown Providence.

Butler Exchange was in the center of Providence’s commercial, financial, and legal district. The sisters shared the building with lawyers, doctors, dentists, and other professionals. Wholesalers, insurance agents, music teachers, the Republican State Committee, the Rhode Island Women’s Christian Temperance Union, and the Rhode Island Sunday School Association were also among the tenants of that building. In 1913, a firm of patent attorneys and the Crown Gold Mining & Milling Company of Nova Scotia flanked the Tirocchi Gown Suite on the fourth floor. The fifth and sixth floors were given over largely to music teachers.

As self-designated “gown makers,” Anna and Laura sought to distinguish themselves from others who were simply identified as dressmakers. Directly across the street, in the Arcade Building, twenty-five milliners and five dressmakers had shops. Other dressmakers and tailors for ladies were scattered throughout the center of the city. The prime location of the Tirocchi shop and the fact that they employed as many as twelve girls and women attested to their early prominence in the trade.

The Butler Exchange must have been a convenient downtown location for the Tirocchis’ clientele. With so many music teachers in the building, the affluent women of Providence may have come to the building often with their children in tow. The aforementioned quarters of the Republican State Committee — in which a high number of Tirocchi clients were involved, Temperance Union, and Sunday School Association would likely have drawn some of them, too. General business and shopping also drew them downtown.

Anna would have been in her mid-thirties, with twenty years of experience in her trade, when she opened the downtown shop. Laura was thirteen years younger than Anna, but had also been trained in Italy. The sisters were well qualified to operate a high-end custom dressmaking shop, and their Roman pedigree lent them a certain European chic that their American competitors couldn’t claim.

About 50% of the sisters’ business involved the traditional work of a dressmaker–altering, making over, repairing, cleaning, and pressing garments for their clients. The remaining 50% came from making gowns using fabric and ideas provided by the client or inspired by French fashion. Anna also designed original gowns for her clients and found this custom work the most satisfying. In these early years, the Tirocchis built a loyal following among Providence women who could afford their services.

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The sisters later moved to 514 Broadway, known as the Wedding Cake House, in 1915.

Other Former Tenants

The list of tenants is very long, as the building was six stories and covered an entire city block. Addresses in an 1889 map included 34–38 (even and odd numbers) Exchange Place and 97–105 (odd numbers only) Westminster Street, while the 1899 map listed 56–64 Exchange Place and 117–131 Westminster Street. So, depending on what year you are looking, the numbers to look for are different.

Tenants of note included:

• 1895 Providence House Directory (Secretary of State), Butler Exchange listed at 123 Westminster Street:
  • 56 (Exchange Pl.) Dodge & Camfield, grocers (also in 1896 through 1901, 1903, 1905, 1907, 1909, 1911, 1913, 1915, 1917, 1919–1920 directories)
  • 62 (Exchange Pl.) Brown Bros. Co. machinery, etc. (also in 1896 through 1901, 1903, 1905, 1907, 1909, 1911, 1913, 1915, 1917, 1919–1920 directories)
  • 114 Butler Duncan Land Co.; Butler Exchange Co.; Duncan Alexander, est.; Leete Geo. A. & Son, brokers (also in 1896 through 1901, 1903, 1905, 1907, 1909, 1911, 1913, 1917 directories)
  • 117 American National Bank (also in 1896 directory)
  • 121 Tebbetts F. F. Co. (The) cloaks (also in 1896, 1897, 1898, 1899 directories)
  • 123 Butler Exchange (main):
    • Rm 307 Cyrus Butler(’s office, also in 1898 directory)
    • Rm 433 Clifton Hall, Architect (also in 1896 through 1899 directories)
  • 127 Noyes Bros. outfitters
  • 131 Stanton Robt. L. & Co. clothing (also in 1896 directory)
• 1896 Providence House Directory (Secretary of State):
  • (no listing for 117)
  • (no listing for 127)

• 1897 Providence House Directory (Secretary of State):

  • 127 Willis Walter F. outfitter (also in 1898 directory, not listed in 1899 directory)
  • 131 Quinn James B. clerk, rms.; Weisman Simon, clothing (not listed in 1898 directory)
• 1899 Providence House Directory (Secretary of State):
  • 64 (Exchange Pl.) Mathewson Wm. J. & Co. ltd. aniline colors (also in 1900, 1901 directories)
• 1900 Providence House Directory (Secretary of State):
  • 121 Scotch Woolen Mills Co. tailors (replaces Tebbetts F. F. Co.)
  • 127 Young George F. & Bro. cigars (also in 1901 through 1917, 1919-1920, 1921–1922, 1923–1924, 1925–1926 directories)
  • Rm 525 RI Commercial School (also in 1901, 1903 directories)
• 1901 Providence House Directory (Secretary of State):
  • 117 Weybosset National Bank (also in 1903 directory)
  • 121 Goodwin Charles A. & Co. boots and shoes (replaces Scotch Woolen Mills, also in 1903 directory)
• 1903 Providence House Directory (Secretary of State):
  • 64 (Exchange Pl) Cassella Color Co dye stuffs (also in 1905 through 1915 directories)
• 1905 Providence House Directory (Secretary of State):
  • 117 Vacant
  • 121 Midway Shoe Co boots & shoes
  • Rm 530 RI Com’l School, A S Heaney principal (changed rooms)
• 1907 Providence House Directory (Secretary of State):
  • 117 Columbia Phonograph Co (also in 1909, 1911, 1913 directories)
  • 121 Goodwin C A & Co boots & shoes (also in 1909 directory)
  • Rm 530 RI Commercial School H L Jacobs principal
• 1911 Providence House Directory (Secretary of State):
  • 121 Luther Thos H shoes (also in 1913, 1915 directories)
  • Rm 438 Tirocchi A & L gowns (also in 1913, 1915, 1917 directories)
  • Rms 530 through 560 RI Commercial School H L Jacobs principal
• 1913 Providence House Directory (Secretary of State):
  • 114 White A A Co stamps and stencils (additional tenant, also in 1915, 1917 directories)
  • Rms 631 to 635 RI Commercial School (in 1915 directory, listed as occupying “5th & 6th” floors)
• 1917 Providence House Directory (Secretary of State):
  • 64 (Exchange Pl) Waite Auto Supply Co. (also in 1919–1920, 1921–1922, 1923–1924, 1925–1926 directories)
  • 121 Luther Thos H shoes; Midway Shoe Co; Maine H E; Holt Warren W broker (also in 1919–1920, 1921–1922, 1923–1924, 1925–1926 directories)
  • 5th & 6th floors Bryant & Stratton-Rhode Island Commercial School H L Jacobs pres (also in 1919–1920, 1921–1922, 1923–1924 directories)
• 1919–1920 Providence House Directory (Secretary of State):
  • 62 (Exchange Pl.) Brown Bros Co mill supplies; Mellion Ben J shoemaker (splits space)
• 1921–1922 Providence House Directory (Secretary of State):
  • 56 (Exchange Pl.) Martinique Restaurant; Mellion Ben J shoemaker (replaces Dodge & Camfield)
  • 62 (Exchange Pl.) Brown Bros Co mill supplies; New England Shoe Repairing Co (splits space, also in 1923–1924, 1925–1926 directories)
  • 117 (no listing)
  • 131 (no listing)
• 1923–1924 Providence House Directory (Secretary of State):
  • 56 (Exchange Pl.) Martinique Restaurant (no split)
  • 58 (Exchange Pl.) Berry Max umbrellas and leather goods; City Shoe Repairer (first time this address exists)
  • 114 Hawkins Joseph F physician; White A A Co stamps and Stencils (splits space)
  • 119 Welsbach Co gas light supplies (first time this address exists, also in 1925–1926 directory)
• 1925–1926 Providence House Directory (Secretary of State):
  • 56 (Exchange Pl.) Lawyers Restaurant
  • 58 (Exchange Pl.) Berry Max umbrellas and leather goods (no longer splits space)
  • (Nothing listed on the 5th or 6th floors)