City Machine and Providence Wholesale Drug Company

About this Property

#Redevelopment

This impressive complex has been on our radar for some time, but we hesitated to bring attention to it. We don’t necessarily feel safe in bringing it any attention, but more so, feel that it is now a glaring omission. We include it here for its impressive history and longevity, and hope that it remains an industrial space for artists and small business entrepreneurs.

#Current Events

This large warehouse is cut up into smaller studio spaces for anyone needing commercial (non-livable) space.

#History

From the “Industrial Sites and Commercial Buildings Survey (ICBS)” by PPS and RIHPHC, 2001-2002

The complex is on a large lot bounded by Harris, Acorn, Tingley, and Watson streets. The western-most building in the complex (301 Harris Avenue) is located at the comer of Harris and Charlotte Hope streets and is a small, one-story, flat-roof, brick structure with simple brick corbelling at the cornice line. An offset pedestrian entrance is located in the eastern bay of the block; to the west is a vehicular entrance. Both entrances are boarded up. Historic maps note that the structure was used for auto spring repairing. (Edit: In recent memory this was the “Dusk” nightclub and performance space.)

To the east is a large, three-story, flat-roof, brick building with brick corbelling at the cornice. This long building is comprised of three blocks with similar building material, fenestration patterns and details. At the western block (3-by-17-bays) is a brick roof-top structure bearing the words “Providence Wholesale Drug Co.” in painted letters on its west elevation. The structure’s primary entrance is offset on the façade (south elevation) and is comprised of a replacement door set within a recessed, segmental-arch opening. A second pedestrian entrance is located on the west elevation of this block. Fenestration consists of paired 9/9 sash set within segmental-arch openings on the first two stories and paired fixed and awning sash on the third story. “Garvel Mfg. Company” is painted on the brick between the first and second stories. (Edit: We disagree here. To us, the sign reads “Ga-Rel” and might even have had more letters in front of the G.)

The central block (noted as No. 1 on historic maps) of the three-story structure is 10 bays long and features an offset pedestrian entrance in the eastern-most bay of the façade. “Grandberg Bros. Wallpaper Corp.” is painted on brick between the first and second stories of this block. The eastern block (noted as No. 2 on historic maps) is nine bays wide with an offset pedestrian entrance in the western bay of the façade. Fenestration consists of segmental-arch openings with 12/12 and 2/8 sash windows.

Attached to the east is a three-story, flat-roof structure (noted as No. 3 on historic maps) clad in a combination of wood clapboard, aluminum. siding, and plywood. The structure appears to have suffered from a fire in recent years. The majority of window and door openings have been boarded up.

To the east is the property at 241 Harris Avenue, a complex of two- and three-story brick structures set at right angles to one another, forming an open, interior courtyard. According to assessor’s cards for the property, a one-story, brick structure (noted as the “engine room” on the 1919 Sanborn map) is located in the interior courtyard space. This structure was not visible at the time of field work.

The southern-most block on the lot, at Harris Avenue and Acorn Street, is a long, two-story, brick structure (241 Harris Avenue) with a slightly-pitched, side-gable roof. This block is noted as No. 4 on historic maps. The structure is 21-bays long and five bays wide and features several pedestrian entrances on its façade, set within segmental-arched recessed openings. The building is embellished with brick corbelling along the cornice line and features 2/2, 6/6, 12/12, 15/15, and glass block windows set within segmental-arch openings.

Attached to the north is a three-story, gable-roof, brick building embellished with brick corbelling at the cornice line. Attached to the west elevation is a three-story brick structure set along Tingley Street. According to the assessor’s card, the interior of the complex has been divided into individual shops and studios.

241 Harris Avenue was constructed in 1868, with later additions. The building was originally owned by the City Machine Company from 1868 to 1888, and by the George W. Stafford Manufacturing Company from 1888 to 1895. The Crompton & Knowles Loom Works owned the building from 1895 to the 1932. The 1919 map identifies the occupant as the Providence Branch of the Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, manufacturers of weaving machinery. The property was transferred to the Harris Avenue Realty Company in 1932; the 1937 map identifies Harris Avenue Realty as the owners of the building. The property was again transferred to the Tingley Land Co., Inc. in 1965.

295 Harris Avenue was constructed ca. 1937, possibly for use by the Providence Wholesale Drug Company, the property’s owner (This location was an empty lot owned by Harris Avenue Realty according to the 1937 City Atlas). The 1919 map shows only a series of small, one- and two-story, wood frame outbuildings set in a row perpendicular to the street. The 1944 Sanborn map identifies Providence Whole Drugs at this address. The property was purchased by Charlotte Realty, Inc. in 1965. Paper Mache and Design Studio, Masquerade Costumes, and the Ajay Land Company occupy the property currently.

301 Harris Avenue was constructed in the first quarter of the twentieth century and is identified as a garage on the 1919 Sanborn map. The property appears as part of the Providence Whole Drugs on the 1944 Sanborn map. By 1950, the property at 301 Harris Avenue was occupied by Arcand Inc., automobile spring manufacturers.

From the RIHPHC survey of Providence Industrial Sites, July 1981

City Machine Company (1868 and later): Founded in 1865, the City Machine Company produced fly frames and roving frames for cotton-yarn manufacturing. Between 1865 and 1882, the company more than doubled in size, having increased its workforce from 60 workers to 135. In 1888, the Woonsocket Machine Company purchased the City Machine Company and moved all operations to its Woonsocket plant. One year later the George W. Stafford Manufacturing Company bought the machine works. Stafford produced loom-harness regulators such as dobbies and witches as well as Jacquard fancy-weaving looms. The president of the company was Gardiner Sims, the cofounder of the Armington and Sims Engine Company nearby on Eagle Street; George W. Stafford was the treasurer and general manager of the company.

In 1895, the Knowles Looms Works, which had a well established reputation for its quality woolen and worsted looms, bought the works of the Stafford Manufacturing Company. Two years later the Knowles Loom Works and the Crompton Loom Works, another major loom manufacturer, merged. The Crompton and Knowles Loom Works was the largest loom manufacturing company in the world with numerous plants in the United States and England. Crompton and Knowles sold its Harris Avenue plant in the late 1930s. Since then the complex has been occupied by numerous small manufacturing companies.

The textile-machine works covers more than one city block with numerous 1- 2- and 3-story brick structures built be- tween 1868 and the late 1920s. The original, 3-story, brick, machine shop with a gable roof, corbeled cornice, and segmental-arch windows still remains.

From “RHODE ISLAND: An Inventory of Historic Engineering and Industrial Sites”, Gary Kulik and Julia C. Bonham, 1978

In 1868, the City Machine Company was organized to build cotton and woolen machinery. In 1889, the George W. Stafford Manufacturing Company, which had been established eight years earlier, bought the plant to manufacture Jacquard machines, dobbies and “witches”. The latter two devices regulate the harness movements of looms. The new plant’s 30,000 feet of floor space allowed the company to expand its product line to include the Morton let-off motion. They also built looms, primarily for use in the Slater Cotton Company Mill of Pawtucket (see separate entry). By the 1920s, the well-known textile machine makers, Crompton and Knowles, occupied the complex. Today the plant covers more than one city block with 1-2-and 3-story brick structures. The main 3-story building, 145’ X 45’, remains, along with a pattern shop, 100’ X 24’, and part of the wood erecting shop. Several small manufacturing firms now occupy the plant. No old machinery remains.