Reo Service Station

About this Property

#Redevelopment

We are unsure what is happening with this property. It has been decaying since we noticed it in 2018 and likely before that. There is a sign on the fence for “Bahra’s Development Company” but we think the fence it is attached to is actually the adjacent property to the north.

We couldn’t find much about this place other than the tax records which list 25 Bough LLC as the owner. OpenCorporates and the Secretary of State have a 2024 Annual Report on file, in which the company purpose is listed as “A COMMERCIAL / COMMUNITY, MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT LOCATED AT 25 BOUGH STREET, PROVIDENCE, RI 02909 (OLNEYVILLE, CENTRAL PROVIDENCE, RI), STEM INCUBATOR AND RESILIENCY HUB.” An empty lot at 20 Dike Street is also listed as owned by the 25 Bough LLC entity.

#Current Events

The building is surrounded by construction fencing and has been since our 2018 photo. It is not being repaired or maintained but it is also not being actively torn down.

#History

No formal history found. Not part of the 2001/2002 PPS/RIHPHC Industrial Commercial Buildings Survey (ICBS) or any RIHPHC survey.

Business Directories

• Could not find a relevant listing in the 1930, 1932, or 1934 directories.
• 1940 Polk’s Providence (Providence County, R.I.) city directory (page 41) — Listed at 25 Bough Street is “Hughes William Co Inc garage” and “Meyer Jas A auto rpr.”
• 1945 Polk’s Providence (Providence County, R.I.) city directory (page 337) — Entry for “Hughes, Wm Co Inc inc RI ’34 William Hughes • pres-treas garage 25 Bough.” Also listed under Automobile Garages, page 730, as “Hughes Wm Co Inc 25 Bough.” Also listed on page 863.
• 1948 Polk’s Providence (Providence County, R.I.) city directory — Page 912 lists this address as vacant.
• 1950 Polk’s Providence (Providence County, R.I.) city directory — Does not list any business at 25 Bough Street, page 850. Nothing is listed in the 1952, 1954, or 1956 directories, either.
• 1960 Polk’s Providence (Providence County, R.I.) city directory — Lists “Rhode Island Dept of Admin Automotive Mtce Unit EL1-3311,” page 48. By the 1962 directory, the address is listed as vacant again. The 1964, 1966, 1968 directories also lists number 25 as vacant.
• 1970 Polk’s Providence (Providence County, R.I.) city directory — A search for “Bough” revealed the follow listing: “AUTO DEPARTMENT VOCATIONAL DIVISION, Ralph A D’Atri Mgr, 25 Bough St,” page 590, under a list of School Departments.
• 1972 Polk’s Providence (Providence County, R.I.) city directory — Similar to previous, this address lists “Dept Of Physical Plant (City Sch Dept).” Similar in 1976, “Dept Of Plant Operations and Mtce (City Sch Dept).”

Maps

• 1908 L.J. Richards Insurance Map, Plate 15 (private collection) — A narrow building in pink (indicating brick) fronts Dike Street labeled “W.M. Hughes Co.” There are three different wooden structures at the corner of Dike and Bough. The brick building at this location seems to be the two-story portion of the larger building in the next map, which would make this portion of the building older than the rest.
• 1920–1921 Sanborn Insurance Map, Volume 4, Plate 14 (page 17) — A gray brown building occupies the entire southeastern corner of Bough and Dike Streets. It has labels that read as follows: Repair Shop 2nd, capacity 60 cars, Reo Service Station, Fireproof construction, built 1917, concrete floor and roof, brick walls, heat: steam, lights: electric.
• 1926 G.M. Hopkins Insurance Map, Plate 36 — A pink/red building (indicating brick) is labeled “‘REO’ Wm. Hughes Co. Inc.”
• 1920–1951 Sanborn Insurance Map, Volume 4, Plate 14 (page 18) — Same structure as previous, now with a cinder block construction building along the western side as part of the neighboring property. Now labeled as “Private Garage.” No major alterations.