Allen Printworks, Then & Now
Visit the full property: Allen Printworks
A Then & Now pair with more than 80 years between them
Images of this Property
1 Then/Now pairing: Slide the vertical bar to see the then (left) versus the now (right). Contribution by Joseph E. McCarthy courtesy the Providence Public Library, Rhode Island Mills and Mill Villages Photograph Collection
About this Property
#About this Then & Now
The images are both taken from the southern property entrance off of Dryden’s Lane (formerly Thurber’s Lane) and are facing north. To the left is the main mill, three stories high with a square five-story tower in the center of the image. This mill was rebuilt after a fire in 1874. To the far right, easily missed, is the oldest building in the complex, an 1830 two-story stone and brick structure.
The former Allen Printworks, more colloquially known as the former Providence Picture Frame building, has been in our archive since 2005. After the nearby Benny’s closed in 2017 and was converted to a strip mall soon after, the plan has been to also convert the mill into medical office space. Union Studio Architects were the designers of the conversion.
As evidenced by the 2023 photo, the conversion of this mill into medical office space has stalled. Started in 2019, the northern most portion of the mill is the most complete, but the southern portion seen in the photo is still in decay. We are unsure what the status of the project is and whether or not it will reach completion.
For more information on this property, visit our full property page on the Allen Printworks.