Town: Providence, RI
175 properties
A simple art-deco-inspired mid-century storefront in Federal Hill demolished for the promise of a new hotel.
A handsome two-story former wharf warehouse along Dyer street, backing up to the Providence River, used as a electric substation for about 100 years
A lovely split-square dual residence at the beginning of Atwells Avenue, razed in 2014 for a speculative development that has not yet come to pass
A square, seven story commercial building converted to apartments in the early aughts — a frontrunner to the downtown residential boom
A large mill built in stages with an iconic square, open-top stair tower visible from Interstate 95.
This turn-of-the-century Federal-style two-story wooden house-turned-resturant was razed quickly on Good Friday in 2021
A collection of six brick buildings with a complicated history, series of owners, and name
An amazingly dense complex of mill structures dating from the mid-1800s and in use for over 100 years before succumbing to two large fires in the midst of plans to redevelop
A small, square remnant of a much larger Riverside Mills complex remained as City property for almost 30 years before being torn down.
A former clothing store built off the north side of Sears that stayed empty for years and years before being razed in 2009.
Built circa 1915, these concrete coal storage towers were demolished in late 2002 by oversight — a permit was granted despite their protection by inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.
A long-standing and intact example of mill architecture from the late 1800s, available as studio and commercial space
An 1860s gasometer with unheroic uses for a century before being reborn as small business and community space
A series of late 19th and early 20th century mill buildings converted to residential during the boom of the mid-2000s
Two massive five-story, brick, pier-and-spandrel warehouses along the waterfront once used for storing cargo. Vacant for 15+ years before demolition from 2013-2015.
A visually-arresting former carriage house and stable behind one of Broadway’s most ornate mansions
A local-chain tire and automotive parts outlet with four car-wide drive-through bays on a local retail corridor.
A new 13-story office tower headquarters for BCBS Rhode Island built in 2008
Originally located along N. Main & Canal Sts., across from Roger Williams Park, Providence, the last meat-packing plant survived until the 1980s
The first building in Rhode Island made from recycled shipping containers is available for lease as office space
A nice, simple early 20th century building on a busy commercial corridor with some subtle Art Deco details
Slow and steady wins this race — vacated in 1964, some of the buildings were in use as early as 1988, but only 30 years later has the entire complex been redeveloped
The existing BioMed center bounded by Brown, Meeting, Thayer, and Olive Streets got a $95m addition for a new Biomedical Research center
A large former gymnasium with a large enough indoor space to support a suspended indoor quarter mile track. Demolished in 2001.
A part of the Provisions District met the wrecking ball in 2011. Owner of this and nearby buildings, The Providence Journal Company, used deferred maintenance as an excuse.
Two distinctive buildings joined together as downtown residential lofts — both with unique features, design, and spaces
A former department store turned rock club venue turned loft apartments whose conversion contributed to making Downtown Providence bustle again
Worcester Lunch Car #806 has had a long life and many names but continues to attract new entrepreneurs who want to make a go of the restaurant business
The story of two central fire stations located on the perimeter of Exchange Place, now Kennedy Plaza.
A hub of student and museum activity for RISD named after the late Happy Chase, an ardent preservationist of properties along Benefit Street
These three restaurants are a gateway to memories of mid-century immigrant restaurants and their impact on our taste buds.
Closed in 1981, this William R. Walker and Son-designed church was vacant for over 20 years before neglect contributed to its demise.
A wonderful meeting of Brutalist and roadside architecture in a striking circular floor plan that fit the location at the apex of Broadway and Atwells Avenue quite well.
A neighborhood battle and a prolonged redevelopment took down Clark’s to replace it with mixed-use residential and commercial space
Two indistinct one-story infill buildings flanked by 100+ year old two-story mill buildings that manufactured fire safety equipment
One of the oldest industrial buildings in the state with a rich history that continues to this day
Once the largest manufacturer of costume jewelry, this building was vacant in the 80s but then revived by Lifespan as their corporate headquarters
A mapping project to trace the origins and evolution of the Cove Basin north of Downtown and south of Smith Hill, from 1823 to present day
An elaborate four and a half story Medieval Gothic armory has been plagued by underutilization for the past 20 years
The “Scherzer Rolling Lift Bridge” at Crook Point was abandoned in 1976 but once carried Providence, East Providence, Warren, & Bristol train lines
A small stature mill building in a residential neighborhood will many varied uses over the years is now residential
A low slung jewelry manufacturing building on the edge of the Jewelry District is now the main Student Services Center for Johnson & Wales University
A comfortable old man bar for young people during the early 2000s
A low-slung, semi-circular mid-century modern transportation hub in downtown Providence.
A late ninteenth century dye house of the larger Weybosset Mills which has lately become a boutique hotel
An over 180-year-old mill structure with the Woonasquatucket river at its back and a former office building fronting Manton Avenue
A handsome single story early 20th-century storefront tastfully converted to a local bakery and coffee shop
A relatively simple carriage house down the hill from Benefit Street featuring unique architectural details and construction
In use for almost 70 years, the East Side Train tunnel burrows beneath College Hill and once connected Union Station to East Providence
A small, unassuming but nicely detailed brick firehouse from the mid-19th century on Providence’s West Side
A pair of auto-centric businesses constructed as the “new” highway was carved through Providence in the 50s/60s.
This cinder block building with a residential looking store facade slapped on it stood vacant for many years before demolition. Part of the way commercial retail comes and goes.
An almost 100 year old apartment building turned dormitory became too downtrodden to be useful.
A historic home that was not officially verified as “historic”, therefore it was unprotected from demolition by neglect
A non-descript downtown commercial building probably faced with enamel and steel details in the 1950s. Razed in 2005 for a condomuium tower that was never built.
A striking 3-story mansard former office building for a larger manufacturing complex of woven goods turned into various small office spaces
A simple building located next to the former Sportsman’s Inn (now the Dean Hotel) that was razed for a never-built hotel.
The littlest building in downtown (not including parking lot shelters) that was once home to small coffee shops.
Falling into disrepair since the 1970s, this once important community center found new use and continues to support the neighborhood and Providence schoolchildren
An unconventional home (for Providence) in a conventioanl working class neighborhood
This chalet-style 19th century Stone & Carpenter design was reivigorated in 2002 with new foundation and additional connecting buildings to expand Brown’s Hillel Center
A modern, 13-story glass box reflecting the mall, the Westin, Union Station, and Waterplace park.
An early-addition to Capital Center, built next to the new train station after Waterplace Park was created
At only 12 1/2 feet deep, the George Arnold building is an anomoly in the Downtown Historic District
A small but mighty former firefighter training facility turned art space and music venue and most recently, a hostel concept
A sprawling complex and a leading designer of silver goods for 100 years or more. Still in business (not in RI) as part of the Lenox Corporation.
A mid-sized 4-story mill of red brick and stucco in the middle of a residential neighborhood became apartments in 2009
A conglomeration of possibly six 1-3 story structures bounded by Westminster, Union, and Weybosset Streets razed in 2005 for a proposed parking garage.
A long fight over the demolition of a former neighborhood school — and a contributing structure to the Broadway-Armory Historic District.
What was left of the former lumber yard along Harris Ave. was replaced with new office space in 2009
A mid-century housing complex that survived the blast intended to take it down.
A modest hotel gets a facelift and an upgrade during the city’s development boom time
A mystery! How long did this slender building along Charles Street and the Moshassuck river stand?
A sweet little post-Art Deco brick gas station in the middle of the Hope Street commercial district. Probably contaminated and hard to subdivide, so it came down.
Long-time tenants Davis Dairy vacated in spring 2020 after a fire damaaged the upper floors of the house
A former high-art-style consumer banking lobby and offices becomes a 56,000 sf art library and housing for 500 students
A turn-of-the-century hotel with intact, 100-year old wood panelled bar enhanced by stained-glass windows and decorative terra cotta
A two-story brick L-shaped mill along Eddy Street south of the corner of Eddy and Public Streets. In decay for 10 years or more before being razed in 2005.
A lovely little pub that we never had to pleasure of visiting. Construction on a 3 mile sewer project damaged the foundations beyond repair.
A forgotten building on the industrial edge of the north side may be getting a new life
A local scooter sales and repair shop with a side of delicious expresso drinks
A love it or hate it concrete structure in the Brutalist style — its knobby elbows sticking out as decoration.
A turn-of-the-century 6-story downtown commercial building that is now part of the RISD campus
This handsome trapezoidal mill building with chamfered corner in the Jewelry District was converted to lofts in 2004.
This three-story former lumber yard and wood working business has over a hundred years of history
A nine-story commercial building turned residential and joined the ranks of its neightbors in the collective called “Westminster Lofts”
Two 19th-century commercial buildings come together to create a unique hotel with historic character
A striking black and cerulean blue Art Deco first floor facade adorns this commercial building along a historically significant portion of upper Westminster Street
A cute, manageable, three-story mill building on the outskirts of Smith Hill surrounded by car yards
Vacant since 1987, this building stood on the West Side across from Central High School for over 20 years before being completely razed to the ground.
A neglected little brick Greek-revival building vacant and boarded up since a fire in the 1990s succumbed to extensive roof damage in 2020
While only a small 2,600 sf portion of the original complex remains, it’s great that it was saved
This Neo—Classical Revival structure stood unfinished for 80 years before finally getting a new life as a hotel in 2004.
This imposing, 6-story cold storage facility ran continuously for 98 years. It fell to the wrecking ball before converting these buildings becamethe cool thing to do.
One of the first artist-led redevelopment projects post-Eagle Square, these 21 units have remained in artist’s hands, some with afforability restrictions
This ornate former single-family home was built in stages and owned by two prominent business people that almost succumbed to the wrecking ball
A large mill complex of 13 buildings on 2 acres was converted to apartments and commercial space in 2005
A large mill complex on the West Side of Providence turns into residential lofts at the beginning of the boom
A rather small commercial storefront that was a branch bank for some time but abandoned for many years before eventual demolition.
A classically-inspired former bank with soaring vaulted ceiling finds new life as a performing arts center
A seven story low rise condominium complex along the Blackstone River with 255 units — the first phase of a larger residential center
The OneTen tower would have been the tallest building in Providence, and the tallest residential tower in New England at the time.
A late-nineteeth-century warehouse building with thick walls, strong floors, and details reminiscent of an armory building
A handsome yellow brick, seven story building with ornate white brickwork designs has become a dozen luxury residences with ground-floor retail
The first LEED-certified college residence hall in the state, part of the Rhode Island College campus
A six-story early Moderne former bank lobby and upper-floor offices was redeveloped in fits and starts into residential apartments
A group of turn-of-the-century mills get converted into affordable residential units and commercial/office space
A stone mill formerly used as a machine parts manufacturer and now commercial office space
A fire-damaged former church used for many years as a furniture storage facility recently turned into 15 residential units
A late 90s/early 2000s conversion of a small mill with new addition on North Main Street into luxury condos
An unassuming rehabilitation of a simple mid-century industrial space into a modern office
This 70-year-old diner car sat on blocks for 10 years before being restored and reopened as a classic breakfast and lunch diner
A plethora of pithy postcard images from the turn of the century.
A small but charming red square building in various states of repair and neglect over the years
A fire on Christmas morning gutted the building, but the Masonic Lodge members plan to rebuild, and you can help.
This property is actually a tale of three things — competitive cycling, a football stadium, and the Providence Steamroller
A mill redevelopment that tried to be different than the typical luxury condos and one that change residential zoning to help make units more affordable
A long, low slung industrial building west of the highway and in the shadow of the Providence Place Mall. Neglect over ten years as well as some nefarious local dealings took the building down.
Demolished as part of the relocation of I-195 in the early 2000s, this large mill complex was home 45 small businesses, art studios, and a bar.
A neo-Georgian building that was home to the original home to the Providence National Bank Company. Razed for a proposed hotel that was never built.
A 100-year-old ornamental steel and iron manufacturer gets a new life as a center for vocational training and art creation
This 60 year-old Art Deco structure was vacated in 2000 for new digs across the highway. It say vacant for 6 years until a proposed condo structure took it down.
This modestly small but ornate brick building became the home to the Providence Revolving Fund
Two simple, turn-of-the- and mid-century industrial buildings used for jewelry industry purposes over the past 50 years razed in 2011 for speculative purposes.
A big hulking 5300-person capacity civic auditorium that hosted sports and entertainment for close to 50 years.
A new bank construction done in a classical form on Smith Hill steps away from the State House.
A sprawling pre-Civil-War-era complex with a proud history of metal manufacturing of many kinds, including armaments
An unassuming single story commercial property razed for the Walgreens and condos at 333 Atwells Ave.
A sliver of an 1829 structure survives under this turn-of-the-20th-century vaudeville theatre turned movie house turned commercial storefronts
A small commercial building surrounded by parking lots razed for an 800 car parking garage for Johnson & Wales University
A boarded-up retail space along a retail corridor in need of rethinking.
One of the last big box stores on North Main Street, closed since the mid-to-late 90s. Demolished in 2014 to become infill for a parking lot.
This mid-1800s structure was one the few examples of Providence’s eminent architect Thomas Tefft but burned in 2006.
A former waterfront nightclub overlooking Narragansett Bay that operated under many different names in its 10 year lifespan
An early demolition of a large mill complex that flew under the radar in the early 2000s. Replaced by a Home Depot shopping center.
A 60-year history slinging good, hearty diner food evaporated into a cyclone of legal battles. The diner itself is still unrestored.
An innovative early 70s hyperbolic paraboloid roof structure design that allowed a 130' x 325' uninterrupted interior space for the Brown University pool
A massive 58,000 sf former electricity generating station went through three different redevelopment projects over 20 years before finally being completed
A narrow 3-story building built as infill when rail lines were removed in the Provisions Warehouse District. Most recently a set of nightclubs.
A small flatiron-style 19th century mill building right on the bank of the Moshassuck River in a formerly dense industrial area
This reinforced concrete frame building was the first modern-style, large windowed design in the City
This unassuming golden brick, pier and spandrel commercial building has been part of the Johnson & Wales campus since the mid-1960s
A mid-19th century small scale commercial brick mill has been a home to various businesses and loving owners
A narrow and difficult to redevelop building languished on the Ten Most Endangered List for five years before getting a new life
A present-day example of early car service culture — white enamelled panels with bright green and red accents and an utilitarian design
An early entry into the luxury apartment market built in 2003. By 2005 it was purchased and redeveloped as 330 condominiums.
A three-quarters of a billion dollar investment in Downtown Providence, 2005, that was too good to be true
A photo recreation series of a RISD student portfolio taken in 1975 and 1976 — recreated in 2008
A large, late 19th-century mill complex razed for the relocation of I-195 in the mid-2000s. The complex was eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.
A late 19th-century investment building used as commercial space for over 100 years recently turned into residential upper floors.
4-story new construction marries a 2-story Greek Revival 150 years younger at the base of College Hill
A 27,000 sf piece of the former US Rubber Works has been developed into the Waterfire Arts Center
A masterpiece of the Italian Romanesque style designed by a young newcomer who would later become an architecture star in his relatively short life
This 120-year old station has see fires and rehabilitation, but the remarkably handsome structure is still standing and useful and full of tenants
A dense complex of 20 buildings built over the course of 50 years has ben converted from maufacturing to new-arts-industrial to residential
The one that started a revolution. A 13 acre site, bounded by Atwells Ave, Eagle Street, and Valley Street, housing cheap artist studio space and the famous Fort Thunder arts collective.
An new addition to a old home along historic Angell Street brings new character and larger space for those that want to practice their zen
A collection of handsome late-19th- and early-20th-century buildings that served as headquarters for a knitted good company as well as rental space for jewelry businesses
An older building made way for a new patient care and operating room facility in the middle of a dense residental neighborhood
Old aerials of Providence taken from different vantage points and at different times in its development.
A relatively low-slung and simple early 20th century former car repair garage in a residential portion off Broadway
An ornate mill-company-built community space subdivided into offices during the last century
A recently underutilized mill building with distinctive central octoganol tower to become 225 apartments and commercial space
A large parcel of land on the edge of the jewelry district whose 1- and 2-story buildings were razed by speculation but nothing yet occupies the site.
A small mercantile-style building razed for a never-built Sierra Suites Hotel in 2008. This building housed a few well-loved storefronts — New Japan, Cuban Revolution, and the Talk of the Town bar.
A pair of residential towers built during the mid-2000s post 9-11 boom — condos selling at the time for $300k to $1m.
A 56,000 square foot center for Brown University’s international studies students
A mix of retail, parking, hotel rooms, and upscale condominiums. At 31 stories and 358 feet tall, it is currently the 3rd tallest structure in Rhode Island.
Four residential units plus retail in a industrial chic box added density to the West Side in 2007.
A WBNA project house built on the site of a former auto body business along bustling Westminster Street
The Fletcher building marks the first foray into downtown Providence for RISD and its graduate students
A small, five-story commercial building that underwent a modern renovation into 12 apartments on a busy downtown street
Smaller than its neighbors, this 2-story commercial building joined the ranks of its neightbors in the collective called “Westminster Lofts”
A sweet and spare little gas and service station formerly on Eddy Street. Love the painted transom sign.
An 80' high, 400' long steel bridge spanning the Providence River, preassembled and floated into place on August 27, 2006