National Register of Historic Places

Downtown Providence Historic District

Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island
Listed
February 10, 1984
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
84001967

About this property

Downtown is the central economic, political, and cultural district of the city of Providence, Rhode Island, United States. It is bounded on the east by Canal Street and the Providence River, to the north by Smith Street, to the west by Interstate 95, and to the south by Henderson Street. The highway serves as a physical barrier between the city's commercial core and neighborhoods of Federal Hill, West End, and Upper South Providence. Most of the downtown is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Downtown Providence Historic District.

Location

Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island
41.82456, -71.41253

Categories

COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENTCOMMERCETRANSPORTATIONPOLITICS/GOVERNMENTARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Everything a full report reveals about Downtown Providence Historic District

This page lists Downtown Providence Historic District. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Providence-Biltmore Hotel
Industrial
0 mi
Providence City Hall
Civil War
0 mi
Union Station
Civil War
0.1 mi
Union Trust Company Building
Early Republic
0.1 mi
Arcade, The
Industrial
0.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was Downtown Providence Historic District listed on the National Register?

Downtown Providence Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 10, 1984.

What type of historic resource is Downtown Providence Historic District?

Downtown Providence Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Downtown Providence Historic District?

The period of significance for Downtown Providence Historic District is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Downtown Providence Historic District?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Downtown Providence Historic District will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Providence County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Providence County.

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More historic places in Rhode Island

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Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

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Rhode Island history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Rhode Islandhistory ›

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