Oddfellow's Hall
About this property
The Oddfellows' Hall is an historic fraternal society building on Warren Avenue in East Providence, Rhode Island. The 2½-story wood frame structure was designed by the Providence firm Gould & Angell, and was built in 1889. It is 12,000 square feet in area and sits on a 6,098 square foot corner parcel on Warren Avenue and Burgess Avenue. An architectural highlight of the building is a decorative meeting room on the second floor. It is also a high-quality example of Shingle style architecture. Oddfellows' Hall is a rare surviving element of Watchemoket Square (watch-uh-MOE-ket or watch-uh-MAH-ket), a village which was the heart of the East Providence business community during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. East Providence was incorporated in 1862, and Watchemoket Square was significantly built up between 1880 and 1920. It became a desirable location for the professional class to live, and many large Queen Anne and shingle style buildings were built in the neighborhood with decorative towers and porches. An 1885 iron bridge on Warren avenue connected Warren Avenue to India Point in Providence. By the early 20th Century, the area boasted over 100 businesses and hotels. The construction of I-195 in 1955 destroyed half of the village, leaving the Oddfellows Hall as one of its few survivors. The neighborhood quickly fell into decline in the following decades. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. By the 21st century the structure had become, according to one city councilor, a "a blighted building" located in "a blighted area." The city of East Providence acquired the building in 2012. In 2017 the surrounding neighborhood was established as a federal opportunity zone to spur investment. The building sat "vacant for many, many years with multiple issues," including a roof in need of total replacement. The city put the structure out for bid multiple times in hopes of making it a centerpiece for turning the area into a neighborhood Arts district. In 2019 the city sold the building to a holding company for one dollar. The city expressed hope that the building could be used for any number of uses including residential or commercial space, or artist studios, or senior living. National Register of Historic Places listings in Providence County, Rhode Island
Location
Categories
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.
Everything a full report reveals about Oddfellow's Hall
This page lists Oddfellow's Hall. 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:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Questions about this property
When was Oddfellow's Hall listed on the National Register?
Oddfellow's Hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 28, 1980.
What type of historic resource is Oddfellow's Hall?
Oddfellow's Hall is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Oddfellow's Hall?
The period of significance for Oddfellow's Hall is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Oddfellow's Hall?
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 Oddfellow's Hall 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.
Explore ProvidenceCounty ›More historic places in Rhode Island
Browse all historic places in Rhode Island.
View Rhode Islandhistoric sites ›Rhode Island history
Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.
Rhode Islandhistory ›Research the history near this site
An Aubrey US report for an address near Oddfellow's Hall will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.