National Register of Historic Places

South Central Falls Historic District

Central Falls, Providence County, Rhode Island
Listed
January 31, 1991
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
91000025

About this property

The South Central Falls Historic District is a historic district in Central Falls, Rhode Island. It is a predominantly residential area, densely populated, which was developed most heavily in the late 19th century. It is bounded roughly by Broad Street to the east, the Pawtucket city line to the south, Dexter Street to the west, and Rand Street and Jenks Park to the north. It has 377 contributing buildings, most of which were built before 1920. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. Although the district is predominantly residential, it has a modest number of non-residential civic, religious, and industrial buildings. The only industrial facility is the Hemphill Mill on Dexter Street, a four-story brick structure built in 1909. There are three church buildings, two of which still see ecclesiastical use: St. George's Episcopal is a stone church built in 1922, and there is a wood-frame Queen Anne-style church building at 161-165 Cross Street which was built in 1893 and has served several Protestant congregations. Two school buildings survive: the Central Street School, an Italianate wood-frame structure built in 1881 which is separately listed on the National Register, and the present Central Falls City Hall, an imposing brick building built as a high school in 1889 with Queen Anne styling when the area was still part of Lincoln. The Adams Library building is a Classical Revival structure built in 1910. The housing in the district consists mainly of vernacular wood-frame structures with one to three units. Architectural embellishments are typically modest, following the style of the time, resulting in a significant number of modest worker cottages with some Italianate styling, which predominated during the early period of the area's development. Large single-family houses are comparatively rare in the district; the most notable one is the Samuel B. Conant House, a Colonial Revival house built in 1895 for a Pawtucket printshop owner.

Location

Central Falls, Providence County, Rhode Island
41.88506, -71.39015

Categories

COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENTARCHITECTURE
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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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
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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

Conant, Samuel B., House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Central Street School
Industrial
0.2 mi
Burnham, G.A., House
Industrial
0.2 mi
Jenks Park & Cogswell Tower
Industrial
0.2 mi
Greene, Benjamin F., House
Industrial
0.2 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Bunker Hill – Rhode Island contingent
1775Revolutionary War
4.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was South Central Falls Historic District listed on the National Register?

South Central Falls Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 31, 1991.

What type of historic resource is South Central Falls Historic District?

South Central Falls Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for South Central Falls Historic District?

The period of significance for South Central Falls Historic District is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near South Central Falls Historic District?

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