Oddfellows' Hall (East Providence, Rhode Island)
Oddfellows' Hall | |
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| Location | East Providence, Rhode Island |
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| Coordinates | 41°49′2″N 71°22′54″W / 41.81722°N 71.38167°W |
| Area | 12,000 square feet[2] |
| Built | 1889 |
| Architect | Gould & Angell |
| Architectural style | Shingle Style |
| MPS | East Providence MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 80000004 [1] |
| Added to NRHP | November 28, 1980 |
The Oddfellows' Hall is an historic fraternal society building on Warren Avenue in East Providence, Rhode Island.
Description
[edit]The 2½-story wood frame structure was designed by the Providence firm Gould & Angell, and was built in 1889.[1] It is 12,000 square feet in area and sits on a 6,098 square foot corner parcel on Warren Avenue and Burgess Avenue.[2] An architectural highlight of the building is a decorative meeting room on the second floor.[2] It is also a high-quality example of Shingle style architecture.[3]
History
[edit]Watchemoket Square
[edit]Oddfellows' Hall is a rare surviving element of Watchemoket Square (watch-uh-MOE-ket or watch-uh-MAH-ket[4]), a village which was the heart of the East Providence business community during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.[5][6] East Providence was incorporated in 1862, and Watchemoket Square was significantly built up between 1880 and 1920.[5] 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.[5] An 1885 iron bridge on Warren avenue connected Warren Avenue to India Point in Providence.[7]
20th century
[edit]By the early 20th Century, the area boasted over 100 businesses and hotels.[6] The construction of I-195 in 1955 destroyed half of the village, leaving the Oddfellows Hall as one of its few survivors.[7] The neighborhood quickly fell into decline in the following decades.[7] The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.[1]
21st century
[edit]
By the 21st century the structure had become, according to one city councilor, a "a blighted building" located in "a blighted area."[2] The city of East Providence acquired the building in 2012.[8] In 2017 the surrounding neighborhood was established as a federal opportunity zone to spur investment.[2] The building sat "vacant for many, many years with multiple issues," including a roof in need of total replacement.[2] 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.[2]
In 2019 the city sold the building to a holding company for one dollar.[2] 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.[2]
See also
[edit]- List of Odd Fellows buildings
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Providence County, Rhode Island
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Rengo, Mike (22 August 2019). "Historic Odd Fellows Hall in East Providence could finally be ready for redevelopment". EastBayRi. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
- ^ "Historic Resources of East Providence, Rhode Island (PDF pages 51-3)" (PDF). Rhode Island Preservation. Retrieved 2014-09-12.
- ^ Farzan, Antonia Noori. "Rhode Island pronunciation guide: 35 names that visitors and even some locals get wrong". The Providence Journal. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
- ^ a b c "EPHS Self -Guided Walking Tours Watchemoket Square". East Providence Historical Society. East Providence Historical Society. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
- ^ a b "The Pearl of East Providence". Watchemoket Square. East Providence Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
During the late 1800's and early 1900's, the area was the center of the East Providence business community with over 100 businesses and hotels.
- ^ a b c O'Connor, Kevin P. (27 November 2008). "A place that may regain its glory". Fall River, Massachusetts: The Herald News. Gatehouse Media. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
- ^ Borkowski, Rob (17 October 2013). "Watchemoket Square Day Boasts Boat Tours, More Cars This Year". East Providence, RI: Patch.com. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
Last year, the City acquired ownership of the Hall, built in 1889
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- Buildings and structures completed in 1889
- Shingle Style architecture in Rhode Island
- Clubhouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Rhode Island
- Odd Fellows buildings in Rhode Island
- Buildings and structures in East Providence, Rhode Island
- National Register of Historic Places in Providence County, Rhode Island
- Providence County, Rhode Island Registered Historic Place stubs