Oddfellows' Hall (East Providence, Rhode Island)

The Oddfellows' Hall is an historic fraternal society building on Warren Avenue in East Providence, Rhode Island.

Oddfellows' Hall
Oddfellows' Hall (East Providence, Rhode Island) is located in Rhode Island
Oddfellows' Hall (East Providence, Rhode Island)
LocationEast Providence, Rhode Island
Coordinates41°49′2″N 71°22′54″W / 41.81722°N 71.38167°W / 41.81722; -71.38167
Area12,000 square feet[2]
Built1889
ArchitectGould & Angell
Architectural styleShingle Style
MPSEast Providence MRA
NRHP reference No.80000004 [1]
Added to NRHPNovember 28, 1980

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, a village which was the heart of the East Providence business community during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.[4][5] East Providence was incorporated in 1862, and Watchemoket Square was significantly built up between 1880 and 1920.[4] 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.[4] An 1885 iron bridge on Warren avenue connected Warren Avenue to India Point in Providence.[6]

20th century edit

By the early 20th Century, the area boasted over 100 businesses and hotels.[5] The construction of I-195 in 1955 destroyed half of the village, leaving the Oddfellows Hall as one of its few survivors.[6] The neighborhood quickly fell into decline in the following decades.[6] The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.[1]

21st century edit

 
The hall in 2012

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.[7] 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

References edit

  1. ^ a b c "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ "Historic Resources of East Providence, Rhode Island (PDF pages 51-3)" (PDF). Rhode Island Preservation. Retrieved 2014-09-12.
  4. ^ a b c "EPHS Self -Guided Walking Tours Watchemoket Square". East Providence Historical Society. East Providence Historical Society. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ 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