walktour - A 25-stop guide across Providence (Roger Williams National Memorial Park to Pendleton House)

Oct 6, 2026

A narrated walking tour itinerary across Providence, listing sequential stops by street address and historic site name. Each numbered entry commemorates landmarks tied to Roger Williams, Lovecraft, Poe, or local civic history, providing brief founding timelines, architectural or institutional context, and why the site matters. The guide culminates in later stops such as Providence Athenæum and Pendleton House, offering an efficient route for exploration on foot.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLifestyle

FormatPDF

Pages2

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

Walktour stops

1. Roger Williams National Memorial Park

2. Cathedral of St. John

3. Sarah Helen Whitman House

4. Sullivan Dorr House

5. F.E. Seagrave House

6. Stephen Harris House

7. The Old Court Bed & Breakfast

8. The Old State House

9. Benjamin Cushing House

10. Shakespeare’s Head

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| | | | | | Park Row College Street Amtrak Train Station North Main Street Congdon Street Pratt Street Canal Street Brown Street Wheaton Street Prospect Street Benefit Street Brown University Quadrangle Bowen Street Lloyd Street Keene Street Fones Alley Providence Marriott Orms Street N State Street Smith Street Memorial Boulevard Park Row West Stillman Street Hayes Street Exchange Street Benefit Street Star Street Lovecraft’s College Hill 1. Roger Williams National Memorial Park – Commemorating the site on which Roger Williams founded Providence in 1636. 2. Cathedral of St. John, Episcopal, 271 North Main Street (1810)– Founded in 1720 as King’s Church, both Lovecraft and Poe haunted the graveyard of this church. It is on the National Register of Historic Places and is both a National Historic Landmark and a National Historic Site. (SH, CDW) 3. Sarah Helen Whitman House, 88 Benefit Street (1783-92)– Home of the poetess courted by Poe. 4. Sullivan Dorr House, 109 Benefit Street (1809)– Designed by John Holden Greene, this house sits on land that was once owned by Roger Williams, and where he was originally buried in 1683. 5. F.E. Seagrave House, 119 Benefit Street – In 1933 Lovecraft nearly moved into this house instead of the Samuel B. Mumford House 6. Stephen Harris House, 135 Benefit Street (1763)– “The Shunned House” of Lovecraft’s story, which Lovecraft referred to as the Babbitt House. This house was abandoned and in poor condition during Lovecraft’s day. (SH) 7. The Old Court Bed & Breakfast, 144 Benefit Street (1863)– Originally built as a rectory for St. John’s Episcopal Church, this building is now a lovely B&B. In Lovecraft s’ Providence & Adjacent Parts, Henry L.P. Beckwith comments that this building was Lovecraft’s basis for the home of Dr. Elihu Whipple in “The Shunned House” although the Benjamin Cushing house (see number 9) is amuch more likely candidate. (SH) 8. The Old State House, 150 Benefit Street (1762, 1850-51, 1867, 1904-06)– From this building Rhode Island declared its independence from Great Britain on May 4, 1776 – two months before the other colonies did so. It is now a National Historic Landmark. (CDW) 9. Benjamin Cushing House, 40 North Court Street (1737)–A more likely basis for the Dr. Elihu Whipple house, this “Georgian homestead with knocker and iron-railed steps” is the oldest house on College Hill. (SH) 10. Shakespeare’s Head, 21 Meeting Street (1772)– John Carter, apprentice to Benjamin Franklin, published the Providence Gazette and Country Journal in this building, which was also a post office and bookstore. It is now home to the Providence Preservation Society.(CDW) 11. The Brick Schoolhouse, 24 Meeting Street (1769)– Built to serve asa school and for town meetings, this building became the temporary home for Brown University when it moved from Warren to Providence in 1770. It is on the National Register of Historic Places.(CDW) 12. Site of the Golden Ball Inn (1783)– Demolished since Lovecraft’s day, this inn had such illustrious visitors as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, the Marquis de Lafayette, and (according to Lovecraft) Edgar Allan Poe. (SH, CDW) 13. Home of Franklin C. and Lillian D. Clark, 161 Benefit Street – This was once the home of Lovecraft’s uncle and aunt. 14. The Marine Corps Arsenal, 176 Benefit Street (1840)– This building is the armory of the Providence Marine Corps of Artillery. 15. The Colonial Apartments, 175-185 Benefit Street (1929)– Lovecraft bemoaned the fact that this “wretched ultra-modern apartment-house with all urban sophistications” replaced the “bit of actual country remaining” on College Hill. 16. Benefit-Dexter House, 187 Benefit Street – Once the Knowles Funeral Home, where the funerals of Lovecraft and his aunt Lillian were held. 17. Providence Art Club, 10 and 11 Thomas Street (1786-89 and 1791)– Love

FAQs

What kind of content is included in the walktour guide?

It provides a numbered walking tour of Providence landmarks, each with a name, street address, and short historical notes.

How are the stops organized?

The guide is organized as sequential numbered entries, each corresponding to a specific site and location.

What historical connections does the guide emphasize?

The notes highlight links to Rhode Island civic history, Roger Williams, and literary associations involving Lovecraft and Edgar Allan Poe.

Oct 6, 2026

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