Market Square is an urban park, square, meeting place in Providence. It is located at the intersection of North Main Street and College Street at the base of College Hill. Market Square has historically functioned as a commercial, civic, and cultural locus of Providence.
The square's origin goes back to a 1738 order by the Providence Town Council, which established a highway 123 feet in width, extending from Towne Street (now South Main Street) to the Great Bridge. In 1744, a Haymarket was organized at the site, establishing the square as a local center of commerce.
Market House, which was constructed between 1773 and 1775. is the focal structure of Market Square. On March 2, 1775, Providence residents, inspired by the then-recent Boston Tea Party, gathered in Market Square to protest the Tea Act. The colonists heaped a large pile of English tea in the center of the square, covering the mound with a barrel of tar and lighting it ablaze.
As the commercial hub of colonial Providence, Market Square has been suggested as the likely site of slave sales, which constituted a significant portion of commerce in the 18th century city. The identification of the site as a slave market, however, has not been confirmed.
Market House was acquired by the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) in 1948; Market Square is currently surrounded by the school's urban campus.
During Waterfire nights, this square is used frequently for private events, catering events and/or vendors. read more