Benefit Street is a nice little walk and The Shunned House is a sweet little surprise. What I like…read moreabout The Shunned House is that you would have NO CLUE that this house was significant amongst the others in the surrounding areas. The armory down the street stands out a lot more than the lil house that HPLovecraft wrote about. Still it's a great side trip that will only take seconds out of your day if you are in or around the colleges in the area. This is obviously a residence and they have since named the house after someone but you can see the wall that used to be used as the front of the house and the descriptions stand strong in Lovecraft's writing. No big deal but I liked being there and seeing it.

I was going to write about this curiousity, but I realized I couldn't do any better than what…read morebrought me in the first place: "The house was--and for that matter still is--of a kind to attract the attention of the curious. Originally a farm or semi-farm building, it followed the average New England colonial lines of the middle eighteenth century--the prosperous peaked-roof sort, with two stories and dormerless attic, and with the Georgian doorway and interior panelling dictated by the progress of taste at that time. It faced south, with one gable end buried to the lower windows in the eastward rising hill, and the other exposed to the foundations toward the street. Its construction, over a century and a half ago, had followed the grading and straightening of the road in that especial vicinity; for Benefit Street--at first called Back Street--was laid out as a lane winding amongst the graveyards of the first settlers, and straightened only when the removal of the bodies to the North Burial Ground made it decently possible to cut through the old family plots. "At the start, the western wall had lain some twenty feet up a precipitous lawn from the roadway; but a widening of the street at about the time of the Revolution sheared off most of the intervening space, exposing the foundations so that a brick basement wall had to be made, giving the deep cellar a street frontage with door and two windows above ground, close to the new line of public travel. When the sidewalk was laid out a century ago the last of the intervening space was removed; and Poe in his walks must have seen only a sheer ascent of dull grey brick flush with the sidewalk and surmounted at a height of ten feet by the antique shingled bulk of the house proper. "The farm-like grounds extended back very deeply up the hill, almost to Wheaton Street. The space south of the house, abutting on Benefit Street, was of course greatly above the existing sidewalk level, forming a terrace bounded by a high bank wall of damp, mossy stone pierced by a steep flight of narrow steps which led inward between canyon-like surfaces to the upper region of mangy lawn, rheumy brick walls, and neglected gardens whose dismantled cement urns, rusted kettles fallen from tripods of knotty sticks, and similar paraphernalia set off the weather-beaten front door with its broken fanlight, rotting Ionic pilasters, and wormy triangular pediment. "What I heard in my youth about the shunned house was merely that people died there in alarmingly great numbers. That, I was told, was why the original owners had moved out some twenty years after building the place. It was plainly unhealthy, perhaps because of the dampness and fungous growth in the cellar, the general sickish smell, the draughts of the hallways, or the quality of the well and pump water. These things were bad enough, and these were all that gained belief among the persons whom I knew. Only the notebooks of my antiquarian uncle, Dr. Elihu Whipple, revealed to me at length the darker, vaguer surmises which formed an undercurrent of folklore among old-time servants and humble folk; surmises which never travelled far, and which were largely forgotten when Providence grew to be a metropolis with a shifting modern population." H.P. Lovecraft, The Shunned House Be mindful that this is a private residence. Please be respectful.

This is a gorgeous walking/biking path that goes from Rumford to Pawtucket and follows Central Pond…read moreand the Ten Mile River. I love that it's paved the entire way, so you can get the "nature" without fear of stepping on poison ivy or being chased by mosquitoes. Great for a mid-morning jog or an afternoon bike ride. It's a bit off the beaten path (pun intended), so here is some directional info for my fellow GPS lovers: There are two main "entrances" which both have parking lots. 1) South Entrance: The Wolf School Athletic Fields (215 Ferris Ave, Rumford) 2) North Entrance: Doreen Tomlinson Field (401 Daggett Ave, Pawtucket) Here are a few sights along the trail: 1) Hasbro Offices 2) Slater Park 3) Looff Carousel 4) Pawtucket Country Club 5) Ten Mile River Reservation In spite of its name, the trail is only 3 miles and there isn't a loop, so it's a total of 6 miles there and back. Happy hiking!

I am still not sure why this trail has "10 mile" in the name when it's only 3 miles long, but I try…read moreto not think too hard about it. Anyways, I decided to come here for the first time on a weekday afternoon and it was very pretty and peaceful, well maintained, and the perfect running distance for me. I parked on the street outside the carousel entrance of slater park, towards the Pawtucket country club which is where the trail splits. To my left was about half a mile of trail and to my left there was about 2.5 miles of trail. To the left there wasn't much to see, but there was a lot of green, so it was pretty. At the end of this chunk there is a big parking lot. To the right the trail does have more to see, especially since it cuts through slater park, there is a river, and even a dirt bike riding area. At the end of that is also a parking lot and a baseball field. The terrain is mostly flat but there are some tiny hills/slopes that can be challenging towards the end. I was able to see a red cardinal and a couple other birds.

A beautiful addition to the city of Providence! Every time we visit, we would make a stop there…read more This bridge was renamed to the Michael S. Van Leesten Memorial Bridge in 2020; it opened in August 2019. It was built on existing piers from the old highway, I-95. The bridge goes over the Providence River and connects two neighborhoods, Fox Point and the Jewelry District. There's a park nearby, called District 195; events are hosted at this location. The bridge was beautiful to walk on day and night. There were railings, benches, tables, and chess tables; at night there were LED lights that brighten the area. A wonderful area for walkers and cyclists. The view of the city skyline was breathtaking. One evening we were there, we saw the star-link satellite flying by, it was awesome. The downfall was, this bridge cost the city $21.9 million when the original budget was supposed to be $2 million. People were opposed with building this bridge because RI had the highest amount of bridges with structural issues. In the end, the bridge was built and it's become a popular attraction and landmark.

I can't imagine a time when Providence didn't have this bridge to connect the city like this! It is…read moreso beautiful and I love all the events that they have!

This site does a great job showcasing John Brown's house and his historical ties to the slave…read moretrade. The house is from the 18th century, but there are elements from later homeowners that were kept up and add a nice aesthetic touch, but it is important to know more about the Brown benefactor, both good and bad. They have his original carriage which is impressive. There is a beautiful mural in one room with George Washington, added in the 1930s but so impressive it had to stay up. The tour was self-guided, but there were staff members around to ask questions too. Gift shop was small but some good options. The hours are limited, but it's worth a stop as a historically significant site. There is also a parking lot to make your visit easier.

We went for the 250th university of the redaction, the event was free and open for 4 hours. The…read moremuseum was small but very informational. The displays prompted deep thinking about our past, both good and bad. The staff were dressed in period clothing and everyone there was friendly. The museum has stairs to get to the second floor, the building is beautiful and it holds just enough artifacts to be interesting without overwhelming.​

A cultural treasurer that I never knew existed. I always knew the building was there, but the…read morestories of the history of RI written on the walls was very surprising to me. The space can be used for events and open to the public for learning and community engagement.

This is a large Visitor Center located on Main St in Pawtucket. It's mainly focused for those…read morewanting to learn more or wanting to visit Slater Mill. The amount of information on the textile revolution is large and they have a 15 min video on the subject. Wendy was very nice and helpful showing me the various brochures and books highlighting the tourist attractions in the area....There are about 10,000 historical sites between Providence and Worcester related to textile mill history....just amazing.... Slater Mill (1793) was the first successful water-powered cotton spinning mill in the United States and the first property to be added to the National Register of Historic Places (November 1966). For more than two centuries, people have transformed Slater Mill. These workers have changed the meaning of the mill, from a place for making thread to a place for learning about the consequences of industry....so learning about all that history which was key for our country, was really interesting.... This site is part of the National Park service, so if you want a stamp for your collection, you can ask for it and they will gladly stamp your book for you.

The proper name of this terrific eleven foot tall statue is "Liberty Arming the Patriot" and it's…read morewhat is known as a "dynamic" statue- meaning it conveys action or thought. The statue shows Lady Liberty convincing a farmer to step away from his plow, accept the sword she offers him, and go off to join the war effort. It freezes the pivotal turning point in this young man's life as he transitions from a citizen into a soldier, willing to serve his country in a time of need. The memorial was added to the Registery of Historic Places in 2001. The base has three engraved plates showing an artillery battery, and two female figures representing History and Eternity. A plaque on the base is in very poor condition, but I researched the inscription and learned that it reads: In Grateful Recognition Of The Valiant And Self-Sacrificing Service To Their Country Of All Persons Who Went From Pawtucket And It Vicinity To Join The Forces Of The United States During The Civil War. And Especially To The Memory Of Those Who Suffered And Died In That Service. This Monument Is Erected By The Ladies Soldiers Memorial Association Of Pawtucket, Rhode Island And By Then Is Consecrated As An Everlasting Memorial Anno Domini 1897 You'll find the memorial in a small grassy triangle where Main Street, Park Place, and East Avenue all intersect.

Standing 12 feet tall in front of Providence's Federal Courthouse is this unusual monument…read moreconstructed out of steel, concrete, and used handguns. The "Gun Totem" was constructed in 2001 with guns from a firearm buy-back program in Pittsburgh. Altogether, more than 1,000 guns went into the construction of the pillar, which was commissioned by the Providence Parks Department. All of the guns included in the project were disabled and fossilized beneath concrete, and bits of the pillar were chipped away so people could see the deadly layer beneath the its exterior. This is a monument for all who want peace and want to trade in their guns to make a permanent symbol of harmony and amity.

This is another piece of contemporary art made by Boris Bally, a local legend in our state. This is…read morea significant statement, one of many made by this creative, thoughtful person. Many of Boris' pieces are made from discards, including his repurposed street signs.

After several years of walking thru the property of Hunt's Mill of East Providence, I finally took…read morea tour of the museum. Today I decided to drive to Hunt's Millaround 1:30. I noticed someone in Revolutionary War attire. The Museum was open and I was ready to explore. Everyone should take this tour. The staff is pleasant and knows the history. Books on sale and it is a great way to spend a few hours.

I had a hard time finding this place, I got there drove down an road and parked my car. I walked a…read morelittle way past the dog park and it looked like it wasn't really going into the woods so I turned back. There was a cute mini trail behind the Mill house which was short but enjoyable. Left thinking well that was not what I expected, the photo showed water. I have revisited the map and see where had I continued down the road, I would have found the waterfall. I will go again, but meanwhile it was pretty.

Carrie Tower is that tall bell tower that you see when you walk on Waterman Street from downtown…read moreProvidence towards the Brown University Campus. We have past it many times and have admired the smooth lines that make up the landmark. It's a beautiful brick tower that has a lot of history behind it. Carrie Tower was erected in 1904, a gift of Paul Bajnotti of Turin, Italy, and a memorial to his wife, born Caroline Mathilde Brown, granddaughter of Nicholas Brown 1786, for whom the University is named, and daughter of Nicholas Brown 1811. She died in Palermo in 1892 after sixteen years of marriage to Bajnotti, who also erected a fountain in her memory in Burnside Park in Providence. Carrie Tower was designed as a tower of red brick (95 feet high). There are festoons of fruit near the base, and at the top, above four clock faces on the sides of the tower flanked by eight panels of fruit, are in rising succession, 32 carved urns, eight capitals, four shields, and at the very top, four urns with flame. On the foundation is inscribed "Love is Strong as Death."

This is a beautiful marble dome and building in the Capitol Hill section of Providence…read more Many state offices are housed here such as the Governor's, Treasurer, House of Representatives, Senators, etc. They offer guided tours a few times a day (usually from 10a-3pm on weekdays) but you can also follow a self guided tour program and enjoy the inside of the building.

This was quite lovely and parking was easy to find, but I wouldn't place it in my top state…read morecapitols I've visited. It wasn't very busy on a dreary Thursday morning. There are guided tours, but I didn't see any reference guides or pamphlets for self-guided tours. I didn't get to see inside every nook and cranny, but I did wander around and take some photos. My favorite touch is the Anchor adorning the floor of the elevator. Tres apropos for the Ocean State's State House.