Old State House (Providence, Rhode Island)
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| Sixth District Court House (Old State House) | |
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| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
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| Location: | 150 Benefit St., Providence, Rhode Island |
| Built/Founded: | 1762 |
| Architectural style(s): | Georgian architecture |
| Added to NRHP: | 1970 |
| NRHP Reference#: | 70000092[1] |
| Governing body: | State |
The Old State House on College Hill in Providence, Rhode Island, also known as Providence Sixth District Court House, Providence Colony House, Providence County House, or Rhode Island State House is located on 150 Benefit Street. It is a brick Georgian-style building largely completed in 1762, and became the meeting place for the colony and state legislature for 149 years. From independence to the early 20th century the state legislature alternated its sessions between here and the Newport State House in Newport.
In colonial times the Rhode Island General Assembly rotated meetings between the state's five county court houses, and five former Rhode Island state houses survive today. In 1760 The General Assembly built the Old State House to replace an earlier wooden courthouse built 1730 on Meeting Street. It was largely finished by 1762 with some details being completed by 1771. Many of the Georgian architecture details were borrowed from the larger and more ornate Newport Colony House. Before nineteenth century alterations to the Providence State House, the two buildings greatly resembled one another.
At the Old State House on May 4,1776, the General Assembly declared its independence renouncing its allegiance to the British crown, and the date is now celebrated as Rhode Island Independence Day. Fierce anti-slavery debates occurred in the building in the late 1700s. George Washington visited the building in 1781 and 1790. The building was extensively renovated and dramatically altered several times in the nineteenth century. By 1901 the new Rhode Island State House was occupied on Smith Hill and the legislature vacated the Old State House. The Old State House was used as a Court House until 1975 and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1970 and as part of the College Hill Historic Landmark District in 1971. The building is now home to the Rhode Island Historical Preservation Commission.
[edit] External links and references
- ^ National Register Information System. National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service (2007-01-23).
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