Dublin Core
Title
Federal Building, Equitable Building, and Wilcox Building
Description
The Federal Building (left) was completed in 1857 in the format of an Italianate Renaissance palace. Though not visible, the building is capped by an iron-cast dome that was conceived after construction on the building began. The intent of the dome was to dignify the third floor courtroom and also to upgrade the exterior view to be superior to customhouses at lesser ports.
Pictured at the center, the Equitable Building (1872, 36 Weybosset St.) features a locally cast iron "Venetian" facade that is the best preserved of the few cast-iron facades in the city. The facade was cast by the Builders Iron Foundry. The design of the building incorporates the Victorian custom of splitting the street-level tenants in half - a shop half a floor down and the principle business half a floor up. This effectively gives the landlord the ability to charge "street-level" rentals for both tenants.
At the right, is the Wilcox building in Downtown Providence on Weybosset St. designed by Edwin Howland and built in 1875. It's L-shaped floor plan wraps around the neighboring Equitable building giving it facades on both Weybosset and Custom House Streets. It is one of the city's first commercial office buildings that was built in the the polychromatic High Victorian Gothic Style. In 1975 the interior of the building was destroyed by fire. The ensuing restoration helped restore community concern to downtown preservation.
Pictured at the center, the Equitable Building (1872, 36 Weybosset St.) features a locally cast iron "Venetian" facade that is the best preserved of the few cast-iron facades in the city. The facade was cast by the Builders Iron Foundry. The design of the building incorporates the Victorian custom of splitting the street-level tenants in half - a shop half a floor down and the principle business half a floor up. This effectively gives the landlord the ability to charge "street-level" rentals for both tenants.
At the right, is the Wilcox building in Downtown Providence on Weybosset St. designed by Edwin Howland and built in 1875. It's L-shaped floor plan wraps around the neighboring Equitable building giving it facades on both Weybosset and Custom House Streets. It is one of the city's first commercial office buildings that was built in the the polychromatic High Victorian Gothic Style. In 1975 the interior of the building was destroyed by fire. The ensuing restoration helped restore community concern to downtown preservation.
Creator
Chester Smolski
Date
1979-01-01
Rights
Rhode Island College
Format
Photograph
Photograph
Identifier
4808
Smolski Image Item Type Metadata
Building Style
Renaissance Revival
Building Type
Mall
City
Providence
Country
United States of America
Creator 1
Ammi B. Young
Creator 1 Dates
1798-1874
Creator 1 Role
Supervising Architect (Federal Building)
Creator 2
Walker and Gould
Creator 2 Role
Architectural Firm (Equitable Building)
Creator 3
Edwin Howland
Creator 3 Role
Architect (Wilcox Building)
Region
Rhode Island
Street Address
42 Weybosset St
Subject Creation Date
1857
Theme
Urban Development