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| Roger Williams Park Historic District | |
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| (U.S. Registered Historic District) | |
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| Location: | Providence, Rhode Island |
| Built/Founded: | 1871 |
| Architect: | Cleveland, Horace William Shaler; Multiple |
| Architectural style(s): | Colonial Revival, Queen Anne, Other |
| Added to NRHP: | October 15, 1966 |
| NRHP Reference#: | 66000002 |
| Governing body: | Local |
Roger Williams Park, in southern part of the city of Providence, Rhode Island is an elaborately landscaped 427-acre city park and National Historic District. The park is named after the founder of the city of Providence and one of the founders of the state of Rhode Island, Roger Williams. The land for the park was a gift to the people of Providence in 1871, in accordance with the will of Betsey Williams, the great-great-great-granddaughter, and last surviving descendant of the founder to own the land. It had been the family farm and represented the last of the original land grant to Roger Williams in 1638 from Canonicus, chief of the Narragansett tribe. The family farmhouse (built in 1773), known as the Betsey Williams Cottage, and the Williams Family burial ground (including Betsey's grave) are still maintained within the Park.2
The park also contains seven lakes which comprise approximately 98 acres. It is located in the southernmost part of the city of Providence bordering the city of Cranston. The park was designed by Horace Cleveland in 1878, and was constructed in the 1880s. Many of the roads, bridges and sidewalks were built by the Works Progress Administration from 1935 to 1940. Currently it contains the Roger Williams Park Zoo, the Roger Williams Park Museum of Natural History and Planetarium, The RWP Botanical Center, the Japanese Gardens, the Victorian Rose Gardens, the Providence Police Department's Mounted Command center, the Dalrymple Boathouse and boat rentals, historical tours, a Carousel Village for children that includes the "Hasbro Boundless Playground" which is accessible for handicapped children, the Temple To Music, the Roger Williams Park Casino, large greenspaces, and many miles of walking paths.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation has declared Roger Williams Park to be one of the finest urban parks in the U.S.3
 Joseph Williams House (son of Roger Williams) ca. 1690, originally across from Roger Williams Park waiting area until it was moved |
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service (2007-01-23).
- ^ Rootsweb, photos of Williams Family Cemetery, (accessed July 17, 2008)
- ^ National Trust for Historic Preservation 2000 Annual Report.
See also
- Roger Williams Park Zoo, third oldest in the U.S., and one of the top 20 zoos in the country.
- Roger Williams National Memorial, a distinct park in downtown Providence.
- Prospect Terrace Park, park located in Providence's College Hill neighborhood.
External links and references
- Map links:
| Parks in Providence, Rhode Island |
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Burnside Park · India Point Park · Prospect Terrace Park · Roger Williams National Memorial · Roger Williams Park · Waterplace Park |
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