Slide Title

U.S. Customhouse, Equitable Building, and Wilcox Building

Photographer/Creator

Chester Smolski
Ammi B.
Walker and Gould
Edwin

Preview

Date

1-1-1979

Description

Though not visible, the U.S. Customhouse (leftmost building) is capped by an iron-cast dome that was conceived to dignify the third floor courtroom and upgrade the exterior view to be superior to customhouses at lesser ports. Pictured at the center, the Equitable 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. At the right is the Wilcox building. It's L-shaped floor plan wraps around the neighboring Equitable building giving it facades on both Weybosset and Custom House Streets. In 1975 the interior was destroyed by a fire. The ensuing restoration helped restore community concern to downtown preservation.

Notes

Bibliography: Jordy, William H, Ronald J. Onorato, and William M. K. Woodward. Buildings of Rhode Island. Oxford: New York, 2004. 48-49.

Creator 2 Dates

1798-1874

Creator 2 Role

Supervising Architect (Federal Building)

Creator 3 Dates

1872

Creator 3 Role

Architectural Firm (Equitable Building)

Creator 4 Dates

1875

Creator 4 Role

Architect (Wilcox Building)

Building Type

Mall

Building Style

Renaissance Revival

Themes

Urban Development

Subject Headings

Renaissance revival (Architecture) -- Rhode Island -- Providence; Architecture, Victorian -- Rhode Island -- Providence; Downtown districts -- Rhode Island -- Providence; Government buildings -- Rhode Island -- Providence; Historic buildings -- Rhode Island -- Providence

Country Name

United States

Region Name

Rhode Island

City Name

Providence

Street Address

42 Weybosset St

Recommended Citation

Smolski, Chester; Ammi B.; Walker and Gould; and Edwin, "U.S. Customhouse, Equitable Building, and Wilcox Building" (1979). Smolski Images. 976.
https://digitalcommons.ric.edu/smolski_images/976