Witness to History

Witness to History (HM21BT)

Location: Providence, RI 02903 Providence County
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Country: United States of America
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N 41° 49.886', W 71° 24.647'

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Inscription
If this building could speak, it would tell the remarkable tale of a city's transformation.
The Antram-Gray House, the oldest surviving commercial building in Providence, was built around 1730 as a residence and distillery.
It soon found itself at the center of a bustling waterfront district.
As inland manufacturing replaced maritime trade, the waterfront around the house was filled in.
Over time, ownership of the house changed from wealthy merchants to small businessmen.
The National Park Service purchased this "witness to history" in 1974 to serve as the national memorial's visitor center.

Pre-Revolution
1738 - 1765

The William Antram family operated a distillery here in early Providence's maritime district.
At that time, a wharf was part of the house lot.

Revolutionary War
1772 - 1783

During the war, the house was a shop where residents could buy milk, cheese, and French brandy among other items.
Providence emerged from the war as the commercial center of Rhode Island.

Birth of a City
1831 - 1832

A four-day clash between white sailors and local black residents of the nearby Snowtown neighborhood left four dead and many wounded.
The Snowtown Riot motivated town residents to incorporate Providence in
1832.

National Park Service
1965 - present

Today, the Antram-Gray House serves as the memorial visitor center.
Stop in to view a short film, explore interpretive exhibits, and find out about special programs.
Details
HM NumberHM21BT
Tags
Placed ByNational Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Friday, September 1st, 2017 at 7:01am PDT -07:00
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Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)19T E 299811 N 4633870
Decimal Degrees41.83143333, -71.41078333
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 41° 49.886', W 71° 24.647'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds41° 49' 53.16" N, 71° 24' 38.82" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)401
Which side of the road?Marker is on the right when traveling East
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 282 N Main St, Providence RI 02903, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

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