Settlement south of the former saltwater cove and west of the Moshassuck and Woonasquatucket rivers began in the 1700s and grew dramatically during the following century. After the construction of Thomas Tefft's railroad station (1847) at Exchange Place (now Kennedy Plaza), development around the 1774 Market House at the foot of College Hill became the new city center. The irregular saltwater cove was converted into an oval basin surrounded by a tree-lined promenade. Nearby Westminster and Weybosset Streets became major commercial thoroughfares in the late 1800s. In 1895 a new railroad station was built further north (Stone Carpenter Willson) and the oval cove basin was filled in to accommodate additional tracks and parking. With the demise of the railroad in the 1960s came plans to turn the tracks into a park and development areas, and finally, the Capital Center design was developed by Skidmore Owings and Merrill. Waterplace Park features a round basin as a reminder of the previous cove. While the mall on the western side is the most conspicuous part of this new development, other parcels have remained vacant.

Use the map on the left to select a location, or click here for a list.

For further information on Downtown, consult the Providence Plan website.
 
 
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