The Roger Williams National Memorial is a landscaped urban park located on a common lot of the original settlement of
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts ...
, established by minister
Roger Williams in 1636. The
national memorial commemorates the life of Williams, who co-founded the
Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations and championed
religious freedom
Freedom of religion or religious liberty is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance. It also includes the freedom ...
. The park is bounded by North Main, Canal, and Smith Streets, and Park Row.
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Description
The Roger Williams National Memorial is a park located near the eastern bank of the
Moshassuck River
The Moshassuck River is a river in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It flows U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 from the town of Lincoln to the city of Provi ...
, east of the
Rhode Island State House and north of
Downtown Providence
Downtown is the central economic, political, and cultural district of the city of Providence, Rhode Island. It is bounded on the east by Canal Street and the Providence River, to the north by Smith Street, to the west by Interstate 95, and to th ...
. It stands at the base of
College Hill, upon which the early settlement of Providence was concentrated. The memorial is separated from the river by Canal Street, and bounded on the other three sides by Smith Street, Park Row, and North Main Street. The southern portion of the park has a relatively open grassy area ringed by trees, while the northern portion is more landscaped, with the visitor center housed in the 1736 Antram-Gray House
[National Park Service]
Antram-Grey House
accessed 1 April 2017 at the northeast corner, and a parking area on the west side. Major features in the northern section include the Bernon Grove and the site of the spring which prompted Williams to select the site.
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The park's visitor center features an exhibit and video about Roger Williams and the founding of Rhode Island, as well as information about historic sites in Providence.
Administrative history
The national memorial was authorized on October 22, 1965. The memorial was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
on October 15, 1966. The site was developed in the late 1970s after the land acquisition was completed and the buildings on the land were demolished. It was the only unit of the National Park System in Rhode Island
Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area and the seventh-least populous, with slightly fewer than 1.1 million residents as of 2020, but it ...
until 2014 when the Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park
Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park is a National Park Service unit in the states of Rhode Island and Massachusetts. The park was created for the purpose of preserving, protecting, and interpreting the industrial heritage of the Blac ...
was designated.
Gallery
File:Roger Williams National Memorial Visitor Center, Providence Rhode Island.jpg, The 1736 Antram-Gray House serves as the park's Visitor Center
File:Roger Williams national park2.jpg, The site commemorating the spring discovered in 1636 by Roger Williams
File:Roger Williams National Memorial plaque, Providence Rhode Island.jpg, A plaque at the site
See also
* List of national memorials of the United States
*
*Boston Common
The Boston Common (also known as the Common) is a public park in downtown Boston, Massachusetts. It is the oldest city park in the United States. Boston Common consists of of land bounded by Tremont Street (139 Tremont St.), Park Street, Beac ...
References
Notes
External links
* Official National Park Service website
Roger Williams National Memorial
{{authority control
1965 establishments in Rhode Island
Williams
Geography of Providence, Rhode Island
History museums in Rhode Island
Monuments and memorials on the National Register of Historic Places in Rhode Island
Museums in Providence, Rhode Island
National Memorials of the United States
National Park Service areas in Rhode Island
National Register of Historic Places in Providence, Rhode Island
Protected areas established in 1965
Protected areas of Providence County, Rhode Island
Religion and politics