Building in Providence, Rhode Island
The
Providence County Courthouse
(also known as the
Frank Licht Judicial Complex
) is a
Georgian Revival
building in the
College Hill
neighborhood of
Providence, Rhode Island
. The building contains the state's
court of last resort
, the
Rhode Island Supreme Court
, and the local trial court, the Providence County Superior Court.
At a height of 216 ft (66 m), the courthouse is the
11th-tallest building
in the city.
History
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Town house (1723-1875)
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The lot currently occupied by the courthouse has been used for governmental and judicial purposes since the 18th century. In 1794, the city purchased a building at the southern corner of college and Benefit Streets originally built in 1723 by the First Congregational Society for use as a meeting house. Known as the "town house," this building hosted public meetings and was occasionally used as a courthouse.
[1]
[2]
First Providence County Courthouse (1877-1924)
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In March 1875, the property was condemned and a city commission began work to construct a new public building at the site. The resulting courthouse, was designed by
Stone & Carpenter
in the
High Victorian Gothic
style.
[3]
Work on the structure began in July 1875 and was completed in December 1877.
[2]
Second Providence County Courthouse (1924)
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In 1923, a public commission began work to erect a new courthouse at the site. Among the reasons cited for the construction of a new building were the prior structure's inadequate space and lack of fireproofing.
[2]
The second and current courthouse was erected between 1924 and 1933 following a design by
Jackson, Robertson & Adams
.
[4]
As part of the construction process, the historic
Stephen Hopkins House
was moved from its original location on the lot to an adjacent property.
Architecture
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The building is constructed from red brick with granite and limestone trim. The building's exterior is designed in the
Georgian Revival
style while the interior follows an iteration of the
Federal
style.
Architectural historian McKenzie Woodward lauds the building for its
contextualism
, which defers in its design to the buildings surrounding. Woodward also commends the fragmentation of the building's large mass into "visually digestible units".
[5]
See also
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References
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External links
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