The central region of Providence's East Side contains a cluster of important educational institutions, such as Brown University and the Moses Brown and Wheeler Schools. Bryant College was also located there until the 1970s. Settlement began with the establishment of Benefit Street around 1760, and the move of a number of wealthy merchants from the waterfront up the hill. The John Brown House, the Nightingale Brown House, the Ives and Carrington Houses are witnesses of that period of settlement in the late 18th and early 19th Century. Brown University had moved into University Hall in 1770, (after occupying a school house on meeting street for a short time, following its initial location in Warren, Rhode Island), and continued to expand through the 19th and 20th Centuries. Brown University's institutional zone occupies a large part of the neighborhood, and is surrounded by mostly one and two story houses. After a restoration campaign in the 1950s and 1960s, Benefit Street has become the city's mile of history with a large number of well restored 18th and 19th Century houses.

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

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