Please note that this is a student project, and represents the student's impressions of his visit.
This project should not be considered an authenticated source on the history of the Providence Athenaeum.
To find out more about the Providence Athenaeum, please visit the library's webpage, providenceathenaeum.org.
This project should not be considered an authenticated source on the history of the Providence Athenaeum.
To find out more about the Providence Athenaeum, please visit the library's webpage, providenceathenaeum.org.
The current building on Benefit Street that houses the Providence Athenaeum was built in 1838 by William Strickland. Built in the Greek Revival Style, this temple-esque building has been slowly expanding over the years with the growth of the libraries collection. Though the building itself elicits memories of American Ideals, such as strength and democracy, it’s the inside that truly defines the site.
The spaces within are an astoundingly perfect depiction of what one would consider an old American library. Small little alcoves enclosed by towers of selves, little ladders scattered through out the books, small desks for writing, everything about the main room defines library.
One of the most predominant features is the card catalog in the main room. Almost archaic in the time of computers, the card catalog really furthers the image of an old building.
What is odd about this National Historic Landmark is that compared to the architecture surrounding it, the building is pretty conventional. The sole reason the landmark is preserved is more so for the actually library and not the building itself.
This collection of books started with the founders pulling their money together to create a collection none of them could afford on their own. Most of the original books were imports from London. Notable among the collection are a lot of first copies of various American poets works, including Edgar Allen Poe, Walt Whitman, and Herman Melville. There is also a copy of “Description de L’Egypte”, a set of 23 oversized volumes on Napoleon’s expedition to Egypt from 1798-1799.
The volumes are housed in the “Egyptian Cabinet”, built by local cabinet markers Millard and Lee.
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