Stephen Hopkins was buried at the end of Main Street in Providence. At his death in 1785 his body was “escorted to the North Burial Ground by a large group of fellow citizens from all walks of life, which demonstrated not only his manifold interests and activities, but his universal admiration as well” (Conley, 131). In 1771 Towne Street had been split and renamed into Water, King, Constitution, Williams and Prince Streets, south to north respectively. Prior to the Declaration of Independence the main street of Providence had been renamed to honor the King of England and Prince of Wales, the colonies mother country. At the time of Stephen Hopkin’s death, his house lay on the corner of Kings Street and Bank Lane (currently Hopkins Street). In order to reach the North Burial Ground at the end of Prince Street, the funerary procession would have brought his dead body over these separated streets. In 1806, in accordance with their nations independence, all these streets were again renamed with one title, Main Street (Simister, 23-24). As if commemorating the procession of Stephen Hopkin’s funeral, the body of a signer of the Declaration of Independence, the street names that referred to the “mother country” were erased and southern Providence’s homes were re-associated with their burial grounds.
figure 3: Grave and Monument of Stephen Hopkins
