We just got back from a quick trip to Rhode Island, and had a chance to peek at the Renaissance Providence Downtown on the recommendation of a local friend. Turns out, the building, which is across from the State House, has a fascinating history.
Original construction of the Neoclassical landmark started in 1926, when the building was meant to be a Masonic temple. But after a lack of funds halted construction in 1928, the building was abandoned and left largely untouched. A local historian told the New York Times in 2006:
When I first came to work in the 1970s, you could go in there, and you could see the hand tools that were still sitting where they had been put down in 1928.
Sage Hospitality group led the refurbishment project, which involved a gut renovation to modernize the building and clean out decades worth of graffiti. While the hotel could've stripped out all the Masonic references in favor of Renaissance-ing the place, they've instead scattered cheeky references to the building's past throughout. Our favorite? The street art-inspired sign above Temple restaurant.
Rates at the Renaissance in March are as low as $129.
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