Annmary Brown Memorial, Providence

The Annmary Brown Memorial was built between 1903 and 1907 by General Rush C. Hawkins in memory of his wife, Annmary Brown, a member of the Brown family. Designed by Rhode Island architect Norman Isham, the single-storey granite building has a windowless exterior intended to resemble a tomb. Its monumental bronze entrance doors carry allegorical reliefs representing Art and Learning.

Four gallery rooms display European and American paintings dating from the 17th to the 20th centuries. The memorial also preserves Civil War objects connected with Hawkins’ service as commander of the Union Army’s 9th New York Zouaves. Another major collection is the Cyril and Harriet Mazansky British Sword Collection, which contains more than 100 weapons dating from the early 17th century to the First World War.

The building originally included a research library containing Hawkins’ rare books and manuscripts, including 15th-century printed works. These materials were transferred to the John Hay Library in 1990 for specialist preservation. At the rear of the memorial, a crypt contains the tombs of Annmary Brown and General Hawkins, maintaining the building’s original role as both a cultural institution and a personal memorial.