Market House, Providence

Market House is a three-story Georgian brick building completed in 1775. Designed by Joseph Brown and statesman Stephen Hopkins, it originally had two floors: an open market for meat, fish, and produce below, with rooms for civic meetings above. Its balanced façade, arched ground-floor openings, sash windows, and circular gable window reflect the formal public architecture of the colonial period.

The building soon became a centre of political activity. In March 1775, a crowd gathered nearby to protest British taxation and burn imported tea. During the American Revolution, the structure was also used as quarters for French soldiers. A third floor was added in 1797 for a Masonic hall, changing the original proportions while preserving the restrained brick exterior.

From 1832 to 1878, Market House accommodated the mayor, city council, and other municipal offices. It later served commercial organizations before becoming part of the Rhode Island School of Design in 1948. Visitors can examine plaques marking flood levels from the Great Gale of 1815 and the hurricane of 1938. The surrounding brick-paved square provides clear views of the building’s long façades and historic details.