As I said in a previous post about Veazie Street, I was recently talking with a woman whose family lived here, on Bergen Street, in the 1920′s. Back then, this street and neighborhood was safe, decent and solidly white, working-class. The houses were kept up, the gardens and small lawns were tended and you could send your kids out to play or to the store, by themselves, without fear of them being shot, stabbed or murdered. What changed?
I have the same question as treestump. My father grew up in downtown providence, and everytime we drive by his neighborhood (which is now just off of rt 95 north) he points it out… and frankly it looks like a place where i would never step foot. I’d like to be able to see the progression of this houses’ demise. How exactly did it happen and why? Something has to be done, there is no question about it.
The answer is simple, Providence moved to Warwick and Route 95 cut a swath through what was left. The demise of neighborhoods is probably closely tied to the demise of “owner occupants”. Despite the restaurant propaganda, how many “Italians” actually live on Federal Hill anymore?
If you think it is bad now, that is because you don’t remember the 70′s. My mother inherited a “rooming house” on Benefit Street which could only be described as a “flop house”. College Hill was saved by the declaration of an Historic District, and federal financing to go with it. If you drive around College Hill towards Fox Point, you can see where the Historic District (and the financing) ends, from one side of a street to the other. I expect the original plan anticipated “creep”. But, as you drive down towards Gano Street, you won’t see any recent renovation.
Another note. Interestingly, Boston decided not to be cut in halves by Route 95. Although it is disappearing with time, it used to be that when you drove up Route 95 to the junction with Rte 128, you could see the “clear cut” ahead straight into the heart of Boston.
As a side note, this house – 65 Bergen – was one of the houses in my family circle. 113 Harold was another. There were many births, deaths and funerals in both.
As another side note: there was once a very, very poor and, at least partially, black area of Providence that may have been lost to history. It was called “Shoe Fly” but I can’t remember where, exactly, it once was.
I remember riding past it on the highway on several occasions when I was very small.
I wonder if historians ever took note of its existence? One of the images I recall from that neighborhood was of a three story wooden building that had one end of it torn away so that all three of the interior floors were visible – and sort of hanging – helplessly – in mid air. What was memorable and creepy about it was this: looking into the second-floor area, it was clear that some sort of bar or “club” had once been there. All of the remaining walls were painted with a mural or diorama of boxing rings and fighters. Driving by and glancing in, I could see the parts that weren’t peeling down the walls or faded. It was an eerie sight to see – and, as I look back and try to date the style of the murals, I want to say “‘teens or twenties”.
You’re correct about Fox Point, Faust. When my Grandfather was growing up there, it was considered to be a rough and dangerous place (rough and dangerous for the 1880′s, that is) Even when I was growing up, the word was still filtering down to us in the sticks that if you go to Providence, Fox Point and Federal Hill are places to stay out of.
Benefit Street hit hard times, too. From what I understand, in the 1930′s most of the houses on it were derelict and generally, flop-houses.
It’s amazing what a little bit of love, luck, care and money can do. Benefit Street is a treasure now.
A great deal of the credit for Benefit Street goes to Mrs. Malcom G. Chace, Jr·, who acquired and restored for resale about forty houses on College Hill. This really sparked interest, combined with the “back to the city” movement of the 60′s and 70′s. Newport also benefited from Doris Duke’s effort to buy her way into heaven after killing her husband. She bought up, and restored, large sections of Thames Street.
As to black neighborhoods in Providence in those day, I suspect that Providence was rather “racially charged”. A very ealy memory of mine is reading a report in the ProJo about a black guy who had at least attempted to rape a white girl. When the police arrived, he ran into a three decker where the police pursued him. When they emerged he didn’t have a hair left on his head. According to the police “he kept tripping and falling, we could only catch him by the hair”. I suppose rapists of any stripe are not well treated by the police.
I recall Fox Point as a place you didn’t go. I also recall a bar in Pawtucket that would sell me beers and let me shoot pool at 15, or so.
As I said in a previous post about Veazie Street, I was recently talking with a woman whose family lived here, on Bergen Street, in the 1920′s. Back then, this street and neighborhood was safe, decent and solidly white, working-class. The houses were kept up, the gardens and small lawns were tended and you could send your kids out to play or to the store, by themselves, without fear of them being shot, stabbed or murdered. What changed?
I have the same question as treestump. My father grew up in downtown providence, and everytime we drive by his neighborhood (which is now just off of rt 95 north) he points it out… and frankly it looks like a place where i would never step foot. I’d like to be able to see the progression of this houses’ demise. How exactly did it happen and why? Something has to be done, there is no question about it.
“How exactly did it happen and why?”
The answer is simple, Providence moved to Warwick and Route 95 cut a swath through what was left. The demise of neighborhoods is probably closely tied to the demise of “owner occupants”. Despite the restaurant propaganda, how many “Italians” actually live on Federal Hill anymore?
If you think it is bad now, that is because you don’t remember the 70′s. My mother inherited a “rooming house” on Benefit Street which could only be described as a “flop house”. College Hill was saved by the declaration of an Historic District, and federal financing to go with it. If you drive around College Hill towards Fox Point, you can see where the Historic District (and the financing) ends, from one side of a street to the other. I expect the original plan anticipated “creep”. But, as you drive down towards Gano Street, you won’t see any recent renovation.
Another note. Interestingly, Boston decided not to be cut in halves by Route 95. Although it is disappearing with time, it used to be that when you drove up Route 95 to the junction with Rte 128, you could see the “clear cut” ahead straight into the heart of Boston.
As a side note, this house – 65 Bergen – was one of the houses in my family circle. 113 Harold was another. There were many births, deaths and funerals in both.
As another side note: there was once a very, very poor and, at least partially, black area of Providence that may have been lost to history. It was called “Shoe Fly” but I can’t remember where, exactly, it once was.
I remember riding past it on the highway on several occasions when I was very small.
I wonder if historians ever took note of its existence? One of the images I recall from that neighborhood was of a three story wooden building that had one end of it torn away so that all three of the interior floors were visible – and sort of hanging – helplessly – in mid air. What was memorable and creepy about it was this: looking into the second-floor area, it was clear that some sort of bar or “club” had once been there. All of the remaining walls were painted with a mural or diorama of boxing rings and fighters. Driving by and glancing in, I could see the parts that weren’t peeling down the walls or faded. It was an eerie sight to see – and, as I look back and try to date the style of the murals, I want to say “‘teens or twenties”.
You’re correct about Fox Point, Faust. When my Grandfather was growing up there, it was considered to be a rough and dangerous place (rough and dangerous for the 1880′s, that is) Even when I was growing up, the word was still filtering down to us in the sticks that if you go to Providence, Fox Point and Federal Hill are places to stay out of.
Benefit Street hit hard times, too. From what I understand, in the 1930′s most of the houses on it were derelict and generally, flop-houses.
It’s amazing what a little bit of love, luck, care and money can do. Benefit Street is a treasure now.
It’s amazing what a little bit of love, luck, care and money can do. Benefit Street is a treasure now.
A great deal of the credit for Benefit Street goes to Mrs. Malcom G. Chace, Jr·, who acquired and restored for resale about forty houses on College Hill. This really sparked interest, combined with the “back to the city” movement of the 60′s and 70′s. Newport also benefited from Doris Duke’s effort to buy her way into heaven after killing her husband. She bought up, and restored, large sections of Thames Street.
As to black neighborhoods in Providence in those day, I suspect that Providence was rather “racially charged”. A very ealy memory of mine is reading a report in the ProJo about a black guy who had at least attempted to rape a white girl. When the police arrived, he ran into a three decker where the police pursued him. When they emerged he didn’t have a hair left on his head. According to the police “he kept tripping and falling, we could only catch him by the hair”. I suppose rapists of any stripe are not well treated by the police.
I recall Fox Point as a place you didn’t go. I also recall a bar in Pawtucket that would sell me beers and let me shoot pool at 15, or so.
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