The Arcade

130 Westminster St, Providence, RI 02903, USA

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Built In

1828

History

Generally known as the first indoor shopping mall in the country, the granite Arcade was built by Cyrus Butler and the Arcade Reality Company. Russell Warren designed the Weybosset Street side of the building and James C. Bucklin did the Westminster Street side. Both sides feature a portico that is 74 feet wide and 15 feet deep with six Ionic columns. The Westminster side is topped with a pediment while the Weybosset side has a parapet. Above the three stories of retail space was a huge skylight roof. The building was nearly razed in 1944, but the Rhode Island Association for the Blind purchased it as an investment and to preserve it. The Arcade was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971, and five years later, was designated a National Historic Landmark. Over time, it became challenging to rent the shops, especially those on the second and third floor, which were suffering due to reliance on stair use. In 2008, the Arcade was forced to close. In 2014, the building reopened with the upper floors converted into micro-loft residences. The ground floor continues to operate as commercial spaces.