East Providence Village Joins National Register of Historic Places

An East Providence mill village has been added to the National Register of Historic Places. The Phillipsdale Historic District has been recognized for its contributions to the history of local industry, architecture, and community development.

Nestled on the east side of the Seekonk River in the north end of the city, the Phillipsdale Historic District is a small mill village containing approximately 80 acres of land and water, including three industrial sites and a mill pond. Among the other built features are a dam, a railroad bridge, 75 workers’ houses, 30 other houses, 3 former stores, a church, and a former school.

For much of the neighborhood’s early history, this was a rural area with scattered farmsteads. The oldest surviving building in the historic district is the Edwards-Carpenter-Sherman House, originally built ca. 1750 as a store.

The village is home to a variety of engineering innovations, building types and architectural styles.

Industrial development in the area began with the construction of water-powered grist mills, and saw mills in the 17th and 18th centuries, followed by cotton mills by the early 1800s. The Rumford Chemical Works developed a plant nearby in 1857.

The National Register nomination for Phillipsdale Historic District was prepared by Kathryn Cavanaugh. According to the Rhode Island Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission Executive Director Edward F. Sanderson, "Phillipsdale is an interesting chapter in East Providence's history, and it remains today a vital and cohesive neighborhood."

Mayor Bruce Rogers of East Providence added, “This is a tremendous opportunity for Phillipsdale to be recognized for its contribution towards the industrialization of America that began in the mid-19th century and its influence in shaping our community. Placement of Phillipsdale on the National Register of Historic Places will encourage rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of our historic buildings and strengthen the City’s cultural heritage.”

Ned Connors, chairman of the East Providence Historic District Commission, said: “The recognition of Phillipsdale as a National Register District is great news for East Providence. The factories, water system, transportation features, and factory village are a remarkable survival of the industrial activity that defined the area from the time of the early sawmills and grist mills at the mouth of the Ten Mile River to the extensive metalworking industries of the 20th century.”

Information for this article was provided by a press release from the Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission.