Aldrich Mansion facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Indian Oaks
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Main house
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| Location | 836 Warwick Neck Ave., Warwick, Rhode Island |
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| Area | 74.3 acres (30.1 ha) |
| Built | 1899 |
| Architect | Carrere & Hastings; Stone, Carpenter & Willson |
| Architectural style | Renaissance |
| MPS | Warwick MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 83000174 |
| Added to NRHP | August 18, 1983 |
The Aldrich Mansion is a grand old building from the late 1800s. It has been owned by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence since 1939. You can find it by the beautiful Narragansett Bay in Warwick, Rhode Island. This large estate was first known as Indian Oaks. It was also called the Senator Nelson W. Aldrich Estate.
The estate was built starting in 1899 by Nelson W. Aldrich (1841–1915). He was a powerful politician from the Republican Party in Rhode Island. The main house is a huge stone building designed in a French Renaissance style, with fancy decorations inside. Other buildings on the property include a boathouse and a caretaker's house.
Aldrich's family sold the property to the Roman Catholic church in 1939. It was then used as a seminary, which is a school for training priests. Today, the Aldrich Mansion still belongs to the Diocese of Providence. It is a popular place for weddings, special events, and business meetings. Sometimes, it is even used for movies and TV shows.
The estate was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. This means it is an important historical site.
History of Aldrich Mansion
The Aldrich Mansion was originally built for Senator Nelson W. Aldrich of Rhode Island. His estate was very large, covering over 225 acres. Building the estate started in 1896 and took about 16 years to finish.
In 1901, Senator Aldrich's daughter, Abby Aldrich, got married to John D. Rockefeller Jr. at the mansion. Years later, in 1939, the Senator's family sold the Aldrich Mansion and 100 acres of land to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence. They sold it for about $75,000.
From 1946 to 1983, a school called Our Lady of Providence Seminary was located at the Aldrich Mansion. In 1955, a large school building was constructed for the seminary. When the seminary moved to a new location, Bishop Hendricken High School used the property for its older students for ten years.
What the Estate Includes
Today, the Aldrich Mansion estate covers about 74.3 acres. It features the French-style mansion, a gatehouse, and large stables. There is also a boathouse and a seminary chapel. The property also has classrooms, dormitories, a gym, and dining areas from when the seminary was there. The seminary moved to Providence some years ago. For almost 20 years, a Catholic boarding school for girls, Overbrook Academy, also used the facilities.
The mansion was also used as a filming location. It was featured as William Parrish's mansion in the 1998 movie Meet Joe Black.
Aldrich Mansion Today
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence still owns the Aldrich Mansion. It is a busy place today. Many people choose it for their wedding receptions. It also hosts conferences and events to raise money for good causes. As mentioned, it is sometimes used for filming television shows and movies.
See Also
- Nelson W. Aldrich House, another home of Senator Aldrich in Providence
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Kent County, Rhode Island
