Union Station (Providence) Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Significant dates

Union Station
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district Contributing property

1898 Union Station
Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
Location	Providence, Rhode Island
Built	1898
Architect	Stone, Carpenter & Willson
Part of	Downtown Providence Historic District (ID84001967)
NRHP reference No.	75000003
Added to NRHP	February 20, 1975
Designated CP	February 10, 1984

Union Station refers to two different train stations in Providence, Rhode Island. Both stations are no longer used for trains.

The First Union Station (1847-1887)
- A Giant Building for Its Time
- The Fire of 1896
The Second Union Station (1898-1986)
- Changes in Train Travel
- New Life for the Old Building
See also

The First Union Station (1847-1887)

The very first Union Station in Providence opened in 1848. It was built to serve the growing city. A 21-year-old architect from Rhode Island, Thomas Alexander Tefft, designed this building. He used a style called Lombard Romanesque.

A Giant Building for Its Time

The construction of the station was overseen by Tallman & Bucklin. This huge building stretched 720 feet along Exchange Place. When it was built, it was the largest railroad station in the United States. Some even said it was the longest building in the country.

In 1885, a magazine called American Architect and Building News named it one of the 20 best buildings in the country. A famous historian, Henry-Russell Hitchcock, later called it "the finest early station in the New World."

The Fire of 1896

Providence kept growing, and the city needed more space for trains. In 1890, parts of the city's inland bay were filled in. The old station became too small. On February 21, 1896, a big fire destroyed much of the building. This fire solved the problem of what to do with the old station.

A drawing of the first Union Station in 1857, ten years after it was built.
City Hall and the first Union Station in 1885.
An 1886 picture of Exchange Place. The station is on the right of City Hall.
The building right after the 1896 fire.

The Second Union Station (1898-1986)

A much bigger Union Station opened in 1898. It was built with bright yellow bricks. The Providence Journal newspaper said it marked "a new era of history of this city." The company Stone, Carpenter & Willson designed this station. They also designed other buildings in Providence.

Changes in Train Travel

People thought train use would keep growing. But by the 1980s, train travel had dropped by 75 percent. City planners wanted to remove the "Chinese Wall" of train tracks. These tracks were blocking Providence's main business area.

In 1986, train services like MBTA and Amtrak moved. They went to a new, smaller station about half a mile north.

New Life for the Old Building

Union Station caught fire again in April 1987. This happened while it was being renovated. The fire caused plans to change. Today, parts of the original station have been fixed up. The building now has offices and restaurants, like the Union Station Brewery.

The main building of Union Station is home to the Rhode Island Foundation. This foundation rents space to other groups. These include The Public's Radio, RI Kids Count, Women's Fund RI, and Bar Louie Restaurants.