Oddfellows' Hall (East Providence, Rhode Island)

Oddfellows' Hall is a rare surviving element of Watchemoket Square, a village which was the heart of the East Providence business community during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.[4][5] East Providence was incorporated in 1862, and Watchemoket Square was significantly built up between 1880 and 1920.[4] It became a desirable location for the professional class to live, and many large Queen Anne and shingle style buildings were built in the neighborhood with decorative towers and porches.[4] An 1885 iron bridge on Warren avenue connected Warren Avenue to India Point in Providence.[6]

By the early 20th Century, the area boasted over 100 businesses and hotels.[5] The construction of I-195 in 1955 destroyed half of the village, leaving the Oddfellows Hall as one of its few survivors.[6] The neighborhood quickly fell into decline in the following decades.[6] The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.[2]

The hall in 2012

By the 21st century the structure had become, according to one city councilor, a "a blighted building" located in "a blighted area."[1] The city of East Providence acquired the building in 2012.[7] In 2017 the surrounding neighborhood was established as a federal opportunity zone to spur investment.[1] The building sat "vacant for many, many years with multiple issues," including a roof in need of total replacement.[1] The city put the structure out for bid multiple times in hopes of making it a centerpiece for turning the area into a neighborhood Arts district.[1]

In 2019 the city sold the building to a holding company for one dollar.[1] The city expressed hope that the building could be used for any number of uses including residential or commercial space, or artist studios, or senior living.[1]