The centerpiece of any visit to Providence is the "mile of History," where a cobblestone sidewalk passes a row of 18th- and early-19th-century candy-color houses crammed shoulder-to-shoulder on a steep hill overlooking downtown. Romantic Benefit Street, with one of the nation's highest concentrations of Colonial architecture, is a reminder of the wealth brought to Rhode Island through the triangular trade of slaves, rum, and molasses. The Providence Preservation Society (21 Meeting St., at Benefit St., East Side. 401/831-7440. www.ppsri.org) distributes maps and pamphlets with self-guided tours. The Rhode Island Historical Society (401/438-0463. www.rihs.org) conducts summer (mid-June-mid-Oct.) walks on Benefit Street. The 90-minute tours cost $12 per person and depart from the John Brown House Museum Tuesday-Saturday at 11 AM.
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