The centerpiece of any visit to Providence is the "mile of History," where a cobblestone sidewalk passes a row of early-18th- and 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 historic architecture, is a reminder of the wealth brought to Colonial 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) distributes maps and pamphlets with self-guided tours. The Rhode Island Historical Society (401/438-0463. www.rihs.org) conducts summer walks on Benefit Street. The 90-minute tours depart from the John Brown House Museum Tuesday-Sunday at 11 AM.
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