The four Brown brothers -- John, Joseph, Moses, and Nicholas -- were prominent Providence merchants who made a fortune trading with the West Indies, Europe, and, later, China. This three-story Georgian mansion, designed for John by his brother Joseph in 1786, has elaborate woodwork and is filled with furniture, decorative art, silver, and items from the China trade. John Brown was a patriot, famous for his role in the burning of the British customs ship Gaspee in 1772. He was also a slave trader: in fact, his abolitionist brother Moses brought charges against him for illegally engaging in the buying and selling of human lives. Despite his fame, it is not John who is remembered in Brown University, but his nephew, Nicholas Jr., whose gift to Rhode Island College in 1804 prompted it to change its name. Across the street and open Friday 1-4 is Nightingale House, built by a Brown business rival.
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