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Providence Athenaeum

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Philadelphia architect William Strickland designed this Greek Revival building that opened in 1838, absorbing the collections of two disbanded libraries: Providence Library Company and an earlier Athenaeum library. Here Edgar Allan Poe courted poet Sarah Helen Whitman and signed a periodical in the collection containing a piece he published anonymously. An 1870s Manet print that illustrated Poe's "The Raven" hangs in the rare book room, which also contains two medieval illuminated manuscripts. Raven signs are posted at eight points of interest on a self-guided library tour. Among them is a special cabinet modeled after an Egyptian temple to house the library's multi-volume imperial edition of Description de l'Egypte (1809-1822), commissioned by Napoleon. The library has Wi-Fi.

    Contact Information

  • Address: 251 Benefit St., East Side, Providence, RI, 02903 | Map It
  • Phone: 401/421-6970
  • Cost: Free
  • Hours: Labor Day--Memorial Day, Mon.--Thurs. 9--7, Fri. and Sat., 9--5, Sun. 1--3; Memorial Day-Labor Day, Mon.--Thurs. 9--7, Fri. and Sat. 9--1
  • Website: www.providenceathenaeum.org
  • Location: Providence
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    Charming old library

    A charming little historic library space, has a useful working book collection (and surprisingly, a still viable card catalog), a few paintings, and other little delights. Worth a brief visit.

    by bachslunch, 5/13/09

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