After a great lazy morning, with some reading, napping, and dog-parking, I headed over to The Providence Athenaeum after lunch. As I went down Benefit St., I was again struck by the history and beauty of the street. It deserves its name as the “Mile of History.”
The Providence Athenaeum is one of America’s oldest membership libraries, founded in 1753 and the 4th oldest in the country. The Athenaeum was best known to me, for its piece of famous trivia – according to library, the poet, Edgar Allen Poe, courted (ultimately unsuccessfully) Sarah Whitman in the stacks of the Athenaeum. It also supposedly was a favorite haunt of H.P. Lovecraft, another influential horror writer. The library also owns a copy of the American Review in which Poe signed below his anonymously published poem, “Ulalume.” The buildings’ inside shelves are organized into great alcoves, with old fashioned desks and lamps. The history of the building is evident throughout, although the overall feeling is not outdated. In addtion, the handsome Greek Revival building, completed in 1838 is the only New England building designed by the great Philadelphia architect, William Strickland. I’m thinking it will be a great place for studying and treasuring hunting through the stacks. Check out Flickr for some photos!
