Renaissance Providence Hotel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Masonic Temple
Providence, Rhode Island |
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The building with adjacent Veterans Memorial Auditorium at right.
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 Location in Providence
Location in Rhode Island
Location in the United States
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| Location | Providence, Rhode Island, US |
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| Built | 1927 |
| Architect | Multiple |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 93001181 |
| Added to NRHP | November 16, 1993 |
The Renaissance Providence Hotel (historically known as the Mason Building, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places under Masonic Temple)—is one of two monumental buildings in central Providence, Rhode Island, US, that remained unfinished and were then abandoned for decades. Originally intended as a meeting hall for the Freemasons, construction work began in 1927, but was halted in 1929 as a result of the financial crisis of that year. With the outbreak of World War II, construction was halted permanently. It was added (under the name "Masonic Temple") to the National Register of Historic Places in 1993, along with the adjacent Veterans Memorial Auditorium. In 2004 the building was rehabilitated and opened as a hotel in 2007.
Description
The building, constructed in the Greek Revival style, is located prominently on Francis Street opposite the Rhode Island State House. The opening of the Providence Place Mall next door across Hayes Street has made the site prime real estate. In 2004, the building was purchased by Sage Hospitality Resources, which converted it into a luxury hotel, which opened in June 2007.
The adjoining building known as the Veterans Memorial Auditorium (VMA), located between the hotel and Interstate 95, was originally part of the same complex, and was connected to the unfinished Masonic Temple by a small structure at ground level. While construction halted at the same time as that at the Temple building, the auditorium was completed in the 1950s.
