Pioneering

Founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, most of Providence burnt to the ground in the 1600s during King Phillip's War, a battle between settlers and Native Americans. The surge of reconstruction that followed provided Providence with some of the most significant Colonial-period architecture in the country. Historic sites include Benefit Street, also known as "The Mile of History," with 18th and 19th century houses and other historic buildings lined along a cobblestone street; the Rhode Island State House featuring the fourth-largest self-supporting marble dome in the world; and the John Brown House, one of America's grandest mansions.