239:
262:
29:
311:. They were indentured for a period of six months and subject to strict rules of daily conduct. Residents included both men and women, but they were strictly separated. Visitors were admitted only once every three weeks. Despite living on a working farm, residents were served only white bread and tea for dinner.
286:
as for the building itself. The specifications of the wall were detailed in Dexter's will, which required that the city build "a good, permanent stone wall of at least 3 feet thick at the bottom and at least 8 feet high and to be placed on a foundation of small stones as thick as the bottom wall and
290:
Over time, the wall grew into local legend. Boastful locals would claim to have picnicked on the wall or to have walked or even bicycled the entire perimeter. Wealthy neighbors sometimes viewed the wall as an eyesore; portions still stand today surrounding Brown's Olney-Margolies
Athletic Complex.
252:
Ebenezer Knight Dexter was a wealthy mercantile trader in
Providence. Upon his death in 1824, he bequeathed to the town his 40-acre Neck Farm on the East Side of Providence. Dexter stipulated in his will that a poor farm or almshouse must be built on the site within five years. In 1828, the Dexter
299:
At the time of its building, poor farms were considered a humane, progressive way to deal with poverty. The idea was for poor, elderly, and ill people to earn their keep by working in a vegetable and dairy farm, instead of begging on the streets. Proceeds from the farms helped the asylum to be
287:
sunk 2 feet into the ground." It took eight years and $ 12,700 to complete the wall, which was over a mile long. It is unclear whether the purpose of the wall was to protect the privacy of asylum residents, or to protect the neighbors from seeing the downtrodden residents within.
322:
By the early 20th century, the asylum had begun to decline. A poorhouse was seen as undesirable as the neighborhood grew in affluence. Also, society's ideas were changing on how to help the poor; poor farms were becoming an anachronism as states started establishing
327:
programs. The resident population at Dexter also declined. The city started to look for ways to close the institution; however, Dexter's will had specified that the town could never sell the property and that it could only be used for his specified purpose.
583:
314:
By 1849, the institution faced overcrowding, with 190 residents living at the asylum at its height. That number was trimmed to around 100, where it remained for most of the rest of its existence.
573:
249:
Providence had no institution to care for the poor prior to the Dexter Asylum. People unable to support themselves were taken care of in private homes by caretakers who would bid for the job.
331:
The city spent years in court working to overturn this requirement and brought its first case as early as 1926, in an effort to turn the property into housing. This case was lost, but the
342:
and the Olney-Margolies
Athletic Complex on the site. The city set aside the money from the sale to create the Dexter Donation, which gives annual grants to assist the city's poor.
593:
578:
335:
eventually cleared the way for a public auction. In 1956, the plot was auctioned off, and Brown
University won with a bid of $ 1,000,777, or $ 25,653 per acre.
588:
338:
Eight people were still living in the facility at the time of the sale. They were moved, the existing buildings were demolished, and Brown eventually built
379:
308:
520:
304:
414:
175:
332:
300:
financially self-sufficient and even to turn a profit, at least for a time. The dairy farm included cows and pigs.
238:
211:
147:
86:
96:
274:
The building itself was originally three stories high, and later expanded with a mansard roof and dormers.
383:
243:
568:
261:
339:
226:
residents who could not otherwise take care of themselves. In 1957 it was sold via auction to
227:
223:
528:
78:
Bounded by Hope Street, Stimson Avenue, Angell Street, Arlington Avenue and Lloyd Avenue
562:
422:
190:
177:
207:
165:
59:
242:
A statue of
Ebenezer Knight Dexter at the Dexter Training Ground, near the
28:
553:
461:
415:"Dexter Donation: Ebenezer Knight Dexter's Enduring Gift to Providence"
324:
219:
215:
16:
Poorhouse and farm surrounded by a wall in
Providence, Rhode Island
260:
237:
33:
Library of
Congress photo, taken April 1958 just before demolition
521:"Ebenezer Knight Dexter: A Pioneer in Caring for the City's Poor"
283:
230:
and demolished for a complex of athletic fields and buildings.
253:
Asylum was completed and opened, named for its benefactor.
303:
Residents at Dexter Asylum were typically unemployed
282:
The property was known as much for its unusual stone
584:
Buildings and structures in
Providence, Rhode Island
574:
Demolished buildings and structures in Rhode Island
161:
153:
142:
134:
126:
118:
110:
102:
92:
82:
74:
66:
55:
47:
42:
21:
409:
407:
405:
403:
401:
8:
514:
512:
510:
508:
506:
504:
502:
500:
498:
496:
494:
492:
490:
488:
486:
484:
482:
18:
351:
594:1956 disestablishments in Rhode Island
579:Government buildings completed in 1828
456:
454:
452:
450:
448:
446:
444:
442:
440:
7:
382:. Brown Daily Herald. Archived from
373:
371:
369:
367:
365:
363:
361:
359:
357:
355:
589:1828 establishments in Rhode Island
214:. It was built in 1828 and housed
14:
525:City of Providence; City Archives
27:
554:Rhode Island Historical Society
466:Rhode Island Historical Society
378:Li, Sophia (27 February 2009).
133:
109:
380:"The East Side's Untold Story"
1:
62:and farm surrounded by a wall
610:
191:41.8308401°N 71.3974812°W
38:
26:
212:Providence, Rhode Island
148:Providence, Rhode Island
87:Providence, Rhode Island
462:"Dexter Asylum Records"
318:Closing and destruction
196:41.8308401; -71.3974812
266:
246:
244:Cranston Street Armory
210:" on the East Side of
97:Ebenezer Knight Dexter
295:Life at Dexter Asylum
264:
241:
257:Building and grounds
103:Construction started
531:on 5 September 2015
386:on 20 February 2016
333:state Supreme Court
187: /
67:Architectural style
43:General information
519:Campbell, Paul R.
425:on 29 October 2020
419:City of Providence
267:
247:
340:Meehan Auditorium
171:
170:
601:
541:
540:
538:
536:
527:. Archived from
516:
477:
476:
474:
472:
458:
435:
434:
432:
430:
421:. Archived from
411:
396:
395:
393:
391:
375:
228:Brown University
202:
201:
199:
198:
197:
192:
188:
185:
184:
183:
180:
31:
19:
609:
608:
604:
603:
602:
600:
599:
598:
559:
558:
550:
545:
544:
534:
532:
518:
517:
480:
470:
468:
460:
459:
438:
428:
426:
413:
412:
399:
389:
387:
377:
376:
353:
348:
320:
297:
280:
272:
259:
236:
195:
193:
189:
186:
181:
178:
176:
174:
173:
34:
17:
12:
11:
5:
607:
605:
597:
596:
591:
586:
581:
576:
571:
561:
560:
557:
556:
549:
548:External links
546:
543:
542:
478:
436:
397:
350:
349:
347:
344:
319:
316:
307:, mostly from
296:
293:
279:
276:
271:
268:
265:1871 engraving
258:
255:
235:
232:
169:
168:
163:
159:
158:
155:
151:
150:
144:
140:
139:
136:
132:
131:
128:
124:
123:
120:
116:
115:
112:
108:
107:
104:
100:
99:
94:
90:
89:
84:
80:
79:
76:
72:
71:
68:
64:
63:
57:
53:
52:
49:
45:
44:
40:
39:
36:
35:
32:
24:
23:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
606:
595:
592:
590:
587:
585:
582:
580:
577:
575:
572:
570:
567:
566:
564:
555:
552:
551:
547:
530:
526:
522:
515:
513:
511:
509:
507:
505:
503:
501:
499:
497:
495:
493:
491:
489:
487:
485:
483:
479:
467:
463:
457:
455:
453:
451:
449:
447:
445:
443:
441:
437:
424:
420:
416:
410:
408:
406:
404:
402:
398:
385:
381:
374:
372:
370:
368:
366:
364:
362:
360:
358:
356:
352:
345:
343:
341:
336:
334:
329:
326:
317:
315:
312:
310:
306:
301:
294:
292:
288:
285:
284:boundary wall
277:
275:
269:
263:
256:
254:
250:
245:
240:
233:
231:
229:
225:
221:
217:
213:
209:
205:
204:Dexter Asylum
200:
167:
164:
160:
156:
152:
149:
145:
141:
137:
129:
125:
121:
117:
113:
105:
101:
98:
95:
91:
88:
85:
81:
77:
73:
69:
65:
61:
58:
54:
50:
46:
41:
37:
30:
25:
22:Dexter Asylum
20:
533:. Retrieved
529:the original
524:
469:. Retrieved
465:
427:. Retrieved
423:the original
418:
388:. Retrieved
384:the original
337:
330:
321:
313:
302:
298:
289:
281:
273:
251:
248:
224:mentally ill
203:
172:
83:Town or city
429:13 February
278:Dexter Wall
194: /
569:Poor farms
563:Categories
346:References
305:immigrants
234:Benefactor
182:71°23′51″W
179:41°49′51″N
135:Demolished
51:Demolished
208:poor farm
166:Poor farm
162:Known for
111:Completed
93:Named for
70:Victorian
60:Poorhouse
535:21 April
471:21 April
390:21 April
270:Building
157:39 acres
146:City of
75:Location
325:welfare
309:Ireland
220:elderly
206:was a "
154:Grounds
222:, and
127:Closed
119:Opened
48:Status
143:Owner
537:2015
473:2015
431:2021
392:2015
216:poor
138:1957
130:1956
122:1828
114:1828
106:1824
56:Type
565::
523:.
481:^
464:.
439:^
417:.
400:^
354:^
218:,
539:.
475:.
433:.
394:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
