Back to Providence

Yesterday it was forecast to be in the upper 60s, so I took the day off from work and returned to Providence. I spent my time on the College Hill section of the City where Brown University and the Rhode Island School of Design are located. I walked for several miles getting quite a workout in the process. My tour began at the First Baptist Church that was constructed between 1774 and 1775. Very large with a nice chandelier in the center of the sanctuary. Besides that it was of a simple and rather unadorned Georgian style. Although of great historical significance I would not make the self-guided tour a priority on a day trip again. Roger Williams founded the Baptist church in Rhode Island in reaction to the puritans of Massachusetts from whom he had fled.

The Providence Athenaeum is a private library housed in a Greek Revival building. The inside is handsome and must be a nice place to curl up with a book or to write. I received a very gracious welcome there. But the highlight of the day was the small, one room, Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology on the campus of Brown University. The exhibit Believing in Africa was largely curated by undergraduate and graduate students. It looked at Islam, Christianity, and native spiritual beliefs in sub Saharan Africa. The wooden masks and other objects were of excellent quality and the text and label copy were very well written. The sole employee in the Museum at the time was very welcoming and interesting to chat with. The main section of the Brown campus was very handsome.