James Burr House
Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island
Marker Inscription
James Burr House. c. 1786
The Story
This plaque marks a dwelling raised in Providence around 1786, in the first years after American independence, when the town was shaking off the disruptions of the Revolution and reclaiming its footing as a busy New England seaport. Homes of this vintage went up as merchants, tradesmen, and craftsmen built along the streets climbing up from the Providence River, giving the young city its enduring Federal-era character. A modest date like 'c. 1786' signals a structure that has quietly outlasted more than two centuries of the town growing up around it.
Why it matters
Preserved houses from the immediate post-Revolutionary years are living evidence of how ordinary American communities rebuilt and prospered once the new republic began — Rhode Island in this very era stood at the threshold of the nation's industrial transformation. Marking and keeping such a home anchors a city's memory to the everyday people who lived through the country's founding decades.
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Related people
- · James Burr
Themes & tags
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