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All the United States Rhode Island Providence Providence Athenaeum

Providence Athenaeum

A 19th century library favored by Edgar Allan Poe and H.P. Lovecraft, known by locals as "the Ath."

Providence, Rhode Island

Added By
Molly McBride Jacobson
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The main reading room of the Athenaeum.   Kenneth C. Zirkel/CC BY-SA 3.0
The main reading room of the Athenaeum.   Kenneth C. Zirkel/CC BY-SA 3.0
Plants, busts, books, and an old fashioned desk in the stacks.   angela n./CC BY 2.0
The neoclassical exterior of the Providence Athenaeum.   Will Hart/CC BY 2.0
Portrait of George Washington in the reading room.   angela n./CC BY 2.0
The goddess Athena   ionajay / Atlas Obscura User
  morgtckr / Atlas Obscura User
Sign for the library’s hours.   CorpseLady84 / Atlas Obscura User
An 1830s Egyptian-styled cabinet in the rare book room.   Courtesy of the Providence Athenaeum
The view from one of the alcoves.   Courtesy of the Providence Athenaeum
The card catalogue (still usable).   Courtesy of Nat Rea for the Providence Athenaeum
A view from the art room window.   Courtesy of Nat Rea for the Providence Athenaeum
The downstairs reading room.   KevArchie/CC BY-SA 2.0
The 1873 fountain in front of the Athenaeum.   Will Hart/CC BY 2.0
A modern bust of H. P. Lovecraft.   Kenneth C. Zirkel/CC BY-SA 3.0
Providence Athenaeum   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
The Providence Athenaeum.   Kenneth C. Zirkel/CC BY-SA 3.0
The goddess Athena   ionajay / Atlas Obscura User
  ionajay / Atlas Obscura User
  ionajay / Atlas Obscura User
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About

The Providence Library Company was founded in 1753 by a group of Providentians who wanted to read but could not afford to have books shipped from Europe on their own. Before the city had a public lending library, this organization gave members access to the world through shared books for a small fee. The company eventually set up shop in the Athenaeum (named for Athena, Greek goddess of wisdom) in 1836. It’s been an institution ever since.

Don’t be daunted by the neoclassical columns and name. The Athenaeum, or “the Ath” as some of its regulars know it, is for everyone. On any given day, anyone can drop in and browse the stacks, which include gems like the 1855 edition of Leaves of Grass (containing notes in Walt Whitman’s own handwriting), an 1830s book on astronomy, and a Regency-era book of boys’ entertainments.

Artwork dons the walls of the building. A full length portrait of George Washington looks over the reading room, while another wall is graced with a bookplate from The Raven painted by Édouard Manet. The library has its fair share of literary history, even aside from its tomes. Poet Sarah Helen Whitman broke off her courtship with Edgar Allan Poe in the Athenaeum, and H. P. Lovecraft visited many a time and even wrote to friends about the charming little library in Providence.

The Athenaeum still functions as a library but it’s also much more than that. There are musical events, parties, old-fashioned salons and speaking events, all hosted in the beautiful Victorian library stacks. The busts of Cicero and Athena even wear costumes. It serves as an important cultural space in Providence, and its public programs have earned the institution a reputation as “a 19th-century library with the soul of a 21st-century rave party.”

Related Tags

Books Libraries Repositories Of Knowledge H. P. Lovecraft Edgar Allan Poe

Know Before You Go

There's a sizable children's library as well, and pets are welcome too. The library is regularly closed on Sundays.

Community Contributors

Added By

Molly McBride Jacobson

Edited By

CorpseLady84, ionajay, blimpcaptain, morgtckr

  • CorpseLady84
  • ionajay
  • blimpcaptain
  • morgtckr

Published

December 7, 2016

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Sources
  • http://www.npr.org/2012/02/25/146814120/athenas-library-the-quirky-pillar-of-providence
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Providence_Athenaeum
  • https://web.archive.org/web/20151102034847/http://www.providenceathenaeum.org/facts/facts.html
Providence Athenaeum
251 Benefit Street
Providence, Rhode Island
United States
41.825799, -71.406298
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Providence

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