PROVIDENCE – An area on the east side of the Rhode Island College campus has been added to the National Register of Historic Places by the National Park Service, RIC and the R.I. Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission announced on Monday.
The area, known as the State Home and School for Dependent and Neglected Children Historic District, was once home to an institution for dependent children that influenced the development of Rhode Island’s modern child welfare system, according to the commission.
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The state home cared for 10,000 children between 1885 and 1979. After its acquisition of the site in 2002, RIC began a research, documentation and preservation project for the site and buildings. That effort spanned eight years, from 2002 to 2010.
Eight buildings in the district met the National Park Service’s requirements to be listed on the National Register. All of the buildings are still in use by RIC. The district is also considered an area of archaeological interest.
“This is a well-deserved recognition of the history that existed at this site even before it became a college campus,” Rhode Island College President Frank D. Sánchez said in a statement. “The many years of hard work and research have put a spotlight on an important chapter in our state’s history and opened up new possibilities for preservation that come with this federally recognized designation.”
