Daniel Abbott, who donated the land for the Congregational Church next door, gave this small parcel of land for a public square, “in the true New England manner,” for the newly established congregation. Providence’s oldest dedicated public space, it is little understood as a political statement rejecting Rhode Island’s religious freedom and expressing a longing to emulate the theocratic Massachusetts model. Perceived and used as a public space, it is still owned and maintained by Beneficent Congregational Church.

– 2003 Guide to Providence Architecture