Probably Providence’s first example of literal replication of specific historic antecedent, this Greek Revival building was modeled after the Temple of Diana-Propylea in Eleusis. Named for the university’s first president, it also represents the beginning of specialized use on the Brown campus, specifically the library and the chapel. The library, as seen below, expanded considerably over the years and required even larger buildings, but the chapel, now non-denominational, remains at the upper level. The design and construction of the building were the work of Warren, Tallman & Bucklin toward the end of their loose collaboration begun in the late 1820s.
– 2003 Guide to Providence Architecture
[Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology]
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