A late 1970s abstract take on the board-and-batten Gothic Cottage, but here enlarged in scale beyond the exemplar. For an understanding of the 19th-century Gothic Revival, see the house included on this tour at 147 Bowen Street. The larger scale reflects two influences at work on the design: the late 20th-century desire for large, dramatic living spaces, as found in the west-facing living room with large windows, and the concern by the Providence Historic District Commission that the house achieve a scale commensurate with its monumental late 19th-century neighbors, like the George Corliss House across Angell at 45 Prospect Street. The architects, Mancini Associates, had had little experience with historic-preservation architectural issues at the time the firm received the commission, but in the long run the house stands up well, especially for a building from a decade whose architecture does not exactly shine forth. The impressive granite retaining walls, steps, and coping at the property’s edge are the only remnants of the predecessor building on the site, the Seth Adams House (1852-54; Richard Upjohn, architect), a large, brick 3-story towered Italianate villa that no doubt inspired the design of the Corliss House.

— 2006 Festival of Historic Houses Guidebook