Roger Williams Memorial and grave at Prospect Terrace in Providence, Rhode Island
When Roger Williams died in 1683, he was buried behind his house. In 1860, one of his descendants, Stephen Randall, exhumed a grave thought to be Williams, but since it was never marked with a tombstone, there is no telling exactly who was dug up that day. Randall and a few others formed the Roger Williams Monument Association with the goal of raising money for a permanent memorial, but they had no luck in doing so. In the meantime, the exhumed bones were reinterred in the family burial crypt at the Old North Burial Ground on Branch Avenue. It wasn’t until 1936 that a new fund raising project was started for a memorial at Prospect Terrace overlooking Providence. The money was raised, and in 1939 the memorial was completed. Williams is now buried underneath the sculpture of himself.
The Prospect Terrace memorial is not part of Roger Williams National Memorial, but it is worth stopping to see if you are interested in Williams. There are also some nice views of downtown Providence, most notably of the Rhode Island State House.
Rhode Island State House as seen from Prospect Terrace
Prospect Terrace is within walking distance of Roger Williams National Memorial—a little less than a half mile—but it is up a hill as steep as any I have encounter when hiking in the mountains. Unless you are young and full of energy, I suggest driving. It is located on a hill between Pratt and Congdon streets, with Congdon being the top of the hill and the access point to the memorial. There is no parking lot, so you must park on the street. Oddly enough, you can’t get a good look at the statue from the actual memorial, for it was erected right on the edge of a cliff. It is best viewed from below on Pratt Street.
View of the Roger Williams Memorial and grave from Pratt Street in Providence, Rhode Island
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Last updated on August 31, 2023
