Download 369SouthMainSt - The PPS Gowdey Database

PROVIDENCE PRESERVATION SOCIETY
RECORDS FOR
369 SOUTH MAIN STREET
Plat 16, Lot 37
George and Oliver Earle Warehouse
Built ca. 1820
Summary: In the early 19th century, Providence was already a major international seaport, trading up
and down the east coast of the United States as well as with Europe, the Caribbean, and the Far East.
The heart of the port was on the east side of the Providence River between Market Square and India
Point. This warehouse, fronting on South Main Street between Doubloon Street and James Street, was
prudently built of non-flammable brick and stone (nearly two decades earlier, in 1801, a devastating fire
had swept South Main Street). George and Oliver Earle were _____________. The building has had a
number of uses since its construction, including storage for the Ferry Coal Company from ____ to _____.
In the late 1970s, the City of Providence targeted South Main Street for redevelopment, and the building
was rehabilitated for reuse as office space. Today it is occupied by the law offices of _______.
369 South Main Street is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the College Hill
National Register Historic District (listed 1977). In the inventory, the building is dated ________ and
identified as _____________.
Chronology
In the 18th century, Providence evolved rather rapidly from a farming community into an international
seaport. Ships transported goods and passengers to and from other American colonies, the West Indies,
and Europe; and, after the Revolutionary War, trade relations extended to China and India. By the early
19th century, wharves, warehouses, shipyards, stores, and other businesses related to shipping crowded
the shoreline on both sides of the Providence River, an area now known as Old Harbor. On the east side,
South Main and South Water Streets ran parallel to the river bank, crossed by a series of small alleys
called gangways, with names like Gold, Silver, Coin, Guilder, Doubloon, and Sovereign evoking an image
of the fortunes to be made in foreign ports of call.
1798
“Map Showing the Owners of Lots in Providence in 1798,” Plate ____, shows the division of property
on the east side of the Providence River waterfront, south of Power Street. ____________
(Archives)
Records for 369 South Main Street
Page 2
1863
Assessor’s Plat Card for Plat 16, Lot 37 lists George W. Hall Estate as the property owner as of May 20,
1863. This was not confirmed by property deeds __________________
1875
1875 Atlas of the City of Providence by _____________, Plate P, shows the block bounded by South
Main Street on the east, Guilder Street on the south, South Water Street on the west, and Sovereign
Street on the north. (Note: Neither Guilder Street nor Sovereign Street have survived.) The block is
divided into two horizontal lots. The southern lot contains three brick structures owned by the Ferry Coal
Company, including the former Earle Warehouse building at the corner of South Main and Guilder. The
building has a street address of 251-253 South Main (WHEN WAS THE STREET RE-NUMBERED?).
Ferry Coal Company also owned the adjacent lot directly across South Water Street, right on the river,
with a wooden structure on it. (Note that the Heirs of G. and O. Earle owned the northern half of the
block, numbered 247 South Main. South of Guilder Street, buildings numbered 257-267 South Main
were owned by B.D. and G.B. Earle.) (Archives)
1882
1882 Atlas of the City of Providence by G.M. Hopkins & Co., Plate 1, shows the block bounded by South
Main, Guilder, South Water and Sovereign Streets. The block is still divided into two lots, with the
southern half owned by the Ferry Coal Company. The former Earle Warehouse stands at the corner of
South Main and Guilder. Various members of the Earle family still owned the northern half of this block,
as well as the entire block south of Guilder Street. (Archives)
1895
1895 Atlas of the City of Providence by Everts & Richards, Page 37 shows the block bounded by South
Main, Guilder, South Water and Sovereign Street. The block is still divided into two lots. Ownership is
not indicated. The street numbers have changed, and the former Earle Warehouse building is now
numbered 369-371 South Main Street. The lot it stands on (shared with other structures to the rear)
measures 5,640 square feet. (Archives)
1902
1902 Assessor’s Plat Map, Plat 16, shows the block bounded by South Main, Guilder, South Water and
Sovereign Streets. Its two lots are numbered 38 (north) and 39 (south). Lot 39, measuring 4,838 square
feet (slightly smaller than the same lot on the 1895 map) contains the former Earle Warehouse, although
no building or street address is indicated on the map. (Archives)
1908
1908 Atlas of the City of Providence by G.M. Hopkins Co., Plate 8, shows an identical street and lot
layout as on the 1895 atlas. The lot on which 371 South Main stands, at the corner of Guilder, measures
4,838 square feet and is owned by the “Ferry Coal Co. etal, J. Olney, Tr.” Ferry Coal also still owns the
property to the west across South Water Street, on the river. (Archives)
Assessor’s Plat Card for Plat 16, Lot 37 lists Emily E. Durfee as the property owner as of June 1, 1908.
This was not confirmed by property deeds, however, which place the Durfee property north of Sovereign
Street, a block north of 369 South Main. The confusion may come from the fact that in 1902, AP 16 Lot
37 was in fact north of Sovereign Street; the lot just north of Guilder Street, with which this report is
concerned, was numbered 39 in 1902. Lot 39 was renumbered 37 by the Assessor’s Office WHEN?
CHECK CARD FOR LOT 39 (Assessor’s Office)
1918
1918 Atlas of the City of Providence by G.M. Hopkins Co., Plate 18, again shows the same street and lot
layout as on the 1908 atlas. The lot on which 371 South Main stands, at the corner of Guilder, measures
4,838 square feet and is owned by the Ferry Coal Co., as is the corresponding property across South
Water Street. (Archives)
1923
Deed Book 641, Page 417: On April 21, 1923, Isabella Bosworth of Bristol, RI sold to Jacob Tanenbaum
of Providence, for $100, “one-eighth part of that estate, with all buildings and improvements thereon,
sometimes called or known as the Carlo Mauran Estate or Ferry Coal Company Estate.” The property
was in two pieces. One (containing the building at 369 South Main Street, although it is not specifically
mentioned), bounded east on South Main Street, south on Guilder Street, west on South Water Street
and north on land known as the George and Oliver Earle Estate, measuring 39-40 feet on both South
Main and South Water Streets. The other lay across South Water Street, bounded by South Water on the
east, Guilder on the south, the Providence River on the west, and Earle Estate land on the north, and also
measuring 39-40 feet in width. (Registry of Deeds)
Deed Book 641, Page 418: On April 23, 1923, William H. Earle, Harry H. Earle and Maria Earle Casey,
all of Providence, sold to Jacob Tanenbaum of Providence, for $10, a one-quarter interest in the same
two lots described in Book 641, Page 417. DIFFERENT BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION? (Registry of
Deeds)
CONTINUE TITLE SEARCH BACK FROM HERE
1924
Assessor’s Plat Card for Plat 16, Lot 37 lists the Emily E. Durfee Estate as the property owner as of
March 1925. See 1863 and 1908, above, for explanation as to why this is not correct: the Durfee
property was in fact located a block north of 369 South Main. CHECK CARD FOR LOT 39 (Assessor’s
Office)
1925
Assessor’s Plat Card for Plat 16, Lot 37 lists the Rhode Island Covering Company as the property owner
as of December 1925. This is not correct: the R.I. Covering Company did not acquire this property until
1944. CHECK CARD FOR LOT 39. (Assessor’s Office)
1926
1926 Atlas of the City of Providence by G.M. Hopkins Co., Plate 18, again shows the same street and lot
layout as on the 1918 atlas. The lot on which 371 South Main stands, at the corner of Guilder, measures
4,838 square feet and is now owned by S. Tanenbaum. (Archives)
1937
1937 Atlas of the City of Providence by G.M. Hopkins Co., Plate 18, again shows the same street and lot
layout as shown on the 1926 atlas. The former Earle Warehouse buildings stands at 367-369-371 South
Main and is owned by S. Tanenbaum. (Archives)
1939
Deed Book 862, Pages 322 and 323: On September 9, 1939, the Putnam Savings Bank in Putnam,
Conn., holder of a mortgage on two pieces of property owned by Jacob Tanenbaum (Mortgage Book 453,
Page 289, May 15, 1923), on which mortgage Mr. Tanenbaum had defaulted, put the properties up for
public auction. The Bank itself was the highest bidder, at $5,000, and on September 15 transferred to
itself full ownership of both properties, with all buildings and improvements thereon. The two lots lay on
either side of South Water Street: one was bounded by South Water on the east, Guilder on the south,
the Providence River on the west, and land of Earle Roth and Cyrus Taft on the north; the other was
bounded by South Main Street on the east, Guilder on the south, South Water Street on the west, and
land of Roth and Taft on the north. This latter lot contained the former Earle Warehouse Building at 369
South Main Street. (Registry of Deeds)
1944
Deed Book 862, Page 324: On May 17, 1944, the Putnam Savings Bank sold to the R.I. Covering
Company the same two lots it had acquired by default from Jacob Tanenbaum in 1939. The parcel
containing 369 South Main Street is described as being bounded 40 feet on South Main Street, 122 feet
on Guilder Street, 40 feet on South Water Street, and 122 feet on other land of the R.I. Covering Co.
(Registry of Deeds)
1961
Deed Book 1110, Page 684: On September 19, 1961, Dana M. Swan and Bernard Pollock, as coreceivers of the R.I. Covering Company (appointed by Superior Court May 17, 1961 in the case of RI
Hospital Trust Co. vs. RI Covering Company), sold two parcels of land to the Maurania Corporation for
$75,000. The first parcel (which included the building at 369 South Main Street) was bounded by South
Main, Guilder, South Water and Doubloon Streets, and included all the land in that block except for a
small piece at the corner of Doubloon and South Water. The deed notes that this property came into the
possession of the RI Covering Company via five separate deeds, including that of the Putnam Savings
Bank (but an incorrect citation is given for the location of that deed in Providence records), as well as the
abandonment of Sovereign Street in 1957. (The second parcel lay on the south side of Guilder Street.)
Assessor’s Plat Card for Plat 16, Lot 37 lists the Maurania Corporation as the property owner as of
December 1961. (Assessor’s Office)
1969
Deed Book 1151, Pages 641-742: Resolution of the Providence Redevelopment Agency, No. 2273,
approved February 14, 1969, declared the necessity for the acquisition of lands, or interest therein, for the
East Side Renewal Project No. R.I. R-4. The document describes 12 separate tracts of land, labeled “A”
through “M” (excluding “I”) to be taken by eminent domain for the purposes of redevelopment and
elimination of blight. Each of these 12 tracts is further divided into various areas (“A1, A2,” etc.). On
Page 718 of Deed Book 1151 is a description of Area J4, containing just under half an acre (.4848 acre),
which contains all of AP 16, Lot 37 as shown on the plat maps of 1967. Area J4 is bounded by Doubloon
Street, South Main Street, Guilder Street and South Water Street, and thus contains the lot at the corner
of South Main and Guilder where 369 South Main stands. (The plat map accompanying this resolution is
recorded in Plat Book 46, Page 35.) (Registry of Deeds)
Assessor’s Plat Card for Plat 16, Lot 37 lists the Providence Redevelopment Agency as the property
owner as of December 1969. The card refers to Deed Book 1151, Page 641. (Assessor’s Office)
1970
Plat Book 46, Page 35, entitled “A Plat of Land Condemned for the Redevelopment of East Side Renewal
Project R.I. R-4,” recorded February 19, 1970, shows four lots in the block bounded by Doubloon, South
Main, Guilder and South Water Streets. The lot at the southern end of the block, on the north side of
Guilder Street, is numbered 39 on this plat map; this is where 369 Main Street is located. Directly above
it is Lot 37, and above that is Lot 36 at the corner of South Water and Doubloon, while Lot 524 is at the
corner of Doubloon and South Main. (These lot numbers are identical to those shown on the 1902
Assessor’s Plat Map, except that the former Lot 38 and the former Sovereign Street right of way have
been absorbed into Lot 37 on this map) The map refers to PRA resolution 2379, dated February 10,
1970. WHAT IS THIS RESOLUTION? (Registry of Deeds)
Deed Book 1168, Pages 1060 and 1141: Parts I and II of a Contract for the Sale of Land, between the
Providence Redevelopment Agency, seller, and Sulzberger-Rolfe Inc. and Plantations Associates,
buyers, dated June 18, 1970 (although not recorded until July 21, 1972). (Edward Sulzberger of New
York City represented both buyers. Sulzberger-Rolfe was a New York corporation; Plantations
Associates was a Rhode Island limited partnership. The U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development
was a co-signer to Part II of the contract.) The contract refers to the PRA’s East Side Renewal Project
R.I. R-4, specifying that the property being conveyed to the buyers includes all real property in the “South
Main–South Water section” of the Project Area. The buyers agreed to redevelop the property in
accordance with the Official Redevelopment Plan adopted by the City Council on November 7, 1966, as
amended. The property was to be transferred in four separate parcels, each with its own price tag,
totaling $542,108. Parcel #4, so called, with a price of $173,252, contained all the land bounded by
Doubloon Street on the north, South Main Street on the east, James Street on the south, and South
Water Street on the west (and a little bit of the land south of James Street, as well.) The building at 369
South Main is included within the boundaries of Parcel #4; note that Guilder Street is to be abandoned
under this contract. The property did not officially change hands, however, until the buyers had made
certain improvements as required by the contract (see 1977, below.) (Registry of Deeds)
1977
In July and August 1977, the Providence Redevelopment Agency subdivided Parcel #4 into four separate
sub-parcels, and sold them one by one to Sulzberger-Rolfe Inc. and Plantations Associates. These four
transactions together included all of the land in Assessor’s Plat 16, Lots 37, 616, 617, 618, and 620 (the
block bounded by Doubloon Street on the north, South Main Street on the east, James Street on the
south, and South Water Street on the west). The deed conveying the sub-parcel containing 369 South
Main Street is described in detail below. The other related deeds can be found in Deed Book 1200,
Pages 611 (AP16, Lot 616), 624 (AP16, Lot 618), and 951 (AP16, Lots 617 and 620).
Deed Book 1200, Page 939: On July 1, 1977, the Providence Redevelopment Agency sold to
Sulzberger-Rolfe Inc. and Plantations Associates, for $5,280.00, a parcel containing 2,112 square feet of
land and buildings and improvements thereon. The lot is described as lying on the southwest side of
South Main Street, 100.29 feet northwest of the intersection of South Main and James Streets, measuring
44 by 48 feet with 44 feet of frontage on South Main Street. The deed refers to the applicable restrictions
and covenants under the PRA’s Official Redevelopment Plan dated March 31, 1965, adopted November
6, 1966. The restrictions as to land use will run until October 18, 2003; all other restrictions will run in
perpetuity. A plat map of the parcel can be found on Page 950 of Deed Book 1200. (Registry of Deeds)
Assessor’s Plat Card for Plat 16, Lot 37 lists Sulzberger-Rolfe Inc. and Plantations Associates as the
property owners as of August 26, 1977. The card refers to Deed Book 1200, Page 939. (Assessor’s
Office)
1978
Deed Book 1207, Page 630: On August 24, 1978, the Providence Redevelopment Agency issued a
Certificate of Completion via a Resolution of the Agency (Resolution #3956, dated August 24, 1978), at
the request of Sulzberger-Rolfe Inc. and Plantations Associates. The certificate refers to the 1977 deed
from the PRA to Sulzberger-Rolfe Inc. and Plantations Associates (recorded in Deed Book 1200, Page
939 [note the date is given incorrectly as August 26, 1977]) regarding “a certain parcel of land … which
contains Building J which is scheduled for rehabilitation and restoration … and, whereas construction of
improvements … have been completed in accordance of such deed,” the PRA issued the certificate to
confirm that fact. CHECK DPD – WHAT IS “BUILDING J”? (Registry of Deeds)
Deed Book 1207, Page 632: On May 24, 1977, Sulzberger-Rolfe Inc., a New York corporation doing
business in Rhode Island, and Plantations Associates, a Rhode Island Limited Partnership, sold to Frank
D’Orio of Providence a parcel of land on the southwest side of South Main Street, measuring 44 by 48
feet and containing 2,112 square feet of land. The deed indicates that a plat of the land is contained in a
map in Deed Book 1207, Page 634, entitled “Land within the East Side Project, R.I., R-4, April 1977.”
(Registry of Deeds) CONFIRM THIS DATE – SHOULD BE 1978???
Deed Book 1207, Page 635: On August 25, 1978 Frank D’Orio of Providence sold the same parcel of
land to Richard J. Deeble of Coventry. (Registry of Deeds)
Assessor’s Plat Card for Plat 16, Lot 37 lists Richard J. Deeble as the property owner as of August 28,
1978. The card refers to Deed Book 1207, Pages 632 and 635. (Assessor’s Office)
1979
Deed Book 1210, Page 968: On January 31, 1979, Richard J. Deeble of Providence sold to East-Dee
Realty Associates (a real estate partnership formed in January 1979 by Myron Eastwood and Richard
Deeble for the purposes of acquiring this property – see partnership agreement in Deed Book 1210,
Pages 953-967) two parcels of land. One was a lot with all buildings and improvements thereon on the
southwest side of South Main Street, situated 100.29 feet northwest of the intersection of South Main and
James Streets, measuring 44 by 48 feet, with boundaries matching those of AP 16, Lot 37 (this is the
building at 369 South Main). The other was a 16% interest in a 13,691 square foot lot with all buildings
and improvements thereon whose boundaries match those of AP 16, Lot 616. [Note: Deeble acquired
his 16% interest in Lot 616 from Frank D’Orio in August 1978 (Deed Book 1207, Page 637), who in turn
had acquired it in January 1978 when Sulzberger-Rolfe and Plantations Associates sold percentages of
Lot 616 to three different parties: 44% to Plantations Barn Associates, 40% to Andrew Mitrelis, and 16%
to Frank D’Orio (Deed Book 1203, Page 713).] (Registry of Deeds)
Assessor’s Plat Card for Plat 16, Lot 37 lists East-Dee Realty Associates as the property owner as of
January 31, 1979. The card refers to Deed Book 1210, Page 968. (Assessor’s Office)
1996
Deed Book 3257, Page 2: On January 3, 1996, East Dee Realty Associates sold to Field Goal Realty
LLC, a piece of property with the street address of 369 South Main Street. The property was sold as two
separate parcels: firstly, a lot with all buildings and improvements thereon on the southwest side of South
Main Street, situated 100.29 feet northwest of the intersection of South Main and James Streets,
measuring 44 by 48 feet, with boundaries matching those of AP 16, Lot 37 (this is the building at 369
South Main); and secondly, a 16% interest in a lot with all buildings and improvements thereon whose
boundaries match those of AP 16, Lot 616. (Registry of Deeds)
Assessor’s Plat Card for Plat 16, Lot 37 lists Field Goal Realty as the property owner as of January 4,
1996. The card refers to Deed Book 3257, Page 2. (Assessor’s Office)
2000
2000 Assessor’s Plat Map, Plat 16, shows the block bounded by Doubloon Street on the north, South
Main Street on the east, James Street on the south, and South Water Street on the west. (Recall, Guilder
and Sovereign Streets no longer exist.) Lot 37, numbered 369 South Main, sits in the middle of the block
and measures 2,112 square feet (roughly 44 by 48 feet). It is surrounded on the north by Lot 618, and on
the west and south by Lot 616; south of the Lot 616 south boundary are Lots 617 and 620. (Assessor’s
Office)
Research compiled by Kathryn J. Cavanaugh
June 2000