Having worked predominantly in Chicago over the past 20 years, where the oldest homes are just over 110 years old (and this is uncommon), it was a rare adventure to work on a 200 year old home with a full history of owners. The first owner was Eliza Ward, the daughter of Joseph Brown, one of the Brown brothers who founded Brown University and also an architect. She resided in the house for 30 years alone because her husband died before the house was completed. During her life in the home she commissioned custom wallpaper from a French company in Paris called Dufour et Leroy. The two parlors are themed and covered with this wallpaper. One parlor depicts the Bosphorus River (with a scene of Maine over the mantel. Why? Or why not? Eliza must have liked Maine). The other parlor describes the Incan Revolution in a particular French manner. Around 1893, Marsden Perry, a very prominent industrialist involved in railway, utility companies, and banking in Providence, purchased the house and made substantial modifications and enhancements including changing the entry from the second floor to the first floor, so that he could construct a library which would house his Shakespeare collection (now part of the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington D.C., an independent research center), building out a spectacular butler’s pantry and a fabulous hand painted tile bathroom depicting sea nymphs and angry dolphins with young children riding on their backs.

It was a challenge to work on this house which had been neglected for at least 50 years, or at least ‘repaired’ in only a very superficial way. Electrical systems had to be updated throughout and plaster and paint required months of work. The wallpapered parlors were restored for six months with a local restorationist, a former RISD graduate, Robert Dodge, who had also worked in the Lippett Museum House, and the Federal Court House. A new master bathroom, sitting room and walk in closets were added and all bathrooms were refinished to 21st century standards. Not to worry, the very cool hand painted tile in the Marsden Perry bath was spared.

Thirteen months later, the house is nearly complete, with modern lighting systems, new bathrooms, a new kitchen and re-landscaped terraced garden and English style courtyard all done with the historic sense of the home taken into consideration. I learned a lot from this old, obstinate house of history and welcome the next 200 year old challenge!

Check out more images of this home in our portfolio under College Hill Historic Renovation!