Benefit Street Arsenal

.

The Benefit Street Arsenal was built in 1842 by the Providence Marine Corps of Artillery (PMCA), with the ground-floor room of the Arsenal functioning as a training space for the PMCA through the end of the Civil War. Soldiers from the PMCA have been serving the United States out of the Arsenal for 150 years and counting and the Arsenal is decorated with grand military portraits and plaques commemorating the battles fought by the PMCA and 103rd Field Artillery.

Upstairs, two centuries worth of military artifacts are carefully arranged throughout the maze-like rooms. The artifacts are on display in glass display cabinets, laid across tables and couches, and hung on the walls — there’s a WWI uniform with a 103rd Field Artillery metal button nestled below the collar, a 1916 War Department order rating 87 National Guard Artillery batteries with Rhode Island’s A battery in the top position by over 3,000 points, the first four shell casings fired by the 103rd Artillery during the Iraq War signed by all the soldiers present, and original recruitment posters for the Rhode Island batteries.

Not only a home to the curated military history of the 103rd, the Arsenal continues to serve as a gathering space for veterans.

Behind The Scenes

General Valente and some of his comrades will guide you through the military collections rarely ever seen by the public.

Read about our experience at the Benefit Street Arsenal on our Blog