The River at the Heart of the City
HOURS
Sun, May 8; 3-5pm
MEETING POINT
Intersection of Ship and Eddy Streets near the Pedestrian Bridge
ENDING POINT
Same as starting point
WALK DESCRIPTION
For millennia, rivers around the world have been places for people to travel, congregate, engage, and establish communities. Over hundreds of years of RI history, the Moshassuck and Woonasquatucket rivers that converge in Providence have filled all of these roles and more. On this tour we’ll walk along the river, talk about its history and the history of the parts of the city that surround the river, and think about the original functions of the river. How many are still there? How have they changed in the last thousand years? Are any of those functions still visible today? What does the river do for the city now?
The route of the walk takes us across the pedestrian bridge, along the east side of the river, through the war memorials, into downtown, through the Arcade, past the Customs House, by the Irish Famine memorials, and back to the start.
WALK LEADER: Catherine Hurst
Cathy Hurst is a retired marketing executive and college professor. She conducts walking tours for the Rhode Island Historical Society; does research, writing, and re-enactment with the North Burial Ground Project; and has engaged in historical research and bio writing for the 1919 Boston Police Strike Project and the Ghost Arm Legacy Project. She lives in Providence and loves to walk along the river!
