Prospect Terrace

Story

Prospect Terrace Park is a park located on Congdon Street in the College Hill neighborhood of Providence, Rhode Island. The park was founded in 1869, on land that was given to the city by residents of the neighborhood. The park is known as "The Jewel of the City" for its dramatic elevated view of Providence's "downcity."Author and Providence native H. P. Lovecraft frequently visited the park.HistoryA statue of theologian Roger Williams (designed by architect Ralph Thomas Walker) was built in the late 1930s after Williams' descendant Stephen Randall made a deed of gift for the monument. It was dedicated on and dedicated on 29 June 1939. The approximate 15-foot tall granite statue commemorates Williams' founding of the state of Rhode Island and his promotion for religious freedom, and the statue depicts Williams gazing over the city.In 1939, Roger Williams' remains were moved into a tomb that lies directly beneath the statue. His body had been overgrown by the roots of an apple tree next to his original grave. The roots grew over the form of his body, so that it looked similar to a human form. The remainder of his bones were reburied in a bronze casket and placed beneath his statue in Prospect Terrace. The so-called "Williams Root" is preserved and is now on display at the John Brown House Museum on the East Side of Providence.In 2006, vandals removed all five fingers of the statue's left hand, along with the thumb of his right hand. The damage was repaired in 2010.