The Eliza Ward – M.J. Perry House in Providence, Rhode Island.
This Federal style brick house sits on a high granite base as many of the houses in the College Hill neighborhood do – necessitated by the steep hill. When built in 1814, the house had its entrance one story above street level. The door was reached by exterior stairs, as many house entries in area still are.
The second owner, Marsden J. Perry, had architects Stone, Carpenter and Willson create a street level entrance with an internal stair up the original entry hall in 1892. A new mid-floor oriel window was added where the original entrance had been, apparently at a new stair landing between floors.
The result is a Federal style house with Colonial Revival alterations that are sympathetic to and compatible with the original house.
Understanding the style, or styles, of a house will help you know which features are character-defining so you can prioritize their preservation.
The Federal and Colonial Revival styles are two of 25 historic architectural styles described and illustrated in Chapter 2 of “Restoring Your Historic House, The Comprehensive Guide for Homeowners.”
Signed and personalized copies of the award-winning and bestselling 720-page hardcover book are available from the author in our online shop at YourHistoricHouse.com/shop/.
© Scott T. Hanson 2025.
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