Captain Joseph Tillinghast House

Captain Joseph Tillinghast House (ca. 1770)
403 South Main Street, Fox Point
PPS Most Endangered Properties List: 2008, 2009
Building Type: Residential
Threat: Neglect/ Deterioration



Capt. Joseph Tillinghast, who commanded one of the boats involved in the burning of the Gaspee in 1772, built the ca. 1770 house on a site claimed by his great-grandfather Pardon Tillinghast in 1645. The site was also the location of the first wharf and warehouse in Providence. The 2½-story, 5-bay-facade Tillinghast House has a center-hall-plan with two interior brick chimneys and a central, pedimented entrance with paneled pilasters. The house survived the 1801 South Main Street fire and is the one of the only remaining buildings of Providence’s colonial waterfront. It is unclear why the sign in front of the building calls it “Dolphin House.”

The highly visible house is suffering from severe neglect; the buckling façade indicates problems with the building’s frame. Additionally, the building’s position adjacent to the original I-195 and the riverfront puts it at risk. Once I-195 is moved from its original location, the house will be bordering highly desirable, developable land, placing the deteriorating colonial-era structure at even greater risk.

In 2008 and again in early 2009, the owner engaged and architect and the Providence Revolving Fund to study a potential rehabilitation of the building. He reportedly hired an engineer to do exploratory work on the building’s structure. Previously he expressed interest in using tax credits to improve the building’s condition; however, there is fear that with the state’s moratorium on the historic tax credits and the approaching closure of the old I-195 this building will continue to decline until it is beyond repair.

Over the past year, the building’s condition continued to rapidly deteriorate. The structure was not secure and vandals had found several points of entry. PPS and concerned citizens notified the City of Providence and the building inspector ordered the property owner to secure the building. He complied by boarding up lower level window and doors. Nothing else has been done to stabilize and protect the building.



Update: Currently, the exterior renovations are being completed while working closely with the Providence Revolving Fund. The building has been restructured and the foundation has been repaired. The roof and the chimneys have also been rebuilt, and the windows are in the process of being repaired. In the next month or two, the exterior restoration should be complete. Then, they will begin working on the interior. At this point, there is no tenant in mind for the building.

Return to the 2009 Most Endangered Properties List

Return to the 2008 Most Endangered Properties List