Roger Williams National Memorial

Roger Williams National Memorial
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location:	Providence, Rhode Island
Coordinates:	41.8303779°N 71.4108899°W / 41.8303779; -71.4108899
Built:	1636
Architect:	Norman Isham
Architectural style:	No Style Listed
Governing body:	Local
NRHP Reference#:	66000942
Added to NRHP:	October 15, 1966

Roger Williams National Memorial is a landscaped urban park located on a common lot of the original settlement of Providence, Rhode Island, by Roger Williams in 1636. Bounded by North Main, Canal, and Smith Streets and Park Row, the memorial commemorates the life of the co-founder of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations and a champion of the ideal of religious freedom. Williams, banished from Massachusetts for his beliefs, founded this colony as a refuge where all could come to worship as their conscience dictated without interference from the state. This park is the 20th smallest national park in the nation.

The park's visitor center features an exhibit and video about Roger Williams and the founding of Rhode Island, as well as information about historic sites in Providence.

Statue of Roger Williams in the visitor center of the Roger Williams National Memorial

View of Roger Williams National Memorial

View of Roger Williams National Memorial

Administrative history

The national memorial was authorized on October 22, 1965. As with all historic areas administered by the National Park Service, the memorial was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966. As of 2006, it is the only unit of the National Park System in Rhode Island. Touro Synagogue National Historic Site in Newport is an affiliated area of the National Park Service, but not formally part of the system.

References

• The National Parks: Index 2001–2003. Washington: U.S. Department of the Interior.

External links

• Official NPS website: Roger Williams National Memorial