Manchester Street Generating Station, 460 Eddy Street, Providence, Providence County, RI

Significance: The Manchester Street Generating Station, a complex of approximately 20 buildings and structures on 30 acres of land abutting the west bank of the Providence River, is significant as the oldest electrical generating station in Providence and one that charts advances in the fields of industrial construction and electrical engineering in the first half of the twentieth century. Its existence, development, and modifications over time were directly linked to the growth of the City of Providence as a modern metropolis, and changes following the initial construction in 1903 reflect an integrated program of functional improvements. It has provided a continuous legacy in public services: electric street railways, followed by electric light and power generation. The main station building is an important local example of early-twentieth-century industrial architecture.
Survey number: HAER RI-35