Providence Biltmore Hotel, 11 Dorrance Street, Providence, Providence County, RI

Significance: The Providence Biltomore Hotel was by far the most modern structure in Providence at the time of its completion in 1922. It was not only the tallest building in Providence, but its facilities and technical improvements were also a great advance on earlier Providence hotel norms. Following its opening in June 1922, the Biltmore quickly became the gathering place for Rhode Island business, industry, government and social communities. The corridor from Washington Street to the area that now serves as the lobby retains its original configuration and much of its simple detail. This passageway is significant as a reminder of the original program of the hotel, with its principal public rooms located above street level. The corridor was the only space on street level integrated into the interior design of the hotel. The Falstaff Room is a barroom dating to the mid-1930s. Its architectural and design elements create an "Olde Englishe" setting. The Falstaff Room harkens back in form and spirit to the paneled bars and grills of country clubs, many of which were done up in Queen Anne or generic Tudor style. During the 1930s, revivalist settings were coming into increasing use for their associational possibilities, especially as a marketing tool. Probably little altered since the 1930s, the room remains intact as a bit of architectural merchandising and as a touchstone to twentieth-century social history.
Survey number: HABS RI-49
Building/structure dates: 1922 Initial Construction
National Register of Historic Places NRIS Number: 77000005