An Historical Ri Walking Tour Rooted in the Apple Tree That Consumed Roger Williams

An historical walking tour of cultural and architectural magnitude along benefit road in the capital city of Providence, must first root itself in the seed of Rhode Island's founding by Roger Williams. Radical religious beliefs put this Protestant theologian at odds with the Church of England and also with the flock who boarded the Lyon in December, 1631, and located in Boston of the New World. Roger stirred up a tempest as tumultuous as any storm brewing along the Atlantic by espousing three principles dear to his heart: separatism, free time of religion, and disunion of church and state. Furthermore, his study of the Native Americans caused him to doubt the validity of the King's colonial charters, whereby he wrote a lengthy tract to the Massachusetts governor in 1632, advocating the purchase of land from the Indians.

By 1635, Williams was tried by the normal Court and convicted of sedition and heresy. Ordered to be banished, illness delayed execution of this decree. Nevertheless, he skipped town in 1636, trudging through the deep snow on a 105 mile trek from Salem to the head of Narragansett Bay where he received a hearty welcome by the Wampanoags. Fearing extradition of the expatriate, a band of supporters invited the fugitive to cross the Seekonk River. Roger Williams named this settlement which began with twelve friends, "Providence," whose meaning stemmed from "divine help from God."

Roger Williams served as governor of the colony from 1654 through 1658, and is believed to have died sometime in the middle of January 28 and March 15, 1683 with a burial on his own property. Fifty years later, his house collapsed into the cellar, and the gravesite for such a leading man was forgotten until 1860 when Zachariah Allen sought to search the remains of the first governor. This endeavor bordered on the bizarre: "The root of an apple tree was discovered. This tree had pushed downwards one of its main roots in a sloping direction and nearly level course towards the exact spot that had been occupied by the skull of Roger Williams. There production a turn conforming with its circumference, the root followed the direction of the back bone to the hips, and thence divided into two branches, each one following a leg bone to the heel..." (Report Upon the Burial Place of Roger Williams by Howard M. Chapin; published in Providence, 1918). In the King's English, the apple tree root bore a strong resemblance to the figure of the skeleton belonging to Rhode Island's founding father.

The apple tree root is now regarded as a curio and kept by the Rhode Island Historical society at the John Brown House Museum (52 Power Street, corner of Benefit). Group, school, and special tours are available by appointment. Call (401) 273-7507 for scheduling and inquiring about hours open to the public. As long as you're in the vicinity of the apple tree root that consumed Roger Williams, you should "branch" out to other great historical landmarks of cultural and architectural magnitude within walking distance along benefit road in Providence, the city so lovingly named by its founding father:

The Rhode Island Historical Society: benefit Street, A Mile of History - Ongoing programs, exhibits and opportunities where one can Ant. Eject over three centuries of history while taking in the beautiful surroundings of 18th and 19th century architecture, art installations and sculpture, gardens and riverfront activities, and the vibrant rhythm of the surrounding urban neighborhoods. Normally scheduled walking tours and themed walks are available to conventions and special groups, or with industrialized reservations. (401) 273-7507

The Shunned House (135 benefit Street): The Stephen Harris House built in 1763, was made celebrated by Providence writer H.P. Lovecraft. Population died there in alarmingly great numbers possibly because of the dampness and fungous growth in the cellar, the normal sickish smell, the draughts of the hallways, or the quality of the well and pump water - hence "shunned."

The Rhode Island School of produce Museum (224 benefit Street): Also known as the Risd Museum, Rhode Island's leading museum of fine and ornamental art, houses a variety of 84,000 objects of international significance. It is southeastern New England's only broad art museum and is accredited by the American connection of Museums.

The Providence Athenaeum (251 benefit Street): The fourth oldest library in the United States (1753) - neither a collective library, nor an schoraly library, nor a society center, nor a secret club - it is a exiguous bit of all these things and more. (401) 421-6970

The Nightingale-Brown House (357 benefit Street): The museum collections in the house characterize and link each of the five generations of the Brown family. The butler's pantry contains more than 100 pieces of Canton China, possibly imported to Providence aboard Brown house merchant vessels in the eighteenth century and used by the family. (401) 863-1177

The First Unitarian Church of Providence (1 Benevolent Street, corner of Benefit): The third church and present building, dedicated in 1816, was designed by great local master-builder-architect, John Holden Greene, whose many fine buildings changed the face of Providence during the early nineteenth century. (401) 421 - 7920

An historical walking tour deeply rooted in the apple tree oddity that consumed Rhode Island's founder, Roger Williams, naturally branches to other architectural and cultural landmarks of prominence dotted along benefit road in the capital city of Providence. A Rhode Romp in this vicinity by native Rhode Islanders and out-of-towners constitutes a visual odyssey sure to bear fruit as the apple of one's eye.