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Westminster Arcade

130 Westminster Street
Providence, Rhode Island

Westminster Arcade
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The Westminster Arcade is a historic shopping center at 130 Westminster Street and 65 Weybosset Street in downtown Providence, Rhode Island. Built in 1828, it is notable as the first enclosed shopping mall in the United States.
Lauded as fine example of commercial Greek Revival architecture, it served as a shopping center for many years before falling into decline in the late 20th century. It has since been closed for renovation and rehabilitation several times, and most recently reopened its doors in October 2013 as a residential and commercial mixed-use building.

The interior consists of a main avenue 13 feet (4.0 m) on the ground floor, above which the second and third floor lanes are protected by richly decorated cast iron railings capped in mahogany. The skylit roof extends the length of the building, its ridgeline aligned at the Westminster end with the top of the triangular pediment. Emphasis in all of the building's construction was on the use of fireproof materials: granite, brick, and cast iron are all used, and the roof was made of tin.

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Map of the Area Around
Westminster Arcade