Jeremiah Dexter House (c. 1754)
A rare example of an early Providence farmhouse which has survived almost without alteration.
Early Beginnings
The land on which the Dexter House sits was given to Reverend Gregory Dexter by Roger Williams in 1645 and was part of a large estate stretching from Olney Street along North Main Street to Smithfield Avenue and east to the Seekonk River. The house, built in 1754 by Jeremiah Dexter, is located on the original Boston to New York highway, then known as the Pawtucket Turnpike (today North Main). A granite milepost marking 1.5 miles to the Providence Court House still stands at the corner of the lot.
A Landmark in History
Dexter Farm served as a campsite for French General Rochambeau and his troops during the American Revolution. After helping George Washington defeat the British at Yorktown, General Rochambeau encamped his troops at Dexter Farm for three weeks while awaiting ships to transport them back to France. “Rochambeau” Avenue and “Camp” Street commemorate this historical event.
Changing Times
Starting in the late 19th century, parcels of land were sold off from the original farm and the house gradually became surrounded by residential and commercial development. By 1956 the house stood on the reduced lot you see today.
This view from the corner of North Main Street and Rochambeau has changed little since this 1850 photo - the street lamp and workshop at the far right no longer exist.
The Historic American Buildings Survey drawing completed ca. 1933-37.
In 1977, E. Margaret Nevin donated Dexter House to Preserve Rhode Island. Her husband J. Benjamin Nevin was the great-grandson of Jeremiah Dexter.
This view from the corner of North Main Street and Rochambeau has changed little since this 1850 photo - the street lamp and workshop at the far right no longer exist.