New Signage at Walker House in East Providence

As you drive past the intersection of North Broadway and Massasoit Ave in the Rumford section of East Providence, you may notice a bright, new sign announcing the Philip Walker House. Having recently completed a major restoration of the exterior and interior, it’s one of the new signs of life at the property. 

Sitting prominently on nearly 2 acres, the current Philip Walker House was constructed in several stages, starting around 1724. The two-story building contains remnants of an earlier house left unfinished around 1679 —at the time of Deacon Philip Walker’s death. The Walker House holds great historical significance to the City of East Providence and to the State; it’s noted as the earliest house in Rhode Island built completely of mill-sawn timbers.

Walker House has lived through many iterations since it was acquired by Preserve RI in 1983, including its role as a study-house for architectural history students and a few years as an urban farm. Today it serves as a private residence.

Thank you to Janet Walker for funding the new sign installation, in memory of her late husband Wayne W. Walker—a Walker family descendant.