Why a Couple from North Carolina Moved To Walker House in East Providence

Zach and Helen with their dog, RJ.

When Helen Ramage and URI graduate Zach Miklitsch were considering a move back to Rhode Island from Raleigh, North Carolina, they saw the Philip Walker House listed for rent. Intrigued, they pulled up their search browsers to find out more about the home’s history. As Zach put it, “I don't think I had finished even looking at all the pictures before I was reading about who Philip Walker was, and what this house meant.” Helen, equally excited, rushed to talk “to anyone who’d listen how cool it was that our potential new house had a Wikipedia page.”

The couple were contemplating a move to New England, both for a new adventure and to be closer to the sea. To Helen, the Northeast had always been a mystery having lived in North Carolina for most of her life (except for a brief stint in Austin, Texas). To her, “all of the small states above Virginia were just kind of a blur in my mind.”

Originally from Pennsylvania, Zach graduated from the University of Rhode Island in 2021. “Rhode Island has always felt more like home to me than anywhere else.” With his knowledge of the state, he was excited about their move. Helping make it easier, Helen holds a remote job, and Zach was able to relocate to his company’s location in Smithfield.

Though they moved hundreds of miles to a house they’d only seen online, Zach and Helen could not be happier. Helen enjoys Walker’s large yard, where she can garden or play with their dog, RJ. Zach appreciates the home’s history and enjoys sitting in the main room “imagining how many people have lived and sat in this exact room before me.”

To others considering living in a historic home, they recommend practicing gratitude. According to Zach, “an opportunity like ours is something that [only] an extremely small amount of people are fortunate enough to experience. While the floors may not be perfectly even, that history makes those imperfections seem insignificant. As Helen put it, “It’s so humbling (in the best way) to live in a house that has so much history.”

See the Restored Walker House