Kennedy Plaza features a collection of landmarks, gardens and entertainment in downtown Providence, Rhode Island. Serving as a civic and transportation hub since it was created, Kennedy Plaza has become an essential part of the community on account of the activity and connections that it continues to cultivate.
The Civic Heart of Providence
Known as Exchange Place, Exchange Terrace, and City Hall Park, what is now Kennedy Plaza has been transformed many times since the 1800s. Renamed in 1964 after President John F. Kennedy, who spoke at the location the day before he became President, all of these transformations have been designed to make it a space that would best serve the community as a hub of activity and transportation.
After the water from the Great Salt Cover was removed, Providence’s first Union Station originally defined the space. It became the central aspect of rail transport in the city but would be further transformed by transportation innovations like trolley tracks and electric busses. In the 1980s it was redesigned as a central bus depot. More recent transformations were designed to turn it into a public space that would serve as the civic heart of Providence.
These transformations have been further enabled by the monuments and landmarks that are in the plaza, the most prominent of which is the 1871 Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument. Sitting directly in front of Providence City Hall to commemorate residents killed in the Civil War, it features bronze plaques that list Providence residents as well as one that commemorates Rhode Island’s African-American veterans. A monument that is dedicated to the soldiers from Providence who fought in the Spanish–American War sits on the other end of the plaza.
These features along with the wide open spaces, elegant greenery and connection to other landmarks in the vicinity have allowed Kennedy Plaza to become a hub of activity and cultivated the installation of features like a skating rink, which was added to the plaza in 1998. Highlighted in maps and guides to the city, it has been able to attract the attention of residents and visitors to continually enable positive changes for the landscape and community.
Where the Community Can Come Together
The history of Kennedy Plaza highlights how it has always been a place where the community can come together. This endeavor has been further cultivated with features and landmarks that have allowed it to be continually transformed for the benefit of individuals and the entire city of Providence.
