Shepard Company Building, historic building in Providence, Rhode Island, U.S
The Shepard Company Building is a large historic department store in the heart of Providence that began as a small three-story shop in the 1870s. It grew steadily over the decades, eventually occupying an entire city block with more than 300,000 square feet of space, constructed with brick, terra cotta, and cast iron details.
The building was severely damaged by fire in 1923 but was rebuilt under architect Hall's supervision. The store operated until 1974 when financial difficulties led to bankruptcy, and the structure remained vacant for years.
The building takes its name from John Shepard, whose vision was to create a marketplace with separate specialized departments rather than one unified store. For generations, locals gathered here not only to shop but to socialize, dine at the tearoom, and use it as a meeting point in the heart of downtown.
The building sits in downtown Providence and is easily accessible from the street, with cast iron clocks on the corners serving as orientation landmarks. Today it houses university offices and classrooms, so visits are limited outside of guided tours, but the exterior architecture and clocks can be admired at any time.
Rhode Island's first radio station, WEAN, launched from inside this department store in 1926, showing how the building served as a center for innovation and communication beyond retail. The cast iron clock at the Westminster Street entrance became so iconic that locals would say meet at the clock as their standard way of arranging gatherings downtown.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
