Governor Stephen Hopkins House

The Governor Stephen Hopkins House is a colonial museum in Providence housed in a two-story wooden building with four bays, traditional colonial fireplaces, and period furniture throughout. The rooms contain authentic objects that illustrate everyday life from that era.

The house was home to Stephen Hopkins, a signer of the Declaration of Independence who led Rhode Island as governor from 1755 to 1757. After he died in 1785, the building lost its famous resident but retained its place in the city's history.

The house displays embroidered samplers from the 18th century that show the handwork and education of women in colonial New England. These pieces offer a window into the domestic skills and daily practices valued in households of that era.

The house is typically open on Wednesday afternoons and Saturday mornings during the warmer months. It is helpful to check the visiting hours in advance since these can vary depending on the season and day.

The building was moved twice, in 1809 and again in 1928, to save it from urban changes. These relocations are rare examples of how people protected colonial structures before modern preservation methods became common.