~City Archives | Research | Plans of Sewers in the City of Providence

Plans of Sewers in the City of Providence
1873-1887
RG 218

The city's rapid expansion after the Civil War began to pose major public health issues regarding the disposal of sewage. Until 1873 the Board of Aldermen had held the responsibility for regulating this function, but on July 3rd of that year the City Council passed an ordinance that transferred the authority to construct and maintain sewers and drainage systems on public and private property to the Board of Water Commissioners.

On February 1874 the city's Chief Engineer J. Herbert Shedd submitted a preliminary report outlining plans for the constructing of a comprehensive sewage system that included storm water catch basins, soil and building runoff, as well as the removal of sewage from dwellings. Construction began immediately and by 1880 over forty-three miles of sewers had been constructed and more than three thousand private connections made. All connections drained into the local rivers.

Scope and Content
This finding aid contains 150 plans as authorized by the Board of Water Commissioners. Each plan, indexed by street, details in color, the size of oval and circular storm drains, sewer pipes, the location of connections, catch basins and old drains. These plans cover the period from 1873 to 1887.

Size: 150 plates. Each plate measures 20" x 31"

INDEX OF PLANS OF STORM SEWERS IN PROVIDENCE
STREET	DESCRIPTION	PLAN No.

Abbott Street	Knowles Street to North Main Street		1

Aborn Street	Washington Street to Westminster Street		3

Aborn Street	Broadway to Washington Street		5

Aborn Street	Atwell's Avenue to Fountain Street		17

Aborn Street	Broadway to Washington Street		30

Acorn Street	at Woonasquatucket River		6

America Street	Africa Street to Atwell's Avenue		6

America Street	Africa Street to Broadway		7

Amos Street	North Main Street to Providence River		8

Angell Street	Diman Place to Arlington Street		1

Angell Street	Gano Street to Wayland Street		9

Angell Street	Hope Street to Brook Street		11

Ann Street	Blanding Street to Tockwotton Street		12

Arch Street	Gilmore Street to Arch Street Sewer		64

Arch Street	near Junction Street to Greenwich Street		13

Arnold Street	Hope Street to Brook Street		14

Arnold Street	Hope Street to East Street		15

Arnold Street	at Benefit Street		16

Atwell's Avenue	Bourne Street to Aborn Street		17



Beach Street	at Holden Street		18

Beacon Street	Pine Street to Broad Street		19

Beacon Street	Prince Street to Maple Street		21

Benefit Street	Angell Street to College Street		24

Benefit Street	Halsey Street to Star Street		70

Benefit Street	near Planet Street to Power Street		39

Benefit Street	Sheldon Street to Wickenden Street		26

Benefit Street	Williams Street to Power Street		23

Benefit Street	William Street to Sheldon Street		25

Benevolent Street	Hope Street to Brook Street		31

Blackstone Street	near Eddy Street to Allen Avenue		108

Blackstone Street	Plain Street to near Hawkins Street		101

Blanding Street	Traverse Street to Ann Street		12

Bourne Street	Atwell's Avenue to Aborn Street		27

Bowen Street	Prospect Street to Congdon Street		28

Broad Street	Bourbon Street to Friendship Street		29

Broad Street	at Summer Street		110

Broad Street	Summer Street to Pearl Street		111

Broadway Street	Bourne Street to Aborn Street		30

Brook Street	Meeting Street to Angell Street		31

Brown Street	George Street to Charles Field Street		32

Burgess Street	High Street to Cranston Street		34

Burnett Street	Greenwich Street to Public Street		66

Burr's Lane	at North Main Street		35



Cargill Street	West Street to Fountain Street		130

Carpenter Street	Courtland Street to Marshall Street		36

Chapel Street	Burrill Street to Snow Street		37

Charles Field Street	at Benefit Street		39

Charles Field Street	at Brown Street		32

Charles Field Street	near Brown Street to Brook Street		33

Charles Street	near Nichols Street to Randall Square		145

Charles Street	at West River Street		144

Chestnut Street	Elm Street to Point Street		38

Claverick Street	Pine Street to Broad Street		40

Clemence Street	Broad Street to Westminster Street		41

Clemence Street	North Main Street to Moshassuck River		41

Clemence Street	Washington Street to Fountain Street		42

Coles Street	East Street to Brook Street		43

College Street	Benefit Street to Prospect Street		46

College Street	Benefit Street to South Water Street		44

Courtland Street	Carpenter Street to Broadway		47

Crary Street	Mary Street to Eddy Street		49

Crary Street	Plain Street to Mary Street		48



Dean Street	Carpenter Street to Fountain Street		50

Dean Street	Washington Street to Fountain Street		129

Dyer Street	Orange Street to Dorrance Street		97

Dyer Street	Ship Street to Dorrance Street		124



Eagle Street	Atwell's Street to Woonasquatucket River		51

East Bacon Street	Beacon Street to Marlborough street		22

East Street	Transit Street to Wickenden Street		52

East Street	Wickenden Street to Tockwotten Street		52

Eddy Street	Broad Street to Pine Street		52

Eddy Street	Hospital Street to Borden Street		76

Eddy Street	Ship Street to Clifford Street		54

Eddy Street	at Worcester Street		134

Elbow Street	Tippercanoe Street to Ship Street		23



Federal Street	Bradford Street to Broadway		56

Federal Street	Tefft Street to Dean Street		55

Fenner Strreet	Broad Street to High Street		57

Foster Street	Pine Street to Broad Street		60

Friendship Street	at Beacon Street		36

Friendship Street	Chestnut to near Richmond Street		58

Friendship Street	at Prince Street		22

Friendship Street	Richmond Street to Dorrance Street		117

Friendship Street	Stewart Street to Pearl Street		59

Fulton Street	Union Street to Eddy Street		61



George Street	Cooke Street to Brook Street		62

George Street	Cooke Street to Governor Street		63

Gilmore Street	near Arch Street		64

Governor Street	George Street to Benevolent Street		63

Governor Street	Manning Street to George Street		65

Greenwich Street	Arch Street to Bridgham Street		13

Greenwich Street	Daboll Street to Burnett Street		66

Greenwich Street	Parkis Avenue to West Friendship Street		68

Greenwich Street	Westfield Street to Wilson Street		67



Halsey Street	Congdon Street to Benefit Street		69

Hammond Street	Gilbert Street to High Street		36

Hayward Street	north from Pearl Street		71

Hayward Street	near Portland Street to Pearl Street		114

Hedley Street	Walling Street to Palmer Street		72

Hewes Street	North Main Street to Stevens Street		94

High Street	to Woonasquatucket River		73

Holden Street	Beach Street to Promenade Street		131

Hope Street	Arnold Street to Transit Street		15

Hope Street	Power Street to Williams Street		74

Hopkins Street	Benefit Street to South Main Street		75

Hospital Street	Crary Street to Borden Street		48

Hospital Street	Langley Street to Eddy Street		76

Hospital Street	South Street to Elm Street		61

Humboldt Avenue	Arlington Avenue to Taber Street		77



Jenkins Street	near Chace Street to Camp Street		81

Jenkins Street	North Main Street to Chace Street		82

John Street	East Street to Brook Street		78

John Street	East Street to Governor Street		80

John Street	Thayer Street to Brook Street		79



Lane Street	Opposite Star Street		42

Lester Street	Saunders Street to Pearl Street		85

Linden Street	Hayward Street to Pine Street		83

Lippitt Street	near Dwight Street to Camp Street		84



Manning Avenue	Governor Street to Gano Street		87

Manning Avenue	Hope Street to Thayer Street		88

Manton Avenue	Chafee Street to Woonasquatucket River		90

Manton Avenue	Malden Street to Chafee Street		89

Manton Avenue	Storm Sewer Extention		86

Maple Street	Beacon Street to Frank Street		21

Maple Street	Frank Street to Pearl Street		20

Marlborough Street	East Beacon Street to Lockwood Street		22

Marshall Street	Dawson Street to Carpenter Street		138

Martin Street	Charles to Moshassuck River		145

Mathewson Street	Washington Street to Westminster Street		91

Meeting Street	Prospect Street to Congdon Street		92

Middle Street	Eddy Street to Dorrance Street		52



Newton Street	at Atwell's Avenue		47

North Court Street	Benefit Street to North Main Street		45

North Main Street	Livingstone Street to Jenkins Street		82

North Main Street	Olney Street to Lippitt Street		93

North Main Street	Randall Street to Jenkins Street		95



Olive Street	Prospect Street to Thayer Street		96

Olney Street	East Avenue kto Camp Street		98

Orange Street	Weybosset Street to Dyer Street		97



Pallas Street	Vernon Street to Carpenter Street		120

Palmer Street	Hedley Street to Pettis Street		72

Parsonage Street	Elm Street to Point Street		103

Pearl Street	Beacon Street to Plain Street		99

Pearl Street	Cranston Street to Central Street		104

Peck Street	Weybosset Street to Dyer Street		105

Pike Street	Traverse Street to Brook Street		106

Pine Street	Linden Street to Somerset Street		83

Pitman Street	Governor Street to Ives Street		65

Pitman Street	Ives Street to Gano Street		107

Plain Street	Willard Street to Blackstone		71

Plane Street	Dudley Street to Blackstone		101

Point Street	Relief Storm Sewer		109

Pond Street	near Spring Street to Summer Street		110

Pond Street	Summer Street to Fenner Street		102

Power Street	Benefit Street to South Main Street		112

Power Street	Brown Street to Brook Street		100

Prospect Street	Hidden Street to Olney Street		113

Prospect Street	Waterman Street to College Street		137

Providence Street	Dudley Street to Pearl Street		115

Providence Street	Lockwood Street to Pearl Street		114

Public Street	near Burnett Street		66



Randall Square			145

Richmond Street	Broad Street to Pine Street		118

Richmond Street	Clifford Street to Friendship Street		117

Richmond Street	Elm Street to Point Street		116

Richmond Street	Elm Street to Ship Street		119

Ringgold Street	Broadway to Carpenter Street		132

Ringgold Street	Kenyon Street to Broadway		120

Schofield Street	Wickenden Street to Tockwotton Street		106

Sheldon Street	Benefit Street to Brook Street		121

Sheldon Street	Hope Street to Brook Street		122

Ship Street	Clifford Street to Richmond Street		123

Ship Street	Richmond Street to Dyer Street		124

Snow Street	Chapel Street to Westminster Street		37

Snow Street	Washington Street to Westminster Street		125

South Main Street	Crawford Street at College Street		75

South Street	Plain Street to near Butler Street		126

South Street	Plain Street to near Richmond Street		116

South Water Street	College Street to Crawford Street		8

Spring Street	Broad Street to Lockwood Street		127

Spring Street	High School Estate to Broad Street		68

Spring Street	High School to Pond Street		127

Stevens Street	Hewes Street to Moshassuck River		94

Summer Street	Pond Street to Broad Street		110

Summer Street	Pond Street to near High Street		85

Sutton Street	near Asia Street to Broadway		128



Taber Avenue	Humboldt Street to Angell Street		77

Tower Street	Atwell's Avenue to Federal Street		129

Transit Street	East Street to Governor Street		148

Transit Street	Governor Street to Ives Street		130

Transit Street	Hope Street to East Street		15

Transit Street	Mohawk Alley to Benefit Street		16



Union Street	at Washington Street		131

Union Street	Washington Street to Westminster Street		132



Vinton Street	Asia Street to Broadway		133

Vinton Street	Vernon Street to Carpenter Street		133



Walker Street	Washington Street to Westminster Street		134

Warren Street	Fuller Street to Greenwich Street		67

Washington Street	at Dean Street		129

Washington Street	near Franklin Street to Jackson Street		135

Washington Street	Mathewson Street to Cove Basin		4

Washington Street	Walker Street to Mathewson Street		5

Waterman Street	near Brown Street to Thayer Street		136

Waterman Street	at Prospect Street		137

Wayland Street	at Angell Street		9

Wayland Street	Douglas Street to Pitman Street		10

Weeden Street	Atwell's Avenue to Federal Street		138

West Clifford Street	Dudley Street to Pearl Street		139

West Clifford Street	Point Street to Pearl Street		140

West River Street	near Hedley Street to Charles Street		144

Westminster Street	Dorrance Street to Exchange Street		141

Westminster Street	Jackson Street to Snow Street		142

Westminster Street	Snow Street to Dorrance Street		143

Weybosset Street	Peck Street to Dorrance Street		146

Wickenden Street	Ann Street to Brook Street		147

Wickenden Street	Benefit Street to Brook Street		26

Wickenden Street	Hope Street to Ann Street		148

Williams Street	East Street to near Hope Street		74

Winter Street	High Street to Broad Street		149

Worcester Street	Eddy Street to the Cove		134



Young Orchard Avenue	Cooke Street to Governor Street		150