The College Hill Historic District [†] has significance and importance because of its historical contents, because of its architectural treasures, because of its cohesiveness coming from its long-continuing status of being lived in and used. A new importance is added by the outstanding work of preservation and restoration now being carried on here. This last has been, with the sponsorship of the federal government, a pioneer project of its kind.
College Hill has always been an historical and picturesque feature of the city, a tourist attraction. In close proximity, following the "Benefit Street Historic Trail," are Roger Williams Spring Park; the Old State House (1762); the First Baptist Meeting House in America (177?); University Hall at Brown University (1770), a National Historic Place; the house (c. 17li0) of Stephen Hopkins, a Signer of the Declaration of Independence; the John Brown House (1786), a National Historic Landmark.
Throughout the District is found a greater concentration of intact early buildings than almost any other city in the country can display. They are not isolated, but remain in the same complementary relationships to each other as always, preserving the integrity of not only single streets and neighborhoods but of an entire spreading locale.
Adapted from: Richard B. Harrington, Rhode Island Historical Preservation Commission, College Hill Historic District, nomination document, 1970, National Register of Historic Places, Washington, D.C.
