Kennedy Plaza - Providence, Rhode Island - John F. Kennedy on Waymarking.com

The area of downtown Providence, Rhode Island, now known as Kennedy Plaza, has played various civic and transportation roles for the city since the mid 19th century. It is surrounded by Exchange Street to the northeast, Fulton Street to the southeast, Dorrance Street to the southwest, and Washington Street to the northwest.

The 2.5-acre rectangular public square was originally an estuary at the confluence of the Moshassuck and Woonasquatucket Rivers and part of the Great Salt Cove. The local manufacturing economy grew and a railroad terminal, known as Union Station, was established at Providence's commercial center by filling in part of the cove starting in 1846. City Hall was built southwest of the station between 1875 and 1878. In 1903 the Federal Building was constructed to the northeast, opposite City Hall. Union Station burned down in 1896, its space later transformed into City Hall Park and Burnside Park. A series of commercial buildings has always lined the southeast border.

Formerly known as Exchange Plaza and Exchange Terrace, the plaza was renamed in honor of the president after his assassination. An engraved granite plaque is embedded in the northeast end of the plaza on the south side of Exchange Street and reads:

KENNEDY PLAZA
IN MEMORY OF
JOHN FITZGERALD KENNEDY
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
1961 - 1963
DEDICATED BY CITY COUNCIL
PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND
MAY 29, 1964

Beginning in the 1970s, the space transitioned from a rail to bus metropolitan transportation hub. Tens of thousands of people still travel through it daily via Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) buses. It has been a community gathering place for most of its existence - 1861 saw crowds of supporters for First Regiment of Detached Rhode Island Militia leaving for Washington, D.C., President Theodore Roosevelt gave a speech from the steps of City Hall in 1902, magician Harry Houdini performed there in 1914 and 1917, and candidate John F. Kennedy spoke at the plaza on November 7, 1960, the day before he was elected president:

"On other occasions, in other years, this country has elected Republican Presidents and Democratic Presidents. They do it when they make a decision that that party and that candidate will serve a great national purpose. In my judgment and the responsibility ultimately is yours, in my judgment the United States will be best served by a candidate and a party who recognizes the basic issues of our time, and that is that this country has to go back to work again."

Sources:
Wikipedia
Go Providence

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