This historical marker describes the Seal House at Roger Williams Park in Providence, Rhode Island. Built in 1938 as a WPA project, it was home to sea lions and contained a heated pool for the animals. The stone building is at the southeast edge of what was their large outdoor swimming and sunbathing area at the north end of Crystal Lake (now Roosevelt Lake). The plaque reads:
SEAL HOUSE
Starting in 1872, there was a small collection of animals and birds in the Park. By the 1900s, the collection grew to 47 species! Some species were housed in the Menagerie building, which is located in today's zoo. Others, like bison, bear and deer, were scattered throughout the Park.
Although it was home to sea lions, the building is known as the Seal House. It was constructed in 1938 along with a monkey house and an elephant house as part of a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project. The stone structure echos WPA designs built throughout the country during the Great Depression. The pool area was designed so a large crowd could gather around the sea lions at any given time. In June 1938 six sea lions occupied the pool.
DID YOU KNOW?
In 1965, all of the animals were moved into a fenced area in the current location of the Zoo. This was to provide better security and husbandry for the animals.
Information and photos courtesy of the RWP Museum of Natural History archives, the RWP Zoo, the National Register of Historic Places, and "The Jewel of Providence" by David Marshall.