Providence Parks

History

The historic homestead dates to circa 1756, significant for its association with Commodore Esek Hopkins- a prominent figure in American maritime history from the 1740’s through 1780. Hopkins logged thousands of sea miles as a privateer captain, a slave trader for the Brown family of Providence, and as the first commodore of the Continental Navy. His brother Stephen Hopkins, a Rhode Island signer of the Declaration of Independence, convinced the Continental Congress to appoint Esek as the first commodore of the Continental Navy in November 1775.

Hopkins also played a significant and infamous role for the Browns of Providence ten years earlier in the 1760’s as a captain for two of their slave ships that participated in the Triangle Trade that flourished in Rhode Island in the 1760’s. In 1765, John and Moses Brown tapped Esek Hopkins to captain their largest ship ever involved in the slave trade, the Sally, which set sail from Newport in 1765 for Africa with Rhode Island goods to be traded for 140 slaves. As was the case with other ships involved in the Triangle Trade, the African slaves would be sold in the Caribbean for profit which would then be used by the Browns to finance their significant commercial interests in Rhode Island. In the years that the Triangle Trade flourished, no expedition symbolized the inhumanity and tragedy of the slave trade more than the voyage of the Sally. Over 100 Africans died aboard the Sally off the coast of Africa and on its journey to the Caribbean. It is one of the most infamous of all the Triangle Trade voyages. The tragedy of Sally’s voyage helped to steer Hopkins away from the slave trade and most significantly was a tipping point in turning Moses Brown into a fervent abolitionist.

Recent Improvements

• Currently closed to the public. Interior renovations are ongoing, in partnership with Providence Preservation Society. Adjacent Hopkins Park is open and features a playground and soccer field.
• The Haus of Glitter completed its artist residency in November 2022.
• Exterior of house was renovated and painted, and windows reglazed in Fall 2020.