St. Mary’s Catholic Church
St. Mary’s is a Gothic Revival monument honoring Providence’s Irish heritage. Many Irish immigrants from Ulster arrived in the early 19th century to work in local textile mills, often facing discrimination. and by the end of the Civil War, one-third of the city’s residents were Irish. Designed by Irish architect James Murphy, construction began in 1864, with much of the labor provided by the Irish congregation. Consecrated in 1869, St. Mary’s became a hub for schools and convents, adapting to the city’s changing needs.