Fo,m No. 10-300 IRev. 10.74*

UNITEISFAFLS lLIARTMI.NIULTIIF INiI;RiflI5NPSUSEONLY

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

NATIONAL REGISTEROF HISTORIC PLACES LECEIVED

INVENTORY-- NOMINATION FORM 1DATE ENTERED

SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN HOWTO COMPLETE NATIONAL REGISTER FORMSTYPE ALL ENTRIES --COMPLETE APPLICABLE SECTIONS

NAMEHI STO Ill C

- A. F. Cappelli BlockAND/OR COMMON

LOCATIONSTR EET NUM B ER

263-265 Atwells Avenue- CITY, TOWN - ------- CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

Providence - VICINIIYOF 112 Edward P. BeardSTATE CODE COUNTY CODE

Iflinrlr’ 1 ci nm-I PTovidpncp 007CLASSIFICATION

CATEGORY OWNERSHIP STATUS PRESENT USEDISTRICT .MUSEUM

2UUIIDINGISI RIVA1E X._COMMERCIAL ..._PARK

._STRUCTURE IN PROGRESS PRIVATE RESIDENCE

PUBLIC ACQUISITION ACCESSIBLEPROCESS RESTRICTED ...GOVERNMENT

,_BEING CONSIDERED UNRESTRICTED

OWNER OFPROPERTYNAME-

- Forum Associates c/o Richard C. TalloSIRECI & NUMBER

1239 Hartford Avenue I -__________________________________

CIIY.TOWN - --- . STATE

Johnstori. -- VICINIIYOF [fl’çjm T ci nnd 12 q ‘

LOCATION OF LEGAL DESCRIPTIONCOURTHOUSE.

REGISTRY OF DEEDS,ETC. -

CtJa1lSTREEI 2s NUMBER

Tu11OWN STATE

Providence Rhode Tclpncl 02g1rsREPRESENTATIONIN EXISTING SURVEYS -

FJTL

We 5t_$g PXQXIiI.eacil -DA TT

N ay_,_19i6.._- FEDERAL L5TATE -COUNTY

DEPOSItORY FOR - -

SURVEY HCORDS

CITY. TOWN *Prese-p-v-at4enCon sign

ProviciaaacL, Rhode IsLand

- - DESCRIPTION

CONDITION CHECK ONE CHECK ONE

XXCELLENT _DETERIORATED UNALTERED LORIGINALSITE

_G000 ._..RUINS X ALTERED _MOVED DATE_______

_EAIR _UNEXPOSL-D

DESCRIBE THE PRESENT AND ORIGINAL IF KNOWN PHYSICAL APPEARANCELocated at the corner of Atwel Is Avenue and DePasquale

Sqdare in Providence’s Federal flu-h section, the A. F. CappelliBlock is a four-story unit of load-bearing masonry constructionwith heavy timber Framing. Forty feet wide by one-hundred feetlong, its hays are arranged in all ci gilt to three ratio. The southand west facades off the building face the street, and are facedwith red brick laid in common bond. Tan brick is used for quoin-ing at the corners.

The ground. floor houses the colnmerc:i it enterprises of thebuilding. The floor is divided into two stores, the larger ofwhich opens onto Atwells Avenue. Cast-iron store ‘fronts are stillin place. Knee walls have been restored to their original heightof three feet. The upper three, stories, designed for residentialuse, are identical in appearance . The re are seven apartments inthe building, six of which are duplexes . Fenestration is organizedin uniform vertical rows; however, the proj ecting rows of haywindows are positioned asymmetrca1 ty on the west elevation. Thesouth elevation has one proj ecting hay group located in the center,flanked by a single, vertical row off windows to the right anddouble row to the left, In contrast to the projecting metal-sheathedbays which feature geometric diamond motifs, ornamental striation,and a strong horizontal subdivision, the windows flush with the wallare given a more severe treatment, emphasizing the fiat wall plane.The openings are cut crisply into rue wail - Flat, brick archespunctuated by slender keystones substi tute for lintels . On thewest elevation narrow mullions separate double groups of windows.A diamond motif continues on the Frieze above the fourth floor, thegeometric design of which serves to accentuate the pattern offenestration . racketecl, ornamental cornice in excellent conditionand a low parapet wall cap the enti Fe composition. Block- like elementswhich rest- on top of the parapet at the corners add solidity tothe building and further help to en frame the facade. The name ofthe building’s proprietor and the date of completion appear prominentlyin cast stone on the topmost sections of the-south and west sides,re S C ct i vely.

Since the Cappelli Block is adj acent on two sides to othercommercial structures, the north and east walls cannot be seen-from the street, and never were intended to be. Thus, these elevations are devo:id of ornamentation and receive only -perfunctoryfellestration for ventilation purposes.

The seventy-year-old buldng is presently undergoing extensive renovation work and the interior has been gutted. Original supporting members and firewa I ls remain, but the walls havebeen stripped to their brick foundat ion, to remain as finished walls.

See continuation sheet 1

- FHR-83OoA* 11/78

_____________________________________

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR - - - - -

HERITAGE CONSERVATION AND RECREATION SERVICEI-OR HCRSçIJSE ONLY -,

,, ;

RECEIVED / ‘ - - -

- H -H i’"

NATIONAL REGISTER OFHISTORICPLACES DATE ENTERED. - ‘

INVENTORY--NOMINATIONFORM ‘ -

CONTINUATION SHEET 1 hEM NUMBER 7 PAGE 2

The ground floor ceiling has been lowered to accommodate a newventilation system. The origi nal tin ceiling is in an advancedstate of deterioration. The street floor of. .small hexagonal tileremains. Old paint has been sandhlasted from the cornice andbaywindows , and they have been repainted a dark brown . The original window frames are extant, and have been reglazed

‘ SIGNIFICANCE -

PERIOD AREAS OF SIGNIFICANCE --CHECK ANDJUSTIFY BELOW

-- PREHISIORIC _ARCHEOLUGY-PHEIIIS1ORIC _C0MMUNITY PLANNING - LANDSCAPE ARCHIIEC1tJRE _RELIGION

_1400-1499 _ARCHEOLOGY-HISTORIC _CONSERVATION _LAW _SCIENCE

1500- 1599 _ACRICULTURE _ECONOMICS _LITERATURE _SCULPTURE

1600-1699 X_ARCHITECTURE _..EDUCA1ON MILITARY SOCIALJHUMANIIAAIAN

- 700-1799 ARr ENGINEERING _MUSIC _TI-IEATEA -

6001899 XCOMMERCE .EXPL0RA1ION/SFJI LEMENT _YFIILOSOPHV TAANSPORTATION

1900- COMMUNICATIONS _INDUSfRY _POLIIICS/OOVERNMFNf _OTI4ER ISPECIFYI

INVEN1 ION

SPECIFIC DATES 1909 BuILDER/ARCHITECT Antonio F. Cappelli

STATF.MENT OF SIGNIFICANCE

The A. F. Cappelli Block is important for its contributionto the commercial and architectural heritage of the Federal Hillcommunity. The building is a significant example of the mixed-usebuilding type associated WI th tile development of the neighborhood’scommercial district.

The Cappelli family came to America from Italy during thewave of immigration of the 1890’s. Antonio and his brother,Niccolo, settled in Providence’s Federal f-Jill section, a growingcommunity of Italian - immigrants and first-generation Italian Americans . The two brothers opened a wholesale wine and liquor bus -

mess on Atwells Avenue, then and now Tthe principal commercialthoroughfare on Federal Hill. After a few years the brothersopened their own separate stores. Antonio moved down the streetto the northeast corner of Atwells and Arthur Avenues and con

-structed his own building to house his expanding business. The"Importer and Jobber" of "Wines, Liquors, and Olive Oil" 1911 advertisement later diversified into the real estate business andbecame one of the principal builders in the Federal Hill area.After Prohibition put an end to the legitimate liquor business,the Cappel-li Block housed other enterprises integral to the community, including successive grocery stores, pharmacies, andmeat markets. After 1933 Cappelli remained in the real estatebusiness -

The Cappelli Building is a good example of the mixed-usecommercial block built at tue turn of the century. Commercialactivities were situated on the ground floor; offices and apartments were located above. The simplicity and logic of this typeof building design is only beginning to he appreciated fully today.In its renovated state the Cappelli Block will retain its mixed-use character.

In an area of primarily claphoarded, balloon-framed, two -

and three-story structures, the masonry built CappelliBlock distinguishes itself among its neighbors. By today’sstandards a four-story structure is not particularly-tall, butin the Federal Hill of 1909 it was, and is today, one of the tallest buildings in the area.

See continuation sheet 2

- 11/78 - -

_________________________

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE iNTERIOR- HCRS

HERITAGE CONSERVATION AND RECREATION SERVICE- / - --- - I - -

- RECEIVED --- / / -

NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES DATE ENTERED -

,- ‘,

INVENTORY-- NOMINATION FORM - - - - - --

CONTI Nt ATION SHEET 2 ITEM NUMBER s PAGE 2

In late nineteenth century fashion the building’s heightis expressed by the use of the base-shaft-capital system of proportions. From the ground floor store fronts of ornamental metalwork rises a sIla ft of three I dent:i cal stories. The strong horizontal subdiv:dion of the bay windows , in turn, divides theshaft into ‘‘layers." The projecting cornice then serves as thecapital of-- a column and finishes tile composition.

The Cappel.ti Block demonstrates a modest, yet skillfuland richly detailed solution to the problem of the small-scalecommercial buil cling. In i ts newly renovated state the Cappel 11Building recalls the day of the thri.v i ng clown town commercialdistrict and reflects the recent revi val of the Federal Hill neighborhood.

MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES

- Providence City Directories, 1900-1970

GEOGRAPHICAL DATAACREAGE OF NOMINATED PROPERTY Le s sthanoneUTM REFERENCES

All 91 121 R I 4i1 nI 14 6k Mn nJ BI Li I I I I I IZONE FASTING NORTHING ZONE EASTING NORTHING

cj I Ill I I I DII I I I Il H IVERBAL BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION -

Plat 28, Lot 363

LIST ALL STATES AND COUNTIES FOR PROPERTIES OVERLAPPING STATE OR COUNTY BOUNDARIES

STATE CODE COUNTY CODE

STATE CODE COUNFY CDDE

FORM PREPARED BYNAME/TITLE -

I-Tward Maurer, Conzultfi-n-t----- DATEORGANIZATION

Rhndn Island Historical Preservation Commis December 1979STREET& NUMBER kWHONE

150 Benefit treet 401-777-767nCITY OR TOWN STATE

Providence. PbnA Tcloncl 923

STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICER CERTIFICATIONTHE EVALUATED SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS PROPERTY WITHIN THE STATE IS:

NATIONAL.. srArE_._. LOCAL_k.. - -

As the designated State Historic Preservatio IQCOI for the National Historic Preservation ACt of 1966 IPublic LaW 89-665. I

hereby nominate this property for inclusio in th?i-Naiio el Roqister and certify that it has beer’ evaluated aCcordinq to thecr,teria and procedures set forth by the Nut nalParSet ic -

FEDERAL REPRESENTATtVE SIGNATURE- Wc JUt -

-

TITLEState Historic Prescjjiji01f-jcer

FOR-NPS.USEONLY/

DATE.JanntryI,

7

1 EISa

.

IHEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS PROPERTY IS INCLUDEO IN THE NATIONAL REGISTERt-

-

- DATE - -

DIRECTOR. OFFICE OF ARCHEOLOGY AND HISTORIC PRESERVATIONATTEST:

-

DATE

KEEPER OFTHE NATIONAL REGISTER -

1

1-

Ji.

A. P. CAPPELLI BLOCKPROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND

Photographer Howard Mnuier

Date: October 1079

Negative: Rhode Ts]and 11:1 storica- PreservationCoiinfliss loll

West elevation, new to southeast -

Photo No. 1

_ __

- -- --

A. P. CAPPELLI BLOCK -

PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND

Photigrapher: Howard Maurer -

Date: October 1979

Negative: Rhode Island Historical PreservationCommission

West elevation, view to northeast

Photo No. 2

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__________________________

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41

A. F. CAPPELLI BLOCK -PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND

Photographer: Howard Maurer

Date: October 1979

Negative: Rhode Island Historical PreservationCommis s ion

South elevation, view to northeast

Photo No. 3

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