George Washington slept here. Providence's wealthiest merchant played host in this 3-story brick mansion.

by Contributor

The Scene
This National Historic Landmark contains the fruits of John Brown's lucrative Orient Trade. An importer of fine silks, teas and china, Brown lived in this stately Georgian house until his death in 1803.

The Appeal
John Quincy Adams described the John Brown House as "the most magnificent and elegant private house I have seen on this continent." Thanks to the Rhode Island Historical Society's painstaking restoration, modern visitors can see what Adams was so excited about. The Brown family's 18th-century furniture and porcelain, including Chinese export ware, Staffordshire earthenware, and Goddard pieces fill the house. Displayed inside the coach house, in all its extravagant glory, sits a 1782 chariot, believed to be the first American-made "fancy" vehicle.