PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF LORNE ADRAIN / WARREN JAGGER PHOTOGRAPHY .
The 1810 Corliss-Carrington House boasts twenty-five rooms and outdoor event space .
Change Agent
The home at 66 Williams St . in Providence has been a gathering space for more than two centuries . Owner Lorne Adrain wants to continue that mission . By Dana Laverty
Some of Rhode Island ’ s most prominent merchants and and families have called the stately Corliss-Carrington House , on Providence ’ s East Side , home .
“ For over 200 years , people have gathered and shared ideas for a better future here ,” says owner Lorne Adrain , who ’ s trying to further that legacy by turning it into a hub for local community groups , his Global Fellows in Courage initiative — a nonprofit supporting the work of human rights leaders — and a venue for private events like weddings and family celebrations .
The businessman and former mayoral candidate bought the twenty-five-room brick structure in December 2019 ; six weeks later , the pandemic hit and paused his — and most of the world ’ s — plans .
The National Historic Landmark features 11,790 square feet of space . Shipping merchant John Corliss started building the home in 1810 but abandoned it after running out of money ; fellow merchant Edward Carrington purchased it in 1812 after serving as American consul in China . He added a third floor and porch and wrapped one room in Chinese wallpaper festooned with peacocks , a bird later adopted as his family crest .
In 1936 , the Carrington family gave the home to the Rhode Island School of Design , which in turn sold it to the Washington Irving family ( descendants of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow author Washington Irving ) in 1961 . Thirty-four years later , former Providence Journal publisher Stephen Hamblett purchased it as a birthday gift for his wife , Jocelin .
That ’ s when Adrain first eyed the grand home . For twenty years , he lived just a few blocks away on Arnold Street . In fact , you can see his previous home from the third floor of his new one .
“ I always looked and wondered , ‘ What the heck is that ?’” he says . “ It was just so beautiful .”
After a long two years , Adrain — who lives in the home with his fiancee Victoria , daughter Annabelle and two-year-old pandemic puppy , Bei Bei — is starting to see an uptick in rentals . ( The revenue from room and space rentals supports the community mission of the property .) A spacious barn — two swings hang from the rafters and twinkling lights add a touch of whimsy — carriage house and outdoor grounds are available for celebrations , anniversaries , filming projects , meetings and other events , while third-floor rooms are available via Airbnb . ( One of the stars of HBO ’ s “ The Gilded Age ” recently rented the space while in town filming .)
Groups from the Providence Preservation Society , College Unbound , Preserve Rhode Island and RISD have all held meetings in the space . In June , the home will host its first wedding . They work with event and catering companies like Kaitlyn Alyece Event Architects and Bites by Bre .
Audrain wants to share the property with community members , including the first class of fellows from his human rights program .
“ I feel like a steward of this property for just a little while ,” he says . The Corliss-Carrington House , 66 Williams St ., Providence , corlisscarrington . com
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