Trip to the Old Foundations, 2023
Foam, paint, brick, Velcro
Peter Green House, 79 Brown Street, Providence, RI
Installed on porch stairs and sidewalk: May 8–12, 2023
Installed on porch and inside building: September 2023–present

On July 31, 2007, the 300-ton Peter Green House was moved 450 feet from its original location at 142 Angell Street to its current location at 79 Brown Street. A time-lapse video of this astonishing feat of historic preservation inspired this whimsical installation, which wondered if parts of the house ever want to go back...

Four of the house’s idiosyncratic columns ambled down the stairs and up the sidewalk for a week in May 2023. Why they were doing that was up to interpretation: Homesick? Curious about the new construction? Needed to stretch after standing rigid for so long? The installation’s references to the striking appearance of Peter Green House (which is a vibrant green and yellow with architectural elements that are emblematic of several Victorian styles) and the house’s relocation delighted the Brown History Department, which occupies the building, as well as other pedestrians on College Hill.

Since September 2023, the columns have lived on the porch and inside Peter Green House.

Related Press:

• “Scene at Brown: A Temporary Public Art Installation of Four Wavy Columns Is Adorning Brown’s Peter Green House,” News from Brown, May 12, 2023