Dexter Asylum
| Dexter Asylum | |
|---|---|
Library of Congress photo, taken April 1958 just before demolition | |
| General information | |
| Status | Demolished |
| Type | Poorhouse and farm surrounded by a wall |
| Architectural style | Victorian |
| Location | Bounded by Hope Street, Stimson Avenue, Angell Street, Arlington Avenue and Lloyd Avenue |
| Town or city | Providence, Rhode Island |
| Named for | Ebenezer Knight Dexter |
| Construction started | 1824 |
| Completed | 1828 |
| Opened | 1828 |
| Closed | 1956 |
| Demolished | 1957 |
| Owner | City of Providence, Rhode Island |
| Grounds | 39 acres |
| Known for | Poor farm |
41°49′51″N 71°23′51″W / 41.8308401°N 71.3974812°W Dexter Asylum was a "poor farm" on the East Side of Providence, Rhode Island. It was built in 1828 and housed poor, elderly, and mentally ill residents who could not otherwise take care of themselves. In 1957 it was sold via auction to Brown University and demolished for a complex of athletic fields and buildings.