The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1915-07-09

And today, ramble about the shadowy
precincts of the Colony Town, we chance de-
lectably here and there upon twisting street yet
holding its first given London name-a London
like old court, byway, or alley; Londonish foot
passage making short cut between thoroughfares;
arched way through buildings in old London
style. So, too, we find yet lingering though long
since In disguise, old London fashioned under
ground passage or two between courts
time habitations suggestive OF smuggling days
and Of romance. Such is that GRIM underground
passage between old Providence court and Har-
ward place issuing on Washington street oppo-
site the old South Meeting house. which starts
in the court near a plumbing shop and runs along
side the huge granite foundations of the
wall Of the old Province house. seat of the royal
governors, now long gone save its side wall OF
Holland brick, which still remains intact. This
passage must have eluded Hawthorne, else surely
It would have figured In one OF his Incompatible
Legends OF this rare place OF provincial pomp
and elegance Then there was, until recent years
that other and more significant passage, opening
from this one and extending under the Province
house and the highway in front, eastward toward
the sea- Gossip tradition has II or some latter
day discoverer has fancied that by this passage
some OF Howes men made their escape TO the
waterfront at the evacuation. Others call II
smuggler's passage. In that day the water came
up Milk street to the present Library square and
southwand to old Church Green, which used TO be
at the junction OF Summer and Bedford streets.
An explorer of this passage-the engineer OF the
tavern which occupies the site of the Prov
ince house orchard Ca genuine antiquary this
engineer, who during service with the tavern
from it's erection has delved deep into colonial
history OF this neighborhood) )-says that its outlet
apparently was somewhere Church Green.
Its was closed up in part in late years by build
ing operations and further by the construction
OF the Washington street tunnel
The peninsula as the colonsts found Il we re-
called from the familiar description OF the local
historians. 1t was q neck OF land jutting out at
the bottom OF Massachusetts, bay with fine
harbor its side; at It's back the Charles
river, uniting at its north end with the Mystic
river as IL enters the harbor from the north side
OF Charlestown: It's whole territory only about
four miles in circuit; its less than eight hundred
acres comprising several abrupt elevations. with
valleys between. The loftiest elevation the
three-peaked hill In It's heart, which gave Il its
Beacon, on the river side: the next In height, on
the barbor front. were the north and south promon
tories OF n great cove, which became respectively
Cops hill and Fort hill.
The town was begun round about the Market
place, which was at the head OF the present State
street where is now the old statehouse. About
the Market place the first homes were built and
the first highways struck out Thence meandered
the earliest OF those legendary Cow paths" the
lanes from which evolved the crooked little
streets leading 10 the home lots and gardens
OF settlers State street and Washington street
were the FIRST highways the one The Great
Street TO the Sea-" the other The High Waye TO
Roxberrie" where the peninsula Joined the main
land, perhaps along Indian trails. At the outset
the High Waye' reached only as Gar as School