They paved paradise: Historic marvel built nearly 200 years ago meets a sad end as it’s demolished and replaced with a parking lot

Providence’s Rialto Theatre has been demolished after city officials judged the building to be a public safety hazard. The loss ends the nearly 200-year history of a prominent downtown structure, and the site is expected to become parking for a nearby hotel.

Built in 1829 as Westminster Congregational Church in a Greek temple style, it later served as a skating rink and a theatre for Vaudeville and early films. It became the Rialto Theatre in 1919 and later housed shops, offices and a restaurant; its owner bought it in 2019 for $780,000. Officials cited an unstable roof and walls, falling exterior material and water damage to the foundation, despite preservationists having listed it as endangered in 2019.