Kennedy Plaza
Encyclopedia
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
, Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
next to the Providence City Hall
Providence City Hall
Providence City Hall is the center of the municipal government in Providence, Rhode Island and is located at the west end of Kennedy Plaza.Built in 1878, Providence City Hall is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places....
and Providence Federal Building
Federal Building (Providence, Rhode Island)
The Federal Building is a historic post office, courthouse and custom house on Kennedy Plaza at Providence, Rhode Island. It is a courthouse for the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island...
. It serves as the nexus of the state's conventional-bus
Transit bus
A transit bus , also known as a commuter bus, city bus, or public bus, is a bus used for short-distance public transport purposes...
and trolley-replica bus
Tourist trolley
A tourist trolley, also called a road trolley, is a rubber-tired bus , which is made to resemble an old-style streetcar or tram....
public transit services operated by Rhode Island Public Transit Authority
Rhode Island Public Transit Authority
The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority provides public transportation, primarily buses, in the state of Rhode Island. The main hub of the RIPTA system is Kennedy Plaza, a large bus terminal in downtown Providence, Rhode Island...
(RIPTA), as well as a departure point for Peter Pan
Peter Pan Bus Lines
Peter Pan Bus Lines is a long-distance bus carrier headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts. It operates in the northeastern United States. Over four million passengers per year travel on Peter Pan's bus routes....
and Greyhound
Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, operating under the well-known logo of a leaping greyhound. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and...
bus lines. Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority
Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority
The Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority oversees and coordinates public transportation in the areas of Attleboro and Taunton, Massachusetts and nearby areas. It operates daily on fixed routes and schedules within 26 communities in Bristol, Norfolk, and Plymouth counties...
(GATRA) commuter bus service between Taunton, Massachusetts
Taunton, Massachusetts
Taunton is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the seat of Bristol County and the hub of the Greater Taunton Area. The city is located south of Boston, east of Providence, north of Fall River and west of Plymouth. The City of Taunton is situated on the Taunton River...
and Providence also operates out of the Plaza in the morning and evening. Through RIPTA alone Kennedy Plaza serves over 69,000 people a day.
- -- Architectural historian William McKenzie Woodword, Guide to Understanding Providence Architecture
Since its creation as City Hall Park in 1848, Kennedy Plaza has not seen a ten-year period without salient change to its appearance. In 1964, the plaza was renamed in honor of John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
. As federal funds became available in the late 1970s for automobile-free zones, all local bus-waiting areas were consolidated to Kennedy Plaza. Surrounding the Plaza are Burnside Park
Burnside Park, Providence, Rhode Island
Burnside Park is a small park situated in downtown Providence, Rhode Island, adjacent to Kennedy Plaza. Named for Ambrose Burnside, a general in the American Civil War from Rhode Island, an equestrian statue was erected in his honor in the late 19th century, and sits in the center of the...
, the Bank of America
Bank of America
Bank of America Corporation, an American multinational banking and financial services corporation, is the second largest bank holding company in the United States by assets, and the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by market capitalization. The bank is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina...
skating center, and Haven Brothers Diner
Haven Brothers Diner
Haven Brothers Diner in Providence, Rhode Island, is one of the oldest restaurants on wheels in America and was founded in 1888 as a horse drawn lunch wagon.-History:...
which has been rolled into the Plaza nightly since 1893.