In 1753, a group of private citizens started The Providence Library Company to gain access to a collection of books that they could not afford individually.

On December 23, 1848, Sarah Helen Whitman broke off her relationship with Edgar Allan Poe in the building.

[4] In 1838, the current Greek Revival building was completed on Benefit Street[5] by Philadelphia architect William Strickland.

[4] In 1979, a second addition was added by architect Warren Platner to house the Sayles Gorham Children's Library.

It hosts many cultural events for both adults and children, one of the most famous being its salon speaker series which was launched in 2006.