This building was designed by 21 year old Rhode Island architect, Thomas Alexander Tefft in the Lombard Romanesque style.

Extending 720 feet along the edge of Exchange Place, the structure was the largest railroad station in the United States the time of its construction.

The question of what to do with the now undersized station was spontaneously answered on February 21, 1896 when the building suffered a catastrophic fire that effectively gutted the structure.

[6]A much larger Union Station was opened in 1898, clad in distinctive yellow brick, which the Providence Journal heralded as "a new era of history of this city".

"[14] A tentative opening of "late summer 2024" was announced, with a variety of local food vendors including seafood, burgers, craft beers, and Italian and Mexican cuisine.