H.P. Lovecraft is a critical figure to Rhode Island. While he was certainly not a perfect man by any means, there may not be another writer out there with as deep of a love for Little Rhody, and certainly not one who made so many real Rhode Island spots into critical characters in their work. This Halloween season, a great way to explore his beloved city of Providence while getting some creepy thrills, is by visiting some of the sights he wrote about in his novels and short stories. Read on for seven places to visit that feature in Lovecraft’s work.
One of the few Lovecraft sights that can be found by name on Google maps, the Shunned House is where the short story of the same title takes place. In the story our narrator has to unearth and detroy a great evil that is haunting this lovely home. Make sure to stop in the mini park next to it as well should you need a spot to sit for a moment.
This home turned B and B is where the Uncle of the narrator of the Shunned House is said to live in the story. It is quite close to the Shunned House itself, and both are located on the mile of History, an impressive collection of unmoved Colonial houses.
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3. Fluer-De-Lys Studios
Fleur-de-lys Studio, 7 Thomas St, Providence, RI 02903, USA
This gorgeous building sticks out a bit like a sore thumb of the more subdued streets of Providence, which is likely why Lovecraft chose to write about it. Fleur-de-Lys studios is framed as the residence of a sculptor and RISD student in the famed short story, The Call of Cthulu.
This home, built in 1808, serves as the home of Charles Dexter Ward in the novelette, the case of Charles Dexter Ward. This is a story about a man who gets himself into deep trouble doing some research about a past family member. The love of Providence is palpable in this tale!
This hospital is one of the more impressive complexes in Providence and another important setting in The Case of Charles Dexter Ward. Charles is sent to Butler at the beginning of the story and after he goes missing from his room, all that is found is a pile of dust!
Not only is this the house that Lovecraft spent the last four years of his life in, it is also where the main character in his story, Haunter of the Dark lives. Haunter of the Dark is the tale of a man who releases an unknown evil due to his morbid curiosity and suffers the consequences.
Now Lovecraft may have taken some liberties here, but this church is also a critical character in Haunter of the Dark. In the story the church is quite dilapidated and boarded up. It looks very different from what we see here, but nevertheless this is the church that story addresses as luring in our main character!
It’s amazing how much Lovecraft was able to write about the smallest state! Which of these spots is the most interesting to you? Do you think you’ll pick just one to visit or will you see all seven?
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