The Carriage House Turned Cafe That's A Providence Preservation Society Neighborhood Gem

All Photos Are Courtesy Of Patty J And PattyJ.com.

Have you heard? Rise ‘N Shine on Holden Street in Providence’s Smith Hill neighborhood was recently awarded Providence Preservation Society’s Neighborhood Gem Award (see the complete list of 2022 recipients HERE).

I was fortunate enough to be invited to coffee there with some of the team from PPS, the amazing manager of the cafe, and owner Neal Kaplan (of Neal Estate, LLC) who had been dreaming of opening a coffee shop at that location for decades.

Neal was kind enough to share the history and restoration details behind this incredible PVD jewel with me, so if you’re curious (of course you are!), keep scrolling to hear about his — and the building’s — journey to where they are today.

This historic second empire style carriage house (ca. 1858), originally part of the Christopher Dodge estate, was painstakingly restored to its original glory during the spring and summer of 2020.

The 1858, 2 story building’s original use was a horse and buggy stable on the 1st floor, with a 2nd floor residence for the groom. A 3rd floor mansard was added to the carriage house around the turn of the century.

The restoration left no surface untouched, from the foundation to the chimney and everything in between: Exterior and interior brick was carefully stripped, power washed, and repointed. The south side (where four original windows were haphazardly bricked in) now has two historically accurate windows and the others have been refined with careful brick infill and brownstone lintels. The north side (where the bays were built over cornice) has been restored; the bays have been reframed and finished with copper roofing, highlighting the full uninterrupted cornice. It has new accurate dental molding and corbels matching the original facade. The chimney has been rebuilt, the hip roof replaced, new shingles applied to the mansard, fascia and crown moldings replaced, window trim and hoods rebuilt along with the gutter trough all flashed, lined, and capped with copper. The bay windows have been newly shingled, and all the woodwork has been stripped, primed, and painted.

This work was all completed by Neal Estate, LLC which includes many talented local tradesmen, artists, and craftsmen who have a passion for woodworking, architecture, and design.

In addition to the exterior renovation, Neal Kaplan (the owner of Neal Estate, LLC and the carriage house, and longtime resident of the Smith Hill neighborhood) has opened the Rise ‘N Shine Coffee Bar in the carriage storefront to serve as a new community hub and a celebration of the wonderful building.

With respect for the historic character of the city, Mr. Kaplan’s new venture establishes a people’s cafe, a nod to the working class neighborhood, creating a great space for gathering and conversation in an incredible hidden enclave in the city.

Tucked away on Holden Street, just behind the Foundry Complex, Rise ‘N Shine Coffee Bar intends to jumpstart new life into this charming part of the city. Rise ‘N Shine serves quality locally roasted coffee and locally made pastries.

With wifi, indoor and outdoor seating, and skilled baristas, patrons can spend time in the unique carriage house or take delicious drinks and pastries to go, enjoying a stroll down Holden Street.

Along with Lisa Foster of Reconstructure (a longtime design partner and a fellow RISD alum), they worked to make the coffee shop design inviting and personal, also referential to the building and neighborhood history, not just through the architecture but also by highlighting the community and the people.

By keeping and restoring as much of the original interior (including the old storefront windows and transoms, beautiful distressed wood floors and beadboard walls and ceiling) and adding new elements, the cafe has become an amalgam of the carriage house history and the area.

This small footprint and modest origin became many different businesses over time, including a variety store, a butcher shop, a cobbler shop, a frame store, a gallery, an interior design studio, and it once even housed a photographer.

The interior reflects history through the celebration of its own history, and architecture in general. The building in its various reinventions speaks of Smith Hill and the people, it’s a time capsule of those who lived and worked there in the 1800’s through right now.

The modest storefront has been transformed into an inviting cafe highlighting preservation with architectural elements collected by Neal Kaplan, including a newly built shoeshine bench and vintage wooden shoe lasts representing the storefront’s time as a cobbler shop.

Find Rise ‘N Shine Coffee Bar at 97 Holden Street in Providence, Rhode Island.

As always, if you go after reading THIS, please let them (and your friends, fam) know you were inspired by Patty J and PattyJ.com.