Fleur-de-lys Studio — Attraction in Providence

The Fleur de Lys Studios at 7 Thomas Street, Providence, Rhode Island is a key architectural monument to the American Arts and Crafts Movement of the 1880s. Its half-timbered main facade built in 1885 with elaborate proto-Art Nouveau stucco sections between the timbers embodies the spirit of the Arts and Crafts movement to this day. The Fleur de Lys building itself was more than ordinary as it became a public monument and symbol of the city’s progress in recognizing its blossoming art culture.

It would be a disservice to mention spirits and to not mention one of the most personally captivating stories of this unique structure as we near closer to All Hallows’ Eve. It is my goal to share a spooky story each day leading up to the final day of October. It is both an honor and a pleasure to share a story of my favorite structure from my time living in Providence.

Providence’s famous horror-story author, H.P. Lovecraft, was captivated by the odd studio. In Lovecraft’s most famous tale, “The Call of Cthulhu”, he writes of a character, “His card bore the name of Henry Anthony Wilcox who had latterly been studying sculpture at the Rhode Island School of Design and living alone in the Fleur-de-Lys building near that institution.” Lovecraft continues to describe an eerie bas-relief made by Wilcox that vaguely resembles one of the sculptures on the house. “Wilcox still lived alone in the Fleur-de-Lys Building in Thomas Street, a hideous Victorian imitation of seventeenth century Breton Architecture which flaunts its stuccoed front amidst the lovely colonial houses on the ancient hill, and under the very shadow of the finest Georgian steeple in America, I found him at work in his rooms, and at once conceded from the specimens scattered about that his genius is indeed profound and authentic. He will, I believe, some time be heard from as one of the great decadents; for he has crystallised in clay and will one day mirror in marble those nightmares and phantasies which Arthur Machen evokes in prose, and Clark Ashton Smith makes visible in verse and in painting.”

Bertrand K. Hart, then literary editor of the Providence Journal and author of a regular column, "The Sideshow", read the story in a 1929 anthology, T. Everett Harre's ‘Beware After Dark!’ and was astounded to find that Wilcox's residence in the story was the same as the address where he had once resided. Feigning to offense, he vowed in his column of November 30, 1929, to send a ghost to Lovecraft's home at 3AM to scare him. Lovecraft promptly wrote the poem "The Messenger" at 3AM that night, which was published in Hart’s column...

This fun and fascinating piece of RI history built in 1883 is a part of the Providence Art Club compound. For a number of years now the studio has been occupied by Artist Anthony Tomaselli! Anthony holds several open house events a year. Also check out his paintings in the RI based T's...

I picked up this beautiful linen pair of pants that Liz made and the top that she painted. They're so pretty I just love them. Thank you so much Liz for your artistry. Wearable clothing. What a beautiful...