PROVIDENCE PRESERVATION SOCIETY
RECORDS FOR
82 TABER AVENUE
Plat 39, Lot 50
Charles W. and Ella P. Parmelee House
Built 1911
Summary: This property, located on the west side of Taber Avenue between Irving and Humboldt
Avenues, was originally part of Moses Brown’s late 18th century country estate known as Elm Grove
Farm. The block containing 82 Taber Avenue was first platted for residential development in 1865 as the
Elm Grove Farm Plat, and then replatted twice (in 1870 and in 1891) as the Moses Brown Farm Plat. In
the late 19th century the land was owned by members of the Ives family, who were related by marriage to
the Browns and the Goddards (three prominent names in Providence’s history). The property was
eventually sold to a land development company and subsequently to Charles W. and Ella P. Parmelee,
who built the single-family house at 82 Taber Avenue in 1911. The property has only changed hands
once since its construction, being purchased in 1956 by the current owners, Warren W. and Constance K.
Francis.
Chronology:
1770s
Moses Brown, great-great grandson of Chad Brown (one of the original settlers of Providence),
acquired a large parcel of previously undeveloped land on the East Side of Providence. The
boundaries of Brown’s estate, known as Elm Grove Farm, extended north from today’s East
Manning and Pitman Streets, to what is now Laurel Avenue, and east from present day Arlington
Avenue, Lloyd Avenue, and Hope Street to the Seekonk River. Brown’s country house (1772,
demolished), sited near what is now the intersection of Humboldt and Wayland Avenues, eventually
became his year round residence. (RIHP&HC, Historic and Architectural Resources of the East
Side, Providence, 1989)
1836
Deed Book 140, Page 401: On February 9, 1836, Moses Brown willed his homestead farm in
Providence Neck to his granddaughter Anna Almy Jenkins, wife of William Jenkins,. Anna was to
have a life tenancy, and after her death the property was to pass to her son, Moses Brown Jenkins
(born February 7, 1836), provided he should attain the age of 21, marry, and have a child. (PPS
Records for 257 President Avenue)
1849-1856
By the late 1840s, the process of subdividing East Side farmsteads into house lots had begun.
Anna Almy Jenkins died in 1849 and left her father’s homestead farm to her two children, Anna Almy
(Jenkins) Hoppin and Moses Brown Jenkins. When Moses Brown Jenkins turned 21 in 1856, he
and his sister divided the family homestead, with Moses taking the portion north of Angell Street.
(Today’s South Angell Street was part of Angell Street in 1856.) (RIHP&HC, Historic and
Architectural Resources of the East Side, Providence, 1989)
Records for 82 Taber Avenue
Page 2
1865
“The Elm Grove Farm Plat Belonging to Moses B. Jenkins” was surveyed and drawn by Charles E.
Paine (recorded in Plat Book 8, Page 15, and copied on Plat Card 215). This plat contained over
6.3 million square feet of land, and was divided into three tracts numbered 1, 2 and 3. Tract #1,
containing 3,260,245 square feet of land, was bounded by Wayland Street on the east, by Angell
Street on the south, by Asylum Street (now Arlington Street) on the west, and by land of Mary H.
Robeson, Phebe Allen, Henry C. Dorr and Crawford Allen on the north. Taber Avenue was not laid
out in Tract #1 at this time, and no buildings are shown on this map. (Registry of Deeds)
1868
Deed Book 184, Page 74: On October 1, 1868, William Jones Hopkins, guardian of Moses B.
Jenkins (under court decree dated September 22, 1868), sold to Charles C. Taber and Henry M.
Taber of New York City, the three tracts of land shown in the Elm Grove Farm Plat map of 1865.
(Archives) [Note: The Taber family, although out-of-state residents, owned a significant amount of
property on the East Side for more than three decades. Taber Avenue is likely named after them.]
1870 - 1872
“The Moses Brown Farm Plat,” surveyed and drawn in 1870 by Charles E. Paine (recorded in Plat
Book 11, Page 2, copied in Plat Card 281)), shows the original layout of streets and blocks. Taber,
Arlington, Humboldt and Irving Avenues are all shown. The block bounded by these four streets is
divided into 10 lots numbered 10 through 19 inclusive. Lot #15, in the middle of the east side of the
block (the west side of Taber Avenue), is 100 feet wide and contains 20,000 square feet. No
buildings are shown on this plat map, but there is a note that “purchasers of lots are prohibited from
placing any buildings on this plat with 20 feet of any street or avenue, and all their deeds are subject
to this agreement.” (Registry of Deeds)
“The Moses Brown Farm Plat” was also surveyed and drawn in 1872 by Cushing & Co. (recorded in
Plat Book 11, Page 10, copied in Plat Card #286). This map shows a street and block layout
identical to that on the Paine map of 1870. No buildings are shown on the map. (Registry of Deeds)
Deed Book 199, Page 542: On July 8, 1872, Charles C. Taber and Henry M. Taber of New York City
sold to Robert H. Ives of Providence, for $25, 18-1/2 lots in Providence, including Lot 15 on the
Moses Brown Farm Plat map of 1870 (Plat Book 11, Page 2). Lot 15 is described as fronting on
Taber Avenue, 100 feet in width and 200 feet in depth, containing 20,000 square feet of land.
(Archives)
1875
City Atlas of Providence by G.M. Hopkins, 1875 (Volume 1, Wards 1, 2, and 3): Plate J shows the
block bounded by Taber Avenue on the east, Irving Avenue on the north, Arlington Avenue on the
west, and Humboldt Avenue on the south. The block is subdivided into 4 lots, with two buildings
shown on the south end of the block bordering on Humbolt Avenue. The lot in the middle of the east
side of the block is numbered 15 and 16 and contains 40,000 square feet of land (consistent in size
with the combined lots 15 and 16 on the 1870 and 1872 Moses Brown Farm Plat maps), but no
buildings. The name “Robert H. Ives” is shown on the combined Lots 15 and 16. (Archives)
Providence Index of Deaths, 1871-1880: Robert H. Ives, son of Thomas P. Ives and Hope, died
July 6, 1875, aged 76 years. (Archives) [Note: Thomas Poynton Ives had married Hope Brown,
daughter of Nicholas and neice of Moses, John and Joseph, in 1792; Thomas and Hope’s house at
Records for 82 Taber Avenue
Page 3
66 Power Street, built 1806, is one of the “China Trade Mansions.” (RIPH&HC, Providence: A
Citywide Survey of Historic Resources,” 1986.)]
Providence Will Book 25, Page 151: In a will dated February 19, 1875, Robert H. Ives of Providence
left the bulk of his estate, real and personal (excepting certain gifts to others) to his daughter
Elizabeth A. Gammell, wife of William Gammell, of Providence. Ives’s son-in-law, William Gammell,
and his grandson Robert Ives Gammell (son of Elizabeth and William), were named executors.
Among the various legacies to other people: William Gammell was left an annuity, and the right to a
life tenancy of the John Brown House on Power Street should he survive his wife; the children of
Ives’s sister, Charlotte P. Goddard, received artwork; and annuities were settled on Ives’s sister-inlaw Anna M. Amory and members of her family (Ives’s wife had apparently been an Amory, and may
have predeceased him, for she is not mentioned by name in his will). (Archives)
1877
Assessor’s Plat Card for 82 Taber (Plat 39, Lot 50) indicates the property was owned by Elizabeth A.
Gammell, widow of William Gammell, in July 1877. (Assessor’s Office) [Note: The Index of Deaths
indicates that William Gammell died April 3, 1889; furthermore, Elizabeth A. Gammell and William
Gammell granted power of attorney to their son Robert Ives Gammell on September 9, 1878 (Deed
Book 300, Page 461). Clearly Elizabeth Gammell was not a widow in 1877. (Archives, Registry of
Deeds)]
[Note: Elizabeth A. Gammell received some additional property on March 31, 1879 by deed from
Robert Ives Lee of Topeka, Kansas and Elizabeth A. Ernst, wife of O.H. Ernst, of St. Louis, Missouri
(Deed Book 301, Page 404). This transaction relates to the 1845 will of Elizabeth Amory, who may
have been Robert H. Ives’s mother-in-law and Elizabeth A. Gammell’s grandmother; therefore Robert
I. Lee and Elizabeth A. Ernst may have been cousins of Elizabeth A. Gammell. In any event, the
location of this real estate is not specified, but it does not appear to include the property upon which
82 Taber Avenue would eventually be built. (Registry of Deeds)]
1882
City Atlas of Providence by G.M. Hopkins, dated 1882: Plate 4 shows that the block bounded by
Taber, Irving, Humboldt and Arlington has been further subdivided into 8 lots. The large lot credited
to Robert Ives on the 1875 Atlas has been divided into two smaller lots, shown on this map as owned
by “Mrs. E.A. Gammell.” The lots are now numbered 75 and 76, and neither has a building on it.
(Note: Mrs. Gammell also owns most of the blocks abutting this one to the east and to the north.) All
four lots bordering Humboldt Avenue have buildings on them, but the rest of the block is empty.
(Archives)
1889
Providence Index of Deaths, 1881-1890: William Gammell died April 3, 1889, aged 77 years.
(Archives)
1891
“The Moses Brown Farm Plat” was replatted by Charles E. Paine (recorded in Plat Book 19, Page 17,
copied in Plat Card 640). The boundaries of the entire plat are shown as Laurel Avenue on the north,
Butler Avenue on the east, Angell Street on the south, and Arlington Avenue on the west. The block
bounded by Taber, Irving, Arlington and Humboldt Avenues has been further subdivided into 23 lots.
Records for 82 Taber Avenue
Page 4
The lot that is the site of 82 Taber is numbered 38 on this map, and contains 10,000 square feet of
land. No building is shown on it, although there are seven other houses located elsewhere in the
block. (Registry of Deeds)
1895
City Atlas of Providence, dated 1895: Plate 6, pages 32-33 shows the block has been reconfigured
again, this time with only 19 lots. The lot that is the site of 82 Taber is shown measuring 10,000
square feet. The lot is not numbered, and no building is shown on it. (Archives)
1897
Providence Index of Deaths, 1891-1900: Elizabeth A. Gammell, widow of William, died April 1, 1897,
aged 66 years. (Archives)
Assessor’s Plat Card for 82 Taber (Plat 39, Lot 50) indicates the property was owned by the Elizabeth
A. Gammell Estate in May 1897. [Note: The Index of Deaths indicates that Elizabeth A. Gammell
died April 1, 1897.] (Assessor’s Office, Archives)
1899
Deed Book 427, Page 237: On June 26, 1899, Robert Ives Gammell and William Gammell of
Providence, along with John W. Slater and Elizabeth Hope Slater of North Smithfield, and Harriet Ives
Gammell of Newport (the four children of Elizabeth A. Gammell of Newport, deceased), sold to the
Beverly Land Company, for $1,000, “all the real estate in said City [of Providence] which was devised
to us by the 24th clause of the last will and testament of Elizabeth A. Gammell,” except for 18
separate parcels of land previously deeded to others. (These others are named in the deed, along
with book and page references.) (Registry of Deeds)
Assessor’s Plat Card for 82 Taber (Plat 39, Lot 50) indicates the property was owned by the Beverly
Land Company in November 1899. (Assessor’s Office, Archives)
1902
Assessors Plat Maps of 1902: The map of Plat 39 shows the lot in the middle of the block on the
west side of Taber Avenue numbered 50, measuring approximately 50 by 200 feet, containing 10,000
square feet of land (no buildings are shown). Note the block’s revised configuration of 23 lots, which
it retains to this day. (Archives)
1906
City Atlas of Providence by L.J. Richards & Co: Plate 7 shows the block bounded by Taber, Irving,
Arlington and Humboldt with numerous houses built, including houses numbered 72 and 86 Taber. In
between these properties are two empty lots, both measuring 10,000 square feet, owned by the
Beverly Land Company. (Archives)
1910
Deed Book 507, Page 205: On February 7, 1910, the Beverly Land Co. sold to Ella P. Parmelee of
Providence, a lot of land situated on the westerly side of Taber Avenue, 200 feet south of Irving
Avenue, delineated as Lot 38 on the Moses Brown Farm Plat as replatted in 1891. The lot is
described as measuring 50 feet by 200 feet, containing approximately 10,000 square feet of land.
Records for 82 Taber Avenue
Page 5
The deed specifically notes that “said Ella P. Parmelee, her heirs and assigns shall not locate any
building upon the premises within 20 feet of Taber Avenue.” This restriction is consistent with that on
the original 1870 Moses Brown Farm Plat . (Registry of Deeds)
City Tax Records indicate that Plat 39, Lot 50 was owned by Ella P. Parmelee. The total value of the
property was $2,200. (Archives)
Providence City Directory lists Charles W. Parmelee (not Ella) as living at 80 Medway Street, with an
office address at 85 Gano Street. Providence House Directory (1909) does not list an address of 82
Taber Avenue. (Archives)
1911
City Tax Records indicate that Plat 39, Lot 50 was owned by Ella P. Parmelee. The total value of the
property was now $9,200, so clearly the house had been constructed since the previous year’s
assessment. (Archives)
Providence City Directory lists Charles W. Parmelee (not Ella) as living at 82 Taber Avenue.
Providence House Directory lists the address of 82 Taber Avenue, and indicates that Charles W.
Parmelee resides there. (Archives)
1918
City Atlas of Providence by G.M. Hopkins: Plate 20 shows the house at 82 Taber has been
constructed on a lot measuring 10,000 square feet (although no street number has been assigned to
it on the map). The owner is noted as E.P. Parmelie (note the alternative spelling). (Archives)
1952
Providence Index of Deaths, 1951-1955: Ella W. Parmelee (note the alternative middle initial), wife of
Charles, died March 16, 1952. (Archives)
Assessor’s Plat Card for 82 Taber (Plat 39, Lot 50) indicates the property was owned by Charles W.
Parmelee in December 1952. (Assessor’s Office)
1956
Deed Book 1054, Page 419: On September 6, 1956 Charles W. Parmelee sold to Warren W. Francis
and Constance K. Francis of Providence, a lot of land with buildings and improvements thereon
situated on the westerly side of Taber Avenue, 200 feet south of Irving Avenue, delineated as Lot 38
on the Moses Brown Farm Plat as replatted in 1891. The lot is described as measuring 50 feet by
200 feet, containing approximately 10,000 square feet of land. (Registry of Deeds)
Assessor’s Plat Card for 82 Taber (Plat 39, Lot 50) indicates the property was owned by Warren W.
Francis and wife Constance K. Francis in December 1956. The card refers to Deed Book 1054, Page
419. (Assessor’s Office, Archives)
1991
Deed Book 2488, Page 253: On December 5,1991, Warren W. Francis and Constance K. Francis of
Providence sold to Constance K. Francis of 82 Taber Avenue a lot of land with buildings and
improvements thereon situated on the westerly side of Taber Avenue, 200 feet south of Irving
Records for 82 Taber Avenue
Page 6
Avenue, delineated as Lot 38 on the Moses Brown Farm Plat as replatted in 1891. The lot is
described as measuring 50 feet by 200 feet, containing approximately 10,000 square feet of land.
(Registry of Deeds)
1999
Deed Book 4100, Page 40: On May 25, 1999, Constance K. Francis of Providence sold the property
back to Warren W. Francis and Constance K. Francis of Providence. The deed notes that the
property is “the same premises conveyed to Constance K. Francis by deed of Warren W. Francis and
Constance K. Francis dated December 5, 1991; and also that conveyed to Warren W. Francis and
Constance K. Francis by deed of Charles W. Parmelee dated September 6, 1956, recorded in Deed
Book 1054, Page 419. (Registry of Deeds)
Research compiled by Kathryn J. Cavanaugh
March, 2000