John Hay Library, Providence, Bezoekersgids & wat te doen in de buurt

The John Hay Library is a special collections library at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, on the campus at 75 Waterman Street. It is named for John Hay, a Brown graduate who became private secretary to Abraham Lincoln and later US Secretary of State. Today it is best known for its rare books, manuscripts and archives, including a major collection on the horror writer H. P. Lovecraft, who lived in Providence.

The story behind it

The library opened in 1910 and honors John Hay, a member of Brown's class of 1858. Hay worked in Lincoln's White House as a young man and went on to a long diplomatic career, serving as Secretary of State under Presidents William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt. He was also a writer and a generous friend of his old university, and the building carries his name as a tribute to that link.

The Hay was built to house the university's growing book collection, and over time it became Brown's home for rare and specialized material. Its holdings include manuscripts, archives, early printed books and collections on subjects such as American poetry, military history and the life of Lincoln. The Lovecraft papers and books draw many visitors, since the author spent nearly all his life in Providence and set much of his strange fiction in New England.

What to look for

• Study the formal stone exterior from Waterman Street, and notice how the building sits among the older campus buildings around the main green.
• Look above the entrance for the library's name, a reminder of the Brown graduate who gave it his name.
• Take in the surrounding College Hill setting, where brick and stone university buildings line the paths and streets in every direction.
• Think of Lovecraft as you walk the neighborhood, since the streets around Brown are part of the Providence he knew and wrote about.

Tips for your visit

• Allow 10 to 15 minutes to see the exterior and the setting, and longer if you plan to explore the wider campus.
• The library is a working research library, so access to the interior and reading rooms can be limited. Check current opening hours and visitor access rules before you go.
• Morning or late afternoon light is pleasant for photos, and the campus is quieter outside the busiest class hours.
• It is easy to combine with other College Hill sights, such as the Brown campus gates, Thayer Street for food and coffee, and the historic houses on Benefit Street.

See it on a quest

You can reach the John Hay Library on foot as one stop of Murder Mystery: Death in the Shadows in Providence, a mystery-themed walk through the city. The app tells you about each place as you arrive and sets a puzzle based on what is in front of you, so you look closely at the building rather than just walk past it. It is a paid quest, and one ticket covers the whole group. You can start whenever suits you, with no guide and no group to join.