Dexter Training Ground
This 10-acre park is one of Providence’s most historic public spaces. Donated by Ebenezer Dexter in 1824 as a military drill field, parade ground, and park, it became part of the city’s park system in 1893. A bronze statue of Dexter was added in 1874. During the Civil War, Rhode Island troops camped and trained here before joining Union forces, and the park continued to be used for military training through World War I. Today, it remains an important community space in the densely populated West Broadway neighborhood.