Retlaw House Tourist Home
Address
24 Camp St. Providence, RI
Physical Status
Demolished
Detailed History
The W. W. Joyce Tourist Home and the Retlaw House Tourist Home speak to the ephemerality of sites listed in The Green Book, as well as the challenges involved in researching their history. The W. W. Joyce Tourist Home was located at 24 Camp St. and listed in The Green Book at that site from 1939 to 1941. It was owned by Walter W. Joyce and his wife, Emma. In 1939, the city directory lists Walter as a houseman, with no occupation listed for Emma. By 1947, its last year being listed in The Green Book, the operation had moved to 12 Benefit St. The remainder of the history is murky; there is no further information available about the Joyces or about 12 Benefit St. Where the Joyce family went after 1947 remains a mystery. The Retlaw House Tourist Home is equally mysterious. By 1954, but possibly earlier, it had opened at 24 Camp St., the same location as the W.W. Joyce Tourist Home. The Retlaw House Tourist Home was owned by George S. Hammond, a porter at a place called Michaels-Bauer, Inc. George and his wife, Vivian, also lived at 24 Camp St. Vivian presumably ran the tourist home business, but only for the next three years. After 1957, there was no further listing for any tourist house at 24 Camp St. The building housing both tourist homes has since been demolished for a modern housing development.
