Retlaw House Tourist Home
24 Camp St., as depicted on the 1937 Hopkins map. The building was home to both the W.W. Joyce Tourist Home and the Retlaw House Tourist Home.
Known Name(s)
Retlaw House Tourist Home
Address
24 Camp St. Providence, RI
Establishment Type(s)
Tourist Home
Physical Status
Demolished
Detailed History
The Retlaw House Tourist Home was listed in The Green Book between 1954 and 1957. Interestingly, 24 Camp St. was the location of another Green Book listing, the W.W. Joyce Tourist Home, listed 1939-1947. The Joyces moved out of 24 Camp St. c. 1941 and after a short vacant period, George Hammond moved in.
Hammond was a porter at Michaels-Bauer Inc., but 24 Camp St. was his home. George lived there with his wife, Vivian, who presumably ran the tourist home. The connection to the name “Retlaw” is unknown, as is any other information on how long they ran the tourist home. The Hammonds occupied the building until 1960, when the area was redeveloped for, among other things, the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Elementary School.
