We know that Lovecraft sketched a scene through the John Brown House doorway in Providence, imaginging the scene as it might once have been in the era of the clipper ships, and included this in a letter to Talman circa September 1927…

[From the archival record of a Lovecraft collection:] “Contains drawing [by Lovecraft] of a scene (featuring indications of a steeple and a ship’s rigged mast) as viewed through the doorway from inside of the John Brown House.”

Also…

“At the very end of his life Lovecraft saw the opening of the John Brown house (1786) as a museum, and it is now the home of the Rhode Island Historical Society.” (Joshi, I Am Providence)

Here is the exterior…

I should add that this fine example of penmanship showing the John Brown House is not Lovecraft’s drawing. This is by “Laswell”, George Laswell, who was the creator of the book Corners and Characters of Rhode Island (1924). My thanks to Ken Faig Jr. for pointing out that Sonia recalled that Lovecraft knew and admired these pen sketches — they had first appeared weekly in the local newspaper on which Laswell was a Staff Artist. Oh, for the days when a local newspaper had a Staff Artist…

I imagine the book will have more such quality drawings of Providence in Lovecraft’s time, or near enough. Let’s hope that, as a 1924 book, it’s being lined up for release into the public domain at the start of 2020.

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Update: a photograph from 1914…