Two old views from the John Hay library looking westward across Providence, indicative of what Lovecraft might have seen from his window at 66 College Street. Or from the windowed-attic above his study, to which he had access and which had windows on all sides. He may have had an even higher view, as Brobst remembered helping Lovecraft to force open a seemingly fast-stuck attic door that let out onto the roof of 66. Here’s the south side of the house, with the front-door up steps…

And pictures from very near No. 66 and indicative of views west from it…

These two are almost certainly from the roof or high windows of the John Hay. I’ve merged the two pictures, and they match up quite well. You can see the blurry overlap.

Are we seeing Lovecraft’s house at 66 College Street thought that big tree on the right? No, sadly I don’t think we are. What’s seen there appears to be two wings coming back from a house on Waterman Street and their steep roofs are wrong for Lovecraft’s house. I suspect we’re seeing the back of two wings of a Waterman house and a tiny bit of the back of the Paxton/Arnsdale. Lovecraft’s house is thus below the camera frame on the right. The large elm tree does however broadly indicate the position of the edge of the garden court and that it had at least one tall tree adjacent to it. Its shadow can be seen on one photo of his house, and the tree’s reflection is seen in the windows of the Library in another picture (in Lovecraft Annual 2015).

For what it’s worth, here’s a Summer 1928 airplane photo. The John Hay Library is the white block and 66 College St. is just below it but appears to be mostly blacked into heavy shadow due to the time of day. It’s possible the small white triangle is Lovecraft’s house partly illuminated by sun?

Away on his left Lovecraft could also see from his study window the top-lights of the huge Industrial Trust Building, as seen here from the top of College Street in 1962…