I’ve never seen this card pop up on eBay before, which makes me think it might be scarce. The old Court House on Benefit Street, later a school. Lovecraft knew it and (if I have the correct Court House) described it as “great” in bulk…
“In colonial times College St. was known successively as Presbyterian Lane (from the meeting-house at Benefit St., where the great Court House now stands), Rosemary Lane, & Hanover St.”
But is it of more significance in his life and work? There’s a Court House in Dexter Ward (perhaps not this one?) in which records are searched for. I can find nothing more on it in the time available for a quick search, but others may know differently.
It seems that this is not why Lovecraft knew the giant College Street courthouse as the new Court House…
[The view from his windows] “In the southwest the lofty Georgian belfry of the new Court House loomed up darkly save for the lighted clock-face, the floodlights not having been turned on.”
Since this “new” description was of the 1928 structure…
“the very fine neo-Georgian court house, built in 1928–33, at the corner of College and North Main Streets”
Kenneth Faig said:
I think this building was originally the Providence high school, before a new campus was built downtown later in the nineteenth century. It later housed court offices. Beautiful postcard!