Davol Rubber Company is an historic industrial site at Davol Square

Davol Square

Davol Square is a historic public square in central Providence, Rhode Island. It is located at the intersection of Point Street and Eddy Street in the Upper South Providence neighborhood, in the middle of the Jewelry District.-Description:...

, at Point and Eddy Streets in Providence, Rhode Island

Providence, Rhode Island

Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...

.

The building was constructed in 1880 and added to the National Register of Historic Places

National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

 in 1980. It is located adjacent to the historic South Street Station

South Street Station

South Street Station is an historic electrical station in Providence, Rhode Island at 360 Eddy Street....

, which is currently being renovated. The Providence Jewelry Manufacturing Historic District

Providence Jewelry Manufacturing Historic District

Providence Jewelry Manufacturing Historic District is a historic district bounded by Ship Street, Ashcroft and Elbow and Hospital Streets, Point and South Streets, Imperial and Claverick Streets, and I-195 in Providence, Rhode Island....

 is also nearby.

History

The Davol Rubber Company was founded in Providence in 1874 to produce rubber medical and surgical devices, such as hot water bottles and catheters. In 1934, the company began the manufacture of the Foley catheter. In 1971 the Davol Rubber Company opened a new facility in nearby Cranston, Rhode Island

Cranston, Rhode Island

Cranston, once known as Pawtuxet, is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. With a population of 80,387 at the 2010 census, it is the third largest city in the state. The center of population of Rhode Island is located in Cranston...

. The company was acquired by C.R. Bard, Inc. of New Jersey

New Jersey

New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

 in 1980. The Davol Company, as it is currently known, is now located in Warwick, Rhode Island

Warwick, Rhode Island

Warwick is a city in Kent County, Rhode Island, United States. It is the second largest city in the state, with a population of 82,672 at the 2010 census. Its mayor has been Scott Avedisian since 2000...

.

Recent projects

Since Davol Rubber left, the building has had a series of tenants. The short-lived Davol Square Marketplace mall occupied the building complex in the 1980s. Later, it housed a mini-convention center for the costume jewelry industry for a short while. Various projects associated with Brown University

Brown University

Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...

have rented space in the building for many years, and the university recently announced plans to buy several buildings in the area.