Taken From The Historic & Architectural resources of West Warwick, a preliminary report done in 1987 by the RI Historical Preservation Commission. page 127
"House (mid 19th century): A 1 1/2 story Greek Revival house with a small brick center chimney, a five-bay facade with a central entrance, and an ell at the right that appears to be composed of telescoping sections."
The land on which the house was built was purchased by Charles Phillips of Coventry from David Whitman of Cranston on November 20, 1847, for the sum of $150 (Book 26, page 455, Warwick City Hall). David Whitman was connected with the mills at Phenix for several years and became skilled in the management and erection of cotton factories in different places (History of Phenix and Adjacent Villages, West Warwick Public Library, page 71)
Information obtained about Charles Phillips: he was born in 1802, the son of Joseph and Nancy Phillips of Scituate, served in the capacity of a judge, and died July 14, 1866 of heart disease. He was married to Sarah Scott (4/18/1798 - 4/10/1888), daughter of Ichabod and Susanna Scott of Coventry on November 19, 1820. The couple had ten children.
The Phillips' removed the frame of the old house in which they first established household (pre-1820?) and moved it to Phenix, using it for construction of the existing house (circa 1848). Mrs Phillips lived there until her death at age 89. Her obituary, listed in The Pawtuxet Valley Gleaner, contains an assortment of anecdotes about she and her late husband. The house and two lots were then sold at auction on March 8, 1890 for the sum of $1800, purchased by Lawrence Keenan of Scituate.
Some of the house's more notable features include an original stone
foundation, hard pan cellar, center fire chimney (slanted in the
attic),
mortise and tenon roof beams (without ridgepole) which were hand hewned
with
the use of an adz and fastened with wooden pegs (all visible), one-inch
doors with two full panels, the majority of windows with original glass
panes, 2 1/2 inch inside walls with lathing and "horsehair" plaster,
original wide-planked floors on second level, and two brick columns
supporting the base of the fireplace. The most perplexing and what
adds to
the aura of the house is the positioning of the carrying beams that
bear
partitions. Their placement, or lack thereof, provides for an
architectural
mystery.
Judge Charles Phillips House research provided by Lou Maynard
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