Providence – Set narrow end to the street, this 2½-story, five-bay-façade, center-entrance Georgian Revival house with slate hip roof and hip-roof dormers takes its design cues from Mid-Atlantic late 18th-century prototypes. Early American houses from all of the original colonies were seeing increasing publication in the professional architectural press in the second and third decades of the 20th century, and borrowing ideas from other regions became increasingly common.
Alfred Potter (1880-1936), Brown University, Class of 1902, worked for the family jewelry firm, E.A. Potter & Co. before joining Gorham Manufacturing Co. in 1918, where he served as vice president until his death. He also served as a director of Rhode Island Hospital Trust Bank, Hope Webbing Co. and B.B. & R. Knight Manufacturing Co., founded by his relatives. In May of 1911, he married Alice Marjorie Ray, and here they reared their three children; Helen, Edward, and William.
– 2011 Festival of Historic Houses Guidebook
Hopedale History
July 2026
No. 453
Another Bride – Part Three
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Twenty-five years ago – July 2001 – The world’s first self-contained artificial heart is implanted in Robert Tools in the United States
China and Russia sign the 2001 Sino-Russian Treaty of Friendship.
Megawati Sukarnoputri is inaugurated as the first female president of Indonesia
Fifty years ago – July 1976 – July 4 – The U.S. celebrates its bicentennial.
Jimmy Carter is nominated for U.S. president at the Democratic National Convention in New York City.
Ronald Reagan announces his choice of liberal U.S. Senator Richard Schweiker as his vice presidential running mate.
Delegates attending an American Legion convention in Philadelphia, US, begin falling ill with a form of pneumonia: this will eventually be recognized as the first outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease and will end in the deaths of 29 attendee.
One-hundred years ago – July 1926 – The United States Army Air Corps, forerunner of the United States Air Force, was established as an expansion of the United States Army Air Service.
In New York, Linton Wells and Edward Steptoe Evans completed their flight around the world in 28 days, 14 hours and 37 minutes, beating the old record of 35 days set by John Henry Mears in 1913.
The Radio Corporation of America (RCA) became the largest radio broadcasting company in the United States as it purchased 15 radio stations from AT&T. RCA would then launch the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) on November 15, 1926.
News above is from Wikipedia. For Hopedale news from 25, 50 and 100 years ago see below this textbox.
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Another Bride, Another Groom
Another Sunny Honeymoon
The Debutante
Part Three
By Mike Cyr
Now we must ask, “Whatever happened to Alice?”.
Recalling her background, Alice was a member of the core Ray Family of Franklin. The Ray family were Textile Barrons, owning and operating many textile mills.
We’ve been unable to find any information about Alice from the time just after the unfortunate turn of events of having been jilted by Bristow Draper. However, it would not be unusual for someone of Alice’s Social Standing to perhaps take an extended European vacation and let the embarrassment pass. Perhaps Switzerland or the South of France. However, we can only surmise.
Where we do pick up on Alice’s activities, we find that she has stopped using Alice and is more than likely starting to use her middle name Marjorie. It’s now May of 1911.
Marjorie is marrying one Mr. Alfred Knight Potter of THE Providence Potter’s. Boston had Brahmans. Providence had its “Old Guard”. The Potter’s and the Knight (Alfred’s middle name) Families were Old Guard Providence. By the time of the wedding, Alfred’s Parents had passed away as had Majorie’s father William.
Mr. Potter
Alfred Knight Potter was born in 1880 to Mr. and Mrs. Edward A Potter. Alfred graduated from Brown University in 1902.
After graduation, he cut his teeth in the jewelry trade by running his family’s jewelry manufacturing firm, E.A. Potter & Co., before Gorham recruited him.
He was recruited by Gorham Manufacturing, the leading Silversmiths in the country. He started out as a clerk in accounting and eventually rose to VP and Treasurer by 1918, a post he held until his death. Additionally, he was on the Board of Directors of several Providence Companies and was heavily involved with many civic activities.
I began to wonder, how did these two meet? Considering the distance from Franklin and Providence, a four- or five-year difference in age, and that the families were engaged in totally different industries, where the connection between the Ray and Potter Families may have occurred.
Look no farther than Brown University 1902. There we find that Alfred was engaged in many extracurricular activities such as Zeta Psi Fraternity, The Glee, Banjo and Mandolin Clubs. He also was an editor for the school newspaper, The Brown Daily Herald.
In one of these clubs, The Cammarian Club, we find both Alfred Knight Potter and Charles A.R. Ray (Class of 02). Charles A.R. Ray was also the captain of a newly formed basketball team. In 1902 they went 5-15 but two of those victories included defeating Harvard 35-33 and Boston University 36-31. Charles just happens to be Marjorie Ray’s brother.
Charles Ray stayed in the Providence Area and either managed or owned Dome Textile Manufacturing in the East Providence area, so it stands to reason he would have maintained contact with his Cammarian Club friend, Alfred.
By 1907, Alfred would have been solidly established in Providence Professional and Social circles. Most certainly, being a mature bachelor, would be “one fine catch” (to use an early 20th Century term) for the woman with the proper social upbringing and circles.
Enter, Alice Marjorie Ray, the recently available debutante and sister of his Brown University friend. They became engaged and married on May 16th,1911.
Alice, as would be expected, was extremely active in Providence civic and society groups. She was the President of the YWCA during the 20’s and 30’s, and president of The Rhode Island League of Women Voters.
She actively worked raising money for the United War Fund during WWII. She was active in the Maternal Health Association; she also actively promoted the Community Fund that became United Way. She also engaged in the Agawam Hunt. I’m sure you are asking, what is The Agawam Hunt? In the 1920s, Agawam Hunt was an exclusive, patrician private country club in Rumford, Rhode Island, that served as a major athletic and social hub for the state’s wealthiest families.
Though originally founded in 1897 as a foxhunting and “drag hunting” club (where hounds track an artificial scent rather than a live animal), the 1920s saw the club focus heavily on racquet sports and golf. However, it still maintained its equestrian roots; in 1921, the club voted to allow members to keep saddle horses in the club stables
Alfred and Alice had three children and remained married until Alfred’s death on February 19th, 1936.
Alice lived a good long life and saw her children marry and enjoyed having grandchildren. She passed away on May 26th,1974 at the age of 90.
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Hopedale News – July 2021
Hopedale News – July 1976
Hopedale News – July 1926
