Warren Powerhouse Ruins (Warren, RI)

Exploring the Warren Powerhouse Ruins — A Forgotten Relic of Rhode Island’s Lost Railroad Era

Tucked beside the East Bay Bike Path and hidden behind a small parking lot at the end of Brown Street in Warren, Rhode Island, you’ll find one of the coolest and most overlooked historical ruins in the East Bay: the Warren Powerhouse Ruins.

Most people bike, jog, or walk right past them without realizing what they’re looking at. But these crumbling foundations were once a critical part of one of New England’s most innovative early electrified rail lines — the Providence, Warren & Bristol Railroad (PW&B). Today, they’re a quiet, moss-covered reminder of a transportation system that helped shape the region for over a century.

If you love hidden history, abandoned infrastructure, or easy-to-reach urban ruins, the Warren Powerhouse is a must-visit.

A Quick History: The PW&B Railroad

The Providence, Warren & Bristol Railroad was chartered in 1854, completed in 1855, and for decades served as a vital link between Providence and the booming mill towns and ports of Rhode Island’s East Bay.

From the moment it opened, the line was busy. It ran:

• Along the Seekonk River
• Through East Providence, Riverside, Barrington, and Warren
• And then split into two branches — one toward Bristol and one toward Fall River

The line saw steam trains, passenger service, freight service… and then, in a bold move for the early 1900s, something unusual:

The PW&B became one of the first electrified heavy-rail lines in New England.

This wasn’t a streetcar line. And it wasn’t the MBTA or a modern subway. It was a full-sized railroad running electric self-propelled cars — with trains projected to run every 8–10 minutes during peak hours. In other words, for a few decades, Rhode Island had its own form of rapid transit.

Why the Warren Powerhouse Was So Important

To power this electrified railroad, the New Haven Railroad (which absorbed the PW&B in the 1890s) built an electrical powerhouse in Warren, roughly at the center of the system.

This powerhouse:

• Provided 600-volt DC power to the entire line
• "Float-charged" two massive battery stations at each end of the route
• Fed electricity through a single overhead trolley wire
• Enabled frequent, efficient service that once rivaled modern transit headways

The Warren Powerhouse ensured the system could maintain reliable power during high-demand periods — especially at rush hour, when the batteries kicked in to support the load.

Today, only the boiler foundations remain — hidden in plain sight, just feet from the bike path.

Decline and Abandonment of the PW&B

Despite its early success, the PW&B suffered the same fate as many early railroads:

• The Great Depression weakened rail ridership
• The rise of the automobile made passenger rail less profitable
• Industry slowly left the East Bay
• Several key bridges were struck by ships and permanently disabled
• Electrified service ended in 1934
• Passenger service ended entirely by 1937
• Freight limped along for decades, slowly shrinking

By 1976, south of East Providence, most of the line was abandoned. By 2006, the final active stretch was legally abandoned.

Today, most of the right-of-way has been transformed into the East Bay Bike Path, one of Rhode Island’s most popular recreational trails.

But the Warren Powerhouse remains — a relic of a time when electric trains rushed through the East Bay long before cars dominated the landscape.

Exploring the Warren Powerhouse Ruins Today

Location

📍 GPS Coordinates: 41.734778, -71.282222
📍 Parking: Lot at the end of Brown Street, Warren, RI
📍 Trail Access: Steps away from the East Bay Bike Path

The ruins are incredibly easy to reach. Park in the free lot at the end of Brown Street and walk toward the bike path. Look to the right (northbound), and within 50 feet you’ll see crumbling concrete foundations hidden in the brush.

These foundations are:

• The remains of the powerhouse’s boiler supports
• Partially overgrown with moss, vines, and small trees
• Surrounded by fragments of brick and concrete
• Just a few yards from where electric trains once hummed past

The site isn’t large — a few concrete pads, foundations, and structural remnants — but it’s atmospheric, especially in the quiet early morning or near golden hour.

It’s a great add-on stop if you’re already biking the East Bay Bike Path, grabbing coffee downtown, or exploring the historic waterfront of Warren.

Parking Information

Parking Location: End of Brown Street, Warren, RI
Notes: Free parking; primarily used for bike-path access. The powerhouse ruins are only a few steps away.

Final Thoughts

The Warren Powerhouse Ruins are small but significant — a tangible reminder of a unique chapter in Rhode Island’s transportation history. Whether you’re biking nearby, exploring Warren, or chasing abandoned spots across New England, it’s a quick and rewarding stop that connects you to a long-forgotten rail system.