La Providence

La Providence is a group of almshouses located on Rochester High Street, founded in 1718 for poor French Protestants and their descendants. The current buildings date from the mid-19th century and were significantly renovated between 1957 and 1959 by Grellier and Sons, who preserved the front elevations. The structure is built of red brick with Welsh slate roofs and consists of three terraces that form three sides of a square.

The almshouses are two storeys high, with a basement and area, and the front doors are accessed by bridges with simple railings. Nos 1-20, located on the west side of the square, feature an 18-window range with a parapet that has stone coping, a first-floor lintel band, and a plat band between the ground floor and basement. The ground floor has four-pane horned sash windows in moulded surrounds, with cornices present only on the ground floor. The doorways are arranged in pairs, flanked by pilasters and topped with a cornice, leading to half-glazed doors. The basement also has sash windows.

Nos 21-31 is a ten-window range that mirrors the previous design but includes a central pediment with a clock. Nos 33-40, located opposite Nos 21-31, is similarly designed. The rear elevations also feature sash windows.