"The situation of the College is remarkably airy, healthful and pleasant, being the summit of a hill pretty easy of ascent, and commanding a prospect of the town of Providence below, of the Narragansett Bay, and the islands, and of an extensive country, variegated with hills and dales, woods and plains...Surely, this spot was made for a seat for the Muses."

–Reverend Morgan Edwards, 1770

The Front Green is the former "front yard" of the campus. The first campus buildings–University Hall (1770), Hope College (1822), Manning Hall (1834) and Rhode Island Hall (1840)–were built in a row along the crest of College Hill, facing the city of Providence below. As the campus expanded, the old “back yard” became the College Green and the center of activity on campus. Hence today, the Front Green is frequently referred to as the “Quiet Green.”