Providence Academy is truly a school like no other. This school has so many things that set it apart. One of the most noticeable things that sets Providence apart are PA’s famed yellow walls.
Many Providence students, faculty, and visitors have wondered ‘why yellow?’ This wonder has created many theories. Some people say it is meant to be calming, some say that it’s supposed to keep students focused, and some even say that extensive studies were conducted to pick the mustard-y color. One particularly interesting theory states that the first students enrolled at PA chose yellow out of a list of colors including green, tan, and of course the yellow that can be seen in PA’s halls today.
The truth is somewhat less exciting. According to headmaster Dr. Flanders the yellow walls simply fit the Georgian Colonial style of the building. Providence was built in this style to mimic the Wren building at William and Mary’s College. This is because the building fit PA’s ideals and was the best out of a list of schools that the founders looked at.
So yellow was picked as the color for PA’s walls primarily because it fit the style of the building. However, Dr. Flanders said that yellow was used instead of other colors that fit the style of the building because the founders wanted “a warmer, more homelike color scheme to be more uplifting.”
Maybe it’s this warm uplifting feeling that has made these walls so memorable. The term “yellow walls” has even become synonymous with PA to the students who have moved on to college and life after college.
This pattern of yellow walls has continued even in the newest section of Providence. According to Dr. Flanders the theater was painted with the same yellow but also with brilliant red, blue and gold to give it a more theatrical feel.
Although all of the students at PA will one day move on into the world, none of them will ever forget these yellow walls.
