Power Street runs between the very edge of the Seekonk River at Gano Park and South Main Street. During my walking tours, patrons will usually ask me if Power Street was named after Sarah Helen Whitman’s ancestors. This question comes after they learn about Whitman’s paternal side, the Powers, and their roots in the city after Roger Williams founded the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations in 1636.
Power Street is listed in city directories as early as 1824; however, I am certain that the street predates that year. The 1857 directory contains a section on “Origin of Names of the Streets” describing Power Street “from the ancestors of the late Nicholas Power, of the firm of Blodget and Power, for many years merchants in this town.”
So the thorough answer to this question is yes, Power Street is named after the ancestors of Sarah Helen Whitman.
Edgar Allan Poe: Rhode Island 