The photo above shows the location of the first Ferris eye care office.  This is Westminster street in Providence, RI circa 1906.  On the left side of the street is Grace Church and various shops line both sides of the street.  In the foreground on the right side of the picture, you can see the sign for Ferris Optician.  This was the office of  Dr. William Ferris, the first in a long line of Ferris eye doctors.  He was what was known at the time as a "Refracting Optician", someone trained not only to fit and manufacture eyeglasses, but to measure the eyes for the correct eyeglass prescription.

With advances in both medicine and technology, Refracting Opticians became Optometrists, The Primary Eye Care Specialists.

Dr. William had three sons, two became Optometrists and one an Obstetrician.  Drs. William and Richard Ferris carried on in the practice of their father and moved the practice to Warwick.  Dr. Richard's son, Dr. David W. Ferris remains an integral part of our practice today.