Providence Preservation Society

SINCE 1956, THE PROVIDENCE PRESERVATION SOCIETY HAS WORKED TO IMPROVE PROVIDENCE BY ADVOCATING FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND THE ENHANCEMENT OF THE CITY'S UNIQUE CHARACTER THROUGH THOUGHTFUL DESIGN AND PLANNING.

THE PROVIDENCE PRESERVATION SOCIETY IS THE LARGEST CITYWIDE ADVOCACY ORGANIZATION IN RHODE ISLAND, WITH APPROXIMATELY 500 MEMBER-HOUSEHOLDS. TO BE EFFECTIVE ADVOCATES, WE ENGAGE THE PUBLIC THROUGHOUT THE YEAR IN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS THAT FORM THE UNDERPINNING FOR THE COMMUNITY'S UNDERSTANDING AND APPRECIATION FOR HISTORIC PLACES AS WELL AS HIGH-QUALITY URBAN ENVIRONMENTS. IN 2022, OUR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS SERVED MORE THAN 3,800 PEOPLE. IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS, WE HAVE HAD 33,000 USERS OF THE ONLINE ARCHITECTURE GUIDE, AND 31,000 USERS OF THE MAIN PPS WEBSITE. WE HAVE 4,961 SUBSCRIBERS TO OUR EMAIL LIST, WITH AN AVERAGE 48% OPEN RATE.

PPS IS THE OWNER OF TWO COLONIAL-ERA BUILDINGS AND AN EARLY TWENTIETH CENTURY GARDEN. WE UTILIZE BEST PRACTICES IN HISTORIC PRESERVATION STEWARDSHIP. IN MID-2023, WE COMPLETED A MAJOR RENOVATION PROJECT TO MAKE THE OLD BRICK SCHOOL HOUSE FULLY ACCESSIBLE AND CODE COMPLIANT, WHILE ADDRESSING STRUCTURAL, HVAC, AND SYSTEMS ISSUES. IN 2022, WE WERE AWARDED OUR FIRST COMMUNITY GRANT FROM THE U.S. EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION, FOR OUR THIRD WINDOW AND WORKFORCE TRAINING PROGRAM. THE PROGRAM KICKED OFF IN LATE 2022 AND CONCLUDED IN EARLY 2023, WITH 12 PARTICIPANTS WHO ARE UNDER/UNEMPLOYED AND FACE HIGH BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT. THE COMPENSATED TRAINING PROGRAM RUNS FOR SIX WEEKS. PARTICIPANTS LEARNED ABOUT HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND HOW TO RESTORE AND PAINT WOOD WINDOWS.WE ALSO CREATED A NEW PROGRAM CALLED BUILDING WORKS WHICH ENCOMPASSES BOTH WORKFORCE TRAINING AND HOMEOWNER TRAINING PROGRAMSAND AND HELD 7 HOMEOWNER TRAINING PROGRAMS IN 2023 ON TOPICS SUCH AS WATER MANAGEMENT, WEATHERIZATION, PLASTER REPAIR AND LEAD POISONING.

THE PPS'S PLANNING AND ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE MEETS ALMOST MONTHLY TO CONDUCT INDEPENDENT PROJECT REVIEW OF MAJOR AND MINOR PROPOSED DEVELOPMENTS. IN MOST CASES, THESE ARE DEVELOPMENTS FOR NEW BUILDINGS, ALTHOUGH SOME INCLUDE CHANGES TO HISTORIC BUILDINGS. MAJOR REVIEWS ARE CONTINUING ON PROPOSED DEVELOPMENTS IN THE I-195 DESIGN AND INNOVATION DISTRICT. BEYOND REVIEWING INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS, PPS ADVOCATES FOR GOOD CITYWIDE AND STATEWIDE PUBLIC POLICIES, SUCH AS HISTORIC TAX CREDITS, DEMOLITION,ZONING CODES, AND INCLUSIVE PLANNING PRACTICES. WE ALSO CONSULT WITH INDIVIDUAL PROPERTY OWNERS ON AN AD HOC BASIS, HELPING SHAPE THE CITY IN WAYS THAT ARE RARELY PUBLICIZED. MOST OF THE EXPENSES RELATED TO ADVOCACY ARE FOR RESEARCH ON POLICY TOPICS, MONITORING ISSUES AND APPEARING AT PUBLIC HEARINGS. ADVOCACY PROGRAM SERVICES IMPACT THE ENTIRE CITY OF PROVIDENCE WHICH HAS A POPULATION OF APPROXIMATELY 190,000.

THROUGH ITS HISTORIC PROPERTY MARKER PROGRAM, PPS RECOGNIZES BUILDINGS IN THE CITY OF PROVIDENCE THAT CONTRIBUTE IN A POSITIVE WAY TO THE APPRECIATION AND UNDERSTANDING OF PROVIDENCE'S UNIQUE ARCHITECTURAL, HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL HERITAGE. THERE ARE MORE THAN 1,600 PROPERTY MARKERS ON BUILDINGS THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF PROVIDENCE, EACH MOUNTED ON BUILDINGS IN A WAY THAT ALLOWS PUBLIC VIEWING. SOME RECORDS CAN BE FOUND AT GOWDEY.PPSRI.ORG.ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON PROVIDENCE'S BUILDINGS CAN BE FOUND IN THE ONLINE GUIDE TO PROVIDENCE ARCHITECTURE, MODELED AFTER THE 2003 BOOK PUBLICATION OF THE SAME NAME. GUIDE.PPSRI.ORGWE ARE DEVELOPING AN INTERPRETIVE EXHIBIT FOR INSTALLATION ON THE GROUNDS OF AND INSIDE THE 1769 OLD BRICK SCHOOL HOUSE, 24 MEETING STREET, THAT SPEAKS TO THE HISTORY AND PRESERVATION OF THE COLLEGE HILL NEIGHBORHOOD.