PROVIDENCE – The Industrial Trust Building once again leads the list of threatened properties in Providence, as compiled by the Providence Preservation Society.
Its 2019 Most Endangered Properties list, released Friday, includes the soaring skyscraper that is the city’s tallest building, empty since 2013 when Bank of America vacated the building.
Erected in 1928, the building, described by the preservation society as the state’s most iconic building, is a critical development and preservation challenge. “While its future remains uncertain, continued deterioration and the threat of demolition remain, and in fact increase with each passing year.”
The skyscraper has made the list for five years. Joining it this year are six buildings or properties that are new to the list, as well as two other structures that have been highlighted in previous years.
They follow:
William R. Babcock II House, 145 Lexington Ave., circa 1893. This late 19th-century Elmwood residential property was designed by architect H.K. Hilton. In recent years, it has suffered from vacancy and vandalism, according to the society.
Rialto Theatre, 119 Matthewson St., circa 1829, 1902, 1950s. The property originally was the monumental Westminster Congregational Church, designed by either James Bucklin or Russell Warren in 1829, and later was used as a skating rink and a theater. It was home to both vaudeville acts and motion pictures.
Water Supply Board Building, 552 Academy Ave., circa 1908. The former utility administration building appears to have an Art Deco exterior, including a streamlined design. The building was vacated in 2017.
Richard Brown House, on the Butler Hospital Campus, 345 Blackstone Blvd., circa 1731. The oldest property on the list, the Richard Brown House is the earliest known brick house in Providence. The administration of the hospital nominated the house to the list, as they attempt to develop a strategy to return it to use.
Beresford-Nicholson Estate, 288 Blackstone Blvd., circa 1909, 1919. In addition to the main house, the extensive grounds include a playhouse, a cow barn, a formal garden and a garden shed. All are surrounded and largely hidden by an 8-foot perimeter wall. The property has a master plan, now approved by the Providence City Plan Commission, which would allow it to be razed for redevelopment into house lots.
West Side Park, Parcel P4, Peck and Dyer Streets. The park that will become a part of the I-195 Redevelopment District made the list this year, because the preservation society said it is concerned that efforts have already been approved to take land from it for private development. The General Assembly last year reduced the size of the park to facilitate the development of the Hope Point Tower on an adjacent site.
Broad Street Synagogue, 688 Broad St., circa 1910. The synagogue, designed by architects Banning & Thornton, was constructed in 1910-11 in what was then a heavily Jewish neighborhood. The temple continues to suffer from vacancy and neglect, since it was last sold in 2016.
Olneyville Industrial and Commercial Buildings, various locations. Many structures remain threatened by decay and lack of development in the neighborhood, despite the success of the Eagle Square development.
Saint Teresa of Avila Church, 265 Manton Ave., 1883. Designed by William Walker & Sons, the church was built during an era when newly arrived ethnic groups were adding to the Roman Catholic population of the city, according to PPS. The church closed in 2009 due to a declining congregation. A plan to convert it to a local library branch has faltered and the property is now owned by the Providence Redevelopment Agency.
Mary MacDonald is a staff writer for the PBN. Contact her at macdonald@pbn.com.
