Carol “Kip” DeFeciani owns the Liberty Elm Diner on Elmwood Avenue in Providence, which was added the National Register of Historic Places in January. DeFeciani recently took some time to speak with Providence Business News about how she came to purchase the 1940s-era diner and have it placed on the register.
PBN: Why did you decide to purchase the diner?
DEFECIANI: I have been a performing musician for more than 30 years. Initially, I was simply looking for a place to open up a coffeehouse in my neighborhood, which is Elmwood. In browsing the Multiple Listings Service, I noticed that a diner I drove by nearly every day, but had only been open sporadically and then … abandoned for approximately two years, was on the market.
Since moving to Elmwood in 2001, I had often wished the diner was open and serving breakfast. The diner seemed like the perfect place for a coffeehouse and also intrigued me because I’m interested in American history, vintage roadside and preservation.
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PBN: Can you tell us about the renovations you undertook?
DEFECIANI: The roof was bad, there were no systems any longer, i.e. plumbing, heating; electrical was sorely out of code, their Wi-fi room, which also serves as our gallery and music space, was water-damaged, the soffits and fascia rotted, pigeon and squirrel nest-besieged and in need of gutting to the studs. It was also uninsulated and had an unsightly drop ceiling.
The kitchen was filled with broken, filthy equipment, including a Fry-o-Later that still contained grease that had been sitting for at least two years.
In the diner car itself, much of the stainless steel was gouged and punctured, the original Tennessee marble counter from 1947 had been hacked (without a wet saw and a straight line cut – more like a zig-zag) to fit in a steam table, which blocked the view of walk-in customers. Many of the original stools were gone and had been replaced with stools of a later vintage. Countertops were missing from behind the main counter. The robin’s egg blue enameled ceiling was brown from grease and cigarette smoke. It all had to be redone.
Additionally, we designed and constructed a wheelchair ramp around the back for handicap access and also moved and redesigned the bathroom to make it wheelchair accessible. We also cleaned out the entire basement and parking lot, which had become an illegal dumping ground of used tires, oil changes, household trash, construction debris, baby diapers, bottles and cans – you name it! We removed at least eight Dumpsters full of trash.
PBN: What spurred you to seek National Register status for the diner?
DEFECIANI: I felt the diner should be preserved to as much a degree as possible, for its unique architecture and history. Living in the Elmwood Historic District, I feel responsible for keeping Providence’s history alive and protected. The Liberty Elm Diner – historically known as Central Diner – is an important piece of not only Providence history and culture, but of diner history and culture, as well. And Providence is known as the birthplace of the diner.
This particular diner car was manufactured in Worcester, Mass., by the Worcester Lunch Car Company in 1947. From there, it rolled off the production line and was originally located in downtown Providence, where The Westin Providence now stands. Sometime in 1953 or 1954, the diner was moved to its current location on Elmwood Aveune to make way for downtown construction and parking lots.
PBN: Can you speak a little about the process of adding the diner to the register?
DEFECIANI: I had mentioned in an early press interview that I was very interested in looking into how to get the diner on the National Historic Register, as I understood the Modern Diner in Pawtucket was on the register as early as the 1970s. Sarah Zurier of the R.I. Historic Preservation and Heritage Commission saw the article in which I was quoted. It so happened that Sarah is also a diner buff.
She got in touch with me and brought along two other diner and preservation buffs: Denise Bass, former photographer for the Providence Journal, and Kim Smith, formerly of the Providence Preservation Society. On their own personal time, they all worked in researching the history of the diner and in putting together the initial application for approval by the state of Rhode Island. Once it was approved in Rhode Island, it was then sent on to Washington, D.C., where it was later approved and added to the National Register of Historic Places on Jan. 13, 2010.
PBN: What are the future plans for the diner, both as a business and as a building?
DEFECIANI: As a business we seek to develop a broader customer base, to sponsor more community events as we have done in the past and to develop our business further in offering dinner a few nights a week.
As far as the diner car and building is concerned, we would ultimately like to restore the exterior enameled-steel panels that were destroyed when previous owners screwed plywood siding into the original exterior and shattered the porcelain glass coating. Apparently there is only one place in the country that still does this kind of enameling and there is a long waiting list and a high price tag. We also would like to further green and landscape our lot and outdoor seating areas.
This diner is NOT located in South Providence! It is located in ELMWOOD — an entirely different neighborhood located many blocks away. This is typical reporting code for “lots of people of color live here.” Please, if you cannot differentiate between South Side neighborhoods, just call it the greater South Side.
I never see reporters making these mistakes when reporting on East Side neighborhoods. This is a perfect example of institutional racism within the local media. How hard is it to find out the location of Providence neighborhoods? Not any more difficult than checking out the maps that the Providence Plan has so kindly put online on their website.