Paul Trudeau is director of preservation for Preserve Rhode Island, the statewide historic preservation organization that aims to save historic properties through preservation services and community advocacy. His background includes working as a preservation planner for the city of Cambridge, Mass., and program director for the National Alliance of Preservation Commissions, as well as a project manager in the audio/visual industry.
Trudeau joined Preserve Rhode Island in 2018. In his role there, he has been working with the nonprofit’s staff to protect and activate historic properties across the state, using various tools, including an easement program. Preserve Rhode Island holds 12 easements across the state, with its most recent one being Shakespeare's Head in Providence.
PBN: What is a preservation easement?
TRUDEAU: A preservation easement is a binding legal agreement that protects select historic and architectural qualities of a property in perpetuity, ensuring they will not be destroyed or inappropriately altered. For Preserve Rhode Island’s easement program, a property owner voluntarily grants our responsibility to protect the historic property, retains all the usual rights to the property, and can sell it or will it to whomever they wish.
Preserve RI easement properties are reviewed and approved by our board of trustees. Because it is a negotiated, customized preservation document that’s recorded with municipal land records, it’s one of the strongest forms of protection for a historic building or property. Once an easement is recorded, Preserve RI staff do annual monitoring visits to ensure there are no violations and often make maintenance recommendations to the building owner. Any proposed major alterations are reviewed by Preserve RI to ensure the building's historic integrity is not compromised and often work with property owners to find the best design solutions.
PBN: The Shakespeare's Head building was recently sold by the Providence Preservation Society to the Center for Reflective History. What can you tell us about this sale and why was an easement the best decision?
TRUDEAU: When PPS was considering the sale of Shakespeare’s Head, they approached Preserve RI about the feasibility of our organization holding a preservation easement on the building. Preserve RI has been providing property management services for Shakespeare’s Head for over 10 years, so we were very familiar with the building and through our partnership, PPS was aware of Preserve RI’s easement program.
PPS was struggling with the financial burden of maintaining the building, and we both acknowledged that one of the most difficult decisions a historic preservation organization has to make is the public sale of a long-held, historic building with so much importance to the community. By including a preservation easement as a condition of the sale, PPS showed its strongest commitment to protecting one of Providence’s most significant historic buildings.
PBN: How was a preservation easement applied to Shakespeare's Head and what will the easement mean for this property?
TRUDEAU: The preservation easement for Shakespeare's Head protects the full exterior of the building, several interior spaces and a large portion of the garden. The easement is flexible in allowing for ordinary maintenance and in-kind repair, with a review process for any proposed alterations that may impact the building’s architectural and scenic integrity.
The easement for Shakespeare's Head will prevent the worst-case scenarios such as demolition, out-of-scale additions or incompatible materials but allows for changes such as expanded parking, new systems, accessibility and accessory structures that will not impact the overall historic character of the building and site. The intent is to not freeze the building in time but to allow for compatible change that enables the building to be activated and thrive while protecting its historic qualities.
PBN: How can other organizations in Providence best make use of a preservation easement?
TRUDEAU: If a nonprofit organization is in a similar situation of not having the resources to hold and maintain a historic building, or is concerned about its overall future protection, we encourage them to contact Preserve RI to discuss options such as a preservation easement.
It is important to note that no two preservation easements are the same in terms of what is protected, and there are many factors that contribute to the feasibility of Preserve RI holding an easement, including the building’s historic significance, condition and integrity. But there are many instances where a preservation easement might be an ideal solution.
PBN: What about homeowners? What is your advice to homeowners on getting a preservation easement? How they should do it, and why?
TRUDEAU: Preserve RI has been contacted by private owners of historic buildings about their community’s resistance to establishing a local historic district, development pressures and teardown trends, and want to take proactive steps to ensure their building or property is protected. These are individuals who love and appreciate their historic buildings.
For any owner, whether private or public, a preservation easement provides peace of mind that their building will be protected and also provides direct access to Preserve RI’s preservation expertise and network of consultants and contractors. Our goal is to serve as a resource for building owners and provide the best preservation guidance. Again, there is no one turn-key solution, and some buildings might not be the best fit for Preserve RI’s easement program, but the first step is a discussion, so please contact us.
Marc Larocque is a PBN contributing writer. Contact him at Larocque@PBN.com. You may also follow him on X @Marc_La_Rock.
