In 35 years, the Preservation Society of Pawtucket has awarded 135 historic markers to properties in the city, eight of which are commercial structures, or 5.9 percent of city historic markers.
It’s the same story for marker programs managed by the Preservation Society of Providence and the Newport Historical Society.
Most administrators of preserved Rhode Island commercial sites and preservation society directors say more can be done to restore historic commercial buildings, however, there is little encouragement or funding for such campaigns.
Lori Urso, director of the Old Slater Mill Association, said the preservation of historic commercial sites comes down to “affordability and willingness to take on a project that is more difficult than building a new project on a clean field.”
Urso knows the importance of historic commercial site preservation all too well. A National Historic Landmark, Urso said the 18th-century Pawtucket textile mill preserves “the look and feel of our industrial community” and defines the state’s fundamental involvement in the Industrial Revolution.
Compared to preserved residences, which Urso said are often privately owned homes inaccessible to the public, preserved commercial spaces are often open to the public and serve an educational purpose. For her, the mill is “a cultural resource” among multiple historic commercial sites saved in Rhode Island – an effort that is “something to be celebrated.”
She would like to see more commercial historic sites preserved for use by future generations. However, Urso knows that will only be the result of “boosting incentives to encourage” developers to “restore and reuse” rather than build new.
Robin Dionne concurs. The Arcade Providence’s director of outreach and client services said: “There is something to be said for using what is already there instead of new construction. It’s nice to see cranes in the sky, but it’s nice to develop what’s around you.”
When the renovation of the downtown Providence marketplace was underway between 2008 and 2013, she said, there was very little support in the community for the restoration of a commercial building.
“While they loved the building, nobody thought it would be fully operational and successful,” she said.
Because of this animosity, said Dionne, the Arcade’s administration made a point to “gain the public’s trust” and ensure its new use was connected to the community. For example, she said, a farmers market has increased the public’s interaction with the early 19th-century structure.
Barbara Zdravesky, president of the Preservation Society of Pawtucket, is concerned by the number of historic commercial buildings threatened with demolition. She put out a call for additional applications to the organization’s marker program, which, among other criteria, recognizes structures associated with a historically significant event, person or trend in Pawtucket.
One commercial site she hopes community outreach will help preserve is Hose Company No. 6 on Central Avenue. However, as a privately owned structure, Zdravesky isn’t holding her breath.
“It all comes down to the owner’s understanding,” she said, “and their stewardship of what the building means to the city.”
Zdravesky admitted eight of 135 is not a large number, calling it “typical” of a marker program that usually sees much more attention from residential owners.
The few commercial sites listed on two other preservation society ledgers mirror the minute scale of those registered by the Pawtucket organization.
‘It’s nice to see cranes in the sky, but it’s nice to develop what’s around you.’
ROBIN DIONNE, The Arcade Providence director of outreach and client services
None of the roughly 80 marker applications received by the Newport Historical Society since 2006, when the nonprofit began its program, are currently commercial sites. Some of the houses represented, however, were once the headquarters of businesses that were run out of the owner’s residence.
In its 62-year history, the Providence Preservation Society marker program has awarded upward of 1,500 placards, according to Rachel Robinson, who was appointed director of preservation seven months ago. Robinson could not provide the exact number of commercial sites awarded placards but said they account for the “minority” of recipients.
Neither the Providence nor Newport program missions highlight the preservation of one type of building over another. In fact, according to Robinson, the Providence organization’s ledger includes residential, commercial and religious structures.
Applications for all three programs are free, but Providence placards carry a hefty fee – $300 for society members and $325 for nonmembers, which Robinson said “could” deter owners of historic commercial sites from registering.
Placards from the Pawtucket and Newport organizations are $200 and $225, respectively.
Robinson – like Urso, Dionne and Zdravesky – agrees more could be done to preserve the commercial history of Rhode Island by restoring associated structures. She said it could start with more outreach from the Providence organization to local community groups and further promotion of a fund the organization manages for prospective applicants for whom the price of a marker “might be a barrier.”
Dionne underscored the importance of community awareness. When renovating a historic commercial building, she said “you can’t just develop [one] and call it a day,” the structure must be welcomed as an integral, functioning member of its community.
