R.I. receives $500K for ADA improvements at Old State House

THE STATE has received a $500,000 federal grant for Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility improvements at the Old State House. Pictured is the Benefit Street entrance. / COURTESY R.I. HISTORICAL PRESERVATION AND HERITAGE COMMISSION

PROVIDENCE – The R.I. Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission has received a $500,000 federal grant for Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility improvements at the Old State House, the commission announced Wednesday.

The building, constructed in the 1760s overlooking North Main Street, has been undergoing an exterior renovation over the past 18 months, the commission said.

The grant money will be used to install a new ADA-compliant elevator, three new accessible bathrooms, code upgrades and restoration of interior finishes.

The grant, funded by the National Park Service’s Historic Preservation Fund, requires a dollar-for-dollar match. The commission said that the federal grant will be matched with contributions from the Governor’s Commission on Disabilities and the R.I. Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance.

- Advertisement -

The commission said that upon completion of the project, the Old State House will again be available for public meetings and events. 

THE OLD STATE HOUSE has been undergoing exterior renovations over the past 18 months.. / COURTESY R.I. HISTORICAL PRESERVATION AND HERITAGE COMMISSION

“This project is very important for the RIHPHC and for the state,” RIHPHC Interim Executive Director Jeff Emidy said in a statement. “Reopening the Old State House to the public will allow school groups and tourists to visit, our commissions and staff to hold meetings in the building, and other public uses to return to one of the state’s most important public buildings.”

The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a contributing structure within the College Hill National Historic Landmark District. The building is one of six surviving colonial-era statehouses in the country, the commission said.

The project was one of 49 projects in 29 states funded by the federal program in this round of Historic Preservation Fund grants.

No posts to display