Spring 2020 Newsletter and 2019 Annual Report
Preservation Society
of Pawtucket P.O. Box 735, Pawtucket, RI 02862; 401.725.9581
Email: [email protected]
Website: Pawtucketpreservation.org
Facebook: Preservation Society of Pawtucket
PSP Mission Statement:
The PSP, through educational programs and community
service, shall discover, memorialize, and preserve the
history and architecture of Pawtucket, Rhode Island.
Spring updates
We have been very lucky that the COVID-19 pandemic has not
severely impacted us. This has not been the case for most
Preservation and Historical Societies. They, like many businesses
and organizations are challenged with keeping up fundraising and
some form of programming while having to close their museums
and other facilities. Many organizations are facing difficult
decisions about their ability to operate at all. Had we not been
able to sell both the Baker-Hanley House and the Spaulding House,
we would surely be in the same dilemma.
We have been invited by the New England Museum Association
(NEMA) to present a webinar on how we came to the decision to
sell the Spaulding House, how we managed the process of
attaching a preservation easement, and how we dispersed the
contents of the house. We will work with NEMA, Preserve Rhode
Island (because they are the easement holders), and the 1772
Foundation, to present the webinar in early June. It will be
attended by NEMA members from the entire New England region.
We hope that our experience can give guidance to other
organizations, particularly small, volunteer-run societies that can’t
fully rely on donations to keep going.
Upcoming Events
Here are the activities we have
planned as of now. Our tour
notes are always available on our
website and can be downloaded
for self-guided tours.
Darlington Neighborhood walking
tour, Saturday, June 27, 10:30
a.m.
Fairlawn Neighborhood walking
tour, Saturday, July 18, 10:30 a.m.
Oak Grove Cemetery walking
tour, Saturday, August 22, 10:30
a.m.
Central Falls walking tour,
Saturday, August 14, 10:30 a.m.
Darlington Neighborhood walking
tour, Saturday, September 12,
10:30 a.m.
Fairlawn Neighborhood walking
tour, Saturday, October 3, 10:30
a.m.
Mineral Spring Cemetery walking
tour, Saturday, October 10, 10:30
a.m.
We will provide more details as
these dates approach. Please
check our website and Facebook
page for updates.
We have joined the National Preservation Partners Network (NPPN) and are now one of four
organizations representing Rhode Island. The others are Preserve Rhode Island, the Providence
Preservation Society, and the 1772 Foundation. The NPPN works to strengthen individual organizations
and the collective historic preservation movement through training, networking, knowledge sharing,
technical assistance, and semi-annual meetings. We are looking forward to interacting with
preservation organizations outside of Rhode Island to learn how we can best serve our community.
We are not able to host our annual meeting this Spring. We had hoped to publically and personally
recognize the recipients of this year’s Preservation Reward Program, but for now, you can read about
their projects in this newsletter. When gatherings are allowed again, we will resume our walking tour
season and will schedule several lectures on various topics. Please stay tuned to our Facebook page
and our website for activity updates. In the meantime, many preservation organizations, such as the
National Trust for Preservation, are offering virtual tours and online education. Seek them out and
support as many as you can.
2019 Annual Report 39th Annual Meeting
April 29, 2019
Pawtucket Public Library
The annual meeting was held in the form of a community round-table discussion, in which
approximately 20 people, including board members and individuals from the community,
participated.
Board President Barbara Zdravesky began the discussion by explaining that the PSP had been unable
to focus adequate time and energy to its mission because we were overwhelmed with managing two
properties, the Baker-Hanley House and the Joseph Spaulding House. The Baker-Hanley House was
sold in 2017 and Barbara reported that the Spaulding House sale was completed just two weeks prior
to this meeting. The PSP is now in a position to focus solely on programs, events, and activities. The
change in meeting format this year was for the purpose of seeking input from the community about
how we can best serve our mission.
Themes from the group conversation included but were not limited to:
1. Ways to think about and incorporate “cultural preservation” in our activities. This was an overall
theme of the 2019 state preservation conference and there are many aspects of Pawtucket’s
diverse cultural heritage that should be highlighted. Places and stories that honor all ethnicities in
our city need to be preserved. For example, it is important to know that the French Canadians
built the St. John the Baptist church, but it is just as important to know that it was saved from
demolition by opening its doors to the Spanish and Portuguese communities. Concerns about
gentrification, both in a historical context and in relation to future developments are also
important to consider. The group discussed whether residents in Pawtucket generally feel a
“sense of place,” and how much concern there is for cultural and historical resources.
2. We have had an interesting and successful walking tour and lecture series and will continue
those activities. We were invited to work with the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council to re-write
their Pawtucket Explorer Tour. The Public Archaeology Lab will collaborate with us on that
project. We will again offer a walking tour of Slater Park as part of this year’s Pawtucket Arts
Festival.
3. The Historic Marker Program continues with recently revised criteria and we have had several
applications for new markers. We encourage residential, commercial, and civic properties to
apply.
4. While we get our bearings after selling our properties, we are focusing on the education aspect
of our mission, working on sharing what historical resources are here in Pawtucket and why they
are worth saving.
5. We have discussed undertaking an oral history project about how the construction of I-95
impacted people in Pawtucket. We know the highway construction was controversial and
extremely difficult for many people, especially those whose homes were in its path. We would
like to document stories told by individuals who were affected in any way by the highway
project. We would also like to plan a lecture and perhaps gather enough materials (like
photos) to exhibit in a place like city hall. We will put out a press release about the project and
hope for a good response.
6. We have inherited the endowment fund that was attached to the Spaulding House; it yields
about $1500 in interest each year. It is our desire to use the interest money each year to support
a Preservation Reward Program, through which we give financial rewards for completed
preservation projects in Pawtucket. We will work out the details and criteria in the next few
months.
The meeting ended with an enthusiastic thank-you to all who attended; the discussion and feedback
was very useful.
Donations help the PSP’s community programs; time is also highly valued and we welcome any
volunteers that would like to get involved!
Follow us on Facebook and our website to get news and information
Email us any time at [email protected]
Call us 401.725.9581 (note that it is a voicemail service - someone will call you back)
Thanks to all who support our work!
Minutes submitted by Crystal McDole, PSP Secretary.
Governance Report Directors up for reappointment to three (3) year terms are:
Jake Bissaro
Barbara Zdravesky
Officers (Officers are elected by the board members.)
Board Members
President – Barbara Zdravesky
Vice President – vacant
Secretary – Crystal McDole
Treasurer – David Hansen
Jake Bissaro
Jocelyn Dube
David Hansen
Jennifer Hennigan
Holly Herbster
Earlene Hines
Myra Jerozal
Crystal McDole
Timothy McDuff
Paul Mowrey
Barbara Zdravesky
Jen Zereski
Preservation Reward Program
We had the joy of awarding a total of $2,000 to three community-based projects in the inaugural
year of its Preservation Reward Program, which gives financial rewards to support already-completed
preservation efforts in the city. Here are this year’s winning projects:
712 Prospect Street
Morgan Grefe and her husband Gage have restored their c. 1895 home at 712 Prospect Street to
its 1920s appearance by re-siding the house with Quebec-sourced white pine shakes, rebuilding
the soffits, and replacing the trim on all the windows and doors. This house is on a main road, right
on the Pawtucket-East Providence line and is adjacent to the Rumford Chemical Works 300-acre
farm – it’s an ideal place for a saloon, which is the original function of the house. In 1902, Francis
Gavin sold his saloon to Edward Healy, who in 1905 hired Patrick Rock to be its manager. Perhaps
there is a connection to Rock’s Bar, just down the road in Pawtucket, which has been in business
since 1907. The Healy family eventually closed the tavern and converted it to a residence, which
they owned until 2012 when Morgan purchased it. We like this project because it relates to the
stories of working class people, which were and are the heart and soul of Pawtucket.
Pawtucket Library Digital Newspapers
We are happy to recognize the Pawtucket Library as one of the recipients of our Preservation
Reward Program. With help from the Rhode Island Office of Library and Information Services and
the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the library staff have digitized 375 rolls of microfilm
containing issues of the Pawtucket Times from 1886-1949. These issues are now accessible online
to anyone, without fees or registration. This treasure trove of information is invaluable to those
researching any aspect of Pawtucket’s history. Try it yourself – search for your favorite topic,
place, person, and see what interesting information you’ll find. http://pawtucket.advantage-
preservation.com/
135 Wilcox Avenue
Jewel Sommerville has made substantial renovations to her Craftsman-style 105-year-old home at
135 Wilcox Avenue in Oak Hill, restoring the exterior to historical accuracy by removing vinyl siding
to expose the original clapboard, replacing original trim detailing, and restoring the front door
and porch. The Craftsman style is identified by a covered porch, tapered support columns, wide
overhanging eaves, and “knee braces” (the bracket supporting the roof at the peak). The style
emerged in the beginning of the 20th century and was popularized by people such as Gustav
Stickley (furniture) and Frank Lloyd Wright, whose Prairie Style sits under the umbrella of Craftsman
style, along with the Bungalow style. Wilcox Avenue is in the Oak Hill plat which was laid out by the
Oak Hill Land Company in 1914. There are many Craftsman style homes in the neighborhood.
PSP also received applications from the Friends of the Looff Carousel for their participation in the
extensive renovations to the Slater Park Carousel, and from the Slater Mill Historic Site for a textile
conservation project. The PSP board members offer their gratitude to all the applicants for the
ongoing work in preserving Pawtucket’s historic resources.
Advocacy Pawtucket Ice Company, Inc. (1929)
Waverly Place/258 Pine Street
The Pawtucket Ice Company was founded in 1857 by Joseph E. Dispeau and Alfred Childs. It first
operated from a location on North Main Street (now Roosevelt Avenue). Ice was cut from nearby
ponds and reservoirs and stored in ice houses; large-scale refrigeration and artificial ice
manufacturing did not yet exist. Horse-drawn wagons delivered ice throughout Pawtucket and
Central Falls. In 1928, the Pawtucket Ice Company purchased a lot on Waverly Place and hired the
Pawtucket architecture firm of Monahan & Meikle to design a complex of three connected buildings
situated around a central courtyard. The ice plant created 75 tons of ice each day, obtained from
the nearby Bailey’s Pond, and could store up to 500 tons. There was also a barn and a garage; at
that time, horse-drawn wagons were still used to deliver ice. Between 1929 and 1931, the Pawtucket
Ice Company purchased eleven Ford Model A trucks. The horses were used on flat streets while the
trucks serviced the area’s more hilly neighborhoods. By 1933, horses were no longer used and the
barn was converted to a garage. In 1953, the Pawtucket Ice Company closed and sold its buildings
to the adjacent business, Industrial Specialties Company. In 1960, that company was liquidated. The
building on Pine Street has also been the home of Robert’s Chemical Company, now based in
Attleboro.
The Pine Street mill building was severely
damaged by a late-night fire on October 4,
2018. The burned rubble now sits in a large
pile. The current owner of the building has
apparently not responded to the city’s
requests to remove the burned debris and
a special master has been appointed to
manage the site. City officials have so far
confirmed their plans to take down the Ice
Company buildings, along with the burned
mill. To our knowledge, a structural stability
survey has not been completed to
determine whether the Ice Company
buildings are in fact damaged beyond
repair. It is well-known that plans to build
the new Pawtucket-Central Falls train
station are underway and that the land in
this area is now highly attractive for development opportunities. In January, a Valley Breeze article
reported that demolition was about to begin.
Because of the significant role the
Pawtucket Ice Company had in the city’s
history, and because the building
complex was designed by Monahan &
Meikle (a local and prolific architecture
firm), this property is eligible for the
National Register of Historic Places. This
then means that Section 106 of the
National Preservation Act of 1966 applies.
Section 106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act of 1966 requires
agencies to consider the effects on
historic properties of projects they carry
out, assist, fund, permit, license, or
approve throughout the country. If a
federal or federally-assisted project has the potential to affect historic properties, an impact survey
must be done. This gives interested parties and the public a chance to weigh in on the matter
before a final decision is made. This process is an important tool for citizens to lend their voice in
protecting and maintaining historic properties in their communities. As of early May, the Rhode Island
Historic and Preservation and Heritage Commission had not received the required survey materials
from Pawtucket officials.
The Childs-Brown House is an Italianate-style house at 172 Pine Street, built in 1869 for Alfred L. Childs,
a partner in the Pawtucket Ice Company. After Alfred died in 1886, his widow lost the heavily
mortgaged house. It was purchased by Susan Brown, the wife of James Brown who lived here until
1911. James was the grandson of Sylvanus Brown, whose house is now part of the Slater Mill Historic
Site. For two decades, the house served as the home of William K. Toole, president and treasurer of
the Pawtucket Hardware Company (Toole’s building is now the home of Artee Fabrics on Main Street
in downtown). From 1936 to 1973 the house was used as a funeral home and then operated for five
more years as a restaurant.
Ice houses were integral to the survival of other industries, such as the beer industry and food
preservation. Railroads depended on ice houses, particularly those near the rail lines, to re-stock their
refrigeration cars while transporting perishable goods, such as lager beer, which was made with a
cold fermentation process. With the increase in ice houses, lager beer could be made year-round,
and with the expansion of the railroad, could be distributed from the mid-west to other parts of the
country. Rhode Island had its own breweries - the Narragansett Brewing Company in Cranston and
the American Brewing Company in Providence were two of the biggest and both had their own ice
plants.
(photo from ctrtrains.com)
With both Bailey’s Pond and the Alfred Childs House still existing within blocks of the Ice Company,
and the Guild brewing company now occupying the former Haskell Plant (a stone’s throw from
Waverly Place) and because of the Ice Company’s proximity to the railroad, we believe that
retaining the Ice Company buildings and incorporating them into plans for the new train depot
would tie together important historical aspects of the ice and beer industry. This would be a
wonderful way to preserve and highlight an important story about Pawtucket’s contributions to the
state’s economy.
Pawtucket Ice Company carriages on Main Street
2019 Donors (all persons or organizations who contribute time, services, or finances are considered to be donors)
Barbara Barnes
Robert Billington
Jake and Amelia Bissaro
Michael Brissette
Christopher Burke
Blackstone Valley Tourism Council
Madeline S. Carlson
City of Pawtucket
Linda Dewing
Doors Open RI
Jocelyn Dube
Maggie Dube
Jonathan Duvall
Faye Dvorchak
Thea Ernest
Marina Flannery
Friends of the Slater Park Carousel
Mayor and Mrs. Donald Grebien
Vanessa Greenier
C. Morgan Grefe
Stephen and Diane Guyot
George Haduch and Ellen Miller
David and Carol Hansen
Jennifer Hennigan
Holly Herbster
Earlene Hines
Donna Houle
Wendy Jencks
Myra Jerozal
Jody Josephson
Dean Lampros
Merrie Levigne
Susan and Richard Mailhot
Greg and Lori Malec
Helen Markee
Crystal McDole
Timothy McDuff
Linda Miller
Paul Mowrey
Ann Norton
Pawtucket Public Library
Pawtucket Rotary Club
Ken Postle
Public Archaeology Labs
Preserve Rhode Island
Providence Business News
Providence Preservation Society
Rhode Island Historical Society
Rhode Island Spirits Distillery
Susan Rivet
Ethan Shorey
Slater Mill Historic Site
Jewel Lynn Sommerville
Kathleen Spencer
Jane Tierney
James Toomey
Paul Trudeau
Anthony Ursillo
Michael Viveiros
Woodlawn Neighborhood Association
Barbara Zdravesky
Jen Zereski
Historic Marker Properties (originated 1983)
4 Albert Street
43-45 Alfred Stone Road
71-73 Alfred Stone Road
103 Alfred Stone Road
33 Arlington Street
38 Armistice Boulevard
43 Armistice Boulevard
55 Armistice Boulevard
56 Armistice Boulevard
80 Armistice Boulevard
86 Armistice Boulevard
2 Bayley Street
6 Bedford Road
22 Bedford Road
9 Beech Street
64 Blaisdell Avenue
8 Blodgett Avenue
62 Blodgett Avenue
370 Broadway
25 Brown Street
21 Cambria Court
27 Cambria Court
39 Cambria Court
63 Cambria Court
81 Cambria Court
86 Cambria Court
92 Cambria Court
30 Capwell Avenue
63 Capwell Avenue
67 Capwell Avenue
67 Cedar Street
32 Central Avenue
636 Central Avenue
93 Clyde Street
14 Cooke Street
109 Cottage Street
135 Cottage Street
212 Cottage Street
9 Daniels Street
7 Denver Street
14 Denver Street
57 Dryden Avenue
70 Dryden Avenue
80 Dryden Avenue
81 Dryden Avenue
568 East Avenue
603 East Avenue
610 East Avenue
614 East Avenue
625 East Avenue
690 East Avenue
30 Fruit Street
53 Glenwood Avenue
56 Glenwood Avenue
59 Glenwood Avenue
77 Glenwood Avenue
82 Glenwood Avenue
83 Glenwood Avenue
157 Glenwood Avenue
184 Glenwood Avenue
23 Harvard Avenue
178 High Street
221 High Street
30 Highland Avenue
1 Homestead Street
7 Homestead Street
5 Howard Avenue
10 Howard Avenue
9 Kenilworth Way
19 Kenilworth Way
25 Kenilworth Way
28 Kenilworth Way
32 Kenilworth Way
423 Lonsdale Avenue
5 Lowden Street
62 Lowden Street
70 Lowden Street
97 Lowden Street
281 Lowden Street
15 Lyon Street
35 Lyon Street
41-43 Lyon Street
52 Lyon Street
20 Marbury Street
109 Marbury Street
126 Marbury Street
144 Marbury Street
111 Massasoit Avenue
44 Maynard Street
69 Maynard Street
9 Montgomery Street
47 Mulberry Street
59 Mulberry Street
131 Mulberry Street
1012 Newport Avenue
17 Nickerson Street
9 Nottingham Way
33 Nottingham Way
184 Oak Hill Avenue
36 Park Place
67 Park Place
487 Pawtucket Avenue
400 Pine Street
713 Pleasant Street
24 Potter Street
53-55 Potter Street
58 Potter Street
5 Progress Street
120-122 Progress Street
146 Raleigh Avenue
166 Raleigh Avenue
182 Raleigh Avenue
216 Raleigh Avenue
188 Rhode Island Avenue
38 Ridge Street
20 Roberta Avenue
34 Roosevelt Avenue
353 Roosevelt Avenue
96 Sayles Avenue
135 Sayles Avenue
25 Scott Avenue
19 Stuart Street
13 Summer Street
66 Summit Street
98 Summit Street
66 Underwood Street
53 Vernon Street
128 Walcott Street
140 Walcott Street
150 Walcott Street
161 Walcott Street
11 Walnut Street
24 Walnut Street
230 West Forest Avenue
10 White Street
18 Wilcox Avenue
Preservation Society of Pawtucket
2020 Projected Operating Budget
Budget 2020
Income
Endowment 9,000
Marker Program 800
Donations 500
Miscellaneous 200
Total Income 10,500
Expenses
Insurance 1,500
Postage and Supplies 200
Marker Program 700
Accounting 1,000
Programs and Outreach 3,000
Voice Mail 900
Preservation Reward Program 2,000
Miscellaneous 1,000
Total Expenses 10,300
Net Income 200
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