As the economy of Providence expanded with the growth of industry at the turn of the twentieth century, new types of housing solutions were needed to meet the d ... more

As the economy of Providence expanded with the growth of industry at the turn of the twentieth century, new types of housing solutions were needed to meet the demands of a growing population. It was during this period that triple-decker housing became popular in the region, providing a way to increase density in residential neighborhoods. However, the development of this type of housing stock was widely criticized, with calls to prohibit the erection of triple deckers in Providence. Morgan Grefe, Ph.D., will discuss the stigma surrounding triple deckers, and what they signified in terms of population change in the city. This discussion will also address how to go about preserving this part of Providence’s development. How does a city save and honor not only these buildings, but also their relevant stories? What responsibilities do historians and preservationists have to represent alternative or uncomfortable narratives through preservation? As preservationists better understand a housing type that makes up the historic fabric of so many Providence neighborhoods, what is our responsibility to protect this much-derided housing type? Dr. Grefe will discuss the triple decker through the lens of their local and regional development in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Speaker: C. Morgan Grefe, Ph.D., Executive Director, Rhode Island Historical Society

Instructors:

C. Morgan Grefe

The phrase, “The greenest building is the one already built,” is often repeated by preservationists whenever the topic of sustainability comes up, referring to ... more

The phrase, “The greenest building is the one already built,” is often repeated by preservationists whenever the topic of sustainability comes up, referring to the embodied energy already expended to construct an existing building. This discussion will look at the true goals of the green movement to determine where preservationists and advocates of sustainable design agree and disagree. Joining this panel will be John Jacobson, developer of a number of adaptive reuse projects with a focus on energy use reduction and renewable energy production; Kurt Teichert, a lecturer in Environmental Studies and Manager of Environmental Stewardship Initiatives; and Elizabeth Wylie, former director of business development activities for Finegold Alexander + Associates, a planning and architecture firm specializing in sustainable design. By discussing the advantages and disadvantages of “preserving” the embodied energy of a historic building over building a more energy-efficient structure, this panel will look at where preservation is going, as a field, in a more energy conscious world. Should local and federal preservation regulations reassess how solar panels, wind turbines, and energy efficient materials may be incorporated into historic structures? Should LEED certification place more weight on the reuse of a historic building? Is “green preservation” a realistic model for redevelopment? Moderated by Christine Malecki West, AIA, LEED AP, Principal, William Kite Architects, Inc. Panelists: John T. Jacobson, JTJ Investments and Critic, Interior Architecture, Rhode Island School of Design Kurt Teichert, Brown University, Center for Environmental Studies Elizabeth Wylie, former director of business development activities for Finegold Alexander + Associates

Instructors:

Christine West

Preservation planning involves a number of questions that often determine what will and what will not be preserved. On a local level, the boundaries of historic ... more

Preservation planning involves a number of questions that often determine what will and what will not be preserved. On a local level, the boundaries of historic districts and design review districts can determine the fate of a city’s built environment in a real and permanent way. On a federal level, preservation measures such as Section 106 can only lead to an agreeable solution through collaboration with a number of invested agencies and stakeholders. Institutions Such as Brown University must balance preservation and the benefits of a historic campus with the need to expand and update facilities. All the while, real estate developers must find a way to work within these restrictions to create engaging and dynamic projects. This discussion will draw from panelists with a wide variety of backgrounds to ask how we decide what to save, and exactly what are we trying to preserve? Under current economic conditions, can preservation and development really co-exist in a meaningful way? Historic preservation is often touted as a tool of economic development, but what are the benefits to businesses operating within a historic city such as Providence? Have past efforts to incentivize this city’s historic building stock, such as the historic tax credit been successful, and if so, should they be expanded? Moderated by Valerie Talmage, Executive Director, Preserve Rhode Island Robert Azar, Interim Director of Planning, Providence Department of Planning and Development, AICP Mike McCormick, AIA, Asst. VP, Planning Design & Construction, Brown University Jared Rhodes, State Panning Program Unconfirmed Edward Sanderson, Executive Director, Rhode Island Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission Michael A. Voccola. Corporate Vice President, The Procaccianti Group

Instructors:

Robert Azar AICP

Brian Sirman of Boston University will set the tone for the afternoon sessions by discussing whether “ugly” architecture has relevance, and asking how we choose ... more

Brian Sirman of Boston University will set the tone for the afternoon sessions by discussing whether “ugly” architecture has relevance, and asking how we choose what to preserve today. Mr. Sirman’s focus on Brutalism is especially relevant following the New York Times coverage of efforts to demolish a Paul Rudolph-designed government building in Orange County, New York, and the recent passing of Boston City Hall architect, Gerhard Kallmann. In Providence, the Fogarty Building (the only example of Brutalism in the downtown core) currently sits vacant, while nearby Classical High School suffers from deferred maintenance. Alternatively, other examples of Brutalism in the area, including the Graduate Center at Brown University and the Community College of Rhode Island Knight Campus, continue to thrive after decades of use. Mr. Sirman will discuss the challenges that face buildings of this type: from reuse to understanding their significance. As Brutalist structures become eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, how will the public’s understanding of these buildings change? Do monumental examples of Brutalism have a role within an urban planning environment focused on smart growth and sustainability? Mr. Sirman will address Brutalism alongside other architectural types that have been reviled in the recent past. Speaker: Brian Sirman, Boston University

Instructors:

Brian Sirman

The role neighborhood associations and community development groups play in directing the health, wellbeing, and stability of a neighborhood has become critical ... more

The role neighborhood associations and community development groups play in directing the health, wellbeing, and stability of a neighborhood has become critical over the past three decades. While neighborhood associations act as advocates, educators, and organizers, local CDCs can renew a community’s built environment. Planning tools such as historic districting and demolition review often support these efforts. Moderated by PPS Executive Director James Hall, this panel invites Kari Lang, Executive Director of the West Broadway Neighborhood Association, along with Jay O’Grady of the Olneyville Housing Corporation and Kim Smith of the Providence Revolving Fund to discuss how neighborhood associations and CDCs work to enliven the communities in which they focus. WBNA, Olneyville Housing, and the Revolving Fund all began in the 1980s as communities looked for innovative stabilization efforts. City of Providence Preservation Planner Jason Martin will discuss the impact organizations such as these continue to have on their communities, and how preservation can be an effective community development tool. Longtime Benefit Street resident Rebecca S. More will also be on hand to discuss the different parties involved in the complicated renewal of north Benefit Street, four decades after PPS and the City Plan Commission began a concerted effort to preserve the neighborhood. Moderated by James Hall, Providence Preservation Society Executive Director Panelists : Kari Lang, Executive Director, West Broadway Neighborhood Association Jason Martin, MSHP, Preservation Planner, Department of Planning and Development Rebecca S. More, Visiting Scholar, Dept. of History, Brown University, Adj. Prof. of History, Division of Liberal Arts: HPSS, Rhode Island School of Design, Benefit Street Resident Jay O’Grady, Real Estate Project Manager, Olneyville Housing Corporation Kim Smith, Assistant Director, Providence Revolving Fund

Instructors:

James Hall

Providence has a number of early preservation success stories, including those of Shakespeare’s Head, the Stephen Hopkins House, Esek Hopkins House and Betsy Wi ... more

Providence has a number of early preservation success stories, including those of Shakespeare’s Head, the Stephen Hopkins House, Esek Hopkins House and Betsy Williams Cottage. This panel will discuss the different strategies that saved these buildings. The preservation of these structures took place long before historic district regulations, and was, in many cases, based on community preservation advocacy at some level. Along with the historic fabric of the buildings, early preservation groups were also concerned with the landscapes of both Shakespeare’s Head and the Stephen Hopkins House. The panel will also look at management strategies for the different buildings. Shakespeare’s head is owned and managed by an association of non-profits, while the Stephen Hopkins House is owned by the State of Rhode Island and managed by the Rhode Island Chapter of the Colonial Dames. The Esek Hopkins House and Betsy Williams Cottage are both owned and managed by the City of Providence. The panel will discuss how these ownership/management structures came to exist, and whether each model is sustainable looking to the future. Each building has faced unique challenges since first being preserved, and the preservation community now must consider what these buildings represent to the city of Providence decades after being saved. Moderated by Edward Sanderson, Executive Director of the Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission Panelists: Karen L. Jessup, Preservation & Organizational Consultant, Landscape Historian William McKenzie Woodward, Rhode Island Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission Robert F. McMahon, Superintendent, Providence Parks Department Unconfirmed Valerie Talmage, Executive Director, Preserve Rhode Island

Instructors:

William McKenzie "Mack" Woodward

The exodus of manufacturing companies from southeast New England during the mid-twentieth century left a collection of unused or underutilized industrial buildi ... more

The exodus of manufacturing companies from southeast New England during the mid-twentieth century left a collection of unused or underutilized industrial buildings throughout Providence. The conversion of these spaces into residential condominiums began a trend of industrial preservation in Providence that continues to this day. This panel will discuss the initial inspiration to reuse these spaces, and the challenges that accompany such a conversion. Brian Jones was part of an early group of artists who championed the first residential condominiums in the Jewelry District in the 1970s while Ralph Beckman was the developer and architect of Hedison Building rehabilitation, the first residential loft conversion in Providence. Successful conversions have continued in the Jewelry District due, in part, to the work of James Barnes, AIA, or the Rhode Island School of Design. Also on the panel is Cornelis deBoer, architect of the Bayard Ewing Building conversion for RISD, Haynes/de Boer Associates, and Wilbur Yoder, engineer and professor at the Rhode Island School of Design. With the implementation of federal and state historic tax credits, the potential of these buildings was fully understood. Now, in the midst of a recession and the suspension of the Rhode Island historic tax credit, the panel will focus on the future of industrial preservation in Providence. Moderated by Rick Greenwood, Deputy Director, Rhode Island Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission Panelists: James Barnes, Professor, Rhode Island School of Design Ralph Beckman developer/architect of Hedison Building, first residential loft conversion in Providence Cornelis deBoer, architect of the Bayard Ewing Building conversion for RISD, Haynes/de Boer Associates Brian Jones, early resident of Jewelry District Wilbur Yoder, Professor, Rhode Island School of Design Unconfirmed

Instructors:

Rick Greenwood

: Briann Greenfield, Professor of History and Coordinator of the Public Historic Program at Central Connecticut State University, will set the tone for the symp ... more

: Briann Greenfield, Professor of History and Coordinator of the Public Historic Program at Central Connecticut State University, will set the tone for the symposium’s morning sessions by looking at the transformation of Benefit Street in the 1950s and 1960s, one earliest large-scale “revitalization” efforts in Providence. By the mid-1950s, urban renewal efforts were criticized for the destruction caused to historic properties. This lecture will look the multiple factors leading to the renewal of the northern part of Benefit Street, such as the collaboration between the Providence City Plan Commission and the Providence Preservation Society to produce College Hill: A Demonstration Study of Historic Area Renewal in 1956, and the economic factors that made the rehabilitation of so many buildings possible. During this period, a number of preservation companies were founded with a goal of rehabilitating inexpensive historic homes and selling them for a profit, while the Providence Redevelopment Agency conducted the spot clearance of several buildings on north Benefit Street, giving real estate companies the opportunity to relocate historic houses from other parts of the city to Benefit Street. This lecture will examine the role of early planning efforts, the role of for-profit real estate companies in the renewal of north Benefit Street, and discuss the displacement of residents living on Benefit Street as part of the renewal process. Speaker: Briann Greenfield, Professor of History and Coordinator of the Public Historic Program at Central Connecticut State University, Non-AICP.

Instructors:

Briann Greenfield

"Southside: The Fall and Rise of an Inner City Neighborhood", a film made by Brown University Sociology Professor Hilary Silver in 2007, documents the communit ... more

"Southside: The Fall and Rise of an Inner City Neighborhood", a film made by Brown University Sociology Professor Hilary Silver in 2007, documents the community challenges that faced residents of Providence’s Southside following the exodus of industry from the area in the mid-twentieth century. In response to increasing urban blight, the community organized to find creative ways to address these issues, which included the formation of such groups as the Southside Community Land Trust and Stop Wasting Abandoned Properties (SWAP). The film also looks into efforts to rehabilitate industrial buildings in the area by private developers. The panel discussion that will follow the screening will pick up where the film left off, examining whether the community has sustained revitalization efforts following the economic downturn of 2008. Moderated by Professor Tripp Evans, of the Department of Art and Art History at Wheaton College, the panel will convene activists along with academics, and community developers to discuss how efforts have changed in the last five years. The panel will also discuss whether preservation is an effective tool of neighborhood stabilization, whether preservation efforts go hand-in-hand with gentrification, and whether traditional/existing housing models can be used to inform the creation of new neighborhoods. A preliminary list of panelists include Carla DeStefano (Executive Director of Stop Wasting Abandoned Property), James Hall (Executive Director of the Providence Preservation Society), Sister Ann Keefe (Institute for the Study and Practice of Nonviolence), Professor Hilary Silver, and Providence Mayor Angel Taveras.

Instructors:

R. Tripp Evans