PPS April 2008 e-news
In this issue:
PPS PRESERVATION NEWS
EDUCATION NEWS
UPCOMING EVENTS
PPS CALENDAR
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
COMMUNITY NOTES
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EVENTS THIS WEEK:
APRIL 2: Business Membership Event
APRIL 4 & 5: Most Endangered Properties Traveling Exhibit
More information below or at www.ppsri.org.
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*PPS PRESERVATION NEWS*
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MOST ENDANGERED PROPERTIES TRAVELING PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBIT ON SMITH HILL!
The Holden Street Gallery, located at 97 Holden Street in Providence, will show a selection of the best photographs from PPS’s Most Endangered Properties Photography Exhibit. Appearing April 4- 12, 2008, the exhibit features images and status updates for all eleven properties on the 2007 Most Endangered Properties List. The exhibit is open for viewing April 5- 12, Fridays 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. and Saturdays 10:00 a.m. - 1:00.
Join us for an artists’ opening reception, which will be held Friday, April 4, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. The reception is open to the public and all are welcome.
The Holden Street Gallery is a privately run gallery space committed to promoting art and community on Smith Hill, Providence. It features local and nationally recognized artists who work in a variety of mediums. The Holden Street Gallery is located within the historic Christopher G. Dodge carriage house. Built in 1858, the brick building constructed as a carriage house for a wealthy industrialist has had a variety of uses during its 150 year existence including a carpenter shop, blacksmith shop, rooming house, and single-family residence.
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HISTORIC TAX CREDIT UPDATE
From GrowSmart RI: The House Finance Committee will hold a hearing Thursday, April 3 in Room 35 of the State House on the full Supplemental Budget Bill (House Bill 7204) containing the Governor’s proposed tax credit caps. That hearing is scheduled to begin at approximately 4:30 p.m.
Currently several pro-tax-credit advocates are involved in high level discussions occurring in the House that are exploring alternatives to the Governor’s proposed retroactive and prospective cap.
PPS will continue to update you on the progress of the Governor’s proposed caps and alternative bills in the Senate and House. For the latest news and information on the matter check out www.growsmartri.com <http://www.growsmartri.com/> .
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*EDUCATION NEWS*
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SAD NEWS
With a sad heart we report the passing of one of PPS’s most dedicated volunteers. Angelo Fraioli, PPS’s longest serving docent, passed away last week at his home in Providence’s Mt. Pleasant neighborhood. This year would have marked Angelo’s twentieth anniversary as a PPS Children’s Heritage Education docent. He was also a regular volunteer for the Festival of Historic Houses and for various PPS special events. Many members who attended PPS’s 50th Anniversary Hall of Fame Event at the State House on May 4, 2006 may remember seeing him greeting honorees and handing out programs.
PPS was not the only recipient of Angelo’s call to community service. He was a docent at the John Brown House for almost as long as he was with PPS. He also ushered at the Barker Playhouse, PPAC, and scheduled regular hours as a volunteer greeting and helping visitors at the RI Convention Center.
An amiable and cultured man, Angelo grew up in Mt. Pleasant and returned to his roots in Providence in the late 1980’s after teaching grades 4-6 in the US Dependent Schools in Germany, Verona, and Vicenza, Italy for thirty years. “I was so pleased to see that Angelo was a PPS docent when I started at PPS because I remembered him from my years as a docent at the John Brown House. He was a wealth of knowledge and truly enjoyed guiding the students. He will be sorely missed by our staff, his fellow docents, and by the schoolchildren,” said Kathleen McAreavey, PPS Education Coordinator.
Angelo was recognized for his longstanding service to PPS at the 2006 Volunteer BBQ and was subsequently profiled in the Winter 2007 Preserving Providence newsletter.
Calling hours will be Wednesday, April 2, from 4:00 P.M. – 8:00 P.M. at Woodlawn Funeral Home, 600 Pontiac Avenue, Cranston. The funeral will take place on Thursday, April 3, at 8:45 A.M. from Woodlawn Funeral Home with a 10:00 A.M. funeral mass at Holy Ghost Church, 472 Atwells Avenue, Providence.
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REGISTRATION OPEN FOR 2008 REALTOR TRAINING – “HISTORIC INTERIORS”
2008 training will take place on Thursday, October 23 and Friday, October 24 with the theme “Historic Interiors”. Registration opened February 1. Space is limited, so sign up soon!
The course is certified for 10 hours of CE credit by the RI Division of Business Regulation Real Estate Division, and is endorsed by the Greater Providence Board of Realtors.
To register for the 2008 seminar, please contact Education Coordinator, Kathleen McAreavey at kmcareavey@ppsri.org.
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SPRING DATES FOR CHILDREN’S HERITAGE EDUCATION TOURS READY TO BE BOOKED
Tours are BOOKING NOW! Teachers may book a tour by downloading the “Tour Request Form” at www.ppsri.org or by contacting Education Coordinator, Kathleen McAreavey at 401-831-7440, ext. 103 or kmcareavey@ppsri.org.
*College Hill Tour, 1636-1775 - Roger Williams and The Settlement Of Colonial Providence
*Downtown Tour, C. 1800-Present - The Rise of The West Side
*Avi Tour – Something Upstairs, 1800 - A Literary Journey to The Past
*H.P. Lovecraft As Preservationist, 1920’s Benefit Street **New Tour!**
*Avi Tour – The Man Who Was Poe, Mid-1800’s Providence **New Tour!**
*The Crest Of College Hill, A Late 19th Century Victorian Journey **New Tour!**
Spring Tour Dates:
Monday – Friday, March 31 – June 13, 10:00 - 11:30 a.m.
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ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY OF MARKER BUILDINGS AVAILABLE ONLINE
The “Gowdey Files” were started in the 1950s by longtime volunteer Mary Gowdey when PPS was in its infancy. Starting with Benefit Street, Mrs. Gowdey took photos of all of the houses and researched them in Providence city directories, deed books, maps, etc. PPS adds to this information as new historic property markers are awarded by PPS. These histories are also duplicated at the Rhode Island Historical Society Library and the Providence City Archive. They are now available online for the public at the PPS website by going to http://gowdey.ppsri.org <http://gowdey.ppsri.org/> .
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*UPCOMING EVENTS*
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THERE IS STILL TIME TO SIGN-UP!
PPS BUSINESS MEMBERSHIP EVENT - Balancing Sustainability & Preservation: Protecting Environmental & Historic Resources
Join Providence Preservation Society’s business members on Wednesday, April 2, 2008 for a panel discussion about Environmental Issues and Historic Preservation at Save the Bay (100 Save the Bay Drive). The panelists include:
* Trudy Coxe, Executive Director, The Preservation Society of Newport County
* John Sinnott, Senior Development Director – Providence, Struever Bros. Eccles and Rouse
* Martha Werenfels, Principal, Durkee Brown Viveiros and Werenfels Architects
Registration for the event begins at 7:30 A.M. and the panel will begin promptly at 8 A.M. A light breakfast will be served. This event is FREE to PPS Business members and $50 for non-business members. Registration information is available on www.ppsri.org
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Making a Special Place at the Head of the Bay: Placemaking Workshop
Please join Head of the Bay Gateway and Friends of India Point Park for an interactive workshop led by the Project for Public Spaces to imagine a future for the last expanse of shoreline open to the public in Providence, at the head of Narragansett Bay. Join planners, stakeholders, and citizens concerned about the fate of the former Shooters nightclub for a presentation of what makes waterfront public spaces work in other cities, a placemaking exercise, and a brainstorming session to create a vision that makes the most of India Point’s unique geography and panoramic views and ensures public access to our most distinctive natural and historic asset.
Monday, April 7, 2008, 3:00 – 7:00 p.m., Radisson Hotel Providence Harbor (foot of Gano St.)
Free and open to the public. Pre-registration required. Space limited to 100. Please call 831-5995 x712 with your name & phone number.
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PRESERVATION PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE: The 23rd Annual RI Statewide Historic Preservation Conference presented by RIHPHC
Saturday, April 12 in Providence's South Side and West End
The year 2008 marks the 40th anniversary of the Rhode Island Historic Preservation Act and the Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission. The 23rd Annual Rhode Island Statewide Historic Preservation Conference will use the anniversary as a starting point to explore the past, present, and future of historic preservation in Rhode Island.
In 1968, the Rhode Island General Assembly enacted legislation that expanded on the 1966 National Historic Preservation Act. The RI Historical Preservation Commission was established to direct a statewide preservation program that identifies historic properties, reviews state and federal projects, and administers funds. Heritage Programs were added in 1994.
Join the Annual Conference in Providence to recall past preservation achievements, or focus on current critical issues, from environmental sustainability to economic development, affordable housing to heritage tourism. Choose a historic resource--schools and mills, neighborhoods and villages, farms and waterfronts, even Modern architecture--and pick up the latest strategies to guide future practice.
Tour historic neighborhoods around the Armory, Atwells, Broadway, Elmwood, and West Elmwood, where homeowners, non-profits, and developers have completed waves of revitalization and restoration projects. Visit mill rehabs along the Woonasquatucket River, and sample the city's most exciting artspaces. Travel through time to sites of "preservation's greatest hits"--the Arcade, Masonic Temple, Benefit Street--and of its lost battles--Eagle Square, the Gorham Plant, Wriston Quad.
On the West Side and throughout Rhode Island, historic preservation is a dynamic process. Join the RI Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission, PPS staff, and preservationists from throughout the state on April 12 to explore the past, present, and future of historic preservation in Rhode Island.
For registration information go to www.rihphc.state.ri.us <http://www.rihphc.state.ri.us/>
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29TH ANNUAL FESTIVAL OF HISTORIC HOUSES
PPS will host its 29th Annual Festival of Historic Houses on Friday and Saturday, June 6 and 7, 2008. The Festival is PPS’s signature fundraising and educational event showcasing well-preserved buildings in Providence’s varied neighborhoods. This two-day event will feature a spectacular array of houses in Providence’s Fox Point, one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods.
This year’s Festival will offer a Friday night Patrons’ Reception from 6:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M. and a tour of properties on Saturday including some of the most interesting and unique houses in Providence. Houses will be open for touring on Saturday from 11:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
Ticket sales will begin in mid-April! Stay tuned for more information.
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PPS 2008 EVENTS CALENDAR
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Please save the dates for the following preservation & PPS events:
April 2, 2008
Business Membership Event - Balancing Sustainability & Preservation: Protecting Environmental & Historic Resources
April 4, 2008
Opening Reception, Traveling Exhibit at Holden Street Gallery
April 5, 2008
Gallery Hours, Traveling Exhibit at Holden Street Gallery
April 11, 2008
Gallery Hours, Traveling Exhibit at Holden Street Gallery
April 12, 2008
Gallery Hours, Traveling Exhibit at Holden Street Gallery
April 12, 2008
PRESERVATION PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE: The 23rd Annual RI Statewide Historic Preservation Conference
June 6 and 7, 2008
Festival of Historic Houses
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*VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES*
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DONATION REQUEST: Flat Bed Scanner
PPS is in need of a flat bed, color image scanner to scan photographs, slides, and documents. Must be compatible with Windows Vista OS and Adobe Photoshop CS3 and have capability to scan slides. If you have one that you would be willing to donate, please email info@ppsri.org with the specifications. Thank you!
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Become a Childrens’ Heritage Education Docent!
The Providence Preservation Society is looking for individuals interested in leading walking tours for elementary and middle school students; grades 4-8. Each year docents lead over 3,500 students on walking tours of Providence. PPS's award-winning program uses the city's architecture as a textbook from which students learn the history of Providence. No previous experience is necessary; just an interest in history and/or architecture and the desire to work with school children. Upon completing a week-long training provided by PPS, docents are asked to make a one-year commitment to the program. For more information please contact Kathleen McAreavey, Education Coordinator at the Providence Preservation Society by e-mail: kmcareavey@ppsri.org, or telephone: 401- 831- 7440, ext. 103.
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COMMUNITY NOTES
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COMMERCIAL RENTAL SPACE AVAILABLE IN SHAKESPEARE’S HEAD
The Shakespeare’s Head Association, owner of 21 Meeting Street where PPS offices are located, is looking for a tenant for its garden level office space. The space is available immediately, is approximately 400 square feet with lots of natural light and a row of windows overlooking the tranquil Shakespeare’s Head Garden. The space comes with two parking spaces. Great location on the crest of College Hill only blocks from downtown Providence.
Interested parties should contact Kristi Agniel at 401-749-5008
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RISD HISTORIC PRESERVATION CERTIFICATE PROGRAM
Historic Preservation: An Introduction
PRES-3905 Jeff Emidy
Whether you own an old home or property, are a member of a preservation society, or somehow deal with the built environment (e.g., architect, builder, carpenter, planner, or real estate professional), you know that well-preserved buildings not only appeal to our aesthetic sensibility but imbue our communities with a layer of history. To help students better understand preservation history, principles and practice, this course examines the preservation movement in the US, the recognition and designation of historic sites and properties, tools for protecting properties, and the economics of historic preservation. Through slide lecture and discussion, as well as web-based research and reading and writing assignments, participants develop a firm foundation in preservation studies.
Thursdays, April 10 - May 22
6:30-9:30pm
Tuition: $265
Jeffrey D. Emidy: BA, History, University of New Hampshire; MS, Historic Preservation, University of Vermont. Emidy is the Project Review Coordinator at the Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission. His work experience as an architectural historian has centered on the identification of historic resources and the written and photographic documentation of their characteristics and history.
To register go to www.risd.edu or call 401-454-6209.
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Old House Soul- A tribute to the work of long-time PPS supporter, Steve Tyson
Saturday, April 26, 7pm
Warwick Museum of Art
3259 Post Road Apponaug Village
Don Manley and Michel Schtakleff will present a seven minute video clip of their documentary entitled “Old House Soul”. They are researching the local history of architectural preservation with a focus on preservation architect Steve Tyson. Steve Tyson and his firm, Architectural Preservation Group, have been fixtures of the community for decades. After screening the trailer Don and Michel welcome the audience’s input related to historic architectural preservation. Audience commentary may be included in the film.
$5 Suggested Admission, Additional Donations Accepted. All Proceeds to Benefit the Old House Soul Film Project.
Seating limited & reservations required: Call George Shuster or Stephanie
Van Patten to reserve your place, 737-1278.
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BENJAMIN FRANKLIN: In Search of a Better World on exhibit at Providence Public Library
April 10 - May 23
A national traveling exhibition celebrating one of America’s most beloved personalities is coming to Providence and you’re invited to visit. Check out www.provlib.org for more info.
Scheduled Events <http://www.provlib.org/calendar.asp?id=63456> :
*Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World Exhibit ~ Opening Reception <http://www.provlib.org/calendar.asp?id=68399>
Sunday, April 13
*Gordon S. Wood: "The Invention of Benjamin Franklin" <http://www.provlib.org/calendar.asp?id=71151>
Monday, April 14
*Imaginative "Inventions" Workshop <http://www.provlib.org/calendar.asp?id=71159>
Saturday, April 19
*Philip Dray: Meet the Author: Stealing God's Thunder: Benjamin Franklin's Lightening Rod and the Invention of America <http://www.provlib.org/calendar.asp?id=71162>
Sunday, April 20
*Cecilia Brauer, Glass Armonica performer and speaker <http://www.provlib.org/calendar.asp?id=71200>
Sunday, April 27
*Ellen R. Cohn - "Historian as Detective: Solving the Mysteries in Franklin's Papers" <http://www.provlib.org/calendar.asp?id=71194>
Sunday, April 27
*Robert Allison - "Benjamin Franklin: How to Create a Better World" <http://www.provlib.org/calendar.asp?id=71201>
Sunday, May 4
*Martha Elena Rojas - "Imprinting the New United States: Benjamin Franklin's Seals and Medals" <http://www.provlib.org/calendar.asp?id=71203>
Monday, May 12
*Family Kite Making Day <http://www.provlib.org/calendar.asp?id=71211>
Sunday, May 18, 2008
*Book Discussion/Signing - The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin, by Gordon Wood <http://www.provlib.org/calendar.asp?id=71204>
Monday, May 19
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