Guide to Providence Architecture

Published in Announcements.

The 1856 Mowry-Nicholson House

Use our mobile architecture guide to explore the buildings and neighborhoods that make Providence special. 

PPS works diligently to document and share the unique structures and open spaces of Providence through the Festival of Historic Houses, annual Most Endangered Properties lists, and the AIAri Guide to Providence Architecture. Now, for the first time, our accumulated expertise is in one place and available online.

The new Guide to Providence Architecture is a mobile database of the buildings, landscapes, and neighborhoods that make Providence distinctive. The core text largely borrows from the 2003 AIAri guidebook, written by Wm McKenzie Woodward, with photographs by Warren Jagger. The site is easily searched and sorted by property, architectural style, designer, and neighborhood.

The 1911 Broad Street Synagogue

Importantly, the database can and will grow over time. We have already added content-rich tours of the last several Festivals of Historic Houses, highlighting the history and architecture of the Paterson Park and Upper Elmwood neighborhoods, among others. Also available is a comprehensive tour of our Most Endangered Properties, which dot the entire city from Wanskuck to Lower South Providence. More properties and tours will be added to reflect the ongoing work of PPS.

We’ve designed the architecture guide for use on both computers and mobile phones, and we envision researchers, hobbyists, and visitors to Providence using it with equal gusto. Whether fact-checking a date of construction or exploring a new neighborhood, the Guide to Providence Architecture has already proven to be an indispensable tool.

Visit guide.ppsri.org to explore for yourself!

© 2025 Providence Preservation Society. All rights reserved. Design by J. Hogue at Highchair designhaus, with development & support by Kay Belardinelli.