Unlocking the Power of Preservation: A Southside Community Project

Published in Community News, Heritage & Preservation.

The Providence Preservation Society and the South Providence Neighborhood Association are announcing a joint project that brings together small groups of long-term residents and business owners in the Southside of Providence to discuss the role of historic preservation in their community.

Benjamin Rakatansky Triple Deckers (ca. 1907/ca.1925), located in the Lower South Providence neighborhood.

Pairs of sessions will be held monthly from March through June 2022. Individuals are encouraged to participate in 1-2 meetings, as they are available. These meetings require advance registration, and all participants will be compensated $100 per session for their time.

June Sessions — REGISTER HERE

These facilitated, small group conversations will focus on the participants’ positive and negative experiences with historic preservation and their hopes for the future of the Southside.

Want to participate but not able to attend the June meetings? Don’t worry! If you’d like to participate in some other way, let us know.

One-on-one meetings and Spanish sessions are available, contact Dwayne Keys for more information.

In-person meeting is subject to change due to COVID-19. Registered participants will be notified of any changes to the meeting schedule. 

Background

This collaboration between Providence Preservation Society and South Providence Neighborhood Association began in early 2020 when the two organizations wanted to address:

  1. Disparities in preservation access, and
  2. The negative impact of policies that uphold historic preservation has had, particularly for neighbors in the Southside of Providence.

Pine Street Historic District (1830-1895), located in the Upper South Providence neighborhood.

Together, PPS and SPNA are seeking feedback from Southside residents and business owners about how they view preservation and it might better support community goals moving forward. These conversations are the next step in this process of engaging community members who have been harmed or excluded by preservation practices in Providence.

To participate…

If you are a resident of the Southside of Providence with interest and availability to participate in these meetings, or if you would like more information email Dwayne Keys with the SPNA.

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