Celebrate PVD's Historic Homes

Does the hustle and bustle of life ever make you nostalgic for a simpler time? Come and take a walk through the past with the Providence Preservation Society’s 35th Annual Festival of Historic Houses. The event will take place June 13-15 and will feature some of Providence’s post-industrial heritage homes and a mill complex from the mid 1800s to early 1900s.

“We wanted to capture this dynamic environment and use the Festival as a way to increase awareness of Providence’s ever-growing and evolving housing stock,” says Brent Runyon, executive director of the Providence Preservation Society. “In order to highlight this distinction, we’ve expanded the Festival into a unique two-day tour event.”

The event kicks off on Friday with a cocktail party at the Joseph S. Cooke House on Hope Street. The tours on Saturday feature some of the last land to be developed in the East Side with an enclave of homes in College Hill between Brown University and Fox Point. The tour continues with a mill complex on Sunday across town on the edge of Providence’s South Side. The Festival also includes speakers Kathy Cavanaugh and Tripp Evans who will share their expertise about the architecture and historical development of the areas.

Houses in the College Hill neighborhood will be open Saturday from 10am-4pm and the Mill Complex and surrounding tours will be on Sunday from 12-4pm.

The Providence Preservation Society (PPS) was formed in 1956 to respond to the proposed demolition of several 18th- and early 19th-century houses on College Hill. PPS has grown from a small neighborhood group to a multifaceted citywide preservation organization. With a large membership, a professional staff and countless volunteers, PPS is able to provide a broad range of services that fulfill its mission to improve the quality of life in the city of Providence through

Tickets purchased in advance are $35 per day for PPS members/$40 per day for non-members. Advance two-day tickets are $75. Day-of tickets are $45. The Friday evening cocktail event is $125. For more information, call Angela Kondon at PPS at 831-7440, or email akondon@ppsri.org.