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The future of the Read-Ott House at 67 Walcott Street in the Quality Hill neighborhood of Pawtucket is in peril. The onetime showcase home was originally built by hardware merchant John Blake Read in 1842. It was later purchased by Royal Weaving founder Joseph Ott in 1862. The home has in recent decades been part of a church compound. Unfortunately it has been badly neglected and the church has once again been cited by the city for not maintaining it. There are neighborhood fears that the church may want to demolish the structure as it has previously indicated that might be a possibility.
This historic house is a poster child for the necessity of protected Local Historic Districts similar to what Providence enjoys. This church is just another sleazy absentee landlord, no different than any other. No regard for the Quality Hill neighborhood.
The intact transitional greek revival house is architecturally significant & is being allowed to undergo demolition by neglect. $75,000 might well at least make it weather-tight & freeze the physical decline of the exterior - for now. The city needs to play hardball to get it out of hands of this nasty church, so rehab funding & a suitable use can be found.
That looks like it would take a small fortune to restore. And once you start, who knows what you'll find. It would likely have been much cheaper to maintain it...
That looks like it would take a small fortune to restore. And once you start, who knows what you'll find. It would likely have been much cheaper to maintain it...
Little maintenance is the issue. This building's neglected state is a direct result of the church OVER MANY YEARS not maintaining it, spending little if anything. This is in direct contrast to the beautiful condition of the church that is located just tens of feet away. Money appears to be spent on the church when needed. The actions of this church have me cynically wondering if it deliberately allowed the mansion to deteriorate in order to help justify and make demolition easier and more acceptable.
This text is directly from the church's web site detailing recent improvements to the church building: In 2015, we began a major beautification project for the Church, starting with the repair of the dome, interior repainting of the beloved icons, and re-installation of the chandelier. In 2016, we replaced the old heating system and water heaters with new high-efficiency units. In 2017, the carpeting in the entire Church was replaced with beautiful ceramic floor. The church was also made completely handicap accessible.
It's a shame that none of the Ott descendants in Providence have stepped forward to do something.
Joseph K. Ott was a past president of the RIHS.
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