RIP Read-Ott House. Enough blame to go around – David Brussat

by David Brussat, Architecture Here and There, contributing writer on architecture

Photo: Quality Hill Historic District Association, Facebook

After years of effort by those who wished to save it, the Read-Ott House succumbed to demolition on Monday by its owner, the Assumption of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church next door to it on Walcott Street, in Pawtucket’s Quality Hill historic district. It may seem a bit much to point the finger of blame at the church and its fathers, but there it is.

Nobody seems to know what will become of the patch of earth on which Read-Ott stood so proudly since its construction in 1842. In all likelihood: parking.

Designed in the Italianate style, Read-Ott was built for hardware shop owner John B. Read and then remodeled for Joseph Ott, founder of the Royal Weaving Co. A third story, an expanded portico, and classicizing details were added early in the 20th century by architect W.G. Sheldon after the house was sold to Ott by Read’s widow, Jane Thatcher Ingraham.

The church’s efforts to be rid of the house apparently began in 2012. It was occupied for a period by a church official. The city of Pawtucket offered the church $500,000 to restore the house, but was turned down. A six-month period was officially dedicated by the city to consider options for saving the house, or whatever, and it elapsed in 2023.

The church claims it would have cost $10,000 every five years just to keep the house painted. To renovate it would have cost millions on top of that, which the church arguably does not have. But the city was remiss in failing to do more to save the Read-Ott House. Pawtucket does not recognize that in saving Read-Ott, it would have been saving itself. Instead, Pawtucket throws its scant resources away on a soccer stadium, and on a pointless new and gargantuan high school, supposedly to replace Tolgate and Shea.

Unlike Pawtucket’s neighbor to the south, Providence, it is difficult to recall how rich and powerful it used to be before it was sliced by Route 95 (Providence suffered that indignity as well) and shredded (much more so than Providence) by modern architecture. Without the insult of modern architecture, Pawtucket might still rival Providence in prosperity – or at least might have measured its decline step by step with that of its southern neighbor.

The quality of historic houses in Quality Hill and elsewhere in the Bucket testify to the city’s long lost prosperity. Its downtown once closely rivaled that of Providence. Both northern cities have failed to keep up with Newport in its laudable dedication to its own preservation. Newport is an 18th century city; Providence and Pawtucket are 19th century cities. Modern architecture tells the tale. In ten years, Providence, which has rededicated itself to modernism in recent years, and may catch up to Pawtucket in its decline, which is already well under way.

Pawtucket and its leading institutions have shown their lack of seriousness as a city by letting the Read-Ott House go. So, no, let’s not blame the church alone. There is enough blame to go around. For shame!

___

Publisher’s Note: Other articles we have done on the Read-Ott House:

To read other articles by David Brussat: https://rinewstoday.com/david-brussat-contributing-writer/

My freelance writing and editing on architecture and others addresses issues of design and culture locally and globally. I am a member of the board of the New England chapter of the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art, which bestowed an Arthur Ross Award on me in 2002. I work from Providence, R.I., where I live with my wife Victoria, my son Billy and our cat, Gato. If you would like to employ my writing and editing to improve your work, please email me at my consultancy, [email protected], or call (401) 351-0451.