Programs & Events

Upcoming Events

Quality Hill Neighborhood walking tour, Saturday, July 14, 10:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.

In 1800, Oliver Starkweather looked toward the hill on the east side of downtown and decided it was a good place to build his house. The position on the hill gave him a good view of the town, and his house on Walcott Street could be seen by all. Quality Hill, as the neighborhood would later be called, was named for the large elaborate houses that were built in this area by successful mill owners and businessmen. As we walk through the neighborhood we’ll learn more about the people who built Pawtucket’s collection of “mansions,” established the churches, and started a school.  We’ll meet at the corner of Summit and Vernon Streets, and will end on Underwood Street. Please join us. The tour is free, but we ask that you RSVP by emailing us at pawtucketpreservation@gmail.com or by calling 401.725.9581.

Church Hill Neighborhood walking tour, Saturday, July 21, 10:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.

Oziel Wilkinson died in 1815 and left a portion of his grass field to the city, for the purpose of establishing a town common. In 1872, the common was officially named Wilkinson Park, and the road is now called Park Place. Park Place was a fashionable thoroughfare on which stood two churches, an octagon-shaped house, a concert auditorium, and a grammar school. The surrounding district was home to several factories that were thriving in the 19th century. Join us on this walk as we talk not only about the buildings, but about the innovative people who lived and worked here. The tour is free, but we ask that you RSVP by emailing us at pawtucketpreservation@gmail.com or by calling 401.725.9581.

Oak Hill neighborhood walking tour, Saturday, July 28, 10:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.

The Oak Hill neighborhood takes its name from the many oak trees growing in the area.  Covering 170 acres, the neighborhood occupies portions of early farmlands that were eventually divided into five real estate plats: The German Coopera¬tive Land Association Plat, Oak Hill Avenue Plat, Dryden Extension Plat, Sayles Heights Plat and Sayles Homestead Plat. These subdivisions were laid out between the 1870's and the 1940's; many of the lots were specifically designed to accommodate the increasing use of personal carriages and cars. The neighborhood was home to the Sayles brothers and the McCoy brothers, and many other factory managers and civil servants. You will also find the city’s only Jewish synagogue, the Art Deco-style Shea High School and the bucolic Riverside Cemetery.  We’ll meet at the corner of Ridge Street and East Avenue.  The tour is free, but we ask that your RSVP by emailing pawtucketpreservation@gmail.com or calling 401.725.9581.

Personally Pawtucket Walking tour, Saturday, August 25, 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

This 90-minute walking tour is a collaboration between the Preservation Society of Pawtucket and the Rhode Island Historical Society. The tour will feature stories about many of the individuals who helped establish Pawtucket as a prosperous manufacturing center. We will meet outside the Pawtucket Visitor's Center, go through downtown to Exchange Street, over the highway into Quality Hill, and end at the Congregational Church. Tickets are $15; $12 for RIHS members and can be purchased on the RIHS website.

History and Archaeology boat tour of the Pawtucket shoreline, September 2

Central Falls walking tour, Saturday, September 8

Slater Park walking tour, Sunday, September 9

Old-fashioned Baseball Game in Slater Park, Sunday, September 16

Woodlawn Neighborhood walking tour, Saturday, September 29

Stay tuned to this site and to our Facebook page for information about new programs and activities.