North Providence has completed $291,000 in repairs to Old Town Hall, a 147-year-old landmark at 2226 Mineral Spring Avenue. Work on the roof, chimney and soffits is done, but exterior work remains and questions about newly installed windows have put the restoration’s historic standards under scrutiny.
The $291,000 total reflects a series of separate projects, rather than one contract. According to The Valley Breeze, the town began assessing the building in 2019 with an $8,000 grant. Marini & Sons Inc. replaced the front stairs for $2,950 in 2021 after officials identified a trip hazard, then rebuilt a collapsing chimney that was causing a major leak in May 2022 for $8,500. In 2024, Pawtucket-based Patrick McKenna Roofing Inc. replaced the roof for $84,500 after James Fuoroli requested an emergency purchase, saying patching was no longer sufficient.
A Building Officials Call Unsafe to Ignore
Fuoroli described the roof as being in deplorable condition and said water damage and deferred maintenance made the building unsafe; he warned that further delay could increase risks and costs to taxpayers. The exterior rehabilitation, carried out by Narragansett-based Martone Service Co. Inc., cost $195,000—the largest part of the total—and covered trim, crown molding, windows and painting. The Valley Breeze reported that the roof, chimney and soffit work is complete, while a historical contractor is expected to continue the project.
The remaining work is part of a longer effort to maintain the historic property. Built in 1879, Old Town Hall housed the town’s former jail and original council chambers and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Historians have described it as the first town building constructed after North Providence’s boundaries were established in 1874. Town officials have said rising prices make the cost of future work difficult to predict.
Windows Draw Scrutiny From State Preservation Office
Painting, a section of plaster repair and other interior upgrades are expected after the exterior phase. The exterior work must be completed by a state-approved historical contractor. But the windows have raised a separate question about whether the work followed the project’s preservation plans. The Valley Breeze reported that it was notified on October 2 that newer-looking windows had been installed. Elizabeth Totten said her office typically reviews projects before work begins and that the scope at Old Town Hall may have changed; she also said the Rhode Island Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission had not been made aware of an alteration to the plans.
Totten said replacement windows are considered only when historic features cannot prudently or feasibly be repaired, and that replacements should closely match the originals. Jeff Emidy has said replacement materials should replicate the original size, design, color and texture. A 2025 estimate from Martone called for retaining the historic windows, and Fuoroli sought the commission’s input on the restoration that year. Totten had scheduled a visit to examine the work for the week the story was published; at that point, whether the window work met historic restoration standards remained unclear.
What the state review confirms
The Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission says it reviews projects on municipal property for potential effects on historic resources. That general description does not confirm whether the commission completed a review of Old Town Hall’s replacement windows or recorded a determination or follow-up.
A Separate Grant Fight at the Current Town Hall
The Old Town Hall window issue is separate from a preservation dispute at the Frank C. Angell Memorial Town Hall on Smith Street, which Totten said is considered a historic property under federal law. Lisa Andoscia obtained a federal grant in 2024 for restoration work there, but preservation officials said installing vinyl windows in the 98-year-old building put the project at risk of falling out of compliance with federal rules and made it ineligible for the grant. The roughly $76,090 in energy efficiency and conservation block grant funding could instead be redirected to another town project. Maria Vallee said grant manager Sherri Lupoli was working to finalize the funding.
James Loffler, chairman of the North Providence Historic District Commission, did not respond to a request for comment. The commission uses Old Town Hall's main meeting room on the first floor, gathering there on the second Tuesday of each month even as repairs have proceeded around them. Ron Giorgio, for his part, recommended black or green window colors to keep with the original structure's look, and said he was glad the building had finally received repairs he considers long overdue.
North Providence’s building upkeep has drawn attention before: Turn to 10 reported on August 27, 2014, that workers were completing improvements to the Smith Street Town Hall, including carpet removal, wall repairs, new windows and painting; the final cost was not made public. For Old Town Hall, the $291,000 in repairs marks a major maintenance effort, while the window work remains subject to questions about historic standards.
