North Providence council schedules special meeting to consider buying 223‑year‑old Stephen Olney House

The North Providence Town Council on Sept. 2, 2025 voted to hold a special meeting to consider purchasing the Stephen Olney House, a 223‑year‑old historic property on Smithfield Road that lies within Stephen Olney Park.

James Loffler, chairperson of the Historic District Commission, told the council the house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and that work has been done there without required permits or commission review. "I'm here to talk about the captain Stephen Olney House, a historic property located on Smithfield Road," Loffler said, adding that work had been "done at night and on weekends, possibly to avoid detection by town employees."

Why it matters: speakers said the house is historically significant and at risk of being altered or converted under existing zoning. Commission members and nearby residents urged the council to act to preserve the building rather than allow private resale or subdivision that, they said, would be inappropriate for a house of its age.

Marie Trouba, a member of the Historic District Commission, listed building problems the commission has documented, including multiple ownership transfers, fines and liens, replacement of historic wood windows with vinyl, fire damage concealed by sheetrock and pest damage. "Repeated resale of property and transfers of ownership," Trouba said, as she described other code and maintenance violations the commission has recorded.

Multiple residents also urged preservation. Vincent Jericho, a North Providence resident in District 2, said, "once a historic property is lost, it's lost forever," and urged the council to seize the opportunity to save the house for education and tourism. Other speakers suggested the property could host a local historical society or an overseer program to help fund maintenance.

Council discussion and finances: Mayor Lombardi told the council he had discussed financing with the finance director and that the town currently has funds in its operating budget that could be used to buy the property, and that any year‑end deficit could be covered from a surplus if needed. The mayor also said the property could be eligible for preservation grants from Rhode Island Historic Preservation or the National Park Service but that someone would need to prepare grant applications.

Details disclosed at the meeting: speakers said the property is being offered at $389,000 and that the council had an option to purchase it for $365,000 after prior discussions with the realtor. Commission members said the house sits on a traditional stone foundation that may not withstand conversion to multifamily use, and that unpermitted interior and exterior alterations have been made since February 2022.

Action taken: Councilman Bacala made a motion to schedule a special meeting to consider purchase of the property; Councilman LaPorteo seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.

Next steps: The council did not set a purchase vote at the Sept. 2 meeting; the scheduled special meeting will be used to consider whether to authorize purchase and to review financing options, including use of operating funds and possible grant applications.

Ending: Historic District Commission members and neighbors said they would continue to press for preservation, and the council's decision to hold a special meeting creates a near‑term opportunity to formalize next steps.