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PPS: 1956

Anchor 1

Chairman

John Nicholas Brown

John Nicholas Brown was a prominent philanthropist and businessman in Rhode Island, with a particular love of historical preservation. A member of the Brown family, he inherited the family fortune as a young man and used it to fund preservation efforts both far afield and at home.  He organized the Providence Preservation Society in an effort to rehabilitate the College Hill area, and became the first chairman of the board.  His unique position as a businessman, dedicated preservationist, and Brown affiliate allowed him to unite the goals of the government, the Providence elite, and the university towards preserving the historic character of College Hill.

President

Mrs. William Slater Allen
Mrs. William Slater "Betty" Allen was the first president of the Providence Preservation Society, working closely with John Nicholas Brown and others on the College Hill revitalization. Betty worked tirelessly to help document the historical resources of College Hill, traveling across the country to compare techniques and strategies with other preservation groups.
PPS Pioneers

John Nicholas Brown

Chairman of the Board

Mrs. William Slater Allen

President

Thomas B. Appleget

Vice President

Mrs. Malcolm "Happy" G. Chace, Jr.

Vice President

Mrs. John A Gywnne

Vice President

William M. Sloan

Secretary

Henry F. Tingley, Jr.

Treasurer

John Hutchins Cady

Historian

Vice-President

Mrs. Malcolm G. Chace
Mrs. Beatrice O. "Happy" Chace was the first co-vice-president of the Providence Preservation Society, alongside Thomas B. Appleget. Happy used her personal weath and knowledge of real estate to transform College Hill. She began the restoration of College Hill in 1955, with a house on the  corner of Thayer and Transit streets.
 
From that single house, Chace founded the Burnside Company, which bought and restored homes in the northern area of Benefit Street. From a single home, Burnside soon aquired an entire city block, restoring them to their former glory.

Historian

John Hutchins Cady
John Hutchins Cady was an architect, architectural historian, preservationist and urban planner. He graduated from Brown University in 1903 and from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1906. Before opening his own architectural firm in 1910, he worked for the Providence firm of Stone, Carpenter and Wilson. He served as the Rhode Island Preservation Officer from 1955-1960 and was a consultant on the Rhode Island State Planning Board Maps.
A prolific author, Cady collected photos and articles in a series of notebooks now held by the Providence Public Library.
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