PRESERVATION Question Six proponents hail the Cranston Street Armory BY CHRISTINA BEVILACQUA

Built on the Dexter Parade Ground (a Dorr War battle site and Civil War encampment and drill field), and home to the Rhode Island National Guard from 1907-97, the majestic Cranston Street Armory in Providence boasts an unassailable military pedigree. Yet at the Armory’s bustling open house last Sunday, October 24, here was one visitor’s defining memory of this monument to the state’s defensive might: "I grew up on Wood Street, and got my first kiss in the drill hall." How’s that for a multi-use space?

According to a coalition headed by the West Broadway Neighborhood Association and the Providence Preservation Society, the Armory’s unique function as the repository for the state’s civic and military heritage, as well as the vivid personal memories of generations of ordinary citizens, makes it an essential landmark in Rhode Island’s physical and psychic landscapes. They are urging voters to approve Question Six on the November 2 ballot, authorizing the sale of $12.3 million in state bonds to restore the building for reuse as, appropriately, a home to the state archives, as well as storage for state records.

Both archives and records are currently stored in rental facilities, deemed by Associate Director of Administration Robert Brunelle as expensive (combined cost of leases is about $1 million per year), as well as unsafe and inefficient. Neither leased facility is climate-controlled, both allow only limited access, and water runs just under the floor where the archives, dating back 366 years, sit. Brunelle observes, "There’s no alarm system on the pump in there. If it were to fail over a long weekend, we could ruin or lose our most important records." Of the money requested, $3 million would restore the basement for records’ storage, and $5 million would go to one of the two towers for storage of archives, as well as a public display area and reading room.

The remaining $4.3 million would go for critically important repairs to the building’s exterior, which, since the Guard left in 1997, has deteriorated rapidly. Crumbling masonry, missing copper flashing, and broken windows have allowed water in, causing interior damage further exacerbated by broken pipes. Repairs are needed not only to stave off future damage, but also for safety reasons. As Kari Lang, executive director of the WBNA, notes, the state is spending nearly $1 million yearly on maintenance of the building (including, recently, a new roof) whether it’s occupied or not; why not invest enough to make it viable?

While the current proposal addresses only half of the Armory’s space, supporters cite it as an important start, one that will stop deterioration, provide a return on the state’s investment, and allow the public to again use the building (which is on the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s list of Most Endangered Historic Places). This reintegration into the state’s civic life is meant in turn to foster ideas for funding, restoring, and reusing the remaining square footage, including a second tower and a massive drill hall. Governor Donald L. Carcieri and Mayor David N. Cicilline made site visits last week, encouraging voters to back the measure.

On his way out, the mayor stopped for a photo with Ted and Melba Edington, who met at a dance at the Armory 56 years ago, and were married a year later. Like the other 800 visitors to the open house that day, they came to reminisce about not only the history of the building, but their history of the building. Citing the chance to save money and memories, Brunelle asks, "If not this, what do we preserve?" (For more info, visit www.savethearmory.org).