Pawtucket Armory
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Pawtucket, RI
Pawtucket Armory Arts Exchange
September 2005
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Adaptive reuse of a 4,300 sf structure listed on the National Historic Register as a performing arts complex
Load-bearing masonry, longspan steel trusses; slate roof
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The Pawtucket Armory, an 1895 Rhode Island National Guard drill hall and castellated structure listed on the National Historic Register, is converted into a sustainable center for visual and performing arts. The project aims at rejuvenating downtown Pawtucket as much as revitalizing the old structure.
Four phases of work have each involved fundraising. The first phase included exterior envelope repairs and stabilization of the three buildings, historic preservation, programming options, and code analysis.
New uses for three independent arts groups include:
The Gamm Theatre, a 200-seat drama theatre
The Jacqueline K. Walsh School of the Arts, a magnet school for the City of Pawtucket
The Armory Arts Exchange, an umbrella organization that sponsors events, including the Arts Shows, in the Drill Hall
Funding comes from community development block grants, historic tax credits, grants from the National Park Service, and private donors.
