Owner seeks to raze shipbuilder's historic Providence home
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — The owner of a historic home in Providence that once belonged to an 18th-century shipbuilder and merchant now wants to demolish the home and replace it with an "architecturally identical" version of the property.
The 2 ½-story Welcome Arnold House was built for Welcome Arnold in the College Hill Historic District. He lived in the Federal style home until he died in 1798.
Property manager Tracy Kelleher tells The Providence Journal property owner Walter Bronhard wants the home razed because an infestation of beetles and termites left it structurally unsafe.
Kelleher says Bronhard planned to renovate the home until major structural issues were uncovered during the interior demolition.
The home is listed on the Providence Preservation Society's Most Endangered Properties list.
Bronhard couldn't immediately be reached directly for comment.
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