Interview with Gregory Bressler

Greg with his daughter, Susanna

Picus Woodwrights is a general contractor specializing in the restoration and preservation of historic buildings. They work across Rhode Island in a variety of architectural styles. Picus Woodwrights' recent work in Newport will be honored with a Rhody Award at this year’s ceremony.

1. How did you first become interested in preserving historic houses?

Life in the trades has been a second career for me. Previously, I worked in video production and project management. In 2000 my wife and I bought a much-beleaguered late 19th century millhouse in Richmond, which we referred to as, “the last cheap house in Rhode Island.” We decided to do as much of the work as possible ourselves, but aside from working as a house painter in college, I didn’t know anything about the trades. I knew that I was interested in old buildings, but I didn’t know why. Eventually, I started reading authors like Eric Sloane, whose books are purpose written to feed or identify one’s interest in antique New England building practices and history. I also had the good fortune to meet restoration carpenters and to work alongside them on projects such as the restoration of Peter Pots Pottery in West Kingston. They were patient with me and endured my many questions.

2. What do you enjoy most about historic preservation?

Working with historic buildings, particularly when working in the field, sometimes results in situations in which you can draw a straight uninterrupted line between not just “the past”, but a very specific point in time, to the very moment that you’re living in. For example, I worked on a house in Charlestown that was from the early colonial period and perhaps dating to the 17th century. I was in the process of stripping off four layers of roofing to expose the original live edge sheathing. It was winter and as I struggled to remove roofing material without sliding down the slope, I remember thinking, “There must be an easier way to do this”. Just then, I noticed that a notch had been cut into the side of one of the sheathing boards. It was large enough to accommodate either my hand or the toe of my boot. As I continued stripping up, I found another, and another. Ultimately, I exposed offset notches in the roof sheathing from the eave to the ridge at the chimney. In that moment, the chasm of contrasts between our two lives disappeared, and we were just two carpenters who were trying to figure out how to gets a good day’s work while avoiding injury. It can be profoundly relatable.

3. What is one of the biggest challenges you are encountering with preservation projects?

Each project is different and each home or building that we work on is unique both as a home or as a piece of physical history. So, too, are our clients. To work with old buildings and promote stewardship among our clients, these buildings need to also be relevant in our own time and to accommodate the lives and ambitions of their current owners. Understanding that reality and finding solutions that strike a balance for a 21st century conversation in an 18th century setting is both hugely challenging and compelling.

4. What advice do you have for homeowner considering a rehab/restoration project?

If a homeowner has not yet purchased a historic home, then it is never too early to assemble your team. Having relationships with a historic contractor, designer or architect when you are looking at homes is always a good idea. It helps you avoid surprises and gives you an opportunity to get to know each other before challenges arrive. Also, spend time identifying what goals and outcomes of a project are most important to you as you meet and qualify contractors. Communicate that to them and pay attention to how they receive this information. Once hammers are out and checks are being written, the relationship between a homeowner and a restoration contractor should be able to reflect every decision back to their understanding of the unique goals and considerations of each client. It is the responsibility of the contractor to use their tools and experience working in antique buildings to accomplish each project without losing sight of the overarching goals of each client.

5. Tell us about one of your favorite historic homes/places in Rhode Island?

There is a small two-family mill house on Web Avenue in Hamilton village in North Kingstown. The house was built sometime in the 1840’s by the Hamilton Web Mill. It was initially used as housing for foremen at the mill. It was used as such until shortly after WWII when it was sold off by the mill for $2,000.00 to the occupants, the Cuttings, who were still employed by the mill, and typically worked ten hours a day, six days a week. The mill closed in 1978, but the Cuttings, started a family there, stayed and eventually gifted the house to their only daughter, Sandra. Sandy was born in one of the bedrooms in the early 1950’s when their home had neither electricity nor indoor plumbing. Sandra Cutting sold the house in 2023 and it is currently in the process of being rehabilitated and restored. In its nearly 200 years, the house has only been owned by the Greene family, who owned the Hamilton Web mill, and the Cuttings. One of the primary goals of the new owners is to rent the house to families with children young enough to walk to nearby Hamilton Elementary School. I’m fascinated by this small, modest home because it simultaneously has a long and remarkably short story to tell