Interview with Joanna Doherty

Joanna Doherty was appointed Deputy Director of the Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission last month. Joanna started at the RIHPHC as a Senior Architectural Historian in 2013, advancing to Principal Architectural Historian in 2015. In this role, she has guided the preparation of dozens of National Register of Historic Places nominations, resulting in nearly 600 resources being listed. Previously Joanna worked at the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation, and the Public Archaeology Laboratory. She earned a B.A. in the Growth and Structure of Cities from Bryn Mawr College and a M.S. in Historic Preservation from the University of Pennsylvania. As Deputy Director Joanna will oversee the RIHPHC’s National Register, survey, and archaeology programs.

1. You’ve spent much of your career here in Rhode Island. What do you think distinguishes our historic fabric and towns from other New England states?

Rhode Island’s historic resources are similar to other New England states, but, like with everything, we are just a little different. For example, towns in Massachusetts often have a meetinghouse and town common at their center. You won’t find that in Rhode Island (except in places like Little Compton, which was once part of Massachusetts), because of our strong history of keeping church and state separate. There are mill villages throughout New England, but the earliest was in Rhode Island – which makes sense, since Pawtucket was the birthplace of the American industrial revolution. Slatersville in North Smithfield was established in 1807 and eventually included workers’ housing, a company store, a large textile mill and a waterpower system to run it – a model that was replicated throughout the region.

2. Of the dozens of nominations that you’ve prepared for the National Register, can you talk about a few that showcase the range of historic buildings found in Rhode Island?

What makes them special? I really enjoy preparing National Register nominations, from start to finish, but I don’t get the chance to do so all that often. More typically, I collaborate with consultants on the process – editing draft nominations, sharing relevant research, and generally providing guidance. A wide range of resources are included in the National Register, and I’ve had the privilege of working on nominations for the First Baptist Church in Tiverton, the Samuel Clarke Farm in Richmond, several suburban residential subdivisions, and the University of Rhode Island, among others. Still, the National Register falls short of documenting all aspects of our history: it’s estimated that less than 8% of nominations nationally are associated with women, Latinos, African Americans or other minorities, and the proportion in Rhode Island is probably similar.

3. What has been your proudest achievement in your years at the Commission?​

I’m proud of my efforts to improve the National Register program’s diversity, but we’ve only begun – it’s going to take a long time to correct. I worked on the update of the College Hill Historic District National Register nomination, which now discusses the African American history of the neighborhood in much greater depth. We are in the second phase of a statewide survey of sites associated with the African American civil rights movement, work that has been supported by grants from the National Park Service. I was part of a small group made up of staff from the RIHPHC, Providence Public Library, and Providence Preservation Society and a community historian that developed a walking tour highlighting downtown Providence’s LGBTQ+ history.

4. What are you most excited about in your new role?  What opportunities do you see for Rhode Island to utilize historic places to benefit all in our community?

I’m excited about the chance to participate in more of the RIHPHC’s programs and have a greater impact on shaping the direction of preservation in Rhode Island. We’ve got a remarkable collection of historic resources that provide a strong sense of place and contribute to the character of communities across the state. The historic rehabilitation tax credits represent a huge opportunity to redevelop underused resources, benefitting not just property owners and developers but entire communities.

5. What do you see as the biggest threat to historic places that we face in the next 5 years?

It’s difficult to think of a greater threat to Rhode Island’s historic resources than climate change, sea level rise, and flooding. Many coastal communities are already seeing the impact of climate change and are exploring ways to mitigate that effect. We need to figure out how to make buildings and whole neighborhoods more resilient while maintaining their historic integrity, which will require collaboration among communities, state agencies and others who care about the historic fabric of Rhode Island.