Historic East Side Nicholson House to Be Saved from Demolition By Providence Couple
GoLocalProv Business Team
Historic East Side Nicholson House to Be Saved from Demolition By Providence Couple
The property, located at 288 Blackstone Boulevard was sold to Melanie and Peter Eleftherio.
As GoLocalProv reported back in February, the estate was previously set to be demolished.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST"We are so grateful to our clients, Melanie and Peter, for their unwavering commitment to save The Nicholson House. It became incredibly evident to them that someone needed to step up and they certainly have the best track record on the East Side for renovating older homes to today's modern standards while retaining historic elegance and architecture,” said sales associate Michael Sweeney.
According to Residential Properties, the Eleftherios have already restored six homes along Blackstone Boulevard over the past two years.
Initial plans to restore the Nicholson House include the addition of a swimming pool and a bocce court.
Previous Demolition Plans
The Nicholson House is listed on the U.S. Department of Interior’s National Register of Historic Places.
As GoLocalProv reported, the demolition plan was to tear down the historic 7,600 square foot, 14 room main house as well as two additional historic buildings and replace them with ten new homes.
The plan to demolish the estate was approved by Providence’s City Plan Commission (CPC).
“The compromise we were looking for is not going to be found. It is a death warrant. It’s a sad, sad moment for this estate,” said CPC Secretary Harry Bilodeau. “We would like to try and maintain some of the character Providence has developed — this is the last of one of these estates. I respect [the lawyers’] legal knowledge and presentation, but it is humiliating to agree to something like this.”
CPC Chair Christine West added,"You can kill the house if you want [but] honestly, if we had one chance to save the house — it’s a significant house — and a buyer who understands its worth, it’s the least we can do."