Where the Moderns & Postmoderns Went to Play: Pratt Street Walking Tour

Pratt Street has been referred to as the architect Friedrich St Florian’s design lab, a sandbox for modernists, and Providence’s seat of modern luxury living. The homes on Pratt Street span 1800 to 2004, but nearly half of them were designed after 1950. Join us for a walking conversation about how Pratt Street came to be Providence’s most modern street, and how its design is part of the legacy of urban renewal. Tour leaders include two architects who worked in St Florian’s studio – Nick de Pace and Stephen Rogers – and Jason Martin, Preservation Planner for the City of Providence. This tour begins at PPS with a slide presentation in the meeting room, and proceeds up the hill to Pratt.

This tour is part of Providence Preservation Society's week-long Festival of Modern Design, from October 5 - 11, 2025. The Festival website has information about all events associated with the Festival.

Tour Guides

Nick De Pace has taught in RISD’s Architecture, Landscape Architecture and Interior Architecture departments since 1999. Between 1996 and 2001, De Pace was project designer for the of the National World War II Memorial in Washington, DC under design architect Friedrich St. Florian. Since 2002, he has designed numerous award-winning residential and commercial projects through his independent practice, Ad Hoc/Architecture in Providence.

Jason D. Martin has worked for over 20 years as the Preservation Planner for the City of Providence, where his primary duty is serving as staff for the Providence Historic District Commission. He is a native Rhode Islander, having grown up in Providence. He has degrees in Art History and History from Rhode Island College, and a Masters of Science in Historic Preservation from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps.

Stephen Rogers graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1989. He was awarded the AIA Gold Medal in Architecture. After graduation, he worked in New York City as an architect and cabinetmaker for Rhoner Furniture, Raphael Vinoly Architects, Architecture Research Office, and William McDonough + Partners. Moving to RI in 1996, he worked as a Project Architect for Friedrich St. Florian Architect and Bay + Bay Architects. In his own practice since 2008, he is LEED certified and licensed in RI, MA and NY.

Ticket Price: $15 Students / $25 PPS Members / $30 General

This walk departs from Providence Preservation Society's office, two blocks down the hill from Pratt Street. Please be aware that this walk covers uneven ground and a steep hill, and that Pratt Street does not have a dedicated sidewalk so we will be walking in the street.

Host or Publisher Providence Preservation Society