To the editor:

The essential history and character of Warren is embedded in the buildings, structures and sites that surround us. Destroy these and Warren becomes an endless string of housing developments and a downtown with empty store fronts.

Ned Connors and Patrick Malone’s letter to the Editor of the Warren Times-Gazette, published on Jan. 26, 2022, did an excellent job of alerting the community to the costs of the BCWA’s proposed demolition of the 114-year-old Child Street pumping station.

The Warren Heritage Foundation echoes the sentiment of the Connors/Malone letter and the letter from the Warren Preservation Society. We strongly oppose the destruction of this historic plant and encourage the Town Administration to designate this site as adaptive reuse only. For Warren to continue to thrive we must take pride in our history and take every opportunity to enhance the quality of life in our community.

The mission of the Warren Heritage Foundation is “to enhance the quality of life enjoyed by residents by protecting, restoring and maintaining structures, buildings and open spaces with historical and architectural significance in the town of Warren”. Buildings such as the old Water Plant on the bank of the Kickemuit River are the bedrock of our history and should not be demolished. Adaptive reuse similar to American Tourister, the Cutler and Parker Mills, and our old school buildings is always a better choice.

Marcia Blount

President, Warren Heritage Foundation