Roger Williams University Preservation Students Help Preserve Fall River’s History

July 6, 2026By Mikayla Larguinha '26

Students in RWU's Preservation Practices Program have spent the last three years helping the Historical Commission in Fall River, Mass. update registry forms for historic landmarks and sites within several historical and cultural districts.

BRISTOL, R.I. - For the past three years, Roger Williams University preservation students have been helping preserve pieces of history in Fall River, Mass. The project reflects Roger Williams University's commitment to experiential learning, giving students hands-on experience in historic preservation while supporting community partners.

The partnership began in 2023, when the Fall River Historical Commission contacted RWU's Community Partnerships Center for assistance in updating and expanding cultural resource survey data for the Steep Brook section of the city. Since then, students in RWU's Preservation Practices Program have surveyed 47 individual properties and three historic areas, contributing new research and updated information on some of Fall River's most significant landmarks, including the Fall River Waterfront Cultural District.

"Fall River has a rich, if sometimes underrecognized, industrial, cultural, and architectural history," said Elaine B. Stiles, Associate Professor and Director of the Preservation Practices Program. "The last comprehensive cultural resource survey in the community was completed in the late 1980s, so updating that inventory is particularly important in stewarding the city's historic resources over time."

RWU students are helping research properties, documenting existing conditions, creating maps, and developing narratives that explain the significance of individual sites across Fall River, Mass.

Through fieldwork, archival research, building documentation, and cultural resource evaluation, students help identify and document historically significant places across the city. Their work contributes to a broader effort to better understand Fall River's history while ensuring those stories remain accessible for future generations.

Sophia Bazzanella of Township of Washington, N.J., said the project offered her an opportunity to move beyond the classroom and experience preservation work firsthand. Bazzanella graduated this past spring with degrees in Architecture and Preservation Studies and will return to RWU this fall to pursue master's degrees in Architecture and Preservation Practices.

In 2025, the partnership expanded to include Creative Arts Network, a nonprofit dedicated to stimulating arts and culture in Fall River. The collaboration has helped create new opportunities to transform student research into educational resources for the public.

The experience has helped students develop skills needed for their future careers while working directly with community partners on preservation projects.

For Bazzanella and her classmates, that expansion meant updating registry forms for historic landmarks and sites within the Fall River Waterfront Cultural District. Their work involved researching properties, documenting existing conditions, creating maps, and developing narratives that explain the significance of individual sites.

"This project allowed us to go there, observe and document the sites, and actually give this information and its documentation to those who need it," Bazzanella said. "That in itself was rewarding."

The experience also helped students develop skills in archival research, documentation, technical writing, and public engagement while working directly with community partners on preservation projects.

Building on the students' research, Creative Arts Network developed a series of walking tours and interpretive boards planned for installation within the Waterfront Cultural District, helping make local history more accessible to residents and visitors.

Richard Mancini, chair of the Fall River Historical Commission, said the partnership helps preserve and share Fall River's history while students gain professional experience, preparing them to lead similar efforts in communities throughout their careers.

"It's a good marriage between Fall River and Roger Williams University," Mancini said.

Looking ahead, Stiles said RWU plans to continue supporting Fall River's cultural resource documentation and interpretation efforts through community-engaged coursework and internship opportunities.