The concept of a greenway along the Woonasquatucket River began in 1993, when Fred Lippitt, Chair of The Providence Plan, looked for an opportunity to spark the revitalization of Olneyville. Olneyville, the poorest, most underserved neighborhood in Providence, seemingly had few assets to build on, with the exception of the Woonasquatucket river - highly appreciated in Waterplace Park, but neglected and trashed in the upstream neighborhoods. In 1993, most people living along the Woonasquatucket did not even know the name, let alone the history of the river that flowed through their neighborhoods. At the time, the abandoned buildings, heaps of illegally dumped trash, and closed parks along the river were nothing more than eyesores and risks to public health and safety.

Fred discussed the potential for the greenway with elected officials and city, state and federal agency heads, and convinced them and many others that this was an important and viable project. He loves to tell stories about his frequent walks along the river, chance encounters with children catching crabs in the river, and the policeman waiting at his car, skeptical that anyone with the number 24 license plate would have willingly parked at the Riverside Mills Brownfield site. He enjoyed surprising his tour guests, showing off the unexpected pristine river environment that could be found near the burned out industrial sites in Olneyville and Hartford. Fred created the vision for the Greenway – and throughout the long process remained positive about its potential and adamant that this would be developed with the same care and standards that the city placed in Waterplace Park.

Fred recruited volunteer staff, and a proposal was developed to restore the river and abandoned public and private lands as a catalyst for change in Olneyville. They effectively pursued a major grant from the Lila-Wallace Reader’s Digest Fund's Urban Parks Initiative to plan and implement the Woonasquatucket River Greenway Project. Citizen's Bank, the Merck Family Fund, and EPA New England offered additional support for the initiative. Under Fred's leadership, the Greenway staff, working with city, state and federal agencies, leveraged over $12 million in capital funding for the Greenway, targeting the restoration of 67 acres of abandoned public and private lands along the river.

Fred played a critically important role in the development of the Greenway Project, supported and encouraged the development of the regional Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council as the new umbrella organization for the Greenway Project, and most recently spoke of the need to complete the fund raising necessary for capital improvements and an endowment fund to ensure the sustainability of the Greenway. Fred secured key city bond funds in 1996 and 2000 totaling over $2.7 million, meeting with the Mayor and every member of the City Council. His dedication to the Woonasquatucket prompted Senator John Chafee to secure $3.1 million in transportation funds for the bicycle path, and to nominate and speak directly with the President to ensure the designation of the Woonasquatucket as an American Heritage River. Senator Jack Reed worked equally hard to secure designation of the Greenway Project as a Brownfield Showcase Community, bringing in all the funding essential for environmental assessments and remedial design, and a $1 million HUD grant for the Riverside Mills cleanup.

Fifty-two acres of land along the river are already restored. Parks that were abandoned for years are now open and actively used by residents. Fifteen acres of contaminated industrial sites that were neglected for decades are being redeveloped for recreational and educational uses. Butterfly gardens now exist where piles of trash once lay. Wetlands have been restored in areas where rusted out cars were once discarded. Abandoned vacant lots adjacent to the Riverside Mills park sites will be redeveloped for affordable housing and home ownership opportunities for residents of Olneyville.

Fred's vision of a Greenway that provides recreational opportunity, restores the river environment, stimulates economic reinvestment and promotes neighborhood stabilization in Olneyville is well on its way to being realized.

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Frederick Lippitt, former Rhode Island House minority leader and three time candidate for Mayor of Providence, who as a civic leader, politician, educator, philanthropist and army veteran devoted his life to public betterment, died on Wednesday, May 11, 2005 in Providence. He was 88.

Mr. Lippitt died at his home at 108 Prospect Street where he has lived with his sister, Mary Ann Lippitt, for over 50 years. He remained active in a number of civic and charitable organizations prior to a recent illness.

Mr. Lippitt was a scion of an old Rhode Island family that was influential in Rhode Island business and politics. He was the son of United States Senator Henry F. Lippitt, 1911-1917, and Lucy Hayes Herron Lippitt. He was the grandson of Governor Henry Lippitt and the nephew of Governor Charles Warren Lippitt. First Lady Nellie Herron Taft was his aunt. He was the cousin of the late Senator John Chafee and Senator Lincoln Chafee. Mr. Lippitt had five half brothers and sisters on his father's side and two brothers on his mother's side.

Mr. Lippitt graduated from St. Marks School and Yale University in 1939. He enrolled at Yale Law School but after his second year of law school, he joined the Army. He served in the Philippines and Italy from 1941-1945, and he received a bronze star and a purple heart. He subsequently served another two years in Germany during the Korean War period and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel and the commanding officer of the Rhode Island National Guard 103 Field Artillery in 1963. After World War II he completed Yale Law School in1946.

Mr. Lippitt returned to Providence to join the law firm of Edwards & Angell. He was a partner in the firm for thirty years and served twice as head of the firm's executive council. He served on the boards of the Gorham Company, Rhode Island Hospital Trust National Bank, Keypoint Life Insurance Company, the Quill Pen Company and the Meehan Fund. He was Vice Chairman of the Providence Redevelopment Agency.

Mr. Lippitt's interests in people, politics and civic improvement made him a well respected member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives from 1961 to 1983, including ten years as House Minority Leader. According to an article in the Providence Journal in support of his reelection, Fred worked for improved government procedures, medicare for the elderly, and stronger open meeting and conflict of interest laws. Influenced by his experience in World War II, he strongly supported minority rights and was particularly instrumental in the passage of Rhode Island's Fair Housing Practices Act of 1968.

The financial and ethical chaos of Mayor Cianci's administration led Fred to run for Mayor in 1982. He fared poorly in the three way race, but in his 1984 campaign against Mayor Joseph Paolino and his 1990 campaign against Cianci he lost by only 117 votes and 317 votes respectively. Notwithstanding vigorous campaigns, Mayors Paolino and Cianci remained friends and admirers of Mr. Lippitt. Mayor Paolino appointed him a judge of the Housing Court for 1989-90. From 1985-1989 he was Director of the Department of Administration for the State of Rhode Island.

For fifty years Mr. Lippitt, devoted himself to charitable and civic causes, including being senior Fellow of Brown University, Chairman of the Board of Rhode Island Hospital, Chairman of the Board of the Providence Plan, Head of the Board of Regents for Elementary and Secondary Education, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of St Mark's School. In his service to Brown University he was particularly committed to undergraduate education, the Department of Public Policy, minority affairs, the John Carter Brown Library and the improvement of the campus. At his death he was the last lifetime Fellow. Brown recognized his services by awarding him an Honorary Degree in 1977 and the President's Medal. He was an early supporter of the Metropolitan Career and Technical School. He also served on the Boards of the Rhode Island School of Design, the Nature Conservancy, the Annenberg Institute for School Reform, the John E. Fogarty Foundation for the Mentally Retarded, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Providence, the Trust for Public Lands and the Southside Community Land Trust. As part of his vision for Providence, as Chairman of the Providence Plan, he led the effort to raise over twelve million dollars to restore the Woonasquatucket River and the adjacent greenway that now boasts three parks and the Buttonhole Golf Course.

Mr. Lippitt and his sister gave significantly to many charities including the Anton/Lippitt Fund for Public Policy at Brown University and a leadership gift to Butler Hospital to fund the new building, named in the Lippitts' honor, for the treatment of alzheimers.

The funeral service will be held at the First Unitarian Church at the corner of Benefit and Benevolent Streets at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 18, 2005. In lieu of flowers donations may be sent to the Frederick Lippitt Endowment Fund c/o the Rhode Island Foundation, One Union Station, Providence, Rhode Island 02903. This endowment, for many years a vision of Fred's, will be administered by the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council to support river restoration and promote program activities in the Woonasquatucket Greenway for the benefit of the citizens of Providence.

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