PROVIDENCE – A piece of Rhode Island nostalgia is up for sale.
The Milk Can, the long-shuttered structure shaped just as its name suggests along Route 146 in North Smithfield, is on the market for approximately $7.5 million, according to a listing from Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Pinnacle Realty.
The five-and-a-half-acre property also includes two buildings in addition to the historic Milk Can, “a well-known example of classic American roadside architecture,” the listing states.
“The existing Milk Can building offers character, branding potential, and the chance to restore or repurpose a recognizable local landmark,” the listing states.
In its heyday, the Milk Can served up ice cream, burgers, and fried clams at its original location in Lincoln, where it closed in 1968, according to The Valley Breeze. The structure was moved to its current location at 920 Eddie Dowling Highway in 1987 but never reopened.
The site faced groundwater contamination issues in the past, but after remediation efforts, testing completed about 10 years ago showed the water was safe, said Tracy Sisson, the realtor who holds the listing, on Wednesday.
Recent testing shows the water “meets federal EPA standards,” Sisson wrote in a text message on Thursday.
The Milk Can could still function as a restaurant, or as a coffee or sandwich shop, should a buyer want to preserve it, Sisson said. The listing states the “site is ideally positioned for a variety of commercial or mixed-use possibilities (subject to approvals).”
The property contains four parcels, which can be sold as a package “or potentially sold separately, providing flexibility for developers, investors, and end users,” the listing states.
“We’ve already had, you know, a lot of looks from out of state,” Sisson said.
Christopher Gavin can be reached at christopher.gavin@globe.com.