Press Releases
Variety of Summer Programs Offered at Prescott Farm
July 16, 2008 View more Press Releases
(Newport, RI) - During the next two months, Prescott Farm in Middletown, RI will offer programs of interest to families, gardeners, do-it-yourselfers, and those interested in wind energy. This green space on the Middletown/Portsmouth line features several historic buildings, kitchen and herb gardens, an 1812 windmill, a pond, and several walking trails. Prescott Farm has been owned by the Newport Restoration Foundation since 1969 when it was purchased by heiress Doris Duke as part of her efforts to preserve and share Aquidneck Island's heritage. Today, it offers a charming park-like green space where families can come and picnic or feed the ducks and geese. Guided tours of the historic windmill and guard house are offered Tuesday-Saturday, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm through September 30. Tours are $4/adult or Free/child under 12. The grounds are always open to the public free of charge.
Gardens Then and Now
Saturday, July 26, 9:30 am to 2:00 pm
$5.00 per person / family maximum $15.00
Taste, touch and smell your way into the gardens and kitchens of the past. Learn modern sustainable gardening techniques from URI Master Gardeners. Participate in demonstrations on harvesting, organic pest control, selecting heritage plant varieties, and other helpful tips. Learn about colonial-era uses of herbs and vegetables, as well as popular beverages of the period. Bring a picnic and enjoy the beautiful park-like green space at Prescott Farm!
Wind Energy Past and Future
Tuesday, August 5, 5:30 pm
$10 per person
Learn the key role wind power played in the history of Aquidneck Island and the vital part it can play in its future. The tour begins at the historic Sherman Mill located at Prescott Farm then participants will drive to Portsmouth Abbey (285 Corey's Lane, Portsmouth) to explore the modern, electricity-generating wind turbine. Space is limited; reservations can be made at (401) 846-4152 or liz@newportrestoration.org.
Family Day at Prescott Farm
Saturday, August 16, 9:30 am to 3:00 pm
$5.00 per person / family maximum $15.00
Hands-on history fun for the whole family - there will be Johnny cakedemonstrations, a scavenger hunt, traditional games, colonial crafts, and more. Hear stories about the people who lived and worked in the historic buildings and stroll in the lovely gardens. Bring a picnic and enjoy activities throughout the day!
Stone Wall Workshop
Saturday, September 27, 9:30 am to 12:30 pm
$35 per person
Learn to build and repair traditional stone walls in this hands-onexperience. Join master class instructors Chris and Dan Smith for their sixth year of this active workshop. Reservations required: (401) 324-6090 or Lisa@newportrestoration.org.
Windmill Tours and Johnnycake Demonstrations
Saturday, September 27, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
$5 per person / family maximum $15.00
Take a tour of the 1812 Sherman windmill to learn about this fascinating machine and about the process and importance of grist milling in Aquidneck Island's past. Sample johnnycakes made from authentic Rhode Island white cap flint corn ground in RI's old grist mills. (For safety reasons the windmill will not be in operation.)
Prescott Farm played a significant role during the American Revolution. General Prescott, commander of the 4,000-strong British occupying force on Aquidneck Island, used the Overing House (owned by Loyalist John Overing) as his rural headquarters. On July 10, 1777, American Colonel William Barton led a party of men to seize General Prescott under the cover of darkness. Their capture of General Prescott and his aide was one of the more daring and successful raids by the Americans during the Revolution. As an expression of patriot pride, the farm has been called Prescott Farm since at least the mid-1800s. The Overing House remains on the grounds of Prescott Farm as a private residence. The story of General Prescott's capture is told during a tour of the Guard House which is believed to have housed his bodyguards.
Founded by Miss Duke in 1968, the Newport Restoration Foundation, a non-profit institution, was formed with the express purpose of preserving, interpreting, and maintaining landscape and objects reflecting Aquidneck Island's 18th and 19th century architectural culture. NRF owns and operates three museum properties Rough Point, Doris Duke's Newport mansion; Whitehorne House, featuring the Doris Duke Collection of 18th-century Newport Furniture; and Prescott Farm , an example of early American landscape and architecture. The foundation continues to be actively engaged in educational efforts, scholarly research and historical preservation.
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