Press Releases
Grants from the Doris Duke Fund for Historic Preservation Benefit Newport County
February 2, 2010 View more Press Releases
(NEWPORT, RI) - The Newport Restoration Foundation (NRF) announced that it has handed out $26,000 in grants through the Doris Duke Fund for Historic Preservation. The grant recipients are Beavertail Lighthouse Foundation, the City of Newport for its Historic Planner position, Jamestown Historical Society, Newport Historical Society, St. Mary's Episcopal Church, Trinity Church and United Baptist Church. The funds were raised at the third annual Doris Duke Historic Preservation Awards, celebrated at Rough Point in September 2009. Created in 2007 to recognize local achievements in historic preservation, the awards celebration donates 100% of its proceeds to the Doris Duke Fund for Historic Preservation.
"We focused on offering slightly smaller grants this year in order to extend our funds and support the same number of recipients as last year," explained Pieter N. Roos, executive director of the Newport Restoration Foundation. "It is crucial that all of us work to preserve and protect our local historic assets in Newport. They are truly vital to our community's success."
The Doris Duke Fund for Historic Preservation distributes grants to civic and non-profit organizations within Newport County. Administered by the NRF, these grants are generally given for bricks-and-mortar projects or project planning. The grant recipients are selected by a peer committee and NRF's Board of Trustees.
Each year, the Doris Duke Historic Preservation Awards recognizes individual home owners, non-profit organizations, local businesses, or government agencies for their contributions to preserving the historic nature of Newport's community. Nominations are now being accepted for the 2010 awards. The review committee, comprised of representatives from the City of Newport, NRF staff and other preservation professionals, encourages the submission of a wide variety of project types, from small to large buildings, landscapes or streetscapes, education or advocacy projects, sustainable "green building" preservation, or projects showcasing craftsmanship/artisanship. Nominations will be accepted until April 30, 2010. Nomination forms are available at www.newportrestoration.org or by contacting Lisa Dady at lisa@newportrestoration.org or (401) 324-6090.
In 2009, the Doris Duke Historic Preservation Awards recognized two remarkable preservation projects. The Clemens family was selected for their faithful reconstruction of Hose Station 8, a historic firehouse in the Historic Hill neighborhood. The International Yacht Restoration School (IRYS) was selected for its adaptive reuse of the historic industrial Aquidneck Mill on Lower Thames Street.
The 2009 Doris Duke Historic Preservation Awards were supported by generous community partners including BankNewport, California Paints, Conde Nast Publications, DF Dwyer Insurance Agency, Grey Goose, Home & Commercial Security, Rentals Unlimited and Roskelly Inc., along with many individual supporters.
The fourth annual Doris Duke Historic Preservation Awards will be celebrated in September 2010. The Doris Duke Historic Preservation Awards are a joint project of the Newport Restoration Foundation and the City of Newport to celebrate achievements in local historic preservation. For more information on the awards program, visit www.newportrestoration.org or call (401) 849-7300.
