Press Releases
2010 Doris Duke Historic Preservation Awards Honor Marion Oates Charles
June 18, 2010 View more Press Releases(NEWPORT, RI) - The fourth annual Doris Duke Historic Preservation Awards will recognize Marion Oates Charles, president of Newport Restoration Foundation's (NRF) board of trustees, with a Distinguished Steward Award. Mrs. Charles, who has served as an NRF trustee for 34 years, has been a strong supporter of preservation work both in Newport, RI and in Washington, DC, where she lived for many years. "We want to recognize the strong commitment that Mrs. Charles has shown to preserving Newport and her stewardship role in continuing Doris Duke's vision for Newport," said NRF's Executive Director Pieter N. Roos. Mrs. Charles was a close personal friend of Doris Duke and is the longest serving member of NRF's board of trustees. NRF was founded by Doris Duke in 1968 to preserve Newport's Colonial architecture.
Marion Oates Charles is trustee emerita of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, a grantmaking organization established by Doris Duke to support the performing arts, environmental conservation, medical research and the prevention of child abuse. In addition, Mrs. Charles is an overseer of the Preservation Society of Newport County, a trustee emerita of the Phillips Collection and the Tudor Place Foundation in Washington, DC, and a member of the board of the Blair House Restoration Fund in Washington, DC.
In addition to the stewardship award, the 2010 Doris Duke Historic Preservation Awards will recognize two local preservation projects. James and Alice Ross will receive an award for their painstaking restoration of Berkeley House, a wonderful example of McKim, Mead and White design. Throughout the project, the Rosses showed a tremendous commitment to restoring the house to its original style. This attention to detail included researching the correct historic spacing of bathroom tiles and searching for antique or reproduction plumbing fixtures and door hardware. The Ross' removed vinyl siding from the historic pebble dash gable and replicated the original "widow's walk" on the roof. It is important to note that in this age of disappearing windows, they retained and repaired all original window sash.
Channing Memorial Church will receive an award for the repair of its historic steeple and bells. The project to restore the steeple and bells was chosen not only for its historic significance as part of Newport's landscape, but also as an excellent example of a well-thought out planning process. The coordination of numerous volunteers and active involvement of the community earned the praise of the review committee. "As in past years, our honorees are truly at the top of their game in enthusiasm, commitment and foresight about the importance of preserving Newport's heritage," commented Pieter Roos.
The award recipients were chosen by a committee comprised of representatives from the City, NRF, and individuals involved in historic preservation at the local, state and national levels. Recipients will be publicly acknowledged in early September at Newport City Hall. Award recipients will also be honored in a ceremony and celebration on September 10 at Doris Duke's Rough Point. Tickets for the event at Rough Point can be purchased online.
All proceeds from the awards celebration benefit the Doris Duke Fund for Historic Preservation which distributes grants to civic and non-profits organizations within the community. Administered by the NRF, these grants are generally given for bricks-and-mortar projects or project planning. The funds from the 2009 awards celebration benefited the 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.
Support for the 2010 Doris Duke Historic Preservation Awards has been provided by the Alliance for a Livable Newport, Arnold Construction Company, Bellevue-Ochre Point Neighborhood Association, California Paints, Chartis Private Client Group, Conde Nast Publications, DF Dwyer Insurance Agency, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Grey Goose, Gustave White Sotheby's International Realty, The Hill Association, Home & Commercial Security, J. McLaughlin, JT's Lumber Corp., Kirby Perkins Construction, Kahn, Litwin, Renza & Co., Lila Delman Real Estate, Plumber's Supply Company, The Point Association of Newport, R.J. Cawley, Rentals Unlimited, Roskelly Inc., and WASA/Studio A., along with many individual supporters.
The 2010 Doris Duke Historic Preservation Awards is 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, visit the awards page or call (401) 849-7300.
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