Press Releases
New Book Tells a Remarkable Story of Preservation in Newport, Rhode Island
October 6, 2010 View more Press Releases(Newport, RI) Extraordinary Vision: Doris Duke and the Newport Restoration Foundation is the story of one of the largest preservation projects ever completed in the United States and the woman who undertook it. Documenting heiress Doris Duke's preservation work in Newport and her founding of the Newport Restoration Foundation (NRF), the book describes how the group saved more than 80 historic buildings in Newport. Today, these historic homes stand as examples of 'living' preservation, inhabited by tenant-stewards and cared for by NRF's crew of carpenters and painters. Doris Duke's contributions to the NRF totaled $21.9 million, the largest philanthropic gift she made to a single organization during her lifetime.
"Poverty preserves. Nowhere was this historic preservation adage more true than in Newport at the dawn of the 1960s. The city's vast and unique collection of eighteenth-century buildings may seem like a foregone conclusion in the hindsight of the present day, but fifty years ago, its crucial significance was anything but easy to picture. Rank upon rank of dilapidated wooden buildings hid under the accumulated crust of centuries of neglect, their true faces completely obscured. Only those educated or curious few who were interested and knowledgeable enough to tread the back streets of some very questionable neighborhoods knew what gems lay beneath."
An excerpt from "Beneath the Asphalt Shingles," an introductory essay in Extraordinary Vision, by Pieter N. Roos, NRF's executive director. Read the entire essay.
Extraordinary Vision was a collaborative effort by three NRF staff members: Director of Preservation, Robert P. Foley; Director of Collections, A. Bruce MacLeish; and Executive Director, Pieter N. Roos. The book retails for $24.95 and is available for purchase at the NRF Museum Store and Doris Duke's former home Rough Point, which is open for tours.
Extraordinary Vision helps to orient the reader to the backdrop against which this massive restoration project took place with introductory essays on how Doris Duke became involved in preservation, NRF's philosophy of preservation, and a primer on Newport's 18th century architecture. These are followed by articles on collection highlights such as Vernon House, Whitehorne House, and Doris Duke's former estate Rough Point. It also documents two major projects undertaken by the NRF during the 1970s; Queen Anne Square and Prescott Farm.
The core of Extraordinary Vision focuses on the 70 historic homes located in downtown Newport. Organized by the two historic neighborhoods of Newport, the Historic Hill and the Point, house histories and photographs are offered for each of the properties. An illustrated glossary provides readers with a helpful reference to house styles and architectural elements. A self-guided walking tour map, featuring brief descriptions of the historic homes in the Point and Hill neighborhoods, offers an easy way for readers to explore Newport on foot.
Founded by Doris Duke in 1968, NRF was created to rescue Newport's dilapidated 18th century homes, many of which were at risk of being demolished. Since its founding, it has restored or preserved 83 buildings. Today, NRF owns 82 historic structures with 70 lived in by individual tenant-stewards. NRF operates three museum sites: Rough Point, the former home of Doris Duke; Whitehorne House, displaying a collection of early American furniture; and Prescott Farm, featuring historic buildings on a preserved rural landscape. A non-profit institution, the foundation continues to be actively engaged in historic preservation, educational programming, and scholarly research. www.NewportRestoration.org
