Semicentennial on the Square
July 10 @ 5:00 pm - 7:00 PM
Trinity Church in collaboration with the Newport Restoration Foundation invite you to a celebration of Queen Anne Square’s 50th anniversary.
Beginning in 1969, Trinity Church and the Newport Restoration Foundation worked closely with the Newport Redevelopment Agency to create a “square recalling the best of the nation’s colonial past for the inspiration of present and future generations.” The square was dedicated to the public in July of 1976 by Queen Elizabeth II and has remained an important communal space for public gathering and memory.
Join us for a conversation with a panelist of historians, scholars, and preservation leaders to reflect on the legacy of Queen Anne Square and the impact of the mid-century preservation movement on the city of Newport—and the United States.
A reception with light refreshments and jazz music presented by Puddingstone featuring the Alan Bernstein Quartet will follow the discussion.
While this program is free and open to all, we ask that you kindly rsvp here
This program is part of Trinity Church’s 300th anniversary celebrations and is a Newport250 event, commemorating the story of our nation.
Meet the panelists:
Rebecca Bertrand, Executive Director of the Newport Historical Society.
Rebecca Bertrand serves as Executive Director of the Newport Historical Society, where she preserves and celebrates the rich history of Newport, Rhode Island.
As the organization’s chief executive, Bertrand oversees the stewardship of a collection of centuries-old historic landmarks, including the Wanton-Lyman-Hazard House (c.1697), the Great Friends Meeting House (c. 1699) and the Colony House (c. 1739). In this role, she leads the curation of engaging exhibitions for visitors of every age and interest. Under her leadership, the NHS has developed nationally recognized, innovative public programs that bring Newport’s people, places, and consequential moments to life for diverse audiences, and manages the Society’s robust collection of over 500 years’ worth of artifacts, documents, and photographs.
Bertrand is a strong advocate for historic preservation beyond Newport, as well. She is a board chair of Preserve Rhode Island, where she contributes her expertise to advance the preservation of the state’s rich cultural heritage. She also sits on the Rhode Island 250 Commission and is the Treasurer of Discover Newport.
Bertrand holds a Master of Arts from the Winterthur Program in American Material Culture from the University of Delaware and a Bachelor of Arts in Cultural & Historic Preservation from Salve Regina University.
Trudy Coxe, CEO & Executive Director of the Preservation Society of Newport County
Trudy Coxe serves as Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of The Preservation Society of Newport County, a position she has held since December 1998. Under her stewardship, the society has evolved into Rhode Island’s largest cultural organization, overseeing 11 architecturally and historically significant properties, seven of which are designated National Historic Landmarks. The society’s accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums underscores its national stature and institutional rigor.
Coxe’s professional career reflects a dynamic integration of environmental advocacy, public administration and historic preservation. Prior to her current role, she served as Massachusetts Secretary of Environmental Affairs for six years and led Rhode Island’s Save The Bay for more than a decade, transforming it into the largest citizen-led environmental organization in New England.
Her leadership has consistently advanced institutional growth, fostered public trust and prompted critical discourse about how heritage stewardship can coexist with environmental innovation and contemporary development. Her contributions have been recognized by numerous accolades, including the 2006 Award of Excellence from the National Garden Clubs in recognition of her lifelong environmental advocacy; the 2011 Business Women Award for Career Achievement from Providence Business News and, most recently, the 2023 “Greatest Living Rhode Islanders” recognition by GoLocalProv, a testament to her enduring influence on the civic and cultural fabric of the state she calls home.
Keith Stokes, Rhode Island Historian Laureate
Throughout his four decades of public service in Rhode Island, Keith W. Stokes has remained dedicated to building a community that welcomes everyone who calls the Ocean State home. He has served in various roles, including as an elected official in his cherished hometown of Newport and as a gubernatorial appointee focused on economic development. Additionally, he has contributed to the City of Providence and the State of Rhode Island, leading business development efforts.
Keith earned his undergraduate degree from Cornell University and completed his graduate studies in public policy at the University of Chicago. His education is enriched by the stories of his ancestors, who have shared long-held narratives from a time before the American Revolution, providing him with a unique perspective on the present.
Keith is presently Director of the State of Rhode Island Division of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. He has also been an Advisor for Rhode Island with the National Trust for Historic Preservation and served on numerous local, regional, and national business and public boards, including Preservation Society for Newport County, Touro Synagogue Foundation, Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission Historical Review Board, Rhode Island Black Heritage Society, Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation, Quonset Development Corporation, Rhode Island Foundation, and the American Antiquarian Society.
He frequently appears on national historical programs, including C-SPAN, Fox News Legends & Lies, and Ted Talk. He was the lead researcher and author of the publication “A Matter of Truth,” which examined and documented the roles of the City of Providence and the State of Rhode Island in supporting a “Separate and Unequal” existence for African heritage, Indigenous, and People of Color. He recently appeared on the PBS series “Black and Jewish in America.”
Moderated by Gina Tangorra, Director of Engagement at the Newport Restoration Foundation
About Trinity Church:
Trinity Church, Newport is a part of the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion, a family of 42 provinces and 85 million Christians across the world. They are are an Episcopal parish where our life together is built around our mission to Know, Love, and Serve Christ.
About the Newport Restoration Foundation:
Established in 1968 by philanthropist and preservationist Doris Duke, today NRF restores, preserves, and shares 80+ historic sites that reflect the architectural and cultural heritage of Nepwort. 70 of these sites are historic houses lived in by Tenant Stewards and two are public facing: Rough Point Museum and the Vernon House.
