Newport, R.I. – The Newport Restoration Foundation has selected Franklin Vagnone to serve as the organization’s President, following a competitive national search. Vagnone comes to Newport from the Old Salem Museums & Gardens in Winston-Salem, NC where he served as President and CEO of the renowned national historic landmark heritage site. He will assume this new role on July 11, 2022.
“Franklin Vagnone epitomizes the personal and professional qualities NRF was looking for in a leader,” said NRF Board Chair Jim Ross. “Based on his experiences, and his many successes, we are confident that he will move NRF and its important programs to new levels of local and national importance.”
“The entire NRF board was impressed by Franklin’s leadership experience as well as his successful track record,” Ross continued. “He is the ideal person to continue and refresh our programs, to care for our many properties and to advance the legacy of Doris Duke.”
In his role at the Old Salem Museums & Gardens, Vagnone led a 100-acre historic district containing 90 buildings (85% original, with 27 fully-interpreted historic sites) that included the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts (MESDA) as well as the 1861 St. Phillips district, which includes an African-American Heritage Center and Historic Burial Ground. The site also includes multiple collections storage facilities, and extensively-restored agricultural and archeological landscapes. Previously, Vagnone served as Executive Director of the Historic House Trust of New York City and earlier, in the same role at the Philadelphia Society for the Preservation of Landmarks. He is also the founder and President of Twisted Preservation Cultural Consulting.
The NRF has purchased, restored, rented, and resold numerous historically important buildings in the center of Newport over the past 50 years with the mission of sparking community renewal. The Foundation currently owns, maintains, and leases more than 70 historic homes throughout the city. In addition, NRF operates the Rough Point Museum, Whitehorne House Museum, and the 40-acre Prescott Farm.
NRF also collaborates with the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation (DDCF) through the facilitation of Rough Point, Doris Duke’s home, as a cultural asset for the city of Newport. Following more than 50 years as a successful catalyst for restoring the Point and Historic Hill neighborhoods of Newport, NRF is preparing to re-envision the future work of the foundation by asking Vagnone, an internationally renowned museum and cultural thought-leader, to collaborate on a wider, more deeply imagined community-based mission.
“The potential to contribute to the diverse communities of Newport is an exciting opportunity,” Vagnone said. “NRF has been such an important facilitator of Newport’s historic core renewal. I look forward to building on this success and engaging in a much broader context of helping to restore communities, as well as preserving important properties.”
About Newport Restoration Foundation: NRF is a non-profit organization founded in 1968 by Doris Duke to preserve, maintain, and interpret Aquidneck Island’s 18th- and early 19th-century architectural heritage. In addition to a collection of more than 70 early American houses, now rented to tenant-stewards, NRF operates three museum properties that are open to the public: Rough Point, Doris Duke’s Newport mansion which is home to a significant collection of European paintings, furniture, and textiles, and other European and Asian decorative arts; Whitehorne House Museum, featuring 18th- and early 19th-century Newport furniture; and Prescott Farm in Middletown, RI, a public park and historic site with ties to the Revolutionary War. Learn more at www.newportrestoration.org.
Historic homes require regular maintenance, and Rough Point Museum is no exception. Recent visitors will have seen exterior scaffolding and preservation contractors working diligently. The museum’s roof system is currently undergoing restoration to address water infiltration. With increases in storms and precipitation due to climate change, it’s more important than ever to protect this historic structure and plan for its future. NRF’s Director of Preservation, Alyssa Lozupone, describes the meticulous restoration process in our latest video.
You can help us maintain Rough Point Museum and the other historic homes in our collection by becoming a Restoration Partner. To learn more about our monthly giving program, click here.
Over the past year, NRF has explored ways in which we can have an impact in promoting the historic trades as a career path. Our talented Preservation Crew, several who have worked for NRF over 30 years, are an integral part of our organization and care for over 70 historic properties in and around Newport. Tradespeople (carpenters, masons, metal workers, etc.) play a critical role in ensuring historic properties are carefully and properly preserved. Unfortunately, the current generation of skilled craftspeople are aging out of the field. Fifty-five percent of all properties in Newport are considered historic, and are always in need of repair. Without trained tradespeople, historic properties owned by NRF and other organizations cannot be maintained.
The mission of the Historic Trades Initiative is to perpetuate and diversify the historic trades by creating strong connections with our community and sharing our expertise. The Initiative was developed through conversations with other preservation organizations, workforce training companies, and the local contractor community. Its focus is to raise awareness and offer training opportunities to create a robust workforce of people who specialize in the preservation trades. Working with national organizations including the National Park Service and Campaign for Historic Trades, as well as local contractors, NRF will launch several programs in 2022.
Tours through NRF properties and the carpentry mill for local tradespeople, vocational schools, and colleges to build awareness about our preservation initiatives.
Summer carpentry internships for students enrolled in related trades programs such as boat building and furniture making. Students will gain an understanding of how those skills are transferrable to the preservation field.
Upskill training program for individuals with basic carpentry or masonry skills who wish to specialize in preservation. Graduates will receive a certificate in the preservation trades from NRF.
Job shadowing for local residents who are interested in the trades but who do not have formal training. NRF will facilitate job shadowing with various local contractors.
We look forward to sharing updates as these programs get underway. For people with basic carpentry skills who are interested in learning more about historic trades, we invite you to consider applying for our 12-week paid summer internship. More details and application information are available here.
By Kris Turgeon, Trades Initiative Manager, Newport Restoration Foundation
Keeping programming at Prescott Farm free. Providing in-person and virtual learning opportunities. Preserving important historic buildings along the streetscapes of Newport.
These are just a few of the activities that our dedicated Restoration Partners support with their ongoing, monthly gifts. By joining Restoration Partners, your monthly contribution is immediately directed toward NRF’s ongoing work to preserve Newport’s architectural and cultural heritage.
Will you help us meet our goal of welcoming 20 new monthly donors?
In honor of Preservation Month this May, we invite you to become part of this community of individuals who care deeply about protecting historic resources in Newport.
There are many advantages to joining the program. Your monthly gift is fully tax-deductible and automatically charged to your credit card or bank account. Partners receive periodic benefits and invitations to private events. We send a year-end tax statement outlining your cumulative giving.
Please visit our website at www.newportrestoration.org/donate to learn more about the program and to make your gift. Thank you for supporting NRF and for caring about preservation in Newport.
The annual Doris Duke Historic Preservation Awards, a joint program of the Newport Restoration Foundation and the City of Newport, encourages excellence in historic preservation by recognizing exemplary preservation, restoration, and rehabilitation projects as well as education and advocacy initiatives that have taken place throughout Aquidneck Island. This year’s deadline for nominations is June 1, 2022.
Newport Restoration Foundation is calling upon the local community to nominate projects completed within the last three years that have truly enriched and added value to the character of the community through preservation. The winners will be acknowledged at an awards event on Friday, September 9, 2022 (event details to be announced). Please see below for award criteria and links to the nomination guidelines.
Award Criteria
Eligible recipients are individuals; non-profit or for-profit organizations; and federal, state, or local agencies.
A wide variety of nominations are encouraged, from small buildings to large, major rehabilitations to minor restorations, landscapes or streetscapes, and education or advocacy initiatives.
All work related to the project or initiative must have been completed within the last three (3) years.
Nominations are welcome from Newport, Middletown, and Portsmouth.
Properties that are currently (or anticipated to be) listed for sale will not be considered.
Up to three (3) awards are made annually. The Nomination Review Committee reserves the right to designate additional awardees under extraordinary circumstances.
Further information about the nomination process, including a listing of the information that must be provided in conjunction with a nomination, can be found at newportrestoration.org/DDPA or by emailing Alyssa Lozupone, NRF’s Director of Preservation, at alyssa@newportrestoration.org.
May is Preservation Month. This year’s theme of “People Saving Places” gives us the opportunity to recognize the team who maintain one of the largest collections of period architecture owned by any single organization in the United States. The painting, carpentry, and systems teams have more than 180 years combined of experience and keep the 18th and early 19th century buildings intact for our tenant stewards. With such an extensive collection of historic properties, it’s no easy task. Some of our crew have been a part of NRF for decades, and some members have recently joined the organization to continue the legacy of preservation. This month, we look forward to introducing you to members of our team and giving you a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into the maintenance of these historic structures. If you see them working around town, be sure to say hello!
You can help us maintain these historic places by becoming a Restoration Partner. As a Restoration Partner, your monthly contribution is immediately directed toward NRF’s ongoing work. Your monthly gift is fully tax-deductible and automatically charged to your credit card or bank account.
Please visit newportrestoration.org/donate to learn more about the program and to make your gift. Thank you for supporting NRF and preservation in Newport!
