NRF promotes and invests in the architectural heritage of the Newport community, the traditional building trades, and Doris Duke’s fine and decorative arts collections, for the enjoyment, education and inspiration of all.
As a leader in the preservation of early American architecture, NRF supports research and education in areas directly related to its collections and issues of critical concern to the field of historic preservation.
Visit Doris Duke’s art-filled mansion and enjoy panoramic ocean views from the extensive grounds. Open late March to November.
The Vernon House is a site for expansive story-telling, contemporary dialogue, and preservation trades skill-building.
Newport Restoration Foundation holds one of the largest collections of period architecture owned by a single organization anywhere in the United States.
Celebrate excellence in historic preservation efforts within the City of Newport, Rhode Island.
Live amidst history by renting one of our many historic properties.
September brings with it a new season and the last of our Whitehorne Days and Second Sundays programming for 2022. We hope you will join us for these fun upcoming events! Advance registration is encouraged.
Whitehorne Day: Port City
Whitehorne House Museum (416 Thames St.)
Saturday, September 10
12 – 3 p.m.: Drop in for crafts, activities, and more
3-4:30 p.m.: Discussion with Silver Moon of the Tomaquag Museum
Free admission to the event and museum
Discover the role of the ocean in Newport life in the 18th and 21st centuries! From 12 to 3 p.m., drop into the garden to take part in crafts, activities, and conversations with craftspeople, experts, and shop owners. Uncover the secrets of the ocean with the Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project, learn all about sailing with the crew of the Oliver Hazard Perry, and meet team members from The Sailing Museum and the Tomaquag Museum. From 3 to 4:30 p.m., join us in the back garden for a discussion with Silver Moon from the Tomaquag Museum.
Whitehorne Days programming is made possible through major funding support from the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities, an independent state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. The Council seeds, supports and strengthens public history, cultural heritage, civic education, and community engagement by and for all Rhode Islanders.
Second Sundays
Prescott Farm (2009 West Main Rd., Middletown)
Sunday, September 11
12-3 p.m.
Free admission
Climb inside the historic Robert Sherman Windmill, explore the gardens with URI’s Master Gardeners, and enjoy the beauty of this open space. This month, the Boys and Girls Club of Newport County invites you to try your hand at rock painting!
Roam Around Rough Point Seasonal Celebration
Rough Point Museum (680 Bellevue Ave.)
Saturday, September 24
5-7 p.m.
Join us for a very special Roam Around event to celebrate the end of summer! In celebration, admission is free for all attendees. Enjoy complimentary refreshments including Del’s Lemonade, listen to live music by local blues band Cee Cee and the Riders, and challenge your friends to lawn games overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.
About The Museum Properties:
Active duty military and their families receive free admission to Rough Point and Whitehorne House Museums through Monday, September 5. Rough Point is open on Monday, September 5, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. To plan your visit, please visit newportrestoration.org/tickets.
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Newport Restoration Foundation is thrilled to welcome you to our museum properties this August for a variety of free and ticketed programs. Mark your calendars for these upcoming events:
Summer Stories Whitehorne House Museum (416 Thames Street, Newport) Fridays / 10– 11 a.m. Free admission
Listen to storybook readings in the garden and put together a themed craft to take home. This program is recommended for kids aged Pre-K to first grade. Admission to the museum is also free for families with children under the age of 12 on Fridays from 10 a.m. to noon through August 26.
TGIF Performance with the Rhode Island Black Storytellers Rough Point Museum (680 Bellevue Avenue, Newport) Friday, August 5 / 6:30-7:30 p.m. $15
Join the Rhode Island Black Storytellers and Funda Story Camp students for emancipation-themed stories in the Formal Garden. Attendees can bring blankets, chairs, and picnics for the performance. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the program begins at 6:30 p.m.
Funding is provided in part by a grant from the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, through an appropriation by the Rhode Island General Assembly, a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and private funders.
Whitehorne Day: Makers Past and Present Whitehorne House Museum Saturday, August 13 12 – 3 p.m.: Drop in for crafts, activities and more 3-4:30 p.m.: Panel discussion Free admission to the event and museum (advance registration is encouraged)
Drop into the garden at Whitehorne House Museum for an afternoon of free hands-on activities for the whole family including weaving, soap making and printmaking on textiles! From 12 to 3 p.m., the garden will be open for visitors to take part in crafts, activities, and conversations with Newport artists and craftspeople including the Timber Framers Guild, Newport Sea Foam Trading Co., the Saunderstown Weaving School, and Niko Merritt of Sankofa Community Connection.
From 3 to 4:30 p.m., join us in the back garden for a discussion on crafts and makers in Newport from the 18th century to today with historians Keith Stokes and Steve Marino.
Second Sundays Prescott Farm (2009 West Main Rd., Middletown) Sunday, August 14 / 12-3 p.m. Free admission
Each month, NRF joins with a non-profit partner to highlight the expansive history and horticulture of Prescott Farm. In August, the Audubon Society of Rhode Island teaches us everything they know about birds! Visitors can also explore the interior of the historic Robert Sherman Windmill, Guard House, and Hicks House, and see what’s in bloom in the gardens, maintained by the University of Rhode Island’s Master Gardeners.
Yoga in the Yard Rough Point Museum Wednesday, August 17 / 6 – 7 p.m. $15- Advance registration recommended
Exhale your stress with a relaxing and re-energizing all-levels yoga class led by Middletown’s Innerlight Center for Yoga & Meditation, set against our expansive ocean backdrop. Attendees must bring their own yoga mat.
Roam Around Rough Point Rough Point Museum Saturday, August 27 / 5-7 p.m. $20, free for Newport County residents
Roam around the house and grounds of Rough Point Museum during this special after-hours event! Explore the Formal and Kitchen Gardens, snap a #camelgram, and see the 2022 exhibition, Inspired by Asia: Highlights from the Duke Family Collection. Complete a different family-friendly craft or activity each month. In August, make camel art in honor of Doris Duke’s camels Princess and Baby!
Tickets are free for Newport County residents. Free round-trip shuttle transportation will be provided from certain locations in Newport; advance sign-ups for the shuttle are required. For more information on free transportation, please contact visit@newportrestoration.org.
Tickets for these events are available at the door and in advance at newportrestoration.org/events.
Newport Restoration Foundation is excited to welcome you for events at our museums this July. Rough Point Museum, Whitehorne House Museum, and Prescott Farm will offer a variety of free and ticketed programs for all ages and interests. Please mark your calendars for upcoming special events including:
TGIF Performance with Yoruba 2 Rough Point Museum (680 Bellevue Avenue, Newport) Friday, July 1 / 6:30 – 7:30 PM $15
Join us for our monthly outdoor art performance series on the grounds of Rough Point. In July, Lydia Perez and Yoruba 2, an award-winning and nationally recognized traditional music and dance group will perform Puerto Rican folk music and other Caribbean rhythms in the Formal Garden. Visitors can bring blankets, chairs, and snacks to enjoy during the performance. Grounds open at 6 p.m., and the performance begins at 6:30 p.m.
Whitehorne Day: Restoration and Conservation Whitehorne House Museum Saturday, July 9 12 – 3 p.m. : Drop in for crafts, activities and more 3-4:30 p.m.: Collective Perspectives panel discussion Free admission to the event and museum (advance registration is encouraged)
From 12-3 p.m., visitors of all ages are invited to drop in for a fun afternoon celebrating restoration and conservation. Explore how NRF carpenters perfectly match centuries-old carvings during the restoration process and try your hand at cleaning historic objects with our museum staff. Visitors can also meet craftspeople, experts, and shop owners who work in the restoration and conservation fields.
From 3-4:30 p.m., join us in the back garden for a Collective Perspectives panel discussion featuring Director of Museums, Erik Greenberg; Director of Preservation, Alyssa Lozupone, NRF Mill Supervisor, Peter Raposa; and Tom Newbold from the Landmark Facilities Group. The panel will discuss the day-to-day work of historic preservation at NRF and also share findings of our recent, National Endowment for the Humanities-funded study of the Whitehorne House Museum.
Whitehorne Days programming is made possible through major funding support from the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities, an independent state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. The Council seeds, supports, and strengthens public history, cultural heritage, civic education, and community engagement by and for all Rhode Islanders.
Second Sundays Prescott Farm (2009 West Main Road, Middletown) Sunday, July 10 / 12 – 3 p.m. Free admission
Each month, NRF joins with a non-profit partner to highlight the expansive history and horticulture of Prescott Farm. In July, the team from West Place Animal Sanctuary visits the farm.
Yoga in the Yard Rough Point Museum Wednesday, July 13 / 6 – 7 p.m. $15- Advance registration recommended
Bring your yoga gear and join us for a relaxing and re-energizing vinyasa yoga class led by Middletown’s Innerlight Center for Yoga & Meditation, set against our expansive ocean backdrop.
Jazz on the Lawn Rough Point Museum Thursday, July 14 / 6 to 8 p.m. $20 – Advance registration recommended
Celebrate Doris Duke’s affinity for jazz music and Newport’s special connection to the art form! Settle in on the grounds of Rough Point and listen while the Mar Fayos Project jams on the terrace. Mar Fayos, a vocalist from Barcelona, and her band will perform an exciting mix of traditional jazz and jazz fusion. Complete your evening with a curated charcuterie box from locally-owned Bellevue Boards! Add a box (or more than one) to your ticket order and pick it up at check-in.
Roam Around Rough Point Rough Point Museum Saturday, July 30 / 5 – 7 p.m. $20, Newport County residents are free!
On the last Saturday of every month, explore the house and gardens after hours. Newport County residents receive FREE admission! This July, make a sand castle just like Doris Duke did as a kid! Free transportation will be provided from the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center and Florence Gray Center in Newport; advance sign-ups for the shuttle are required. For more information on free transportation, please contact visit@newportrestoration.org.
For more information, visit newportrestoration.org/events.
Newport Restoration Foundation is excited to be able to continue in-person programs and events at our museums this season. Rough Point Museum, Whitehorne House Museum, and Prescott Farm will offer a variety of free and ticketed programs for all ages and interests. Please mark your calendars for upcoming special events including:
Picnic Performances at Rough Point: String Poets Rough Point Museum (680 Bellevue Avenue, Newport) September 3 / 6:00 – 7:30 PM $15 – Advance registration recommended
In the intimate Formal Garden at Rough Point, the String Poets will perform string versions of hit pop songs through the decades. Visitors can lounge on the grass amongst the blooms in the Formal Garden, or bring blankets, chairs, or pillows to relax. Grounds open at 6:00pm, performance begins at 6:30pm.
Yoga in the Yard at Rough Point Rough Point Museum (680 Bellevue Avenue, Newport) September 9 / 6:00 – 7:00 PM $15 – Advance registration required
Join us for a Slow Flow session led by Patti Doyle from Middletown’s Innerlight Yoga, set against our expansive ocean backdrop.
Wood Identification Workshop Whitehorne House Museum (416 Thames Street, Newport) September 10 / 6:00 – 7:00 PM $15 – Advance registration recommended
Join us in the pocket garden as furniture conservator Randy S. Wilkinson of Fallon & Wilkinson, LLC guides you through the very basics of wood identification.
Second Sundays Prescott Farm (2009 West Main Road, Middletown) September 12 / 12:00 – 3:00 PM Free admission
Each month, NRF joins with a non-profit partner to highlight the expansive history and horticulture of Prescott Farm. Climb inside the historic windmill, explore our varied gardens with URI’s Master Gardeners, and enjoy themed activities and crafts.
A Taste of Newport Tea Whitehorne House Museum (416 Thames Street, Newport) September 18 / 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM $30 – Advance registration required
Get a taste of 18th century Newport in the garden at Whitehorne House Museum! This tea tasting features historic teas of Revolutionary and Early America and a talk by Merrill Kohlhofer.
Roam Around Rough Point Rough Point Museum (680 Bellevue Avenue, Newport) September 25 / 5:00 – 7:00 PM $0-$20; Newport County Residents are free!
On the last Saturday of every month, explore the house and gardens after hours. Newport County residents receive FREE admission! For more info visit newportrestoration.org/events.
Summer Stories Whitehorne House Museum (416 Thames Street, Newport) Fridays: July 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 / 10:00 – 11:00 AM Free admission
Listen to storybook readings in the garden and put together a themed craft to take home. Recommended for kids aged Pre-K to 1st grade.
Picnic Performances at Rough Point: The Rhode Island Black Storytellers Rough Point Museum (680 Bellevue Avenue, Newport) July 2 / 6:00 – 7:30 PM
$15 – Advance registration recommended
Join us for our monthly outdoor art performance series on the grounds of Rough Point. In July, the Rhode Island Black Storytellers take the stage at Rough Point for a series of independence-themed stories set to music. Visitors can lounge on the grass amongst the blooms in the Formal Garden, or bring blankets, chairs, or pillows to relax. Grounds open at 6:00pm, performance begins at 6:30pm.
Woodcarving Demonstration
Whitehorne House Museum (416 Thames Street, Newport) July 10 / 2:00 – 3:00 PM $30 – Advance registration recommended
Mary May, founder of Mary May’s School of Traditional Woodcarving, leads a woodworking demonstration in the garden at Whitehorne House Museum. Discover how Newport’s distinct block-and-shell patterns are carved, seen on a number of 18th-century furniture pieces inside the museum.
Second Sundays Prescott Farm (2009 West Main Road, Middletown) July 11 / 12:00 – 3:00 PM Free admission
Each month, NRF joins with a non-profit partner to highlight the expansive history and horticulture of Prescott Farm. In July, the crew of the SSV Oliver Hazard Perry visits to demonstrate the surprising connections between ships and windmills (hint: it’s all in the sails!).
Jazz on the Lawn
Rough Point Museum July 15 / 6:30 – 8:00 PM $20 – Advance registration recommended
Grab a picnic basket and blanket, and take in the ocean breezes while the Leon Lee Dorsey Quartet jams on the Rough Point terrace.
Historical Makerspace Workshop: Paint Making
Whitehorne House Museum (416 Thames Street, Newport) July 25 / 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM $20 – Advance registration recommended
Kids from 10-100 are welcome at this fun paint making workshop outside of Whitehorne House. Discover how people have made paint throughout history using a variety of sources to create different colors and textures, then make your own painted masterpiece in this hands-on program.
Roam Around Rough Point
Rough Point Museum (680 Bellevue Avenue, Newport)
July 31 / 5:00 – 7:00 PM
$0-$20; Newport County Residents are free!
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This Earth Day head out to Prescott Farm for Nature Bingo! Practice your observation skills and see how many items you can find in nature.
People who study things in nature are called biologists. When you study nature, you should be careful to “Leave No Trace”—be respectful and considerate of the people and wildlife you encounter, and leave whatever you find. After all, you wouldn’t want someone taking anything from your home without permission!
Find as many items as you can on your Nature Bingo sheet—five in a row means Bingo!
Nature Bingo worksheets will be available outside Hicks House on the Prescott Farm site (the red building right next to the herb garden when you enter the site), and also available to download below and print. Pencils are also available at Prescott Farm.
DOWNLOAD YOUR BINGO SHEET
Don’t forget! – Take a photo of your Nature Bingo sheet and your favorite item you found, and post it to social media tagged @nptrestoration for a chance to win a pair of adult and child gardening gloves! Photos must be posted and tagged between April 17, 2021 and Monday, April 26, 2021 for entry. Winners will be notified via social media.
For years now, NRF has been fortunate to partner with the University of Rhode Island Master Gardener program to assist in the care, interpretation, and programming of three gardens at Prescott Farm—an 18th-century vegetable garden, herb garden, and a three-sisters garden that attempts to replicate the growing practices of the Narragansett peoples who have called Aquidneck Island home for millennia. The Master Gardeners are all volunteers who train through the University of Rhode Island and volunteer their time to work on projects throughout the state. Typically, the Master Gardeners have donated all of their produce to Lucy’s Hearth, an organization dedicated to helping families experiencing homelessness. In 2020, the Master Gardeners continued that tradition but did even more.
Early in the year, our Director of Museums, Dr. Erik Greenberg, met with Susan Estabrook, who has overseen the Master Gardeners’ program at Prescott Farm for years, and asked if they could grow a pumpkin patch which NRF could then donate to the children at Newport’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center (MLK) in time for Halloween. Dr. Greenberg has dedicated much of his career to community outreach, and he has been working with the MLK Center to figure out ways in which the museums of NRF can be a resource to their staff and to the people who make use of the center on a regular basis. As always, Susan and her team threw themselves into the work with expertise and passion, growing enough pumpkins to donate to the center with more to spare.
“It was important to me to make sure the pumpkins we grew were all good eating pumpkins so that the kids could learn they are not just decorations but actually a great food source,” said Estabrook. “As we know, the seeds and the flesh are nutritious and can be eaten when prepared in a sweet or savory way.”
The gardeners decided to grow three different varieties of pumpkins. “Baby Pam” and “Small Sugar Pie” pumpkins, which are both small round varieties recommended for eating, were grown for the MLK Center. The third variety, “New England Long Pie Pumpkin,” which looks like an overgrown zucchini squash but orange in color, were grown to be donated to Lucy’s Hearth.
At Prescott Farm, the Master Gardeners chose a plot of land to grow pumpkins that was located to the east of the windmill, which was a prime spot full of sun and had never been used for growing crops before. They marked out the plot and covered it with cardboard, paper, and leaves. One of the volunteer gardeners brought in two dump trucks full of bagged leaves. After leaving the leaves and paper on for some time, they chopped the leaves and then covered them with compost. They then planted through it, never having to till the soil. The plants were started at Estabrook’s home first, then transferred to the farm and covered with row cover to protect them from critters and give them a boost of warmth. One devoted volunteer was in charge of watering, and once the plants got to the point of needing pollinators, they were uncovered and left to do their thing!
Many visitors to Prescott Farm watched the pumpkins grow and came back to see them when they were ripe. “It was a great learning experience for all and a good draw to the property for the local families,” said Estabrook. “We grew over two hundred pumpkins that amounted to over 500lbs.”
The pumpkins were delivered to the MLK Community Center on October 26th to be used in their education programs (preschool and after school) to not only decorate, but to explore. The Center’s preschool participates in “Pumpkin Science” as part of their STEM curriculum where students have the opportunity to explore parts of a pumpkin, measure the size and shape, feel the fibrous insides, and make nutritious roasted pumpkin seeds.
The students pictured are from the MLK Community Center’s preschool classrooms where they enjoyed working with their pumpkins the entire week. They did pumpkin experiments: Will they float or sink in water? How tall is it? They made scientific observations, learned about what’s inside both pumpkins and squash, and what happens outside as Autumn approaches.
Dr. Greenberg hopes that this is the first in a series of community-based projects that demonstrates NRF’s commitment to the people of Aquidneck Island, and he (as well as the entire staff at NRF) are deeply grateful for our longstanding partnership with the Master Gardeners. Thank you to all of the organizations involved in making this project possible.
Click here to watch October’s Second Sunday From Home program where we join the crew of Oliver Hazard Perry Rhode Island to learn more about wind and sails. See below for instructions on how to make a pinwheel that catches the wind like sails do!
Making a pinwheel:
Supplies
Instructions
Click here to watch September’s Second Sunday From Home program where we join Aquidneck Community Table to learn more about growing a community garden. See below for instructions on how to make your own flowers that you can keep forever!
Materials:
Share your flowers with us on social media by tagging us @nptrestoration.
Click here to watch August’s Second Sunday From Home program where we join Clean Ocean Access to learn more about recycling here in Newport. See below for instructions on how to make a book out of recycled materials to celebrate National Book Lovers’ Day on August 9!
Supplies:
Directions
