Newport, RI, October 7, 2026– The Newport Restoration Foundation is pleased to announce that the organization is a recipient of a $749,250 Save America’s Treasures grant from the National Park Service for the stabilization and rehabilitation of the Vernon House.
The grant—the largest awarded in NRF’s history—will provide vital support for the preservation of the Vernon House, first built in 1708. The historic house is one of the public-facing properties stewarded by the Newport Restoration Foundation and is a place for expansive story-telling, contemporary dialogue, and preservation trades skill-building.
Vernon House stands as a witness to more than three centuries of local and national history. The house features a series of remarkable in-situ ca. 1710 Chinoiserie panels, believed to be unique extant examples of the early trans-Atlantic world. Revolutionary figures such as General George Washington, the Comte de Rochambeau, and Cato Vernon of the 1st Rhode Island Regiment spent time within its walls. Enslaved men, women, and children lived and labored there, women-led philanthropies organized and advocated onsite, and early research and restoration efforts helped make the house a cornerstone of the national preservation movement.
“Vernon House is a national historic landmark that has been an important contributor to the fabric of Newport for centuries. This property is a site where history was made—and now is a significant part of the placemaking of Newport,” said Hilary Fagan, Executive Director of the Newport Restoration Foundation. “We are looking forward to utilizing these funds to advance our stewardship of this irreplaceable national treasure and expand access to the community while strengthening appreciation for the nation’s shared cultural heritage.”
The Save America’s Treasures grant is a highly competitive grant. NRF is the only Rhode Island organization to have received a 2026 grant. Established in 1977, the Historic Preservation Fund invests in communities nationwide to safeguard cultural resources, strengthen local economies, and ensure that more Americans see their history represented. Since its inception, it has provided more than $2 billion in historic preservation grants to states, tribes, local governments and nonprofit organizations.
More information about the Vernon House is available at newportrestoration.org/Vernon-house.
