Newport, RI, September 19, 2025– The Newport Restoration Foundation (NRF) is pleased to announce a successful 19th Annual Doris Duke Historic Preservation Awards. This year’s sold-out awards ceremony was held at Rough Point and honored four exemplary historic preservation projects in Newport County. The 2025 awardees, which were selected in collaboration with the City of Newport from a record number of nominees, were: Hope Street Barn, Honeysuckle Carriage House, Ochre Court’s Cignaroli Ceiling Painting, and OVERLAP Gallery.
Sue Battle, NRF’s Development and Donor Relations Manager states, “From thoughtful adaptive reuse, emphasizing craftsmanship, engaging scholars and the community, and meticulous restoration, each honoree has helped advance the work of historic preservation. Congratulations to you all.”
The Doris Duke Historic Preservation Awards are NRF’s signature fundraising event and increase awareness about NRF’s work stewarding the cultural and architectural heritage of the Newport community. All proceeds directly fund the organization’s mission-driven work. This year’s event exceeded its fundraising goal and garnered support from a record-breaking number of sponsors—including Leadership Sponsors the Doris Duke Foundation, Edith McBean, Ann & Samuel Mencoff, and an anonymous donor.
NRF Trustee & DDPA Co-Chair Edith McBean remarks, “Newport is a special place—and the Newport Restoration Foundation’s unique stewardship of over 80 historic properties through preservation work, engaging the community, advocacy, and supporting the historic trades, is a key part of what continues to make Newport so special. So thanks to all who participated in this event for recognizing how important the work of historic preservation is to Newport—and thank you for your sustaining support of NRF.”
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About the Newport Restoration Foundation
The Newport Restoration Foundation is a non-profit organization established by philanthropist Doris Duke in 1968 to preserve the architectural and cultural heritage of 18th and 19th century Newport. NRF promotes economic and community restoration through historic preservation initiatives like Keeping History Above Water, which advocates for resiliency and the protection of cultural resources in the wake of climate change, the Historic Trades Initiative, which trains the next generation of preservation tradespeople in vital skills, and Telling Stories, which shares the stories of people connected to the places NRF cares for and helps ensure their preservation. In addition to a portfolio of more than 70 historic houses rented in an unique Tenant Stewardship program, NRF operates properties that are open to the public including Rough Point, the Newport home of Doris Duke, and the 300+ year-old Vernon House, a site of expansive storytelling, contemporary dialogue, and preservation trades skill-building. For more information, please visit www.NewportRestoration.org.
NRF is on Facebook /NPTRestoration and Instagram @NPTRestoration
