The Newport Restoration Foundation (NRF) is announcing the recipients of its annual Doris Duke Historic Preservation Awards for exemplary projects of historic preservation in Newport County and the annual President’s Award for lifetime achievement in historic preservation advocacy.
This year’s President Awardees are Mrs. Hope “Happy” H. van Beuren and Mr. Charles A. Dana, who will be honored for exemplifying Doris Duke’s vision of preserving and restoring Newport, RI’s architectural heritage and character.
The 2024 Doris Duke Historic Preservation Awards highlight innovative approaches to preservation, including new technologies, materials/products, creative adaptive reuse, and excellence in practice, climate change adaptations, and similarly progressive concepts.
The Doris Duke Historic Preservation Awards are a collaboration of the Newport Restoration Foundation and the City of Newport. Award winners are recognized at the Doris Duke Historic Preservation Awards ceremony, a signature celebration taking place on Friday, September 6, 2024, at Rough Point in Newport.
For this year’s awards, NRF recognizes the following outstanding projects:
Belmont Chapel (c. 1887), Newport, RI – Awarded to the Belmont Chapel Foundation for the detailed restoration of Belmont Chapel, a ca.1887 George Champlin Mason-designed funeral chapel in Island Cemetery. The project not only saved the building from possible demolition, but also reactivated the surrounding cemetery by providing a space to host burial services, lectures, and events.
Watson Farm (ca. 1796), Jamestown, RI – Awarded to Historic New England for the effort to preserve historic farm structures and mitigate severe storm water drainage problems at Watson Farm in Jamestown, RI. By preparing the site and its structures to withstand increasingly intense and frequent precipitation events, Historic New England mitigated significant threats to surviving historic fabric and demonstrated how to thoughtfully and effectively balance preservation priorities with the realities of climate change.
Hilltop (ca. 1871), Newport, RI – Awarded to John and Margherita Marshall for exemplary millwork restoration best practices completed by local tradespeople at Hilltop, the ca. 1871 Richard Morris Hunt and ca. 1895 William Ralph Emerson expanded house in Newport. The project highlights quality artisanship and skill as well as the need for continued investment in perpetuating the historic trades.
The Calvert, formerly the Cranston-Calvert School, Newport (ca. 1876), Newport, RI – Awarded to BCM Realty for the adaptive use of The Calvert, the former Cranston-Calvert School, to provide sought-after workforce housing. With citywide costs to rent increasing and multi-family housing options not keeping pace with demand, this creative conversion of a large vacant property preserved both the residential scale and met the community housing need of the Broadway neighborhood.
“This year’s award recipients not only represent the positive impact of preservation on our communities from providing housing to creating spaces for community gatherings,” said NRF’s Director of Preservation, Alyssa Lozupone, “they also bring forth innovations that balance preserving historic character and craftsmanship while adapting to climate change.”
The Doris Duke Historic Preservation Awards help sustain NRF’s work supporting our local communities through preservation initiatives that address the impact of climate change on architectural and cultural heritage, make intangible cultural heritage accessible through more expansive storytelling, and invest in the historic preservation trades and preservation skills-building.
Sponsorship opportunities are now available for individuals and organizations to lend support to this event, which is NRF’s largest annual fundraiser. Each level of support includes exclusive opportunities and perks like event tickets with VIP access, special recognition and more. Visit newportrestoration.org/DDPA to learn more about sponsorship and how to join the celebration on Friday, September 6.
