The Newport Restoration Foundation (NRF) is announcing a successful 18th Annual Doris Duke Historic Preservation Awards. This year’s sold-out awards ceremony was held at Rough Point Museum and honored four exemplary historic preservation projects in Newport County and two President’s Awards for lifetime achievement in historic preservation.

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. This year raised over $175,000, exceeding expectations, and garnered support from a record-breaking number of sponsors—including Presenting Sponsor Kirby Construction, and Leadership Sponsors the Doris Duke Foundation, Amy Berkowitz, and Edith McBean. The event directly funds the mission-driven work of the organization.

Sue Battle, NRF’s Development and Donor Relations Manager states, “It was wonderful to see the incredible support of our community, partners, and collaborators who gathered together to not only recognize the exemplary work of the awardees but also to help us sustain our mission to meet the changing needs of our stewardship with projects like improving the energy efficiency of our Preservation Properties, advocating for climate change resiliency, training the next generation of historic trades workers, and working to deepen our storytelling at Rough Point and beyond.”

The Board of Trustees of the Newport Restoration Foundation, following due deliberation and consultation, is restructuring the leadership of the organization, now centrally located at Doris Duke’s mansion, Rough Point, situated at the southernmost end of famed Bellevue Avenue in Newport, Rhode Island.

With plans for an expanded board, bringing radically broadened expertise, it has been determined that leadership will take the form of a partnership between board members acting as chairs of the streamlined committees, and the executive leadership of Alyssa Lozupone, Gina Tangorra, and Amy-Elizabeth Winsor in three principal management areas.

In light of this new operational structure, the Board and Franklin D. Vagnone, President and Director of NRF, have mutually agreed that his current contract will not be renewed. As of today, the executive leadership team will be assuming full responsibility for the operations of NRF.

Frankie has been instrumental in increasing the multiple activities that NRF brings to Newport’s residential and cultural life and the Board is grateful for his energy and vision in introducing needed change to the institution. The Board wishes him well as he seeks a new opportunity to apply his gifts and experience.

Amy Berkowitz, Chair of the NRF Board, comments:
“As we continue to fulfill the mandate and vision expressed in Doris Duke’s will, an expanded board and dedicated, centralized staff will do much to enhance the services we render to Newport and to our visitors from the world beyond. We look forward to the expansion of these services to meet the ever-increasing demands of climate change, preservation, and viability in a rapidly changing environment.”

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. 

The Newport Restoration Foundation (NRF) today announced its newest
preservation trades training program in the Historic Trades Initiative, the Historic Masonry Workshop. Protecting Aquidneck Island’s extensive historic fabric requires a knowledgeable preservation workforce, and NRF, through its Historic Trades Initiative, extends the skills of tradespeople to work with historic materials. This four-day workshop offers a unique, interactive opportunity to get hands on with history— including learning techniques for treating historic brick and stone and how they differ from present-day materials, developing the skills to identify materials and causes for repair, and practicing appropriate repairs to historic masonry.

This workshop will be held over two weekends, June 22-23 and June 29-30, from 9am-3pm each day.

Participants spend the first weekend at NRF’s Prescott Farm in Middletown, RI learning how to mix lime mortar, chip and repoint brick, and stonework. During the second weekend, participants will apply the skills they have learned to practical scenarios on NRF’s Preservation Properties; providing invaluable experience in real-world applications of historic masonry skills.

The workshop will be taught by Blair Bates of Building Renovation, LLC with over 30 years of experience in historic masonry work. Blair is a member of IPTN (International Preservation Trades Network) and teaches masonry for the National Park Service. “NRF is honored to have such an experienced mason work with the Newport community. When we envisioned this class, we wanted an instructor who was fully invested in the nuances of historic masonry, and Blair was at the top of our list,” said Kris Turgeon, NRF Historic Trades Initiative Manager. “We are so excited to offer this unique learning experience in historic masonry to those entrusted with preservation of historic properties.”

NRF’s Historic Trades Initiative was launched in 2021 to increase interest and expertise in the preservation trades. This initiative aims to expand access to the historic trades industry and provide entry into the preservation trades with programs like historic masonry, Preservation Trades Specialist Training, carpentry internships, and job shadowing.

For more information on this training workshop and other upcoming programs, email kris@newportrestoration.org.