Preserve Rhode Island

Preserve Rhode Island
Name	Preserve Rhode Island
Formation	1980s
Type	Nonprofit
Headquarters	Providence, Rhode Island
Region served	Rhode Island
Leader title	Executive Director

Preserve Rhode Island is a nonprofit historic preservation organization based in Providence, Rhode Island. It focuses on identifying, documenting, and conserving historic sites, structures, and landscapes across the state, working with municipalities, cultural institutions, and federal agencies. The organization collaborates with preservation networks, civic groups, and academic partners to promote adaptive reuse, heritage tourism, and legislative protections for historic assets.

History

Preserve Rhode Island traces its roots to statewide preservation movements that involved entities such as the Rhode Island Historical Society, Newport Preservation Society, Providence Preservation Society, Rhode Island School of Design, and activists connected to the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Early efforts intersected with projects involving the John Brown House, Spring Green, and the coastal conservation work linked to Block Island Conservancy, Save The Bay, and advocates associated with the Pawtuxet Village revitalization. The organization emerged amidst statewide debates over projects like the I-195 Redevelopment Project, controversies around the USS Rhode Island (SSBN-740) namesake display proposals, and preservation campaigns connected to the South County, Wickford Village, and Newport Mansions landscape. Partnerships with academic institutions such as Brown University, University of Rhode Island, and Roger Williams University helped develop survey methodologies and historic contexts used in nominations to the National Register of Historic Places and interactions with the Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission.

Mission and Programs

The group's mission aligns with objectives championed by organizations like the National Park Service, National Trust for Historic Preservation, and state-level commissions to safeguard places associated with figures such as Roger Williams, William Dorr, and events linked to King Philip's War and the Dorr Rebellion. Programs include historic structure reports modeled after standards from the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties, grant administration similar to Save America's Treasures processes, and technical assistance comparable to offerings by the Preservation Green Lab. Educational initiatives draw on archival resources from the John Hay Library, collections at the Rhode Island School of Design Museum, and conservation expertise found at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Library of Congress to support best practices in conservation, rehabilitation, and materials analysis.

Preservation Projects

Preserve Rhode Island has been active in projects spanning urban and rural contexts, often collaborating on rehabilitation efforts at sites near landmarks like Benefit Street, Federal Hill (Providence), Newport Cliff Walk, and industrial complexes such as the Hope Furnace, Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park, and mill villages tied to the Industrial Revolution in Rhode Island. Projects have addressed adaptive reuse of properties akin to conversions seen at Trinity Repertory Company spaces, stewardship of colonial-era houses resembling the Coggeshall Farm Museum, and landscape preservation comparable to work at Roger Williams Park. The organization has supported nominations for properties connected to maritime history, including vessels associated with John Brown (merchant) and shore sites near Point Judith and Block Island, and has been involved in archaeological assessments similar to those conducted at Fort Adams State Park and Fort Greene sites.

Advocacy and Policy

Advocacy efforts engage with policy frameworks tied to the National Historic Preservation Act, incentives similar to the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives program, and state legislation overseen by the Rhode Island General Assembly. Preserve Rhode Island has worked with municipal bodies like the Providence City Council, Newport City Council, and preservation commissions in towns such as Westerly, Bristol (Rhode Island), and Woonsocket to influence zoning, demolition delay ordinances, and local landmarking processes. The organization collaborates with legal and planning entities including the Rhode Island Bar Association planning sections, the American Planning Association chapters, and funders operating under guidelines akin to the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts for heritage planning and cultural landscape protection.

Community Engagement and Education

Community programs mirror partnerships with cultural institutions such as the Providence Public Library, Herreshoff Marine Museum, Newport Historical Society, and community groups like Main Street America affiliates in Rhode Island towns. Educational outreach includes workshops for municipal officials, clergy associated with historic churches like First Baptist Church in America, volunteers from neighborhood associations in East Providence and Smithfield, and students from Brown University, University of Rhode Island, and Rhode Island College. Public events take inspiration from heritage tourism models promoted by Visit Rhode Island and interpretation techniques used at sites like the Newport Art Museum, RISD Museum, and historic house museums across the state.

Funding and Partnerships

Funding sources reflect a mix of private philanthropy, foundation support, and public grants similar to awards from the Rhode Island Foundation, John Nicholas Brown Center for Public Humanities, and corporate sponsors with interests in development projects like the Weybosset Street corridor. Partnerships include collaborative work with federal agencies such as the National Park Service, state agencies like the Rhode Island Department of State, municipal governments, preservation organizations including the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and educational institutions including Brown University and Roger Williams University. The organization has pursued tax credit projects in line with practices used by developers at sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has solicited support from philanthropic families with legacies similar to the Hazard family and Chafee family.

Organizational Structure and Governance

Governance typically involves a board of directors drawn from leaders in preservation, architecture, law, and higher education, with advisors from institutions like the Rhode Island Historical Society, Rhode Island School of Design, and the Providence Preservation Society. Executive leadership cooperates with professional staff specializing in architectural history, preservation planning, and fundraising, while volunteer committees coordinate with municipal Historic District Commissions, regional planning agencies such as the Northeast Regional Commission, and professional networks including the American Institute of Architects Rhode Island chapter and the Association for Preservation Technology International.

Category:Historic preservation organizations in the United States Category:Non-profit organizations based in Rhode Island