Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission

Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission
Name	Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission
Formed	1966
Jurisdiction	State of Rhode Island
Headquarters	Providence, Rhode Island
Chief1 name	Kimberley Rowe
Chief1 position	State Historic Preservation Officer
Website	Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission

Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission is the state agency charged with identifying, evaluating, protecting, and promoting historic and cultural resources in Providence, Rhode Island and across Newport County, Rhode Island, Bristol County, Rhode Island, Kent County, Rhode Island, and Washington County, Rhode Island. Established amid mid-20th-century preservation movements linked to the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the agency interfaces with federal entities like the National Park Service, state institutions such as the Rhode Island Department of State, municipal bodies including the City of Providence, and nonprofit organizations like the Preservation Society of Newport County.

History

The commission traces origins to the same legislative moment as the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and was created to implement provisions similar to those applied in National Register of Historic Places nominations across states such as Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York (state), and Pennsylvania. Early work included surveys of colonial-era sites associated with figures like Roger Williams, John Clarke (Rhode Island) and events linked to King Philip's War and the American Revolutionary War. Mid-20th-century projects intersected with urban renewal efforts in Providence, Rhode Island, archaeological investigations connected to Newport waterfront redevelopment, and collaborations with academic partners at Brown University, University of Rhode Island, and Rhode Island School of Design. The commission participated in documenting industrial heritage tied to manufacturers such as Arkwright Mill and maritime heritage tied to Whaling and the Atlantic World; later decades expanded attention to African American sites like Newport's Free African Union Society and immigrant neighborhoods tied to Italian American and Irish American communities.

Organization and Governance

The commission operates under state statute and includes appointed commissioners, professional staff, and the State Historic Preservation Officer, whose role aligns with Advisory Council on Historic Preservation procedures and coordination with the National Park Service. Governance structures mirror practices in agencies such as the Massachusetts Historical Commission and involve advisory bodies parallel to the Rhode Island Historical Society trustees. Staff specialties include architectural historians, archaeologists, preservation planners, and historic cemeteries managers who liaise with municipal historic districts like those in Newport, Rhode Island, Bristol, Rhode Island, and Westerly, Rhode Island. Funding and oversight relate to appropriations from the Rhode Island General Assembly, grants from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and partnership agreements with entities such as the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Programs and Activities

The commission administers National Register nominations for properties including Touro Synagogue, Fort Adams, and the John Brown House Museum, runs survey programs modeled after practices in Historic American Buildings Survey and Historic American Engineering Record, and operates archaeology permits comparable to those issued in Monticello and Jamestown National Historic Site. Programs encompass tax credit reviews like those under the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives Program, cemetery preservation initiatives reflecting work on sites such as South Kingstown Burial Ground, and rehabilitation guidance influenced by the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. The commission coordinates preservation easements similar to those managed by the Trust for Public Land and technical assistance for adaptive reuse projects including repurposing mills comparable to Slater Mill, museums like the Pawtucket Armory, and civic buildings akin to Providence City Hall.

Properties and Sites Managed

The commission holds stewardship or assists in management of properties that include lighthouses similar to Beavertail Light, forts like Fort Adams State Park, historic houses such as the Governor Henry Lippitt House, and landscape sites including portions of Colt State Park. It has been involved in documentation and preservation of naval yards like Quonset Point, industrial complexes like Hope Mill, and cultural landscapes associated with Gilded Age summer cottages in Newport, Rhode Island. Sites of archaeological significance range from prehistoric coastal shell midden locations to colonial-era taverns linked to figures such as Samuel Ward (Rhode Island governor). The commission works with municipal historic districts including Benefit Street (Providence) and with institutions managing private attractions such as the Newport Mansions group and the Herreshoff Marine Museum.

Preservation Legislation and Policy

Policy work includes implementing aspects of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, enforcing state statutes that mirror provisions found in the National Environmental Policy Act and state environmental review processes, and advising on historic tax credit programs patterned after incentives in New Jersey and Maryland. The commission provides regulatory review under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 for federal undertakings, consults on easement language similar to that used by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and contributes to statewide planning documents analogous to comprehensive plans used in Providence County, Rhode Island. It has shaped guidelines for disaster mitigation in historic contexts influenced by case studies from Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy recovery efforts, and offers model ordinances for local governments like the City of Newport and Town of Bristol.

Public Outreach and Education

Educational programs include walking tours of districts such as Benefit Street (Providence), lectures in collaboration with Brown University and Salve Regina University, school curricula partnerships with the Rhode Island Historical Society and the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities, and exhibits coordinated with museums including the John Brown House Museum and the Newport Art Museum. The commission publishes inventories and reports akin to the National Register of Historic Places nomination forms, sponsors conferences comparable to those run by the National Council on Public History, and supports volunteers engaging with preservation efforts like those at Slater Mill National Historic Site and Herreshoff Marine Museum. Outreach extends to tribal consultation with groups such as the Narragansett Indian Tribe and to community programs highlighting sites associated with African Methodist Episcopal Church congregations and Jewish heritage landmarks like Touro Synagogue.

Category:State historic preservation offices in the United States