v i E W p o i N t
As part of Historic New England’s centennial celebration, we are offering an overview of preservation in the region by showcasing the statewide nonprofit preservation organization of each state. These organizations function as advocates for monitoring, promoting, and coordinating historic preservation efforts at the state level and work closely with their respective state historic preservation government offices.
Rhode Island
The State of Preservation
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reserve Rhode Island has two primary program areas: Stewardship, taking care of historic properties today so they will be around for everyone, forever, and Preservation Services, sharing our expertise statewide, helping others be good preservation stewards. Collaboration is a key strategy for success, extending our limited resources to: • Raise public awareness of threats to Rhode Island’s heritage places. The Rhode Island Preservation Watch identifies trouble spots and opportunities where citizen action can make a difference. • Empower non-profit organizations through our Business Planning Initiative with the Historic Sites Coalition, a network of fifty-six organizations that manage historic sites for public use.
Celebrate the people who achieve and inspire excellence in historic preservation through the Rhody Awards, presented in partnership with the Rhode Island Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission. • Teach owners how to care for historic homes and make them more energy efficient at hands-on Economical Homeowner Workshops, presented in collaboration with Historic New England, the Newport Restoration Foundation, and the Providence Revolving Fund. • Organize a network of preservationists from around the state, the Preservation Roundtable, a preservation policy coalition. • Lead by example, as the steward of five historic properties, modeling new uses for old buildings, including residential, museum, and community uses. •
Historic preservation is key to Rhode Island’s economic recovery. Preserve Rhode Island is betting that a strategy based on cooperation will help our organization thrive, so that we in turn can help others engaged in preserving Rhode Island. —Valerie Talmage Executive Director, Preserve Rhode Island
participants in an Economical homeowner Workshop visit the c. 1724 philip Walker house in East providence, rhode island.
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Summer 2010 Historic New England
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