Newport Historical Society on a Mission

May 7, 2010

Newport Daily News, May 7th, 2010, Guest View by Ruth S. Taylor

The Newport Historical Society has received numerous calls in the past few weeks about the current window work at the Colony House on Washington Square, which is owned by the State of Rhode Island, and managed by the Historical Society. This work is funded by the State, and represents a growing resolve by several agencies to support the preservation and use of this important building. The Newport Historical Society would like to thank the Governor’s office, the State Department of Administration and the Rhode Island Historic Preservation and Heritage Commission for their attention to the Colony House, arguably one of the State’s most important buildings.

This work does not stand alone, however. It is part of a comprehensive, multi-year program to make Newport’s extraordinary history more accessible to our citizens, our visitors, and students and scholars of American history. In partnership with the City of Newport and the State of Rhode Island, and with the generous support of our members, the Newport Historical Society is bringing new life to important landmark buildings in downtown Newport, including the Brick Market and the Great Friends Meeting House. This includes preservation work to the structures themselves, and new plans for new uses.

The Newport Historical Society is also focused on the objects, photographs, books and manuscripts in our collections which encompass the complete history of Newport. Our collections begin with the earliest days of settlement, continue through the remarkable liberty and prosperity of the 18th century, the Revolution and its aftermath, the rise of a significant artists and writers colony, to the Gilded Age, and on to today. The Society’s purpose, established in 1854, was to accumulate these treasures and to provide access for the public to the stories, lessons and examples they represent.   For more than 150 years, Newport’s community has believed that preserving and disseminating local history is important, and has supported the Society and its work. A membership list from 1916 includes individuals whose names themselves embody history — Vernon, Bull, Perry, Dyer, Vanderbilt, James, King and Ellery are only a few.

Today, in addition to assisting with the Colony House, we are moving forward with plans to open the Great Friends Meeting House to a variety of community-based uses without making significant alterations to this iconic structure. We are also planning for the establishment of a full-service resource center for library and collections research at our headquarters at 82 Touro Street. We are preparing to publish information about our remarkable collections, including virtual exhibits, on our new website.  Furthermore, we are working with the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau to provide information about our City’s history to the nearly one million individuals who enter the Gateway Center each year.

The Newport Historical Society is a diligent, creative and responsible steward of Newport’s history, and will continue to be an accessible resource for Newport, the nation, and beyond in the years ahead.