Washington Square looking towards the Colony House, P8620, NHS Collection
At noon on Friday April 17, 2020, NHS Staff rang the Colony House bells on Washington Square as a reminder that we are all in this together! We will continue to ring the bells each Friday at noon for one minute, in a show of solidarity with Newport’s entire community. We encourage Newporters at home to join us, in spirit, with handheld bells.
The citizens of Newport are not strangers to adversity; together we have faced extreme hardships. We are also not strangers to ingenuity; together we have created an incredible place to live.
The 17th century town-founders, escaping death and persecution, banded together to begin a lively experiment that persists today. The citizens of 18th century Newport saw disease, two occupying armies, famine, and mass population exodus – and survived. The citizens of 19th century Newport faced political conflict and economic depression and picked themselves up to begin anew. 20th century Newporters have experienced growth and decline as main economic drivers abandoned the city; and still we moved forward.
Through conflict, moral growth and moral failings, economic highpoints and depressed depths, in diversity, and in spite of prejudice, inequities, differences and disputes, we are all here, together.
If you are a church or other institution that would like to join us in the bell ringing, please contact hrockwood@newporthistory.org to be added to our online list!
We are profoundly grateful to everyone who has chosen to engage with and support us at this time. To offer a donation to the NHS, please click the button below.
Participating organizations:St. John the Evangelist Church St. Paul’s United Methodist Church |