Voices of Support
Your voices matter most in speaking up about the value of preservation and cultural heritage. We rely on you to advocate for public investment in historic preservation at the state level and in every community across Rhode Island.
Our office is also collecting testimonials about how preservation is woven into the lives of Rhode Islanders.
Share a few sentences about the value of history and heritage -- not just to Rhode Island, but to you personally. It could be related to your job or what you love about where you live. Does a particular experience come to mind? What concerns you about the possible loss of federal money for preservation?
We may use your words in ongoing efforts to defend the importance of this work.
Federal funding that enables Rhode Island to preserve its historic heritage is being held up — and time is running out. The state’s historic preservation office needs this crucial funding by July 1, or it will be impeded in its mission to protect the places that tell Rhode Island’s story, including some of Newport’s most iconic landmarks.
Established in 1977, the federal Historic Preservation Fund is paid for by offshore oil and gas lease fees, not by taxpayers. The Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission relies on these funds for 20 percent of its budget, approximately $700,000. This money supports local grants, tax credit programs, archaeology and much more.
Thanks to federal support, several Newport institutions, including the Preservation Society, have been able to preserve historic sites that draw visitors from around the country and the world. These visitors contribute more than $5 billion a year to the state economy and support more than 86,000 jobs.
Please call or email your U.S. Senators and Representatives and ask them to:
• Urge the Office of Management and Budget to release the FY25 Historic Preservation Funds immediately.
• Protect these funds in the 2026 federal budget, which is facing major cuts.
Your voice can help keep history alive, not only in Rhode Island but around the country. Please spread the word!
- Trudy Coxe, CEO and Executive Director of the Preservation Society of Newport County