Generating Electricity and Redevelopment in Woonsocket Monday, June 13, 2022 (Woonsocket, R.I.) Jeffrey Emidy, Interim Executive Director of the Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission, announced that the National Park Service has clarified the boundaries of the Woonsocket Company/Bernon Mills Historic District and added information to the National Register of Historic Places nomination for this Woonsocket property. ... Read article
Rhode Island's 44th Annual Heritage Festival will take place on September 17th at the WaterFire Arts Center Thursday, May 26, 2022 The Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission will host Rhode Island's 44th Annual Heritage Festival on Saturday, September 17th, from 12 pm to 5 pm at the WaterFire Arts Center in Providence. ... Read article
Exterior Restoration Complete, $1.5 Million Accessibility Project Tees Up at Old State House Wednesday, April 13, 2022 (Providence, R.I.) The Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission (RIHPHC), the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM), and elected officials gathered to celebrate the completion of the exterior restoration of the Old State House in Providence. Governor Daniel J. McKee, Lieutenant Governor Sabina Matos, and State Senator Samuel D. Zurier joined to recognize the top-notch preservation project completed by Rhode Island contractors earlier this year. ... Read article
Rhode Island Cemetery Weeks Monday, February 28, 2022 PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Rhode Island Historical Cemetery Awareness and Preservation Weeks will feature dozens of free outdoor programs over the course of April and May. The public is invited to participate in tours, clean-ups, gravestone conservation demonstrations, open houses, and other programs at historic cemeteries throughout the state. The event is organized by the Rhode Island Advisory Commission on Historical Cemeteries (RIACHC) and Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission (RIHPHC) in collaboration with many individual and organizational partners. ... Read article
Recipe for Success: Miss Lorraine Diner Listed in National Register of Historic Places Friday, November 05, 2021 (Pawtucket, R.I.) A diner in Pawtucket has received federal recognition for its significance to the history of architecture, commerce, and industry. Jeffrey Emidy, Interim Executive Director of the Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission, announced that the National Park Service has added Miss Lorraine Diner (formerly known as Donwell’s Diner) to the National Register of Historic Places. The National Register is the Federal Government’s official list of properties throughout the United States whose historical and architectural significance makes them worthy of preservation. Recently restored, the Miss Lorraine Diner is a rare surviving example of a “semi-streamliner” diner, an important building type that influenced the design of American fast-food restaurants. ... Read article
Richmond's Beaver River Road Historic District Listed in National Register Wednesday, October 27, 2021 (Providence, R.I.) A cluster of historic farmsteads in Richmond has received federal recognition for its architectural and agricultural significance. Jeffrey Emidy, Interim Executive Director of the Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission, announced that the National Park Service has added the Beaver River Road Historic District in Richmond to the National Register of Historic Places. The National Register is the Federal Government’s official list of properties throughout the United States whose historical and architectural significance makes them worthy of preservation. The district’s three farms transitioned from 19th-century subsistence farming to 20th-century market farms, typical of agricultural trends in Rhode Island. The district includes 19th-century vernacular dwellings and agricultural outbuildings. Together with the surrounding fields and landscape features, the farms form a compelling cultural landscape. ... Read article
Old State House Receives $500,000 Grant to Restore Public Access Wednesday, October 06, 2021 (Providence, R.I.) The Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission (RIHPHC) has been awarded a $500,000 grant for capital improvements at the Old State House in Providence from the Save America’s Treasures program, funded by the Historic Preservation Fund, and administered by the National Park Service, Department of Interior. As announced by the National Park Service, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Institute for Museum and Library Services, the grant is part of a nationwide package funding 49 projects in 29 states. ... Read article
October is Rhode Island Archaeology Month Monday, September 27, 2021 (Providence, R.I.) The Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission will present Rhode Island Archaeology Month throughout October. This program promotes Rhode Island's rich archaeological heritage through a series of free public educational events led by professional and academic volunteers. ... Read article
2021 Rhody Awards for Historic Preservation Announced Tuesday, September 07, 2021 Preserve Rhode Island (Preserve RI) and the Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission (RIHPHC) announced today the honorees of the 13th annual Rhody Awards for Historic Preservation. They include a highly regarded preservation planner from South Kingstown, an all-volunteer organization that has preserved the heart of Lincoln’s Great Road, a young couple who created a home in a historic Portsmouth mill, and an array of innovative preservation projects including a former movie palace, a public housing complex, and a colonial-era farmstead. ... Read article
Rhode Island Heritage Month’s Virtual Celebration will take place in September Wednesday, July 28, 2021 This September, the Rhode Island Historic Preservation and Heritage Commission will present four weekly 60-minute virtual celebrations on their new YouTube channel each Saturday at 7:00 pm. The weekly programs will feature "Heritage Highlights" from different cultural performance groups, heritage organizations, and hands-on activities like cooking and dance demonstrations. ... Read article