Press Releases

(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.  ...

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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. ...

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(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. ...

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(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. ...

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(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. ...

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(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. ...

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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. ...

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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. ...

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(Providence, R.I.) J. Paul Loether, Executive Director of the Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission (RIHPHC) has announced his plans to retire effective June 25, 2021, capping a 43-year in historic preservation. In addition to leading the Commission (Rhode Island’s state agency for historic preservation and heritage programs), Mr. Loether has served as Rhode Island’s State Historic Preservation Officer since 2018. ...

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(Providence, R.I.) J. Paul Loether, Executive Director of the Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission, announced that the National Park Service has added the former Plymouth Congregational Church, home to Iglesia Visión Evangélica since 2016, 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. Constructed between 1915 and 1919 at the corner of Broad Street and Pennsylvania Avenue in Providence, the former Plymouth Congregational Church is significant as a fine example of a late English Gothic Revival-style church. And this nomination itself is significant because it is the first bilingual National Register nomination ever submitted to the National Park Service. ...

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