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RIHPHC Bulletin

Rhode Island's Heritage Festival on Saturday, September 17

Leave your passport at home and explore the world through art and music!


RIHPHC will present Rhode Island's 44th Annual Heritage Festival on Saturday, September 17 from noon to 5 pm at the WaterFire Arts Center in Providence.


Join in a lively celebration of our state's rich cultural heritage. The program will feature cultural exhibits, visual art, musical performances, children's activities, and a multicultural fashion show. And don't miss the food trucks offering an array of traditional food and beverages. Admission to this family event is FREE.

Tim Ives departs RIHPHC after ten years of service

RIHPHC is grateful to Dr. Timothy Ives for his decade of service as Principal Archaeologist. His contributions to Rhode Island archaeology have included publications in scientific and anthropological journals, regular public lectures and historical landscape tours, administering a survey of coastal archaeological sites damaged by Hurricane Sandy, orchestrating a federally-funded collaboration with the University of Rhode Island to develop a state archaeological collections repository, and organizing seven years of the Rhode Island Archaeology Month program. He will continue his preservation career within cultural resource management’s private sector.

Training for Historic District Commissions in 2022. . .

The Town of South Kingstown will host statewide Historic District Commission (HDC) Training led by the National Association of Preservation Commissions. The free Commission Assistance and Mentoring Program (CAMP®) takes place on Saturday, October 15 from 9:00am to 4:30pm in Peace Dale. Priority will be given to HDC members and municipal planning staff; additional places may be available for elected officials, members of other town boards, and interested parties. Lunch is provided. All sessions qualify for AIA and APA continuing education credits.


Register by September 9 | Questions? Contact Brian Wagner, Town of South Kingstown

Program details + registration

. . .and beyond

Mandatory training of local Historic District Commissions is the law in Rhode Island. House and Senate bills became effective on June 25, 2022 and now are Chapters 142 and 143 of the Public Laws of 2022. Originally approved in 2017, the law regarding education on sea-level rise and storm water management, now also addresses continuing education on land use planning for local planning, zoning, and historic district commission members.


It is expected that beginning in 2023, HDC members will be required to complete: 

• A three-hour introductory course one time within two years of enactment or a new appointment.

• A one-hour annual update every year


RIHPHC will keep you updated on this new continuing education requirement. 

Here's your National Register line-up

Leading off: North Kingstown's Cedar Point Historic District, with its five houses constructed between 1872 and 1910 (including the Hunt House, pictured), has been listed in the National Register for its significance to local architectural and community history. Batting next from Middletown: St. Columba's, The Berkeley Memorial Chapel(1884-86) and its historic churchyard were recognized for significance to the fields of art, architecture, and community development. And the Wakefield Historic District in South Kingstown has been expanded to include three historic resources from the 1930s and 1940s: Saugatucket Park, Saugatucket River Footbridge, and the former Wakefield Post Office. 

Revolutionary news

After 16 days of fieldwork led by the Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project, the remains of the HMS Gaspee have not been found. . .yet. Data collected by the team is undergoing analysis. A detailed final report will be submitted to RIHPHC before results are shared with the public. 


Meanwhile, the RI250 Commission has unveiled their logo and continues to forge partnerships with local organizations commemorating the American Revolution in Rhode Island. Together with the RI Department of State and the Phyllis Kimball Johnstone and H. Earl Kimball Foundation, RI250 welcomed nearly 40 teachers aboard Rhode Island's flagship SSV Oliver Hazard Perry for a floating professional development conference last month. 

Great State Properties

Rhode Island has many rivers to cross and many historic bridges that do so. The Rhode Island Historic Bridge Inventory (last updated in 2015) documents three major structural types found in our state: masonry-arch, metal-truss, and concrete bridges. 


Commissioned by the towns of Coventry and Cranston in 1888, Arkwright Bridge replaced an earlier wooden bridge across the Pawtuxet River. Metal truss bridges, like this one, offered a cost-effective engineering solution for spanning small rivers and millstreams. It was constructed of prefabricated parts for assembly on site by the firm of Dean and Westbrook of New York. Arkwright Bridge features a through-truss design with the uprights and top chord made of hollow, wrought-iron Phoenix columns. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

Arkwright Bridge and plaque courtesy of Marcbela (Marc N. Belanger) - Own work

RIHPHC works closely with the RI Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration to review and rehabilitate historic bridges when possible. See our website to learn more about State-owned Historic Properties and RIHPHC’s regulatory review role

State Preservation Grant projects get underway

The summer has been busy as State Preservation Grant projects get underway. 


Look for the big blue project signs popping up at museums, public historic sites, arts venues, and cultural centers throughout the state. Ask for details about the work!


pictured: Bill Lynn and friend outside the Burnside Building at Herreshoff Marine Museum

Some light reading from Warwick

Earlier this summer, RIHPHC Interim Executive Director Jeffrey Emidy, and Project Review Coordinator Elizabeth Totten visited the Conimicut Point Lighthouse with Warwick Mayor Frank J. Picozzi and City staff. The City has received a federal grant to restore the lighthouse including repainting, restoration of the doors, and repairs to the railing systems. RIHPHC staff examined the condition of the lighthouse and discussed the proposed treatments and restoration. Constructed in 1888 to replace an earlier structure, Conimicut Point Lighthouse consists of a cast-iron tower on a caisson foundation. It was one of fourteen Rhode Island historic lighthouses listed in the National Register in 1988. 

Fall grant opportunities and deadlines

Don't miss your chance to secure funding for your preservation project:



NOTE: RIHPHC will release applications for Certified Local Government grants for preservation planning this fall.  

Heritage Happenings for September

RIHPHC's calendar of heritage events showcases Rhode Island's diverse communities:


Rhode Island Chinese Dragon Boat Races & Taiwan Day Festival presented by Blackstone Valley Tourism Council (9/3)


2022 “3-Day” Cranston Greek Festival  (9/9 - 9/11)


Tomaquag Museum's Story Time (9/10)


Guatemalan Center of New England hosts Festival Guatemala 2022 (9/11)


Saint George Maronite Catholic Church hosts Annual Lebanese Festival (9-16 - 9/18)


RIHPHC hosts Rhode Island's 44th Annual Heritage Day Festival (9/17)


RI Latino Arts presents Sabor Latino 2022 (9/18)


Cape Verdean Museum Grand Opening Gala (9/24)


German American Cultural Society hosts Oktoberfest (9/24 & 9/25)


Have an upcoming event to share? Contact Donna Alqassar, Heritage Coordinator. For the latest listings, follow @rihphc_heritage on Instagram.

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RIHPHC at work

The R.I. Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission office is open with limited staffing during weekday business hours (9am - 4pm). Many staff members are teleworking and accessible by email. Public access is limited to deliveries and pickups. Please use the doorbell at the Benefit Street entrance.

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Rhode Island
Historical Preservation
& Heritage Commission

(401)222-2678