RIHPHC Bulletin
Congratulations, State Preservation Grantees!
Earlier today, Governor Daniel McKee, the RI State Council on the Arts (RISCA), and the RI Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission jointly announced the recipients of 18 State Preservation Grants and 24 State Cultural Facilities Grants. The 42 awards represent a total of $3.46 million for capital projects at public and nonprofit arts and performance facilities, museums, cultural arts centers, and historic sites throughout the state. A total of $1,182,650 was awarded to preservation projects. Funded by a bond passed by Rhode Island voters in March 2021, these competitive grants require matching funds from grantees.

Congratulations to the 18 State Preservation Grantees from 12 cities and towns:

  • Herreshoff Marine Museum, Bristol ($112,000)
  • Friends of Linden Place, Bristol ($28,200)
  • City of Central Falls for Cogswell Tower ($150,000)
  • Historic Metcalf-Franklin Farm Preservation Association, Cumberland ($75,000)
  • East Providence Historical Society ($26,865)
  • Foster Preservation Society for the Winsor Blacksmith Shop, ($11,900)
  • Historic New England for Watson Farm Barn, Jamestown ($69,000)
  • La Farge Restoration Fund, Newport ($150,000)--also received a grant from RISCA
  • Fort Adams Trust, Newport ($122,500)
  • The Preservation Society of Newport County for The Elms, Newport ($74,250)
  • Newport Restoration Foundation for Vernon House, Newport ($30,000)
  • Pawtucket Public Library ($58,100)
  • City of Providence for the Museum of Natural History and Planetarium ($88,500)
  • Rhode Island Historical Society for the John Brown House, Providence ($48,000)
  • The Steel Yard, Providence ($36,400)--also received a grant from RISCA
  • Scituate Preservation Society ($9,900)
  • South County History Center, South Kingstown ($42,075)
  • Clouds Hill Victorian House Museum, Warwick ($50,000)

And cheers to the cultural facilities grantees (including the Stadium Theatre, pictured) and our colleagues at RISCA. As RIHPHC Interim Executive Director Jeffrey Emidy noted, “Rhode Island is recognized nationally as a leader in historic preservation and the arts. These state grants are investments that build on our strengths."

Take a bow, grantees!
This spring: RI Historical Cemeteries Awareness and Preservation Weeks
There are more than 130 historical cemeteries in Burrillville. The Asael Keech Lot is the site of a project organized by the Burrillville Historical Cemetery Committee.
We are delighted to announce plans to collaborate with the Rhode Island Advisory Commission on Historical Cemeteries (RIACHC) on RI Historical Cemeteries Awareness and Preservation Weeks in April - May 2022. The volunteer-led commission presents dozens of cemetery clean-ups, gravestone conservation demonstrations, and tours across the state each spring. RIHPHC will work closely with RIACHC to organize additional free programs that raise awareness about Rhode Island's historic cemeteries and promote their preservation.

RI Historical Cemeteries Awareness and Preservation Weeks will be offered in place of the RI Historic Preservation Conference. With a new partnership and free outdoor statewide programs, we are excited about this new opportunity!

Look for a call for tours and programs later this month.
LAST CALL: Apply for a preservation planning grant
Applications are due on January 21 for Certified Local Government (CLG) Grants. Grants will support projects within the following categories: Identification and Evaluation of Historic Resources, Planning Activities, Resource-Specific Activities, Public Education Activities, and Statewide Projects.

Three funding priorities will merit special consideration, earning relevant grant proposals extra points in our scoring and review process. These include:

  • Projects that help communities plan for protecting historic resources from the effects of climate change and sea level rise
  • Projects that promote the recognition or preservation of resources associated with historically underrepresented groups
  • Projects that will provide training opportunities for historic district commissions and municipal planning staff

All three funding priorities are linked to specific goals and objectives from the State Historic Preservation Plan (2021).

For more information, contact Katherine Pomplun. 
Grant opportunities and upcoming deadlines
January's Heritage Happenings
RIHPHC's calendar of heritage events showcases Rhode Island's diverse communities:

Rhode Island Black Heritage Society hosts a lecture Freedom Is Not Enough: The Life and Times of Reverand Mahlon Van Horne (1/17 5:00 pm)

Rhode Island Black Storytellers host FundaFest24 (1/22 -1/30)

International House of Rhode Island hosts Robert Burns Night (1/28 6:30 pm)

Have an upcoming event to share? Contact Donna Alqassar, Heritage Coordinator. For the latest listings, follow @rihphc_heritage on Instagram.
If you didn't follow us on social media last month, you missed...
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.
Rhode Island
Historical Preservation
& Heritage Commission

(401)222-2678