RIHPHC Bulletin
Keith Stokes joins State Review Board
RIHPHC is delighted to announce that Keith Stokes has joined the Rhode Island State Historical Preservation Review Board. The Review Board provides advice, guidance, and professional recommendations to RIHPHC regarding National Register nominations and the State Register.

Keith is a graduate of Cornell University with a B.S. in Public Policy and an M.A. in Policy from the University of Chicago. He was recently appointed Business and Development Director for the City of Providence. Keith brings his expertise on historic preservation, economic development, and African heritage to his new role with the RIHPHC.
Outside/Inside the Old State House
The final touches are complete on the exterior restoration of the Old State House! The front doors have been reinstalled, facing the Parade, and the masonry work is finished.

On to the interior! RIHPHC was awarded a $500,000 grant for accessibility upgrades at the Old State House from the Save America’s Treasures program, funded by the Historic Preservation Fund, and administered by the National Park Service, Department of Interior. Project activities will include a new elevator, accessible bathrooms, code upgrades, and restoration of interior finishes. When the project is complete, the Old State House will once again be available for public meetings and events.
Beaver River Road Historic District listed in National Register
Rhode Island's newest National Register listing is the Beaver River Road Historic District, a cluster of historic farmsteads in Richmond recognized for its architectural and agricultural significance. The district's three farms transitioned from 19th-century subsistence agriculture to 20th-century market farms. Together, the vernacular dwellings, agricultural outbuildings, fields, and landscape features form a compelling cultural landscape. See the nomination for more details. 
Jamesford Farmhouse (ca. 1800)
State Leaders launch RI250 Commission
On October 13, Secretary of State Nellie M. Gorbea (Chair) and RIHPHC Interim Executive Director Jeffrey D. Emidy (Vice Chair) convened the inaugural meeting of the Rhode Island Semiquincentennial (RI 250th) Commission at the Varnum Memorial Armory in East Greenwich. The goals of the RI 250th Commission are to promote Rhode Island's unique role in the American Revolution, increase civic engagement across the state, and stimulate the local economy through tourism opportunities. We will continue to share updates from this new commission. 
Planning for Preservation
We are sharing a piece of Bristol's 17th-century town plan (from the collections of the Bristol Historical & Preservation Society) to announce two new plans to guide historic preservation in Rhode Island.

The State Planning Council has adopted Protecting Our Legacy of Buildings, Places, and Culture: A Historic Preservation Plan for Rhode Island as a State Guide Plan Element. This document guides state agencies and municipalities so that they may better understand and plan for historic preservation.

A Big Plan for the Smallest State: The Comprehensive Statewide Historic Preservation Plan for Rhode Island, 2021 - 2027 was recently approved by the National Park Service. The State Historic Preservation Plan outlines existing preservation programs and sets out priorities and goals for the RIHPHC and its preservation partners.
Archaeology Month wrap
Thank you to all who presented and participated in Rhode Island Archaeology Month. The “Walking Through Time: The 500-Year History of the URI Campus” drew a crowd for a thought-provoking panel discussion and tour. The “Archaeology Discovery Walk of Providence’s Snowtown and Great Point” (pictured) envisioned underrecognized 19th-century cultural landscapes. “Exceeding great paines in their fishing”: Narragansett Indian Fishing Practices, Techniques, and Tradition” presented on local Native American fishing as revealed through archaeological inquiry. And there's still time to view "There's nothing of their house but the ruined foundation": History and Archaeology at the Manton Farm Property" online.
Four grant opportunities
Check out these exciting grant opportunities from the National Park Service:

  • Underrepresented Communities Grant Program (applications due 1/11/22)
  • Save America's Treasures grant program (due 12/14/21)
  • History of Equal Rights Grant Program (new this year! due 1/11/21)
  • African American Civil Rights Grant Program (due 12/1/21)
Request for Proposals: RI Preservation Conference Project
In a typical year, planning the Rhode Island Historic Preservation Conference gets underway immediately after the last speaker says "Thank you!" Given uncertainties about convening an in-person event, RIHPHC is planning a new project to take stock of the Conference, review national/state/local preservation programming, and develop a roadmap for future events. We are exploring possibilities for an alternative event in April or May 2022.

We have issued a Request for Proposals for this new project. Proposals are due by December 1, 2021.
November's Heritage Happenings
RIHPHC's calendar of heritage events showcases Rhode Island's diverse communities:

RI Latino Arts hosts Día de Los Muertos | Day of the Dead (11/2 5:30 pm)  
Tomaquag Museum hosts an Indigenous Author Book Club (11/2, 11/9, & 11/16 8:00 pm)  
German American Cultural Society of RI hosts Christkindlmarkt (11/28 12:00 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.

For the latest information about COVID-19, please visit covid.ri.gov.
Rhode Island
Historical Preservation
& Heritage Commission

(401)222-2678