Newport Restoration Foundation

Newport Restoration Foundation The Newport Restoration Foundation promotes and invests in the architectural and cultural heritage of Newport.

đź‘źThis summer, take a walk with us! Join us for Neighborhood Walks that commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding...
06/12/2026

👟This summer, take a walk with us! Join us for Neighborhood Walks that commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States and explore historic properties in our care and our restoration work—past and present.

Neighborhood Walk: 1776|2026
June 27 & August 29
9:30- 11:00 am
Meet at the Vernon House, 46 Clarke Street
Tickets available at https://newportrestoration.ticketing.veevartapp.com/tickets/view/list/neighborhood-walk-17762026
Many of the houses in Historic Hill were witnesses to the American Revolution. Take a walk through this neighborhood and discover the stories of the people who lived here, learn about the house's historic restorations on the eve of the Bicentennial, and find out how NRF continues to care for these important sites today.

Neighborhood Walk: From Revolution to Resiliency
July 25 & September 26
9:30-11:00am
Meet at the corner of Bridge and Third Streets, in the Point
Tickets available at https://newportrestoration.ticketing.veevartapp.com/tickets/view/list/neighborhood-walk-from-revolution-to-resiliency
The success of Newport has always been dependent on the sea and the people who live here have a deep connection to the water. The Point neighborhood evolved from the colonial era to what it is today in response to major economic, political, cultural, and environmental shifts. This tour will reflect on how this neighborhood has adapted—and continues to adapt to— the increasing effects of climate change. We will also share the stories of Revolutionary-era Newporters who lived in the houses that NRF cares for today.

🏠Each of the historic properties in our care is unique, with amazing details showcasing the skill and expertise of gener...
06/12/2026

🏠Each of the historic properties in our care is unique, with amazing details showcasing the skill and expertise of generations of tradespeople.
Our Tenant Stewardship program ensures the long-term preservation of 70 historic homes—and all are restored and maintained with livability in mind.
Learn more about NRF’s historic preservation portfolio, and how you can become a Tenant Steward, at https://www.newportrestoration.org/programs-initiatives/restoration-at-work/become-a-steward/

Rough Point is officially in bloom! Doris Duke’s legacy gardens reflect her interest in sustainable horticulture and en...
06/10/2026

Rough Point is officially in bloom! Doris Duke’s legacy gardens reflect her interest in sustainable horticulture and environmental conservation.
Join us in the gardens for new, hands-on workshops and an interactive guided tour of the Formal Garden and the Kitchen Garden, a unique working educational garden that provides produce for our community partners. Learn about the history of the gardens, how NRF cares for the gardens today, and get insights into your own gardening practices.

Thursday, June 18
Garden Workshop: Roses at Rough Point
4:00-5:30pm

Sunday, June 21
Garden Tour: Caring for Doris Duke’s Legacy Garden
4:00-5:00pm

Tuesday, June 30
Garden Workshop: Kitchen Garden Basics
10:00-11:30am

Learn more and reserve your tickets at newportrestoration.org/events

🔨"I learned so much over the course of the week; I was able to get hands-on experience in each department I worked with,...
06/09/2026

🔨"I learned so much over the course of the week; I was able to get hands-on experience in each department I worked with, see what goes into preserving and maintaining historic properties, and meet some wonderful people! I appreciated getting to see all sides of the daily operations and enjoyed every moment there. I hope to take my career aspirations to the next level."-Past participant in NRF's Historic Trades Job-Shadowing Program

Interested in a career in the historic trades? Wondering what a day in-the-field as a NRF crew member is like? NRF’s job-shadowing program offers an introduction to the historic trades by giving you the opportunity to work alongside the NRF Preservation Crew of carpenters, millworkers, painters, and systems specialists.
If this sounds like you, job shadowing at NRF may be the right place to start you on your path to a new career in the historic trades.

Learn more and apply at the link in bio.

✨What's on at NRF: Join us this June for behind-the-scenes tours, hands-on workshops, and special programs.Learn more at...
06/09/2026

✨What's on at NRF: Join us this June for behind-the-scenes tours, hands-on workshops, and special programs.

Learn more at https://www.newportrestoration.org/events/

đź“—June 13
Book Event: Gilded Age Fashion with Dr. Elizabeth Block
Rough Point
In partnership with our friends at Charter Books, join us for an event with author Elizabeth Block. We’ll unveil a new rotation of Doris Duke’s fashion before the event.
Doors open at 5:00pm

🪡June 16
Needlepoint Night, featuring Lycette Designs
Rough Point
SOLD OUT
*Stay tuned for more Needlepoint Nights coming soon!

🌹June 18
Garden Workshop: Roses at Rough Point
4:00-5:30pm

🎨June 20
Artist’s Day at Rough Point
9:00-11:00am
We're excited to partner with our friends at the Newport Art Museum for a plein air session at Rough Point, with artist John Grosvenor.

🌸June 21
Garden Tour: Caring for Doris Duke’s Legacy Garden
Rough Point
4:00-5:00pm

🏠June 25
Behind the Walls: The Vernon House
4:00-5:00pm

đź‘źJune 27
Neighborhood Walk: 1776|2026
Meet at the Vernon House/ 46 Clarke Street
9:30-11:00am

🌱June 30
Garden Workshop: Kitchen Garden Basics
Rough Point
10:00-11:30am

🌊Views of Rough Point from the Cliff Walk.You can really appreciate Rough Point’s picturesque location by taking a walk ...
06/05/2026

🌊Views of Rough Point from the Cliff Walk.
You can really appreciate Rough Point’s picturesque location by taking a walk on the Cliff Walk.

Step inside to learn more about Doris Duke’s legacy and our work advancing resiliency today for a more sustainable future for this special place.

Rough Point is open Tuesdays-Sundays, beginning at 10:00 am, and is always free for Newport County Residents.

Plan your visit at newportrestoration.org/tickets

✨Here’s a sneak peek of this year’s Doris Duke Historic Preservation Award nominations. The DDPA nominating committee ha...
06/04/2026

✨Here’s a sneak peek of this year’s Doris Duke Historic Preservation Award nominations. The DDPA nominating committee has been out in the community this month reviewing a number of historic preservation projects—reflecting a diversity of excellent preservation work.

The annual Doris Duke Historic Preservation Awards are a collaboration of the Newport Restoration Foundation and the City of Newport RI and celebrate excellence in preservation. The Awards honor projects that carry forward the legacy of Doris Duke and have had a significant impact on the preservation of the cultural and historic fabric of Newport, Jamestown, Middletown, and Portsmouth, RI.
Stay tuned! Honorees will be announced later this summer and will be recognized at the 20th Annual Doris Duke Historic Preservation Awards—a signature celebration that takes place on Friday, September 11, 2026 at Rough Point.
Learn more at newportrestoration.org/ddpa

🌟What was Newport like 50 years ago? In the years leading up to the Bicentennial of 1976, Newport was once again facing ...
06/03/2026

🌟What was Newport like 50 years ago? In the years leading up to the Bicentennial of 1976, Newport was once again facing great change. Urban renewal projects designed to revitalize the city were also threatening to erase centuries of Newport’s historic architecture. The exodus of the Navy in 1973 further contributed to an economic crisis.
Between 1968 and 1976, the Newport Restoration Foundation acquired, moved, and restored buildings on an unprecedented scale. Doris Duke and NRF were very aware of the significance of the upcoming Bicentennial: project records indicate that timelines were put into place to ensure restorations would be completed by July 1976.
As Newport—and the country—prepared to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Revolution, there was renewed interest in a shared sense of an American identity and the American objects, structures, and traditions that helped tell this story.
Explore more by visiting 1776|2026: The Newport Restoration Foundation Reflects on the American Revolution, now on view at Rough Point Museum. This exhibition looks at the period of the formation of the American nation and sense of identity through the lens of objects, stories, and houses in NRF's collection and tell the story of the founding of NRF on the eve of the American Bicentennial, while inviting contemplation of the next 50 years.

Rough Point is open Tuesdays-Sundays. Plan your visit at newportrestoration.org/tickets

📸
1)32 Church Street/The Cotton House restoration in progress, with a view of Queen Anne Square, 1977.
2)View of 59 and 57 Levin Street, 1968. The street was demolished in 1968 to make way for West Memorial Boulevard. 59 and 57 Levin Street were both moved and restored by NRF (today, 49 Mill Street/The Alexander Jack Jr. House and 95 Spring Street/The Edward Willis House).
3)West Thames Street, between Sherwan’s Wharf and Swan, 1964.

06/03/2026

🔨We're back in the NRF Mill with Mill Supervisor Pete! Pete shares more about the history of the tools he uses every day—some of which date back to the founding of NRF and have been used for restoration, preservation, and maintenance projects since 1968.

Pete is part of our Preservation Crew—a team of carpenters, millworkers, painters, and systems experts who ensure the ongoing, cyclical preservation of the 80+ historic sites in our care.
You can learn more about our Preservation Crew and our Historic Trades Initiative training the next generation of historic tradespeople at newportrestoration.org (link in bio).

Today, we’re taking a closer look at mantels from across the historic properties in our care.While they reflect differen...
06/01/2026

Today, we’re taking a closer look at mantels from across the historic properties in our care.
While they reflect different eras and styles, they all feature creative craftsmanship, an attention to detail, and meticulous restorations.

You can explore more about the 80+ historic properties that we steward—including architectural details, behind-the-scenes of their restorations, and the stories of the people who once lived and worked in these homes— at newportrestoration.org.

Address

680 Bellevue Avenue
Newport, RI
02840

Telephone

+14018497300

Website

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