Monthly Around The Block e-News

THE STATEWIDE ADVOCATE FOR HISTORIC PLACES

Around the Block e-News

On the Job: Dexter Well House Project

While most of our staff are working safely from home, we are taking advantage of this quiet time to maintain our properties.

At Dexter House, where Preserve RI's offices are located, Grace Gielink, Preserve RI's Program and Property Coordinator, has been preparing the well house for repainting by scrapping the cladding.

Located at the corner of N. Main Street and Rochambeau Avenue, the well house is a rare survivor from Providence’s agricultural past.

The Jeremiah Dexter House (c 1754) Photo circa 1877. The well house is the small structure in the middle.

Restoration in Process!

COVID-19 hasn’t stopped preservation work around the state (with appropriate social distancing, of course). We recently spotted exterior masonry and repair in progress at the Old State House on Benefit Street.

Is a preservation project happening in your neighborhood? Please share photos of preservation in process with us. Don't forget to use the hashtags #RhodyPreservation #PreserveRI

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The Old State House on Benefit Street in Providence. The restoration project currently underway includes installation of a new wood shingle roof, restoring the windows, patching and spot-replacing historic brownstone, repointing brick masonry, and repairing/painting all wood trim. #RIHPHC

Exploring the History of Voting Rights

With the tour season on hold, Preserve RI's Lippitt House Museum is developing new web-based ways to share stories of the people connected to Lippitt House.

2020 is the 100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment which states a person’s right to vote can’t be denied because of sex. To mark this step towards universal suffrage, we are teaming up with a Public Humanities Class at Brown University. Originally planned as an exhibit at the House, instead students will create an interactive timeline that explores the gradual expansion of voting rights in Rhode Island from the colonial era through the 20th century.

2020 Rhody Awards Nominations - Reminder!

Know of an outstanding preservation project completed after January 1, 2019? We want to hear from you!

With your help we honor the outstanding people who are protecting historic places and building community across Rhode Island. Preserve RI and the Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission (RIHPHC) are currently accepting nominations for the 2020 Rhody Awards. Mark your calendars for Oct 18th when, despite Covid-19, one way or another, we’ll celebrate the Rhody Awards.

Submissions will be accepted until Friday May 22, 2020.

New! Online Nomination Form

Support Small Businesses on Historic Main Streets

Supporting businesses on main streets not only helps the local economy but protects historic places. The Main Street Alliance surveyed small businesses across the country and concluded millions of main street businesses are at risk due to the COVID-19 crisis. The National Trust for Historic Preservation has suggested five ways to help even while we're at home.

Rhode Island is fortunate to have so many charming shopping districts across the state. We checked in with one of our favorites, Wickford Village, to see how we can help.

Carrie Mitchell Kolb of the Wickford Village Merchants says: "We appreciate and are incredibly grateful for continued support. Each Shop & Restaurant is continuing to take care of customers in their own unique ways." Please visit Wickford's websites at www.wickfordvillage.org and histwick.org

Cultural Resources and COVID-19

The National Center for Preservation Technology and Training created a Preservation in Practice document that explores how COVID-19 persists on surfaces and how you can effectively deactivate the virus while preserving valuable cultural resources. Must reading for managers of historic sites as we prepare for the time when we can reopen.