SECTION 1: Organization Information

SECTION 1: Organization Information

Name of Organization: Newport Restoration Foundation

Mailing Address: 51 Touro Street, Newport, RI 02840

Name of Project Contact Person(s): Lisa Dady, Director of Education and Robert Foley, Director of Preservation

Contact Information:

Phone: 401-324-6090 ex.113 (Lisa) 401-849-7300 ex.115 (Robert) Fax:

E-mail: and

Type of Organization

ð Public (town, city, municipality, special district, government agency)

x Private (citizen, non-profit)

ð Other (please explain)

Description of Organization and Mission:

The Newport Restoration Foundation (NRF) preserves, interprets, and maintains landscape and objects reflecting Aquidneck Island’s 18th- and 19th- century architectural culture. Since its founding in 1968, the NRF has restored 83 buildings. Today, the NRF owns a collection of 78 historic buildings, including 73 homes that are rented as private residences and maintained by a full-time crew of carpenters and painters. This is one of the largest collections of period architecture owned by a single organization anywhere in the country. More importantly, the majority of these structures are being lived in and used as they have for more than three centuries, making them a vibrant part of the community.

How did you hear about the CPC?

From members of our Board of Directors, Maia Farish and Eric Hertfelder.

SECTION 2: Project Description

Title of the Project:

Newport Restoration Foundation Preservation Properties Archival Research Documentation Project

Project Location (Address, City, State, and Zip):

Newport, Rhode Island

General Project Description (you may attach a longer narrative if necessary):

The Newport Restoration Foundation (NRF) was founded in 1968 to preserve and restore 18th-century houses. NRF currently owns 78 preservation properties most of which are rented to tenant stewards. When these houses were being acquired and restored in the 1970s and 1980s, the organization had a large staff of carpenters, architects, painters and administrators who were dedicated to rescuing and accurately restoring these buildings, sometimes multiple sites at a time. During that very active phase, each building received some basic research but we have terribly insufficient and incomplete documentation on most of our properties. It is now time to redress this gap in our knowledge in order to be good stewards of the architectural collection going forward.

We propose a data center project in which one student locates, gathers, organizes and completes a comprehensive digital database of the research resources for our 78 historic properties. This project would, of course, require someone who is thorough, organized, and accurate with details.

Potential Scope of Work/Tasks for RWU CPC[1](you may attach a longer narrative if necessary):

See below for scope of work.

What will be the final product output for this project? (survey, website, design plans, drawings, etc.)

See below for final product description.

Proposed Project Schedule (when the tasks/project needs to be completed):

Our Curator who manages the collections database, and who will oversee major aspects of this project, has cleared time and done initial planning to accomplish the task this summer (any time after April 15, 2014). Since this project is a foundational building block for our other CPC proposals, this summer would be ideal to prepare for academic year projects.

Please provide the names and contact information for any staff members or volunteers who will be playing a primary role in the proposed CPC project.

Lisa Dady, Director of Education

Robert Foley, Director of Preservation

Kristen Costa, Curator

What resources/previous work would the CPC be building upon that you already have completed? (Please select all items that are applicable)

ð Strategic Plan

ð Marketing & Communication Plans

X Additional organizational documents – archival files. The book Extraordinary Vision.

X Preliminary photos of the site/project

X Maps

X Previous research

ð Survey results

X Architectural or building plans

What active support would your organization be able to contribute should your project be selected?

ð Funding

ð Volunteers

X Staff time

Consultants

ð Other (please list)

SECTION 3: Project Outcomes

Please describe how this project will benefit your organization and the advancement of your mission:

Part of our mission is to preserve and interpret 18th-century Newport architectural culture through our collection of buildings. In order to be good stewards of the fabric and stories of the built environment we oversee, we must better understand it. Moreover, when we have conducted intensive research on our properties some of that history works its way into our public educational programing. We also create a body of data that can be used by future researchers. We fear that our ignorance of large aspects of our collection will interfere with our ability to accomplish our mission and be of use to our community. This is the first step in rectifying that.

Please describe how this project might benefit the overall community, including specific groups that could benefit from this project (i.e. target populations, neighborhoods, specific town/city/region).

When NRF does its job well, whole sections of neighborhoods are affected. As the owner of the largest collection of historic properties, and the 4th largest property tax payer in the city, we represent a dominant force in the community. It is important for all Rhode Island preservationists and historians to keep our data updated periodically.

We are committed to making sure the results of this project are broadcast widely. We will share the data with research repositories such as the Newport Historical Society and Redwood Library, and make it available to all researchers. Through Newportal, a collaborative project of 5 Newport cultural institutions to provide open access to all of their collections data online by early 2015, the entire NRF house database would then be available to researchers worldwide.

This project will allow subsequent scholars to more efficiently research and analyze the collection. Their findings will enhance the stories we tell to thousands of people per year on walking tours and other interpretive programs.

Please explain why you have chosen to seek assistance from the RWU CPC with your project request, instead of undertaking the project using fee-for-services from a paid professional:

Education is central to NRF’s mission and while a professional fee-for-service contract would get the job done, eventually, it doesn’t have the additional benefit of creating an educational opportunity for students. At NRF we like to have the process as well as the product be a part of our educational activity.

Secondly, as a non-profit with limited resources that must be stretched in many directions, we could never afford to pay for these services at the scale we need.

Please describe how this project will benefit RWU students.

This would be ideal for a graduate student assistant, summer practicum student, someone interested in library science, or any other scholar who wishes to learn more about data management in a museum setting as well as Historic Preservation research and documentation tools. The project will expand the student’s knowledge of professional museum and HP functions, build on his/her skills, experience and interests, and add to his/her résumé. He/she will gain practical experience working for a non-profit while interacting with museum and preservation professionals.

SECTION 4: Financial Information

What is your organization’s annual operating budget? Please include a copy of your most recent budget with the application.

NRF’s annual operating budget is $4.1 million.

What are your major sources of funding?

The major sources of funding for NRF are from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and rental income from our preservation properties.

How much funding from your annual operating budget is set aside for this project (if any)?

Our operating budget does not include any funding for this project.

SECTION 5: Private Sector Involvement

Have you or your organization discussed the project with practicing professionals (e.g. architect, engineer, planner, consultants, etc.)? (please circle one): Yes / No

Over the 40 years of NRF’s existence, various professionals have been consulted either as staff, community colleagues or paid consultants. These include architects, historic preservationists, archeologists, academics, and preservation trades professionals.

If no, please explain why:

SECTION 6: Supporting Documents

Please include the following items when submitting your application:

ð Budget for the current fiscal year – the budget is a private document (not attached)

ð List of current Board members – see attached

ð Copies of supporting resources identified in section 2 as needed to support your application

See below.