The Newport Restoration Foundation was founded by

Doris Duke Doris Duke (November 22, 1912 – October 28, 1993) was an American billionaire tobacco heiress, philanthropist, art collector, Horticulture, horticulturalist, and socialite. She was often called "the richest girl in the world". Her great wealt ...

in 1968 in

Newport, Rhode Island Newport is an American seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, ...

to preserve early housing stock including 18th century

colonial Colonial or The Colonial may refer to: * Colonial, of, relating to, or characteristic of a colony or colony (biology) Architecture * American colonial architecture * French Colonial * Spanish Colonial architecture Automobiles * Colonial (1920 au ...

homes. Former

First Lady First lady is an unofficial title usually used for the wife, and occasionally used for the daughter or other female relative, of a non-monarchical A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, is head of state fo ...

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Jacqueline Lee Kennedy Onassis ( ; July 28, 1929 – May 19, 1994) was an American socialite, writer, photographer, and book editor who served as first lady of the United States from 1961 to 1963, as the wife of President John F. Kennedy. A pop ...

was the foundation's vice president. It is the largest collection of vernacular architecture in the Northeastern United States. In the 1960s, structures in Newport were threatened by redevelopment. Doris Duke purchased and restored over 83 individual houses under her direction. The entire project represents one of the largest preservation efforts undertaken in modern times and is currently led by Executive Director, Mark Thompson.

Properties

The NRF own 78 significant historical properties, 72 of which are rented to tenants. 67 of the historic buildings are in Newport, and 8 buildings are museums. One of the historical properties includes

Rough Point Rough Point is one of the Gilded Age mansions of Newport, Rhode Island, now open to the public as a museum. It is an English Manorial style home designed by architectural firm Peabody & Stearns for Frederick William Vanderbilt. Construction o ...

which was built in 1891 and then added on to in 1924. Rough Point is a Newport mansion with a collection of European and Asian fine arts with works by Renoir, Thomas Gainsborough, Joshua Reynolds, and Sir Anthony Van Dyke. The property list also includes the

Samuel Whitehorne House The Whitehorne House is an example of a United States Federal style mansions at 416 Thames Street in Newport, Rhode Island and is open to the public as a historic house museum. History It was built for Samuel Whitehorne Jr. in 1811 and the ex ...

(built 1811), the William Vernon House (built and expanded 1759), and the Christopher Townsend House, (built 1728). In addition, the foundation runs

Prescott Farm Prescott Farm is a historic preservation of a colonial farm in Middletown ( Newport County), Rhode Island. It spans 40 acres, and was in danger of demolition before Doris Duke, through the Newport Restoration Foundation bought it in 1973 and beg ...

, an outdoor history site in Middletown, RI, as well as the Buloid-Perry House, King's Arms Tavern, and The Cotton House, which are rental properties.

Recent projects

The Newport Restoration Foundation has been actively restoring and preserving historic buildings, a collection of the arts of cabinetmaking and building trades of the Newport region, and the art and artifacts from Doris Duke’s life in Newport. NRF also utilizes these collections for museum tours and educational programs that are open to the public. In regard to preservation, their most recent project (2015) was that Dayton-James House from 1757. In 2005 the Foundation assisted in conducting the first

dendrochronology Dendrochronology (or tree-ring dating) is the scientific method of dating tree rings (also called growth rings) to the exact year they were formed. As well as dating them, this can give data for dendroclimatology, the study of climate and atmos ...

survey of tree rings in several early buildings in Rhode Island to determine their construction dates, including the Wilbour-Ellery House. In addition in 2013, the NRF led an effort to create a new park in Queen Anne’s Square by artist and architect Maya Lin, entitled “The Meeting Room”. Preservation advocacy and environmental concerns such as climate change are other areas in which NRF works in. For example, they held th
Keeping History Above Water
Conference in an attempt to protect historic properties from being affected by

rising sea levels Rising may refer to: * Rising, a stage in baking - see Proofing (baking technique) *Elevation * Short for Uprising, a rebellion Film and TV * "Rising" (''Stargate Atlantis''), the series premiere of the science fiction television program ''Starga ...

References

External links

Christine Dunn, "Newport’s the Point: A mingling of mansions, modest residences," ''Providence Journal,'' April 8, 2008Official Newport Restoration websiteCalendar
{{Authority control Houses in Rhode Island Newport County, Rhode Island Buildings and structures in Newport, Rhode Island Historic preservation organizations in the United States Non-profit organizations based in Rhode Island 1968 establishments in Rhode Island