| | | | | Protecting the facades of historic homes in Rhode Island  Stemming from concerns in Providence's west side neighborhoods where National Grid has upset many residents over the relocation of gas meters, Rep. Steven M. Costantino and Sen. Paul V. Jabour have submitted legislation aimed at preventing utility companies from installing unsightly gas meters on the facades of homes, particularly historic homes. Read more in the press release. | ACTION ALERT A message from the RI Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission
February 4, 2009
I want to provide you with a quick update on historic preservation grant funding in the Senate Economic Stimulus legislation. The current Senate version of the stimulus would provide $50 million for restoration grants to be awarded by state historic preservation offices and $5 million for Indian Tribes. Senator Reed has been a strong supporter of this funding; Sen. Reed is a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, subcommittee for Department of Interior Appropriations, and deserves our thanks for his work.
 Senator Bingaman (D-NM), chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources committee, may introduce an amendment that would increase the funding for multiple BLM, Forest Service, and NPS programs, including an increase of $45 million for the Historic Preservation Fund, bring the HPF total to $100 million - $95 for SHPOs and $5 for THPOs. The chance of this amendment passing is still very unclear.
Historic preservation grant funding was not part of the House version of the stimulus. I have provided information about the Senate version to Congressman Kennedy (a member of the House Appropriations Committee), and he has supported historic preservation issues in the past.
It would be appropriate for Rhode Island preservationists to tell Senator Reed and Congressman Kennedy how historic preservation grant funding might be used.
If historic preservation grant funding is included in the final Federal Stimulus package, there will be tremendous pressure to get these grants awarded and construction started. Until we know the rules, we cannot start a formal grant application process. However, preservation advocates and site managers should begin now to identify potential historic restoration projects that have access to non-federal matching funds and that could begin construction within 3 months. Non-federal
matching funds could include State Preservation Grant funds (ZPG funds that have already been spent would not qualify, but unspent ZPG funds would qualify), private funds from donors or foundations, and federal Community Development Block Grants (CDBG is considered non-federal for matching purposes).
I will continue to monitor this issue and send updates as new information is available.
Edward F. Sanderson RIHPHC Executive Director
| Winter conversations of Colonial Life presented by the Docents of Smith's Castle On February 21, 2009, at 2:00 p.m. there will be a casual conversation about The Sexual Mores of Colonial Times. The topic will be presented by Marcia Brennan, a docent at Smith's Castle. The talk will be held at the North Kingstown Free Library. There is no charge or reservation required. The conversation will include courtship, marriage, sex and childbirth in the 1700's.
The docents of Smith's Castle invite amateur, professional and hobby historians to share knowledge about Colonial New England life in an informal setting. A bibliography of reference materials will be available at this lecture. Many titles are available at the North Kingstown Free Library. The Cocumscussoc Association at Smith's Castle focuses on the lifestyle, history, and presentation of the colonial era in New England.
Please contact Smith's Castle for further information at (401) 294-3521.
| | Rhode Island Statewide Historic Preservation Conference
April 25, 2009 The 24th Annual Rhode Island Statewide Historic Preservation Conference presents "Preservation Steps Out: Preserving Outdoor Places" at the University of Rhode Island's Kingston Campus on Saturday, April 25. The conference will explore the preservation of outdoor places-historic farms, shorelines, campuses, and rural villages. Steve Taylor, dairy farmer and former New Hampshire Agriculture Commissioner, will deliver the keynote address, "Cows and Countryside: Can the Working Landscape of Rural New England Be Saved?" He will present what is working and what more can be done to preserve New England's rural landscape and the delicate balance of forest, farms, and development. Preserve Rhode Island will convene two discussion panels at the conference. Executive Director Val Talmage will showcase land  preservation strategies with a focus on working farms. Lippitt House Manager Theresa Woodmansee will bring together representatives of the Historic Sites Coalition of Rhode Island and others to discuss success stories in collaboration. Other sessions will consider preserving farms and outbuildings; rising sea levels along Rhode Island's coast; and new directions in local preservation planning. Always a highlight of the conference, tours will include visits to local farms, the seaside communities of Matunuck and Narragansett Pier, and the villages of Shannock, Kingston, and Wickford. We will also explore the mid-century modern residential neighborhood of Biscuit City and take a bike ride along the former Narragansett Pier Railroad, now the William C. O'Neill Bike Path. The conference is a great opportunity to learn about new developments and to network with peers in the fields of historic preservation, agriculture, heritage tourism, and planning. The registration fee is $40, which includes morning coffee and snack, lunch, and closing reception. For more information about the conference, organized by the RI Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission, please visit www.preservation.ri.gov/conference, or contact Conference Coordinator Janet Balletto at (401)732-1009 or janetballetto@cox.net. Conference programs will be available in early March. | | Historic Preservation Summer Fellowship Opportunity at NTHP Northeast Office The 1772 Foundation Fellow will assist the Northeast Office of the National Trust for Historic Preservation in developing a regional database of active African American historic sites including places such as museums, Black heritage trails, and non-museum related sites that have paid staff or volunteers. Duties will include building a database, capturing descriptive information, mapping sites, and writing an assessment report. Through day to day work, the Fellow will gain in-depth exposure to a number of topics within historic preservation, as well as experience  in assessing African American historic sites. The Fellow in the Northeast Office in Boston will have the opportunities to observe preservation in action at the grassroots level, and will have an extensive orientation to the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The Fellow will be included in office activities, including regular staff meetings and annual events. Depending upon the Fellow's interests, staff will include them in other meetings or site visits. This fellowship will take place between May 2009 and August 2009 in a 10 week period at the Northeast Office, 7 Faneuil Hall Marketplace, 4th Floor, Boston. Stipend is to be determined. For more details on this opportunity go to the internship posting at the National Trust for Historic Preservation website.  The 1772 Foundation, based in Pomfret Connecticut, is a historic preservation granting organization founded by Stewart B. Kean in 1985. Last year, the foundation made $2.8 million in grants to sixty-four organizations in twenty states. More information can be found at www.1772foundation.org.
| | Preservation In The News 
Preservation news links are provided by PRI staff for informational purposes only. The inclusion or exclusion of articles should not be considered as an endorsement or indictment of their contents. Return to Top | | |
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