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: Lisa@newportrestoration.org and Robert@newportrestoration.org
Type of Organization
 Public (town, city, municipality, special district, government agency)
x Private (citizen, non-profit)
 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 18thcentury 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 CPC1(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)


X
X
X
X

X
Strategic Plan
Marketing & Communication Plans
Additional organizational documents – archival files. The book Extraordinary Vision.
Preliminary photos of the site/project
Maps
Previous research
Survey results
Architectural or building plans
What active support would your organization be able to contribute should your project be selected?


X

Funding
Volunteers
Staff time
Consultants
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.
1
CPC project services are performed by students in support of their educational experience. Applicants shall understand
that any deliverables generated through an accepted project are intended to provide conceptual information only to assist
design and planning and as such are not intended, nor should they be used for, construction or other project
implementation. Professional and/or other services may be needed to ultimately implement a sponsor’s desired goals.
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:
NA
SECTION 6: Supporting Documents
Please include the following items when submitting your application:
 Budget for the current fiscal year – the budget is a private document (not attached)
 List of current Board members – see attached
 Copies of supporting resources identified in section 2 as needed to support your application
See below.
See also our house collection at:
http://www.newportrestoration.org/preservation/historic_houses
Newport Restoration Foundation
Preservation Properties Data Center Project
Scope of Work / Task List

Review the existing “Introduction to NRF Histories”* which delineates what is in the file for each
property. Update this overview of records (Word docs) by migrating it to a database.

Locate all paper and digital records and centralize them based on type. Learn proper handling
and storage procedures for original drawings, maps, photos, etc.

Work with staff (Lisa, Robert, Kristen) to identify the fields that will be used in the database (TMS
sites module). The “Introduction to NRF Histories” will evolve into the initial data fields for the
architectural collections but more fields will be created.

Learn TMS from Kristen Costa, Curator, who will manage the data entry process.

Assemble easily acquired missing resources such as historic data sheets from RIHP&HC, HABSHAER links, or NR forms.

Assemble a master digital file of approximately 18 historic maps
If time allows:

Digitization of other commonly used records

Advanced goal: use technology to resize, match and overlay maps of different eras.
Final Product Output

Completed comprehensive database of 78 properties

Enhanced research files

Digital maps file
* See below the “Introduction to NRF Histories” profile of our records. In addition to those items, we
will be able to add such resources as:
Theses and other research papers
Archeology reports
Dendrochronology reports