RHODY AWARDS FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION
NEWS FROM R.I. HISTORICAL PRESERVATION & HERITAGE COMMISSION & PRESERVE RHODE ISLAND
PRESERVATION CELEBRATION:
RHODY AWARDS FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION
TO BE PRESENTED AT STATE HOUSE ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14
A Warwick homeowner engaged in the hands-on restoration of her own colonial house, a reclaimed and recycled landscape for an industrial arts complex in Providence, an iconic Block Island lighthouse restored by its community, and a Narragansett parish that pulled together to rehabilitate their historic church-these are some of the people and projects that will be honored at the third annual Rhode Island Preservation Celebration on Friday, October 14. The event will take place at the State House-where guests will see firsthand the award-winning stewardship of the landmark building by the Rhode Island State House Restoration Society.
The Rhody Awards, chosen by Preserve Rhode Island (PRI) and the Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission (RIHPHC) from nominations by the public, honor individuals, organizations, and projects for their contributions to the preservation of Rhode Island’s historic places. This year awards will be presented in the categories of Education, Homeowner Projects, Landscape, Preservation Projects, and Stewardship. PRI and RIHPHC also bestow special honors for Professional Leadership and Volunteer Service.
The 2011 winners are:
• Antoinette F. Downing Volunteer Service Award to Cecilia A. St. Jean of West Warwick for her efforts in interpreting and preserving local history at the Pawtuxet Valley Preservation and Historical Society.
• Frederick C. Williamson Professional Leadership Award to Patrick M. Malone of Barrington in recognition of his work as scholar, teacher, curator, author, activist, and pioneer in the field of industrial archaeology.
• Frederick C. Williamson Professional Leadership Award to developers Marilyn H. and James R. Winoker of Cranston for their investments and rehabilitations of historic commercial, office, and residential properties in greater Providence.
• Education Award to the Barrington Preservation Society for the engaging interpretive signs that present Barrington history to upwards of a million bike path users each year.
• Homeowner Award to M. Adele Anthony for her dramatic hands-on transformation of the Peter Greene House (c. 1750) in Conimicut, from foreclosed, falling-down, and forgotten to fabulous.
• Homeowner Award to Tom Silvia and Shannon Chandley for their top-notch restoration of Wickford House (1769)-a beloved village landmark.
• Landscape Preservation Award to The Steelyard for its visionary project that preserves Providence Steel & Iron’s outdoor workspace as a recycled, industrial-arts campus environment.
• Project Award to AS220 whose rehabilitation of the Mercantile Block (1901) for artists live/work spaces, arts-related offices and workshops, and commercial space is key to the revival of Downtown Providence
• Project Award to Louis Yip for completing the rehabilitation of the Pawtucket Hair Cloth Mill (1864) in Central Falls.
• Project Award to Everett Amaral and his innovative conversion of the Rhode Island Tool Complex (1853-1954) into first-class office space.
• Project Award to the Town of Burrillville which invested in community housing and recreation by rehabbing the Stillwater Mill (1911).
• Project Award to the Town of New Shoreham for an environmentally sensitive restoration of North Light (1867) celebrated by an entire island.
• Project Award to St. Thomas More Parish of for their efforts to “Remember, Restore, Renew” their historic 1910 church in Narragansett
• Project Award to the Preservation Society of Newport County for the painstaking six-year effort to renovate the exterior of the National Historic Landmark Château-sur-Mer (1851-52+).
• Project Award to the Pettaquamscutt Historical Society which undertook a wide-ranging research, conservation, planning, and preservation project to restore Hale House (1873), Edward Everett Hale’s Matunuck summer home, as a museum and cultural center.
• Stewardship Award to the Rhode Island State House Restoration Society for two decades of fundraising, interpretation, and preservation of a landmark building and its museum-quality collections.
The event will also include a special recognition of Dr. Paul A. Robinson, who over the course of his 32-year career as Principal Archaeologist for the RIHPHC changed the ways that archaeological resources are understood and protected in Rhode Island. Also, a Rhode Island mayor will be on hand to reveal the location and theme of the 27th Annual Rhode Island Statewide Historic Preservation Conference, to be held in April 2012.
The Rhode Island Preservation Celebration and Rhody Awards event is open to the public and features local beverages, delicious appetizers, a silent auction, and a raffle. Tickets cost $25 in advance or $30 at the door. To buy a ticket or request more information, call (401)272-5101 or visit www.preserveri.org
For more information about RIHPHC programs, please visit our web site at www.preservation.ri.gov.
Telephone 401-222-2678 Fax 401-222-2968
www.preservation.ri.gov
