Innovation, trial and error, and financial struggle marked the
founding years of the Preservation Society of Newport County. Foremost,
the flexibility and foresight of the early officers and board of
trustees allowed the organization to grow toward its own unique identity
as steward of an outstanding wealth of architectural heritage, and
promoter of community partnerships in preservation that rejuvenated a
fading Newport.
As the Society grew they embraced opportunities that changed their
course and redefined their mission. Throughout these years and beyond,
one woman, Katherine Urquhart Warren, held a steady hand at the helm.
Precedents in Preservation
When the Preservation Society of Newport County (PSNC) incorporated in
1945 it was preceded by a little over a century of preservation efforts
in the United States.
These milestone initiatives provided a valuable frame of reference and
the impetus for moving forward in the second half of the twentieth
century to merge the cultural inheritance of a singular city with its
future.
Click here to read the full research report,
The Preservation Society of Newport County, 1945-1965, The Founding Years, written by Holly Collins.