STATE ANNOUNCES NEARLY $4 MILLION IN CAPITAL GRANTS FOR ARTS, CULTURE, HERITAGE, AND PUBLIC HISTORIC SITES
Greenwich Odeum theatre in East Greenwich provided the setting for the State’s announcement on Monday, January 11th of the slate of State Cultural Facilities Grant and State Preservation Grant recipients, worth nearly $4 million, for capital preservation work at 45 museums, cultural art centers, and public historic sites around the state.
Together, the projects represent $70,902,214 worth of construction activity. Representatives of the State Cultural Facilities Grant and State Preservation Grant projects were welcomed to the event by host Kevin Muoio, President of the Odeum Corporation, along with volunteers and members of the Odeum board.
Together, Sanderson and Rosenbaum congratulated the grant recipients on behalf of Governor Gina M. Raimondo. Of the 61 organizations that applied for funds in 2015, 22 organizations were awarded State Cultural Facilities Grants and 25 received State Preservation Grants. Besides the Greenwich Odeum, one other project received grants from both RISCA and RIHPHC. The Southside Cultural Center will receive a total of $450,000 towards its efforts to restore historic windows, insulate, install a new elevator tower, and improve circulation in the historic Trinity Church Annex (1914-15) in Providence. The list of grant recipients represents 21 Rhode Island communities, from Woonsocket to Westerly, North Providence to Newport.
State Preservation Grant recipients range from local treasures like the Babcock-Smith House (mid-18th century) in Westerly and Central Falls City Hall (ca. 1889) to nationally significant sites like Slater Mill (1790) in Pawtucket and the Chinese Tea House (1914) in Newport. The grants will preserve a historic bank, two lighthouses, two town halls, and a “stone-ender” house built in the 17th century. Small grants will support important community landmarks like the Portsmouth Historical Society’s headquarters (1866). Large grants of up to $150,000 will support high-profile projects like Pomham Rocks Lighthouse in East Providence, the Herreshoff Marine Museum (1863) in Bristol, and the Providence Public Library (1900).
STATE CULTURAL FACILITIES GRANTS: AWARDS
Jamestown
- Jamestown Arts Center – $58,000
STATE PRESERVATION GRANTS: AWARDS
Newport
- Chinese Tea House at Marble House – $150,000
- Newport Congregational Church – $150,000
- Vernon House – $22,484
Portsmouth
- Portsmouth Historical Society – $30,000