Pictured are Dr. Russell and his son Zach who helped return the stones.

Two historic gravestones, Duchess and Violet Quamino, have been restored and returned to Newport’s Common Burying Ground, according to Lewis Keen, a member of Newport,s Historic Cemetery Advisory Commission.

“Work on these stones was approved by the Historic Cemetery Advisory Commission in December 2016 and lovingly undertaken by Dr. Robert Russell of Salve University.  Dr. Russell is an accomplished stone conservator in addition to his academic endeavors and has been involved in a number of monument restorations in Newport in recent years.” Keen told What’sUpNewp.

According to Keen, Duchess Quamino was an active member of the Newport African community.  She was influential in the life of William Ellery Channing, the foremost minister in the Unitarian Church in America.

The stones for Duchess and Violet were carved by John Stevens, III who was the grandson of the founder of the Stevens craving shop in Newport.

A 326-year old gravestone, which went missing from Newport approximately 37 years ago, was returned to Newport back in October of 2016 after being discovered in a suburban Philadelphia yard .

Ryan Belmore is the Owner and Publisher of What'sUpNewp. Although not the founder or original owner, Belmore has been with What'sUpNewp since its early beginnings in 2012.

Belmore was born in Providence, Rhode Island; grew up and graduated high school in Coventry, Rhode Island; and lived in Newport, Rhode Island for more than ten years. He currently serves as Vice President of the Board Of Directors for Fort Adams Trust and on the Board of Directors for Potter League For Animals.

He and his wife, Jen, as well as their two dogs (Aero and June), recently moved to Alexandria, Virginia. Belmore travels back and forth to Newport every couple of weeks to cover events, work on story ideas, to meet with What'sUpNewp's on-the-ground contributors, to visit friends, and to eat as much seafood as possible.

Belmore is a member of Local Independent Online News Publishers, Society of Professional Journalists, and the North American Snowsports Journalists Association.