Trinity Church, in collaboration with the Newport Restoration Foundation, will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Queen Anne Square with “Semicentennial on the Square,” a free community event on Thursday, July 10, from 5 to 7 p.m.
The event will take place on Trinity Church’s campus and begin inside the church with a panel discussion of historians and preservation leaders reflecting on the legacy of Queen Anne Square and the impact of the mid-century preservation movement on Newport and the United States.
Beginning in 1969, Trinity Church, Doris Duke and the Newport Restoration Foundation worked closely with the Newport Redevelopment Agency to create a “square recalling the best of the nation’s colonial past for the inspiration of present and future generations.” The square was dedicated to the public in July 1976 by Queen Elizabeth II and has remained an important space for public gathering ever since.
The panel will feature Rebecca Bertrand, executive director of the Newport Historical Society; Trudy Coxe, CEO and executive director of the Preservation Society of Newport County; and Keith Stokes, Rhode Island historian laureate. It will be moderated by Gina Tangorra, director of engagement at the Newport Restoration Foundation.
A reception with light refreshments and jazz music presented by Puddingstone, featuring the Alan Bernstein Quartet, will follow the discussion.
The program is part of Trinity Church’s 300th anniversary celebrations and is a Newport250 event commemorating the nation’s history. Attendance is free, though RSVPs are requested through the Newport Restoration Foundation’s ticketing page.
The Newport Restoration Foundation is a nonprofit organization established by Doris Duke in 1968 to preserve the architectural and cultural heritage of 18th- and 19th-century Newport. More information is available at newportrestoration.org.
