NEWPORT — Three Newport-connected honorees are among the 10 recipients of Preserve Rhode Island’s 2026 Rhody Awards for Historic Preservation, announced Tuesday.
Agassiz Mansion at Castle Hill Inn receives a Community Impact Award for its restoration after the Feb. 5 fire that tore through the third-floor attic of the Ocean Drive landmark. The State Fire Marshal’s Office ruled the blaze accidental, caused by the use of a wood-burning fireplace.
Preserve RI credits Kirby Perkins Construction with repairing the building within three months despite a blizzard, replicating damaged butternut wood features in the bar area, salvaging as much original woodwork as possible and restoring the exterior. The inn reopened to overnight guests March 5 and reopened the Mansion’s main level in May, ahead of Memorial Day weekend.
The Newport Restoration Foundation also takes a Community Impact Award for its work on lead paint in historic buildings. Responding to expanded state lead safety requirements and supported by the City of Newport, NRF contracted Heritage Restoration to research how historic properties can meet code. The result was two handbooks — one for homeowners, one for building professionals — since adopted statewide.
Michael Semenza receives the Frederick C. Williamson Professional Award for his stewardship of Salve Regina University’s historic properties. Preserve RI credits him with securing a $202,000 grant from the J. Paul Getty Trust and earning the Arthur Ross Award for Stewardship from the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art.
Elsewhere in the state, honorees include Narragansett’s Windmill Building, saved from demolition by the Narragansett Historical Society; the Millrace District in Woonsocket, where three mill buildings became 70 housing units; the Providence Art Club; the Old State House in Providence, following a $10 million restoration; the Providence Preservation Society’s urban renewal guide; homeowners Gillian Lang and Edward Lloyd for restoring the John Truman House; and craftsman Neal Kaplan, who receives the Stephen J. Tyson Sr. Artisan Award.
“This year’s awardees are proof that preservation is at the crossroads of many relevant problems in today’s world,” said Ruth Taylor, interim executive director of Preserve Rhode Island.
The 18th annual Rhody Awards will be held Sunday, Oct. 25, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the WaterFire Arts Center in Providence. Tickets are at preserveri.org.
