An interactive exhibit about Cato Vernon, an African heritage Revolutionary War soldier and carpenter who lived at the Vernon House in the mid-1770s, opens Saturday, Oct. 3, and runs through Nov. 22.
“The Cato Vernon Freedom Library” occupies three rooms on the first floor of the national historic landmark at 46 Clarke St. It includes an audio introduction, a timeline of Vernon’s life that visitors can add to, and a reading room with books, records and activities, staffed by artist-docents. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, with additional hours for special events. Admission is free.
The exhibit is a collaboration between Center Aquidneck and the Newport Restoration Foundation. Jed Hancock-Brainerd and Rebecca Noon, Center Aquidneck’s founding directors, created it with lead artists Jane Carey and Dominique Sindayiganza and the foundation’s director of engagement, Gina Tangorra.
“Early on we thought this project might focus on veterans,” Hancock-Brainerd and Noon said, but they found Vernon’s life opened onto more — slavery and emancipation, incarceration, collective memory, shipbuilding, African heritage history in Newport, freedom and government accountability. “We hope The Cato Vernon Freedom Library becomes a place where all kinds of communities gather — to learn about Cato Vernon and meet their neighbors.”
Programming during the run includes a talk with Rhode Island State Historian Laureate Keith Stokes and recurring sewing circles with artist Bob Dilworth.
“The Vernon House is a national historic landmark embedded with layers of history and meaning,” said Hilary Fagan, the foundation’s executive director.
Center Aquidneck was founded in 2023 by Hancock-Brainerd, a lifelong Newporter, and Noon. The group runs the annual Jane’s Walk festival of neighbor-led walks and staged “Life After Life” in the Common Burying Ground last fall.
The exhibit is supported by BankNewport, a grant from the Rhode Island Semiquincentennial Commission and funding from Rhode Island Humanities. Details are at centeraquidneck.com.
