Proposed by: Newport Garden Club, Zone II

Newport, Rhode Island, has been a summer destination for the wealthy from colonial times through the Gilded Age. These patricians built elaborate summer “cottages” designed by the best-known architects and landscape designers. Beginning in 1945, The Preservation Society of Newport County (PSNC) has worked to protect and preserve fourteen of these historic homes and elaborate gardens. In 75 years over 40 million visitors have toured these homes, learning about this period of America’s architectural heritage and how it reflects the country’s social and cultural history. PSNC sponsors a Research Fellows Program that develops the next generation of preservationists. This program provides hands-on research experiences in one of America’s richest sources of both colonial and Gilded Age history. Providing tours, educational programs, and family activities, PSNC is preserving a critical component of America’s vibrant, rich cultural heritage. PSNC sets the standard for the very best preservation practices in the country.