2019 RHODY AWARD WINNERS

Betty and Carlo are longtime Burrillville preservationists who have found their niche conserving historic gravestones.

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In 1999, Betty and Carlo Mencucci joined the Burrillville Historical & Preservation Society and quickly rose to leadership positions on the board. They took up building restoration projects, programs, collections, advocacy, videography, research, and fundraising on behalf of the BHPS. In 2007, the indefatigable duo launched a new project to visit Burrillville’s 130 cemeteries, locate gravestones with GPS, document inscriptions, and assess conditions. “We wanted to reset and repair the stones but did not know how,” said Betty, “We set out to learn the correct methods and materials.” They completed professional training and got to work clearing debris, locating missing stones, resetting, and repairing. In the process of conserving nearly 400 historic gravestones across Burrillville, the Mencuccis strive to build relationships with cemetery owners and neighbors, promoting stewardship. Now they are in demand for workshops across Rhode Island. Kudos to Betty and Carlo for carving out a niche as volunteer gravestone conservators.

Paul has decades of service to Newport as a curator and public scholar of decorative arts, historic architecture, and social history.

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While growing up in Newport, Paul F. Miller often admired the historic “cottages” that line Bellevue Avenue. Although considered white elephants by many at the time, Paul’s interest endured and led to a position as a tour guide at The Preservation Society of Newport County. After earning a Bachelor’s degree in French and a Master’s degree in International Relations, Paul was hired as the Assistant Curator at the Preservation Society in 1992 and promoted to Chief Curator in 1995. Over the course of those 26 years, Paul developed internationally-recognized expertise in decorative arts and interiors. His painstaking research and collaboration with original manufacturers supported the restoration of landmark architectural interiors and informed important exhibitions and publications. Included among his many accomplishments are the award-winning restoration of the Gothic Room at Marble House, receiving the Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from the French government, and the publication of Lost Newport: Vanished Cottages of the Resort Era.

The project highlights the village’s multi-layered, sometimes surprising history through a series of nine interpretive signs.

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The village of Wickford has a compelling history, embodied in its buildings and landscape but not always obvious to residents or visitors. Historic Wickford, Inc. (HistWick) thought up a way to make this history more evident: a series of nine interpretive markers touching on themes such as the Narragansett settlement of the area, the founding of Wickford, the shipbuilding industry, and the role of African American mariners and women entrepreneurs in the village economy. HistWick partnered with local artists to create original paintings for the markers, forging a connection with the many artists who currently call Wickford home. The Rhode Island Foundation provided the project with critical funding. The markers form the basis of a walking tour, which can be completed independently or with web-based audio, and are the subject of a documentary that aired on Rhode Island PBS. Through these platforms, HistWick highlights the village’s multi-layered, sometimes surprising history, and demonstrates the role education can play in historic preservation.

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Click here for the Wickford Walk Video

Project Team:          

Historic Wickford, Inc.
Town of North Kingstown
Deborah Sabo

Artists:              

Harley Bartlett
Lorraine Bromley
Donat Beauchaine
Janelle Feigley
Walter Scott
Angel Smith
Dawn Spears
Dan Urish

The Pawtuxet Rangers are community leaders in Pawtuxet Village who interpret Rhode Island’s military and community history and steward the company’s 1843 armory.

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“Hip, hip, huzzah!” The Pawtuxet Rangers’ rallying cry reflects the group’s enthusiasm for its mission. Chartered as a militia in 1774 to protect the village of Pawtuxet, the Pawtuxet Rangers were reestablished in 1972 by a group of living history enthusiasts. Today, the group retains its historical role as an independent chartered command for the State of Rhode Island while also participating in parades, reenactments, historical exhibits, educational programming, and community service projects. The Rangers are dedicated stewards of their historic armory, built in 1843, and have supervised numerous preservation and interpretive projects in the building, including an installation related to the burning of the Gaspee and a timeline of Pawtuxet’s history. Established to protect Pawtuxet from war or rebellion, the Rangers today protect the village’s history and preserve the stories of generations of militia members that came before.

The International Tennis Hall of Fame has championed historic preservation at the Newport Casino (1880).

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Opened in 1880, the Newport Casino was the premier setting for sport and socializing in Gilded Age Newport. Designed by McKim, Mead and White, the campus featured shops, dining, lodging, and leisure facilities. The first U.S. National Lawn Tennis Championships (US Open) took place here in 1881. When the Casino’s future seemed uncertain in the early 1950s, Casino president Jimmy Van Alen offered a new vision. As home to the National Lawn Tennis Hall of Fame (1954), the Casino would become a shrine to tennis, balancing a reverence for history with the urge to stay current. Over the years, preservation projects like restoring the Horseshoe Piazza and rehabbing the Casino Theatre have alternated with investments in the athletic facilities. A strong educational mission drives innovations at the museum, and the Information Research Center beckons scholars of the game. As steward of the Newport Casino— "the most important item in our collection"—the International Tennis Hall of Fame is a true champion of preservation.

Project Team:          

DBVW Architects

Behan Bros., Inc.

Odeh Engineers

Farrar Associates

Walsh Brothers

Around 1887, two sisters built a Queen Anne-style home on Pawtuxet Neck, overlooking the Providence River. Eudora Beynon and her husband Joseph occupied the north half, while Ada Puffer and her husband Charles lived in the south half. In addition to the perfectly symmetrical dwelling, the sisters erected a perfectly symmetrical carriage house. By 2016, the buildings were largely intact, but in rough shape. Architect Martha Werenfels and her husband, Frank Satterthwaite, came to the rescue. At the house, they returned the porches to their historic configuration, repointed chimneys, and restored original multi-light windows. A sensitive reconfiguration of interior spaces respected the historic floor plan. The carriage house’s collapsing foundation was stabilized and deteriorated framing, shingles and trim were replaced in-kind. Martha and Frank created a home for themselves in one half of the house, a rental unit in the other half, and a charmingly offbeat apartment in the carriage house. No doubt Eudora and Ada would be pleased.

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Project Team:          

DBVW Architects

Restmere is a villa designed by architect Richard Upjohn as a summer retreat for Alexander Van Rensselaer. (c.1857).

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What do the wealthy descendant of a 17th-century Dutch jewel merchant, an early-20th-century antiques dealer, and a famous American musician have in common? Restmere, an Italianate villa in Middletown. The 1857 home was designed by Richard Upjohn as a summer residence for Alexander Van Rensselaer, a “man of means and leisure.” Between 1909 and 1914, antiquarian Adolph Audrain owned the property, introducing Classical Revival architectural elements and French furnishings. During the 1964 Newport Folk Festival, several blues musicians stayed at Restmere, including Muddy Waters. Despite its storied past, Restmere had lost its spark when John Grosvenor and Cheryl Hackett purchased it in 2016. Exterior work included a full roof replacement and restoring all the historic wood windows. On the inside, plaster walls and water-damaged ceilings were repaired, wood floors were refinished, and outdated systems were replaced. Restmere is ready for a new chapter in its fabled story.

Project Team:          

Beta Group/Gates, Leighton Associates

Behan Bros., Inc.

Camera-O’Neill Consulting Engineers, Inc.

DiPrete Engineering

A1 Roofing & Construction

Lifestyle Designs

Tom Peters Plumbing & Heating, Inc.

Jenkins Enterprises, LLC

UG Nason’s

MRG Painting

A&A Masonry & Waterproof

NE Floors

PPM

Genuine Antique Lighting

There’s a saying that “preservation is local,” and the restoration of Wickford’s Avis Block is a testament to the power of community. Named for its original owner, Avis Ann Smith, the Avis Block (1851) sits at an important intersection in Wickford Village and includes four commercial spaces and residential units above. After decades of deferred maintenance began to threaten this village landmark, it was acquired by a preservation-minded family working together as The Coletta Group. Led by art historian Natalie Coletta, the group worked with craftspeople based in Wickford and South County to restore the building’s historic storefronts and original window sash, rehabilitate unique roof dormers that suffered from long-term water damage, and repaint woodwork and trim in a historically-appropriate paint scheme. As of 2019, all commercial and residential tenants in the newly restored building are women, a legacy that would surely make Avis Ann Smith proud.

Project Team:          

The Coletta Group
Newport Window Restoration
Ritter Construction
Zuerner Design
ZK Painting LLC
Daniel M. Borsutzky
Adler’s Design Center & Hardware

In 1877, a young family moved into their elegant new home, now known as Ballou House, on Broadway in Providence. The house featured Gothic/Eastlake dormers on a mansard roof, ornate window caps with drop pendants, an Italianate porch, and a half-timbered side bay. A gift from the husband’s mother, the house stood 40 feet away from her house next door. As they say in the real estate business, "Location, location, location." In 2001, a young realtor purchased the house as a commercial investment. Sussy DeLeon invited her husband Stephen Biernacki to renovate the first floor for her office and the upper floors for rentals. Then they contacted Providence Revolving Fund to assist on a small project and Wayne Trissler stepped in with hands-on support. When porch repairs and a paint job escalated into a total exterior restoration, Sussy and Stephen kept the faith. Today, the restored house showcases Sussy and Stephen’s professional expertise. As we say, “Location, dedication, preservation.”​

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Project Team:          

Sussy DeLeon, RE/MAX New Horizons

Stephen Biernacki, Venture Enterprises

Providence Revolving Fund

This trio has converted the historic Lymansville Company Mill (1884-1956) into Lofts at Lyman Mill, with 109 market-rate apartments and creative amenities.

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In 1884-87, A. Albert Sack built a textile manufacturing plant on the Woonasquatucket River in North Providence. He achieved great success with a DIY business model: the Lymansville Company sold worsted fabrics directly to garment manufacturers, eliminating the middleman. The Santoro family and Robert Terino, who had roots in the neighborhood, purchased the historic mill in 1986. After a plan to sell to developers fell through, the partners decided to do it themselves. In 2012, they assembled state and federal preservation tax credits, a tax treaty from the Town, and personal funds to finance a project to create 109 market-rate apartments in the historic mill. A pair of original windows, discovered inside a wall, became the model for replacements. Salvaged wood flooring was reinstalled in the hallways. Unique amenities include a pet-washing station, dog parks, and an electric car charging station. Today, the Lofts at Lyman Mill are 100% occupied, a preservation success story for do-it-yourselfers everywhere.

Project Team:          

Robert Terino

Anthony Santoro

John Santoro

E.W. Audet & Sons, Inc.

The Bailey Group

Richard J. Cardarelli, Architect

Cardi’s Furniture & Mattresses/RI Design Center Coneco Engineers & Scientists

Ned Connors, Preservation Consultant

Gem Plumbing

MacRostie Historic Advisors

WinnResidential