Jamestown Historical Society HERITAGE FALL 2016 To collect, preserve, and share with others the heritage of Jamestown, Rhode Island. FROM THE PRESIDENT I am honored to have been elected as president of In the news- the Jamestown Historical Society, following in the letter you will footsteps of longtime Board member and former learn of all of the Board president, Rosemary Enright. Having served on great work of the JHS Board for six years and as a Museum Dianne Rugh, Professional at the International Tennis Hall of Fame, Collections I’m eager to bring my experience to support all of the Committee chair passionate and hardworking people who serve and and her dedicated execute this mission year-round. team who care for The Board is a very special group of people from our valuable and our community who work tirelessly to collect, diverse collection. preserve, and share with all of you the heritage of Thousands of Jamestown. I look forward to working with them. artifacts are stored and cataloged We say good-by to two outgoing Board members under Dianne’s this year, and I’d like to thank them for their service expert guidance and the records made accessible and dedication. Terry Lanza, as Program Committee online through our website. chair, has overseen three years of events, including very successful House Tour Preview Party fundraisers. In closing, I’d like to recognize each and every For six years Larry McDonald, our Battery Committee Board member and volunteer – those who support us chair, has worked hard to make the town’s Conanicut with membership and annual fund donations and who Battery Historic Park a beautiful place to walk, keeping attend our events such as the House Tour and the existing paths opened and encouraging prospective Windmill Day as well as those who work in the vault Eagle Scouts to build new ones. on a weekly basis; the many who volunteer to greet visitors at the meetinghouse, windmill and museum; I’d also like to welcome and recognize new Board and those who help plan and manage our events. The member, Stephanie Amerigian. She has been a worker bees are listed in the Honor Roll of Volunteers member of the Collections Committee and very active on page 3. in cataloging the archival material in the collection. The newsletter includes the reports of our We are very fortunate that Rosemary Enright is Committee Chairs, so enjoy reading about all of the committed to continuing her tireless work on the exciting accomplishments from 2016. Executive Committee as our treasurer. I’m grateful for her support and guidance with the other Executive Please remember us in your philanthropic giving Committee members, vice president Jim Buttrick, who at the end of the year so we can continue to tell the is also Finance Committee chair, and secretary Heidi compelling and important stories of the history of Keller Moon. Jamestown. Your donations help us to continue our great work! Fall 2016 - 1 FINANCIAL REPORT ROSEMARY ENRIGHT The income to support the activities of the society Income from the other endowments is directed to comes from many sources. This year, annual dues and specific purposes. The windmill, meetinghouse, donations directly to the society accounted for battery, and collections all have dedicated endowments approximately 40 percent of our operating budget. and the Buttrick Building Fund income may be Sales and programs generated another 21 percent. directed to any “bricks and mortar” project. Income from the sale of Historic Tales of Jamestown In addition, the Finance Committee manages contributed significantly. approximately $180,000 in JHS investments. Over the Two grants were received in response to specific last 12 months, all income and dividends were proposals. Senator Theresa Paiva-Weed sponsored a reinvested. $1,000 Rhode Island Senate grant for maintaining the Expenses during the past year included $16,000 view corridor at the Conanicut Battery, and for major repairs at the windmill, two-thirds of which Representative Deb Ruggiero sponsored a $1,000 was paid for with a grant from The 1772 Foundation General Assembly grant to fund Windmill Day. received in 2015 and a matching grant from the Seven endowments have been established over the Buttrick Building Fund. Major components of the years to benefit the society. Income from the General administrative costs were insurance for the various Fund at the Rhode Island Foundation, along with dues sites and upgrade of hardware and software used by and donations, funds the general activities of the the Collections and Membership committees. society. Life memberships are added to the General Operating income for 2016 is expected to exceed Fund so that they continue to generate annual income. expenses by approximately $8,000. MEMBERSHIP JUDY BELL We are pleased to report that we have 312 paid If you are reading this and have yet to renew your memberships, including 124 lifetime members. membership, please considering doing so. If you have Roughly 15 percent of the households in Jamestown never been a member, we welcome you to join us. are members – a tribute to the people of Jamestown Dues pay less than 20 percent of the society’s and their affection for their town and its history. operating budget. Our Development committee will Our membership year is July 1 to June 30, and this be sending a donation request soon. And please year our first email reminder went out to members in remember the society in your estate planning. June. We followed up with "snail mail” reminders in A final note: we are getting accustomed to a new July and October. More than 80 percent of our tracking system for memberships and forgive us if members renewed – many with donations in addition there were a few glitches. We did our best to keep on to dues. Five became life members. top of it. 2 – Fall 2016 HONOR ROLL OF VOLUNTEERS FOR 2016 Alexandra Allardt Jessie Dutra Bill Leonard Carroll Pruell Dick Allphin Joe Dutra Marcia Lindsay Connie Rainone Joyce Allphin Linda Ellis Dorrie Linn Deb Ruggiero Craig Amerigan Connie Enright Anne Livingston Dianne Rugh Stephanie Amerigan John Enright Joe Logan Jim Rugh Suzi Andrews Rosemary Enright Fran Lopes Bill Salmons Rita Antine Cheryl Fernstrom Mary-Alice Lurgio Mary Lou Sanborn Jeanne Archambault Aileen Flath George Lynch Julie Sanford Eric Archer Bob Flath Stacey Lyon Ginny Saunders Carolyn Armington Moira Flath Sue Maden Lisa Sheley Judy Bell Donna Fogarty Kathy Maloney Jane Sigal Jane Bentley Denise Gamon Maggie Marcus William W Smith III Anna Bernath Ken Gladding Peter Marcus Linda Sullivan Judith Boone Nikki Gladding Myrna Maxfield Bob Sutton George Boyer Michael Glier Larry McDonald Tom Swift Sonia Boyer Janet Grant Sandra McQueen Deb Swistak Fred Brown John Grant Lois Migneault Betty Ann Taylor Lisa Bryer Mike Gray Martha Milot Gayen Thompson Carol Buglio Joan Hall Jane Miner Pat Ustick Alan Burse Madeline Gromada Karen Montoya Nancy VanDevanter Jim Buttrick Brookie Harding Heidi Keller Moon Joan Vessella Kevin Carty Mary Heath John Murphy Andy Wade Donna Chellis Gabrielle Highstein Mary Jane Murphy Chris Walsh Louis Christopher Deborah Homer Mickie Musselman Linda Warner Stacie Christopher Polly Hutcheson Martha Neale Pat Watrous Matthew Clarke Sandra Johnson Christopher Neronha Dennis Webster Edwina Cloherty Dr. Shelly Johnson Jose Neronha Ann Wilson Nicole Contino Rose Karentz Manny Neronha Jack Wilson Peter Converse Varoujan Karentz Peter Neronha Dan Wood Nancy Cresser Delia Klingbeil Zachery Neronha Dan Wright Ann Crompton Ralph Klingbeil Ken Newman Harry Wright Fuzz Crompton Bill Knapp Pat Newman Josy Wright Judy Curtis Judy Knight Barbara Parent Ann Zartler Elizabeth Di Censo Jane Koster Roland Parent Dedee Zeek Paul Di Censo Carol Lake Molly Bruce Patterson Greg Zeek Pat DiPaola Anne Lane Linnea Petersen John Drotos Terry Lanza Paul Petersen THANK YOU ! Fall 2016 - 3 PROGRAMS TERRY LANZA and JANE BENTLEY This was the first year of a program of occasional 2016 Annual Meeting outings for members to attend talks and events and to visit historic sites and museums. Our annual meeting was held at the Jamestown Philomenian Library on August 8. After a brief state- Our first event was a visit to the Naval War of-the-society report by retiring president Rosemary College Museum where former Jamestown resident Enright and the election of officers and directors, Tom Todd spoke about the ship model of the USF Brian Wallin, who writes for The Online Review of Rhode Constellation he had built and donated to the War Island History, gave a presentation about World War II College Museum. prisoner of war camps in Jamestown. House Tour Preview Party The beautiful 1885 Bryrstane on Bayview Drive, owned by Fricky Vaughn of Florida and Jamestown, was the site chosen for this year’s annual members- only House Tour Preview Party. Ms. Vaughn’s nieces Stacey and Perrin Lyons graciously hosted the summer soiree on Friday, September 9. The historic summer home is a sprawling Shingle Style cottage with an expansive porch, large lawn Tom Todd (left) and John Hattendorf, Director of the down to the East Passage, and sweeping views of the Naval War College Museum, in front of Tom’s model of the USF Constellation. In late April we attended the Rhode Island Historic Preservation Conference, an annual gathering held this year in Wickford. Talks, panel discussions and tours always make this full day event worthwhile. Our June outing was to Smith's Castle, a 1678 house museum in Wickford with Jamestown and Roger Williams connections. An in-depth tour was given by local historian and author Bob Geake. In late July we visited Fort Adams and were given Enjoying the view from the porch at Bryrstane. an outstanding tour by Rob McCormack, head of the bay and the Newport-Pell Bridge.