View our project at the Quaker Meeting House in Newport, RI. Rob Cagnetta first visited the Meeting House 30 years ago in a class at Roger Williams University.
Why Bother Saving Buildings?

Buildings are more than just design and assembly. They are a snapshot of life. The parts are the technology, skill, and materials of a time, while the style is the culture. As buildings age, some get overlooked, fall apart or…
Timber Frames

We live in a culture of impatience and instant gratification. But for the first European American settlers, nothing was instant. When the Pilgrims finally landed in Plymouth of December 1620, they were hungry, weary, and desperate. They arrived without a…
Monuments

Monuments are left to recognize a person or event. We inscribe epitaphs defining their social relevancy to our cultural heritage, be it artistic, historical, political, technical or architectural importance. We have plaques on old houses identifying historical figures that had…
Every Building Has A Story
Every old building has a story. That story is told through what we see now, but sometimes there is a lot more to tell. We can certainly understand a building’s evolution by physical clues, but sometimes the clues are masked…
Saving Old Buildings

More historic buildings are here by chance than you think. Consider this. According to census data, there are over 330,000 Rhode Island buildings over 30 years old, with maybe 250,000 in the 50 years or older category of “historic”. There…
How can we all work to preserve Rhode Island buildings?

I have been in Rhode Island for almost 30 years. I love our community and the friends that are our family, the beauty and diversity of our landscapes and vistas, and without a doubt, I am crazy about the buildings.…
Rhode Island and the 4th of July

This 4th of July I am thinking of why we save old buildings. I am fortunate to live in Rhode Island, which is one of the most architecturally diverse states with buildings spanning from 1680 to the modern day. Many…