See 2026 Session Information Below

Preservation Month – May 2026
The signature event of the Newburyport Preservation Trust is the month-long Newburyport Preservation celebration every spring, featuring illustrated lectures, architectural tours, social events, and the annual Preservation Awards presentation.
Preservation Awards. The Newburyport Preservation Trust has celebrates preservation efforts throughout our city by awarding individuals and organizations annually for their contributions toward historic preservation. Our goal is to support, promote, celebrate, and showcase preservation and raise awareness of the value and unique historic character of our community.
We invite you to participate in this celebration by nominating those projects, individuals, and/or organizations that you believe demonstrate an outstanding effort to preserve and protect our building heritage and the historic character of our city. Go to our Preservation Awards Nomination page to find out more and make a nomination.
Come to One Event or Come to All – Members Get Free Admission (except boat tour)
KEYNOTE – What’s Worth Saving: Historic Preservation Today
Friday 5/15/26 – 7:00PM at the First Religious Society Unitarian Universalist Church, 26 Pleasant Street, Newburyport.
Free to all

The history of historic preservation in the United States is one of visionary leadership, iconic battles pitting old against new, losses to the cultural landscape, cherished victories, the rebirth of neglected areas, and the exciting adaptive reuse of forgotten buildings. Famous conflicts over the future of places like McKim, Mead, and White’s Pennsylvania Station in New York City reveal the complexities of saving beloved architecture during changing times and views. What is worth saving in the 21st century has evolved into a more transdisciplinary space engaging social, cultural, economic, and environmental sustainability.
Drawing from a lifetime of leading some of the nation’s most esteemed preservation and cultural organizations, Vin Cipolla, President and CEO of Historic New England, explores the role of historic preservation today in the context of the pressures facing communities, the erosion of public infrastructure for arts and culture, and the pursuit of enhanced livability balancing the old and the new.
About the Presenter – Vin Cipolla
VIN CIPOLLA has served as Chairman, President and CEO across public and private organizations in New York, Washington, D.C., Boston and London. Appointed in 2020, he is the President and CEO of Historic New England, the oldest, largest and most comprehensive independent historic preservation organization in the United States, founded as The Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities in 1910.
Previously, he was President and CEO of the National Park Foundation, President and CEO of The Municipal Art Society of New York, Executive Director of David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center, the home of the New York Philharmonic, Chairman and President of the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston.
In the private sector, he was a President and CEO with Fidelity Capital of Fidelity Investments, and the founder of successful companies in new media, fintech and philanthropic services. Earlier in his career, he was Executive Vice President with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, including serving as Publisher and the President of Historic Hotels of America.
Other leadership includes serving on over 30 nonprofit and private boards, including as Citizen Chair of the National Park Foundation following his tenure as CEO, Co-Chair of the National Parks of New York Harbor Conservancy, serving with founder Marian Heiskell, Vice Chair of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and Chairman of The Arts Arena Paris. He has been a professor at the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation at Columbia University, a lecturer in preservation at many colleges, and is the recipient of numerous honors for his civic and business leadership. A lifelong preservation and arts advocate, he has been on the forefront of protecting and sustaining our cultural fabric.
Stewarding Your Timber Frame Home and Barn
Saturday May 2, 2026 9:30AM at the Swett Isley House, 4 High Road, Newbury, MA
Free for members. $20 for non-members

This session will help homeowners better understand their timber frame homes and structures. How do timber frames work? What are the principles behind timber frame construction? What advantages does it offer over other building methods? How do you know when repairs are needed, and how do you navigate contractors who may want to rip out all the old material? We will discuss these among other topics around understanding and maintaining timber frame homes and barns.
About the Presenter – Sophie Linnell

Sophie Linnell is a preservation carpenter and sculptor based in Boston, MA.
She brings a deep curiosity for how historic architecture is not irrelevant by nature of it being oriented in the past, but in fact integral to giving both context and inspiration to contemporary design.
After graduating with a B.A. in Studio Art & Design, she worked for a college art program in Italy. Upon returning to the States she worked as a stone mason before completing two years of studies in preservation carpentry at the North Bennet Street School. Since then, Sophie has worked in the field, individually (Linnell Restorations, LLC), and in collaboration with Owlsworth Conservation, MLB Restorations, and Matt Diana Housewright. She holds a Construction Supervisors License. In addition to her field work, Sophie is interested in learning from historic structures, preserving their presence, and sensitivelyrk, Sophie teaches undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education courses: Architectural Design/Build, Sculptural Architecture, Historic Timber Framing, Preservation Carpentry Intensive, 3D Art & Design, Woodcarving, and Sculpture.
Sophie is interested in learning from historic structures, preserving their presence, and sensitively adapting them to contemporary life in such a way that leads to a work that speaks truth to the embodied, connective human experience.

Art Conservation and Restoration –
Saturday May 9th 1:00PM at the Central Congregational Church, 14 Titcomb Street, Newburyport Grimes Room.
Free for members. $20 for non-members
Painting Conservation: Tim will discuss the conservation of paintings and frames. He will give an overview of some different conservation and restoration techniques and discuss materials used in the studio as well as ethics involved with working on historic works of art. Tim will also give some helpful pointers on how to keep your artwork at home in the best possible condition.
About the Presenter – Tim Neill
Timothy Neill is a peer reviewed Professional Member of the American Institute for Conservation and has been working in the field of art conservation since 2005. He received his Master of Science in Art Education degree from Massachusetts College of Art in Boston and his Bachelor of Arts degree in Fine Art and Art History from York College of Pennsylvania.
In 2010 Tim founded Allied Conservation in Hamilton MA, where he currently works as head conservator of paintings. Tim is a Copley Artist, (CA) at The Copley Society of Art in Boston where he served as chairman of the membership committee for many years.
He is an artist member of the North Shore Arts Association in Gloucester where he has sat on the board of trustees. He is a member of the Newburyport Art Association where he has received Master Artist designation and is an artist member of the Rockport Art Association.
Tim has taught studio art classes at the ArtRoom Studio in Topsfield MA, The Boston Arts Academy and Massachusetts College of Art. Tim resides in Hamilton MA with his wife, two boys and daughter.
Ask An Old House Expert
Saturday May 16, 2026 1:00PM at the First Religious Society Unitarian Universalist Church, 26 Pleasant Street, Newburyport, Parish Hall
Free for members. $20 for non-members
Bring your questions and your photographs to get expert advice from a team of old house specialists. Worried about your foundation? Curious about renovations over the years? What about those old drafty windows? We’ve assembled a great team to get you real information, not sales pitches.
Old House Experts Roundtable
Todd Hedly – Structural Engineering |
Brendon Murry – Masonry |
Alison Hardy – Windows |
Michel Brouns – Linseed Oil Paint |
Ellie/Barb Bailey – House Research |
Linda Miller – Architecture |
Kevin Latady – Architecture |
Rob Cagnetta – Lead Paint |
History Boat Tour
Friday May 29, 2026 – 6:15PM. Meet at the Yankee Clipper Harbor Tours dock at the Newburyport Harbor Walk, Merrimac Street, Newburyport
$35 for members. $50 for non-members
Please join Newburyport history fans for a boat tour up the Merrimac River on Friday, May 29th at 6:15 pm. The Harbor Tours boat leaves from the Newburyport boardwalk. The tour will be narrated by Ghlee Woodworth. Her vast knowledge of the area and the residents will be put to use as she unveils the history that the river area reaches. The tour lasts 1 1/2 hours and will have catered food on board and a cash bar.

Powder House Tours –
Saturday May 30, 2026 – 1:00-3:00PM. 57 Low Street, Newburyport MA 01950
Free Admission to All
See the inside of Newburyport’s restored 1822 Powder House plus demonstrations from Acton Minutemen
Preservation Awards
Sunday May 31, 2026 5/31/26 – 4:00PM at the Custom House Maritime Museum, 25 Water Street, Newburyport
This event is open to NPT members, award winners and their guests only. Join NPT from our website.
Newburyport Preservation Trust Members can join the NPT as we celebrate individuals and organizations for their contributions toward historic preservation in Newburyport. Our goal is to support, promote, celebrate, and showcase preservation and raise awareness of the value and unique historic character of our community.
If This House Could Talk

Once a year during Yankee Homecoming celebrations, Greater Newburyport residents display homemade signs about their home – its history, the occupants, or favorite stories. This is a great way to learn more about the history and architecture of the town.
The 2024 edition of “If This House Could Talk” book is available and makes a great gift! This beautiful book, in hardcover and softcover, captures the history, occupants, and architecture of many of Newburyport’s beautiful homes. During the yearly Yankee Homecoming celebration residents create and display homemade signs about their homes and some of their favorite stories associated with it. The book is $30.00 an you can find it at Jabberwocky Bookshop, the New England Sketchbook or use this order form to buy directly from the Newburyport Preservation Trust where all proceeds go toward local historic preservation efforts.
NPT Events Calendar
An Archive of Past NPT Events
Preservation Week 2025. Preservationists celebrated the iconic Pink House and multiple feats of historic reuse and craftsmanship at the Newburyport Preservation Trust’s 2025 award ceremony Sunday afternoon. About 50 supporters of Greater Newburyport’s architectural history gathered at the Custom House Maritime Museum for the award reception, the final event of Preservation Week, with the theme “Old Houses, New Stories.”
The Trust presented the Preservation Advocacy award to the five members of the Pink House board of directors for their campaign to save the iconic house from demolition. Despite valiant efforts led by the group known as Support the Pink House, the 100-year-old house on Plum Island Turnpike was torn down earlier this year. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which owns the property, is letting the land revert to its natural state as a salt marsh in keeping with the mission of the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. Rochelle Joseph, president of the Pink House board, spoke at length about the import and the impact of the heartfelt efforts to save the house that over the decades inspired artists, photographers and writers. In addition to Joseph, other board members receiving the award were Jeff Ackley, Kelly K. Page, Alison Odle and Sandy Tilton. Since Tilton was not present, Bruce Stott, whose family owned the house for many years, accepted her award.
The Trust presented Thomas L. Keller with an Exterior Preservation award for the historically accurate replacement of the wood-shingled roof of his 17th century house at 1 Federal St. Keller’s contractors, James Lipcon of Lipcon Construction of Concord and Erik Hammer of Precision Roofing of Littleton, received Historic Preservation Craftsmanship awards.
Homeowners Janet and James Laverdiere also received an Exterior Preservation award for the historically accurate storm windows now gracing their house at 17 Federal St. Adam Butler, owner of Iconic Windows in Chadds Ford, Penn., who made the windows, received a Historic Preservation Craftsmanship award.
The Preservation Trust gave an award for Exterior Restoration to Jeff and Jennifer Reed, of 7 Parker St., Newbury, for the work they did to accurately repair and replace some of the clapboards on their house, which was built for James Noyes in 1646.
The Trust presented Bethany Groff Dorau, executive director of the Museum of Old Newbury, with an Adaptive Reuse award for the preservation and restoration of the Perkins Engraving building, located behind the museum. The Perkins Building underwent an extensive renovation that included installation of temperature and humidity controls, a security system, and special storage units and racks for proper storage of the hundreds of paintings owned by the museum.
House research workshop February 20, 2025. Have you come to a dead end in your online house history research? There’s more to discover in the wonderful warrens of local archives and museums. The Museum of Old Newbury and the Newburyport Preservation Trust are partnering to present “Researching Your Historic House – Secrets the Pros Knw,” at 7 p.m. on Thursday, February 20, to provide a primer on available resources.
Museum director Bethany Groff Dorau will highlight resources available at the Museum of Old Newbury, 98 High St., while researcher Ellie Bailey will share some of her tips and tricks of the trade as she researches houses for the Newburyport Preservation Trust’s Historic House Plaque Program. Those who attend will also hear from a Newburyport homeowner who uncovered some fascinating research about their old home.
See the Preservation Week 2025 page for more details on the events of the week.
Preservation Week 2024, May 17-19, 2024. In 2024 Preservation Week speakers focused on climate change risks facing historic structures and outlined ideas for retrofitting older homes to withstand the elements. Susan Baker, collections manager for the House of the Seven Gables in Salem, gave the keynote address, “Preservation in a Changing Climate: A Case Study at the House of the Seven Gables,” on May 17. Baker spoke of the climate change impact of sea level rise, storm surge, and rising groundwater on the campus of the 1668 House of the Seven Gables, as well as changes to Salem Harbor and the coastline in general. Preservation Trust board member Reg Bacon led an Architectural Styles “Green” Bike Tour. The Window Woman of Amesbury held an open house to show visitors the ins and outs of preserving — rather than trashing — old wooden windows in historic homes. Ellie Paliga, Historic New England’s preservation services manager for Northern New England, spoke on “Energy Conservation & Retrofitting Old Houses. 2024 Preservation Awards: Adaptive reuse and new building compatibility: David Hall; Historic Landscape Restoration: The Museum of Old Newbury; Stewardship Awards: Peter S. Panas, and Tom O’Carroll; Historic Restoration Award: Ken and Kristen Jackman; Historic Preservation Craftsmanship Award: Scott Kidney.
Preservation Week 2023, May 19-21, 2023. In 2023 Preservation Week events were centered around a photography theme, “Focus On History,” and included illustrated lectures, a hands-on workshop, and NPT’s Preservation Awards. On Friday, May 19, the keynote presentation by Bob Currier, “Newburyport Then and Now,” was an eye-opening look at 50 years of change in Newburyport, as the presenter’s photos of downtown decay taken in the 1970s were shown in contrast to 2023 photos from the same vantage points taken by NPT board member Richard Lodge. On Saturday morning, May 20, architect/photographer Kevin Latady — also an NPT board member — presented the hands-on workshop “Photographing Historic Buildings.” Attendees first gathered at the Perkins Printing & Engraving Plant for a presentation on the principles such as weather, lighting, and composition, and then fanned out on nearby streets to put the new knowledge into practice before returning to discuss results. On Sunday afternoon, May 21, Susan C. S. Edwards, retired executive director of the Museum of Old Newbury, presented an illustrated lecture at the Newburyport Community Center, “The Newburyport Origins of Photography,” which detailed the 19th-century daguerreotype experiments and photos by city native Dr. Henry Coit Perkins. Late Saturday afternoon was the presentation of NPT’s Preservation Awards at St. Paul’s Church — a return of the annual awards after a three-year pandemic suspension. 2023 Preservation Awards: Interior Restoration: Jennifer & Jeff Reed; Exterior Restoration: Jessica & Matthew Little; Exterior Renovation: Sharon Harris & Lowell Barrett; Adaptive Reuse: Stephen DeLisle & Brin Stevens; Preservation Advocacy: Stephanie Niketic; Historic Craftsman: Arron Sturgis; and Community Recognition: Pamela Standley-Jamison.
Preservation Week 2022, May 20-22, 2022. In 2022 Preservation Week’s industrial history theme was the “The Mills of Newburyport: The Dream That Ran Out of Steam — From 19th-Century Speculation to 21st-Century Preservation.” The keynote presentation on Friday evening was followed by a weekend of guided and self-guided outdoor walking tours, all of which incorporated stories of innovative technology, entrepreneurship, immigrant opportunity, worker exploitation, growth of mill neighborhoods, economic change, and, in more recent times, the adaptation of old but-still robust mill buildings for new uses. On Friday evening was an illustrated lecture at the Custom House Maritime Museum by author, historian, and museum professional R.W. Bacon that provided micro and macro context for the weekend walking tours. On Saturday were guided walking tours of the 1846 Ocean Mills complex on Kent St. (now in residential use), and the former site of the 1845 Globe Steam Mill at Liberty and Federal Sts.(now the site of the Tannery Marketplace). Through the weekend were self-guided exterior walking tours of the 1843 James Steam Mill (now in residential use), and the 1866 Merrimac Arms/Towle Building (now medical offices). Outdoor explorers also enjoyed guided tours of Newburyport’s 1822 Powder House Park & Learning Center led by trust co-president Tom Kolterjahn, who directed NPT’s award-winning multi-year preservation/restoration project. The nominations, documentation, and evaluations for NPT’s Preservation Awards were suspended for 2022.
The Pandemic Time-Out of 2020 and 2021: Preservation Week events were suspended in 2020 and 2021.
Preservation Week 2019, May 17-19, 2019. In 2019 Preservation Week turned the three-day spotlight on Newburyport’s smaller footprint homes in the National Register Historic District, how they fit into the city’s history, and how they contribute to neighborhood ambience. The “Small Houses – Big History” weekend included keynote speaker Chris Scoville of the Boston Preservation Alliance presenting “Beyond Brick and Mortar: Preserving a Sense of Place”; a nautical-themed scavenger hunt for families; an architectural walking tour of the Ocean Mills neighborhood, home to the growing population of 19th-centiury mill worker families; a tour and workshop with Window Woman of New Hampshire; tours of NPT’s Powder House Park and Learning Center; a fund-raising concert by the Chris Walton Band; and a walking tour of small-footprint historic homes in the South End. Preservation Week 2019 concluded on Sunday with the annual Preservation Award ceremony and reception. 2019 Preservation Awards: Preservation Leadership: Bethany Groff Dorau; Stewardship: Ann & Jeffery Stott, Amanda & David Kipp, and Patricia & Philip Hurzeler;; Historically Sensitive Craftsman: Robert Himeon; Interior Restoration: Barbara Posnansky; and Next Generation Preservationist awardees: Maximin Clement, Maeve Taylor, Carly Schwab, Matthew Bazenas, Issa Garcia and Jackson Byrne.
Preservation Week 2018, May 19-20, 2018. Newburyport celebrated and commemorated historic preservation during the 12th annual Newburyport Preservation Week, May 19-20, 2018. The 2018 theme was “Newburyport Parks: Past, Present, & Future.”Events included tours and presentations at Battis Grove on the Clipper City Rail Trail, Powder House Park & Learning Center, Atwood Park, Atkinson Common, and Cornelius J. Doyle Triangle; plus an anniversary open house at Window Woman of New England. This year’s keynote presentation was “Bartlet Mall: History, Significance, and Preservation,” by architect Charles O. Griffin, Saturday afternoon at the historic 1805 courthouse on High Street. The presentation filled the upstairs courtroom of the Charles Bulfinch-designed building with attendees eager to learn about the restoration possibilities for the Bartlet Mall trees, slopes, fountain, and pond. 2018 Preservation Awards: Preservation awards in multiple categories brought Preservation Week 2018 to a celebratory conclusion at the Custom House Maritime Museum on May 20, 2018. At the standing-room-only ceremony, the Newburyport Preservation Trust presented its 2018 awards in six categories: Stewardship: David A. Bak & Deborah A. Duncan (34 Boardman Street); Martha C. Muldoon & Carolyn J. Davis (6 Beck Street); James G. Shanley & Karen P. Battles (15 Olive Street); and Kenneth A. & Lauren J. Woods (18 Temple Street); Education: John M. Webber, teacher at Rupert A. Nock Middle School; Research: Sharon L. Spieldenner, senior librarian and archivist at the Newburyport Public Library Archival Center; Leadership: W. Michael Mroz, former director of the Custom House Maritime Museum in Newburyport; Historically Sensitive Craftsman: Paul R. Miller (1931-2012) of Newburyport; Philanthropy: James Agrippe Morrill, Robert Dodge Morrill, & James Astle Morrill, trustees of the Mayor Gayden W. Morrill Charitable Foundation.
Preservation Week 2017, May 10-16, 2017. This year’s Preservation Week theme, “Newburyport in the Historic American Buildings Survey,” looked back at the federal program that advanced architectural preservation in the 1930s. In Newburyport, one property surveyed in 1934 was the “Old Gaol” on Auburn Street, and on May 19, 2017 the well-preserved granite structure was in the spotlight as the venue for a sold-out fund-raising event for the Newburyport Preservation Trust. Newburyporters were happy to spend “An Evening in Gaol,” thanks to the welcoming generosity of property owners Chuck & Gillian Griffin. Other highlights of the week were the debut of a new book, The HABS and the HABs NOTS: Documenting the Architecture of Newburyport in the Historic American Buuildings Survey; two exhibitions related to the Historic American Buildings Survey, one at the Custom House Maritime Museum and one at the Museum of Old Newbury; Open House at the Perkins Mint; Sash Revival Day with Window Woman of New England; and the presentation of the annual Preservation Awards. 2017 Preservation Awards: Kathleen Schoonmaker & Sandra Pilt (interior restoration); Craig & Karen Holt (historically sensitive addition); James & Clorinda Schiavone (adaptive reuse); Luka Celebic (preservation craftsman); Robin Pagliarulo for (preservation sensitive Realtor – new category); The Newburyport Art Association (historically sensitive community garden – new category); Jesse “Skip” Motes & Marge Motes (historical research); and Charles & Gillian Griffin (landmark preservation of Newburyport’s 1825 “Old Gaol”).
Preservation Week 2016, May 10-16, 2016. Newburyport celebrated and commemorated historic preservation during the tenth annual Newburyport Preservation Week, May 10-15, 2016. The 2016 theme, “Preserving the Architecture of Faith,” featured the architecture and preservation of the city’s many churches, old and new, and their presence that contributes to our sense of place. Six days of activities for all ages and interests included tours, lectures, and the annual Historic Preservation Awards. Events included: Illustrated Lecture Presentation & Reception, Newburyport’s Architecture of Faith, by R.W. Bacon; Open House & Burying Ground Tours, First Parish Church of Newbury; Presentation & Tour: “Visions Of Hope: The Story of Hope Community Church Since 1805,” by Pastor Pete Balentine at Hope Community Church; Open House at the Cushing House (Museum of Old Newbury); Open House at the Perkins Printing & Engraving Plant (Museum of Old Newbury); Presentation & Tour: Central Congregational Church; Presentation & Reception: “A Preservation Commitment Journey: The First Religious Society Steeple Project,” by William Heenahan; Walking Tour: “Historic Churches,” by Ghlee Woodworth; Tour: “A Woman, a Dream, and a Library” at the Emma L. Andrews Library; Tour: “Old South Church History Tour”; Tour: Powder House Park & Learning Center; Tour & Discussion: “Sabbath in the Synagogue” at Congregation Ahavas Achim; Performance “American Music Sampler” at St. Paul’s Church; Open House: First Religious Society, Unitarian Universalist Church; Sanctuary Tour & Music: Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church; Organ Concert & tour at Belleville Congregational Church; and the 2016 Preservation Awards Presentation & Reception. 2016 Preservation Awards: Leading the list of this year’s Preservation Award recipients was the First Religious Society and its team of experts that restored the exterior and steeple at 26 Pleasant Street: Painters Pride, Matthew Construction, Rich Duca Design, Young’s Woodworking, Anthony & Associates, American Steeple & Tower Co., and Construction Engineering Services. Also receiving awards in various categories were Kem & Betsy Widmer (Interior & exterior restoration of 272 High Street); Gerald Lipsky & Carol Rouleau (Stewardship, 26 Olive Street); Brendan & Katy Banovic (Window Restoration, 1 Walnut Street); William & Deanna Swilling (Historic Landscape Restoration, 6 Dexter Street); Window Woman of New England (Historic Window Preservation); John Leydon & Debra Pare (Historic Masonry Repair, 2 Beck Street).
Preservation Week 2015, May 12-17, 2015. The 2015 theme was “Signs of the Times,” referencing the new National Register District Signs, the new NPT Historic House Plaque program, and the pro-preservation sentiment of Newburyport voters at the ballot box after failed Local Historic District campaign. A highlight of the week was the ceremonial unveiling and installation on May 12 of five signs that mark the city’s National Register Historic District. The district – the largest in Massachusetts, encompassing over 2500 contributing structures from Joppa in the South End to Atkinson Common in the North End – was established in 1984 by the U.S. Department of the Interior to recognize the national significance of the city’s architecture, grand and modest, from the late 17th century to the early 20th century. Other highlights included an exhibition at the Custom House Maritime Museum detailing the Historic American Building Survey (HABS) of Newburyport’s restored 1822 Powder House; a presentation by Window Woman of New Hampshire; plus tours, lecture programs, and the annual Preservation Awards. 2015 Preservation Awards: Awards were presented to recipients in the following categories: Historically Sensitive Planner/Consultant – Nicholas Cracknell, Amesbury, Mass.; Stewardship – William Hickey (1 Parsons St.); Stewardship – Howard & Dorothy Fairweather (4 Parsons Street); Historic Landscape Restoration – Belleville Improvement Society (Atkinson Common); Preservation Research – Linda Tulley; Preservation Leadership – Linda Smiley; Historically Sensitive Contractor/Builder – Brad Kutcher (386 High Street); Historically Sensitive Contractor/Builder – Mark Wojcicki (386 High Street); Exterior Restoration – Paul & Patricia Henault (owners) (7 Marlboro Street); and Exterior Restoration – Dodge & Dodge General Contractors (contractors) (7 Marlboro Street).
Preservation Week 2014, May 14-18, 2014. The theme of Preservation Week 2014 was Celebrating the City’s 250th Anniversary and the Challenges of Preserving Our City. Events included: a fund-raiser at Oregano’s Restaurant; a week-long exhibition, Vanishing Treasures:Preservation Challenges; an interactive debate illuminating the 1764 separation of Newbury and Newburyport, Separation Anxiety; a lecture, What Style is My House and Why Should I Care?; a tour of historic fireplaces with restoration mason Richard Irons; a living history tour of the Emma L. Andrews Library; tours of the Powder House Park & Learning Center; tours of the Old South Church; a walking tour of the Clipper Heritage Trail with local historian Ghlee Woodworth; a lecture, High on High: An Exquisite High Street Home Restored; a tour of St. Anna’s Chapel, A Historic Restoration in Progress; a lecture by Historic New England’s Sally Zimmerman, Reading the Clues; and the 2014 Preservation Awards. Preservation Week 2014 was presented in partnership with the Custom House Maritime Museum, the Theater-in-the-Open, and Historic New England. 2014 Preservation Awards: Historically Sensitive Craftsman: Jasper March; Historically Sensitive Craftsman: Benjamin Twombly; Historic Landscape Restoration: 100 State St. Condominium Association and Matthew Blanchette, Preservation Mason; Stewardship: Leah McGavern & Clifford Goudey (21 Marlboro St.); Exterior Restoration: St. Anna’s Chapel of St. Paul’s Church (166 High St.); Interior Restoration: St. Anna’s Chapel of St. Paul’s Church (166 High St.); Preservation Leadership: Jared Eigerman (Newburyport City Councilor, Ward 2); and Sensitive Addition to a Historic Building: Newburyport YWCA (11 Market St. apartments).
Preservation Week 2013, May 8-12, 2013. The theme of Preservation Week 2013 was Women and Preservation. Events included: a fund-raiser at Oregano’s Restaurant; a lecture, Women at Sea; a lecture, Women: History’s Silent Partners; a tour of historic fireplaces in the South End with restoration mason Richard Irons; a tour of the Emma Andrews branch library, A Woman, a Dream, and a Library; a tour of St. Anna’s Chapel at St. Paul’s Church; a tour of Old South Church; a walking tour, Newburyport’s Historic Business Women; a Tales & Ales historic tavern dinner at Historic New England’s Swett-Illsley House; a lecture and Mother’s Day brunch, The Herbalist’s Garden, with John Forti of Strawbery Banke Museum; a tour of Powder House Park & Learning Center; and a lecture, The Passionate Preservationist, by Historic New England’s Sally Zimmerman. Three of the events were held at the Custom House Maritime Museum. Newburyport Preservation Week 2013 was presented in partnership with Historic New England and the Custom House Maritime Museum. The Institution for Savings was a sponsor of The Herbalist’s Garden lecture on Mother’s Day. 2013 Preservation Awards: In 2013 awards were made in the following categories: Stewardship – Cynthia & Byron Getchell for maintaining historical aspects of their home at 14 Milk Street for more than 30 years; Preservation Design – Linda Reppucci for restoration of her 1900 bungalow at 330 Merrimac Street; Window Restoration – Novack & Stephanie Niketic were honored for their work at their Italianate house at 93 High Street; Contractor-Builder Award -Pat & Bill Starck of Starck Housejoiners, Inc. (storm window work at 93 High Street); Historic Landscape – Jennifer Day & Marc Cendrone for their effort on an 1840 garden layout at their home at 89-91 High Street; Preservation Leadership – William Harris for his dedication over the years in preserving Newburyport’s historical assets; Adaptive Reuse – Julia & Walter Clay at 8 Dexter Lane (carriage barn) and Dr. Saira Naseer (offices) for adapting the Nicholas Brady House at 28 Green Street for use as a medical resource.
Preservation Week 2012, May 16-20, 2012. On the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812, the theme of Preservation Week 2012 was Newburyport’s Waterfront: God, Gold, & Guns. Events included: a fund-raiser at Oregano Restaurant; continuous showings of the 1975 documentary film, A Measure of Change A Pictorial Overview of the Newburyport Waterfront, a presentation of maps, paintings, and photos from the collection of the Custom House Maritime Museum; Adventures: Water Street Entrepreneurs of Maritime Newburyport, a presentation on the evolution of the city’s maritime trade; Tales and Ales, a historic dining experience at Historic New England’s 1670 Swett-Ilsley House (two nights!); Tiptoe Through the Tombstones, a walking tour of Oak Hill Cemetery; The Newburyport Powder House & Shipping, a presentation on the 1822 Powder House and an update on NPT’s ongoing restoration project; Newburyport’s Civil War Highlights, a walking tour and musket firing; Rediscovering Coombs and Lower Bartlet Wharves, a documentary film about recent archaeological discoveries; Brunch With Boardman, a brunch at the Henry Learned House followed by a lecture on Revolutionary-era privateer Capt. Offin Boardman; a tour of the St. Paul’s Church cemetery; a tour of Old South Church; the 2012 Preservation Awards ceremony; and A Waterfront Retrospective, a panel discussion on Newburyport’s 1960s-1970s partial demolition and eventual preservation. Six of the aforementioned events were held at the Custom House Maritime Museum, with post-event receptions. 2012 Preservation Awards: Preservation Leadership Award – Linda Miller; Outstanding Exterior – The Geerling House, 212 High St., Brenda & Huib Geerling; Outstanding Interior – The Herlihy House, 82 Middle St., Mary and Dan Herlihy; Landscape Restoration – Italianate Gardens at Maudslay State Park (Sandee Liversidge, Stephanie Hufnagel, Lindsay Cavanagh, Lillian Newbert, Karen Wakefield & Amy King); Contractor/Builder – Joseph Napolitano, nominated by the Powder House Restoration Committee; Written History – Jean Doyle, for her two-volume series on Newburyport from 1900-1985; Artifact Preservation – Researchers honored were Cynthia Muir, Susan Gallagher, & Jack Volke; History Education – Lawrence Rosenblum & Ronald Fleming for their 1975 documentary, A Measure of Change.
Winter Seminar 2012. The one-day seminar, The Mystery of History: Researching & Documenting Your Old House, was presented Saturday, January 21 at Joppa Flats Education Center. The seminar included presentations on deed research (Skip & Marge Motes), documenting buildings through measurement, drawing, and photography (Linda Miller), and architectural investigation and historical archaeology (Joe Cornish & Caitlin Corkins of Historic New England). NPT members and presenters Skip & Marge Motes have generously made their 33-page house history research guide available to all as a downloadable and printable PDF file: The Mystery of History: Researching & Documenting Your Old House.
Preservation Week 2011, May 14-22, 2011. On the bicentennial of the 1811 fire in Newburyport that consumed over 16 acres of the downtown, the theme and title of the opening event of Preservation Week 2011 was Newburyport Up From the Ashes: After the Great Fire 1811-2011. Events included: Walk Newburyport, an architectural walking tour in conjunction with NPT’s newly-published book of the same name; All Fired Up, a chamber music concert fundraiser; the Blazing a Path to Preservation Bike Tour; a seminar in conjunction with the Custom House Maritime Museum, Historic Wharves of New England; a report on the Newburyport Powder House restoration project, Powderhouses – They’re Explosive!; a Historic New England lecture/presentation, Hot Preservation, Inside and Out; a mid-week fund-raising dinner; an illustrated presentation on a Portsmouth, N.H. restoration project, Flickers of the Past: The Joshua Wentworth House; the Sparks of History House Tour of a High Street mansion;an exhibition, Firehouses & Fire Trucks at the Ould Newbury Fire Museum; an illustrated presentation, Newburyport Fires & Firefighting Over Two Centuries; the NPT Preservation Awards ceremony; and a closing reception. In conjunction with Historic New England were several afternoons of vintage baseball at Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm, the Anatomy of a Fireplace seminar; and Tales and Ales dinner events at the Swett-Ilsley House. 2011 Preservation Awards: 25 Ashland Street, Emma Andrews Library Improvement Association, Ghlee Woodworth, 9 Orange Street, Historical Society of Old Newbury, and Sally Zimmerman.
Preservation Week 2010, May 17-23, 2010. The 2010 Preservation Week event featured eight events: The Big Bang, a presentation on the powder house restoration and Civil War military re-enactment; White on White, a film and lecture about the early rural meetinghouses in New England; Restoring Old Hill, an update on preserving Old Hull Burying Ground, plus a demonstration on tombstone preservation and restoration; Tiptoe through the Tombstones, a tour of Oak Hill Cemetery and reception at the restored Brown Chapel; Music and the Manse, a fundraiser for the NPT featuring 18th century music; an Architectural Bike Tour of period homes of Newburyport; From Farms to Factories, a lecture and slide presentation of Newburyport’s past; History Stations, short takes on Newburyport’s past presented along Newburyport’s new rail trail; and the presentation of NPT’s annual awards. 2010 Preservation Awards: 47 High Street, 25 Water Street (Custom House), 21 Munroe Street, 1 Marlboro Street, 89 Curzon Mill Road, Anthony Furnari/DPS (City of Newburyport), and State Rep. Mike Costello.
Newburyport: Farms to Factories. This Preservation Week 2010 presentation at the Firehouse Center for the Arts by the Newburyport Preservation Trust was in collaboration with the Historical Society of Old Newbury. The program detailed the evolution from an agricultural to an industrial economy. Presenters were architect Linda Miller and Cushing House Museum curator Jay Williamson.
Preservation Week 2009, May 27-31, 2009. “This Place Matters” was the theme of Preservation Week 2009, which featured eight events: a viewing of A Measure of Change, the award-winning video documentary about Newburyport’s preservation in the 1970s; Who Put the History in the Historic Paint Palette, a presentation on the development of “historic” paint colors; an exhibition of children’s drawings of and letters to their houses; the Pedaling Through the Past bike tour, highlighting the history of the South End; a cemetery tour focusing on the Coffin family of Newbury; an architectural walking tour, Four Centuries of Building History; a family scavenger hunt and Historic New England’s Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm; and Lost in Newburyport: Changes Revealed Through Photographs, a narrated slide presentation chronicling 150 years of Newburyport history; and presentation of the annual Preservation Awards. 2009 Preservation Awards: 65 Water Street (Newburyport Art Association), 31 Toppans Lane, 24 Broad Street, and Richard Irons.
Preservation Week 2008, May 13-18, 2008. Preservation Week 2008 presented a range of educational programs useful to homeowners desiring to preserve their property the right way. The event featured six programs during the course of the week: a panel discussion, Protecting Your Property for Future Generations; the Fruit Street Crawl, a walking tour of the city’s first Local Historic District; a lecture, Your Old House and How to Conserve its Historic Character, a lecture, Old House Restoration: How to do it the Right Way; Dirt Detectives, a family archaeology program; a showing of A Measure of Change, the award-winning film documentary about Newburyport’s preservation in the 1970s; and the presentation of the annual Preservation Awards. 2008 Preservation Awards: 17 Federal Street, Brown Chapel, 323 Merrimac Street, and 1 Jefferson Street.
NPT’s Restoration Lecture Series – 2008
What Architectural Style is Your House? Newburyport Architectural Styles 1620-1900. A Newburyport Preservation Trust presentation at the Custom House Museum in 2008, part one of NPT’s Six Degrees of Restoration series. Presenters were architects Linda Miller, Greg Colling, and Chuck Griffin.
Historic Window Restoration. A Newburyport Preservation Trust presentation at the Custom House Museum in 2008, part two of NPT’s Six Degrees of Restoration series. Presenters were Bill & Pat Starck of Starck Housejoiners.
Your House, and How to Preserve Its Historic Character. A Newburyport Preservation Trust presentation at the Custom House Museum in 2008, part three of NPT’s Six Degrees of Restoration series.
Of Hearth and Home. A Newburyport Preservation Trust presentation at the Custom House Museum on Sept. 16, 2008, part four of NPT’s Six Degrees of Restoration series.
Anatomy of a Restoration. A Newburyport Preservation Trust presentation at the Custom House Museum on Nov. 18, 2008, part six of NPT’s Six Degrees of Restoration series.
Preservation Week 2007, May 5-12, 2007. NPT’s first Preservation Week, in 2007, aimed to initiate discussion on how to balance Newburyport’s present-day vitality with its historic foundations. Seven events were scheduled throughout the week: a tour of the “Old Gaol” on Auburn Street; a panel discussion,Historic, Green, & Profitable, about preservation and sustainable development; Restore It, a presentation chronicling the kitchen remodeling of an 18th-century home (the first of NPT’s six-part lecture series); a tour of the Tracy Mansion, now the Newburyport Public Library; Treasures of Newburyport, an overview of the holdings of the library’s Archival Center; Light and Color, with interpretations of old Nebwuryport as rendered by painter Richard Burke Jones; a viewing of A Measure of Change, the award-winning video documentary about Newburyport’s 1970s restoration, and presentation of the annual Preservation Awards. 2007 Preservation Awards: 22 Prospect Street, Old South Church, 14 Beck Street, Bartlet Mall, 299 High Street, David Webb, and Newburyport City Hall.

