A Newport center for Black history, housed in the city’s oldest documented home at the Wanton-Lyman-Hazard House (c. 1697), will celebrate the contributions of Black Newporters in creating our city’s rich culture, both in the past and today. The mission of this effort will be to serve as a hub for research, scholarship, education, exhibitions, contemporary art, and community engagement; fostering critical conversations about race and equity and ensuring a more inclusive, representative, and accessible understanding of history.
To explore the experience of enslaved people and illuminate the often-overlooked narratives of Black Newporters, the Newport Historical Society is embarking on the $4.5 million Voices Campaign to restore the Wanton-Lyman-Hazard House and launch a center for Black history in Newport.
as the architect for this project. Since founding the firm in 1989, Parker and his New England-based team of architects and designers have built an impressive portfolio, including noteworthy work with other National Historic Landmarks. Their residential and preservation work has received many honors, including the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Tony Goldman Award, two New York Landmarks Conservancy Moses Preservation Awards, and two Institute of Classical Architecture & Art Stanford White Awards. KCM Group, a certified small business enterprise and full-service construction management and consulting firm, will serve as the owner’s representative.
Newport Historical Society has a promising path forward to securing $4.5 million in this Voices Campaign to create a first-of-its-kind effort to explore Black history in Newport. Investments from individuals, foundations, government funders, and corporate partners all play a critical role in achieving this goal and making Black history more visible and accessible for generations to come.
While Newport’s rich history is the cornerstone of our vibrant tourism economy, we cannot tell a selective story. The city’s past and present are built upon the slave trade and as we prepare to celebrate the semiquincentennial in 2026, there remains no historic site that is dedicated to telling this story in New England.
The Wanton-Lyman-Hazard House, a 327-year-old architectural treasure, needs significant renovations to become accessible and meet the preservation needs of the historic site.
A Newport center for Black history, in partnership with Black-led community organizations including the Newport Middle Passage Port Marker Project, will be a hub for research, education, exhibitions and community engagement, driving conversation and action towards equality.
– Joanna Baker de Neufville
– Daniel Benson
– Nancy Brickley, Treasurer
– Nancy Cushing Evans
– Wendy David
– Akeia de Barros Gomes
– Dorienne Farzan
– Anne F. Hamilton, Secretary
– Harriet Harris
– Pam Kelley
– Elizabeth Leatherman
– Karen Lloyd
– Paul McGreevy
– Douglas Newhouse, President
– Diana Pearson
– Leila Ray
– Dwight Sipprelle, Vice President
– Kathryn (KK) Streator
– Lisa Stuart
– Nancy Parker Wilson
– Thomas P.I. Goddard, President Emeritus
– Dennis McCoy, President Emeritus