Queen Anne Square

Queen Anne Square. . , Queen Anne Square lies within the area of some of Newport's earliest settlement. Prominent at the head of the park lies Trinity Church, a Newport icon and one of Newport's oldest congregations. Formed in 1698 as an Anglican congregation of the Church of England it remains one today as part of the Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island. The congregation built its first church shortly after forming, but by 1726, had outgrown it and built the current church. Designed by local builder Richard Munday along the lines of the church architecture by Sir Christopher Wren, it retains its splendid steeple and most of its original interior including a very rare three level wineglass pulpit., The park was a space originally created by Doris Duke as a philanthropic project and christened Queen Anne Square by the city in 1976. It was dedicated that same year by Queen Elizabeth II. Since the early 18th century, this block has been a mix of residential, retail and commercial uses. By the mid-1970s some of the buildings in the block were disused and others burned out after a serious fire. The city asked for bids for a use for the space. They included suggestions for a multi-tiered parking garage and commercial uses. Ultimately Doris Duke offered to turn the space into a park as a gift to the city., The Newport Restoration Foundation was the creation of Doris Duke. It was an unparalleled effort to save the endangered architecture of the 18th century from destruction. Newport contains more than 320 18th-century American buildings, arguably the largest such collection in the U.S. The NRF, through Miss Duke's efforts, saved more than eighty of them. No fewer than seven of the buildings surrounding the block of the park were restored by these efforts. There is no doubt that without her work, and that of other like-minded groups and individuals, Newport would be a much different place today. Thus, it is to the accomplishments of Doris Duke and many other preservationists that this park is dedicated., Creating the Park - 2013 , "The Meeting Room" in Queen Anne Square centers on the creation of stone garden rooms that trace the memory of the actual structures that once existed on the site, giving visitors an idea of the deeper history that has been a part of this historic landscape., The title conveys the intent to create spaces that invite a spirit of gathering, community and provide a place of quiet imagination in the midst of the city. Each room has its own "voice" which invokes essential elements of shelter and community; the hearth and the chimney, the wellspring, and the gathering space. As one steps onto the threshold of each, words are inscribed that invite you into each room. Researched from historic diaries and account books, these concise texts give a sense of the everyday vernacular, centered variously on community, home, hearth and commerce. These inscriptions were designed by Nicholas Benson, who based his type styles on historical examples, and inscribed by hand at his John Stevens Shop in Newport. All of the masonry is recycled from Aquidneck Island or elsewhere in the state., The landscape intent is to provide spaces that are comfortable for visitors throughout the year using plants that are both hardy and historically correct. They are all native or favorite imports of early inhabitants. Edwina Von Gal designed the plantings with trees that are all of street tree or park scale, allowing unimpeded views beneath the canopies. The trees were selected for the visual interest that they create throughout the changing seasons, such as fall color and striking winter silhouettes. For a spectacular show in early spring, and in memory of both Doris Duke and the early Newport residents who loved them, a grove of saucer magnolias drifts across the park. Please enjoy this evocative place, which celebrates the efforts of Doris Duke and numerous others in preserving so many of the special buildings of Newport. The park is a space that honors both the work and the history of this wonderful city. , - Maya Lin. , [Captions:] , As depicted in an early twentieth-century postcard view, Trinity Church has long been an architectural treasure in Newport. On the 1777 Charles Blaskowitz map the church may be seen on Spring Street, in the developed commercial center of the city., The view above shows this immediate area in 1969, when some restoration work on houses (middle right) is under way, and businesses along Thames Street (lower right) were still operating. Note the open spaces used for parking at the time., After a fire in the early 1970s among buildings adjacent to this spot, most of the businesses fronting Thames Street were gone. Egan's, a dry cleaning establishment, with its landmark smokestack, remained when Doris Duke purchased all the properties in preparation for the park project that was her gift to the city.