Innovation, trial and error, and financial struggle marked the founding years of the Preservation Society of Newport County.  Foremost, the flexibility and foresight of the early officers and board of trustees allowed the organization to grow toward its own unique identity as steward of an outstanding wealth of architectural heritage, and promoter of community partnerships in preservation that rejuvenated a fading Newport.  As the Society grew they embraced opportunities that changed their course and redefined their mission.  Throughout these years and beyond, one woman, Katherine Urquhart Warren, held a steady hand at the helm.

Precedents in Preservation

                When the Preservation Society of Newport County (PSNC) incorporated in 1945 it was preceded by a little over a century of preservation efforts in the United States.  These milestone initiatives provided a valuable frame of reference and the impetus for moving forward in the second half of the twentieth century to merge the cultural inheritance of a singular city with its future.