Kickoff Party at Arcade Providence Open to Public, Will Feature New Harvest Cash Bar
RIHS, Partners Officially Launch Effort to Digitize Seminal Architect???s Plans
In partnership with historian David Harrington, the Rhode Island Historical Society is leading a collaborative effort with the help of the Providence Athenaeum, Linden Place, and the Arcade Providence to assemble a comprehensive database of digitized plans, drawings, and other documentation detailing the life and work of Tiverton-born architect Russell Warren.
Warren???s vision during the 19th century helped shape Bristol, Providence, and other cities in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and beyond. His many contributions include such iconic buildings as the Arcade Providence (in collaboration with James C. Bucklin), Manning Hall at Brown University, the Levi Gale House in Newport, and the Nathan Durfee House in Fall River.
On Friday, Oct. 14, 5:30pm, the public is invited to help celebrate the project at a reception at the Arcade Providence. Warren???s drawings will be made available for viewing, and the architect himself is expected to make an appearance in the person of historical interpreter Harrington. Admission to the event is free ??? with registration required at http://therussellwarrenproject.brownpapertickets.com ??? and New Harvest Coffee & Spirits will operate a cash bar.
The mission of the Russell Warren Digitization Project is to make available in a single location the plans created by Russell Warren, as well as the historical documents relating to his life, which are currently scattered across the region. By digitizing these records, the RIHS and its partners will welcome broader access to a major collection via one online catalog, while protecting the original materials from repeated physical use. Over the course of this project, the RIHS hopes to encourage other members of the community to identify their own pieces of Russell Warren???s history, helping to draft a more complete picture of the prolific Rhode Island architect.
The pilot project for the Russell Warren Digitization was made possible by the Archive, Document, Display, and Disseminate Fund at the Rhode Island Foundation.