Hearthside - The House That Love Built

State Preservation Grant Awarded to Hearthside

For the second time, Friends of Hearthside was successful in receiving a grant from the RI Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission for capital improvements at Hearthside.

Announced at a press conference on December 5 th, the grant award of $9,000 to Hearthside was one of 21 State Preservation Grants that were provided through the preservation bond issue passed in 2004. The grant is being matched with $9,000 in funds raised by Friends of Hearthside through event and other fundraising revenue.

In 2003, Hearthside received a $51,500 grant in the initial preservation grant program. Those funds were earmarked for critical restoration work on the exterior of Hearthside, including masonry repair to the stone exterior and chimneys, window glazing, and repair of the stone steps to the back of the house. Even before the repairs got underway, however, there was a serious threat to the south wall of Hearthside. The wall was bowing, and the back steps were sinking. A major excavation project was necessary to determine the cause, and as a result, the creation of a new drainage system along the south side of the house was required to solve the problem. Construction and rebuilding of the stone steps took most of last year to complete. As a result, much of the allocated funding from the grant was spent to resolve the drainage problem, leaving an $18,000 shortfall to address the window glazing. So, an application was submitted for the necessary funds to complete the project.

With this grant, the critical restoration work to Hearthside’s exterior will be complete. Work on the masonry repair and window glazing is scheduled to begin in the spring.

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