New vision for historic square rooted in old

There are streets in Newport today that a colonist who witnessed the first public reading of Rhode Island’s Royal Charter of 1663 might recognize.
These narrow lanes lined with 17th-century buildings have undergone only modest changes since the charter granted Rhode Island and Providence Plantations religious and political freedoms then unknown in North American colonies.
But it’s been many decades since Washington Square, the historic heart of the city, where the charter itself first debuted before the people 350 years ago, was one of them. In a city known for mansions, beaches and souvenir shops, Washington Square’s more utilitarian history as a transportation and meeting hub has caused it to be overlooked.
Now that’s changing. After years of planning and individual restoration projects, a community group looking to return the square to its former glory has unveiled a new vision tied to the upcoming 350-year anniversary of the charter signing.
The boldest part of the new plans is a proposal to unearth a spring – now covered by asphalt and a gas station – that first drew colonists to congregate in Washington Square and made it a central meeting point.
Once restored, the spring would form the center of a new “Charter Square” public outdoor space, organizing what is now one of the city’s most confusing intersections while highlighting the constellation of historic buildings around it.
Ultimately, supporters of the project see it as more than a way to improve an under-utilized piece of land, but a major opportunity to leverage the city’s historical place as a cradle of American democracy and religious freedom.
“There are five buildings that are historic landmarks and they form an amphitheater around this spring, which is enriched with history,” said John Grosvenor, principal of Northeast Collaborative Architects and a member of the Washington Square Roots Group working to revitalize the area. “If we get a great design and play our cards right, we could be a candidate for a [UNESCO] World Heritage Site.” Newport has tried unsuccessfully for World Heritage status twice before, once for its Colonial structures and once for the Bellevue Avenue mansions.
But leaders in the city and across the state, noting the dearth of UNESCO sites in the United States and the potential economic benefit, have not given up and think Washington Square could be critical to future success.
“We believe Newport is the best-preserved Colonial city in United States,” said Edward Sanderson, executive director of the R.I. Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission and chairman of the Rhode Island 1663 Colonial Charter 350th Anniversary Commission. “The fact is in the 20th century there have been modern accretions that tended to obscure Newport’s Colonial roots. The gas station would be an example of those accretions and they need to be removed for Newport to reclaim its heritage.”
Last weekend, Washington Square Roots sponsored a series of community workshops, or “charettes” to gather ideas from residents on what they would like to see, not only at “Charter Square,” but throughout Eisenhower Park and all the way down to Long Wharf and the harbor.
After experiencing the arguments and acrimony connected with the renovation of Queen Anne Square earlier this year, organizers of the Washington Square Project have made it a priority to engage the community in decision-making.
Unlike the Queen Anne Square Project, the vision for Washington Square fits within a larger effort to revitalize the center of the city that’s commercial as well as historical.
This year, the city completed a $4 million, federally funded project to widen and improve the sidewalks around Washington Square to make the area more inviting. At the same time, the City Council has removed rules preventing al-fresco dining on the sidewalks outside restaurants, with the idea that the outdoor activity will draw foot traffic up into streets away from the main tourist centers.
And on Broadway, the central city artery that ends in Washington Square, a major streetscape-improvement project has been started to make it more walkable and boost commerce.
“The revitalization of good, downtown centers and bringing residents back downtown is all good economic development,” said Jody Sullivan, executive director of the Newport County Chamber of Commerce, which co-sponsored the Washington Square charette.
Sullivan said the “Charter Square,” idea is certain to be more complicated and could draw concern from business owners based on traffic and parking concerns, but is too important not to explore.
“I think historic tourism has proven to bring a quality visitor that stays longer and spends more money, with less of a carbon footprint,” Sullivan said. “We have more Colonial buildings here than New York and Philadelphia combined. It is important to preserve what makes us special.”
While Washington Square revitalization planning has been going on for nearly a decade, the move to unearth the historic spring and create a new public space took off about eight months ago when the gas station that stands on the site was put up for sale.
“When the gas station went on the market in the spring, it was felt that this was a window of opportunity to take a very important site and integrate it into Washington Square in a way it hasn’t been for 150 years,” said Ross Cann, principal of A4 Architecture and founding chairman of Newport Architectural Forum, one of the Square Roots stakeholder groups.
The spring was buried and what is now Coffey’s Texaco Station appeared on Spring Street in the early 20th century when cars replaced ships and horses as the dominant mode of transportation in the country. As they were elsewhere, in Newport gas stations were placed at the central transportation junctions that used to service horses, without much thought for how they would impact the streetscape and neighborhood years later. To secure Coffey’s gas station, Washington Square Roots has brought in the Trust for Public Land, a national preservation nonprofit to act on its behalf.
The Trust for Public Land is negotiating with station owner Neil Coffey and Grosvenor said the two parties have agreed to a price, but details of the underground environmental cleanup remain to be worked out.
A second automotive business just across the street from Coffey’s, Jey’s Detailing Inc., could also be acquired by the Trust for Public Land, but Grosvenor said there were other potential buyers and that deal was less certain.
The land acquisitions would be paid for by private donations to Washington Square Roots and eventually the property would be turned over to the city or another nonprofit for management and maintenance.
Although Grosvenor has his own ideas for what Charter Square would include (such as a 7.5-foot high granite horse trough donated to the city), he said the design would reflect community priorities and likely would come out of an international design competition.
The city would also become a major partner in deciding how best to change the now-confusing traffic flow around the square.
“I think it is quite doable – these are not buildings we would be putting up,” Grosvenor said, estimating the project could cost around $3 million. “We have already received donations and are very close to having enough money.”
If all goes according to plan, Grosvenor said he hopes to break ground on Charter Square by next summer’s 350-year anniversary of the Royal Charter of 1663, which is set to be commemorated in events across the state. •

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