The cultural and historic preservation program is
housed in the Antone Academic Center, the original carriage house and stables
for Chateau-sur-Mer, the first of Newport's grand Belleveue Avenue mansions. The
building was restored completely in 2005-2006 and, as part of the
Chateau-sur-Mer estate, was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2006.
Students are encouraged to make extensive use of two
600-square-foot laboratory spaces in the Antone Academic Center: the Community
Preservation Laboratory and the Architectural History Laboratory.
Community Preservation Laboratory
The Community Preservation Laboratory serves multiple
functions. The laboratory houses archaeological collections from the Norman
Bird Sanctuary, the Newport Historical Society's Wanton-Lyman-Hazard House and
several historical properties owned and maintained by the Newport Restoration
Foundation. Outfitted primarily as an archaeological laboratory, the
Communication Preservation Laboratory has wet and dry areas, work tables and a state-of-the art fume hood. A library of more than 300 rare and antiquarian books about
historical artifacts is available for student use in the lab.
The laboratory also houses the programs's geophysical
equipment, including ground-penetrating radar and electrical resistivity
equipment, and the software to analyze data from historical landscapes and
archaeological sites. The program has made an extensive commitment to
geophysical method and theory, a commitment supported by the U.S. Department of
Education, the van Beuren Charitable Foundation and the Alletta Morris McBean
Charitable Trust.
Architectural History Laboratory
The Architectural History Laboratory serves as the
laboratory for the course Practices of Historic Preservation, the second half of
the introductory sequence to the major, and also functions as an architectural history
classroom and a space for seminars. The laboratory is equipped with eight
drafting tables, a teacher’s station with projection and an extensive library
of preservation and architectural historical journals for student use.