History
The Town of Warren encompasses 400 years of significant history and architecture but by the turn of the twenty first century many of the most iconic and historic structures in Warren were in poor condition and suffering from years of deferred maintenance.
Some of the largest and most significant historic structures in Warren are owned by non-profits with declining memberships and the inability to provide the annual maintenance and restoration work required. In 2013 a small group of residents met and agreed to form a foundation, governed by a board of trustees with the mission:
To preserve and enhance the quality of life enjoyed by residents by protecting, restoring and maintaining buildings, structures, and open spaces with historical and architectural significance.
HISTORIC WARREN ARMORY GRANT PRESENTATION
In early 2014 the Foundation, using proceeds from a gala and dinners, created and publicized a grant program for non-profits in Warren. The Foundation’s Board of Trustees voted to award annual grants on a matching 1:1 basis. The first grant awarded was to the Historic Warren Armory on Jefferson Street for the repair and restoration of the five-diamond patterned rear windows.
MASONIC LODGE GRANT PRESENTATION
In each of the following six years the Foundation held one major fall gala or spring house tour. Community support in the form of ticket sales, donations and sponsorships created the revenue stream for the annual grant program. Each year the Board awarded grants to the Historic Warren Armory and the Masonic Lodge. The Methodist Church was added as a grantee in 2016 and the Baptist Church in 2017. The most recent grantee is the George Hail Library added in 2019.
GEORGE HAIL FREE LIBRARY GRANT PRESENTATION
In order to expand the potential financial impact of the Foundation, in July of 2017 the Board authorized the allocation of $10,000 to create the Warren Heritage Endowment Fund under the auspices of the Rhode Island Foundation. The Board also voted to hold an annual endowment fund campaign in the fourth quarter of each year. Campaign donations are sent directly to the endowment fund. As the fund grows this will become another revenue stream for grants and major projects in the future.BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Marcia Blount
President
Marcia Blount runs a highly successful Warren business and has been an active volunteer in the town and state for decades. Marcia has served on the boards of Save the Bay, Warren Preservation Society and the George Hail Library. She is President and Chief Financial Officer of Blount Boats, Inc. a family owned shipyard founded in 1949 by her father and located on the Warren River. Marcia is a graduate of University of Wisconsin and earned an MBA from Columbia University. She owns and has restored a 1903 Queen Anne Victorian home on Washington Street in Warren.
Julie Blount
Vice President
Julie Blount is currently Vice President of Blount Boats, Inc. and manages Human Resources, Safety and Marketing. Committed to the Warren community, Julie has been a member of the Massasoit Historical Association and a founding member and President of the Warren Preservation Society. She currently serves on the Warren Harbor Management Commission and the board of the Bristol Art Museum. Julie holds a BFA degree from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York. She owns and has restored an 1843 Greek Revival home on Wheaton Street in the heart of Warren’s historic district.
Jane Harrison
Trustee
Jane Harrison has written grants totaling more than $1 million for environmental preservation and historic restoration in the Town of Warren. She has served on the Save the Bay Board of Directors, holding the offices of Chairman and Secretary, the Advisory Council of URI College of Resource Development, also as Chair, and the Advisory Board of RWU School of Science and Mathematics. She was honored with the Environmental Achievement award from Save the Bay, the Partner with Nature award from the Warren Land Conservation Trust, and a Lifetime Achievement award from the Town of Warren. She is Corresponding Secretary of the Warren Conservation Commission. Jane earned a BA in American Literature from Brown University and a MA in English Literature from URI. For many years she taught writing at Roger Williams University.
Barbara Hail
Trustee
Barbara Hail worked at Brown’s Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology for thirty-four years, the last twenty years as Deputy Director and Chief Curator. She has authored and/or edited four books on the material culture of Native America and on museology and collecting. In addition to her role as a trustee of the Warren Heritage Foundation, Barbara currently serves on the Board of the Haffenreffer Museum, the Barrington Preservation Society as Chair of the Museum Committee, and the Adirondack Garden Club as Chair of Archives and History. She is president of the Brown/Pembroke alumni class of 1952. She is the widow of Edward G. Hail, great grandson of George Hail for whom the George Hail Free Library was named. Barbara studied History and Anthropology at Brown University and Cornell University (BA, MA). She was elected to Phi Beta Kappa in her Junior year. She continued her study of American History at Columbia University on a Danforth Fellowship for Women in 1966-67.
Jerry Dauterive
Trustee
Jerry Dauterive is professor of economics (retired) and former dean in the Mario J. Gabelli School of Business at Roger Williams University, Bristol, RI. Prior to his appointment at Roger Williams in 2008, he held administrative and faculty appointments in the College of Business at Loyola University New Orleans. In addition to past service as chair of the Bristol Economic Development Commission, Jerry has served on the boards of the East Bay Chamber of Commerce and the Mount Hope Trust in Bristol. He was previously a member of the New Orleans World Trade Center Board of Directors. He received his Ph.D. in economics from Texas Tech University. He lives in Bristol, RI. He currently serves on the boards of the Bristol Historical and Preservation Society and Preserve Rhode Island.
Alexander Scott
Secretary
Alexander Scott has a fascination with Warren’s history and a deep commitment to preserving its built environment. For starters he owns and has restored the historic Eddy-Cutler House c 1806 on State Street in Warren. Alexander has been a member of the Massasoit Historical Association, founding member and President of the Warren Preservation Society and Vice Chairman of the Warren Historic District Study Committee. Additionally, he leads tours of the historic district. Alexander holds a BSME from Western New England University in Springfield, Massachusetts. Alexander served as Project Manager, Technical Director and Vice President of Engineering for General Dynamics, Gulf & Western and ITT Grinnell until his retirement.
Sally Barker
Trustee
Sally Barker has always loved historic buildings. She worked for Preserve Rhode Island as Site Manager of the Governor Henry Lippitt House Museum, c. 1862, for twelve years. She oversaw many restoration projects, guided tours and curated the collection of decorative objects and furnishings. She lived in and helped restore the Bristol Ferry Lighthouse, c. 1855 (the finishing touch being the replication and installation of the original lantern). Sally is an exhibiting member of the Providence Art Club. She is a graduate of the University of Colorado with a BFA in Art History and the Fine Arts. She lives in Touisset with her family and three dogs.