(11.16) Old windows and doors sure are charming until the winter winds come rattling through. Learn how to keep the chilly temps outside this Saturday when the Providence Preservation Society holds its Winter Weatherization Workshop at the Esek Hopkins House on Admiral Street. Hopefully, you aren’t dealing with the twelve-above-twelve windows of this 1756 colonial farmhouse, but other architectural eras present their own challenges. Learn skills with restoration carpenter Noel Sanchez that can save you money.
Are you looking for ways to prevent cold air from getting into your older home or office? Whether you own or rent, this is a common problem. Drafty windows and doors increase your heating costs and make your home less comfortable. Find out more about the best options for keeping the cold out and the heat in (or vice versa). How does the air get in? How can storm windows help? What other alternatives are there for stopping drafts? Attend this half-day workshop and learn the pros and cons of different ways to weatherize your home, save on your heating bill, and make your home or office more comfortable.
The PPS had this site on its Ten Most Endangered Properties List in 1995, 2011, and 2015. But in recent years the Esek Hopkins House has benefited from some outside-the-box thinking, and its status has been upgraded to “saved.”
After several years of advising the Haus of Glitter during their residency in the house, PPS has established a formal relationship with the Parks Department to use this public resource as a long-term trades training site.
A little history: Esek Hopkins was the first Commander-in-Chief of the newly formed Navy during the American Revolution. He persuaded the British not to occupy Newport in 1774; and he is credited with establishing the Marine Corps. Admiral Street is in fact named for Hopkins. Unfortunately, as the commander of the slave ship Sally, Hopkins was also responsible for one of the most terrible episodes in the history of the slave trade. The Sally was owned by the Brown brothers and the university maintains the archives and documents related to the event.
Of the 196 Africans acquired by the ship’s master, Esek Hopkins, at least 109 perished, some in a failed insurrection, others by suicide, starvation, and disease.
The Haus of Glitter residency was an inspired choice by the Parks Department. The troupe capped off their residency with performances of their activist dance opera about mermaids, revolution, and resilience.
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Winter Weathering Workshop Tickets: $65 PPS Members // $80 General. Go here to register.
9am to 1pm, Saturday, November 16, Esek Hopkins House, 97 Admiral Street, (directions)
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The Haus of Glitter created this informational plaque so we don’t forget.