Newport Preservation Society receives $1.5M donation for Breakers Welcome Center

NEWPORT – The Breakers Welcome Center will receive a $1.5 million contribution from the estate of Helen D. Buchanan, according to the Preservation Society of Newport County, which said it is the largest one-time cash donation in the society’s history.
“Mrs. Buchanan was an enthusiastic supporter of the preservation society for over 15 years, making significant financial donations to projects such as the restoration of the sunken garden at The Elms. This contribution, her largest, ensures that her community spirit and philanthropic vision will live on for generations,” Preservation Society Board Chairman Donald O. Ross said in a statement.
Fanchon “Monty” Burnham, Buchanan’s daughter and a preservation- society trustee, worked with the trustees of the Helen D. Buchanan Trust to make this contribution.
“As a native Rhode Islander, I recognize the value of tourism for our continued economic vitality, and I know that the preservation society is a great economic driver for our state. That’s why we need the welcome center, to ensure that the preservation society’s visitors receive the first-class treatment that they deserve,” Burnham said.
Two years ago, the Preservation Society of Newport County announced its plans to build a welcome center at The Breakers, which was built in 1895.
The Breakers, according to information from the society, is one of the five most-visited historic houses in the country, with more than 400,000 visitors annually. Visitors will be able to purchase tickets at the welcome center, as well as memberships, and also will be able to buy refreshments and use restrooms.
The preservation society said the project already has received state and local permits and approvals.
With the latest contribution, the preservation society said it has raised $5.3 million toward its $5.9 million goal for the center.

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