Roberta Mudge Humble is the president of Westerly Armory Restoration Inc., the organization that oversees the Westerly Armory. Her organization recently won the Save-A-Landmark contest sponsored by Hampton Hotels that pitted the armory against the Beavertail Lighthouse in Jamestown and the International Tennis Hall of Fame and Museum in Newport for the chance to win cash and volunteer support for a restoration project.
Through online voting, the public picked the armory, and now its leaders are putting together a plan for restoration. Humble recently took some time to speak with Providence Business News about the contest and plans for the building.
PBN: How much is the Hampton award for and what will you do with the cash and volunteer assistance?
HUMBLE: The award is for both manpower and some funding. Manpower is limited to those projects that can be done successfully – and well – with the Hampton Hotels’ crew. They decide if they wish to give funding for “further restoration.” Each site receives a different amount. We will not know until they assess the armory’s situation.
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PBN: Was there always a restoration plan and you were just waiting for the money or has the Hampton award spurred this?
HUMBLE: We’ve had a list of projects (much like homeowners have – but add that this is a large and historic building) for a while. Whereas, we have put more than $1.5 million into the building, there is still more needed.
The giant cellar could be used well. It has high ceilings and windows. It would need dehumidification, heat and cosmetic work in addition to access. An accessible bathroom would be needed also.
There is a mezzanine-level bathroom with three johns, three sinks and two showers that needs restoration and could be used well by the cellar rooms and the first-floor rooms. The cellar would be used for a community room (small – our drill hall upstairs is too big for small groups), more storage and more museum space.
PBN: So what are some of the challenges with this planned work?
HUMBLE: Accessibility – architectural design and implementation – is our biggest challenge. We are very sensitive to the exterior appearance of the armory and do not want to ruin the historic look. However, in order to “open up” the cellar, we would need access. Plumbing is another issue – the cellar is below sewer lines. Electrical is needed down there, also. Much exists, but much needs changing and additions.
PBN: I understand that you nominated the armory for the Hampton competition. How did you find out about it, and did you have any suspicion that you would win?
HUMBLE: About two years ago, I was forwarded by a friend a notice of the Hampton Hotels’ competition. You could nominate your own site. Hampton would determine which sites they would nominate. We were fortunate to be one of three Rhode Island sites – Jamestown’s Beavertail Lighthouse and Newport’s Tennis Hall of Fame were our competition (and we do so admire those, too).
We had a one out of three shot – pretty good odds. I thought the others might win. Armories – like our military – are not admired as much as they should be. They are memorials to sacrifices made on our behalf for the freedom we so enjoy as Americans.
PBN: You worked hard to get the word out about the competition. Do you have any advice to someone else looking to win a similar contest?
HUMBLE: Thanks to The Westerly Sun for putting the competition on the top of Page 1 with a picture of the armory and actually showing how to vote, to the armory’s two boards, to the armory’s membership, to my CCRI students, to the citizens of both Westerly and Pawcatuck, Conn. – we voted and voted. It was a campaign, and I rigorously and religiously sent out e-mails every so often – throughout November – to remind people to vote. You have to be willing, determined and persistent. You must garner press to “market” your project.
