NEWPORT — For the first time since the pandemic began, the Preservation Society of Newport County will have four of its properties opened this weekend. The reopening of Marble House and the gardens and grounds of The Elms is scheduled for Friday, the start of Memorial Day weekend.
The Breakers mansion and Green Animals Topiary Garden in Portsmouth are already open daily.
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Beginning June 19, The Elms mansion will be reopened for visitors.
The gradual return to normal operations was described by Trudy Coxe, CEO and executive director, as a “great occasion.”
The society owns a total of 11 historic properties.
“This will be a major milestone for us as we continue to rebound from the steep decline in tourism that happened in 2020,” she said in a news release.
Prior to the pandemic, the nonprofit operated the most-visited attractions in the state.
The staff cuts were documented in its annual report, released in June 2020. On a single day, the nonprofit laid off 231 people last year.
The planned reopening of four major houses or attractions, including The Breakers, The Elms, Marble House and the Green Animals Topiary Garden, has enabled the society to rehire 28 people, according to spokesman William Tavares. The society now has 157 people in full- and part-time positions, he said.
It is trying to hire 12 to 13 more people, he said. The website indicates open, part-time positions include sales associates at Bannister’s Wharf, where the society operates a gift store, and a distribution center driver and office assistant.
Mary MacDonald is a staff writer for the PBN. Contact her at macdonald@pbn.com.
