Volunteers restore Westerly Armory

WESTERLY – Volunteers from Hampton Hotels launched a battle last week at the Westerly Armory.
They came armed with paintbrushes, garden spades and a mechanical lift. Their mission was to defeat brown gardens, scabby walls and an old flagpole. By the end of the day, the 31-person-strong regiment had replanted three gardens, painted walls, and installed a new top on the flagpole. Volunteers also dressed a mannequin with the military uniform of Chuck Azzinaro, who served at the facility and was on hand to oversee the Hampton volunteers.
“I’ve never seen such good-spirited volunteers,” said Roberta Mudge Humble, president of Westerly Armory Restoration Inc., which manages the building. “They came to work. They didn’t come just to get a day off.”
Hampton Hotels, part of the Hilton brand, selected the armory last year for its Save-A-Landmark program. The program sends volunteers to refurbish historic properties across the United States. The armory beat out the Beavertail Lighthouse in Jamestown and the International Tennis Hall of Fame and Museum in Newport to become the hotel chain’s first project in the Ocean State.
Hampton volunteers from Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts descended on the armory on May 24. Earlier, they sent armory officials a $10,000 check, which was put toward preparing for the arrival of volunteers by re-plastering walls and buying supplies.
Humble said some work remains, such as the final coat of paint and some projects were not completed because of budget constraints.
The armory had hoped to take steps to make the cellar handicap accessible in preparation for using it as a public space. But the project proved too big for the Hampton effort.