Newport Mansions Arboretum
The Property
The Newport Mansions Arboretum is run by the The Preservation Society of Newport County, Rhode Island, a non-profit organization accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and dedicated to preserving and interpreting the area’s historic architecture, landscapes, decorative arts and social history. Its 11 historic properties–seven of them National Historic Landmarks–span more than 250 years of American architectural and social development.
The Collections
In October 2015, the 88 acres of landscapes cared for by The Preservation Society of Newport County, including 1,800 trees, were recognized and accredited as an official arboretum by the Arbnet Arboretum Accreditation program of The Morton Arboretum in Chicago, the only international body that accredits arboreta.
Accreditation of the Newport Mansions Arboretum recognizes that the Preservation Society meets several important criteria:
• an existing collections policy that outlines the care and maintenance of every tree;
• a professional staff in place to oversee operations;
• ongoing educational programming related to trees and landscape.
“This milestone puts us in excellent company,” said Preservation Society CEO & Executive Director Trudy Coxe. “Other recent accreditations have gone to The University of Oxford Botanic Garden, Arlington National Cemetery, and Longwood Gardens, as well as the Newport Tree Society for the Newport Arboretum. Joining that illustrious company is an honor and a testament to the hard work of our staff, and of our partners like Bartlett Tree Experts.”
The Mission
The preservation and conservation of its historic houses and their collections is The Preservation Society of Newport County’s top priority, which includes the landscape. “Bartlett Tree Experts created a digital inventory of each of the 1,800 trees of 120 different species on our properties. Each has been identified, GPS-mapped and evaluated, and has its own individual maintenance plan,” said Preservation Society Curator of Historic Landscapes & Gardens Jim Donahue.