1772 Grants: 2025 in Review

In partnership with the 1772 Foundation, Preserve RI awarded a total of $125,000 in one-to-one matching grants to 18 nonprofit organizations in 2025. Our grantees were funded for work ranging from window sash restoration and exterior painting to temporarily moving a structure. As our grantees wrap up their work, we are thrilled to share three highlights of what the 1772 grants helped them achieve this year:

Conanicut Friends Meeting House, Jamestown. One of the oldest Quaker meeting houses in the region, the building is now overseen by the Jamestown Historical Society, which has embarked on restoring the property. This project received $10,000 from the 1772 Grant Program, helping fund the temporary relocation of the building while a new foundation slab was poured.

Smith’s Castle, North Kingstown. Once a colonial trading post (considered the oldest surviving plantation house in the U.S.), Smith’s Castle is a museum operated by the Cocumscussoc Association interpreting early Rhode Island history. $6,100 was awarded to Smith’s Castle to help fund exterior restoration work, including painting and window sash repairs.

Benjamin Church Senior Center, Bristol. In support of the daily programming and social services the Senior Center offers Bristol’s older adults, a grant of $9,350 was issued. This funding helped restore lattice, trim and, most importantly, balustrades on a popular meeting space, the building’s deteriorated rear porch.