Spring Park

Newport, Rhode Island | 2016 groundbreaking October 2022 / public opening June 2024

Spring Park Leadership Committee

City of Newport

Collaboration

LIRIO: Ron Henderson, Tanya Kelley, Kate Dana, Sun Jiaming, Yu Si, Davey Hines, Gabe Yang, Hans Friedl, Erik Schiller, Alexis Arias, Brendan Tyler Hall

Kite Architects: Albert Garcia, Brigida Capicotto

John Stevens Shop, stone carving: Nick Benson

Horsley Witten: Jon Ford, Peter Ogonek, Katie Feeney, Jason Kroll

Newmans Ltd., sculptors in bronze: Howard and Mary Newman

C.A. Pretzer Engineering: Mike Grafe

R.P. Marzilli, Landscape Contractors: Joe Langlois

Trees (18)

Spring Park returns the founding site of Newport to public space for the first time in over 350 years with the new park replacing the former Coffey’s gas station. The mission of the project, led by the Spring Park Leadership Committee includes: 1) preservation of the unique historical significance of the site: the original town spring around which the Newport community was founded on the sole premise of religious freedom and tolerance; 2) a guarantee of a open space that provides new opportunities for public access and civic enjoyment in perpetuity; 3) traffic and pedestrian circulation and safety improvements in this complicated intersection; and 4) a sustainable community-based design that will foster cultural and economic vitality.

A curated selection of key historic texts also guides the design of the historic spring:

It is agreed and ordered that the Plantation now begun at this South west end of the island, shall be called Newport... and that the Towne shall be built upon both sides of the spring, and by the sea-side Southward. Records of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, March 16, 1639

… do hereby publish, grant, ordain and declare, that our royal will and pleasure is, that no person within the said colony, at any time hereafter shall be any wise molested, punished, disquieted, or called in question, for any differences in opinion in matters of religion … Rhode Island Royal Charter, July 1663

Deprived as we heretofore have been of the invaluable rights of free Citizens, we now with a deep sense of gratitude to the Almighty disposer of all events behold a Government, erected by the Majesty of the People — a Government, which to bigotry gives no sanction, to persecution no assistance — but generously affording to all Liberty of conscience, and immunities of Citizenship: — deeming every one, of whatever Nation, tongue, or language equal parts of the great governmental Machine … Moses Seixas, on behalf of Congregation Yeshuat Israel, to George Washington August 17, 1790

It is now no more that toleration is spoken of as if it were the indulgence of one class of people that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights, for, happily, the Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens in giving it on all occasions their effectual support. George Washington, Letter to the Hebrew Congregations of Newport August 18, 1790