Hearthside - The House That Love Built

GOVERNOR’S TOURISM AWARD HONORS FRIENDS OF HEARTHSIDE LEADERSHIP IN GREAT ROAD HISTORIC DISTRICT

Hearthside, and the Great Road Historic District, received one of the state’s highest honors in tourism with the 2007 Governor’s Blackstone Valley Regional Tourism Award.The award was announced by Robert Billington, President of the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council (BVTC).

Kathy Hartley and John Scanlon, representing Friends of Hearthside, accepted the award from Governor Donald L. Carcieri during the annual Rhode Island Tourism Unity Luncheon& Awards being held on May 16 th at the RI Convention Center in Downtown Providence, with a crowd of over 400 in attendance.


Governor Carcieri presents 2007 Tourism Award to Kathy Hartley and John Scanlon of Friends of Hearthside. Robert Billington, President of the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council, who made the announcement, joins the award recipients.

“We’re really excited to see this scenic and historic area be recognized, as our Valley has always showcased the Great Road Historic District and its inventory of scenic landscapes and heritage properties as a model for many of our Valley’s sustainable tourism development efforts,” said BVTC President Dr. Robert D. Billington, in announcing the award.

“Our site is thrilled to be recognized with this prestigious honor,” said Kathy Hartley, President and Founder of Friends of Hearthside. “None of this would be possible without the collective effort of dedicated volunteers, the support of our neighboring historic sites, and preservation and tourism officials who together have helped build the Great Road Historic District into a visitor attraction.”

Edward F. Sanderson, Executive Director of the RI Historic Preservation & Heritage Commission, recently commented, “Ten years ago Great Road was a lovely place to drive through. Today, Great Road is a destination thanks to the efforts of many local organizations, including the Friends of Hearthside.”

Five tourism awards were presented during the Luncheon, one for each of the five regions in Rhode Island. Other recipients included: Gallery Night, Providence; Cliff Walk, Newport; Mt. Hope Farm, Bristol; and the Block Island Conservancy, Block Island.

History was made at the 2007 Rhode Island Tourism Unity Luncheon with the signing of a National Geographic Society Charter for “geotourism.” To help promote proper management of tourist destinations, the National Geographic Society has launched an effort to encourage governments to adopt the principals of geotourism, which is defined as tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place. The Great Road Historic District was noted as a perfect example of geotourism. Rhode Island became the eighth government to sign a geotourism charter, and only the second state after Arizona. By signing the charter, the state agrees to support the principles of geotourism to sustain and improve the state’s environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage and well-being of its residents. To carry out that mission, a new organization has been formed called the Rhode Island Geotourism Collaborative, which includes 18 representatives of various private, public, and nonprofit interests. It is being headed by Jonathan Stevens, executive director of Preserve Rhode Island. The organization’s goal is “to recognize, celebrate, promote and preserve the natural and cultural heritage of Rhode Island for the enjoyment of present and future generations by advocating for the protection of community character, foster appropriate signage, and the maintenance or the adaptive reuse of historic and significant structures and sites, and the conservation of scenic and urban landscapes, seascapes and wilderness.”

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