Upcoming Lectures
Death & Dying: A Series of Talks
Join us for a thoughtful, compassionate series exploring the many faces of death and dying.
As part of Cemetery Month in RI, Lew and Trudy Keen present two more historical lectures exploring the lives and legacies of notable Newport residents interred in our cemeteries,
Military Highlights Tour of Island Cemetery
May 24,2026 @ 10:00 a.m.
Memorial Day was created to honor the dead who served in the United States military and cemeteries have always been locations for commemorative events. This guided tour of Island Cemetery will highlight some of the people who served our country and are buried in the site. Oliver Hazard Perry and Matthew C. Perry are two of the more well-known people but the graves of others with distinguished military service will be visited. Two men received the Congressional Medal of Honor, a father and son who served during the Civil War, and women who served are among the graves that will be visited. The tour starts at the Warner Street entrance.
As the City of Newport became the premier Gilded Age playground in America, a vibrant year-round African heritage community flourished. It was led by doctors, ministers, and businessmen. Some of these men got involved with local and national politics and became key figures in the early Civil Rights movement in America. This tour will visit the graves of some of the many people of African heritage that contributed to Newport’s history. George Downing was important in the growth of the Newport community and active in the civil rights movement in America. Downing was part of the group that donated funds for the city to buy land that is today Touro Park. Plans are underway to install a statue of Downing in the park, just across form the site of his former businesses.
Saturday, March 21st at 2:30 pm
$15 per person
The lecture will take place in the Belmont Chapel and weather permitting, we’ll visit a few graves of the featured people.