In this episode, Stacy looks at why some of the most iconic Gilded Age mansions in Newport were nearly lost, and how that story connects to what's happening right now with lead safety laws and historic windows in Rhode Island. If you think that is just a local issue, think again.

Stacy takes listeners to Newport, Rhode Island, where some of the most over-the-top Gilded Age mansions in the country were almost lost when the world around them changed. For a time, there was no clear path forward, and the way people responded made a different outcome possible.

That story sets the stage for what's happening today.

Stacy welcomes Rob Cagnetta of Heritage Restoration and Sutherland Welles. They dig into what's happening right now with lead safety laws in Rhode Island, including what's changed, why there was so much confusion, and what it actually means for anyone who owns or manages a building with historic windows.

From there, they get into the real challenges these regulations created and what it took to move forward. Rob shares how he got involved with the City of Newport and the Newport Restoration Foundation to solve the problem of getting historic windows to pass lead-safety inspections, despite little to no support from state inspectors or the health department.

In the process, what started as a window issue revealed lesser-known sources of lead contamination throughout the home and challenged the assumption that the problem starts and ends inside the house.

If this sounds like a Rhode Island issue, it's not. What's happening there could become a model for how other states create and enforce lead safety laws.

• Lead-safe Historic Window Resources (download)
• Sign up for the Wood Window Workshop at Blake Hill House
• Join Stacy on Substack

WE LOVE OUR SPONSORS

Many thanks to the sponsors who help make this show possible. When you shop at the websites and use the codes below (where available), you're directly supporting their small businesses and the podcast, too!

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Intro and Outro music by AudionautiX