It is Rhode Island's largest and most-visited cultural organization.

The organization protects the architectural heritage of Newport County, especially the Bellevue Avenue Historic District.

The organization has filed lawsuits to block offshore wind farms in Rhode Island, arguing that wind farms harm scenic views and threaten "historic resources".

[1][2] The Preservation Society of Newport County was founded in 1945 by a group of Newport residents led by Katherine and George Warren to save Hunter House from demolition.

Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt, Harold Stirling Vanderbilt's widow, bequeathed $1.25 million to the society upon her death in 1978.