Newport City Manager Joseph Nicholson lands new position as Bowen's Wharf CEO retires

Newport City Manager Joseph Nicholson will be assuming the position of CEO of the Bowen's Wharf Company in October following the retirement of Bartlett S. Dunbar after 54 years of leadership.

“Steering Bowen’s Wharf for more than five decades has been an incredible privilege,” Dunbar said in a release announcing the change. “I am deeply grateful for the support of the community, all our tenants and staff, and am immensely proud of what we have accomplished together. I am excited to see the continued success with Joe Nicholson at the helm. I felt that the person taking over needed to be a Newporter who is passionate about maintaining the integrity of the historic waterfront, and someone who appreciates and protects the unique experience that we offer to both locals and visitors alike. I’ve worked closely with Joe over the 37 years that he has served the city and am confident in his leadership ability and dedication to upholding the spirit of Bowen’s Wharf.”

Dunbar will remain president and chairman of the board of directors and transition from his role through the end of 2024.

Dunbar has been the guiding force behind the wharf since August 1969, after purchasing the parcels of land and several commercial buildings that had been occupied by Bowen’s Coal & Oil Company since 1863, and established Bowen’s Wharf Company, Inc. Since then the property transformed from a dilapidated commercial wharf in an overlooked part of downtown Newport to a waterfront destination, with over a million annual visitors and 30+ successful retail stores, restaurants, offices and tour operators as tenants.

“When the Navy brought me here in 1967, the waterfront was somewhat of a hidden asset, full of run-down warehouses and oil tanks,” Dunbar said. “We wanted to revive and celebrate the historic seaport of the past and create a place that allowed business to thrive as well as restore public access to the harbor. In doing so, Bowen’s Wharf became one of the first urban waterfront developments of its kind on the East Coast.”

In addition to serving as a commercial hub of marine activity, boutique shopping and dining Bowen's Wharf has served as the host for events such as the annual Oyster & Chowder Festival, Seafood Festival and Christmas tree lighting. Dunbar also helped establish Christmas in Newport, hosting the first tree lighting event on Bowen’s Wharf in 1970 and was instrumental in collaborating with the city on early development initiatives following the opening of the Claiborne Pell Bridge, serving on the city’s inaugural Comprehensive Planning Committee, as well as on the Waterfront Commission and the Newport Redevelopment Agency. In 2020, he worked with Charles Roberts of Rhode Island Slave History Medallions to install the first medallion in Newport on the wharf’s historic ship chandlerybuilding, one of the property’s oldest structures dating back to the 18th century.

Dunbar’s involvement in the community extends beyond his business interests at the wharf – co-founding the American Sail Training Association (now Tall Ships America) along with the late Barkley Warburton in 1972, and later establishing SSV Oliver Hazard Perry as Rhode Island’s official flagship and sailing education vessel in 2008 (which had morphed from Tall Ships Newport, the host of several festivals and events from the late 1970s to early 2000s). He also co-founded Sail Newport in 1983 with Paul Butrose and Dr. Robin Wallace, right after the New York Yacht Club had lost the America’s Cup, to encourage public access to sailing.

Nicholson is slated to begin the new on Oct. 15. He is leaving his role as Newport city manager this month.

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“Bowen’s Wharf provides a great opportunity to continue to be an active part of the Newport community while at the same time working to perpetuate what Bart Dunbar has worked so hard to achieve,” Nicholson said in a statement. “Bowen’s Wharf is indeed the anchor of Newport, and I am quite privileged to be part of its evolving history. The respect for Newport’s unique maritime heritage and its innovative approach to business is what makes it truly special.”

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Joseph Nicholson named Bowen's Wharf CEO following Bart Dunbar retirement