Historic Newport Mansions Walking Tour

Entries on This Tour

Marble House was built between 1888 and 1892 for Mr. and Mrs. William K. Vanderbilt, a summer house, or "cottage", as Newporters called them in remembrance of the modest houses of the early 19th century. But Marble House was much more; it was a social and architectural landmark that set the pace for Newport's subsequent transformation from a quiet summer colony of wooden houses to the legendary resort of opulent stone palaces.

2. Rosecliff Mansion

Rosecliff Mansion sits along the historic Cliff Walk in Newport, Rhode Island, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. It was built between 1899-1902 by silver heiress Theresa Fair Oelrichs. The architect, Stanford White, modeled the home after the royal French retreat at Versailles. Oelrichs hosted many parties in the home and was well-known for the elaborate themed occasions. After her death, the home was sold several times. In 1971, the Monroe family gave the home and all of its furnishings to the Preservation Society of Newport. The historic home was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. Today, the home offers public tours and use of its facilities for weddings and other events.

3. Fairlawn Mansion - Young Building

Fairlawn fits perfectly into the Gilded Age aesthetic of Newport. Like many other of the picturesque mansions that adorn the northeastern coast, the Estate provides a history that reflects the modern evolution of culture from Gilded Age to present day.

4. Fairholme Carriage House and Stables - Wallace Hall

Wallace Hall is currently owned by Salve Regina University and is used as a residence hall. It was built in 1875 and used as the carriage house and stables for a Guilded Age mansion, Fairholme Estate. Fairholme Estate was built for Fairman Rogers and was designed by architect Frank Furness. The carriage house and stables were acquired by Salve Regina University in 1991.

5. Julia B. Eldridge House - Ochre Lodge

Although this old home is now referenced as "Ochre Lodge" it was originally called the Julia B. Eldridge house. This cottage and a carriage house were built for Mrs. Eldridge in 1882. She was a widow to Thomas P. Eldridge, a dry-goods merchant from New York who passed at age 45. Ochre lodge is one of the several historic estates that have become a part of Salve Regina University's expanding campus.

6. The Breakers

The Breakers is the grandest of Newport's summer "cottages" and a symbol of the Vanderbilt family's social and financial preeminence in turn of the century America.

7. Althorpe Estate - Founders Hall

Located on the corner of Ruggles Avenue and Lawrence Street, Founders Hall used to be the residence of Philadelphia lawyer, John Thompson Spencer. His villa was designed by Peabody & Stearn Company. The building's architecture resulted from a combination of Georgian architecture, Colonial details, and postmodern features.

8. William Watts Sherman House

One of the few residential structures designed by famed American architect, Henry Hobson Richardson, the William Watts Sherman House was completed in 1876. Regarded as the harbinger of the shingle style of American architecture, the house was built for banking tycoon, William Watts Sherman after he married Annie Wetmore, the daughter of wealthy Newport resident and owner of Chateau-ser-Mer, William Shepard Wetmore. The house went through various expansions over the years and served as a retirement home during the mid-20th century. It was later acquired by Salve Regina University in 1982 and now serves as a residence hall for sophomore students. The William Watts Sherman House was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1970.

9. Chateau-sur-Mer

The Chateau-sur-Mer was built by William Shepard Wetmore in 1852 after he made his fortune in mercantile shipping. The home is a landmark of High Victorian architecture. His son, George Peabody Wetmore, added to the mansion and redecorated it in the Second Empire style during the 1870s. During the latter half of the nineteenth century, the Chateau-sur-Mer stood as one of the most palatial homes in all of Newport, Rhode Island. Spectacular parties were held on its grounds, including the "Fete Champetre", an elaborate country picnic for over two thousand guests held in 1857 and the debutante ball for Miss Edith Wetmore in 1889. The historic home was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1968. Today, it is open to guests as a museum.

10. Chepstow

Chepstow is one of the lavish mansions that makes up the Ochre Point-Cliffs Historic District in Newport, Rhode Island. It was built by Edmund Schermerhorn in 1860 for his family, who summered there for fifty years until it was transferred to R. Horace Gallatin in 1911. The home was bequeathed by Alletta Morris McBean to the Preservation Society of Newport County in 1986. It has been restored to its early 20th century grandeur. According to the Preservation Society of Newport County, “Chepstow is highly evocative of the taste and collections of a descendant of one of America’s founding families, placed in the context of a contemporary Newport summer home.” Today, it is open to the public for tours on a limited schedule.

11. The Elms

The Elms is the name of one of the grand mansions constructed in the Bellevue Avenue neighborhood of Newport, Rhode Island. The home was built for a wealthy businessman named Edward Julius Berwind and his family in 1901. The Preservation Society of Newport County purchased the home in 1962 after the last of the Berwind family passed away. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1996. Today, it is operated by the Preservation Society as a historic house museum and is open for tours several times throughout the year.

12. Isaac Bell House, a.k.a. Edna Villa

This famous house, considered an early landmark in the Shingle Style of American architecture, was designed and constructed by the legendary architectural film of McKim, Mead and White in 1981-1883 for Isaac Bell, Jr., a young, wealthy cotton broker and investor. (The house is also known as Edna Villa, after the name of the wife of a subsequent owner.) It is considered a turning point in both the history of the firm and in the history of the city of Newport as a pioneer of architectural style. Consisting of a granite foundation, and a combination of brick and wooden shingle walls in distinctive patterns, it combines English, continental and oriental influences with American colonial traditions. After a period of decay, the house in 1994 was purchased by the Preservation Society of Newport County, which took charge of its restoration. The exterior has been completed restored, though the interior is still several years away from completion. It was entered in the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.

13. Kingscote

Kingscote is one of the older summer cottages in Newport, Rhode Island and a landmark of Gothic Revival architecture. It was originally built by George Noble Jones in 1839. Jones made his fortune on the cotton plantations in the early American South. After the Civil War, Jones sold his property to the King family who owned it for several generations. The Kings remodeled the home and named it “Kingscote” in 1880. By the early 1970s, the last of the King family had left the home and it was gifted to the Preservation Society of Newport County. The property was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1996. Kingscote is now open to the public for tours several times throughout the year.

14. Edward King House

Completed in 1847, the Edward King House is one of the earliest examples of the Italian villa or Italianate architectural style in the United States. Designed by famous American architect, Richard Upjohn, for wealthy China trade merchant, Edward King, it was one of the largest homes in Newport at the time. Its asymmetrical outline, square towers, round-arched windows, balconies and verandas influenced other architects throughout the country. It remained in the King family until 1912 when it was donated to the city and converted into a public library. It served that purpose until 1968 when it became a popular senior center which it remains today. The Edward King House has been a National Historic Landmark since 1970.

This Tour is a Walking Tour.

Historic Newport Mansions Walking Tour

Created by Clio Admin on August 10th 2018, 1:15:41 pm.

Get a QR Code for this tour

Description

This walking tour includes each of the nine mansions that are operated by the Preservation Society of Newport County and open to the public for tours. Please note that the Preservation Society offers a variety of tour packages and programs. In addition to these nine mansions, the Society maintains the Green Animals Topiary Garden and a three-story mansion at 424 Bellevue Avenue that serves as their headquarters.

Entries on This Tour

Historic Newport Mansions Walking Tour

Description

Share