Newport, Rhode Island - aka the "Queen of Resorts"

"Newport, Rhode Island, that breeding place - that stud farm, so to speak - of aristocracy; aristocracy of the American type." - Mark Twain.

"One hundred years after the declaration that all men are created equal, there began to gather in Newport a colony of the rich, determined to show that some Americans were conspicuously more equal than others." - Alistair Cooke.

NEWPORT - aka the 'City by the Sea' - is a seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States. It is located 23 miles (37 km) south of Providence, and 61 miles (98 km) south of Boston. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War College, the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, and a major United States Navy training center. A major 18th-century port city, Newport now contains among the highest number of surviving colonial buildings of any city in the United States. The city is the county seat of Newport County (a county that no longer has any governmental functions other than court administrative and sheriff corrections boundaries). Newport was known for being the city of some of the "Summer White Houses" during the administrations of Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy. The population was 24,672 at the 2010 census.

Newport was founded in 1639. Its eight founders and first officers were Nicholas Easton, William Coddington, John Clarke, John Coggeshall, William Brenton, Jeremy Clark, Thomas Hazard, and Henry Bull. They left Portsmouth, Rhode Island, after a political fallout with Anne Hutchinson and her followers.[citation needed] As part of the agreement, Coddington and his followers took control of the southern side of the island. They were soon joined by Nicholas Easton, who had recently been expelled from Massachusetts for holding heretical beliefs. The settlement soon grew to be the largest of the four original towns of Rhode Island. Many of the first colonists in Newport quickly became Baptists, and in 1640 the second Baptist congregation in Rhode Island was formed under the leadership of John Clarke.

Throughout the 18th century, Newport suffered from an imbalance of trade with the largest colonial ports. As a result, Newport merchants were forced to develop alternatives to conventional exports. Newport was also a major center of piracy during the late 17th and early 18th century. So many pirates used Newport as their base of operations that the London Board of Trade made an official complaint to the English government. The most famous pirate who made Newport his base was Thomas Tew. Tew was very popular with the locals; after one of his pirating voyages, it was reported that almost the whole town came out to greet him. In the 1720s, colonial leaders, acting under pressure from the British government, arrested many pirates. Many were hanged in Newport and were buried on Goat Island. During the colonial period, Newport was the center of the slave trade in New England. Newport was active in the “triangle trade”, in which slave-produced sugar and molasses from the Caribbean were carried to Rhode Island and distilled into rum, which was then carried to West Africa and exchanged for captives. In 1764, Rhode Island had about 30 rum distilleries, 22 in Newport alone. Many of the great fortunes made during this period were made in the slave trade.

During the American Revolution, Newport was the scene of much activity. One of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, William Ellery, came from Newport. He later served on the Naval Committee. In the winter of 1775 and 1776, the Rhode Island Legislature put militia General William West in charge of rooting out loyalists in Newport, and several notable individuals such as Joseph Wanton and Thomas Vernon were exiled to the northern part of the state. In the fall of 1776, the British, seeing that Newport could be used as a naval base to attack New York (which they had recently occupied), took over the city. The population of Newport had divided loyalties and many pro–independence "Patriots" left town while loyalist "Tories" remained. For the next three years Newport was a British stronghold. On July 10, 1780, a French expedition sent by King Louis XVI, commanded by Rochambeau, arrived with an army of 450 officers and 5,300 men in Narragansett Bay off Newport. For the rest of the war Newport was the base of the French forces in the United States. In July 1781, Rochambeau was finally able to leave Newport for Providence to begin the decisive march to Yorktown, Virginia, along with General George Washington. The first Catholic mass in Rhode Island was said in Newport during this time. Rochambeau Monument in Kings Park on Wellington Avenue along Newport Harbor commemorates Rochambeau's contributions to the Revolutionary War and to Newport's history.

By the time the war ended (1783) Newport's population had fallen from over 9,000 (according to the census of 1774) to fewer than 4,000. Over 200 abandoned buildings were torn down in the 1780s. Also, the war destroyed Newport's economic wealth, as years of military occupation closed the city to any form of trade. The Newport merchants moved away, some to Providence, others to Boston and New York. It was in Newport in 1791 that the Rhode Island General Assembly, acting under pressure from the merchant community of Providence, voted to ratify the Constitution and become the 13th state.

Beginning in the mid-nineteenth century, wealthy southern planters seeking to escape the heat began to build summer cottages on Bellevue Avenue such as Kingscote (1839). Around the middle of the century, wealthy Yankees such as the Wetmore family also began constructing larger mansions such as Chateau-sur-Mer (1852) nearby. Most of these early families made a substantial part of their fortunes in the Old China Trade. By the turn of the 20th century, many of the nation's wealthiest families were summering in Newport, including the Vanderbilts, Astors, and the Widener family, who constructed the largest "cottages", such as The Breakers (1895) and Miramar. They resided for a brief social season in grand, gilded mansions with elaborate receiving, dining, music and ballrooms, but with few bedrooms, since the guests were expected to have "cottages" of their own. Many of the homes were designed by the New York architect Richard Morris Hunt, who himself kept a house in Newport.

The Social Season began the first week of July, and ended with the Horse Show in early September.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy and Jacqueline Bouvier were married in St. Mary's Church in Newport on September 12, 1953. Presidents Kennedy and Eisenhower both made Newport the sites of their "Summer White Houses" during their years in office. Eisenhower stayed at Quarters A at the Naval War College and at what became known as the Eisenhower House, while Kennedy used Hammersmith Farm next door.

The departure of the Cruiser-Destroyer fleet from Newport and the closure of nearby Naval Air Station Quonset Point in 1973 was devastating to the local economy. The population of Newport decreased, businesses closed, and property values plummeted. However, in the late 1960s, the city began revitalizing the downtown area with the construction of America's Cup Avenue, malls of stores and condominiums, and upscale hotels. Construction was completed on the Newport Bridge. The Preservation Society of Newport County began opening Newport's historic mansions to the public, and the tourist industry became Newport's primary commercial enterprise over the subsequent years.

Bars, Cafés & Lounges

• 10 BEST CafÉs in Newport - TripAdvisor.
• Newport Rhode Island Bars - Newport-Discovery-Guide.com.
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• Brick Alley Pub - 140 Thames St.
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• The Black Pearl Waterside Patio & Bar - 10 1/2 W Pelham St., Bannister's Wharf.
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• The Sky Bar - 26 Bannister's Wharf. "The favored spot for an intimate cocktail before dining on the Porch. Hidden away on the top floor, it's small scale attracts those 'in the know' as well as those fortunate enough to discover its charm perhaps quite by accident."
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• Yesterday's - "A Newport Tradition Since 1974." 28 Washington Square.

Beaches

• Beaches - Discover Newport.
• Newport County's Hidden Beaches - Newport, RI Patch.
• Newport RI Beaches - Newport-Discovery-Guide.com.
• State of Rhode Island - beaches.
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• Atlantic Beach Club - one of the best spots to spend a summer afternoon while you're in Newport. Of all the Newport Rhode Island restaurants, it is the only one with a banquet facility right on the beach.
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• Bailey's Beach - founded in the 1890s. (Officially named and owned by the Spouting Rock Beach Association) is an elite private beach and club. Claims to be the most exclusive beach club in the world.
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• Easton's Beach - 175 Memorial Boulevard.The City of Newport's largest public ocean surf beach. Named one of the Top 10 New England Beaches!
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• Gooseberry Beach - private beach, but also open to the public. The beach is located between Bailey's Beach and Hazard's Beach along the famous Ocean Drive, only about a mile from historic Bellevue Avenue and the Newport mansions.
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• Hazard's Beach - member’s only, and guests of member’s must pay a fee. The beach has a cook out area, picnic tables, and a snack bar inside the clubhouse.
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• King's Beach - Ocean Drive. "Enjoy the spoils of land and sea by letting Mother nature be a part of your adventure." This is a good spot for a refresher dive, or dive for the inexperienced. There is a fairly easy beach entry and depths of between 25-35 feet. There are lobsters, skates, eels, flounder, bass, and tautog common here.
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• Reject's Beach - "Next to the haves of life who typify Bailey's are the denizens of tiny "Rejects Beach," an eternal joke used by members to describe the unanointed who lurk and swim around the fringes of the club, which is nestled in a rock-adorned cove. Save for the cutting wire of class, no fence separates the public from one of America's most exclusive and secretive clubs, a very private enclave of WASP aristocracy."
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• Second Beach/Sachuest Town Beach - 474 Sachuest Point Road, Middletown. Nature beach 1.25 miles long with sand dunes. Restrooms, outdoor showers.

Culture

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• Newport Historical Society - "Newport history starts here." Chartered in 1854 to collect and preserve books, manuscripts, and objects pertaining to Newport's history.
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• Opera House Theater Newport - since 1867. 19 Touro Street.
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• Redwood Library & Athenaeum - since 1747. 50 Bellevue Avenue. Private subscription library. It is the oldest community library still occupying its original building in the United States. Its original building, designed by Peter Harrison and built in 1750, is a National Historic Landmark.

Events 2023/2024

• Events - "Explore what's happening 2023 & 2024." You already know about the legendary Jazz and Folk Festivals but we’ve also got international boat races, tennis and polo tournaments, film festivals, culinary festivals, Christmas in Newport, lecture series, harvest fairs, boat shows, street fairs, antiques fairs...you get the picture. No matter the season...it’s on.
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• The Ocean Race 2022-23 - May 13-21, 2023. "Few cities in the world are as closely linked to the sport of sailing as the east coast United States city of Newport, Rhode Island. Founded in 1639, Newport is situated amongst the beautiful scenery on Narragansett Bay – New England’s largest estuary – and is also bordered by the Rhode Island Sound and the Sakonnet River. The first Newport stopover in The Ocean Race was hosted by Sail Newport during the 2014–15 edition and the fleet returned again for the 2017–18 race, making the 2022–23 Newport stop the city’s third consecutive participation in the around-the-world race. From the sailors’ perspective the Newport stopover is a chance for some rest and recuperation while the shore crews prepare their boats for the upcoming potentially gruelling transatlantic passage on Leg 5 from Newport to Aarhus in Denmark."
  The Ocean Race Newport Stopover - The greatest adventure stops in Newport, RI, May 13-21, 2023. The race around the world in the sport of sailing’s toughest contest visits the City-by-the Sea for nine days of celebration, public activities, and fun for the entire family at the Ocean Live Park in Fort Adams State Park.



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• Newport Folk Festival 2024 - July 26-28, 2024. American annual folk-oriented music festival, which began in 1959 as a counterpart to the previously established Newport Jazz Festival. The festival features performances by folk, blues, country, bluegrass and folk rock musicians, and since the 1990s has featured performers from related contemporary genres, such as alternative country, indie folk and folk punk.
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• Newport Jazz Festival 2024 - August 2-4, 2024. Established in 1954 by socialite Elaine Lorillard, who, together with husband Louis Lorillard, financed the festival for many years. The couple hired jazz impresario George Wein to organize the event to help them bring jazz to the resort town. Fort Adams State Park, 90 Fort Adams Drive, Newport, RI 02840.

Famous Houses

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• 14 Mansions in Newport RI You Have to See to Believe - "Newport's Gilded Age mansions are a huge part of our architectural heritage. Here are the best Newport, RI mansions to tour and visit."
• Bellevue Avenue Historic District - "The most beautiful street in America!" - aka "Mansion Row". A designated National Historic District lined by mansions and historic houses in every conceivable style of architecture. Located along and around Bellevue Avenue in Newport. Its property is almost exclusively residential, including many of the mansions built by affluent summer vacationers in the city around the turn of the 20th century, including the Vanderbilt family and Astor family. Many of the homes represent pioneering work in the architectural styles of the time by major American architects. The district encompasses an area of 606 acres (242 ha) bounded by Block Island Sound and Narragansett Bay to the south and east, respectively, Spring Street and Coggeshall Avenue to the west, and Memorial Boulevard to the north. This takes in the southeastern quarter of the developed portions of the city on the southwestern neck of Aquidneck Island. Bellevue Avenue itself runs north-south for over two miles (3.2 km) through the middle of the district.
• Gilded Age - the late 19th century, from the 1870s to about 1900. The term was coined by writer Mark Twain in The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today (1873), which satirized an era of serious social problems masked by a thin gold gilding.
• Newport Mansions - "See how the elite lived during Newport's Gilded Age."
• The Preservation Society of Newport county - "We hold in public trust the Newport Mansions which are an integral part of the living fabric of Newport, Rhode Island. These sites exemplify three centuries of the finest achievements in American architecture, decorative arts, and landscape design spanning the Colonial era to the Gilded Age."
• The Newport Mansions: Everything You Need to Know - "Inside the opulent Newport, Rhode Island, properties where visitors can step back in time to the Gilded Age."
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• Beacon Rock Mansion - aka the "Acropolis of Newport." Designed in 1887 by architect Stanford White, of the renowned architectural firm of McKim, Mead & White in New York for Commodore Edwin D. Morgan. Its owner for 3 decades, Edwin D. Morgan, cousin of J.P. Morgan, served as commodore at the Newport Yacht Club and personally owned several of the America's Cup defenders, which he kept at Beacon Rock. In 1951, the property was purchased by Felix De Weldon, a world renowned artist, who is most famous for his stirring bronze sculpture of the U.S. Marine flag raising on Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II. The landscaped grounds, originally designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, include a winding drive over a triple arched bridge, tall hedges and stone walls protecting the perimeter of the property, ornamental ironwork gates and an entrance courtyard featuring a boxwood hedge maze.
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• Beaulieu - built in 1856-1859 for Peruvian Frederico L. Barreda; designed by architect Calvert Vaux. John Jacob Astor III bought the estate in 1879 and renamed it "Beaulieu." His son William Waldorf Astor assumed ownership in 1888. In 1901 Cornelius 'Neily' Vanderbilt III and his wife, Grace Graham Wilson, took a long-term rental on the villa and eventually purchased it. During the 1950s it fell into disrepair and remains a private residence.
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• Beechwood Mansion - built in 1851 for New York merchant Daniel Parrish by architects Andrew Jackson Downing and Calvert Vaux, it later became the summer estate of the Astor family. Before moving in, Mrs Astor hired architect Richard Morris Hunt to do many renovations including the addition of a ballroom to fit the famous "The Four Hundred". Beechwood became the show place for many of Mrs. Astor's dinner parties. After John Jacob Astor IV's death on the Titanic in 1912, it passed to his son Vincent, by his first wife Ava. In 1940, Countess Allene Tew Kotzbue purchased Beechwood from Vincent Astor. Between 1940 and 1980 it was owned in succession by: James Cameron Clark, Gurnee Dyer, William W. Carey, John Page-Blair, Richard Merrill and Larry Ellison.
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• Belcourt Castle - former summer cottage, designed by architect Richard Morris Hunt for Oliver Hazard Perry Belmont, and located on Bellevue Avenue. Begun in 1891 and completed in 1894, it was intended to be used for only six to eight weeks of the year. Designed in a multitude of European styles and periods, Belcourt features a heavy emphasis on French Renaissance and Gothic decor, with further borrowings from German, English and Italian design. In the Gilded Age, the castle was well noted for its extensive stables and carriage areas, which were incorporated into the main structure.
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• Chateau-sur-Mer - "Chateau-sur-Mer is a landmark of High Victorian architecture, furniture, wallpapers, ceramics and stenciling. It was the most palatial residence in Newport from its completion in 1852 until the appearance of the Vanderbilt houses in the 1890s. It was the scene of memorable entertainments, from the "FÊte ChampÊtre", an elaborate country picnic for over two thousand guests held in 1857, to the debutante ball for Miss Edith Wetmore in 1889."
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• Chepstow - "An Italianate-style villa, Chepstow was built in 1860 by resident Newport architect George Champlin Mason as the Chepstow parlor summer residence of Edmund Schermerhorn. Acquired by Mrs. Emily Morris Gallatin in 1911, the estate continued in the Morris family until bequeathed in 1986 to the Preservation Society, with its collections intact and an endowment by Mrs. Alletta Morris McBean."
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• Clarendon Court - corner of Yznaga Street and 626 Bellevue Avenue, and former estate of Sunny & Claus von BÜlow. Perhaps the most notorious of the Newport "cottages," this twenty-room structure was built in 1904 and was named Claradon for Clara Knight, the wife of Edward R. Knight, the Pennsylvania Railroad executive who commissioned the house. A subsequent owner changed the name of the house to Clarendon Court. In 1956 Clarendon Court served as a set for High Society, the musical version of The Philadelphia Story that starred Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, and Grace Kelly (in her last film).
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• Colony House - the Old Colony House, also known as Old State House or Newport Colony House, is located at the east end of Washington Square in the city of Newport. It is a brick Georgian-style building completed in 1741, and was the meeting place for the colonial legislature. From independence to the early 20th century the state legislature alternated its sessions between here and the Rhode Island State House in Providence. It has not been altered much since its construction. As one of the best-kept surviving Georgian public buildings in the United States from the colonial era, it was designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL) in 1960. It is also a contributing property to the Newport Historic District, later designated an NHL itself. It is still owned by the state, but managed as a museum by the Newport Historical Society.
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• Green Animals Topiary Garden - "This small country estate in Portsmouth was purchased in 1872 by Thomas E. Brayton (1844-1939), Treasurer of the Union Cotton Manufacturing Company in Fall River, Massachusetts. It consisted of seven acres of land, a white clapboard summer residence, farm outbuildings, a pasture and a vegetable garden. Gardener Joseph Carreiro, superintendent of the property from 1905 to 1945, and his son-in-law, George Mendonca, superintendent until 1985, were responsible for creating the topiaries. There are more than 80 pieces of topiary throughout the gardens, including animals and birds, geometric figures and ornamental designs, sculpted from California privet, yew, and English boxwood."
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• Hammersmith Farm - Victorian mansion and surrounding property was the childhood home of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis. The property hosted the wedding reception of Jacqueline and John F. Kennedy. During his presidency, Kennedy spent enough time at Hammersmith Farm that it was referred to as the "Summer White House" (The Secret Service's moniker for the estate was "Hamlet".
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• Hunter House - "Hunter House is one of the finest examples of Georgian Colonial architecture from Newport's "golden age" in the mid-18th century. The house was built and decorated when Newport was a cosmopolitan city with a principle of religious tolerance that attracted Quakers, Baptists, Congregationalists and Sephardic Jews. The great mercantile families lived patrician lives, building harbor-front mansions overlooking their trading ships, and entertained in grand style. They bought furniture and silver from local craftsmen and were the patrons of such important early painters as Robert Feke and Gilbert Stuart."
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• Isaac Bell House - "The Isaac Bell House is one of the best surviving examples of shingle style architecture in the country. The house was designed by the firm of McKim, Mead & White in 1883 for Isaac Bell, a wealthy cotton broker and investor. After passing through a succession of owners, the Isaac Bell House was purchased by the Preservation Society in 1996, and is today designated a National Historic Landmark."
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• John N. A. Griswold House - National Historic Landmark on 76 Bellevue Avenue. It is home to the Newport Art Museum and houses an art gallery. The home was built in 1864 by Richard Morris Hunt for John Griswold, an Old China Trade merchant. The house is one of the earliest American Stick–style buildings and one of Hunt's first works in Newport. The house is an official project of Save America’s Treasures.
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• Kingscote - "Kingscote is a landmark of the Gothic Revival style in American architecture. Its appearance in Newport marked the beginning of the "cottage boom" that would distinguish the town as a veritable laboratory for the design of picturesque houses throughout the 19th century."
• Land’s End, Edith Wharton’s Newport Estate - "High society in Newport was excellent source material for Edith Wharton - it even earned her a Pulitzer - but she didn’t necessarily want to participate in it. In The Age of Innocence, Wharton paints a harsh portrait of the City by the Sea and its meaningless social obligations. Wharton was familiar with Newport’s culture; her family summered at Pencraig, an estate overlooking Newport Harbor, when she was a child and, in 1893, Wharton and her ill-matched husband, Edward, invested in a summer property of their own. Land’s End - which they reportedly bought for $800,000, or $2.3 million in 2019 dollars - is now on the market for $11.7 million."
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• Marble House - "Marble House was built between 1888 and 1892 for Mr. and Mrs. William K. Vanderbilt. It was 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."
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• Ochre Court - large châteauesque mansion built at a cost of US$4.5 million in 1892. It is the second largest of the Newport mansions as the summer home of wealthy New York banker and developer, Ogden Goelet. Given as a gift by their son, Robert, to the Religious Sisters of Mercy in 1947. Originally housed the entire Salve Regina University, it now houses the school's administrative offices.
• Pen Craig Cottage - Harrison Avenue, 100. A large, 2½-story, cross-gable-roof house with uncoursed stone foundation, principal entrance with sidelights and transom light near the center of the north elevation at the east end of a porch that wraps around the 1st story’s northwest corner, bay windows on the west elevation, 6-over-6 windows with bracketed projecting lintels, bracketed cornice, and 2 prominent brick chimneys on the ridgeline. A handsome picket fence lines the property along the street. Built on speculation by Edward King, who owned much of the land in this area, it was by 1870 owned by George F. Jones, father of Edith Wharton, and used as an ancillary building to Pen Craig (now demolished) across the street.
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• Rosecliff - "Commissioned by Nevada silver heiress Theresa Fair Oelrichs in 1899, architect Stanford White modeled Rosecliff after the Grand Trianon, the garden retreat of French kings at Versailles. After the house was completed in 1902, at a reported cost of $2.5 million, Mrs. Oelrichs hosted fabulous entertainments here, including a fairy tale dinner and a party featuring famed magician Harry Houdini."
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• Rough Point - home of Doris Duke - heiress, philanthropist and art collector. One of the Gilded Age mansions of Newport, now open to the public as a museum. It is an English Manorial style home designed by architectural firm Peabody & Stearns for Frederick William Vanderbilt Construction on the red sandstone and granite began in 1887 and completed 1892. It is located on Bellevue Avenue and borders the Cliff Walk and overlooks the Atlantic Ocean. The gardens were designed by Frederick Law Olmsted’s firm.
• See inside the 'richest girl in the world's' perfectly preserved mansion - "Experience the opulent decor, exquisite art and breathtaking seaside views at Rough Point mansion, home to the late billionaire, Doris Duke."
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• Seaview Terrace - also known as the Carey Mansion, is a sprawling mansion located in Newport, Rhode Island. It was designed in the French Renaissance Revival Châteauesque style, and completed in 1925. It was the last of the great "Summer Cottages" constructed, and is the fifth-largest of Newport's mansions - after The Breakers, Ochre Court, Belcourt Castle, and Rough Point.
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• Swiss Village - built in 1916 by Arthur Curtiss James, was modeled after a village from the Italian region of Switzerland. Two historic properties totaling 45 acres. The main campus was formerly Arthur Curtiss James’ Surprise Valley Farm (or Swiss Village to the locals). The 14 buildings that make up the SVF site include exquisitely renovated animal facilities, a procedures laboratory, an infirmary, workshops, offices and a large conference room.
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• THE BREAKERS - built as the Newport summer home of Cornelius Vanderbilt II, a member of the wealthy United States Vanderbilt family. It is built in a style often described as GOÛT ROTHSCHILD. Designed by renowned architect Richard Morris Hunt and with interior decoration by Jules Allard and Sons and Ogden Codman, Jr., the 70-room mansion has approximately 65,000 sq ft (6,000 sq m) of living space. The home was constructed between 1893 and 1895 at a cost of more than US$12 million (approximately US$337 million in today's dollars adjusted for inflation).
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• The Elms - large mansion, or "summer cottage", located at 367 Bellevue Avenue, Newport, Rhode Island, in the United States. The Elms was designed by architect Horace Trumbauer for the coal baron Edward Julius Berwind, and was completed in 1901. Its design was copied from the ChÂteau d'AsniÉres in Asnières-sur-Seine, France. The gardens and landscaping were created by C. H. Miller and E. W. Bowditch, working closely with Trumbauer. The Elms has been designated a National Historic Landmark and today is open to the public.
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• Vernon Court - Gilded Age mansion designed by architects CarrÈre and Hastings, located at 492 Bellevue Avenue. Its design is an adaptation of an 18th-century French château, ChÂteau d'HarouÉ.
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• Vinland Estate - was built at Ochre Point, Newport, Rhode Island, United States, in 1882 for tobacco heiress Catharine Lorillard Wolfe by Peabody & Stearns. The Romanesque Revival style exterior consists of red sandstone with Aesthetic Movement style elements. Interior elements include designs by William Morris, windows by Burne-Jones, and landscaping by Ernest Bowditch. The main building is currently called McAuley Hall.

Hotels

• 20 Best Newport Hotels on TripAdvisor - Prices & Reviews.
• Book the best Newport hotels - Hotels.com.
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• Castle Hill Inn - since 1875. R&C **** 590 Ocean Avenue.
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• Forty 1° North Hotel & Marina Resort ***** 351 Thames Street.
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• Gurney's Newport Resort & Marina **** 1 Goat Island.
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• Hotel Viking - since May 25, 1926. **** 1 Bellevue Avenue. "A Downtown Newport Icon." The award-winning Hotel Viking is situated atop Newport's Historic Hill neighborhood with breathtaking views of Bellevue Avenue.
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• MILL STREET INN SLH *** 75 Mill St.
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• Newport Beach Hotel & Suites *** 1 Wave Ave, Middletown.
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• Newport Marriott *** 25 America's Cup Avenue.
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• The Chanler at Cliff Walk ***** 117 Memorial Blvd.
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• The Newport Harbor Hotel & Marina *** 49 America's Cup Avenue.
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• The Wynstone **** 232 Spring St.
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• Vanderbilt Grace ***** 41 Mary Street.

Marinas

• Newport Harbormaster - 39 America's Cup Avenue.
• Newport Shipyard - One Washington Street. "New England's Yachting Hub."
• Goat Island Marina - "An island oasis in the heart of Newport Harbor."
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• Newport Marina - "Lee's Wharf is privately owned with one of the best marina facilities, located in the heart of downtown Newport."
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• Newport Yachting Center Marina - 20 Commercial Wharf. "Sailboats, Powerboats & Yachts." The Newport Yachting Center Marina is a full-service marina in the midst of historic downtown Newport.

Media

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• List of newspapers in Rhode Island - Wikipedia.
• Media in Rhode Island - Wikipedia.
• Newport Advertiser - "All the latest news from the Newport region."
• Newport History - since 1912.
• Newport Journal - (1917-1928).
• Newport Life Magazine - since 1993. Lifestyle magazine published eight times annually and covers the events, people, history and places of Newport County.
• Newport Mercury - traces a lineage as one the oldest newspapers in the country. The history of that publication dates back to 1758.
• Newport Now - "Newport, RI News."
• Newport This Week - "Newport This Week has been serving the communities of Newport, Middletown and Jamestown, R.I. for the last 40 years. Newport This Week is an independent, locally-owned media company that believes simply, Local News Matters."
• Private Newport with Bettie Bearden Pardee - "Join Bettie Bearden Pardee in her peek at Private Newport- beauty, creativity, pleasure, entertaining, friendship, gardening, decorating and travel. Here, you’ll be transported to our treasured 'City by the Sea,' known for its casually elegant, graciously understated way of life within a setting of beauty and history."
• The Newport Daily News - since 1846. Independent six-day daily newspaper serving Newport County. It publishes in the mornings on weekdays (Monday through Friday) and in the morning on Saturdays. The Daily News is the state's largest family-owned newspaper.
• The Providence Journal - since 1829. Nicknamed the ProJo, is a daily newspaper serving the metropolitan area of Providence, Rhode Island and is the largest newspaper in Rhode Island. The newspaper was first published in 1829 and is the oldest continuously-published daily newspaper in the United States. The newspaper has won four Pulitzer Prizes.

Museums

• Museums in Newport, Rhode Island - Wikipedia.
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• International Tennis Hall Of Fame & Museum - since 1880. 194 Bellevue Avenue. The hall of fame honors players and contributors to the sport of tennis and includes a museum, grass tennis courts, an indoor tennis facility, and a court tennis (or real tennis) facility.
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• Museum of Newport History - history museum in the Old Brick Market building in the heart of Newport. It is owned and operated by the Newport Historical Society at 127 Thames Street on Washington Square.
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• Museum of the Artillery Company of Newport - 23 Clarke Street. Contains one of the most extensive collections of historic artifacts. The museum's most prized items are four 3-Pound bronze cannon cast by Paul Revere in his foundry in Boston in 1798 for the State of Rhode Island.
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• Museum of Yachting - since 1979. In addition to serving as the location for a number of events during the America's Cup World Series' tenure in Newport, the museum is also home to two permanent exhibits: The America’s Cup – The Newport Years and Coronet: The Long Life and Revival of an Historic American Schooner Yacht. It's also home to a Hall of Fame which honors moments and figures in yachting's history.
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• National Museum of American Illustration | NMAI - founded in 1998, is the first national museum to be devoted exclusively to American illustration artwork. The NMAI is located on Newport, Rhode Island's historic Bellevue Avenue in the mansion Vernon Court, designed by the noted Gilded Age architecture firm Carrère and Hastings. The museum's collection contains over 2,000 original works by noted American illustrators such as Norman Rockwell, Maxfield Parrish, J. C. Leyendecker, N.C. Wyeth, and others.
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• Naval War College Museum - since 1952. Building 10, Luce Avenue, Naval Station Newport. One of fifteen official museums operated by the United States Navy, under the direction of the Naval History & Heritage Command and in co-operation with the Naval War College.
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• Newport Art Museum - since 1912. One of the oldest continuously operating art associations in the United States. The association started during the art colony and Impressionist movements and was connected to the New York art scene. In 1916 the Association acquired the Griswold House to use as a gallery. Today the museum has many notable works particularly from Rhode Island and New England artists, including William Trost Richards, John Frederick Kensett, John La Farge, Gilbert Stuart, and Catharine Morris Wright as well as many contemporary artists.
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• Museum of Yachting at IYRS - Aquidneck Mill Building, 449 Thames St. "For more than 30 years, the Museum of Yachting (MoY) worked to preserve the culture and heritage of yachting. Today, IYRS still celebrates the traditions of yachting the Museum of Yachting presented through informative exhibits, lectures, literature, education and regattas."

Newport News & Resources

• 7 Wonders of Newport, Rhode Island - ABC News.
• 36 Hours in Newport, R.I. - The New York Times.
• A Brief History of Newport - Newport Historical Society.
• Aquidneck Island - located in the U.S. state of Rhode Island, is the largest island in Narragansett Bay. The island's official name is Rhode Island, and the common use of the name "Aquidneck Island" helps distinguish the island from the state. The total land area is 97.9 sq km (37.8 sq mi). The 2000 United States Census reported its population as 60,870.
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• Bannister's Wharf Marina - 1 Bannister's Wharf. "Once the home port for some of the world’s most famous yachts. Now the most coveted deep water dock space located in the center of Newport Harbor. Bannister’s Wharf is a 30-slip, deep-water marina with floating docks as well as a 280 foot fixed pier. The marina welcomes sail and power vessels, both large and small."
• Black Ships Festival - in 1984, Newport began celebrating a reciprocal Black Ships Festival emphasizing Japanese art, culture, and education.
• Bristol, Rhode Island - Wikipedia.
• City of Newport, RI - Official Website.
• Deborah & William Hillyard - "We have enjoyed trips to Rhode Island on a regular basis since 2004. The focus of our trips is Newport, but we have also visited a number of other towns in the area. Newport, Rhode Island, really is a very attractive New England town located on Aquidneck Island in Narragansett Bay. One of the things for which it is most well known is the collection of Gilded Age Mansions on Bellevue Avenue and along the coast. Over several years, and many visits, we have visited many of them, and I have included some photographs in the Newport Mansions section."
• Discover Newport - since 1639. "Home to spectacular coastal scenery, awe-inspiring architecture, a thriving waterfront downtown, and welcoming hospitality, Newport, Rhode Island is considered by many to be a shining gem in the coastal crown of New England. From weekend getaways spent touring the famed Gilded Age mansions that once were the summer playground for socialite families with names like Astor and Vanderbilt to an afternoon of wine tasting through Newport's three scenic vineyards, the options for interesting activities, distinctive stories, and enticing photo opportunities are countless!"
• Discover Newport Visitor Center - 23 America's Cup Avenue. "Make the Newport and Bristol (seasonal) Visitor Centers your first stop for all of your maps, materials, tickets and tour needs."
• Ferry Service & Water Taxi - Discover Newport.
• Fort Adams State Park - 84 Fort Adams Drive.
• FOUR HUNDRED - the social elite of New York City in the late 19th century. To be a member of "The Four Hundred," a family must be able to trace its wealth and lineage at least three generations without being tainted by any work.
• Gilded Age - the late 19th century, from the 1870s to about 1900. The term was coined by writer Mark Twain in The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today (1873), which satirized an era of serious social problems masked by a thin gold gilding. The Gilded Age was an era of rapid economic growth, especially in the North and West. American wages, especially for skilled workers, were much higher than in Europe, which attracted millions of immigrants.
• IYRS | International Yacht Restoration School - since 1993. Private nonprofit school with campuses on Thames Street in Newport, Rhode Island as well as in Bristol, Rhode Island. IYRS focuses on training highly skilled craftspeople and technicians for careers in a wide range of industries.
• Jane Pickens Theater & Event Center - 49 Touro St. "A world-class art house cinema based in Washington Square in the historic center of Newport, Rhode Island. The appeal of the films that are screened & the events that are created in this unique public meeting space is to a broad range of the local community and to an important tourist base."
• Jay Leno Opens Up About Buying A $13.5 Million Newport Mansion & Returning To Prime Time - "It’s common knowledge in real estate circles that Jay Leno and his wife of 40 years, Mavis, bought a Newport, R.I., mansion for $13.5 million in 2017. But the story of how the former Tonight Show host found Seafair, a 15,861-square-foot Louis XIV inspired chateau, is less known."
• List of National Historic Landmarks in Rhode Island - there are 45 National Historic Landmarks (NHLs) in Rhode Island. In addition there are two National Park Service administered or affiliated areas of national historic importance in the state.
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• MAPS OF NEWPORT, RI - "Download the VisitNewport App!" App features: Maps, GPS, Latest Events, Dining Lodging, Shopping, Points of Interest & More. Featuring The Cliff Walk.
• Marketing & Events - since 1989. "A full service special event management company with 31 years experience in event planning, Marketing & Events specializes in event coordination, corporate functions, creative theme decor, and team building events and convention/trade show management."
• Middletown, RI 02842 - Wikipedia.
• Narragansett Bay - bay and estuary on the north side of Rhode Island Sound. Covering 147 sq m (380 sq km) - 120.5 sq m (312 sq km) in Rhode Island - the Bay forms New England's largest estuary, which functions as an expansive natural harbor, and includes a small archipelago. Small parts of it extend into Massachusetts.
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Newport County, Rhode Island - there are 123 properties and districts listed on the National Register in the county, including 24 National Historic Landmarks.
• Newport, a City That Loves Its Mansions, Shudders at Its Newest One - The New York Times.
• Newport County Chamber of Commerce - one of Rhode Island's largest business advocacy organizations formed to enhance the business, civic and economic vitality of Newport County and greater Rhode Island.
• Newport County, Rhode Island - one of five counties located in the state of Rhode Island. As of the 2010 census, the population was 82,888. It is also one of the seven regions of Rhode Island.
• Newport - Discovery - Guide - "Newport Rhode Island from a Newport native's perspective."
• Newport Ferry Service - Block Island Ferry.
• Newport Harbormaster - 39 America's Cup Avenue.
• Newport Parks and Open Spaces App - "The Newport Parks and Open Spaces app helps you locate nearby Parks, Beaches, and Historical Cemeteries in Newport, RI! View photos and see what amenities exist at each location before you arrive."
• Newport Public Library - 300 Spring St. "Serving Newport, RI Community. Offering free programs an events, Wi-Fi, research tools and expert librarian help. Storytimes for Kids."
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• Newport Restoration Foundation - "Founded by heiress Doris Duke in 1968, the Newport Restoration Foundation (NRF) was charged with rescuing Newport’s dilapidated homes, many of which were at risk of being demolished. Since its founding, it has restored or preserved 83 buildings."
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• Newport Shipyard - One Washington Street. Offers dockage and refit/repair work for sailboats and power boats of all sizes.
• Newport, Rhode Island - Wikipedia.
• Newport, Rhode Island - YouTube.
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• Newport Social Index - "The Only Complete Directory of Society in Newport & Vicinity."
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• Newport State Airport - 211 Airport Access Rd, Middletown, RI 02842. (IATA: NPT, ICAO: KUUU, FAA LID: UUU) is a state owned, public use airport in Newport County, Rhode Island. It serves the city of Newport and is located two nautical miles (4 km) northeast of its central business district.
• Newport Summers - "When Society was in Flower."
• Newport: The Next Generation - "Welcome to Rhode Island's oldest resort town, where it's now possible to picnic on the lawns of million-dollar mansions and mingle with heiresses at velvet-rope nightclubs."
• Portsmouth, Rhode Island - Wikipedia.
• Providence, Rhode Island - the capital and most populous city in Rhode Island. Founded in 1636, it is one of the oldest cities in the United States.
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• The Coaching Club of New York - was formed in the latter part of the 19th century, eventually becoming part of the social fabric of Newport in the summer. The Wetmores, the Bells, the Vanderbilts and the Belmonts were all active members, bringing their coaches together to go to the races, the polo games, and the Casino.
• The Point Association of Newport, RI - since 1955. "The Point Association is a group of neighbors working together to improve the quality of life in our neighborhood by getting to know each other; preserving our historic heritage; maintaining the Point's residential character;beautifying our parks, streets and piers; and promoting public policies that strengthen all of Newport's neighborhoods."
• Top 10 Things to Do in Newport - TripAdvisor.
• Visit Newport RI App - "Download the VisitNewport App!" App features: Maps, GPS, Latest Events, Dining Lodging, Shopping, Points of Interest & More. Featuring The Cliff Walk.
• Visit Rhode Island - Rhode Island Tourism Division.

Newport Sightseeing

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• Audrain Building - 220-230 Bellevue Avenue. Architecturally significant commercial building constructed 1902-1903 to designs by noted architect Bruce Price. It is one of four buildings that form a distinguished central block within Newport, the others being the Travers Block (Richard Morris Hunt), Newport Casino (McKim, Mead, and White), and King Block (Perkins and Betton).
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• Brenton Point State Park - Rhode Island state park located on Aquidneck Island in the town of Newport. The park's location off Ocean Drive offers majestic vistas of the Atlantic Ocean as it meets Narragansett Bay.
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• Cliff Walk - considered one of the top attractions in Newport. It is a 3.5-mile (5.6 km) public access walkway that borders the shore line. It has been designated a National Recreation Trail. The Cliff Walk runs from the east end of Bailey's Beach to the western end of First Beach. There are public access points at Bellevue Avenue, Ledge Road, Marine Avenue, Ruggles Avenue, Sheppard Avenue, Webster Street, and Narragansett Avenue. It runs behind many of Newport's famous gilded mansions, such as Astor's Beechwood, Rosecliff, Marble House, The Breakers, Ochre Court, and Rough Point, where a bridge is located over an open chasm. Most of the 3.5-mile (5.6 km) cliff walk is paved and it offers beautiful vistas, tunnels, and long winding pathways. The latter half of the cliff walk has unpaved sections and paths along rugged New England rocky shoreline. This section is more of a challenge but it also has impressive views.
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• Common Burying Ground & Island Cemetery - are a pair of separate cemeteries on Farewell and Warner Street in Newport, Rhode Island. Together they contain over 5,000 graves, including a colonial era slave cemetery and Jewish graves. The pair of cemeteries was added to the National Register of Historic Places as a single listing in 1974. Established in 1640 on land given to city of Newport by John Clarke. It features an unparalleled collection of colonial era headstones including the largest number of colonial African American headstones in the country. The predominantly African-American northern section of the cemetery is commonly referred to by local African-Americans as "God's Little Acre". Prominent people buried in the Island Cemetery: Hugh D. Auchincloss and Janet Lee Bouvier - mother of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.
• Coronet (yacht) - a wooden-hull schooner yacht built in 1885, is one of the oldest and largest schooner yachts in the world.
• Great Friends Meeting House - meeting house of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) built in 1699 in Newport, Rhode Island. The meeting house, which is part of the Newport Historic District, is currently open as a museum owned by the Newport Historical Society. It is the oldest surviving house of worship in Rhode Island and features wide-plank floors, plain benches, a balcony, a beam ceiling, and a shingle exterior.
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• Fort Adams - established on July 4, 1799 as a First System coastal fortification. Its first commander was Captain John Henry who was later instrumental in starting the War of 1812.
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• Goat Island - a small island in Narragansett Bay and is part of the city of Newport. The island is connected to the Easton's Point neighborhood via a causeway bridge. Goat Island is home to the Newport Harbor Light (1842).
• Harbor Walk North - The Point - "A Scenic, Historical Newport Waterfront Neighborhood Walk."
• Historic Washington Square - Newport-Discovery-Guide.com.
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• Hunter House - "Hunter House is one of the finest examples of Georgian Colonial architecture from Newport's "golden age" in the mid-18th century. The house was built and decorated when Newport was a cosmopolitan city with a principle of religious tolerance that attracted Quakers, Baptists, Congregationalists and Sephardic Jews. The great mercantile families lived patrician lives, building harbor-front mansions overlooking their trading ships, and entertained in grand style. They bought furniture and silver from local craftsmen and were the patrons of such important early painters as Robert Feke and Gilbert Stuart."
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• Isaac Bell House - historic house and National Historic Landmark at 70 Perry Street (at its corner with Bellevue Avenue). Also known as Edna Villa, it is one of the outstanding examples of Shingle Style architecture in the United States. It was designed by McKim, Mead, and White, and built during the Gilded Age, when Newport was the summer resort of choice for America's wealthiest families.
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• John N. A. Griswold House - National Historic Landmark on 76 Bellevue Avenue in Newport, Rhode Island. It is home to the Newport Art Museum and houses an art gallery. The home was built in 1864 by Richard Morris Hunt for John Griswold, an Old China Trade merchant. The house is one of the earliest American Stick–style buildings and one of Hunt's first works in Newport. The house is an official project of Save America’s Treasures.
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• Newport Bridge - the Claiborne Pell Bridge, commonly known as the Newport Bridge, is a suspension bridge operated by the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority that spans the East Passage of the Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island. The bridge, part of RI 138, connects the City of Newport on Aquidneck Island and the Town of Jamestown on Conanicut Island, which in turn is connected to the mainland by the Jamestown Verrazzano Bridge.
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• Newport Harbor Light - (also known as the Goat Island Light or Green Light), built in 1842, is located on north end of Goat Island, which is part of the city of Newport, in Narragansett Bay.
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• Norman Bird Sanctuary - 325-acre (1.32 sq km) bird sanctuary, nature preserve, and museum at 583 Third Beach Road in Middletown overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.
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• Ocean Drive Historic District - covers the long street of the same name along the southern shore of Newport. It was designated a National Historic Landmark District in 1976, in recognition for its distinctive landscape (in part the work of Frederick Law Olmsted) and architecture, which is less formal and generally not as ostentatious as the grand summer properties of Bellevue Avenue.
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• St. Mary's Catholic Church - historic Roman Catholic church complex at 14 William Street (Spring Street at Memorial Boulevard) in Newport, Rhode Island within the Diocese of Providence. The parish congregation was founded in 1828, and was the first Roman Catholic parish established in the state. In 1953 Senator John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Bouvier were married at St. Mary's. The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2008.
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• The Forty Steps - 117 Memorial Boulevard. Located less than a mile from the start of the beautiful Newport Cliff Walk (at the east end of Narragansett Avenue), the 40 Steps used to be one of the most popular recreation spots for the servants who worked at the Newport mansions during the Gilded Age.
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• The Point - (or less commonly, "Easton's Point") is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Newport, Rhode Island and has one of the highest concentrations of colonial houses in the United States. The neighborhood sits between Washington Street and Farewell Street/America's Cup in Newport looking out on Goat Island, former home to the U.S. Naval Torpedo Station.
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• Touro Park - the Newport Tower is located in Touro Park, at the top of Mill Street, surrounded by a historical residential neighborhood on the hill above the waterfront tourist district.
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• Touro Synagogue - since 1763. The oldest synagogue building still standing in the United States, the oldest surviving Jewish synagogue building in North America, and the only surviving synagogue building in the U.S. dating to the colonial era.
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• Trinity Church - on Queen Anne Square in Newport, Rhode Island, is a historic parish church in the Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island. Founded in 1698, it is the oldest Episcopal parish in the state. The current Georgian building was designed by architect Richard Munday and constructed in 1725–26. It is a National Historic Landmark. Notable parishoners: John Jacob Astor VI & Cornelius Vanderbilt II.
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• Washington Square - the geographical and historical heart of Newport Rhode Island. More trapezoid than square, it exists at the intersection of several major streets and what was the colonial long wharf, projecting into the harbor off Aquidneck Island and into Narragansett Bay. Although as a civic space it is colonial in origin, dating back to the first settlement of 1639, much of its present shape, form and name dates from the 19th century while a number of its most prominent buildings are of early 20th century design.

Nightlife

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• Best Newport Nightlife - Top 10Best Nightlife Reviews.
• Dance Clubs - Discover Newport.
• Night Clubs Newport, RI - Yelp.
• Nightlife in Newport, RI - DestinationNewport.com.

Notable people

• Newport Notable people - Wikipedia.
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• Alva Belmont Vanderbilt - (1853-1933). Prominent multi-millionaire American socialite and a major figure in the women's suffrage movement. Known for having an aristocratic manner that antagonized many people, she was also noted for her energy, intelligence, strong opinions, and willingness to challenge convention. She was married first to William Kissam Vanderbilt, with whom she had three children, and secondly to Oliver Hazard Perry Belmont. During her first marriage Alva wanted a "summer cottage" in fashionable Newport. William commissioned Richard Morris Hunt again, and the elaborate Marble House was built next door to Mrs. Astor's more modest Beechwood. Alva Vanderbilt shocked society in March 1895 when she divorced her husband, at a time when divorce was rare among the elite, and received a large financial settlement said to be in excess of $10 million, in addition to several estates. She already owned Marble House outright. After her divorce from Vanderbilt and subsequent remarriage to Oliver Belmont, she began extensive renovations to Belmont's sixty-room Newport mansion, Belcourt. The entire first floor was composed of carriage space and a multitude of stables for Belmont's prized horses. Eager to reshape and redesign Belcourt, Alva made changes that transformed the interiors of the mansion into a blend of French and English Gothic and Renaissance styles.
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• August Belmont - a 19th-century German-American politician, financier, foreign diplomat, and party chairman of the Democratic National Committee during the 1850s and later a famous horse-breeder and racehorse owner, who established the landmark Belmont Park racecourse on Long Island, New York. Belmont threw lavish balls and dinner parties, receiving mixed reviews from New York's high society. In 1910, famed sculptor John Quincy Adams Ward completed a bronze statue of a seated Belmont. It was eventually installed, about 1995, in front of the headquarters building for the Preservation Society of Newport County at the corner of Bellevue and Narragansett Avenues in Newport. Belmont introduced ten-course dinners and servants dressed in full livery like those in European palaces to his Newport Bythesea mansion, and some credit him with making Newport the summer capital for high-society.
• Alfred Smith - (1808-1886). Newport's greatest real estate developer.
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• Claus von BÜlow - (1926-). Former name-giver and resident of Clarendon Court (1970-1987). British socialite of German and Danish ancestry. He was accused of the attempted murder of his wife Sunny von BÜlow (born Martha Sharp Crawford, 1931–2008) by administering an insulin overdose in 1980 which left her in a persistent vegetative state for the rest of her life, but his conviction in the first trial was reversed and he was found not guilty in both his retrials.
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• DORIS DUKE - (1912-1993). American heiress, horticulturalist, art collector, and philanthropist. Daughter of an immensely rich tobacco tycoon, Duke was able to fund a life of global travel and wide-ranging interests. These extended across journalism, competition surfing, jazz piano, wildlife conservation, Oriental art and Hare Krishna. Much of her work centered on her father's estate at Hillsborough Township, New Jersey, where she created many elaborately-themed gardens, furnished with artifacts acquired on her world travels, including one of America's largest indoor botanical displays. She was also active in preserving more than eighty historic buildings in Newport. Twice married and divorced, Duke enjoyed a colorful private life that was seldom out of the gossip-columns. Her philanthropic work continued into her old age, some of it unknown to the public during her lifetime, and her estimated $1.3 billion fortune was largely left to charity.
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• Elaine Lorillard - (1914-2007). American socialite who was a founder of the Newport Jazz Festival.
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• Frederick Law Olmsted - (1822-1903). American landscape architect, journalist, social critic, and public administrator. He is popularly considered to be the father of American landscape architecture, although many scholars have bestowed that title upon Andrew Jackson Downing. Olmsted was famous for co-designing many well-known urban parks with his senior partner Calvert Vaux.
• Gilbert Stuart - (1755-1828). American painter from Rhode Island. Gilbert Stuart is widely considered to be one of America's foremost portraitists. His best known work, the unfinished portrait of George Washington that is sometimes referred to as The Athenaeum, was begun in 1796 and never finished.
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• Ida Lewis - (1842-1911). Born in Newport and lighthouse keeper on Lime Rock noted for her heroism. Because of her many rescues, Ida Lewis became the best-known lighthouse keeper of her day. During her 39 years on Lime Rock, Ida is credited with saving 18 lives, although unofficial reports suggest the number may have been as high as 36. In 1924 the Rhode Island legislature officially changed the name of Lime Rock to Ida Lewis Rock. The lighthouse service changed the name of the Lime Rock Lighthouse to the Ida Lewis Rock Lighthouse—the only such honor ever paid to a keeper in the United States. It is now the home of the Ida Lewis Yacht Club.
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• James Gordon Bennett, Jr. - (1841-1918). Publisher of the New York Herald, founded by his father, James Gordon Bennett, Sr. Among his many sports-related accomplishments he organized both the first polo match and the first tennis match in the United States, and he personally won the first trans-oceanic yacht race. He sponsored explorers including Henry Morton Stanley's trip to Africa to find David Livingstone. Like many of his social class, indulged in the "good life": yachts, opulent private railroad cars, and lavish mansions. He was the youngest Commodore ever of the New York Yacht Club. In 1880, Bennett commissioned McKim, Mead, and White to design the Newport Casino in Newport, RI.
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• Marion Graves Anthon 'Mamie' Fish - (1853-1915). Was a socialite and self-styled "fun-maker" of the Gilded Age. She and her husband Stuyvesant Fish maintained stately homes in New York City and Newport, Rhode Island.
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• Mrs. Astor | Caroline Webster Schermerhorn Astor - (1830-1908). Prominent American socialie and the reigning Queen of New York and Newport high society until a stroke and dementia ended her rule in 1908. Famous for being referred to later in life as "the Mrs. Astor" or simply "Mrs. Astor", she was the wife of real estate heir William Backhouse Astor Jr. Four years after her death her son John Jacob Astor IV was the richest man on the RMS Titanic and perished in the disaster of that ship.
• The Triumverate - aka Newport Social Strategy Board (1898): Alva Vanderbilt ('The Rebel'), Tessie Oelrichs ('The Perfectionist') & Mamie Fish ('The Loose Cannon'). Mrs. William Backhouse Astor, Jr. (Caroline Webster Schermerhorn) founded "The Four Hundred," a term coined by her consigliere Ward McAllister. She reigned as queen of New York & Newport Society throughout the last quarter of the 19th century and controlled the list of society's 400 social elite. Then, a triumvirate lead by Mrs. Stuyvesant Fish with Mrs. O. H. P. Belmont (formerly Mrs. Wm K. Vanderbilt) and Mrs. Hermann Oelrichs and aided by James Lehr assumed leadership for two more decades.
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• Theresa 'Tessie' Fair Oelrichs - (1854-1926). Went from the daughter of a hard-scrabble California miner to become heiress to a fortune in Comstock Lode gold and silver, the wife of steamship magnate Hermann Oelrich, mistress of the Rosecliff estate in Newport, Rhode Island and a member of the elite Triumvirate of American society.

Private Clubs

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• Clambake Club of Newport - founded in 1895. Private club at 353 Tuckerman Avenue in Middletown, Rhode Island. One of the most exclusive social organizations in the United States. Its membership is limited to 75 full members and 75 associate members who are the eldest sons of the full members. Membership is offered strictly by invitation only.
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• Ida Lewis Yacht Club | ILYC - since 1928. "Ida Lewis Yacht Club is a family oriented club of members who actively participate in yachting activities. Our mission is to foster excellence in yachting and yacht racing with an emphasis on traditions, sportmanship, education and camaraderie."
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• New York Yacht Club-Harbour Court - founded in 1844. Private social club and yacht club based in 44th Street, New York City & Harbour Court, 5 Halidon Avenue, Newport.
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• Newport Casino - 186-202 Bellevue Avenue. Recognized as America's first country club. The complex was commissioned in 1880 by James Gordon Bennett, Jr. Legend states that Bennett placed a bet with his guest British Cavalry Officer, Captain Henry Augustus "Sugar" Candy that Candy would not ride his horse up onto the front porch of Newport's most exclusive men's club - The Newport Reading Room. Candy won the bet, but the Governors of the Reading Room were not amused. Bennett and his infamous short temper did not take this kindly, and soon set about creating his own retreat, what would eventually become The Newport Casino. The complex now houses the International Tennis Hall of Fame, and was the site of the earliest US Opens.
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• Newport Country Club - founded in 1893. Historic private golf club. 280 Harrison Avenue. Hosted both the first U.S. Amateur Championship and the first U.S. Open in 1895.
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• Newport Reading Room - founded in 1854. 29 Bellevue Avenue. A gentlemen's club located on Bellevue Avenue in Newport, Rhode Island, USA. Its primary building features an actual book reading room. The Spouting Rock Beach Association owns the building and also owns the famed Bailey's Beach.
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• Spouting Rock Beach Association - founded in the 1890s. (Bailey's Beach) is an elite private beach and club.
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• The Coaching Club of New York - was formed in the latter part of the 19th century, eventually becoming part of the social fabric of Newport in the summer. The Wetmores, the Bells, the Vanderbilts and the Belmonts were all active members, bringing their coaches together to go to the races, the polo games, and the Casino.

Restaurants

• 10 BEST Restaurants in Newport - TripAdvisor.
• 10 Must-Try Restaurants In Newport, Rhode Island - Culture Trip.
• Best Restaurants in Newport, RI - TripAdvisor.
• Newport Restaurant Week - November 1st - 10th, 2019. "Newport Restaurant Week, part of a nationwide movement, debuted here in 2006 as an annual event to encourage both residents and visitors to Newport and Bristol counties to experience the vast culinary talent in our destination at an affordable price. Newport Restaurant Week takes place every fall with more than 50 participating restaurants offering extraordinary two-course prix fixe lunches for $20, three-course prix fixe dinners for $35 and a three-course premier prix fixe dinner for $50."
• Newport RI Restaurants - "The Newport, RI area offers a variety of dining experiences. View restaurants, bars, wineries, breweries, farmers markets, cooking classes and food tours."
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• 12 Metre Club Room - 26 Bannister's Wharf. "The Club Room, Newport's station for the 12 Metre Yacht Club, is an intimate dining room in the original section of the 18th century house. The Club Room is the favored spot for small to mid-sized gatherings."
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• Brick Alley Pub & Restaurant - 140 Thames St.
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• Castle Hill Inn - since 1875. R&C 590 Ocean Avenue.
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• Clarke Cooke House - 26 Bannister's Wharf. "Renowned for its innovative cuisine, it is legendary as the heartbeat of Newport, RI. Whether local or visiting, the Clarke Cooke House is an unparalleled, quintessential Newport experience. We've been hosts to royalty and yachting stars, captains of industry and charming scalawags, to occasions whimsical and outrageous. Whether a quiet dinner or late night revelry, our goal has always been to provide great food, professional service, and a sophisticated environment."
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• Sardella's Italian Restaurant - 30 Memorial Blvd W. Executive Chef: Kevin Fitzgerald. Founded by former mayor of Newport Richard Sardella in 1980. Sardella’s specializes in Northern and Southern Italian cuisine. Over the years, Sardella’s has been recognized as “Best Italian Restaurant” by Rhode Island Monthly and Newport Life magazines. Sardella’s is a favorite spot of many locals, celebrities, politicians and tourists.
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• The Black Pearl The Tavern - 10 1/2 W Pelham St., Bannister's Wharf.
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• The Mooring Seafood Kitchen & Bar - "The Freshest Seafood in the City by the Sea." Elevates the Newport seafood tradition to a new level, providing a casual elegance while maintaining all of its relaxed Newport charm. 1 Sayers Wharf.
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• White Horse Tavern - since 1673. "America's Oldest Tavern." Located on the corner of Farewell & Marlborough streets.
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• Yesterday's - "A Newport Tradition Since 1974." 28 Washington Square.

Shopping

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• Newport Rhode Island Shopping - "A Shopper's Paradise in the 'City by the Sea'"
• Where to shop - Discover Newport.
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• Bannister's Wharf - since 1742. "Stroll the Wharf for a unique shop, a favorite restaurant, or simply for the pleasure of the quintessential Newport Experience!"
• Brick Market Place - "Brick Market Place is a year round destination with over 25 unique shops and eateries nestled in the heart of Newport, Rhode Island, making it a must for visitors and locals alike."
• Le Bec SucrÉ: The bakery that sells out in 2 hours every weekend - "Newport, Rhode Island isn't typically thought of as a home for authentic French bakeries. French baker Belinda Quinn is trying to change that with her deliciously delicate pain au chocolats at her bakery, Le Bec Sucré."
• Lotuff Leather - "We work to make the highest quality leather goods for our customers to use for the rest of their lives."

Sports

• 12 Metre Yacht Club - "The 12 Metre Yacht Club, Newport Station was formed to provide and facilitate discussion and a social environment for 12 Metre yacht owners and others interested in the history of the 12 Metre Class and encourage continued involvement in preserving, restoring and racing 12 Metre yachts in the Newport area."
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• Cardines Field - baseball stadium located at 20 America’s Cup Avenue.
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• International Tennis Hall Of Fame & Museum - since 1880. 194 Bellevue Avenue. The hall of fame honors players and contributors to the sport of tennis and includes a museum, grass tennis courts, an indoor tennis facility, and a court tennis (or real tennis) facility.
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• New York Yacht Club-Harbour Court - founded in 1844. Private social club and yacht club based in 44th Street, New York City & Harbour Court, 5 Halidon Avenue, Newport.
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• Newport Casino - since 1879. Athletic complex and recreation center located at 186–202 Bellevue Avenue. The complex includes: The Casino (shops, a restaurant, offices, and the International Tennis Hall of Fame); Horseshoe Piazza and Court; Bill Talbert Stadium; Court Tennis Building (The National Court Tennis Club); Theatre – restored and managed by Salve Regina University Department of Performing Arts; Indoor tennis courts (Newport Casino Indoor Racquet Club); Various grass tennis courts (Newport Casino Lawn Tennis Club).
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• Newport Country Club - founded in 1893. Historic private golf club. 280 Harrison Avenue. Hosted both the first U.S. Amateur Championship and the first U.S. Open in 1895.
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• Newport National Golf Club - "Voted the #1 Course You Can Play in Rhode Island Year after Year!" 324 Mitchells Lane, Middletown, RI 02842.
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• Newport Polo - 250 Linden Lane, Portsmouth, RI 02871. "Home of the Westchester Polo Club, America's first polo club, est. in 1876, and founding member of the United States Polo Association."