Newport architecture

Edgar-Wolfe-Moore House // 1864

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At the head of Touro Park, this large home has stood since it was built in 1864 for Daniel Edgar of New York, who made it his summer home for eight seasons. It was designed by noted local architect, George Champlin Mason in the Italianate style and included a broad veranda, brackets, and other intricate details. In 1872, Edgar sold the property to Catherine Lorillard Wolfe, who occupied the house until 1883 when her property “Vinland” was completed on Ochre Point Avenue. In 1948, the house was purchased by Cornelius C. Moore, who remodeled the exterior in 1949-1950, removing its Italianate trim and replacing it with Neo-Federal detail we see today. The house was most-recently in use as the Touro Park Inn, but was recently purchased and is a single-family home.

“Park Gate” Cottage // 1879

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“Park Gate” Cottage sits on Bellevue Avenue near Touro Park in Newport, Rhode Island and is one of many summer “cottages” for wealthy summer residents. The home replaced the Atlantic House, a large summer hotel formerly on the site. The wood-frame dwelling was designed by Newport architect George Champlin Mason for Seth Bunker Stitt of Philadelphia and constructed in 1879. Mason’s design for “Park Gate” includes many features typical of the Queen Anne style including the asymmetrical facades, wrap-around front porch, tower, and even the small details like dentils, spindle work and balustrades. The house was later purchased by Newport Lodge #104 of the Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks in 1920, who own the building to this day.

Gardner House // c.1847

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This perfect Greek Revival style house sits on Pelham Street in Newport, overlooking Touro Park and the iconic Newport Tower/Old Mill. Built around 1847 for Captain Robinson Gardner, the house exhibits flushboard siding, a heavy portico with wrought iron balcony over the door, and entablature with corner pilasters, all hallmarks of the style. The home became known as “White House” and has likely been painted white for much of its history.

John Banister House // 1751

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This deep, gambrel-roofed house is among my favorites in Newport. The house was built in 1751 for John Banister (1707-1767), a Boston-born merchant who moved to Newport in 1736, marrying Hermoine Pelham (1718-1765), a granddaughter of Gov. Benedict Arnold, that next year. Banister quickly established himself as a leading Newport merchant, trading with England, the West Indies, engaging in privateering and the slave trade. In 1752, he held one of the last public slave auctions in Rhode Island at his store, describing them in advertisements as “the finest cargo of slaves ever brought into New England”. The couple also built a country estate in Middletown, Rhode Island. John and Hermione had two sons, John and Thomas, who grew up in this home. John inherited the house after his father’s death in 1767, but the two brothers would soon find themselves on opposite sides of the battle for independence. Thomas was a loyalist, and even enlisted in the British army during the occupation of Newport, while John supported American independence. In retaliation for his patriot views, the occupying British forces seized this house, along with John’s farm in nearby Middletown. The house became the headquarters of General Richard Prescott during the occupation, although John later reclaimed his property following the British evacuation of Newport in 1779. The house has a later Federal entry, but otherwise is one of the best-preserved Colonial homes in Newport. It is a single-family home.

Kinsley Building // 1892

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Established in May of 1854, the Aquidneck Bank begun with a capital of $100,000 with Rufus B. Kinsley as its president. The bank became the Aquidneck National Bank in 1865 and continued growing after the Civil War. The directors of the bank eventually left their former building (across Green Street) and moved into this building at Thames and Green Streets, which was built from 1892 to 1893 by local architect Dudley Newton. They named it after the banks founder, Rufus KinsThe Romanesque Revival style block is oriented to the corner and is built of brick and brownstone trim. Arched entrances are a nice Romanesque touch.

Rufus B. Kinsley Building // c.1860

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This large commercial block on Thames Street in Newport was built before 1860 by Rufus B. Kinsley, a businessman who made his money in express companies (think express shipping) in the mid-19th century. He built this structure to rent out and diversify his income by around 1860. Early tenants included two banks: the Rhode Island Hospital Trust Company and the Aquidneck National Bank. The latter would remain here for years before building their own bank across the street.

Newport Congregational Church // 1857

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The Newport Congregational Church on Spring Street was built between 1855-1857 and serves the United First and Second Congregational parishes of Newport whose history began in the late 17th century. The building, designed by Joseph C. Wells a New York City architect, and redecorated on the interior in 1880 by John LaFarge, is an interesting and well-preserved example of the Romanesque Revival, brownstone churches of the mid 19th century. LaFarge had recently completed work on H. H. Richardson’s landmark Trinity Church, Boston, and sought to provide a more elaborate interior than he was able to in Boston. He produced twenty stained glass windows and a series of murals, which today, represent the only fully integrated ecclesiastical interior he produced. The congregation has shrunk in recent years and moved to nearby Middletown, but it’s vestry was committed to the preservation of La Farge’s work. The LaFarge Restoration Fund was established and since the 1990s, the nonprofit has spent $3 million on glass and mural restoration, architectural stabilization and systems upgrades for their former building. The building is used occasionally as an arts center.

Cahoone-Yates Double House // c.1763

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James Cahoone (1727-1814) and Stephen Yates built this stunning double-house on Green Street in Newport around 1763. Both James and Stephen worked as painters in town, and built this house together, each living in one half (Cahoone must have paid a little more because his “half” was a little larger). The Georgian style double-house eventually suffered from neglect and like several other Colonial-era buildings in Newport, its future was uncertain. Luckily, the Newport Restoration Foundation stepped in and purchased the property in 1968, restoring the houses in 1974, complete with a paint color even Cahoone and Yates would love!

Theodore Helme Block // 1875

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One of the finest commercial blocks in Newport is this building, the Theodore Helme Block, located on Spring Street, just behind Trinity Church. The block was built for Helme by 1875 and was possibly an early design by Dudley Newton, a local architect. The Second Empire style block has a slate roof with rare intact iron cresting and small dormers. The building was restored by Federico Santi & John Gacher, who operate The Drawing Room Antiques here.

Billings Coggeshall Double House // c.1784

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This unique double-house on Mill Street is stopped me in my tracks when strolling around Newport. The two-family house was built around 1784 by Billings Coggeshall (1733-1810) and is unique architecturally as it is comprised of two houses, each with its own separate pedimented entry, into a single lengthy block. Both houses have interior chimneys and are just one-room deep! When urban renewal hit Newport in the second half of the 20th century, traffic patterns and revitalization of the waterfront were top of mind (not necessarily slum clearance and wholesale redevelopment of neighborhoods like in Boston). To bring traffic into the downtown shopping area, Memorial Boulevard was laid out by 1969, and the Newport Restoration Foundation was integral to saving this building from the wrecking ball, as it was in the path of the new road. As luck would have it, an area around Trinity Church was cleared to establish Queen Anne Square, a town common-like park in the center of town. To provide the quintessential “New England charm”, many historic buildings were relocated to line the square, including this house. When the Billings Coggeshall House was moved here, it replaced a gas station, and it was given an even longer side addition with breezeway, providing screened parking and a rear addition for offices. Here’s to preservation!