Newport Rhode Island Houses

John Banister House // 1751

Buildings of New England1 Comment

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.

Harkness House // c.1730

Buildings of New England1 Comment

The award for the cutest house in Newport goes to this c.1730 beauty on Green Street! This charming Georgian cape house sits just one-and-a-half stories tall under a squat gambrel roof. The house was originally located at the corner of Thames Street and was moved at least twice until it was placed on its present site by the Newport Restoration Foundation, after they acquired it in 1983, restoring it soon after. The center-hall house has just two rooms on each floor with a central staircase and chimney. The small dormers add some light to the second floor without compromising the historic and architectural integrity of the cottage.

Bowen-Newton-Tobin House // c.1825

Buildings of New England5 Comments

Who would have ever imagined that the Federal and Second Empire architectural styles could work so well together?! This is the Bowen-Tobin House on Spring Street in Newport, Rhode Island. The house was originally built around 1825 by Stephen Bowen as a typical two-story Federal style house with five-bay facade and entry with pedimented fanlight above. The property and it remained in the Bowen Family until 1892, when it was sold by his heirs to Mary Bailey Newton, the wife of Dudley Newton, a prominent local architect who designed dozens of summer cottages for wealthy residents in Newport. Dudley Newton “modernized” this house, adding a towered mansard roof, bracketed cornice, new two-over-two windows, and a full-length front porch wrapping around the side. The couple later moved the house, which was formerly set back behind a front garden, to the side and at the sidewalk to lay out Green Place (originally Bowen Ct.) and house lots behind this home, removing the front porch in the process. The house was later sold to the Tobin Family.

Langley-King House // c.1710

Buildings of New EnglandLeave a comment

Built c. 1710 this amazing Georgian Colonial house would have originally been a smaller, central chimney structure built by Nathaniel Langley. Major remodeling to effect the Georgian style seen today was done by a subsequent owner of the property. That owner was likely John Brown (1694-1764) a wealthy merchant that may have gifted or sold this home to his daughter, Ann Brown and her new husband, Charles Handy. Handy was a merchant and operated a spermaceti factory just to its west. Later owner, David King and his heirs owned the house for much of the 19th century. The house is on its original site and was purchased by the Newport Restoration Foundation (NRF) in 1969 and restored in 1970-71.

Stephen S. Albro House // 1876

Buildings of New EnglandLeave a comment

Stephen Stedman Albro (1817-1895) was born in Newport, Rhode Island, the son of James and Rhoda Albro. After attending local schools, he entered into a mason’s trade, eventually starting his own contracting business. He split his time as a contractor and as a Deacon of a local Baptist Church. He was engaged in local politics, serving as a alderman for Newport and even was a director of the National Exchange Bank in Newport for some years. He built this home on Green Street after his marriage to his second wife, Emma, possibly designing and constructing the house himself. The Albro House is a stunning example of a late-Italianate style dwelling with later Queen Anne/Colonial Revival embellishments. This is a special house!

Joseph Cottrell House // 1843

Buildings of New EnglandLeave a comment

The Joseph Cottrell House on Spring Street in Newport is a handsome, two-story, Greek Revival style house with flushboard siding and a traditional pilastered recessed center entry. What really stands out about this home is the two-story rounded corner bay which is finished with columned porches (since enclosed) which were likely added in the second half of the 19th century. Cottrell worked as a ship-builder in Newport, likely constructing the house and later addition himself. Developers today would never!