The town of Newport was settled in 1639, and was incorporated as a city in 1784.

Rhode Island was founded on the basis of complete religious and political freedom, and in Newport, Quakers and Jews found a comfortable haven shortly after its founding. By the early 1700's, commerce, combined with a successful farming and fishing industry, brought great wealth to the community

Newport ships probably developed what became the first resort in British North America when, during the 1720's, sea captains brought passengers from the Carolinas and Caribbean who wished to get away from the heat, fever and humidity of their plantations. 

Newport was one of the five most important settlements in the 13 colonies, sharing that distinction with Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Charlestown.

Newport was the "Birthplace of the Navy", and with private and naval shipping combined, added to the cosmopolitan atmosphere of the community. The finest craftsmen in furniture and silver worked here before the Revolution. Summer visitors enjoyed an advanced cultural society that has continued to this day.

Newport combines three communities in one--the settled community, the Navy (which bases its Naval Education and Training Center here), and the "summer colony." All work in harmony to produce and sponsor events of international importance such as opera and music festivals; the opening of the opulent Vanderbilt, Astor, and Belmont mansions to visitors; and outstanding exhibits and performances of the visual and performing arts.

The city claims more standing buildings built before 1830, than any American community. Many are open to visitors, such as the Old Colony House, the nation's second oldest capitol building; the Redwood Library, the oldest library building in continuous use; the Touro Synagague, America's oldest Jewish house of worship; the armory of the Artillery Company of Newport, the oldest, active military organization in the country; and several examples of Colonial residential architecture such as the Hunter House, which experts agree rates with the nation's top ten.

Contemporary Newport has a variety of museum attractions, including the International Tennis Hall of Fame, the Newport Art Museum, and replicas of two ships recalling the port's part in the Revolutionary War, the colonial Sloop-of-War Providence. There are windjammer cruises out of the port, excursion boats, harbor and city bus tours, a New York style disco, scuba diving, surfing, spear fishing, summer theatre, golf, pari-mutual jai alai, tennis and fishing along with numerous yacht races for international, national, regional, or Olympic championships. Its numerous restaurants serve up the best in Rhode Island seafood, and several are known for their continental cuisine.

ABRAHAM RODRIGUES RIVERA HOUSE. Washington Square. In this building (then the residence of Deputy Governor John Gardiner) the Reverend James Manning, in July, 1763, met with interested citizens and first made the design known to establish a college in the English colony of Rhode Island, which eventually became Brown University.

ARTILLERY COMPANY OF NEWPORT, MILITARY MUSEUM. (1836) Armory, 23 Clarke Street. The museum is considered to have one of the most outstanding collections of foreign and domestic military to be seen in the United States. Started in 1960, it has grown from a minute collection that today represents over one hundred countries throughout the known world. The command, Rhode Island Militia, chartered in 1741, is the nation's oldest military organization in continuous service under its charter. 401-846-8488.

ASTORS' BEECHWOOD MANSION, THE. (1856) 580 Bellevue Avenue. Summer home of William Backhouse and The Mrs. Astor. Costumed actors re-create the fabulous 1890's lifestyle by remaining in character and treating visitors as if they were personal guests of Mrs. Astor, the undisputed Queen of American society. Living history tours, Murder mystery tours, private parties, teas, luncheons and weddings. 401-846-3772.

BELCOURT CASTLE. (1894) Bellevue Avenue. Centennial year, 1894-1994. Louis XIII-style castle designed by Richard Morris Hunt for Oliver H.P. Belmont and the former Mrs. W.K. Vanderbilt. Exhibits a full-size gold Coronation Coach and the largest collection of antiques and treasures in Newport. Only Newport mansion with owners in residence. 401-846-0669.

BOWEN'S WHARF. America's Cup Avenue. Features restored waterfront shopping, restaurant and marine district with cobblestone and brick walkways and a rich blend of 18th, 19th & 20th century history and architecture. 401-849-2243.

BREAKERS STABLE AND CARRIAGE HOUSE, THE. (1895) Coggeshall Avenue. Built in 1895 by Richard Morris Hunt, this incredible building, fully equipped and staffed, was an extremely important addition to The Breakers. A private collection of various Vanderbilt memorabilia, including the famous coach Venture, is on display. 401-847-1000.

BREAKERS, THE. (1895) Ochre Point Avenue. Celebrating it's 100th Anniversary! Newport's most palatial summer residence was built for Cornelius Vanderbilt by Richard Morris Hunt (1893-1895). The symmetry of design, opulence and lavish use of alabaster, marble, mosaics, and antique woods rival the magnificent northern Italian Renaissance palaces after which it was modeled. The seventy room mansion overlooks the Atlantic Ocean. Children's cottage. Please check events calendar for special anniversary celebrations. 401-847-1000.

BRICK MARKET. (1762) Long Wharf and Thames Street. Designed by Peter Harrison and used initially as a market and granary. Now, the quaint restored area offers a tremendous variety of gift and novelty shops, boutiques, and restaurants.

CASTLE HILL COAST GUARD STATION. (1940) Ocean Drive. Individual visitors and groups welcome by appointment during daylight hours. Contact Officer of the Day at 401-846-3676.

CHANNING MEMORIAL CHURCH. (1880) 135 Pelham Street. Dedicated to William Ellery Channing, leader of American Unitarianism and anti-Slavery movement. Built largely of porphyritic granite. Stained glass windows by John LaFarge and Donald MacDonald; bronze plaque by Augustus Saint-Gaudens. Church of Julia Ward Howe, author of Battle Hymn of the Republic. Sunday worship, 10 a.m. OPEN: By appt. 401-846-0643.

CHATEAU-SUR-MER. (c. 1852) Bellevue Avenue. Considered one of America's finest examples of lavish Victorian architecture and design. Built for China trade merchant, William S. Wetmore, it was renovated by Richard Morris Hunt in 1872. Some original furnishings and beautiful trees on the grounds. 401-847-1000.

CLIFF WALK. Begins at Memorial Boulevard. Picturesque walk overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and adjoining many famous Newport summer mansions. Designated a National Recreation Trail in 1975. CAUTION: Potentially dangerous in places. 401-849-8048, 800-326-6030.

CONTINENTAL SLOOP PROVIDENCE. Fort Adams State Park. This l0-gun, 110' topsail sloop is a reproduction of the first ship commissioned by the Continental Navy and the first command of John Paul Jones. On March 4, l776, the U.S. Marine Corps made its first amphibious landing at New Providence Island in the Bahamas from the Providence. For sailing and visitor information, Box 76, Newport, RI 02840. 401-846-1776.

EDWARD KING HOUSE. (c. 1846) Aquidneck Park, 35 King Street. Designed by Richard Upjohn for Edward King, the mansion is considered one of the finest villas of Italianate design in America. Now a Senior Citizen's Center. 401-846-7426.

FORT ADAMS STATE PARK. Ocean Drive. The second largest bastioned fort in the U.S. Key to Narragansett Bay area defenses, 1799 to 1945. Designed to be the most heavily armed fort in America and to garrison 2,400 troops. Sprawling over 21 acres, its extensive landward defenses include listening tunnels, powder magazines, and breast height walls. Three tiers of guns to defend the East Passage of Narragansett Bay. Two soccer and one rugby field. Fort is closed to public tours. OPEN: Picnic area, bathing beach, fishing piers, boat launching ramps. 401-847-2400.

FRIENDS MEETING HOUSE. (1699) 21 Farewell Street. The oldest religious structure in Newport. Expanded in 1729 and 1807; recently restored. Home of the New England Yearly Meeting of the Society of Friends, until 1905. The Quakers were the dominant religious group for the first 100 years of the Colony's history; and as late as 1730, over half of the people in Newport were members of the society. OPEN: By appt. only. Call one week in advance. 401-846-0813.

HAMMERSMITH FARM. (1887) Harrison Avenue (Ocean Drive). 28-room shingled cottage located on Narragansett Bay and surrounded by acres of beautifully landscaped gardens. Summer home of the Auchincloss family for four generations, Hammersmith was the setting for daughter Jacqueline Bouvier and John F. Kennedy's wedding reception. Often referred to as the Summer White House (1961-63), the mansion is a popular site for wedding receptions, clam bakes, and other functions. 401-846-7346.

HUNTER HOUSE. (1748) 54 Washington St., near Goat Island Causeway. Exhibition of Newport's original and famous Townsend-Goddard furniture, silver, and portraits of the period. Revolutionary War headquarters of French Admiral de Ternay. Restored 18th century garden. OPEN: Apr, Sat & Sun, 10-5 p.m.; May 1-Sep 30, daily, 10-5 p.m., weekends in October. 847-1000.

INTERNATIONAL TENNIS HALL OF FAME. (1880) 194 Bellevue Avenue. See tennis history come alive at the world's largest tennis museum, housed in historic Newport Casino. Site of first U.S. National Championships in 1881. Museum features displays and memorabilia covering over a century of tennis history. Walk through the halls where great tennis legends are remembered. Tour the grounds and buildings which have all been restored to their original elegance. The Casino's historic grass courts host major professional tennis tournaments each summer and are available to the public for play in season. Museum hours: 9:30 am - 5:00 pm. 401-849-3990, 800-457-1144.

KINGSCOTE. (1839) Bellevue Avenue. Charming Gothic-revival cottage built in 1839 by Richard Upjohn as a summer residence for George Noble Jones of Savannah, Georgia. Considered the nation's first summer cottage. House features the celebrated McKim, Mead, and White dining room, added in 1881, with Tiffany glass wall and cork ceiling. Exhibits Townsend-Goddard furniture and outstanding Chinese export paintings and porcelains. 401-847-1000.

MARBLE HOUSE. (1892) Bellevue Avenue. Mansion built for William K. Vanderbilt. Louis XIV-period predominates. Building utilizes features of the Grand and Petit Trianons at Versailles. Harold S. Vanderbilt Memorial Room features yachting trophies and memorabilia. Chinese Tea House (l9l3-l9l4) on grounds. 401-847-1000.

MUSEUM OF YACHTING, THE. Fort Adams State Park. Housed in a 19th century brick building on the waterfront, the museum chronicles the history of yachting through its displays of photos, paintings, memorabilia, and various vessels. Galleries include: The Mansions & the Yachts; Small Craft Gallery; Hall of Fame for Singlehanded Sailing; America's Cup Gallery. Also featured are special exhibits and in-water displays. 401-847-1018.

NAVAL WAR COLLEGE MUSEUM. (1820) 686 Cushing Road E. In Founders Hall, 19th Century Newport Poorhouse (1820-82), original site of the world's first Naval War College (1884), and site of historian Alfred Thayer Mahan's writings of the epochal, The Influence of Sea Power Upon History, 1660-1783, first published in 1890. Exhibits on the history of naval warfare and the naval heritage of Narragansett Bay. Public access through Gate 1 of the Naval Education and Training Center. 401-841-4052

NEWPORT ART MUSEUM AND ART ASSOCIATION. 76 Bellevue Avenue, opposite Touro Park. Founded in 1912 by a group of prominent artists, it is housed in the former Griswold Mansion (1864), designed by Richard Morris Hunt (the architect of many Newport mansions) in the Stick Style, and the Cushing Memorial Gallery (1921). Changing exhibitions of contemporary and historical art of Newport and New England. The museum offers art classes, lectures, tours, performing arts events, and evening musical picnics. OPEN: Columbus Day - Memorial Day, Tue-Sat, 10-4 p.m.; Sun, 12-4 p.m. Memorial Day - Columbus Day, Mon - Sat, 10-5 p.m. Sun, 12 - 5. 401-848-8200.

NEWPORT CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH. (1860) Spring and Pelham Streets. Congregation gathered 1695. Decorated by John LaFarge around 1880. 401-849-2238.

NEWPORT HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 82 Touro Street. Society is a resource center for the study and appreciation of Newport's history. Museum with changing exhibitions of photographs, paintings, Townsend-Goddard furniture, silver and china. Research facilities include library and archival manuscript materials with earliest town records, merchant account books, and important collections in architectural history and photography. Attached is Seventh Day Baptist Meeting House (1729). 401-846-0813.

OLD COLONY HOUSE. (1739) Washington Square. Nation's second oldest capitol building, used for the General Assembly's Newport sessions until 1900. The first Roman Catholic Masses in Rhode Island were celebrated here, 1780-81, by the Abbe DeGlesnon, French Army chaplain under Count de Rochambeau. The Declaration of Independence was proclaimed from its second floor balcony. Washington, Jefferson, Lafayette, Jackson, Eisenhower, and other distinguished Americans were entertained here. Rhode Island Building at the "Big E" a replica of this historical landmark. 401-846-2980

OLD STONE MILL. Touro Park. Much time and effort have been spent to determine the mill's origin. Most popular theory is that it was built by Norsemen before Columbus' voyage; academic theory has it built by a Colonial farmer.

REDWOOD LIBRARY AND ATHENAEUM. (1748-50) 50 Bellevue Avenue. Oldest library building in America. Outstanding collection of 18th and 19th century portraits. The Redwood Library is open Tuesday - Thursday from 9:30 - 8:00 PM. On Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays, we are open from 9:30 - 5:30 PM. Sundays hours are 1:00 - 5:00 PM. 401-847-0292.

RHODE ISLAND FISHERMAN AND WHALE MUSEUM, THE. 18 Market Square, Seamen's Church Institute. Explore the hands-on exhibits, pilot a fishing vessel in the replica of a ship's wheelhouse, go on a whale watch without going to sea, eavesdrop on real fisherman over the marine radio and try your hands at knot-tying. An educational museum devoted to increasing awareness of the marine environment. 401-849-1340.

ROSECLIFF. (1902) Bellevue Avenue. Overlooking famous Cliff Walk and Atlantic Ocean. Built for Hermann Oelrichs. Designed by McKim, Mead, and White; modeled after the Grand Trianon at Versailles. Features Newport's largest private ballroom. Presented to Preservation Society of Newport County by Mr. & Mrs. Edgar Monroe of New Orleans. Scene of several movies including "True Lies" in 1994. 401-847-1000.

SALVE REGINA UNIVERSITY. 100 Ochre Point Avenue. Administration building, Ochre Court (1888-91), designed by Richard Morris Hunt. Visitors are invited to stroll the seaside campus rimmed by the Cliff Walk, view the exteriors of twenty 19th-century buildings, and tour the first floor of Ochre Court.401-847-6650

SAMUEL WHITEHORNE HOUSE. 416 Thames Street. This Federal-period house features the exquisite furniture, silver, and pewter made by Newport's famed artisans from 1740-1840. A garden completes this Federal showcase. 401-849-7300

SEVENTH DAY BAPTIST MEETING HOUSE. 82 Touro Street. Adjacent to Newport Historical Society Museum. Built in 1729, possibly by Richard Monday, the Meeting House is the oldest of its faith in America and contains a beautiful pulpit and William Claggett clock. 401-846-0813.

St. MARY'S CHURCH. Spring Street. Oldest Roman Catholic parish in Rhode Island, established April 8, 1828. Location of wedding of Jacqueline Bouvier to John Fitzgerald Kennedy, September 12, l953. 401-847-0475.

THE ELMS. (1901) Bellevue Avenue. Magnificent estate of the late E.J. Berwind, Philadelphia coal magnate. Designed by famous Philadelphia architect Horace Trumbauer and modeled after the early 18th century Chateau of Asnieres near Paris. Formal sunken garden designed by French landscape architect, Jacques Greber. Decorated for Christmas in December. 401-847-1000.

TOURO SYNAGOGUE. (1763) 85 Touro Street. Oldest synagogue on North American continent. Designed by Peter Harrison. Symbol of religious freedom throughout the world. Oldest torah in North America on display. George Washington letter, 1790. Services in summer, Fri, 7 p.m.; Sat, 9 a.m.; rest of year, Fri, 6 p.m.; Sat, 9 a.m. Summer- daily, subject to daily conditions. 401-847-4794.

TRINITY CHURCH. (1725-26) Queen Anne Square, Spring and Church Streets. Parish founded 1698. Washington worshipped here in Pew 81. One of the finest structures in America. Features only three-tiered, wine glass pulpit in America. Organ tested by Handel before sent from England by philosopher Bishop George Berkeley. Queen Elizabeth II and the Archbishop of Canterbury visited in 1976. Tiffany stained glass windows. $3 million rehabilitation completed in 1987 to original specifications. The church has been in use since 1726. 401-846-0660.

WANTON-LYMAN-HAZARD HOUSE. (1675) 17 Broadway near Washington Square. Oldest restored house in Newport. Home of Colonial governors, Tories, patriots, Supreme Court Justices, and site of the Stamp Act riot of 1765. A tour of the house illustrates the exciting history of Colonial and revolutionary America, as seen through the daily life of individual Newporters. Colonial herb garden. 401-846-0813.

WHITE HORSE TAVERN. (1673) corner of Marlborough and Farewell Streets. Oldest continuously operating tavern in America. Open: Daily for lunch & dinner. Closed Tuesday for lunch. 401-849-3600.

Population Density: Newport contains 20.556 square kilometers of land area (7.937 Sq. Miles) and 9.160 square kilometers of water area (3.537 Sq. Miles). Total area is 29.716 square kilometers or 11.473 square miles.

The 2000 population density of Newport is 4,316.7 persons per square mile of land area.

Age Distribution: In 2000, 21,276 persons residing in Newport were 18 years of age or older.

More Census 2000 data on Newport and the State of Rhode Island is available at the Statewide Planning Program Website.

City Hall
43 Broadway
Newport, RI 02840
Hours: 8:30 am - 5:00 pm
FAX: 401-848-5750

**Information above provided by the Rhode Island Department of Economic Development Corporation

Web Links

Newport County Convention and Visitors Bureau City of Newport Newport Chamber of Commerce Newport Mansions Best Read Guide, Newport Newport Harbour Guide NewportMap.com