Preservation Society of Newport County

Preservation Society of Newport County
Founded1945
FounderKatherine Warren
Typenon-profit
PurposePreserve a collection of historic house museums in Newport County
HeadquartersBellevue Avenue, Newport, Rhode Island
Region served
Newport County, Rhode Island
CEO & Executive Director
Trudy Coxe
Websitenewportmansions.org
The largest of the Preservation Society's mansions, The Breakers

The Preservation Society of Newport County is a private, non-profit organization based in Newport, Rhode Island. It is Rhode Island's largest and most-visited cultural organization. The organization protects the architectural heritage of Newport County, especially the Bellevue Avenue Historic District. Seven of its 14 historic properties and landscapes are National Historic Landmarks, and most are open to the public.

The organization has filed lawsuits to block offshore wind farms in Rhode Island, arguing that wind farms harm scenic views and threaten "historic resources".[1][2]

History

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The Preservation Society of Newport County was founded in 1945 by a group of Newport residents led by Katherine and George Warren to save Hunter House from demolition. They were known as the Georgian Society until they changed their name to the Preservation Society of Newport County.

Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt, Harold Stirling Vanderbilt's widow, bequeathed $1.25 million to the society upon her death in 1978.[3]

Properties open to the public

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Image Name Year built
(*circa)		 Style Architect Refs
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 Arnold Burying Ground Founded 1675 Cemetery
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 The Breakers 1895 Neo Italian Renaissance Richard Morris Hunt [4]
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 Chateau-sur-Mer 1852 (remodeled 1870s) Seth C. Bradford (construction)
Richard Morris Hunt (renovations)
Ogden Codman, Jr. (design)		 [5]
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 Chepstow 1860 Italianate George Champlin Mason Sr.
John Grovesnor (1978 addition)
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 The Elms 1901 Classical Revival Horace Trumbauer [6][7]
Green Animals Topiary Garden c. 1860 Victorian Joseph Carreiro, George Mendonca (Gardeners) [8]
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 Hunter House 1748–1754 Georgian
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 Isaac Bell House 1883 Shingle style McKim, Mead and White
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 Kingscote 1839 (remodeled 1870s, remodeled 1880s) Gothic Revival Richard Upjohn
George C. Mason (1870s renovation)
McKim, Mead and White (1880s renovation)		 [9]
Marble House, Newport RI
Marble House, Newport RI
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 Marble House 1892 Beaux-Arts Richard Morris Hunt [10][11]
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 Rosecliff 1902 French Baroque Revival McKim, Mead & White [12]

Former properties

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Image Name Year built
(*circa)		 Style Architect Notes
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 Malbone Castle 1849 (remodeled 1875) Gothic Revival Alexander Jackson Davis
Dudley Newton (renovations}		 Bequeathed to the PSNC in 1978, later sold as a private residence; not open to the public[13][14]
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 White Horse Tavern 1652–1673 Francis Brinley, William Mayes Restored by the PSNC in 1952, but now privately owned and operated as a working tavern

See also

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References

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  1. ^ RINewsToday (2023-11-23). "Block Island and Newport preservationists fight to protect Rhode Island from massive wind farms". RINewsToday.com.
  2. ^ Belmore, Ryan (2023-11-22). "Preservation Society of Newport County files federal appeals to highlight legal errors in permitting review of offshore wind farms". What's Up Newp.
  3. ^ "Vanderbilt will". Democrat and Chronicle. Rochester, New York. August 19, 1978. p. 13. Retrieved June 15, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Breakers, The". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on August 12, 2009. Retrieved June 28, 2008.
  5. ^ "Chateau-sur-Mer". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on 2009-08-12. Retrieved 2008-02-21.
  6. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
  7. ^ "Elms, The". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on 2009-08-12. Retrieved 2008-06-28.
  8. ^ "Green Animals Topiary Garden". www.newportmansions.org. Newport Mansions. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
  9. ^ "Kingscote". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on 2009-08-12. Retrieved 2008-06-28.
  10. ^ "Marble House". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on August 12, 2009. Retrieved December 12, 2012.
  11. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  12. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  13. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
  14. ^ ""Malbone" (J. Prescott Hall-Henry Bedlow House)" (PDF). loc.gov. Historic American Buildings Survey National Park Service Department of the Interior. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
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