Kingscote (mansion)
Kingscote | |
Contributing Property | |
Location | Bellevue Ave. and Bowery St., Newport, Rhode Island, USA |
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Coordinates | 41°28′53.47″N 71°18′32.62″W / 41.4815194°N 71.3090611°W |
Area | less than one acre |
Built | 1839 |
Architect | Richard Upjohn |
Part of | Bellevue Avenue Historic District (ID72000023) |
NRHP reference No. | 73000058[1] |
Significant dates | |
Added to NRHP | May 17, 1973 |
Designated NHL | June 19, 1996[2] |
Designated NHLDCP | December 8, 1972 |
Kingscote is a
History
The Jones family permanently left Newport at the outbreak of the American Civil War, and the house was sold to William Henry King in 1864, an Old China Trade merchant. King's nephew David leased the house in 1876 and embarked on a series of alterations. He hired Newport architect George Champlin Mason to build a larger dining room and to build a new service wing, and he had the interior redecorated by the New York firm of Leon Marcotte. He also introduced gas lighting to the premises.[3]
In December 1880, David King hired
Kingscote is considered the building that started the fashion to build summer "cottages" in Newport.[4] As more and more such dwellings were erected in Newport, they gradually became larger, and while Kingscote was considered the grandest building in Newport when it was built; compared to later ones, it is considered small.[5]
The King family owned the house until 1972, when the last descendant bequeathed it to the Preservation Society. The bequest included all of the furnishings as of about 1880.[3] Today, Kingscote is a National Historic Landmark (NHL) and a contributing property to the Bellevue Avenue Historic District, also an NHL.[6]
Kingscote was featured in the second season of the HBO television series The Gilded Age to represent the earlier, smaller, era and to provide contrast to what "cottages" had become once the Gilded Age was in full swing: opulent palaces such as the Breakers, Marble House, and Rosecliff. As set designer Bob Shaw said, "Kingscote was once considered the grandest mansion in Newport in the 1850s, but by later standards, it’s actually rather small."[5]
Gallery
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Richard Upjohn's original 1839 watercolor of Kingscote, as seen from the southwest.
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HABSphoto of the front (southern) elevation.
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The eastern elevation.
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A detail of the front entrance.
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The entrance hall.
See also
- List of National Historic Landmarks in Rhode Island
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Newport County, Rhode Island
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ "Kingscote". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on August 12, 2009. Retrieved June 28, 2008.
- ^ a b c d "NRHP nomination for Kingscote". National Park Service. Retrieved May 11, 2014.
- ^ https://www.newportmansions.org/mansions-and-gardens/kingscote/
- ^ a b https://decider.com/2023/11/06/the-gilded-age-season-2-laura-benanti-mrs-blane/
- ^ "The Preservation Society of Newport County – Online Ticket Center". Archived from the original on February 4, 2007. Retrieved January 5, 2008.
External links
- Official website
- Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) No. RI-307, "Kingscote, Bellevue Avenue & Bowery Street, Newport, Newport County, RI", 20 photos, 6 measured drawings, 11 data pages, 2 photo caption pages