A comprehensive architectural history of America's greatest living architectural laboratory.

A survey of the Gilded Age mansions of Newport, Rhode Island, for all who love grand houses. Newport Villas describes the architectural and social development of this summer resort town, the nexus of wealth and fashion at the end of the nineteenth century. All the accoutrements were the best that money could buy, whether it was Parisian frocks, meticulously groomed thoroughbred horses, or meals prepared by imported French chefs. To properly mount their entertainments, Newport's elite built "cottages" that ranged in size from thirty to seventy rooms. The country's most accomplished architects designed these seaside villas, many of them rivaling the great houses of Europe. Pictured here in abundant archival and new photographs, with accompanying floor plans, the houses cover the gamut of revival styles from Colonial Revival to Italian Renaissance Revival, from French Classical Revival to Georgian Revival.

The architectural splendor of Newport, Rhode Island, from colonial clapboard dwellings and public buildings to ornate marble mansions built by the robber barons at the beginning of the 20th century, is preserved in this volume. 175 full-color photos.

Newport, Rhode Island, blessed with stunning ocean vistas and constant sea breezes, is home to some of the most exceptional private residences in America. Its deeply rooted history makes it a perennial destination, with more than 3.5 million visitors each year. Although it is one of the most high profile towns in the country, Newport is also one of the most cloistered. Private Newport: At Home and in the Garden offers an invitation to venture beyond the privet hedges and massive iron gates. It is the first book to step inside the privately owned mansions to reveal a diverse collection of architectural jewels complemented by spectacular gardens. These homes, created by distinguished architects and landscape designers, are stunning examples of Newport's 375-year "old-world" heritage. Eighteen exquisite and unique homes are prominently featured-from the resilient crescent curve of majestic Seafair, which withstood the Hurricane of '38, to the prizewinning Japanese garden at Wildacre, to the nostalgic working farm of heritage breeds at Swiss Village-each contributing its own part to the "Eden of America."

"Newport, Rhode Island nicknamed "the Queen of Resorts," has been celebrated in beautiful postcard portrayals for over a hundred years. Today, these vintage cards illuminate the glories of the Gilded Age, when huge mansions or "cottages" built by competing industrialists blossomed along Bellevue Avenue and the Cliff Walk, turning a once-quiet New England watering hole into the apex of nouveau riche destinations. This updated and expanded second edition features over 200 period images of the mansions, the beautiful beaches, and the shopping areas where the Newport Summer Colony gathered to do what they did best: spend money. See how Newport was forever changed by the prolific growth of cottages during the late nineteenth century. Today, many of these testaments to power and wealth are house museums, where thousands visit annually to see firsthand how the rich and famous lived. Includes a guide to postcard values and collector tips."--page [4] of cover.

Published in cooperation with the Preservation Society of Newport County, this evocative paperback guide recreates 50 summer houses, now lost, built during the golden age of Newport, Rhode Island's reign as the queen of resorts.

Guide to ten properties held by the The Preservation Society of Newport County.