Form 10-300 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIORJuly. 1969 NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACESINVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM

Type all entries - completeapplicable sections

Newport .. .

TITLIt OF SURVEY:

Historjc-Amerjcn Bui1dngs StirvéyOF SURVEY: 1959

COMMON . *:‘ *,., ::.- - . . . . . . . .

Tillinghast John HouseAND/OR,HI5TORIC -- . 7 . - . . . -.,, . ., . .-

2. LOCATIONSTREET AND tUMBER . . . -. . .‘ :.. ‘. . ..

1li2’ Mill-Street ‘- . .: . . ..

CITY OR TOWN: . . . . -. . . . -

Newport r

STeTE ,,. . . ‘ CODE COUNTY, -- -. . . . CODE

Rhode Island, 0281.tO bE Newport Ofla CLASSIFICATION

STATUSACCESSIBLE

To THE pUBLIc

:-OWNERSHIP ,r

One . .

Bi;aing - C’ Public’.. ‘‘ . Public AcquIsition:,

C Structur’e . pt. . - . C In Process. .

Objeét’ C Both . .. C .BeingConsiderççJ.

Chock One or More aApproprloIo . . -..‘. - ,..

C Government C Park ‘-C Tro’n’fportotion i:. C Comments

C Industrial Private Residence - 1 C Other Specify

C Military C Religious

C Museum C Scientific .

Occupied

C Unoccupied

C Preservation workin’ progress

, Yes:Restricted

C Unrestricted

4t

STATE:

Rhode IslandCOUNTY,

NewportF0RNPSUSEONLY

ENTRY NUMBER DATE

r

*: 4..

_________ _________

7’

_______

n

STATE ‘‘NODE

Rhode

Is1and,"O28O . -.

H’

- ..,

fl Federal C State C County C Local

I

-: StATE: CODE - S. -

District of Columbia . . ‘-:

°Sr-

t4- OWNER OF PROPERTY, . .

OWN ER’S N ÂME: .

Anli Corporation. . . . . . ‘ . .

STREETANDNUMBER: . , . , . . . . ‘. *‘‘ :.:

1L12 Mill StreetCITY OR TOWN: .

Newport’ATiON 6F LEGAL_DESCRIPTION

.

.

‘ ‘

*

STATE:

Rhode‘ . ‘‘ , CODE

Island,O281O Lb‘

B-3>‘Iifi

CtTYON TOWN

COURTHOUSE, REGISTRY OF DEED ETC:. ‘ r .

,Newport City..Hat ‘

STREET AND NUMBER. . 5 . ,. .

, --i-*_ .,-‘ , , ‘- . . ,-, . . ±

-‘Broadway-. .

16. REPRESENTATION IN EXISTING SURVEYS - ‘

CITY OR TOWN:

Washinrton

DEPOITOR.YFO;R SURVEY RECORDS: : -‘h ‘ ,‘‘. ,-- .-- -r -

Library of Congress’. ‘ .. ‘ .. . ‘, ..

STREET AND NUMBER: - - . - ,

IndependenceAvenué’and’lst’S-tj-eet; S. E.’’’"- . ‘.

4

.7_::PESCR.IPTIONI:::.... -

- Check One

CONDITION C Excellent :i Good C Fair C Deterio?ated C Ruins C Unexpased-‘ Check One , - - chock OneK] Altered C Unaltered - .

- C Moved Original SiteDESCRI BE THE PRESENT AND ORIGINAL It known PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

Built in 1760 on a site -facing south on Touro Park and the OldStone Mill, the Johm-Ti11inghasthouse--thoughaitexed--is a conspicu..ous local example of the late Colonial residenceand of the increasinguse of academic forms for the decoration of luxurious dwellings inthat period. It is a timber-framed, two-and-one-half-storeystructure upon a stone basementand is covered with beaded claphoarding.From the decked hipped roof arise two internal chimneys which appear.to have been rebuilt. Old photographsshow the main doorway with-aplain flat enframement consisting of pilasters supporting a segmentalpediment rather than the elaborate, triangularly-pedimented Corinthianporch obviously a product of the Colonial Revival with iron railings

- which now heavily protrudes to sydter the doorway. The moulded woodeneaves cornice originally had only supporting modillions and a dentil

- course below, but a plain frieze hand, interrupted by each upper win-* dow opening, appears to be an insertion of the Greek Revival period,

when surely the panelled Tuscan corner pilasters were also applied tothe house. Windows, now containing two-over-two sash, are in early-type protruding frames having simple architraves resting upon mouldedsills; those of the lower floor have a capping cornice as well.Dormers, with rather heavy triangular pediments which appear to be coeval with the added porch, project from the roof, three of them in the

- south front, and--exceptfor their heavy cappings--would be a part ofthe housets original design. -

Besides the applications of trim mentioned above, the house hasalso undergoneextensive enlargement. Most prominent are a north-eastextension topped by a glazed observatory, a two-and-one-half-storeyrear ell approximately doubling the interior space running north,and a glazed porch attached to the west side. Other outside additions

-- on the property include a frontal retaining-wall of stone., a carriagehouse, a swimming pool and, along the north side, a’ brick wall witharches now closed by boarding. . - . -

dl

Internally, the main and original portion of the house displaysa typical XVIII-Century four-room, central-han plan, with two interiorchimneys each serving two hearths on each floor. The front door opensto the main hall--now partitioned in front to form a vestibule--whosenorthern half contains, themain stairway. . This hail is now completely

- panelled with darkwood and floored in tile, both dating from the lateXfl Century; but the original broad, semi-elliptical archway with aheavy keystone-still divides its length in two The wide staircaserises in B-shape in two -runs and a landing to the secondfloor. It

- retains its original ramped rail upon twisted halusters and its "caged"newel, but the underside of the upper run has modern panelling tomatch the walls and also, in fact, the ceiling of the ball. On thelanding there is the original round-headedwindow enframementwith akeystone in its arch and a window-seat filling the bottom; it doesnot now, however, contain moveabie-double-hungsashhut is entirelyfilled by ornamentalflX-Century glazing of very small panes of beyelled or cut glass’. ‘ -- - ‘

- See Continuation Sheet

‘6,

mm

zI-,,

-i

zC

n

-1

0

t

V.

,‘. -‘t:-’-

Form O-3OOo - UNITED S ES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR STATE - -

July 969 , NATIONAL PARK SERVICE Rhode Island

NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES COUNTY

Newport -

INVENTORY . NOMINATION FORMFOR NPS USE ONLY

- ENTRY NUMBER DATE

Continuation Sheet

Number all entries -

7. Description. - ‘

An apartmenthas been made of each half of the first floor, and thesecond floor forms ohe large- apartment extending into the ell. The firstfloor of the eli provides afourth apartment. Wall and fireplace trim - -

on the first floor is all of late XIX- or early XX-Century application,with rich panelling and carving of varnished woods. The second floor ‘

-

remains more intact in both nian and d6cor, displaying simple panelled --

wainscots, old mantels with plain, academic detailing and marble hearth-surrounds. However, even on thib floor one of the front rooms was "im- - -

proved" by the introduction of acoffered ceiling of stained wood. ‘

Remarkablyand fortunately,’after all the expansionand cosmetic -

treatment it has undergone, the,house can still proclaim itself to thespectator as a good example of the large, prominently-sited mid-XVIII- - -

Century town residence. ‘ - ‘ - - ‘ -

8. Significance. ‘ - ‘ ‘ - ‘- - -- I:

and of a flat frieze or fascia below the XVIII-Century cornice,,and the-

introduction, perhaps earlier, of some new mantels inside. There areangular Victorian extensions to the house to the rear and one side ofthe house dating c. 1870-1880, hit their height, the size of openings ,

and the details of trim are made--asmuch as possible--consonantwith ‘ V - --

similar features of the original part of the house. - -

However,’ hy around l88S-l8°5, considering the socil pretensionsthen dominating Newnort and the forms of entertaioihg practised there, itwas evidently thought by the owners of the Tillinghast house at that time - - -

that some çashionableup-datiig or glossing was needed. To the exterior-was attached’the heavy, aedicular entrance porch--hopefully "Colonial,"hut rather’ more Roman--andthe dormers were given heavy mouldings on

- - their pediments, where the original trim was surely more ‘slim. Inside,in the stair-hall and the downstairs reception-rooms the secondfloor -

was left largely’untouched, some very expensive redecoration was under-taken: panelledwals, panelled ceilings and beams, elaborate mantels ofhybrid style--all in various woods highly varnished. Although records donot include this work as being by the famous firm of NcKim, Mead & White, ‘ ‘-- -

one is reminded of the beginnings of their decorative work in the- Coloni-al Revival style, which had wide influence, and the Tillinghast house re-flects their quick followers. Beyond its long-stanng place in state y. - -

and local history, in important associations, we can seealso here a - - fc- -

rather interesting example of XIX-Century changesmade to a housebuiltearlier, and of extravagant Colonial Revival imprints placed upon a build-ing which was of the Colonial period to begin with. -1 - ‘ - -

-

- - - -

H

- - . GPO 921.724

-:.‘.-.

1 -,‘‘: -‘‘4- - .‘.-,--ws,yr --‘ t2,4-’

C Pre.CoIumbian C 16th Century - fjj 18th Century - - - C 20th Century

C 15th Century C 17th Century 19th Century

SPEd FPC DATEtSt If Applicable and Known 1760 ff. -- - -

AREAS OF SIGNI FICANCE Check One or More as Appropriatd - - - -

Aboriginal - Education -‘ C Political C Urban Planning

, C Prehistoric- C Engineering -- - -

- C Religion/Ph;. -- -‘ Other Specify -

C Historic-‘ C Industry - ‘ ‘ osophy *- . Turn-of-the- -

- ‘ C Agriculture- : C Invention - - - -

- C Science - - - century socialArchitecture

- C Landscape- C Sculpture , - life

C Art Architecture- C Social/Human. - -

C Commerce - C Literature itorian ‘ --

C Communications Military --. C Theater

________________________

C Conservation C Music‘ C Transportation -

STATEMENT OF SIGNIFIcANcE - -- ‘ -

This house i’emains an important and noticeable survivor amongthe great pre-Revolutionary houses of New-nort, partly due to its cen

- tral siting and to its size. In spite of alterations and additions, , -

its oririnal form and proportions, its original plan are clear; andits architectural, history will, after other-paragraphs,prove of interest and significance. -

Its builder was John Tillinghast, a prosperousNewport merchant, -

and from 1760 until the time of the Revolutionary War it could househis family and take care of his hospitality as had been planned. By -

1780, when the British enemy forces one has not reports of their occupying it had left Newport anda large body of more acceptableFrenchmilitary allies arrived in July of that year, this house--like otherlarge ones--was in part placed at the disposal of the French military-command. Two officers’of the engineer corps- are listed as hilletted’ --

in the’ Tillinghast house, and it’is also believed that the NarquisdeChastellwc was housed there for a time and that he there recorded hisfamous memoirs of Newport and its citiiens in wa±’time. ‘ --17

The French left Newport in June of l78l-liithe_house was tocontinue to have important associations. i-ic l783-l78h_j.-ts tenant was

- Major-General NathanaelGreene--perhaps,after GeorgeWashington,ourmost important Revolutionary commander:heiliieceived his former ‘

colleagues-in-arms, the Martpns de Lafayette, Baron Steuben, ThaddeusKoszciusko. Later it had as occupantsArchibald Crary, commander.ofthe SecondRhode Island Regiment, andWilliam C. Gibbs, Governor of -Rhode Island from 1821 to l82t. The subsequentsuccessionof ownershas not been traced, hut in recent decade, though already convertedto apartments, ,the building had for some time been called the Gar- - - -

- rettson house. - - - -

Dominant in a pleasing location in the centre of town, commodious and liveable, the body of the house remains and has obviously beenappreciated by it5 post-Tillinghast owners who, however, were- totaverse to giving it various minor exterior face-liftings, some majorenlargementsand various interior decorative "improvements" to accordwith the needs and tastes of their times. Thus we see the applicationc. 1830-l8bO to the old structure of Greek Revival corner pilasters- - ‘ -

- See Contintuatlon Sheet.

.-

pERIOO Chock One or More ao Appropriato ‘ - -

V.

z

0

I-3

I1fl

z

-lii

Lu

#1

- -

t -

It

‘p

1

4-3--

‘-I- - - - I9 MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES

Downins-z, Antoinette F., and Scully, Vincent J., Jr.: The ArchitecturalHeritaico of Newport, Rhode Island, l6h0-l9l Cambridge, Massachu- -

-- setts, 1952, pp. 5-6. .- - f-.- ‘ - -

- Dawson, Herbert A.: Historic Newport Newport, Rhode Island, 1933, -

- pp. 39-hO. ‘ - -

U. S. -Works ProgressAdministration. FederalWriters’ Project: RhodeIsland.-- A Guide ... Boston, -Massachusetts,1937, p. 222. -

The -PreservationSociety of Newport County: Washingrton-RochambeauCele- hration,’1780-l955 Newport, Rhode Island, 1955, p. 19. - -

L!P.:GEOGRAPHICAL DATA - - - - - - - -

_______

LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE COORDINATES LATITUDE AND LONGI TUDE COORDINATES.

DEFINING A RECTANGLE LOCATING THE PROPERTY 0 DEFINING THE CENTER POINT OF A PROPERTY

_______

OF LESS THAN TEN ACRES

CORNER - LATITUDE , LONGITUDER

Minutes Seconds Degrees Minutes Seconds0

---" d -‘

- °"‘

-:0

LATITUDE LONGITUDE

Degrees Minutes Seconds0: ?9.’08.8fN

Degrees Minutes Seconds

18 ‘36.lI,W

APPROXIMA TE’ ACREAGE OF NOMINATED’‘ -_‘ - -_- - - - -

LIST ‘ALL STATES AND COUNTIES’FOR PROPERTIES OVERLAPPING STATE OR COUN’flSOUNDARIES

STATE: - CODE COUNTY - , - CODE

ST.ATEe’ - - -- - - -; CODE - COUNTY:: - ,, , ,,,‘-. 7’- :, i - CODE

STATE- - i ‘- - - ‘ - - - CODE -‘COUNTY: ‘,--, - -- ‘- ‘‘ CODE

STATE: ‘‘ , - - - -‘-CODE COUNtY: -‘ - ‘ - . , CODE

[ii. FORM PREPARED BY - - - - - - -

,

NAME’ AND TITLE: }3, ChristopherBene,Suneyor-Resea’cher- - - -. -- - -

- - Ridhard B.- Harrington, Consultant.- -.- --: - , - - - ,- --

ORGANI ZATION ‘ - - - - -: - ‘ - - ‘ -- - - - - -‘ - - - -‘ DATE , , --

F Rhode Island Historical P±eservatjonCommission .,. July 26,1972STREET AND NuMOER: -

I

- El 2.

:

John Brown House,’ 52 Power Street--- - - - ‘ ‘ -

CITY OR TOWN: ‘ - - ‘ -

Providence‘t$T-:A T:so -:o F-F IC E

STATE ‘ ‘- ‘ ‘ CODE

Rhode Island, 02906

flt4ATONAt5ESrRV

As the’’designa’ted State Liaison Officer fotheNa- ‘ H H - - -- - -

‘ tional Historic PreservOtionActf 1956 Public Law --‘ I hereby certify tia,t tisprope,st is included in the

‘: 89-555, 1 hereby nominate this’ property for inclusion NatipiThi Iegiste.1, -- -. -‘ ‘

: in the Najional Regiter and certify that- it has been ‘‘‘, - - -, - ‘ : - ‘ - - - - - -

-

-

:-

- evattfa’ted aCcording -to ihè criteria and’roce’dures set’

forth by the National Park Service, The recommended- - - -

level of significance of this nomination is:

-- ‘ National , - State I ‘C:’ - ‘Local CA :--

- -- - - - - - 1

‘ - - -

Chief, Office of ArCheology and f-list oric Preservation-

- -, --‘‘ - ‘: 7 :‘, -c -

-

- - , - -

Name - - ‘ - - - - - -

- Date , - - -‘ 7

- - - - - -

‘AflEST - -- 0: -‘- - --

- -‘‘‘- ,-r-_-,---’,, : -

- , - - - A---- - - :_-- I

ITitle

: 1 - - - ‘ ‘

- - -

- - --- -- - - ‘

- Date - - , ‘

- -

- - -: :‘‘‘ ‘‘-- -

Keeper of The National Register

Date,’ -

-- GPO ot .087

NW

NE

SE

SW’

Degrees0

0

0

0

I’

V.

rnI,,

zt6I

zC

-I

0

-zV.

‘-r,’:Y’,t 7-:’ -Yrt StirP

POP Ill

It

GOAT Jov. [vrt’mISLANO/ Rs,.J

GEOGRAPHTCAL

Latitude:

COORDINATES

29’ ‘8.04"E’ 3G.1"

S

GENERAL HIC

N EWPORTRHODE

PORTSMOUTH MIDDI

PREPARED

DEPARTMENT OFDIVISION OF ROA

HIGHWAY PLAtIN COOPERATI

U. S. DEPARTMENBUREAU OF P

RCAI .9 .8 .7 4 .3 .4 .3 .2 .1 0

0‘14

PD LYCON IC

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIORNATIONAL PARK SERVICE

NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES

PROPERTY MAP FORM

Type all entries - attach to or enclosewith map

OCATtONSTREET AND NUM BER:

lL2 Mill StreetCITY OR TOWN:

NewportSTATE: CODE COUNTY: CODE

......

Rhode Island L!t! Newport oO.... ..... .... ..... ......... ...... .. ....

_‘AP REFRNCESOURCE: State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. Department of

Public WorksSCALE: 1": l32O?DATE: 1966EQUI R EMENTS

TO BE INCLUDED ON ALL MAPS

1. Property broundorles where required.2. North arrow.

3. LatItude and longitude reference.

tForm 10-301July 1969

STATE

hode IslandCOUNTY

Newport

AND/OR HISTORIC: -

NAME. * ....:. :.... ..*.. ... .. ... . ... . . .. .... ... . .. ...: .: . ... .... .. . . .. . . ... . . ... . .,. ... ... .... .

COMMON: Tillinhast John House

FOR NPS USE ONLY

ENTRY NUMBER DATEV.,

0

IU

I-V.,

Ui

wV.,

[4. ..

*

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR STATE

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE Rhode Island

NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACESCONY

PROPERTY PHOTOGRAPH FORM FORNPS USE ONLY

Typeall entries - attach to or enclosewith photographENTRY NUMBER DATE

o C0MMON:TjlljnRhast Governor John House- AND/OR HISTORIC:

- LOCATlONSTREET AND NUMBER:

1b2 Mill StreetCITY OR TOWN:

NewportI- STATE: CODE COUNTY: I CODE

Rhode Island LLL NewportI!.. --..--_, :.x. S ... S. .... ...... ..

x -

- 10T0C01T:B. Christopher BeriejDATEOFPI.4OTO:January, 1972

______________________

Ui NEGATIVE FILED AT: Rhode Island Historical PreservationCommission, Room 201,w -J ?6 Nelrose’Street, Providence Rhode Island, 02907

I D NT IçATIOp

_____

. .

DESCRIBE VIEW, DIRECTION. ETC.

Detail of room on second floor.

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES

PROPERTY PHOTOGRAPH FORM

Type all entries - attach to or enclosewith photograph

STATE

Rhode IslandCOUNTY

NewportFOR NPS USE ONLY

ENTRY NUMBER

[NAME . .... ....... . ..- ..... .... . ....... ... ....

COMMON Tiliinghast GovernorJohn HoueAND/OR HISTORIC:

OCATIONSTREET AND NUMBER:

1b2 Mill StreetCITY OR TOWN:

Newport

V.,

z

0

I

U

FV.,

z

Ui

Ui

I DATE

STATE: CODE COUNTY: CO ERhode Island hit Newport 0O

V.a

/t ‘ ‘/"

1.

LiMITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF TIlE INTERIOR

NAIIONAL PARK SERVICE

NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES

PROPERTY PHOTOGRAPH FORM

Typeall entries - attach to or enclosewith photograph

COUNTY

NewportFOR NPS USE ONLY

ENTRY NUMBER

NAME . . . . ., ... .. ...... S.

co.mor Tillinghast Governor John HouseAND/OR HISTORIC:

2. LOCATIONSTREET AND NUMBER:

11i2 Mill StreetCITY OR TOWN:

ProvidenceSTATE: DE COUNTY: CODE

Rhode Island Newport

[ HOTOtrErtN ,

PHOTO CREDIT:B. Christopher BeneDATE OF PHOTO: January, 1924EGATIVE FILED AT:Rhode Island Historical Preservation Commission, Room 201,

?..6 e1ose Street P P??.P.7 ....f "-:

DESCRIBE VIEW, DIRECTION, ETC.

5TA T1

Rhode Iland

z0

F-

U

I

z

DATE

Ui

UI

Entrance south front